Chapter 4

McCoy had to admit it, he felt for Faulk. The man's face on the screen reflected the same haggard worry that he felt himself. It was thirty-five hours since Jim's abduction, and William Faradan had finally made contact.

"As expected he wants to exchange Jim for Royal. The Azaran people immediately made it known to us that they will make this exchange happen, with or without the Federation's blessing. We have contacted all the other nations that want to prosecute Faradan, and they have all agreed to let him go in return for your Captain. We await further instructions from Faradan. Faulk out."

McCoy realized he was grinding his teeth and consciously opened his mouth to move his stiff jaw. He was trying to fight that treacherous feeling of hope that was growing in him.

"Remarkable," Spock said. "It is not Federation policy to give in to such demands."

McCoy was too tired to explode in his usual righteous indignation. He had been working on oxalica addiction almost nonstop, driven by the sight of Royal Faradan in his Azaran cell, fighting his straight jacket, howling like a crazed beast as his brain demanded the oxalica it had come to rely on. He had made no headway. Neither, to the best of his knowledge, had Spock and Mister Scott.

"I assume it is for the Azarans as it is for me, Spock," he said, "simply the choice between the death of an evil man and the life of a good man."

"You make it sound so logical, Doctor," Spock said. Was that a smile on his pale face? If it was, it was soon concealed. The Vulcan looked away, considered something, and for his conclusion merely gave a small nod.

0000000

Risa was laughing out loud, peals of laughter clear as a bell. She was sitting up on her knees, trying to tie back her long blonde hair, but the breeze toyed with it mercilessly, whipping it into her face and back again. For Kirk, lying in the grass, looking up at her, that slender figure, her slim arms thrown up and the cloud of waving hair would forever be part of the Field of Flowers alive with the wind and the laughter of children.

"Ooph," Risa burst out as she finally sat down on her ankles, her hair clip askew but doing a reasonable job of holding back all but the wisps around her forehead. "There!" she added for good measure.

The Captain laughed and touched her elbow, and she gave him a shocked look.

"Why, Captain," she breathed, "not near the children!"

Kirk pulled his hand back as if it had touched fire. He realized he really didn't know Azaran customs that well.

But Risa actually winked.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he vowed with a sigh of relief.

He rose and Risa looked up at him questioning. How clearly the Azarans wore their feelings on their faces, thought Kirk. How transparent they were, and beautiful, and so very carefree.

"I'm going to the Copernicus to get the picnic," he explained.

"Take Tulok with you," Risa said.

The boy's head immediately popped up out of the grasses, not ten feet away. Risa laughed at Kirk's surprise. Tulok approached sheepishly and they set off.

They had come with two shuttles, Risa with her twenty-two children in the school's large shuttle, and Kirk with the two older boys in the Copernicus.

Kirk and Tulok walked past the school shuttle, the boy pretending not to have to make an effort to keep up with the Starfleet Captain's long strides. Tulok was different from all of them, a loner, a worrier. Kirk was content not to talk. He was wrapped up in his relief to have escaped the formal affair in the city, a half hour's flight away. All the talk there was of a notorious criminal who was supposed to be running amok in the solar system.

What was his name, Kirk had asked.

Faradan. Royal Faradan.

He had blanched. All sense of achievement at gaining the Azarans' support and optimism about the pending battle with the Klingons had left him. McCoy had noticed, of course, but to Kirk's relief Risa had invited him to come along to the Field of Flowers before the good Doctor had had a chance to ask.

Now here he was, far away from intergalactic strife and ghosts from the past, and the grasses along his path were alive with giggles. Kirk pretended not to notice. Suddenly a group of children rushed him, yelling at the tops of their little voices. Kirk feigned surprise and put up a brave fight, but soon they had brought him down on his knees. Then, with a great thud and a groan, he went sprawling on the soft, springy ground. Howling with laughter, they clambered over him, twenty Lilliputters holding down Gulliver.

"No, no tickling," he roared, "it's the worst torture!"

"Children!"

One word from Risa – gentle and laced with humor, yet firm - was enough. As soon as they had come, the children were gone, now by mere giggles in the grass.

Kirk cleared his throat and stood, blushing a little as he wiped the bright red pollen off his uniform.

"And you, Captain Kirk," scolded the schoolmarm, "you are the biggest child of them all!"

Kirk beamed at Tulok, who stood to the side with a hint of disdain on his pale face. Kirk sighed. The boy took himself too seriously. Or rather, took him too seriously. With a nod at Tulok they again set out toward the Copernicus.

"So, Master Tulok," said Kirk sternly as they started climbing the small hill where the shuttle was parked. "Tell me, what is your absolute favorite thing?"

"Snow," the boy said without hesitation.

Kirk was taken by surprise.

"Azara doesn't have snow, does it?" he ventured.

Maybe it did? He knew the planet was like Earth in many ways, but it was closer to its sun. The equator was unlivable, the poles the only inhabited regions, and without any icecaps that he had noticed.

"We made snow in school," said Tulok. "I understand, Captain Kirk," he added gravely, "that you eat snow, on Earth?"

Kirk had to think for a moment.

"Oh? Popsicles, you mean? Or ice cream? The first are frozen water, with sugar or fruit juice, the second is milk based. They're desserts. The Copernicus has a food synthesizer. I'm sure it has a program for them. How about it?"

It was the first smile he got from Tulok.

Someone screamed.

0000000000

Kirk found his situation not improved.

The crippling mental exhaustion that had sent him into a senseless sleep – he had no way of knowing how long that had lasted – had faded. None of them had come to harass him. But neither had Jody come.

The IV had not been replaced since his return to the sick bay. With Jody ignoring him he hadn't had any fluids after losing so much to his condition and break down. By his best guess he had been awake for twenty-four hours. At first he hadn't allowed himself to fall asleep because he wanted to be aware of what was happening. Now he was afraid to let himself drift toward the feverish exhaustion that was creeping up on him.

To make matters worse, his continuous position, lying on his back, strapped to the hard biobed, was giving him muscle cramps. But those, he knew, could also be a symptom of severe dehydration. So were the dry heat on his skin and the headache and nausea, very different from the oxalica poisoning.

He yanked the restraints. They still had no give. His wrists were chafed from trying.

"Jody!" he yelled hoarsely.

No one. He knew they were there, he could hear them moving in the corridor.

He kicked the bed as much as the ankle restraints allowed. The biobed alarm, already going at a low moan, blipped. He kicked again to keep his circulation going and ease the cramps racking his back, his legs and shoulders. The effort made his heart beat too fast and caught at his already shallow and rapid breathing.

Were they monitoring him? He lifted himself on his elbows and scanned the room for the so-manieth time, looking for a camera.

No, the situation had not improved.

He fell back against the bed, sending a jolt of pain through his neck and head. The panel above the bed bleeped a more alarming note.

Ah.

He lifted his head and banged it against the head rest. Then he did it again. Tiny specks of light started flooding his vision.

Again. Again.

The alarm was deafening to his ears but he could no longer trust his senses.

Again.

Had someone entered? His eyes were squeezed shut.

Ag-

Hands were pushing down on his forehead.

"Stop it!" Jody yelled. "Stop it, you idiot!"

His head was being turned and a hypo hissed at his neck.

He opened his eyes.

Tulok was there. Staring.

No!

0000000000

Risa's scream was cut off by a loud bang, a shot from an old-fashioned rifle.

Kirk turned around when he heard the scream but now he dropped down to the ground. Tulok immediately did the same. Kirk instinctively touched his chest, but found no communicator there.

He cursed. All their portable equipment had been left behind when they beamed down to Azara, which guarded its technological status quo closely. Phasers too, of course. Now the incongruous sound of an explosive pressure rifle made sense. Because it didn't emit radiation and was easily disassembled, it would have escaped the Azaran border officials' scrutiny.

Motioning for Tulok to stay own, he raised himself on one knee and looked up over the flowers, which stood tall enough to conceal him totally when at a crouch.

Five men, moving in a tightening half circle. Where were the children? The field was quiet but for the rebound of the gunshot rushing away from them.

"C-Captain?"

Kirk and Tulok jerked around. Children, lots of children. They must have followed them. Kirk sought the oldest one among the frightened faces. He found Gavin, the other kid who had come with him on the Copernicus.

Kirk opened his mouth to speak but his words were stolen by the sudden hellish wailing of many children in the distance. The children around Kirk cowered, and a general whimpering broke out.

"Shh-shh, it's going to be alright," Kirk hushed. He pretended not to hear the next two shots and the noticeable lessening of the children's cries.

"Gavin, how many are you?" he asked urgently.

Gavin made a quick inventory and confirmed Kirk's count.

"T-twelve. Ms. Risa is still there, with the littlest ones."

So, Risa and ten children. He with Tulok and Gavin and twelve children. Assuming Risa and two children were dead, altogether twenty-eight of them in the field.

Another shot. Another. Another. Deafening. The ground shook, the air vibrated with high-pitched screams. He wanted to do what the kids were doing, stop his ears with his fingers, screw his eyes shut. But he counted the shots. Six. When finally their rebounds had drifted away over the field, the wailing had stopped.

Oh God.

Kirk wanted to close his eyes and take just a moment of respite to think this through. Instead he raised himself on a knee again. The five men were moving. Their web was tightening around their group. One of them stood still.

"Kirk!"

Royal!

Kirk ducked and turned to the children.

Fourteen. How many could fit in the Copernicus?

"Tulok, Gavin. Take the children to the shuttle. It's unlocked."

He hesitated. He knew the oldest kids could navigate their school shuttle, which now lay unattainable behind enemy lines. He tried to remember if its controls were similar to the ones in the Copernicus.

"There's an auto-pilot-" he offered desperately.

"-I saw you operate it on the way over," Gavik said, "I-I think I can do it."

Kirk nodded gratefully.

"Come with us!" Tulok pleaded.

Kirk shook his head. He wouldn't fit. And the shuttle would take precious seconds to charge up. And Royal wasn't really after the children. Royal was here because of him.

"Now, kids," he spoke fast but with as much calm confidence as he could simulate, "everyone stay down, keep quiet, and move fast. Take off immediately, Gavin, Tulok. First get away from here and then contact the city. Can you work the communication panel?"

Both boys nodded emphatically.

The men were getting closer. Kirk could hear them talking to each other.

"Go," Kirk whispered. "I'll see you in the city."

The group moved away, Gavin up front, Tulok in the rear. The boy glanced back at him, then disappeared into the thick grass.

Kirk thought fast.

Assuming they're good shots, Risa and eight dead. Fourteen on their way to the shuttle. Two little ones in the field somewhere, hopefully lying low. Royal and four men. Me.

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"We're supposed to what!" McCoy yelled.

The Doctor's outburst irritated Spock, but he could see that Admiral Faulk – on screen again, live this time - seemed to understand. The Admiral held out his hands in the universal gesture of peace, and the Doctor stilled himself with a deep breath.

"Control is entirely in Faradan's hands, Doctor," Faulk explained. "He calls the shots-sorry, bad choice of words," he added when he saw McCoy blanch. He sighed. "He asked for you two in particular, said that's Jim's request. The fog on Rexis Two is laced with subatomic uralium particles, which makes it impenetrable to our sensors or transporter, and theirs. You will land the shuttle at the appointed coordinates and take Royal into the fog. Your only guide will be the compass. You will go straight north, they from their landing point will go straight south. It will be a long walk, and you should stay on target the entire time. Then you meet in the middle. Faradan said he knew his son would be drugged, and specified that Jim would be too. Two of you bring in Royal, two of them bring in Jim. You make the exchange. No weapons allowed."

"And we're supposed to trust him?" McCoy protested.

"We can on that count, Doctor," said Spock . "Even the smallest struggle would displace the parties. This would throw of our return trajectories and we would never find our shuttles in the fog."

"That's what he said," stated Faulk. "Then you shuttle in opposite directions. The Enterprise will wait on the day side of the planet, his vessel will wait on the night side. By the time any party has boarded their ship and navigated it to the other side of the planet, the other can be gone."

"An admirable plan," Spock said. "He matched our vulnerabilities. Even in the last step of his plan it makes sense for both of us to navigate away. We have the superior ship in battle, but they have the Morrow transporter."

"When are we supposed to do this?" McCoy interrupted him gruffly.

"In twenty hours, Doctor," said the Admiral.

"And how do we know, Admiral," McCoy snapped, "that Jim will be there, alive? He's been through two Morrow jumps already and God knows how many more. And we know they are ruthless, hell, they live on inflicting pain! Considering the state Jim was in when they took him-oh, don't remind me of what I said in Shore's office. He was ready for command, not this!"

"If we arrive at the meeting point and the Captain is not there," Spock stressed for the Doctor's benefit, "there will obviously be no exchange. And then all the other constraints of the plan kick in. It is true that Faradan isn't reasonable, Doctor, as in he has lost his moral judgment. But he is still goal-driven – to retrieve his son – and logical, unfeelingly logical. "

Spock steeled himself, but again the Doctor remained silent.

"I assure you, Doctor McCoy," he continued, not caring that his voice betrayed feeling. "The Captain will be there."