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destroyed,” Wescott said.
    â€œI’m sorry I can’t offer you better than that right now,” Solow answered, genuine regret in his voice.
    â€œI will not fire the first shot in this war,” Wescott said, his eyes meeting West’s for a moment, as if waiting for a challenge.
    â€œI think that’s wise, sir. My cultural research says that the Klingons will fight even harder if their government can claim that they have been attacked.”
    â€œWell, we wouldn’t want to make them mad,” Wescott said drily.
    â€œSir, I have a recommendation. I strongly suggest that you pull Ambassador Fox and his team out of the negotiations. When the Klingons finally abandon the pretense of talks, they will no doubt take the diplomaticteam and try to extract information from them. If the team is captured, they will be
interrogated.
” West felt a chill run down his spine as he said that word. He and Fox had had their differences, but he respected the man and wouldn’t wish torture at the hands of a skilled Klingon interrogator on anyone.
    â€œI made the offer through coded transmissions, but Fox and his people have volunteered to continue the charade as long as they can. Once we pull them out, the Klingons will know that we are ready to go to war. And we also need time.”
    It was a brave thing to do. Facing death was one thing, but facing a slow death at the hands of the Klingons was something else entirely. West was sorry that he had not gotten to know Fox better and that their few meetings had been so antagonistic.
    â€œThank you, gentlemen,” President Wescott said.
    â€œThank you, Mister President,” Solow said. The admiral and West turned and headed for the door.
    West was anxious to get back to his work. He was finishing his report on Klingon cultural traditions and their approach to ground fighting. When he reached his office, a woman was waiting for him. She stepped forward and told him, “I’m Lieutenant Katherine Lei, reporting for duty, sir.”
    â€œReporting?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œReporting to me?”
    â€œYes, sir,” she said evenly, though the firm smile disappeared from her lips. “The admiral assigned me to you.”
    â€œI see. The admiral, however, didn’t mention you to me,” West said.
    â€œI can get my order confirmation,”
    â€œNot necessary. I’ve been making a case for a staff and a full tactical xeno-studies department since I got here. It seems like you are the first step in that direction.” West realized that Lei was young, no older than himself. He had never seen her before, but her name was familiar. And, he realized, she was attractive. Olive skin. Straight black hair. Hawaiian perhaps? Certainly somewhere in the Pacific.
    â€œI just graduated. I’ve read your declassified reports. Some of your Klingon cultural analysis is really quite good,” she said pleasantly.
    â€œSome?” he asked with genuine surprise. He had quickly become the resident expert on Klingons and had literally written the book on Klingon culture and its relationship to tactics and strategy in warfare.
    Suddenly, he remembered where he had seen Lei’s name. “You wrote a thesis on the cult of Kahless.”
    â€œYes. Have you read the paper?” she asked with genuine interest.
    He nodded. “I found
some
of it quite good.”
    â€œThank you,” she said evenly. “Do you have any initial orders?”
    â€œCome with me and tell me what you know about Klingon customs and norms with respect to ground fighting,” West said, ushering her into his office.

Chapter Five
    U.S.S. ENTERPRISE
    FEDERATION-KLINGON BORDER
    â€œM ISTER S POCK, what have you learned?” Kirk asked.
    The Vulcan hit a button on the console in front of him. Immediately, the briefing-room viewscreen showed the image of a civilian space vessel. “The
Harmony
is a
Marquis
-class private vessel