Jim was up early the next morning. He wondered what they ate for breakfast on this planet, and he hoped it was not any of the regular dishes that he knew of in the Klingon culture. He knew he could not stomach any worm dishes or anything like that. Maybe they just had normal breakfast like eggs or something. He had eaten a Klingon bread before that was actually good. He thought he could eat that this morning.

As Jim was leaving his room, Solan and Helek were waiting for him. "Morning," Jim said. "You guys been up long?"

"No," Solan replied. "I thought we'd better be up before you though."

"You expecting trouble?"

"Aren't you?"

"Well, I don't know."

"Come on, Jim, you might as well tell us what's going on."

"We don't know, but I suspect there are Romulans lurking around somewhere and probably even Duras's crowd. They could already be on the planet."

"How could they get on the planet without us knowing?"

"A cloaked ship."

Solan frowned. "What do we do?" he asked.

"I don't know yet. Right now, we'll just try to enjoy being on Kronos."

A female Klingon met them at the end of the hallway. "My name is Enotho," she said. "I will show you to the dining chamber."

Jim and the others followed her, and they soon came to a room with a long table. He was surprised to see that the table was not full of Klingon dishes but had several bowls of what looked like…fruit. "Well, that doesn't look bad at all," Solan remarked.

"We have imported foods from other worlds," Enotho said. "We expected you, and the chancellor wished to accommodate you."

"Thank you," Jim replied. "Is the chancellor joining us?"

"He will join you shortly."

Jim and the others sat down at the table. Bones and Spock soon arrived, and they too were also surprised at the layout. "Hey, this doesn't look half bad," Bones said.

"It actually looks good," Jim replied.

Bones and Spock sat down across from Jim. "So, have you found out anything else?" Bones asked.

"No. No one has contacted us or anything. I'm getting just a little worried."

"I am also concerned, Admiral," Spock replied. "If our enemies are jamming our transmissions, they are doing it in a very subtle way. One that is not easily detected."

"Maybe they're just making it look like the messages went through but they didn't."

"But if that's happening, we know someone's out there who shouldn't be," Solan said. "And even the Klingons here don't know about it."

"They have to be monitoring everything."

"I am certain that they are," Spock said.

Soon, Chancellor Gorkon arrived, along with Korax and Grakar. Jirrok was also there, but they were the only ones. However, there were also three female Klingons whom Jim had not met. Jim and the others stood up. "Good morning, Chancellor," he said.

"Good morning, Admiral," Gorkon replied. "I would like you to meet my daughter, Azetbur."

Jim bowed his head. "It's nice to meet you," he said.

"Likewise," Azetbur replied. "I have heard much about you from my father."

They all sat down at the table. "Admiral, this is my mate, Odreli," Korax said. "She is the mother of my son, Karf. You have not met him yet."

"It's an honor to meet my friend's family," Jim replied. He was not sure how to respond to Klingons sometimes.

"Is the food pleasing?" Gorkon asked. "I instructed the chef to create dishes for humans."

"It's very pleasing. I wasn't aware that you imported foods to your planet."

"We have not in the past but we do now. It is part of our becoming part of this galaxy. As we would wish to have Klingon dishes on other worlds, we intend to please our guests."

"That's good diplomacy."

"It is time to feast."

Jim watched as the Klingons began eating their own dishes, even the "worm" dish. He looked across the table at Bones and Spock. Spock was concentrating on his own food, but Bones was trying to shield his eyes.

"You do not eat!" Korax said.

"I'm about to," Jim replied. He got some of the food that was fixed for them, even eggs. He thought the smell of those eggs combined with some of the smells of the Klingon foods were not good for his appetite, but he did not want to cause offense. He looked toward Chancellor Gorkon. "Chancellor, have there been any indications of any ships in the system?"

"We have been monitoring, but have not detected anything," Gorkon replied. "If they are cloaked, we would not know but we are vigilant."

"I'm sure you are, but we haven't heard from Starfleet. I have heard from my wife, but not headquarters. Could they filter our messages?"

Gorkon considered that. "It is possible with all the technology they steal. You remember the monstrous ship that was destroyed."

Jim nodded. "I do. You think they've created something like that again?"

"I do not have the knowledge to say yes or no. It is possible."

"If they do, we can be sure that it will most likely be worse than the one before. That power technology was incredible."

"I have heard of this. The sphere."

"Yes. Seeing it in operation was amazing. I just wish we could have captured that ship."

"As do I," Grakar added. "It was a great annoyance that we let Heegat win."

"He didn't exactly win in the end."

Solan could remember how Heegat had died. He had seen to it that he would not terrorize the galaxy any longer. He had wanted to be involved in that because Heegat had killed his brother. He was alone in the galaxy now except for Jim Kirk and his crew. Solan supposed that was why he had joined himself to this crew. They were the only family he had, and he felt at home with them.

When they were done eating, Gorkon showed them more of the palace, and Jim found that Gorkon's daughter shared many of her father's ideas about peace. She would also be his successor. Jim found that interesting. After a while, Jim and the others went outside with Grakar and Korax. "I'm glad you've found a way to repair your atmosphere," Jim said as he looked up at the sky.

"It will take years yet," Grakar replied. "But it has already improved."

"Technology is amazing."

"Yes. We have received help from the Federation. It is a good alliance."

"I agree. How far does the canyon go?"

"Hard to say. Many miles."

"Is there a river in it?"

"Yes. In some places it is quite deep, but in others it is more of a small stream."

"Is the canyon dangerous?"

"There are dangers everywhere on Kronos. One must know where they are going and what lives there. Klingons live for the danger. It is what has made us a strong race."

"I'd like to see more of this planet while we're here."

"You would need a guide."

"I would be glad to be a guide," Korax volunteered. "There are many things to see on Kronos. Some may be quite surprising. Some who have come here did not expect to see anything of beauty on Kronos, but I will take you to a place where there is a flower that only blooms once a year, and it is lovelier than any you have seen."

"I'd like to see that," Jim said. He would not have imagined that the word "lovely" was one that the Klingons used very often. He looked around them at the planet landscape. This area of Kronos was not barren like the part they had seen when they were there before, and although the sun was still rather obscured, it seemed to glow on the distant hillsides. The city glistened even in the dimmed light of the sun. "How are these buildings made?"

"They have been hewn out of the rocks," Korax said with pride.

Jim's mouth dropped open. "All of them?"

"Yes. There is not a Klingon who is afraid of hard work."

"I see."

Jim knew there was so much they did not know about the Klingons and he wanted to know more. He thought they were a much deeper people than anyone knew. As they walked around, Jim started to feel more comfortable and they did not meet any Klingons who did not like their being there.

"Who would have thought there was anything like this on Kronos?" Bones asked quietly as they stood on a cliff and could see for miles and could see the edge of the large ocean.

"Just goes to show you that you shouldn't go by what anyone else says but see it for yourself," Jim replied.

"Many assume that because the Klingons are a proud and vigorous people that we have nothing of beauty," Korax said. "We have beauty as well as pride and vigor. It is not impossible to have it all."

Jim scowled at that slightly as he glanced at Korax. He wondered if he was trying to be funny, but he was not sure. "I couldn't have said it better myself," he said.

"I have learned much in my time aboard your ship and in spending time with humans. One does not have to be aggressive all the time."

"You're right."

Korax pointed toward the hill they were about to come to. "This trail will lead over the hill and will show us the valley where the Kyamo flower grows," he said. "This flower is a mystery to the rest of the galaxy."

"You mean no one's ever seen it but Klingons?" Bones asked.

"Mostly. Its fragrance fills the whole valley."

"Are there a lot of them?" Jim asked.

"You will see."

Soon they topped the hill where they could see down into the valley. Jim, Spock, and Bones were amazed. The valley was almost white with flowers that looked almost like lilies. "And they only bloom now?" Jim asked.

"Yes," Korax replied. "Do you smell the fragrance?"

Jim thought he could smell a slight fragrance, but then he sneezed. "I assume these aren't the only flowers that grow here," he said.

"No," Korax replied. "But we must go back. The thunderstorms come."

Jim looked toward the horizon, and he could definitely see a dark cloud coming that way. They headed back, and by the time they arrived, the thunderstorm was almost upon them. The thunder was loud and the lightning was the worst Jim had ever seen. He watched out the window as the rain poured down and the thunderstorm raged.

Bones came into Jim's room. "That's some thunderboomer out there, isn't it?" he asked. "I'm glad we didn't get caught in that."

Jim was silent and Bones waited a moment before he said anything else. "Jim, what do you think's going on?" he asked.

"You know what I think," Jim replied. "I don't know anything else to say."

"How do we get out of here?"

"Well, they haven't attacked the Enterprise. If we go back to it and just leave, they might not do anything."

"How do you know they're not waiting for you to return to the ship? Or is that what you think?"

"What good would it do for me to go back? They'd have less of a chance of getting us on the Enterprise."

"You may be right. Why would they block communications from Starfleet, but let you talk to Carol?"

"I don't know." Jim paced back and forth. "There has to be a point to all of this. Why would they even agree to the talks if they had no intention of making peace? I can't figure that one out."

"The only thing I can think of is that they either wanted to capture you or the chancellor, or kill one or the both of you. It might be in their interest to kill the chancellor, but I think it would do them more good to capture you."

"How comforting, Bones."

"I'm serious, Jim."

"I know. But why? Why do they want to capture me to get information? What are they planning?"

Bones shook his head. "Who knows? After all, there are Romulans involved and probably even those Nausicaans."

"Do they really think they can attack Earth or any other installations? Do they have some sort of weapon we don't know about?"

Bones frowned. "There's always something worse, isn't there?"

"Almost always."

Jim sniffed and then sneezed. "I think I'm allergic to something on this planet," he said.

"Allergic? Ugh, let me get the medical kit. There's always something with you."

"Hey, that's why you're along."

Jim looked out the window while he waited for Bones. Why would those Romulans and Klingons think they could benefit from anything he knew? He sneezed again. He wanted to talk to Carol again, but suppose they were monitoring their communications…she had told him about the attacks on the outposts. When he considered that and the fact that they wanted to capture him, he thought it all added up to a weapon they did not know about, and that the Romulans wanted to keep it hidden by eliminating the outposts around the Neutral Zone.

Bones came back into the room with a hypospray. "This oughta clear up that allergy," he said and put it to Jim's neck.

"I hate that," Jim said as he felt the sting.

"Well, until there are some developments where I can just point at you and give you medicine, you'll have to deal with this method."

"Thanks a lot."

"Hey, like I said, a doctor has to have some kind of fun in life."

"Bones, don't you think it's odd that the Romulans attacked all those outposts and also want to capture me?" Jim asked.

"Oh, I hate it when you add things together like that," Bones said. "Yeah, I think it's odd. I think there's something going on out there that none of us know about."

"But the Romulan Star Empire isn't involved in this. Why didn't they stop the others?"

"Maybe they didn't want to. How do you know they're not involved?"

"I don't for sure, but I don't think they would make such a bold move, and the Klingon Empire's not involved either."

"Too bad they won't work with us to stop them."

"Now, Bones, you know the Klingons are going to help us."

They were silent as they looked out the window at the raging storm again. Jim pressed the bridge of his nose. "I don't think I've ever had an allergy like this since I climbed up in the barn and stirred up a bunch of hay dust."

Bones rolled his eyes at that. "Well, at least we know this wasn't caused by anything like that."

"That's not the…your mind is always in the gutter, isn't it? I'll have you know, I was just a kid, and I was playing."

"Fine. How should I know you were adventurous?"

"Shut up. I did plenty of running through corn fields. You call that not adventurous?"

"Oh yeah, that must be why you joined Starfleet. You wanted to see what was beyond the cornfields."

"You're such a pessimist."

"Hey, I ran through corn fields too, rode horses. None of that now. Now we run through corridors and jungles wondering if we're going to die in the next second or be captured and tortured."

"Well, maybe running through the cornfields prepared us for this."

"You wish."

Spock came into the room next. "Admiral, may I enter?" he asked.

"Yes," Jim replied. "Have you found out anything?"

"There are still no signs of ships. However, a scrambled message was sent from the planet."

"To where?"

"Uhura could not trace it."

"Could she tell where it came from on the planet?"

"No."

Jim sighed. "They're definitely up to something," he said. "But what?"

"Admiral, it may be wise of us to go back to the Enterprise and go back to Earth for the time being. If they are planning something because we are here, then it is obvious that we should leave. If they cannot capture you, they cannot force information from you."

"Are you wanting me to go back to Earth and hide in my office?"

"Jim, he's just trying to say that this just might be too dangerous for an Admiral to be out here saying 'hey, come and get me'," Bones said.

"Maybe we should go back to Earth. At least we could find out what's going on there." Jim paused a moment. "We'll leave after this thunderstorm is over. Maybe you two can relax now."

"I will inform the crew," Spock said.

Jim lay down on his bed with his hands behind his head. He had a lot of thinking to do, and he could not believe that the Romulans and Klingons would go through all this just to capture him. He thought they intended to assassinate the Chancellor as well.

When the thunderstorm ended, Jim went to talk to Chancellor Gorkon who was also watching the outside. "Admiral Kirk," he said. "Have a seat."

Jim sat down across from him on a plush chair that seemed too soft for his taste. "Chancellor, I wanted to inform you that we're leaving today," he said.

"So soon? Are you not enjoying your visit?"

"Oh, yes, we are. I'm concerned about the communications jam, and I think it would be better if we went back to Earth to find out what's happening there as well."

"Do you not believe we can protect you?"

"That's not it. I'm sure you can, but I just feel like there's something happening that we don't know about, and if we go back to Earth, we'll likely have a better picture, and we'll inform you of whatever we find out. I do think you should be very cautious. Something's just not adding up."

"You are right. Until we know the intentions of our enemies, we cannot stop them." Gorkon set his cup down that he was drinking from. "I believe they are building another ship. They know that if they defeat the Federation, they can dominate much of the rest of the Galaxy."

"My ship also detected a scrambled message that was sent from the planet."

Gorkon frowned. "They will not succeed if they attack this city again," he declared. "We will be ready for them."

"We don't know where they were sending the message to. The ship couldn't trace it."

"Then our enemies are able to communicate while they jam your communications, and even ours. If I had had the battle with Duras, this might be over now."

"Chancellor, I don't think they intended for that to be a fight of honor. I just think there was something more sinister about it."

"You do not believe he would have fought with honor? Even his own followers would not have followed him after such treachery."

"I don't think he cares much for honor anymore. He wants power."

"Why did he agree to the peace conference then? Even to the cease-fire?"

Jim considered that. "I don't know. None of this makes any sense. I think that was just a diversion. It was just a way of distracting us away from something bigger I think."

Jim stood up and paced a moment. He was quite troubled about the implications of the whole situation. "I really think he wanted to distract us from the attacks on the outposts because it happened right after we left Earth," he said.

"The outposts were important," Gorkon replied. "Without them, it is impossible to know what goes in and out of the Neutral Zone."

"Right. I think that's the point."

"Do you think you will be safer on your ship than on this planet?"

"We'll be at warp."

"If they know you have transported, you might not make it to warp. If they want you as badly as you think, they would not simply sit by and let their valuable quarry escape."

Jim frowned. "Well, we're pretty good at escaping. I just want you to be cautious too."

"I have guards. They are the best."

Jim nodded. "Still, I'm not even sure they're after me," he said. "But I am sure that we need to know what's happening. So, we're going to attempt to find out."

"If that is what you must do. I wish you good luck."

"Thank you."

Jim left there and signaled the Enterprise that he was ready to transport, but he did not get an answer. "Enterprise," he said, but still nothing happened. He moved outside and tried again. "Come in, Enterprise." He closed his communicator and nervously looked around him at the gloomy surroundings. He backed up toward the entrance and then turned and ran back inside.

As Jim was hurrying to warn the chancellor, he heard yelling in Klingon. He stopped in his tracks but he could not tell which direction the noise was coming from. However, the yelling changed to cries of anger, and he could definitely hear that there was a fight going on. He ran on toward the chancellor's room, but before he could get there, he met up with a Klingon…two Romulans and a Nausicaan.

Jim grabbed his phaser and dove for a stone structure that was there in the corridor where he was. He got behind it just in time because the Klingon fired stun bolts at him. They were so close, Jim felt the vibration. He looked around the edge of the structure and fired toward the others. They scattered, and Jim ran to the next structure which was taller. He did not have to be lying down behind this one so he was squatted. He looked over the top of it and fired at almost the same instant that one of the Romulans fired.

Jim ducked in time and his shots did not hit any targets. Unbeknownst to him, the Klingon had made it to the other side of the structure he was hiding behind and was waiting for him to try to fire again. Jim took out his communicator again. "Enterprise!" he said. "Come in!"

There was no answer, and Jim raised up to try and fire again, and the Klingon grabbed his wrist causing his shots to go into the ceiling. Jim tried to get his arm out of the Klingon's grip, but he grabbed his other wrist as well, and Jim could see that there was a Romulan coming to help. He tried to wrestle his arms from the Klingon, but the Romulan got there and grabbed the gun from him. The Klingon then dragged him from behind the structure he was hiding behind.

Jim tried desperately to keep his footing as the others also surrounded him. "Admiral Kirk," the Klingon said. "We've been looking for you."

"Let me have him," the Nausicaan said with his strange accent. "I will get great pleasure extracting information from him."

"NO!" Jim yelled. He struggled so hard that he actually got loose from them. He scrambled to his feet again and ran down the next corridor as stun bolts hit the wall where he had been. He was running out of sheer terror, and although he had seen some of the Great Hall, he did not know his way around very well.

Finally, Jim came to a door that led outside. He wondered where Korax and the other Klingons were, but he could hear yelling and sounds of fighting. He thought they must be all engaged in battles and probably did not know he was even still there.

As Jim ran out the door of the Great Hall, he was on one of the narrow bridges that led over to another area of the city. He ran with all his might, hoping he could get across before they hit him with stun bolts. He made it across that and then came to a stairway that led down beside some other structures that he thought were probably homes. He ran between two of the structures and could hear his pursuers coming down the stairway.

Jim hurried around another corner and stood there panting with his back to one of the walls. Then he remembered that the Nausicaan could track him by scent. He ran on down that alleyway and then crossed another bridge. He only wished he knew where he was going.

Just as Jim was about to dart between the next buildings, he heard someone say, "Admiral! This way!"

Jim looked to see who had called to him, and it was Azetbur, Chancellor Gorkon's daughter. He ran toward her and she took him into a room with a stairway that led down to another cave-like area, and then into a smaller room. She locked the door, and Jim stood beside the wall panting. He thought he was hyperventilating from all that panic. "How did you find me?" he asked.

"I did not find you," Azetbur replied. "I saw you as you came this way."

"Where are we?"

"My safe place."

"I'm not sure it's safe from them."

"They will not find the door."

"I couldn't contact my ship."

"They have disrupted all communications now. It happened suddenly and there was no time for warning."

"Does your father have a place like this to go?"

"He does, but he will not go right away. He will fight."

"I heard fighting going on in the Great Hall."

"There is fighting above the planet as well. Your friends are in great danger. They should leave because they have no hope of retrieving you now."

Jim was still panting but he thought he was starting to get his breath back as he looked out the window of the place he was in. He thought that was probably a thousand foot drop or more. It was certain that no one would be coming in that window. He looked up toward space and could see some movement out there, but it was obscured by clouds. "Are there any ships I could take up there?" he asked.

"That would not be wise," Azetbur said.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Korax and the others will come for us. Were you planning to run forever?"

Jim frowned. He supposed he was running in terror and was not thinking about fighting at all. What had he intended to do? "I don't want to just sit here," he said. "Is there another way out of here?"

"You would not want to go out that way. There are many dangers."

"What do you mean?"

"You would be in the jungle wilderness. You have no weapons."

"Aren't there any weapons in here?"

"Klingons always keep weapons."

Azetbur opened a panel and there were all sorts of Klingon weapons. Jim grabbed a bat'leth, a large blaster rifle and a kut'luch. He put a smaller blaster into the holster where his phaser would have been. "You intend to brave the jungle wilderness?" Azetbur asked.

"I do," Jim replied. "I'm going to try to get back to the Great Hall now that I've escaped the ones who wanted to capture me."

"You are brave for a human, Admiral."

Jim glanced at her as he saw that admiring look she was giving him. He made sure the blasters were fully charged and that he had more charges. "Well, I'm not usually one to run from trouble, but I was outnumbered."

"I will go with you then. It will take at least a day to get through the jungle wilderness."

"Are you sure you want to go?"

"Why shouldn't I? I will change into something more appropriate."

Jim was not going to argue with her, and he hoped she knew her way around there. When she was changed into what looked like a body suit, they went out the back of the "cave". Jim wondered how the place could be so dark during the day, but he also knew the day was already starting to fade. The thunderstorm had taken up a lot of the day. He could even still hear distant thunder.

As they traveled through think woods, the world only became darker. Jim did not like being out of touch with the ship for so long. He had no idea if they were even still orbiting Kronos.