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Star Trek Chapter 16
The meeting was being held in a secure briefing room at Star Fleet Headquarters. The room was windowless but it was just as dim in the window-walled passageway outside the door. San Francisco's famed fog had been putting in an appearance for the past two days. Kirk shook drops of water off his bridge coat before he hung it on the coat tree. The three other attendees had come to attention when he entered the room-the Intelligence Directorates local expert on the Cardassians, Lieutenant jg Picard, Star Fleet's System's Engineering head, Capt Eisenhower, and, to that pairs surprise, the Star Fleet Military Attache to Vulcan (and Reserve Captain), Spock.
"Have a seat gentlemen," Kirk said as he pulled his chair out. He looked at Picard.
"Glad you could make it Jean Luc, I wanted you here because you've already touched this mission and, as you'll see, you will have special input."
"I appreciate your confidence in me Admiral," Picard responded.
'You don't have to put your nose quite that far up my ass,' Kirk thought. He looked down the table at Spock.
"Well Mr. Spock, what's the latest you've got?"
"Admiral, our agent was successful at getting the subject of the mission on his ship. He is currently attempting to leave Cardassian space but it seems that the Cardassian's are able to track his ship, even with the cloak."
Kirk looked at Eisenhower. "Well Bob, I guess you'd better get the whole brief-and this'll probably be some news to you also Jean Luc."
They watched him expectantly.
Spock broke in: "Excuse me Admiral but, considering other information sent from the agent, we may want to bring in my counterpart for the Centari. I took the liberty of telling him there might be a summons to our meeting. He happens to currently be here at headquarters"
Kirk thought for a minute. "How does this involve the Centari?"
"It seems the slaves were purchased by a Centari."
"I see. OK, call him in."
Kirk made small talk with Picard and Eisenhower while they waited for the Centari attache. It took him less than five minutes to arrive.
"Commander Mubumtu," Spock began, "I don't know if you've met them but, this is Captain Eisenhower of the Engineering Directorate, Lieutenant Picard from intelligence and I believe you have met Admiral Kirk."
"Nice to see you again Admiral," Mubumtu said as he sat down, looking a little confused.
"Mr. Spock, if you would please brief us all," Kirk said.
Spock looked around the table. "Gentlemen, you will recall that four weeks ago a transport registered to Gupper 4 was attacked by what was believed to be Cardassian pirates. The press reports indicated that all aboard had been killed."
There were nods around the table.
"We then learned through contacts on Cardassia that, in fact, the crew and passengers had been taken captive, those that survived the initial attack." He paused. "Lieutenant, do you have anything to add?"
"Well, reports were that there were 36 captives taken but two died in stasis-both crew members of the ship. We later learned that they had been taken to Illith."
"Thank you," Spock said. "What isn't known except by family members, and a very few Star Fleet personnel, is that one of those passengers is of very high interest. Not that the person holds any special knowledge or position but they are a family member of a highly placed Federation official. If the Cardassian's should learn the identity of this individual it would provide them with certain leverage."
"I think I need to add," Kirk interrupted, "this person is a child. The media interest that the Cardassians could create is considerable."
Picard leaned back in his chair and put his hands together in front of himself. "Disgusting creatures," he muttered.
Spock looked at him. "I see you grasp the danger this child is in."
Pickard looked around the table. "Gentlemen, I don't know who this child is but if he is not rescued we will be watching him being killed in the most vile way the Cardassian's can devise."
There were concerned nods around the table.
"Go on, Mr. Spock."
"We were faced with a difficult situation. If a Federation ship were used to attempt a rescue the Cardassians would know that the individual was more than...they seem. Meanwhile, we could not, by any means, be sure that the child involved wouldn't tell them who...he is...that's beyond expectations of a...some one that age."
"We decided that the best course was to recruit a non-Federation agent for the rescue. We equipped his ship, a fairly typical Class 2 transport, with a captured Klingon cloaking device and some rudimentary weapons systems. The rescue was successful in that the subject is on the transport but, beyond that, things have not gone as planned."
Spock leaned forward and looked at Eisenhower. "We received a report from the ship. The pilot states that the Cardassians are able to track him through the cloak. They can't see well enough to get a weapons lock but they are following him. At this point, it appears they are more curious than anything else. They've been following him but don't seem interested in getting too close. Probably more importantly, the pilot knows that he would be fired on if he attempted to pass into Federation space so, instead, he's headed in the opposite direction, toward the C sector.
"Thank you Mr. Spock," Kirk said.
"Captain Eisenhower," Kirk continued, "what can you tell us about the failure of the cloak?"
"Well sir, that's surprising. We had no idea that they'd be able to do that. This could have serious implications on our own vulnerabilities."
"We need to know what their capabilities are and how they developed them," Kirk said. "Did they get the tech from us, the Romulans or is it intrinsic to their own systems?"
"I would speculate that it is intrinsic to their sensors. We know that they use an active/passive system that utilizes back- scattering from nearby stellar sources. It's possible that the cloak is distorting the star field through lensing."
"Interesting Captain," Spock said.
"Pass this on to your cloak and sensors teams," Kirk directed. Eisenhower nodded.
"What else?" Kirk said, looking at Spock.
"Well Admiral, as you know, the agent decided that it was most prudent not to attempt to come directly back to the Federation and, instead, he headed in the opposite direction, toward Charlie Sector."
"We have reports that the Cardassain's have a defense grid in that direction also," Picard said. "He's running into the same trap."
"Ran, Lieutenant," Spock said. "His last report was that he'd passed through the screen and that the Cardassian ships that had been following him stopped at the frontier."
"Then he's the first Federation ship to get out there," Picard said.
"What can you tell us about what's in the Cardassian's back yard?" Kirk asked.
"Well sir, not a lot. The area is on the edge of the Orion Spur, stars are an average of around ten light years apart and become more sparse the deeper you go. There are reports of inhabited worlds that do have interstellar capabilities, but that's about all. The area seems to not be under any real centralized government, a loose trade organization and some sort of feudal organization that keeps the peace."
"Feudal?" Kirk asked.
"Yes. There are reports of an order of...what they call Jedi Knights and that they possess some sort of psychokenesis. Their organization seems to have, until recently, kept the peace."
"Festinating," Spock commented.
"Recently there are reports that there is some sort of uprising against these Jedi Knights but we have no hard information except for the widespread use of clones as fighters."
Anything else?" Kirk asked.
"No sir, but I'll do some digging."
"Thank you."
"Um, this is all very interesting Admiral," Mubumtu said, "but what does this have to do with the Centari?"
Kirk looked up. "Spock?"
"I must emphasize that this information must be kept in the strictest confidence," Spock started. "If not handled correctly, this could cause a serious rift in the Federation itself."
"The agent was under orders to only bring out the one individual. Unfortunately, there was no way Star Fleet would be able to bring out all 34 people. We hoped he'd be able to simply buy the person of interest but they had been sold before he arrived at Illith."
"He tracked the buyer and, through a remarkable example of personal courage, was able to extricate the principal. However, the other 33 remained."
Spock looked at Mubumtu. "They had been purchased by a Centari and the ship is on course for Centari Prime."
"Oh The Maker," Mubumtu muttered.
Kirk looked up. "If we were to capture the ship when it emerges from Cardassian space you'd expect some heat from your government."
"I'd suggest we handle this through the Imperial Viser. He can speak to the Emperor privately." Mubumtu said.
"I agree Admiral," Spock said.
"Sure," Kirk responded. "Do you know who this Centari slaver is?"
"His name is Zephron Bondo," Spock responded.
"You gotta be kidding?" Mubumtu said.
Kirk looked at him expectantly.
"He's one of our top bio-weapons scientists."
For a moment there was stunned silence in the room.
"Test subjects?" Picard asked incredulously.
"It would seem so," Spock said. Even his normally implacable Vulcan face had lost its color.
"This is fucking sick," Kirk said.
"At least she's safe," Spock said as he struggled to control his human emotions.
Picard looked at Spock with surprise, then their eyes met and, after a moment, Picard looked down at his hands.
There was silence around the table.
"OK, we all know what we have to do," Kirk said. "I'll call another meeting if we get any additional information."
"Yes sir...yes admiral..." was muttered around the table.
"You are all dismissed."
After they left, Spock sat with his hands flat on the table, staring at them. Kirk walked over after closing the door.
"Spock, she's safe, we have her."
He looked up. "Thanks Jim," he said. "Not quite back but..."
"Bondo must have ordered the attack," Kirk said.
"Yes, and when I prove it he will die," Spock responded.
Kirk didn't remember the ride on BART back to his apartment. Only twice before had he seen Spock give his human side total control.
He poured himself a drink, then, "Siri, Call Bones."
"Yes Jim," his best friend answered from the com screen.
"Bones. I shouldn't drink alone," Kirk said.
McCoy was shocked by the expression on his friends face. "I'll be right over Jim."
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