STAR TREK: The Original Series - Garth of Izar

by Pamela Sargent

  Garth said, “But I agreed to the plan that Gyneeses proposed, and must now face the fact that the exile of the rebels on Acra was a most inadequate solution. Worse still, it led to the deaths of too many of them.”

  The Antosian held up a hand. “Nevertheless, your agreeing with that solution and going along with it helped us avoid a much wider conflict, and stopped Gyneeses from misleading our people and furthering his own ambitions. Without your intervention, without your improvised plan, I seriously doubt that we would have discovered what he was up to until too late. Gyneeses might have been vastly more successful than we can imagine. He would have been able to exploit the simple fact that an organism will resist giving up any of its versatility, which is what the elimination of our shape-changing skill threatened. Such a change must come from inner conviction, not compulsion from outside.”

  “So where do matters now stand?” Kirk asked, [242] glimpsing for a moment the possibility that the Federation might withdraw and leave the people of Antos IV to solve their own problems.

  Empynes said, “I have met with many Antosians over the past days, and had communications from many more. The eloquent horror of the escape from Acra, the tragedy of so many deaths, has led to a new insight, to a cultural rather than a biological change among my people. I do not know if this is of any comfort to you, Garth, but perhaps poor Hala-Jyusa, by leading her followers on their futile flight, has made some sort of reconciliation possible for the rest of us.”

  “Then you won’t seek to eliminate your shape-changing ability?” Garth asked.

  “Any solution to the misuses of that ability,” Empynes responded, “must be a long-term one. Perhaps in time our descendants may choose to eliminate it, and perhaps they will not. But any solution we find will lead to greater self-control, and to more productive uses of our talent.”

  “More medical uses,” Christine Chapel murmured.

  “Yes, Nurse Chapel,” Empynes said. “The tragedy has brought home to us the dangers of unchecked power and the misuse of our arts.” He gazed across the table at Garth. “We might easily have torn ourselves apart, Captain Garth. Through your actions, and aided by Captain Kirk, you faced us with the alternatives.”

  Garth said, “You are giving me too much credit.”

  “And you are giving yourself too little.” Empynes [243] smiled slightly. “Consider—we now understand that the menace of shape-changing is in fact a very limited one. It may be a useful and sometimes good tactical weapon, but hardly decisive. This skill, we have reason to believe, developed in us as a means for quick escape from danger, as a form of camouflage. The more civilized among us long ago learned to use it for pleasure, for play, to bring a bit of beauty into our world, and later for healing. Then some of us began to imagine that it might be used for political and criminal purposes. But the exercise of this ability is a very costly one in bodily energy, and cannot be used wildly, as the escape from Acra proved.”

  “Gyneeses was laying his own plans,” Garth said, “before I returned to Antos IV on this mission. He was hoping to extend the applications of metamorphosis after he came to power. When I learned this, I knew he had to be stopped, and so I tempted him with the possibility of seizing a starship. But my own plan disturbed me when I set it in motion, and even now. Much went wrong, and even more might have gone wrong.”

  “But your plan did bring the rebels together in one place,” Empynes said, “and forced us all to face their example, along with the consequences of their attempts to gain power. Even the survivors on Acra are wrestling with the consequences of their deeds. I have spoken to them in recent days through the communicators your people left them. They have renounced their rebellion, and seek a restoration of the peace we once had.”

  [244] “But how plausible is that renunciation?” Garth asked.

  “I trust them,” Empynes said, and Kirk found himself wondering about this wise and kindly Antosian’s possible gullibility. How could anyone ever be certain that the goodwill of the present would not again drift into mad ambition?

  Kirk noticed then that Empynes was gazing directly at him. “I see the doubts in your eyes, Captain Kirk,” the Antosian went on, “and also in your expression, Captain Garth.”

  Kirk nodded. “Suspicion builds its own endless bureaucracy of questions and doubts.”

  “And only the unfolding of time will tell the tale,” Empynes said. “No individual, and no culture, can settle any complex question for all time.”

  “Antos IV and the Federation have no quarrel,” Kirk began, “so there is no reason—”

  “Except for me,” Garth said. “I tried to destroy Antos IV.”

  “When you were not yourself, Captain Garth,” Empynes said, “and after Antosian healers had treated you in ignorance of certain details of human physiology. Had they known more about your kind, if we’d had more contact with other races in the past, perhaps they would have been able to heal you and restore your form without causing your derangement.”

  “It was Heje-Illuss and Hala-Jyusa who did the most in saving my life,” Garth said, “and their reward for that was death.”

  [245] Empynes watched Garth in silence for a few moments, then said, “Before Captain Kirk requested my presence at this meeting, I was about to ask him to beam me to Acra, and to ask both him and you, Captain Garth, to accompany me there. I intend to speak to the exiles face to face, and to offer them the opportunity to rejoin the rest of us in Pynesses.”

  “But are you sure enough of them to do that?” Kirk objected.

  “You yourself said that the fate of the exiles would have to be our decision,” Empynes said.

  Spock lifted a brow as he glanced at Kirk. “The First Minister recalls correctly, Captain.”

  “Will you and Captain Garth come with me to Acra now?” the Antosian asked. “If there is to be friendship between our world and the Federation, then perhaps you should be present when I speak to the exiles.”

  “Very well.” Kirk stood up. “I’ll come with you.”

  Garth slowly rose to his feet. “And so will I.”

  The white-sanded beach stretched before them. Kirk looked to his right to see groups of Antosians gathered outside their tents and in front of what looked like the walls of more permanent structures. They were beginning to build homes for themselves here; he wondered what they would say to Empynes’s offer.

  Empynes, still weak, was leaning against Garth as the three of them walked among the exiles. Two men [246] came forward and ushered them toward the trunk of a felled tree, offering them all a place to sit. The Antosians settled themselves around them.

  “I said that I wanted to speak to all of you,” Empynes began, “and Captains Kirk and Garth agreed to come with me, now that there is to be friendship and more contact between us and the Federation. There is much we can gain from such an association, but the Federation will not interfere in our affairs or any decisions we must make for ourselves.”

  The Antosians were watching them all, Kirk noticed, with contemplative but also apprehensive expressions. Empynes searched the crowd, then gestured at Trialla and those near her.

  “Trialla,” the First Minister continued, “there is no reason for you and your comrades to remain here in exile. You gave up your rebellion, and tried to protect me when I was held captive with you. Your leader and friend Heje-Illuss gave up his life while trying to guard mine. I came here to tell you that you may return to Pynesses, and that the Enterprise’s transporters will take you there whenever you are ready to leave Acra.” He paused. “But I also wish to tell the rest of you that, now that you have renounced your rebellion, you may also return to your homes and families and former lives. I know from what you’ve said to me through the communicator channels that the experience of the attempted flight has marked and changed you. If there is to be peace among us, then there must be trust, and my coming here is a [247] demonstration of my trust in you. If we are to mend what has been torn apart, we must come together once more.”


  There were no cheers at this announcement, and no applause, only silence and what looked to Kirk like puzzled stares.

  “I am sincere in what I say,” Empynes said at last, breaking the silence. “You will be welcomed back to Pynesses, and perhaps then—”

  A hand was thrust up from the middle of the crowd. Kellin stood up and came forward. “May I speak, First Minister?” he asked.

  Empynes held up a hand. “Of course.”

  “We thought that you might make such an offer,” the young man said. “Some of us have spoken to friends and family during the past days, and they told us that there was much sentiment favoring forgiveness and a pardon for us. But—” He looked down. “We have all agreed on what I must say. We think we need more time here, more time to understand what we’ve done and to come to terms with it. We do not know if we’re ready yet to rejoin the rest of you.”

  Empynes seemed about to object, and then Trialla stood up. “The people with me have also been considering what we should do. We concluded that we should stay on Acra with our former comrades, in order to keep them from becoming too isolated from other Antosians. Some of our friends and kindred in Pynesses have told us that they would willingly come to live here as well, if you will permit them to do so.”

  [248] “We would all rather go home,” Kellin added. “We would prefer to return and take up our old lives as if nothing had happened, but that doesn’t seem right somehow.”

  “May I say something?” Kirk asked.

  Empynes nodded, then held up a hand.

  Kirk said, “There is no quarrel between the Federation and Antos IV, and there will not be one tomorrow, or next month, or next year. We must go forward on that basis, and help our friendship grow. After hearing what you have to say, I have every reason to think that it will be a long and lasting friendship.”

  Empynes seemed to be smiling. Garth stood up then and beckoned to Kirk. “The First Minister should have a few moments to consult with his people,” Garth said, then turned toward Empynes. “We’ll stay here until you are ready to return to Pynesses.”

  “Thank you, Captain Garth,” Empynes replied.

  Garth led Kirk away from the others and along the beach until they were walking along the water’s edge, the waves lapping at their feet. A few of the large gray shore birds flew overhead, skimmed the ocean, and then flew on; Garth gazed after them for a moment, and Kirk knew that he was thinking of Hala-Jyusa and her followers.

  “They’re choosing to stay here,” Garth said as they came to a halt. “As beautiful as this island is, that will be hard for them, much harder for an Antosian than it would be for one of us.”

  “The Federation will be able to establish ties with [249] this world now,” Kirk said. “Starfleet will be sending starships here regularly. No one will have to remain an exile on Acra permanently.”

  “Young Kellin was right about one thing.” Garth folded his arms as he stared out at the blue-green ocean. “They cannot simply take up their old lives as if nothing had happened. And neither can I.”

  “What do you mean?” Kirk asked. “Are you thinking of resigning your commission?”

  “I may not have to resign it. Admiral Mendez and Starfleet Command may decide that I don’t deserve it.”

  Kirk shook his head. “But your mission here was successful. Even if you insist on resigning, you might get a commendation for your service here. The Antosians are at peace, a civil war has been averted, and we have every reason to hope that Antos IV will eventually be a member in good standing of the Federation.”

  “I still took too many chances. I made too many mistakes, and they cost lives.”

  Garth seemed to change subtly as Kirk looked at him; his hair was grayer, his face more lined and leathery in the bright sunlight, his body a bit more stooped and aged. Then he straightened, growing slightly taller and more erect, and the lines around his eyes and mouth slowly faded.

  “I feel like a kind of exile myself, Captain Kirk,” he continued. “There is still a residue of fear in me, however unwarranted and unreasonable, that I might lose my sanity again. I can tell myself that when I was mad, I wasn’t responsible for my deeds, but I did [250] threaten the Antosian people, and I committed my share of cruel deeds while I was an inmate on Elba II. Something in me feels that I haven’t atoned properly for that. Since returning here, I feel that I am not quite human anymore, and yet I’m not an Antosian, either. I don’t know if there is any place for me, but if there is, I do not think it’s in Starfleet.”

  “Then that will be Starfleet’s great loss,” Kirk said.

  A smile briefly flickered across Garth’s face. “It is kind of you to say so.”

  “Captain Garth!” a voice called out behind them. “Captain Kirk!”

  Kirk turned to see Empynes coming toward them, supported on either side by Trialla and Kellin and trailed by a number of Antosians.

  Kirk and Garth went to meet them.

  “I have something more to say,” Empynes said, “something most important, and then you will beam me back home, where Wenallai is going to insist that I rest and do absolutely nothing for at least a few days.” He paused. “You spoke of friendship between our world and your Federation, Captain Kirk, and to that end, I have one last request to make, one that I’ve discussed with my council of advisers, with delegations of citizens, and with the people here. I would like to request that Captain Garth be appointed the Federation’s ambassador to Antos IV. We will be most pleased to welcome him and to provide a suitable residence.”

  Kirk saw the sudden flood of feeling that came [251] into Garth’s face; his pale eyes glistened, and for a moment he thought that Garth might break down. But Garth held himself in check as he murmured, “I would be honored to accept.” He turned toward Kirk. “That is, if no one in the Federation diplomatic corps or in Starfleet Command objects.”

  “They won’t dare to object,” Kirk replied. “I’ll see to that, Captain Garth. You have my word. I’ll do everything possible to secure that appointment, and so will my officers.” But once again, he realized, he had thrown his hat over a cliff and was about to dive after it. He could keep his promise to fight for Garth, but did not know if José Mendez would agree to back him up. He might only be setting Garth up for further disappointment and sorrow.

  But Garth was smiling as he gripped Kirk’s shoulder. “Thank you ... Jim,” he said softly, “for having some faith in me. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

  Kirk swallowed hard and tried to remain composed as his feelings raged through him. His Academy hero had thanked him. It was as though King Arthur had knighted him. Yet Kirk feared that he might yet fail him.

  Chapter Eleven

  “SO THERE you have it, sir,” Kirk said to Admiral Mendez from the desk in his quarters. “You’ve seen the record of our meeting, all of the relevant entries in my captain’s log, and the reports from my officers that you asked to see. You know everything.”

  “You’ve given me an abundance of data, Captain, but it’s far from everything.” José Mendez’s image gazed up at him from the viewscreen. “Only a little bit seems to show of the most important and crucial parts.”

  Kirk was silent.

  “I think I grasp what you intended to do,” Mendez went on, “and even if it wasn’t exactly by the book, one has to say that you and Garth succeeded in your mission. Whether or not you deserve a commendation for it is another matter. Even worse, some might [253] easily argue that you both overstepped the bounds, and that Garth in particular still shows signs of instability, to put it mildly. And there’s the Prime Directive. You two may not have violated it, but you certainly stretched it somewhat. Garth may have affected the Antosian culture more than he or you realize. You may have removed the greatest threats to amicable relations with the Antosians, but the future of the Federation’s relationship with them remains uncertain.”

  Kirk felt a moment of irritation. “The same thing can be said of a number of other worlds that
are Federation members in good standing.”

  “You know what I think, Jim?” Mendez asked, smiling.

  “What?”

  “I think you learned just about everything you know from Fleet Captain Garth.”

  Kirk grimaced. “I choose to take that as a compliment, Admiral.”

  “I suspected you would. Like him, you’re always improvising, stretching regulations, overstepping procedures when you think you’re right. Garth was that way long before his illness, which only distorted his abilities, temporarily making him almost a caricature of himself.” Mendez leaned forward. “Part of me wants to urge that you both be given a commendation for this mission, and the other part is wondering if it might be better to reprimand you and ask Garth for his resignation.”

  [254] “He doesn’t deserve that.”

  “I can try to see that he gets an honorable discharge.”

  “He wouldn’t want to leave Starfleet that way,” Kirk said, “honorable discharge or not.”

  “You mean that it would wound him psychologically.”

  “I mean that he deserves better than that for what he’s done, and for the years of brilliant service he gave to Starfleet before his mental collapse.” Kirk leaned back in his chair. “May I say something else, Admiral?” He knew that he would have to speak as frankly as possible, to take every chance at getting Garth the ambassadorship that had been offered to him.

  “Permission to speak freely, Jim,” Mendez replied.

  “Procedures and rules too often try to mechanize what may be too complex to make orderly. Extreme cases call for extraordinary measures.”

  “Quite right,” Mendez said. “So we have people like you, and we talk to them off the record. A very dangerous creativity lives in people like you and Garth, Jim. Meditate on that.”

  “I do, often,” Kirk said. “There were a number of moments when I might have pulled back, restrained Garth, decided that events were getting out of hand. But had I done so, instead of following his lead and my own instincts, or taking extraordinary measures, I believe our mission would have failed, or something worse would have happened.”