Chapter Nine


U.S.S. Enterprise, in battle over Aeternus

Stardate 3956.2

"Captain, transmission from the planet," Uhura spoke up suddenly, holding on to the lip of the counter as the ship banked sharply, spiraling out of the way of a phaser blast. "They are unable to shut down the Guardian without seriously endangering the Portal's programming; they can give us no guarantee that it will ever work again. It apparently has some safeguards built in that they weren't aware of until now when they made the attempt."

Kirk glanced up briefly to acknowledge, and then turned back to his First Officer. "I was afraid of that," he muttered, more to thin air than to the expressionless Vulcan.

"You were bound to attempt it, and in fact were following Starfleet orders to do so," the other pointed out. "Still, to lose so valuable a tool of history permanently would be a tragedy, and only used as a last resort."

"Wanting me to pull another option out of my hat, eh?"

"That metaphor is a little mixed, Jim," McCoy needled in an amused undertone as he passed, directing the gurneys to the turbolift. "Second-degree burns, some tissue damage," he added reassuringly in answer to the Captain's concerned look. "No fatalities. Yet. I'll be in Sickbay; try to not shake the ship around too much?"

"There is only one way, Captain," Spock's calm voice drained some of the tension as Kirk nodded mechanically to the physician, "to prevent this man from beaming down to the planet in an attempt to use the Portal."

"Which is?"

Both eyebrows inclined, in the Vulcan equivalent to a matter-of-fact shrug. "To present him with a more attractive target."

"You mean show us to him, or more specifically me," the newcomer spoke up from across the room, obviously having been eavesdropping on the entire exchange.

"Precisely."

"Hold it," Kirk interposed. "You two are under our protection. We can't let anything happen to you." Arms folded, he turned to face the Victorian, refusing to back down despite the difference in height. "I'm not about to use you, and by extension my ship, as a target for a lunatic."

"Captain, unfortunately this man is quite sane, if our data are accurate."

"Mr. Spock is correct," Holmes added, moving down into the central area without waiting for permission, and ignoring the annoyed look he received from the Captain. "And he is correct also in assuming that the sight of me is probably the only thing that could catapult Moriarty into acting irrationally; no other influence would make him break off his goals other than a shock to his complacency. He is not expecting to see me, and that might be enough to give us some sort of advantage."

Hesitating, Kirk frowned, staring at an indefinable spot on the floor while he considered the odds. Finally he blew out a long breath. "I don't like it, but…"

"It must be done, Captain, or we risk destroying these men's only way of getting home, as well as the only way of returning this Morbus to his, and restoring our own time period to its former condition," the Vulcan pointed out quietly.

"You mean…we might not be able to return, if that…gateway?...we came through is shut down?" the Doctor asked, edging up next to his friend. To his credit, he appeared calm enough about the idea, though Kirk saw the detective lightly touch his arm in reassurance just the same.

"Not on a moment's notice, Doctor, no," the Captain admitted reluctantly. "It's a worst-case scenario, certainly, but if this man so much as steps foot through that Portal we all could cease to exist. Our only other option for preventing that –"

"Is to use us as bait. I presume once you allow him to sight us here with you, you have the capability to retreat in short order?" Holmes inquired.

Bristling slightly at the presumptuous air of the Englishman but realizing that, like him, Holmes was accustomed to planning his own life and taking his own risks, he nodded.

Another warning blast rocked the Bridge, throwing anyone seated from their chairs and tumbling the four men in the center into a tangled heap on the decking. Spock was the first to extricate himself, inwardly grimacing distastefully at the intimate contact, and in three long strides had returned to his station.

"Return fire!" Kirk bellowed, hauling himself upright with the aid of the railing.

"Shields down to twenty-seven percent, sir," Sulu replied, scrambling back into his chair and feverishly working at his console..

"Then I suggest you do what you have to, Captain," Holmes finally managed to gasp out when once he'd caught his breath.

"Direct hit, Captain," Sulu reported after the Enterprise phasers had fired, "but their shields are still fully operational. No great damage to vital sections of the ship."

"Hail them," Kirk answered resignedly, moving back to his chair and turning it to face the main viewscreen. "Signal that we are breaking off hostilities." He gestured for the Englishmen to remain where they were, close to the command chair, and waited, one finger crooked thoughtfully over his compressed lips.

"No response, sir," Uhura finally said, turning slightly to deliver the news.

"But they are receiving us?"

"Yes, Captain."

Kirk glanced at their visitors, and the frown lines in his forehead lightened slightly. "Do you think he would recognize your voice, after three years?"

Holmes smiled mirthlessly. "If I still hear his occasionally in my darkest nights, I am fairly certain he will remember mine. Shall I?"

A curt nod. "Give Mr. Holmes an open channel to the Dracone, Uhura. Audio only for now." He gestured to the star-speckled viewscreen. "Just face that and talk; it'll pick up your voice just fine. Let's see if we can surprise him into showing himself."

The crew waited expectantly, but no additional weapons fire was in evidence; further confirmation that the Dracone did not intend to destroy them. "Mr. Spock, keep an eye on those readings," Kirk said, lowering his hand to grip the arm-rest. "If they engage a transporter, I want to know about it immediately."

The Vulcan looked slightly perturbed at the very idea that he would not have informed the Captain immediately. "Naturally, sir."

Kirk allowed himself a small smile. "Mr. Sulu, Mr. Matthews, begin plotting a course to take us out of this system, and prepare to engage at Warp Seven on my mark."

"Channel open, sir, and they are receiving us."

"Good. Dracone, this is Captain James T. Kirk of the Enterprise. Commander Morbus – or is it Captain Morbus, now? – let's not…play like we don't each know what the other is doing here, shall we?"

"No reply, Captain," Uhura spoke softly.

Kirk shifted in his chair, sitting up straighter. "Commander, I have an old friend of yours here that you might like to meet," he said, purposely keeping his tone playful. "Go ahead," he added under his breath, and after raising a curious eyebrow at the novelty of speaking into thin air, Holmes took a breath and began.

"My dear Professor, may I say how charming it is to discover you did not perish at the base of the Reichenbach Falls? You have been sorely missed in our century, you know."

"Captain…receiving a transmission!" Uhura suddenly voiced, obviously taken aback at the speed of the answer. "Visual and audio, sir."

Kirk shot a triumphant glance at his impassive First Officer, and then turned back toward the viewscreen with a tiny smirk. "On screen."