Day of Honor - Treaty's Law Page 3
His wife brushed the dust from her vest as she stood and faced her husband. "Who are they?"
"Cowards" was all Kerdoch said. The anger in his voice was harsh.
He glanced around at his home. The roof still held, but everything inside was in ruins. Smoke poured from cracks in the side of the domed plating, filling the area with a thick cloud.
He turned to his wife who was helping the younger children. "Put out what fire you can. Then prepare for another attack. Use more furniture to build extra shielding. "
"Understood," she said, then nodded to him. "I will see you after the fight."
She knew him all too well. They were a good team. She would defend their home. He would defend their home as well, but he would be defending their home, the planet.
It would not be easy.
The colony had four disrupter cannons in position around the perimeter, but during the fight he had heard none of them being fired. Perhaps they had been destroyed or no one had made it to them in time. It had been at least six months since the cannons had even been tested, so it would take time to get them operating. A stupid thing to have done. The colonists should have been prepared. If they survived this, they would not be caught unprepared for battle again. He would make sure of that.
He nodded to his wife , then turned and ducked out the emergency exit of the dome. Behind him his wife and two oldest children emerged and began putting out the fires on and around the structure.
The sunlight on the colony was clouded and dimmed by the smoke of a hundred fires. Women, children, and some men were emerging from the domes to fight the fires or help the wounded. Ahead Kerdoch saw two other fanners, KaHanb and Kolit, heading in the same direction he was-toward the disrupter cannons on the south side of the colony. The cowards who attacked from the sky might have gotten away with two attacks, but they would not launch a third.
He could feel his blood coursing through his veins; his heart was light, his breath steady. He felt ready, his anger turned with focus to the task at hand.
On the bridge of the U.S.S. Farragut, in stationary orbit above Starbase l l , Captain Bogle took three long-legged strides in one direction in front of his captain's chair.
Turn.
Three back. He knew it drove his crew crazy when he paced, but at that moment he didn't much care . The Enterprise had left fourteen hours before, and since then every available person had been assigned to repairs on the Farragut. Bogle's little voice told him Kirk was heading into a mess. Granted, James T. Kirk was one of the best captains in the Federation, especially in unusual and messy situations. But even the best needed some help at times. And being stuck at starbase wasn't the sort ofhelp Kelly Bogle wanted to give his friend Kirk.
Richard Lee, the Farraguts science officer, looked up from his scope, frowning-an unusual look on his normally smiling face. "The Enterprise should be arriving at Signi Beta any moment."
Bogle stopped pacing and punched the comm link on his chair. "Engineering! "
"We're ready," Chief Engineer Projeff replied, as if the announcement were just another report.
Bogle smiled. This time Projeff had beaten his own best repair-time estimate by two hours. The man was a wizard.
"Status?" Bogle asked.
"Full warp drive coming online now," Projeff said.
"Two hours and we'll have weapons back up . Ten hours and I could make her dance around a flagpole . "
Captain Bogle dropped down into his seat, half laughing to himself. "Nice work, Projeff. Stand by for full warp speed. "
"Yes, Captain," Projeff said. "Standing by. " Bogle punched off the comm link to Engineering.
"Is the course for Signi Beta plotted and laid in?" he asked his navigator. He knew it was, since he'd asked the same question five hours earlier.
"Yes, Captain," Lieutenant Michael Book said, his bald head not turning away from his board.
"Warp five ," Bogle said. "Now. "
The Farragut turned away from Space Station l l and jumped to warp in an easy, smooth movement.
"Comm," Captain Bogle said to Lieutenant Sandy at Communications, "Inform the Enterprise that we're under way."
"Yes, sir," the lieutenant said. "With pleasure. " Bogle sat back in his chair and took a long, deep breath for what seemed like the first time in fourteen hours.
Kirk faced the main screen as the Enterprise sat some distance away from the planet. Kirk had factored in the distress call, making certain the Enterprise had maneuvering room should she encounter a fleet of Klingon battle cruisers.
But none showed on the screen. The planet itself looked exactly like the file images: a calm-looking, blue-green Class M, vaguely Earthlike, deceptively pastoral. There were no visible signs of problems.
He clenched a fist. He didn't like the feeling he was getting.
"Are we alone up here?" he asked.
"According to our instruments, we are," Spock said. He sounded vaguely perplexed. "However, the Klingon colony shows signs of heavy damage. "
"From what?" Kirk demanded.
"Unknown," Spock said. "Fields have been burned; wells and farming equipment have been destroyed. The colony itselfhas sustained heavy damage and casualties. It appears from the damage patterns that the colony was attacked from the air by a fairly large force. "
"And that force is now gone," Kirk said.
"If the attack came from space," Spock said, "then the attacking force has left. If the attack came from the ground, I cannot say with accuracy whether or not the colony's adversaries have left. "
"Spock," Kirk said, "surely you can tell me if the damage came from a starship or not. "
"Not without further study," Spock said. "I can tell you that the attack was sudden. The Klingons did not even have time to mount a defense. I have never seen such damage to a Klingon colony."
"They're farmers," Rathbone said. Her voice was shaking. "They might have been Klingons, but they were farmers first. And Signi Beta was protected by a treaty. They wouldn't have expected an attack."
Kirk swiveled in his chair. Rathbone was an attractive woman who had clearly suffered a great loss when she left Signi Beta. She also seemed quite nervous to be on the bridge. But she looked straight at him when she spoke, and despite her nervousness and her visible distress at the condition of the colony, she spoke with authority.
"Why would anyone attack a farming community?" Kirk asked, thinking out loud.
Rathbone turned her attention to the screen. She shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I honestly don't. All of us in the Federation colony were upset, angry, and bitter over the Sandpinian judgment, but not enough to do something like this. There's simply no-"
"Captain ! " Chekov said. "Klingon battle cruiser! "
Suddenly the entire ship rocked as it took a first hit against the shields. Kirk nearly lost his balance. "Spock! I thought you said there was no one else up here ! "
"They did not register on my equipment, Captain. " Spock sounded all too calm for a man who was gripping his scope as tightly as he was.
Kirk settled in his chair as the viewscreen showed a Klingon battle cruiser opening up on the Enterprise.
"Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Sulu."
Three more hits rocked the bridge, the sound roaring like a huge wave about to engulf them.
"Aye, sir," Sulu shouted, his fingers dancing over his board like a concert pianist's.
"It was a trap," Chekov muttered as another hit rocked the ship. "This distress call, it was a trap. "
Kirk didn't think so. Such a trap, using a distress call, wasn't the Klingon way. They tended to fight in a straightforward manner, at least in his experience. .nd besides, it was clear that the Klingon colony had been attacked. Unless this was a rogue Klingon ship, which was always possible.
"Spock," Kirk said, "did that battle cruiser attack the colony?"
Spock glanced at the captain, then seemed to understand what Kirk was thinking. He quickly checked his scope as two more hits rocked the Enterpri
se.
"Shields at sixty percent," Sulu said.
"No, Captain," Spock said. "That ship did not attack the colony. The weapon patterns are all wrong."
"Lieutenant Uhura," Kirk said. "Hail the battle cruiser."
She pressed one long fingernail against the board, then looked at him. "There is no response, sir."
"Mr. Sulu, arm the photon torpedoes," Kirk said as the Klingon battle cruiser turned to make another run. "Full pattern."
"They're armed, sir," Sulu said.
"Fire! " Kirk shouted as the battle cruiser moved past and above the Enterprise.
The quick successive thumps of the torpedoes firing felt faint but reassuring to Kirk.
The Enterprise rocked hard and violently with the impact of two more Klingon disrupter blasts. Kirk managed to hang on and stay in his seat, but Rathbone lost her grip and was tossed against the rail. Her
head smacked against the floor, and she seemed to be
out cold.
Kirk couldn't spare anyone to check her. The battle cruiser was getting ready for another attack. He punched the comm button. "Dr. McCoy to the bridge. We have an emergency. "
"Captain , the shields are at fifty percent," Sulu said.
Then Chekov, who had been monitoring the fighting, raised a fist. "We hit them! They are hurt! "
But the Klingon battle cruiser didn't look badly damaged to Kirk as it swung around and held position facing the Enterprise.
"Open a channel to that Klingon ship," Kirk said tightly. "If this was intentional, this will be the last time the Federation answers a Klingon distress signal."
"The channel is open, Captain," Uhura said.
Kirk stood and took a deep breath. "Captain of the Klingon ship, this is Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise. Are you too much of a coward to face your enemy?"
He smiled to himself. If that didn't work, he didn't know his Klingons.
"Sir," Uhura said, "we have an incoming message."
"Put it on-screen," Kirk said, cutting off his smile.
Quickly the image of the battle cruiser was replaced by the sneering face of a very familiar Klingon. Kirk would have recognized that roundish face and those dark eyes anywhere. It was Kirk's old foe, Commander Kor.
"So, Kirk," Kor said, doing nothing to cover his sneering tone. "You attack what you cannot earn fairly."
Kirk snorted in surprise. So the Klingons were going to blame the attack on the Federation. If he hadn't trusted Spock's analysis of the damage, he would have sworn that the Klingons had set up this entire affair.
"We're not responsible for the attacks on your colony," Kirk said. "We answered a distress call"
"Lies," Kor said. "We Klingons repay the loss ofa life with a life. You will pay for what you have done to our colony."
"Look, Kor," Kirk said, stepping toward the screen. "Arguing won't get us anywhere. It-"
"I do not want to hear more of your lies, Kirk."
"Then look at the proof," Kirk snapped. "Analyze the attack patterns and weapons residue on the colony. Take a look at the damage. It will become clear that we couldn't have done this. "
He was gambling. Spock hadn't been that specific about the damage to the planet. And Kirk had no real way ofchecking before he made the claim. But he had bluffed before with Klingons, and he had won.
Kor sneered, but he made a motion with his hand that was barely visible at the bottom of the screen. So he was having an officer do the test. While he waited, he said, "You could have disguised your weapons. The Federation is known for such trickery. "
"Look at the proof, Kor," Kirk said.
Someone spoke to Kor off-screen. He turned away slightly, then turned back, his small eyes narrow.
"Perhaps you have a weapon we do not know about."
Stubborn pigheaded people. Kor had the evidence, but he refused to believe it. How could a man talk to people like that? Forcefully. With a firmness they cannot dispute.
"Kor," Kirk said, "if you damage my ship, I'll damage yours, and we'll keep fighting until only one of us remains. But that won't help your colony. If we're fighting each other, we won't be able to defend this planet from the real attacker, who's sitting out there laughing at us."
"We do not need the Federation's help in battle ," Kor said, but he didn't sound as convinced as before. It was clear that Kirk's words were making their point to the Klingon commander.
"That may be so," Kirk said, trying not to let his frustration show. "But if we talk to the survivors we might find out who the real enemy is."
Kor nodded. "I will beam one ofthe colonists up to my ship. You are welcome tojoin in the questions, but the invitation is for you, Kirk. Alone."
Kirk glanced over his shoulder at Spock, who was staring at him. Kirk's heart was beating hard. This was the sort of challenge he loved, but he could tell that Spock didn't like the idea at all.
"We could withdraw from the area and leave you to your own devices," Kirk said, "but I am as curious as you are. I will come alone. Stand ready. "
Kor nodded.
The screen went blank, then returned to the image of the Klingon battle cruiser hanging in space facing the Enterprise. Behind the Klingon ship the bluegreen planet looked calm and peaceful, but Kirk knew better. That calm planet could prove to be the end of the Organian Peace Treety ifhe didn't work this right.
Kirk took a deep breath and then turned to Spock. "I think that went well, don't you?"
Spock only raised an eyebrow.
"Forgive me, Captain, but I do not think this is wise," Chekov said. "Klingons are well known for their deception. They could-"
"They could what, Mr. Chekov? You think they staged this whole thing so that they could lure me to that battle cruiser and kill me?"
"No, sir. But-"
"You think they plan to pick off starship captains one by one and simply started with me?"
"No, sir. But-"
"But what, Mr. Chekov?"
"But I do not like this. I think it would be wise to send someone with you. "
It probably would be wise. But Kirk was unwilling to do that. "I said I would go alone and I will," he said. "If something happens to me, Mr. Spock can handle the Enterprise. Starfleet Command will have to get involved. Any more 'advice'?"
"None," Spock said. "However, as this is a Klingon planet, and Commander Kor's vessel is here, it would be logical to allow them to handle the distress call alone, as you yourself suggested."
"It might be logical, Mr. Spock," Kirk said. "But they already suspect the attack was initiated by Starfleet. Leaving now might seem to prove their suspicions. We have a treaty to protect whether or not we like its terms. "
He turned to see McCoy kneeling next to Rathbone. She was still unconscious.
"McCoy activated a scanner. "What happened to her?"
"She hit her head," responded Kirk.
Dr. McCoy studied his instrument briefly, then looked up at Kirk. "I'll say she hit her head. That's quite a bump. But she'll be fine. "
"Good," Kirk said, returning to his chair.
Spock approached Kirk. "Captain," Spock said softly, "as your first officer, I must inform you that beaming alone onto a Klingon ship might not be a prudent course of action. "
Kirk held up his hand for Spock to stop before he read him regulations regarding the imprudence. Beaming over to Kor's ship seemed to be the only choice they had at the moment. The Enterprise hadn't attacked that colony. And Kirk would have wagered anything that Kor hadn't either.
That meant another force had. And that force might return at any moment.
Chapter Four
KERDOCH STOOD ON the edge of the disrupter-cannon platform taking a break while two of his neighbors continued to work behind him. The smell of smoke
was thick in his nostrils. The colony would stink ofit for days. He thought of it as an incentive to work
harder and faster.
He and two others had gotten one disrupter cannon
the colony. The other two cannons had been destroyed in the night attacks. If the cowards returned for another run in their thin ships, they would have a fight on their hands.
Kerdoch took a deep, long drink of water from a jug. The day had turned hot under the two suns, and
Kerdoch felt the sweat caked to his back and arms. In midmorning his oldest boy had brought water and food for him and his neighbors.
His son had reported that the fires were out and that his mother had completed building a shelter inside their dome. He then asked if he could stay and fight with his father on the cannon. Kerdoch ordered him to return to his mother's side, where he was needed to defend her and their home. After the boy left, Kerdoch felt proud. He had taught his children well. He hoped they all lived long enough to pass on the lesson.
He took another drink from thej ug and was about to return to work when he felt the odd sensation of a transporter beam. It had been years since he felt one, but the feeling was not easily forgotten.
"Kerdoch ! " his neighbor shouted, jumping toward Kerdoch as if he might hold him and pull him from the beam. A fruitless but generous gesture.
"Be prepared," he managed to say to his friends before he was gone.
Kerdoch's only thought as the transporter took him was that he wished he had a weapon in his hand. At least that way he could have died fighting.
But when the transporter released him, he found himself on a Klingon battle cruiser. He'd been on two before and instantly recognized it. But how? And why? He fought to remain calm and prepare himself for what would come.
He stepped slowly down from the pad to be greeted by a nod from the Klingon warrior running the transporter. Then through a door strode another warrior, clearly the commander of this battle cruiser.
"I am Kor," the warrior said.
"Kerdoch." He hoped his shock didn't show. Kor was a famous commander, known for his fighting skills.
"Good," Kor said, nodding his respect to the fanner. "In a moment we will talk. "
"I understand, Commander," Kerdoch said.