Star Trek - Sarek

  nodded to Kirk. "Captain."

  Kirk, who had stood respectfully when the senior diplomat entered,

  nodded back. "Ambassador ... thank you for coming. And ..." He

  struggled to form the Vulcan words this ship's computer had told him

  were proper. "I grieve with thee ... "He took a deep breath, returned

  to Standard English. "Mrs. Sarek was a wonderful woman, sir. We all

  respected and admired her deeply."

  "Thank you, Captain," Sarek said, and for a moment the grimness relaxed

  fractionally, allowing just a bare glimpse of sadness to slip through.

  The door slid open again, and Spock, back in uniform, entered, followed

  by Dr. McCoy. The Vulcan ignored his father as he nodded a quick

  greeting to Kirk.

  Uh-oh, the captain thought. Will they be able to work together at all?

  McCoy and Sarek exchanged greetings and the doctor expressed his

  condolences to the ambassador. When the formalities were finished, Kirk

  waved them all to seats.

  "Ambassador Sarek," he began, "Spock has given us a brief summary of

  your concerns about the Freelans. But I would like to hear the whole

  story from your own lips, if you don't mind. And I'd like to see the

  data you've compiled."

  "I have already transferred it to the ship's computer, Captain," Spock

  said, keying in a code word on the comm link. A fde menu appeared on the

  screen.

  Sarek began to speak, his beautifully modulated tones and measured,

  precise delivery le nding credence to what would otherwise have sounded

  like wild nonsense and rampant speculation, coming from anyone but a

  Vulcan of his reputation. Kirk listened intently, interrupting every so

  often to ask a question or request that the ambassador amplify a point.

  Grimly, he and McCoy studied the charts and data the ambassador had

  accumulated over years of study and research, and with every moment that

  passed, Kirk's certainty that Sarek was correct in his reasoning grew.

  The very idea of Freelan being a Romulan world had been outrageous at

  first ... now, the more Kirk thought about it, the more the whole

  scheme seemed like very typical Romulan reasoning ... clever, devious,

  audacious ... and, unfortunately, it seemed that it might actually

  work.

  When Sarek finally finished his account, the captain of the Enterprise

  shook his head grimly. "This stuff about the KEHL ... you're right

  about how it's growing. Two days ago I got a priority message from my

  nephew, Peter, telling me that he managed to gain access to the KEHL's

  computer systems, but that Starfleet Security hadn't paid any attention

  to the data he managed to get. He was asking my help in getting a full

  investigation of the group started."

  "What kind of data did Peter have?" Spock asked.

  "Membership rolls, propaganda films ... things like that.

  I also gather that the KEHL has breached security at the consulate,

  Ambassador, and copied Vulcan data that they claimed would prove their

  case that your world has a master plan to take over Earth."

  "Take over Earth? The Vulcans?" Leonard McCoy looked thunderstruck, and

  then he laughed out loud. "What a load of ... uh.. 2' He glanced at

  Sarek, and altered what he'd been about to say to "That's absurd!"

  "Something happened during my negotiations with Com mander Keraz that

  lends more credence to my theory," Sarek said.

  "What was that, Ambassador?" Kirk asked.

  "One of Keraz's aides, Wurrl, attempted to assassinate me. Both he and

  Keraz, I discovered, had been subjected to telepathic influence."

  Hearing that his father had been attacked, Spock stole a quick look at

  the elder Vulcan, as if checking him for injury.

  "Maybe what we ought to do is just grab some Freelan at a conference and

  rip his ask off, McCoy suggested. "Serve them right."

  "In the first place, such tactics abrogate diplomatic munity as well as

  civil law," Sarek pointed out evenly. "And if we engaged in such ...

  peremptory ... behavior, we would lose the goodwill of many delegates,

  no matter how exemplary our motives for doing so."

  "Yeah, well," McCoy grumbled, "who knows what damage they've been

  causing, poking around in other people's minds? I'll bet the Freelans

  had a hand in Chang's conspiracy, too."

  "I suspect you would win that wager, Doctor," Sarek said, steepling his

  hands before him on the table. So that where Spock learned that ... Jim

  thought. "During the recent crisis, President Ra-ghoratrei summoned me,

  Ambassador Kamarag, and Ambassador Nanclus to discuss the Klingon demand

  for your extradition after the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon. Just

  after Kamarag left, Admiral Smillie, Admiral Cartwright, and Colonel

  West entered the office. The Starfleet officers had prepared a military

  plan of action designed to rescue you and Dr. McCo ."

  "I never knew that, Jim? the doctor exclaimed, eyes widening with

  surprise. "I thought Starfleet just decided to throw us to the wolves."

  "Admiral Smillie told me about it at Khitomer," Kirk admitted. "But he

  said Ra-ghoratrei wouldn't go along with it."

  "That is true," Sarek affirmed. "But what is significant to us now is

  that, during this discussion, Ambassador Nanclus

  pointed out to the president that the Klingons were vulnerable.. and

  that there would never be a better time to begin a full-scale military

  action against them. He was quite ... emphatic."

  "Nanclus was openly advocating war between the Federation and the

  Klingon Empire?" Even in the light of subse quent events, Kirk was

  surprised that the Romulan would be so overt.

  "I heard him myself," Sarek said simply.

  "But Nanclus was working with General Chang and Admiral Cartwright to

  start a war. He wasn't giving the official Romulan position "Kirk's

  voice faded out. waited a beat, then lifted one elegant eyebrow. "Wasn't

  he?" he asked softly. "How do you know? Subsequent events made it seem

  that Nanclus was working in concert with Chang and Cartwright ... but

  who really started the plot?" The captain drew a deep breath. "During

  his court-martial, Cartwright claimed under oath that Nanclus came to

  him, and that both of them then presented the idea to Chang--who was

  only too happy to take over. But if the whole thing was really Nanclus's

  idea ..."

  "Precisely," Sarek said.

  "Was the Klingon assassin's attack on you a result of telepathic

  influence, Ambassador?" Spock asked, his tone cool and formal. Kirk

  realized it was the first time he'd addressed the elder Vulcan.

  "Yes, I believe so.

  I only gained a brief impression of Wurrl's mind during the struggle,"

  Sarek replied. "The Klingon suffered a fractured skull during the fight,

  and lapsed into a coma.

  I have no idea whether he is still alive. Starfleet took him into

  custody." Sarek was looking at Spock, but, Kirk noticed, the Vulcan's

  return gaze was remote.

  "And Commander Keraz also been subjected to undue mental influence?"

  Spock pursued the topic, still in that cool, toneless fashion.

  "In what way?"

  "When I asked the Klingon commander why he
had chosen to take such an

  action in seizing a Federation colony, he informed me

  really did not know why he had done it. It was strictly an impulsive

  decision, one that puzzled him in its aftermath.

  When I told him what I had discovered about Wurrl, he asked me to

  determine whether he, too, had been affected.

  I touched him ... and knew that he had."

  "Oho," McCoy said.

  "You think some Freelan and his trained Vulcan pup compelled Wurrl to

  try and murder you, and Keraz to turn renegade and invade Kadura?"

  "I would say that 'compelled' is too strong a term," Sarek said.

  "'Influenced' is more apt, I believe. But as to the Freelans being

  involved ... of that, I have no doubt."

  "Ambassador," Kirk said, as an idea occurred to him, "is it possible

  that Kadura was a setup to lure you off Vulcan, so that you could be

  gotten out of the way? Is there any possibility that the Freelans know

  that you suspect them?" Sarek blinked. Obviously, Kirk's idea was a new

  one to him. "Possible, I suppose," he murmured. "Taryn did seem

  suspicious the last time I visited their station."

  "Is there any possibility that your valit program did not completely

  cover your entrance into the Romulan data banks?" Spock asked. "Could

  they have discovered some evidence after you left Freelan orbit?" The

  elder Vulcan raised an eyebrow. "My valit was well designed," he said,

  with a touch of surprise that Spock would question his expertise with

  computers. "In the event any tampering was detected--which I consider

  unlikely--there would have been no way to trace the intrusion back to

  me."

  "But circumstantial evidence might enough to arouse Taryn to take action

  against you," Spock said. "Possible," Sarek conceded.

  "I think we should go to the president immediately with all of this,"

  Kirk said.

  "And to Starfleet Security, Vice-Admiral Burton." The captain looked at

  Sarek, was surprised to see the Vulcan shake his head in negation.

  "No, Kirk," he said. "Not yet. Not until I have incontrovertible proof."

  "Just the fact that you're suspicious will be enough!"

  McCoy burst out. "A man of your reputation, Ambassador of course the

  president will pay attention."

  "I must speak to the president about this only in person," Sarek said.

  "Otherwise, I cannot be certain that his mind has not been influenced.

  The same applies to your Vice-Admiral Burton. Also, we must guard

  against any of these speculations becoming public knowledge. The

  consequences, should that happen, would be grave."

  "What consequences?" McCoy asked, taken aback.

  "The fragile peace with the Klingon Empire, for one," Spock said, before

  the ambassador could reply. "It might appear to Azetbur that the

  Federation is attempting to stir up trouble between the Romulans and the

  Klingon Empire ... by accusing the Romulans of influencing the Klingons

  to turn renegade. Also, do not forget the KEHL.

  Most of the followers are undoubtedly hapless dupes ... innocent of

  everything except being easily led. Charges that they are Romulan pawns

  could lead to witch-hunts."

  "What kind of proof do you propose to get, Ambassador Sarek? If the

  Romulans suspect that you know, they will undoubtedly recall all their

  Freelan personnel, and escalate their efforts to cause war between the

  Federation and the Klingon Empire."

  "Indeed. We must be cautious, and not move until we are ready," Sarek

  agreed. "I would still like to access the Freelan data banks and copy

  their contents. If it is done properly, we could gain proof, without

  alerting the Romulans that we know of their plans."

  "Can you do it again? And get away with copies, this time?"

  "I believe that I can," Sarek said, glancing at his son. "If Spock will

  assist me."

  Spock sat in silence for a moment, then nodded. "I will do my best," he

  said. "I will need to study the valits you used before, to attempt to

  refine them so they will work more smoothly."

  For a moment Kirk sensed a flash of indignation from the ambassador,

  even though the Vulcan's calm expression

  never varied. "Very well," he said. "I will provide them to you."

  Kirk looked from father to son, thinking that if anyone could break past

  Romulan security, it would be these two.

  Still, he was hesitant about not going straight to Starfleet Security

  with news of this plot. But if delaying a few da ys would provide proof

  positive ...

  "How close would you have to be to Ereelan to tap into the data banks?"

  Kirk asked.

  "Given the resources of a starship's computer system, anywhere within

  the boundaries of the system should suffice," Sarek said. "I was

  dependent, remember, on a small tricorder. Kirk, how long would it take

  to reach Freelan aboard this vessel?"

  "Two days, at warp six."

  "Excellent," Sarek said. "That should be sufficient time for me to

  acquaint Spock with my plan for accessing the Freelan system." The

  ambassador nodded approvingly at Kirk. "I thank you for your

  cooperation, Captain."

  "It's my duty to investigate a threat to Federation security," Kirk said

  simply. "When can you be ready to leave Vulcan?"

  "I anticipated that I would be leaving with your ship, Kirk. I came

  prepared to do so."

  "Scotty said the final paint job would be completed--" Kirk, who was

  already reaching for the intercom, broke off as it beeped. Impatiently,

  he opened the channel. "Kirk here. I thought I gave orders that I was

  not to be dis--"

  "Captain," Commander Uhura's voice interrupted, "I have a Priority One

  personal message for you, sir, from the commandant of Starfleet

  Academy."

  "The commandant?" Kirk was nonplussed. What could Commandant Anderson be

  wanting with him? "Relay it, Commander."

  "Yes, sir ... "She paused for a moment. "Captain ... Commandant

  Anderson reports that your nephew Peter has disappeared. Their

  investigation leads them to believe he did not leave of his own free

  will. Sir ... the commandant reports that he suspects foul play."

  Kirk swallowed. Peter was the only close relative he had.

  If anything had happened to him ... "Commander," he said tightly,

  "inform the bridge crew to begin preparations to depart drydock on my

  command." He clicked to a different channel. "Set course for Sector

  53.16 ... the Freelan system. Mr. Scott?"

  "Scott here, sir," replied the familiar burr promptly.

  "How soon can we cast off moorings and get out of here?"

  "We'll be ready in another twenty minutes, Captain."

  "You've got ten," Kirk snapped.

  "Aye, sir," came the engineer's casual reply. "We'll be ready."

  "Good, Scotty. Ten minutes. Kirk out."

  Snapping off the intercom, the captain looked at the others grimly. "It

  never rains but it pours," he said.

  "Murphy's Law."

  The ambassador raised an eyebrow. "Murphy's Law?"

  "A human aphorism that states, "Whatever can go wrong, will,'" Spock

  explained.

  "Yeah, and at the worst possible time," McCoy added.

&nb
sp; "Jim ... what could have happened to Peter?"

  "I don't know, Bones," Kirk said. "The temptation is to think that,

  because he was investigating the KEHL, they're responsible for this. But

  that might not be true." Opening a channel to the bridge, he said,

  "Commander Uhura, please contact Commandant Anderson for me."

  "Yes, Captain. I'll put through a call immediately, sir." Kirk

  hesitated, thinking furiously. Should he turn command of the Enterprise

  over to Spock, and take a transport for Earth? He couldn't abandon

  Peter! And yet ... duty came before personal concerns. "Ambassador,"

  he said,

  "assuming you have your proof in a few days, what are you going to

  suggest that the Federation do about this situation with the Romulans?"

  "Some elements in Starfleet would advise a preemptive strike," Spock

  said. "I can visualize Admiral Smillie approving such a tactic, given

  sufficient provocation."

  "War? All-out war?" McCoy was aghast. "There must be

  some way to prevent that!" He glanced at Kirk. "Isn't there, Jim?"

  "I don't know," Kirk said, forcing himself to put Peter out of his mind

  and concentrate on the subject at hand. "It could be that the Romulans