Defender Dar Zotzchen. Congratulations on your promotion, and all proper respect to the Presiding Regent." Kirk deliberately left out the regent's name, in case there had been reshuffling in the royal house. "The Prime Commodore's servant officers must be lax in their duties, not to inform His Vigilance that we have already sought and received permission to cross. We are on a rescue mission."
Uhura listened closely, then swung her chair around to face Kirk. "There is no reply, Captain."
"Sir," Veblen said, "the monitors suggest the Kshatriyan will probably broadcast a conciliatory reply on an obscure channel to—"
"Lieutenant Uhura and I are quite aware of that, Mister," Kirk said, perhaps too sharply. "Lieutenant, repeat my signal, and add the substance of the message from the Kshatriyans granting Starfleet permission."
Spock came on the bridge, took his position at the science center, and surreptitiously checked on Veblen's points of access to the computers. Kirk noticed this and smiled his appreciation. He didn't like being in a conspiracy against one of his own officers, but in a possible emergency, it was best to know everything in advance—including whether the new systems would allow him a full range of actions.
Mason came on the bridge a moment later. Her expression was more harried than scared, but this changed to stiff-faced control as she caught on to the situation.
"Still no reply, Captain," Uhura said, glancing back at her new roommate.
"Distance to the neutral zone, Mr. Yimasa."
"Three light hours and closing rapidly, Captain."
"Maintain warp maximum. Ensign Chekov, load torpedo bays with decoy targets and prepare to launch. Shields on maximum."
"Reply coming in now, Captain."
"Let's hear it."
"Captain Kirk, is it not?" The Kshatriyan had altered his tone to take advantage of human inflections. "Our records are not so precise, but I remember a young officer with a voice very much like your own. I assume you have achieved your own command, and my congratulations. I measured you as a worthy adversary then, despite your inexperience. Our machines are even now searching for such a message. Until then, please reduce to impulse power and skirt the neutral zone."
Kirk grimaced. "Reply, Lieutenant: Unable to reduce to sub-lightspeed. Repeat, we are on a rescue mission and time is of the essence. We have already broadcast your own government's response, complete with uniquely coded identifiers. Please allow us to pass. Your hostility could be considered the first step toward a very undesirable situation."
Uhura listened for a few minutes. The bridge was silent, except for Mason's somewhat uneven breathing. Kirk looked at Veblen and saw flushed excitement on his face, but no fear. Mason was beginning to show her distress in various twitches and nervous motions.
"No reply, Captain."
"Maintain warp maximum, Mr. Sulu. Mr. Chekov, clear the bays of two decoys and load two photon torpedos. Do we have the Kshatriyan ships, Mr. Yimasa?"
"They are still out of range and hiding, sir."
"Sir—" Veblen said.
"No interruptions, please, Mr. Veblen."
"But this could be important, sir—"
For God's sake, Mason wanted to scream, listen to him!
"Please!" Kirk shot an angry glance at the computer officer, who nodded and backed away a step. "Distance, Mr. Yimasa."
"Two light hours from neutral zone buoy eighty-one, the closest, sir."
"Yellow alert, gentlemen." The sirens began on all decks. "General quarters." There was a piercing whistle, and a mechanical echo of his command. On his console, a display ticked off the stations reporting fully manned and ready. The bridge screen showed a reconstructed image of the stars immediately ahead, and postulated positions of the Kshatriyan battle fleet.
"We have them, Captain," Chekov said. Yimasa concurred. "They are in the classic Warp-E formation. They look very combative."
Kirk nodded. The green postulated positions of the fleet on the forward screen were replaced by red
Uhura listened closely, then swung her chair around to face Kirk. "There is no reply, Captain."
"Sir," Veblen said, "the monitors suggest the Kshatriyan will probably broadcast a conciliatory reply on an obscure channel to—"
"Lieutenant Uhura and I are quite aware of that, Mister," Kirk said, perhaps too sharply. "Lieutenant, repeat my signal, and add the substance of the message from the Kshatriyans granting Starfleet permission."
Spock came on the bridge, took his position at the science center, and surreptitiously checked on Veblen's points of access to the computers. Kirk noticed this and smiled his appreciation. He didn't like being in a conspiracy against one of his own officers, but in a possible emergency, it was best to know everything in advance—including whether the new systems would allow him a full range of actions.
Mason came on the bridge a moment later. Her expression was more harried than scared, but this changed to stiff-faced control as she caught on to the situation.
"Still no reply, Captain," Uhura said, glancing back at her new roommate.
"Distance to the neutral zone, Mr. Yimasa."
"Three light hours and closing rapidly, Captain."
"Maintain warp maximum. Ensign Chekov, load torpedo bays with decoy targets and prepare to launch. Shields on maximum."
"Reply coming in now, Captain."
"Let's hear it."
"Captain Kirk, is it not?" The Kshatriyan had altered his tone to take advantage of human inflections. "Our records are not so precise, but I remember a young officer with a voice very much like your own. I assume you have achieved your own command, and my congratulations. I measured you as a worthy adversary then, despite your inexperience. Our machines are even now searching for such a message. Until then, please reduce to impulse power and skirt the neutral zone."
Kirk grimaced. "Reply, Lieutenant: Unable to reduce to sub-lightspeed. Repeat, we are on a rescue mission and time is of the essence. We have already broadcast your own government's response, complete with uniquely coded identifiers. Please allow us to pass. Your hostility could be considered the first step toward a very undesirable situation."
Uhura listened for a few minutes. The bridge was silent, except for Mason's somewhat uneven breathing. Kirk looked at Veblen and saw flushed excitement on his face, but no fear. Mason was beginning to show her distress in various twitches and nervous motions.
"No reply, Captain."
"Maintain warp maximum, Mr. Sulu. Mr. Chekov, clear the bays of two decoys and load two photon torpedos. Do we have the Kshatriyan ships, Mr. Yimasa?"
"They are still out of range and hiding, sir."
"Sir—" Veblen said.
"No interruptions, please, Mr. Veblen."
"But this could be important, sir—"
For God's sake, Mason wanted to scream, listen to him!
"Please!" Kirk shot an angry glance at the computer officer, who nodded and backed away a step. "Distance, Mr. Yimasa."
"Two light hours from neutral zone buoy eighty-one, the closest, sir."
"Yellow alert, gentlemen." The sirens began on all decks. "General quarters." There was a piercing whistle, and a mechanical echo of his command. On his console, a display ticked off the stations reporting fully manned and ready. The bridge screen showed a reconstructed image of the stars immediately ahead, and postulated positions of the Kshatriyan battle fleet.
"We have them, Captain," Chekov said. Yimasa concurred. "They are in the classic Warp-E formation. They look very combative."
Kirk nodded. The green postulated positions of the fleet on the forward screen were replaced by red
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