He turned to Sarek incredulously. "A chessboard, Ambassador?"
"Yes," the Vulcan said, his dark eyes shining with pleasure from solving
the puzzle. "And I recognize the game.
Taryn is in command of that vessel. And those moves, those
coordinates--they are identical to the moves Taryn made in one of our
recent games." He shook his head, adding, mostly to himself, "A Vulcan
gambit ... of course he would employ one. A Vulcan gambit ... it makes
perfect sense. I should have realized it before."
"But assuming that is Taryn, why would he come here?" Kirk said.
"Because he wants me. He knows that I have uncovered the Freelan plan. I
spoke to him while you were gone, and I deliberately baited him, trying
to lure him into some reckless action ... as I have done many times
during our
chess games. Now he is responding to my implicit challenge.
He is moving his ship in the pattern of the last game we played that he
won. He employed T'Nedara's gambit, and there"--Sarek swiftly outlined a
series of moves in red--"it is. The exact pattern of his moves in the
game we played."
"How many moves did he make during the entire game?" Spock asked,
obviously fascinated. As they had been speaking, several more blips had
appeared on the schematic.
"It was a long, hard-fought game. Each of us made hundreds of moves."
"Are you sure, Ambassador?" Kirk asked, wonderingly.
"Do you have any other evidence that this is Taryn? When he contacted
you, what did he want?"
"He demanded a meeting between us in the Freelan system. I told him I
would be unable to attend. As I said, I baited him. I could tell that he
was angry, though of course I could not see his features. Now he does
this," he gestured at the screen, "as his next move."
"But if he was on Freelan only hours ago--"
Sarek shook his head. "No. He merely said he was on Freelan. Commander
Uhura confirmed that the message from Taryn was only rout ed through
Freelan communications systems. The actual transmission originated
inside the Romulan Neutral Zone."
On Kirk's order, Enterprise moved again, and again the unseen vessel
responded with a series of moves. "The pattern is exact," Sarek said.
Catching Kirk's still-skeptical glance, he marked a new location on the
screen in purple.
"The next move," he said.
As the Vulcan had predicted, when Enterprise moved again, the blip
materialized for a second in those exact coordinates. Kirk shook his
head. "Okay, let's assume you're right, for argument's sake. But why the
game? What does he want?"
"The game grid for his ship's maneuvering coordinates is not the main
point, Captain. Taryn would probably be surprised to realize that I have
identified the pattern. He is simply amusing himself while he seeks to
draw us closer to his ship ... and away from the rendezvous point."
Kirk turned to the monitor that showed Uhura and Scotty, who were
listening in from the bridge, as ordered.
"Commander, have you discovered the range of their jamming capability?"
"Yes, sir," she replied promptly. "It extends for nearly a light-year in
all directions. We'll definitely have to move to get any kind of message
out."
"Great ..." Kirk said, grimly. "Starbase Eight is two full days away,
and that's the closest help we can expect. And now we can't even get a
message out."
"Captain," Scotty put in, "what I dinna understand is why the devil the
Romulans try to lure you away now, if they're the ones who forced you to
come out here in the first place? It doesna make sense!"
"It does if the Romulans wish to begin a war," Sarek said,
"between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Iftaryn has gone to this
trouble to initiate hostilities, he undoubtedly wishes Kamarag and his
fleet to cross into Federation space unimpeded."
"Good point," Kirk said. "So, really, Peter's kidnapping was almost
extraneous to the rest of this situation. The Romulans inflamed
Kamarag--and this is the form his revenge took. In addition to attacking
the Federation, he decided he had to get back at me, personally."
"That would seem the logical deduction, Captain," Spock said.
Sarek was staring at the growing schematic as if mesmerized.
"We cannot continue to allow them to jam Enterprise's subspace
communications. We must be able to send a message to Starfleet Command
... and the president."
"Why?" Kirk demanded. "I mean ... to request reinforcements, yes, that
I know. But why the president?"
"Taryn must realize now that I know about their plans.
He is trying to prevent me from revealing what I know to Ra-ghoratrei or
your Starfleet Admiral Burton."
"It is fortunate," Spock observed quietly, "that you sent that
time-locked message."
"At your suggestion," Sarek reminded the first officer.
"However, that message may not activate in time to prevent both a
Romulan and a Klingon invasion."
"So ... what's next?" the captain asked, rubbing his forehead.
"What do you mean, Captain?" Sarek asked.
"I mean that you've convinced me that that's a Romulan ship, and that
Taryn is commanding it. But as long as he doesn't cross the Neutral
Zone, I have no authority to go after him. And I can't go far ...
Kamarag is on his way, remember, with that fleet. So what do I do now?"
"Our original goal remains unchanged, Kirk. We must obtain indisputable
proof of the true nature of Freelan, and of the Romulan plot to
instigate war ... and to do that, I must transport over to Taryn's ship
and speak with him personally."
Kirk regarded Sarek, his eyes narrowing. "Slow down, Ambassador. Why
would you want to transport aboard that Romulan ship? Assuming I'd allow
it ... which I won't.
Beaming aboard a cloaked vessel? Something we can't even get a reliable
transporter lock on? That could be suicide.
And even if you survived the beaming, don't forget your destination."
"I am willing to take the risks, Captain," Sarek said gravely. "In fact,
I insist upon it."
"What could you hope to gain from dropping in on Taryn?" Kirk heard the
exasperation in his own voice.
"Two things, Kirk," Sarek said. "First, if I can catch Taryn without
warning, he will not have time to assume his disguise. If I beamed over
and recorded our interview on some type of scanning device, that would
constitute the proof we seek. And, secondly, if Taryn knows that their
plot is known to the Federation, he might be willing to negotiate for
the lives of the Vulcans on Freelan ... allow us to rescue those who
wish to leave that world."
"Why do you think he'd do that?" Kirk asked.
"Because of something I only now realized about the esteemed liaison ...
something I should have deduced long ago. Taryn has a vested interest in
saving those Vulcans."
Kirk gave Spock a "what the hell is going on?" look. The
captain sighed. "All right, I grant you your point about getting your
proof. But why should the Romulans care whether the Federatio
n knows
about their plan? Won't they simply proceed with it anyway?"
Spock shook his head. "Unlikely, Captain. The entire Freelan plan was
dependent on secrecy and surprise ... and on the Klingons attacking the
Federation, thus diverting troops and resources, forcing Starfleet to
spread its defenses too thinly. If the fleet were warned, and war with
the Klingons averted, the Romulans would stand no chance against the
Federation."
"Precisely," Sarek said.
"Okay, I see what you're getting at ... but, Ambassador, I can't allow
you to beam over to that vessel, proof or no proof, kidnapped Vulcans or
no kidnapped Vulcans.
Starfleet would bust me down to yeoman duty for risking a person of your
reputation on such a stunt."
"I am willing to take the risk, Kirk," Sarek replied. "Just as you have
your duty, I have mine ... and it is to do everything in my power to
prevent a war ... or the probable slaughter of transplanted Vulcan
citizens."
Kirk's eyes met Sarek's and held for a long moment.
Slowly, Jim shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm sorry, Ambassador Sarek,
but the answer is no. It's too risky. We can't pinpoint the location of
the ship closely enough."
"Yes, we can," Spock said, suddenly. "If the ambassador can predict its
next location, then I can program the transporter to lock on to the
bridge before it even appears."
Kirk stared dubiously at the Vulcan officer. "Do you think he can
accomplish anything over there, Spock?"
"I do not know," Spock said, quietly. "It depends upon his plan."
"Kirk," Sarek said, earnestly, "I have known Taryn for more than sixty
years. I believe I can predict his actions and reactions accurately
enough to be able to choose the best technique for approaching him."
"They'll shoot you on sight, Ambassador!" Kirk replied.
"Not ifi am beamed onto the bridge, where Taryn can see me. He will not
summarily execute me. He may decide at
some point that that is what he must do, but he will let me speak,
first. And if I can speak with him ... I can negotiate.
If he will not listen, and chooses to kill me ... I am willing to take
that chance."
"The ambassador does not have to go alone, Captain," Spock said,
stiffly. "I am volunteering to accompany him."
You wouldn't even know they're father and son if you saw them like this,
Kirk thought, inwardly shaking his head.
Vulcans!
"Captain," Spock said, "as soon as you beam us aboard, you must use the
diversion to warp far enough away to be out of jamming range. Then you
must transmit the data we will relay."
Kirk hesitated, wavering. Finally, hearing an invisible clock ticking in
his head, knowing that Kamarag's fleet was on the way, he nodded curtly.
"All right."
The next minutes flew by in a blur as Sarek and Spock prepared the
transporter coordinates that would place them aboard the Romulan vessel.
Beaming would indeed be tricky the transporter chief would have barely
a second to fine-tune the location in order to make sure they arrived on
the shipmand not in an area of space beside her, or beneath her.
"This recording device will function automatically," Spock told his
father in the transporter room, fastening a small instrument into place
between two of the large cabo-chon gems on the ambassador's formal robe.
"It will transmit, and the Enterprise will record what it sends. If
Taryn is indeed aboard, and you can induce him to identify himself,
while showing his true features, that should constitute the proof we
need."
"All right. I pick up your transmission, warp out of here, and then
message Starfleet and the president," Kirk said.
"Then what? I've got to come back here and intercept Kamarag. What do
you want me to do about you two? Try to lock on and beam you back?"
"As soon as the message is sent, return to the rendezvous point," Sarek
said. "If my talk with Taryn has been successfully concluded, I will
contact you to arrange for us to
return. If not ... there is not much chance that we will be alive to be
retrieved," he added, matter-of-factly.
Kirk sighed and nodded. I hope to hell this works ... Spock and Sarek
stepped up onto the transporter pads.
The captain nodded at the transporter chief. "Energize."
Sarek heard the distinctive whine, felt the Enterprise's transporter
chamber begin to dissolve around him ...
And then he was materializing again. He saw, with a moment of brief,
intense relief that he was again surrounded by bulkheads. At his side,
Spock was re-forming. They had made it. He was aboard Taryn's ship.
As he had requested, Spock had programmed their coordinates to place
them on the bridgema logical choice, since it was one of the largest,
relatively open areas.
The ambassador heard gasps of shock, startled exclamations as the
Romulans recognized both of them. Then, all around them, hands drew
disrupters. In less than a second after they had finished beaming, Sarek
found himself facing seven drawn weapons.
If I am wrong, the ambassador thought, and Taryn is not here--or is not
the man I believe him to be--neither Spock nor I will live another
minute.
But no blast of energy tore through him. Slowly, the ambassador pivoted,
studying his surroundings. The bridge of a bird-of-prey was considerably
more cramped than that of a Federation starship. All around him,
uniformed Romulans sat before instrument consoles, their seats swiveled
to face the intruders, the disrupters in their hands leveled
unwaveringly.
Uniformed Romulans? The Ambassador stared around him in surprise. No ...
not Romulans. At least ... not most of them.
Sarek was astonished to realize that the individuals surrounding him at
the various command posts were not Romulans--they were Vulcans. He'd
been expecting to find at least one Vulcan aboard Taryn's ship--but not
nine of them!
But these officers were, indisputably, Vulcans.
He could tell by the faint mental vibrations they exuded.
On his own world, Sarek was used to that, and, like most of his species,
had learned to ignore it, overlook it, tune it out.
But to encounter it here?
"What is this?" a voice barked harshly in Romulan.
Despite the millennia separating their peoples, the languages of Vulcans
and Romulans still held some of the same cadence and flow, though their
vocabularies and syntax had mutated greatly over the years. Swiftly, the
voice changed to English. "What is going on? Who are you?"
Sarek turned to regard the speaker. "You know who I am, Commander."
The individual facing him, one of the two present who was not holding a
drawn weapon, had to be Taryn. Sarek studied him unblinkingly. Yes, this
was Taryn ... even without the insignia on his uniform, he would have
known him. Everything fit. The arrogance he'd come to know so well shone
in this individual's eyes. Those eyes were dark and hooded amid his
craggy, hawklike features. He wore the uniform of a high
-ranking Romulan
officer--a wing commander.
And from him, as from many of the other officers, Sarek sensed now
unshielded mental activity. It also emanated from the young woman
standing beside him, her eyes wide and startled. She, alone of the
bridge crew, was unarmed.
Sarek nodded at both of them. "Commander Taryn," he said. "And Savel? My
aide, Soran, has spoken of how much he enjoyed playing chess with you.
Allow me to present my ... associate, Captain Spock."
The ambassador had seen something flare in the girl's eyes when he'd
spoken of Soran. Recalling Soran's expressed interest in her, Sarek
noted her reaction and silently filed that information away for further
consideration. It could prove useful ...
"What are you two doing here?" Taryn demanded, his voice harsh and
rasping with surprise and anger he did not trouble to conceal. "How dare
you," he almost sputtered,
"invade my ship in this manner?"
"I recognized your game strategy, Taryn," Sarek said, attempting to make
it clear that the commander was responding to that name. He only hoped
that Kirk was picking up everything from the tiny recorder. "T'Nedara's
Star Trek - Sarek Page 42