Jonathon Valley quickly finished coding instructions into his computer system. With a touch of a button, files would be destroyed, records wiped, communication logs purged. And it would all be done with such finesse that there would be no indication of tampering of any kind. Dummy records were already in place, and they would simply become the defaults throughout his personal system as well as the planetary systems.
Damn the Imperium, he thought bitterly. Damn Kirk, damn Costain, damn that traitorous bitch of a daughter. He had already disposed of her mother. The Elder was not pleased at that – the whore had been her own get – but Valley had maintained discipline on his planet for twenty years. Antaris could breed like rabbits when they wanted to, so killing a few endangered nothing, and let them know who was in charge. And it also let the Elder know that not even she was indispensable.
Now this, Valley glowered. Special ceremony to honor the Enterprise – and for Caros. Costain must have been right, Rigel’s loyalty has been questioned. Briefly, he wondered if he had missed an opportunity. Had Rigel been planning a coup? Draco would have to be in on it. Was a portion of Fleet – at least Kirk’s ship – in it as well? And with the Vulcan First Officer, did that mean Vulcan itself?
Again he damned his half-breed child. If she’d given me that information, maybe I wouldn’t be preparing for my own gods-damned demotion – if not my funeral.
That depended on how well he could convince the Imperium of his innocence. Not that he wasn’t, but if it would be more convenient for the Emperor to believe otherwise… He’d best be prepared to do some fast talking.
Swearing inventively, he stabbed his finger on the computer sequence that completed the purge. Then he called for his aide. The Artemis was scheduled to arrive in three hours, and he had to pack.
Loki Monolem-Calvario had watched the guards escort the Imperial heroes from the Control Center. It was only when she realized that the escort was actually going to the White Tower that she understood. Whatever the Captain and crew of the Enterprise had done, it wasn't something the Emperor considered in his best interests.
Why, then the farce of the ceremony? Of course, she had to suppose that not many in the Imperial Court had actually watched the escort, so not many knew the heroes had been taken to the Tower. She had, in fact, solely to get a glimpse of Sulu. The ten years since she had seen him last had only matured his beauty. She wasn’t surprised that he had never removed the scar on his face, but it saddened her. And made her think of things she had pushed from her mind for those ten years.
But what could he have done that was against the Emperor? He was too smart and too thoroughly trained in Imperial ways to turn traitor. Had he simply been caught in some intrigue of his Captain’s, or the half-breed who was Kirk’s First Officer? But Loki could not imagine any intrigue that Sulu could not, if he had to, get himself out of. After all, he’d gotten out of Ruis’.
She sighed, turning from the open-air verandah that looked out on the Imperial Maze. She had been looking forward to re-acquainting herself with Sulu’s charms. She had been fairly confident she could attract him on her own. True, she was no longer a young woman. She might have seemed young when compared with Ruis - he had been nearing 60 when he died, and she was thirty-five years his junior. But that still made her ten years older than Sulu, and he would no longer have Ruis to compare her to, but all those young beauties who served the officers of starships. She ran her hand through her short, black hair. It was still naturally, glossy black. She didn’t yet have to use artificial treatments to cover any grey or fading. Her figure was still trim and athletic. And her sexual skills hadn’t exactly atrophied. Sulu could still find her interesting. But if he didn’t, there were always other inducements.
You still owe me, samurai, she thought, and it sent a delicious thrill into her. She could have had his head after his murder of her late, unlamented husband. She could have even had him enslaved to her. She hadn’t. She had waived her blood price, for reasons of her own. She had allowed his disgrace and exile from the Warrior Elite to be enough punishment. That the leniency had been as much for her sake as his was something Sulu would never know. She wouldn’t use his debt unless she had to, but if that were the only way to get his talented body into her bed...
There’s not much chance of that now, she thought resignedly. She had already called on the Emperor to see if there were any way a discreet farewell visit could be arranged in one of the rooms of the Tower. He had expressed his regrets and she hadn’t pressed the matter, lest she herself come under some suspicion. She sighed again. Ah, my beautiful Sulu, it would’ve been so glorious - as glorious as it was ten years ago....
Her musings were interrupted by the appearance of her maid.
“Duchessa, the Lady LiLing of Rigel is here, requesting an immediate audience,” the woman said. “She’s says it’s urgent she speak with you before the ceremony.”
Loki raised an eyebrow. “Does she indeed?” LiLing had been sent to Don DelMonde as a gift from the Imperial Harem. It was an honor bestowed on very few; the Havens who ran the Harem only trained those with the highest potential, and only the best of those trained were ever accepted as courtesans there. To receive a gift of that magnitude was a sign of the Emperor’s highest favor - or his deepest suspicion. Why would LiLing be here now? She checked the chronometer. “We’re supposed to begin gathering in ten minutes. She’s cutting it awfully close.” She glanced around the room. “Well, as I’m already prepared, I might as well see her.” She crossed the room to sit on her divan. “Please tell Lane that I’ll meet him at the main entrance.”
“Very good, Duchessa,” the maid replied with a bow, and returned a moment later, ushering in the beautiful young Asian woman.
“The Lady LiLing,” she announced, then withdrew.
LiLing’s face was flushed. She curtseyed with perfect, though hurried grace.
“Duchessa Calvario,” she said, then abruptly threw herself at Loki’s feet. “Oh, Duchessa, I didn’t know where else to turn! Haven has always been loyal to the Empire, you must help me!”
Loki was more than taken aback. She rose from her seat, helping the distraught woman to a chair. “My dear flower,” she said, “whatever is the problem?”
“The Don of Rigel,” LiLing sobbed. “My lady, he’s a traitor! He’s planning to execute the Emperor! He’s trying to start some sort of insane rebellion!” She bent her head, weeping. “And I carry his child, Duchessa, what am I to do?”
Loki quickly called for some tea, calming her former pupil, instructing her maid to tell her escort that she would be but a few minutes. When LiLing was calm, Loki sat back on the divan. “Now, child, how do you come to know this about your Don?”
Amid frequent bouts of hysteria, LiLing told of overhearing the Don’s conversation with Captain Kirk. Loki asked skillful questions, and soon realized how deeply Sulu was involved in this apparent conspiracy. The talk of ‘women he’s brainwashed’ intrigued as well as worried her. Had he not killed Ruis in time? The more LiLing spoke, the more certain Loki became that she had to see her Sulu again, for more reason than wanting the pleasure he had always brought her.
But if he’s to be executed this evening, what hope is there? Only that his elaborate escape plan succeeds. But then, he’ll be running to Rigel, and I’ll still be here. Loki’s mind raced. If I get involved, and he fails, I’ll be executed with him. But if he succeeds, will he let me join him? Is my hold on him enough? Why should he trust me? But will he have time to consider it? Is the chance of success worth the risk of failure?
Is the chance of failure worth the risk of success? Think of it. If a rebellion becomes a reality... Haven should keep her options open. And when it’s crushed, I can always claim to have been abducted by my husband’s murderer.
She wiped LiLing’s tears, holding onto her delicate hands. “You were right to bring this to me, little flower,” she said. “I know exactly how to handle this. The important thing is for you not to let on to DelMonde that you know anything. Act as if everything’s perfectly normal. Be his pretty consort at the ceremony. Trust me. I’ll take care of everything.”
LiLing kissed her hands, sobbing gratefully. Loki helped her repair her make-up, then sent her on her way. She had little time to prepare, and was only fifteen minutes late arriving at the main entrance. She smiled her best apology at her escort and latest lover, Haven’s Terlord, Lane Gage. She was going to enjoy the ceremony.
Valley had been terse, but polite to the Captain of the Artemis. She’d commented about his lack of entourage when he’d arrived in the shuttle escorted only by a personal guard. He’d told her he’d left his aides to insure the smooth running of his colony.
“Well, Senator,” the Draco captain had said, “you either take your duty to the Emperor a great deal more seriously or with a great deal less pageantry than does your fellow Senator.” And she’d told him that Costain’s retinue numbered in the dozens.
Sentimental fool. Can’t he bear to have his ‘children’ go on without him? Or do Orphiacs believe in suttee?
He went to the cabin appointed to him, displeased that it was opposite the suite given to the Indiians. He had hoped that, if nothing else, his last days could be spent among Terrans. He had born the tedious introductions Costain had given him, even feigning pleasure at meeting the alien bitch whom Costain had had the bad taste to actually marry. Finally, he managed to get Costain to come to his room by stating they had Imperial business regarding the ceremony to discuss.
“Jonathon, my apologies,“ Costain began. “You were right, Rigel is loyal to the Empire, and obviously, so is Captain Kirk.”
“What?” Valley put in incredulously. “Joel, you can’t possibly be so stupid.”
Costain blinked. “The Enterprise is being decorated, on Terra itself,” he said. “I received the Emperor’s personal invitation.”
“You received a summons to witness an execution,” Valley bluntly informed him. “And, unless we’re very fortunate, we might even be included in that particular festivity.”
“Us?” Costain stammered. “Us? But… why? We’ve done…” His face went pale. “Surely, Jonathon, our little network isn’t an Imperial threat! We only use the information for our own interests, nothing against the Emperor!”
“Fool!” Valley barked. “We’ve been associated with Kirk! We backed him in the Senate! We put the name he wanted into nomination, and it was a Rigellian! It looks like we’re with him, and, to the Emperor, that’s all that matters!”
“No, I refuse to believe that,” Costain said, regaining some of his composure. “I am a loyal Senator, I have never plotted against the Empire. I will answer any questions put to me, and this whole mess will get straightened out.”
“You’re not planning on revealing our mutual secret, are you, Costain?” Valley questioned. His eyes were dark, his tone soft and deadly.
Costain took a deep breath. “To save my world, I will give up my advantage,” he returned. “As we have agreed, I will say nothing about you.”
Valley strode over to him, taking him by the shoulders. “How dim-witted are you?” he hissed. “The Empire condemns by association. Anything you say about your situation will raise questions about me. If you think I’m going to let all I’ve worked for go down in flames because you’ve lost the sense the gods gave you…”
“I trust the Empire, Senator Valley,” Costain broke in, shrugging his hands away. “I consider our alliance broken, and I will answer the Imperium’s questions.”
“Costain, I warn you…”
The intercom on the desk whistled, and Valley snarled, “What is it!”
“Forgive the intrusion, Senator,” Captain O’Niall’s voice said, “But I’m afraid I have some bad news. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we won’t be arriving at Terra in time for the decorations ceremony. In fact, we won’t be arriving at Terra at all. If you’ll be patient, I can meet with you to explain at the end of this watch. Thank you for you attention. O’Niall out.”
“Thank the gods!” Valley exclaimed.
“For what?” Costain wondered. “How will I clear my name, my reputation? How will I insure justice for my children?”
“You’ll live, isn’t that enough?” Valley wanted to know.
“If the Empire thinks I’m a traitor?” Costain snapped. “Now who’s being stupid, Jonathon?”
The crowd at hand was enormous. Media coverage would beam it to every rock, every tug the Empire owned. They would have a multitude of witnesses for the justification of the mass murder that was sure to follow. The DelMonde line would be extinguished - unless Rigel’s Terlord could act badly enough to bear the full brunt. Relying on Human stupidity had never lost Courtland a thing.
He stood behind the Don’s chair on the second tier, above the Fleet heroes to be honored, below the Imperial Court. He would have preferred to be at Del’s side, but it was concession enough that he wasn’t collared and leashed. It had been elected for him that he remain in easy view and reach of the guards. Besides, he told himself, and suppressed the bitterness, Sulu wouldn’t allow any harm to come to Del from the very important personages he was mingling with. The Don was bored, petulant, easily distracted, nearly dripping sarcasm and over-indulgence. Jerel knew when he’d made a particularly pointed, insulting remark by the way LiLing’s laughter provided appropriate punctuation. He plays eighteen so well, Courtland thought. And Sulu played sixteen to match. The hawk had picked a pretty young guest and already had her eyes shining like a puppy’s. Eighteen and sixteen.
Jerel pushed the memories quickly away as those assembled began to find their places. Del nodded, a brief but warm interaction, as he sat. LiLing tossed her head proudly before taking her proper place as Harem at Court functions: curled invitingly at Del’s feet. Kirk, Spock and Sulu seemed to exude brash confidence, no hint given that they knew this was not meant as a decorations ceremony. Jerel became aware of Sulu’s eyes on him and glanced up, meeting them calmly. Their expression was unreadable, but he refused to flinch. A smile touched the scarred face, then Sulu turned abruptly as the fanfare that signaled the Emperor’s entrance began.
The Emperor was not, to Sepak’s eyes, an imposing figure. He would not have been even were he Vulcan. An arrogant man, strong, yes, but with the vain stupidity common to all Terrans; brash, bad-tempered, over-bearing, and reckless. It was possible, Sepak conceded, that the Emperor had a certain cleverness, but there was, he was certain, no real intelligence. The Terran Emperor was a brute. Sepak knew that more could be gained by a lesser man with knowledge than one with great strength and a thick skull. The Commander had taught him that much, and more. Spock was thoughtful planning, patience, tolerance, skill, and wisdom personified. If my opinion is to be justified, Sepak realized disconcertedly, Sulu’s plan for escaping this farce has to work, for the Commander endorses it. It was not a pleasing thought. Relying on a Terran made Sepak very uneasy.
None of his inner musings, of course, were allowed expression on his impassive features. He was attentive to the Commander, but unobtrusive. He stood beside Spock’s chair, watching, waiting, as the ceremony began, prepared, if necessary, to throw himself in front of his brother.
The speeches were long and glowing with praise for the Emperor, the Empire, the Fleet, and its heroes now present for glorious decoration in recognition of the brave, swift, adept handling of affairs vital to...
Kirk got more nervous with each passing minute. What in Tartarus is Paget waiting for? he thought. The consensus of opinion had been for the ship to be certain the ceremony was well under way before executing the strategy, and Kirk knew the Enterprise had no way to tell what was going on except for the official timetable they had been given - which was usually wrong, the Emperor liking grand entrances - but surely enough time had passed. If the Empire pulled its gambit first, their marvelous plan wouldn’t do them much good.
He did his best to keep his features in an arrogant mask as he warily searched the crowd, waiting for the crazed ‘Rigellian’ to pop up and blast his life away. He glanced at Spock, saw the Vulcan’s face as cold and contemptuous as it should be, the eyes hooded, apparently in disdain. You’re scared shitless too, aren’t you, Vulcan? he thought grimly. Sulu was sprawling in his chair, as usual, his smile patronizing and lazy. To Kirk’s surprise, the jet eyes sparkled with some secret amusement. Not afraid, Sulu? Will the Don protect you? As you protect him? I’m going to find out, you little fuck.
If we live.
There was a jostling in the crowd and Kirk’s attention snapped to it. He breathed again when it turned out to be Duchessa Calvario and her escort, fashionably late, being taken to their seats.
Damn it, Paget, hurry up!
LiLing saw the Duchessa’s arrival, and smiled to herself. The woman was heading for the Emperor, and LiLing felt the Don’s sudden attention. He was going to die. He knew it now. He was caught in the Empire’s trap, and with the Duchessa’s intervention, there was no way out of it. The knowledge soothed a little of her hatred towards the man who had decided to murder her. She carried his child, he had allowed it, but since it would be inconvenient for Rigel to have a claimant to the throne other than his damned Geoffrey once he was gone, the child and its mother would die with him. Or so he thought. Bastard. Damned clever bastard, arranging fates even when attending your own execution. You think you’ve outsmarted me, Don. I hope they make it a painful death, and that I get to watch.
DelMonde glanced down at her, and she smiled adoringly up at him, gently kissing his knee. She would not give away the Duchessa’s game. She would do as she had been told, and play the pretty consort. Duchessa Calvario was taking care of everything.
And damn you to Tartarus, bastard.
Del was not distressed by the appearance of the Duchessa, though her presence could disrupt the careful plans. It was her deliberate searching for - and finding - Sulu’s gaze that alarmed him. What was she up to? Had she forgone her vengeance ten years ago to exact some other payment for it now? Sulu glanced at him as his mind screamed for his hawk. Take care of it! he thought fiercely - and the pieces fell into place. LiLing. She had been in his suite the whole time he had talked with Kirk. Had she heard it all? Had she gone to the Imperial Harem-Mistress with her information? Is that why the Duchessa so obviously needed to speak with the Emperor at a decorations ceremony?
He looked down at the woman sitting at his feet. She smiled at him, kissed him, and he saw the hatred and triumph in her eyes. And for the first time in his life, Don Noel DelMonde wanted to murder with his own hands.
Paget took a deep breath. This was it. “Costain, Valley, move it,” he snapped. The women stood, taking their places swiftly, checking the tools in their belts. “Stand by, Engineering,” he said into the com, then signaled Moreau. “Take out as many as you can, Lieutenant,” he ordered, then switched to the phaser crew. “Punch it!” he barked, waited the eternity it took for Engineering to report “All clear!” then activated the transporter. And prayed.
The beam leapt from the Enterprise’s main phaser banks. The technicians in the Imperial Terra Defense Control Center reacted instantly as a gaping hole in Terra’s shields appeared on their monitors. No one noticed the gold shimmer until the whir of phasers eliminated the possibility of their ever noticing anything again. Ruth and Jilla moved to the panel they’d been concentrating on.
The screen of the Tantalus cleared, and Marlena twisted a dial, focusing on the center of the Emperor’s chest. She pushed the appropriate button, then quickly changed the focus to one of the Warrior Elite surrounding the now empty throne, pressing the button again.
The crowd shrieked as the Emperor quietly vanished. Kirk could have shrieked himself with the relief. His heart had nearly stopped when it became apparent that Duchessa Calvario was heading for the Emperor. He leapt up, an angry, efficient, Imperial soldier, knowing Spock and Sulu were doing the same. Above the din, he could hear DelMonde’s voice screeching accusations at Antares and Indi - why else, he demanded, weren’t Valley and Costain present? No one knew that the Artemis had carefully postponed their arrival. And, Kirk grinned to himself, no one ever has to. It was a minor assurance that the Senators wouldn’t try to switch sides now that they were involved in a rebellion.
More guards kept disappearing, and he brandished his saber indiscriminately, cutting swaths through the panicking crowd. He saw Sulu doing the same with his katana - but then saw that Sulu was heading toward the Emperor’s throne, not away from it.
Please, gods! he prayed suddenly, Don’t let the little fuck turn on us now!
He heard Sulu’s voice loudly denouncing Haven and the Monolems as being part of the ‘conspiracy’, and saw the Security Chief grasping the arm of the Duchessa herself, then pulling his wakasashi to hold at her throat.
Then he didn’t have time for any more thought. Spock and Sepak were wielding their ahn-woons and their aro’dins with deadly precision and he had to catch up with them or risk being caught in the crowd’s rush to get out of the palace.
The Imperial heroes, of course, made their way to the heart of Terra’s defenses - the Control Center. It was only a matter of time till someone figured out where the punch in the shields had come from, and Kirk hoped to be beamed out by the time the Kali and Siva were ordered to open fire. He didn’t look back and he tried not to think and the sight of Valley and Costain in the transporter room was the sweetest he had ever known.
LiLing was forgotten as the Emperor vanished. Del hesitated a second to exchange quick nods with Jerel before leaping to his feet and shouting, “Where are Valley and Costain? The Emperor’s been assassinated by the rebels from Antares and Indi! They’ve sold out to the aliens!”
Next to him, Jerel tossed his head, his horn glittering dangerously in the palace lights. He made a sound halfway between a whinny and a shriek, and threw himself at the nearest guard. “Jerel, no!” Del screamed, and threw himself ineffectually after the Equian.
People nearby began scattering, the women shrieking in terror. An angry voice demanded, “Why wasn’t that beast collared?” and was silenced by Jerel’s horn slashing across his throat. With the panic well begun, Del grabbed LiLing and pushed her ahead of him while Jerel’s stampeding cleared their path. A mad Equian certainly added to the confusion, and since DelMonde had brought the beast, it was his duty to restrain it. It was also the easiest way to get out of the palace.
Sulu didn’t know what Loki was up to, and he didn’t have the time to find out. If she had turned traitorous after all these years, he would make certain she would pay for it. If she hadn’t, he would insure that he have the time to discuss it with her, at length. Del’s fear drove him, and as the Emperor vanished, he made his way to Haven’s Duchessa and extended an unorthodox invitation. That it would of necessity include the Haven Terlord did not concern him in the least.
His public denouncement allowed him to hurry them all from the palace. Who was going to stop one of the Warrior Elite who had declared his captive an enemy of the Empire - and who was going to question the double swords even if in the hands of a disgraced Warrior Elite? His private conversation with Loki was quick, and punctuated by his use of his katana as he made his way to the Control Center.
The street to the Control Center was already littered with bodies - and heads, Sulu’s work - and Jerel added to the carnage. Del held firmly onto LiLing’s wrist. She knew too much to let her go, and he wanted the satisfaction of seeing her realize the hopelessness of her position before she died. The Duchessa still worried him, but he knew Sulu would take care of that.
As they neared the Center, Del heard Sulu’s voice, rich, deep, triumphant.
“DelMonde!”
For a moment, he saw Tarkus, and all the years since. Then he smiled and raced to the call of his hawk.
Yet, when he reached that safety, it faded as a light brighter than Rigel’s blue-white brilliance flashed before him. It touched him, eclipsing for the first time in ten years the dark protective love that was Sulu. An angel, a goddess, a golden star seared him, and he knew it would glow forever in his mind.
And she looked at him, wonder and awe and perfection, making him her star.
LiLing stared wildly at the Duchessa as Del pulled her into the Control Center. She had realized when Courtland suddenly went ‘wild’ that DelMonde’s ploy was beginning. Why, then, was Duchessa Calvario simply standing there? Why wasn’t she calling for the Imperial guards, why wasn’t her Terlord fighting these traitors? She carried the Don’s child, she had to denounce him, or she would be executed with him! Hadn’t the Duchessa promised her to take care of it? Wasn’t her son to be made heir to Rigel, once the Don and Donna and damned Geoffrey were executed for treason?
The Duchessa’s words hit her like a thunderbolt. “You backed the wrong horse, little flower.”
With sudden panic, LiLing knew the Don was going to make it out of the trap - and she’d die. No matter what happened, DelMonde would kill her. Perhaps he had intended to all along. The hatred flared within her, and a new thought struck her; Not if I kill him first. She took her only opportunity, when Del abruptly let go his grip on her wrist. It would be fitting to do it with his own knife, and she snatched at it.
Ruth had worked feverishly, ignoring Kirk’s frequent, “Come on, girls!” She shoved Spock aside when he got in her way, needing only Sulu’s one, “I’m counting on you,” to keep her going. She had no time for fear or worry, only frantic work with Jilla, constantly adjusting with smooth precision for differences encountered in the circuitry.
It all stopped when the nova exploded into her mind.
She froze, all her senses locking onto the source of the explosion. A man, perfect, beautiful, wise and warm and powerful. Sulu was but a pale reflection of the glory that touched her from his eyes. They were wells of darkness and strength, calling her, seeking her. She answered, her telepathy responding, opening, pouring out to the light and life that sought her.
She was about to go to the arms that were just beginning to beckon when she saw his light reflecting off of a knife’s blade, flashing down to his side. Horror filled her, a terror she had never known even from Sulu, and she screamed.
Jerel saw it the same time Sulu did, even before the woman’s screams echoed off the metal walls. He shrieked as if the blade seared into his own flesh, and lunged at LiLing, head lowered, his vision clouded with crimson tears.
Sulu cried out at the pain that slashed across his side with the knife at Del’s. In an agony of fury, his katana was again in his hands and he swung death at the girl who had dared to injure him.
Del didn’t feel the knife until his star screamed, until Jerel whinnied furiously, until Sulu screeched ghastly slaughter. The pain came not from the blade LiLing had thrust in him, but from the grieving fear of losing what he had spent the last ten years searching for - and had finally found. He sunk to his knees, losing consciousness, and his last sight was his star, pulling him into golden, shining arms.
LiLing’s head was ripped violently back as Jerel’s horn caught and tore her throat. It was instantly fatal, as was the slicing of Sulu’s katana through her torso.
“Get us out of here!” Kirk shouted. Spock quickly finished the circuit Ruth had been connecting, and Jilla cried, “Ready!”
“Jeremy!” Sulu bellowed into his communicator, and golden shimmer took him and Jerel, blood still dripping from them; Kirk, Spock, Sepak and Jilla, staring at the couple on the floor; the Duchessa and her Terlord escort; Ruth and DelMonde, held together as one.
LiLing’s mutilated body remained to stain the floor of the Control Center.
The transporter room had been a madhouse, Kirk bellowing orders at Paget, Spock dragging Ruth from DelMonde’s side, pushing her and Jilla to work monitoring their cloak, Sulu demanding a team from Sickbay. Courtland was on his knees next to DelMonde, hovering, his horn lowered protectively. It was only that madhouse that saved Marlena from a fatal blunder.
She’d raced from her quarters when the Tantalus had done its work, praying fervently that they’d beamed up in time. Her heart was pounding, her earlier worries wrapped up in fear for Spock. She had had to focus on using the Tantalus as long as possible, she hadn’t been able to follow him to make sure he was safe. When the interference was re-established, she fled to the transporter room, shaking. At Sulu’s hoarse call to Sickbay she burst into terrified sobs, pushing past the guards. Her eyes wildly searched the faces there: Jilla, ghastly pale, Ruth, crying in agony. Paget working, Kirk thundering, the Don unconscious and bleeding, his Consigliore over him, horn bloody. Sulu kneeling down to DelMonde. Sepak carefully guarding a beautiful, slim Haven woman and an equally beautiful Haven man...
Her mouth opened in anguished horror. Where was he, where was...
Sulu’s eyes flashed up seconds before she screamed the name. “Good work, Marlena!” he shouted. Kirk turned, seeing her, pulling her into a furious bear hug. Her eyes grew wider as Sulu’s glance held hers, directing her to look near the transporter - where Spock bent, working on the cloaking modifications. Her relief was given as a fierce clutching of Kirk’s back as Spock looked up at her and nodded.
The Siva and Kali turned their firepower on the Enterprise at Terra’s orders. But when they tried to lock onto their target, they discovered that she had simply disappeared. The Intrepid joined them in a three-pronged barrage at where she’d been, but if they hit anything, they couldn’t tell it. Orders from Terra were confused, overlapping, but Sesek quickly formulated an attack plan. “With the Don aboard, they will head for Rigel. We will be there to greet them.”
The Siva and Kali did as he suggested. They used emergency speed, sure their prey would do the same, both crews relishing the favors that would be heaped upon them for stopping this treason. There was some grumbling when Sesek called for the Artemis. Illyana O’Niall was not well liked, but Sesek pointed out that her ship was closer to Rigel and that there would be spoils enough for all. Three days out from Terra, they met the Artemis. Three days and one hour out from Terra, the Siva and the Kali were blown out of space with no warning.
“Let’s go, Sesek!” Yana cried triumphantly.
“My pleasure, Captain O’Niall,” Sesek replied.