The Enterprise had been totally taken by surprise when several birds of prey and warbirds had decloaked. They had had no choice but to leave. They had been unable to reach Jim Kirk, and did not know where he was at the moment.

"What kind of plan are you making?" Bones asked as he and Spock were standing on the Bridge looking at Caleb IV which was the space station right outside Klingon space.

"I do not know at the moment," Spock replied.

"Spock, we can't just leave him down there."

"Doctor, I am aware of this. However, if we become captured ourselves, it will only make the situation worse for the Admiral."

"I know that."

"I understand your concern and your anxiety, but at this moment, we must think logically rather than with our anxieties."

Just then, the ship shuddered as Lieutenant Jarvis docked the ship with the space station. She looked at them sheepishly. "Sorry, Captain," she said.

"Try to be more careful next time," Spock replied.

"She's definitely no Sulu," Bones murmured. "Where is Sulu anyway? And have you reached Starfleet?"

"I am about to attempt to now." Spock turned to Uhura. "Send a message to Starfleet."

Uhura sent the message, and they waited. Bones paced back and forth. They all hoped they would receive some sort of reply this time. "What if we don't get anything this time either?" Bones asked.

"I am certain that we will, Doctor," Spock replied. "Since we know they were jamming our communications, we are certain to get through."

Soon, they received a reply from Admiral Winston. "On screen," Spock said.

They all looked as Admiral Winston appeared on the screen. "Mister Spock," he said. "We have wondered if you ran into trouble."

"Yes, sir, we have. We have been cut off from Starfleet as well."

Spock explained to the Admiral what had been happening and where they

were now. "I do not know what course of action to take to get the admiral back," he said.

Admiral Winston was silent. "I'm not sure there's a way," he said. "You would only succeed at getting the Enterprise destroyed."

"But, Sir, if we do nothing and Jim is captured, it could be devastating for the Federation."

"I agree. They didn't destroy those outposts for nothing. Have you seen any evidence of what they're up to?"

"Admiral Kirk believes they may have another ship similar to the one we encountered before. The ship he called the Monstrosity."

"I remember, Captain. It's certainly possible that they've built one even more advanced than the one they had before."

"The only reason that they want Admiral Kirk is so that they can try to get security secrets from him."

"I know that. But you can't take a ship full of people in there after him. If they have that many ships there…"

Bones frowned. "We're not just going to leave him there, are we?" he asked.

"We may not have a choice. We'll just have to change all the security codes."

"You can't just leave Jim there! He was sent over here to conduct peace talks that were nothing but a hoax!"

"Don't argue with me, Doctor."

"Admiral…"

"Doctor McCoy, you are out of line," Spock interrupted. "Return to the medical bay and we will talk later." Spock did not want the doctor to get into trouble with the Admiral, but he knew how upset he was about Jim.

Bones started to argue but he stopped. "Yes sir," he replied and left the Bridge.

Spock turned back to Admiral Winston. "I apologize for the doctor. He is a personal friend of Admiral Kirk."

"I'm aware of that. It doesn't excuse insubordination."

"Yes Sir."

"Mister Spock, if there's anything you can do, do it, but don't risk the ship and everyone on it."

"I will be cautious if we attempt anything."

"As you know, most of the ships in the fleet are occupied."

"Admiral, excuse me for saying this, but this situation seems to be worse than anything we have heard of so far. The Klingons are our allies. Should we not attempt to help them?"

"I'll get back to you on that. Right now, it's not possible. Keep me informed. Winston out."

Spock saw the viewscreen go back to space. He stood silent for a moment. Uhura came over to him. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I do not know," Spock replied. "I do know that if it were one of us on that planet, Jim would do something."

"Spock, there were too many of those ships. Admiral Winston is right."

"He is correct about the Enterprise, but a smaller ship may be able to get to the planet without being seen."

"Maybe the admiral can find a ship to get off the planet. I know he's your friend but if you were captured, they would use you against him…or anyone else."

"You are correct. However, that does not mean that we can simply leave him and not try to do something."

"We know the other Klingons are fighting. They've already had battles on Kronos and the Empire won."

"But they have no communications to call for help."

Spock turned toward the turbo lift. "I must speak with the doctor. You have the con until Mister Scott arrives on the Bridge."

Uhura just stood there until the doors closed. She was not sure what they could do…

Spock arrived at the medical bay where Doctor McCoy was sitting behind his work station. "Doctor, I wish to speak with you," Spock said.

"Go ahead," Bones replied.

"I understand how you feel, but I sent you away because I did not want you to be reprimanded by Admiral Winston."

"Thanks."

Spock knew McCoy was just being stubborn now. "We must discuss what we plan to do to help Jim," Spock said.

"Do you really need my input?" Bones asked.

"I believe we do. Are you going to continue being uncooperative or are you going to come with me?"

Bones stood up. "Fine."

"Are you angry because I reprimanded you in front of Admiral Winston?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I am just a little bit upset."

"Perhaps next time, I will let the admiral reprimand you himself. You must realize that he is not like Jim."

Bones frowned. "Alright. I can admit when I'm wrong."

"Good."

They left the medical bay. "So, where are we going?" Bones asked.

"To talk to Solan," Spock replied.

"Oh."

Jim and Azetbur were still trekking through the jungle, and it was completely dark now, so they decided to stop. Jim knew why it was taking so long. They had to go all the way around the city which was up on the plateau. He sat down beside a tree and leaned his head back. They could still hear fighting even as far away as they were.

"The Klingons will not stop fighting until the battle is won," Azetbur said as she looked up toward the city.

"I just wish I could have helped to prevent this," Jim replied. "I don't know how my friends are. I can't even contact my wife."

"You only have one wife?"

Jim scowled at that question. "Yeah. That's usually how it works."

"There are some species in the galaxy which have more than one mate. You do not want more than one mate?"

"No. One is quite enough for me. I suppose we should get some rest. Maybe we can get back to the Great Hall early tomorrow."

Jim leaned back against the tree hoping that Azetbur would not ask him anymore awkward questions. He soon began dozing and dreamed that he was surrounded by Klingons and Romulans. He started awake and looked to see Azetbur lying beside him asleep. He was sitting up against the tree, and it was not a very comfortable position. He looked around them, but it was hard to see anything. He started to doze again, and he smelled some sort of fragrance in the air that made him want to sneeze. He remembered those flowers they had seen the day before. He would never have thought anything like that grew on Kronos. He sneezed, trying to stay quiet. He thought he was certainly allergic to that flower.

Just as Jim was about to doze again, his communicator chirped. He was surprised and grabbed it from his pocket. "Kirk here," he said quietly.

"Admiral Kirk, I am relieved that you are still with us," Korax replied.

"What happened up there?"

"We have triumphed at the Great Hall."

"I didn't get back to my ship."

"We realized this."

"I escaped from some of them and Azetbur and I are in the jungle."

"You are in the jungle? With Azetbur?"

"Yes. I still hear fighting."

"There is still fighting, but it is no longer threatening the Great Hall. The battle in space still rages, but they no longer jam our communications."

"Is the Enterprise still there?"

"It has not been seen. They must have left because of the overwhelming odds."

"If I know Spock, they'll be back."

"Were you pursued into the jungle?"

"I don't think so. We haven't seen anyone."

"Some have fled into the jungle. You must be cautious. They are probably regrouping for their next attack. The cowards."

"Korax, have you heard anything from Starfleet?"

"Not yet, but we have sent a message to your Admiral."

"Did you try to contact the Enterprise?"

"I will do that next."

"Let me know if you hear from them."

"I will."

The transmission ended. Jim was relieved that he could talk to someone again, but he was worried now. Some had fled into the jungle. He stood up and walked around to look but he knew he would not see them if there were others out there. Would they build a fire? If they did, he might be able to see the glow.

Jim looked at Azetbur. He did not want to just leave her there and not tell her he was scouting. He squatted and touched her shoulder, which he learned very quickly was a mistake because she grabbed his wrist and he found himself on his back.

"Admiral, you should be more careful when you are in a dangerous situation with someone," Azetbur said as she leaned over him.

"I'll try to remember that," Jim replied. He got up. "I was going to tell you that I'm going to scout around. Korax contacted me and said some of them had fled into the jungle. I thought they might have built fires."

"I will go with you then."

"Sure."

They began walking through the jungle again. Jim wondered if they could even see the light of a fire if there was one out there with the thick foliage. However, as they went a little further, he heard voices…angry voices. They went a little further and then could see the glow of a fire.

"There will be lookouts," Azetbur whispered. "We will be captured if we get too close. I can hear them from here."

Jim could hear the Klingon talking in the Klingon language, but he had never learned the Klingon language, although he thought he knew a few words. "They do not intend to give up," Azetbur whispered. "They intend to attack the Great Hall again."

"Then we need to be moving that way tonight," Jim whispered. "Would it be quicker to go back the way we came or keep going the other way?"

Azetbur considered that. "It would be quicker if we continue. If we want to be ahead of them, we should move now."

"Let's go."

They started back out into the jungle and moved quickly. After two hours of running and climbing over vines and logs, Jim had to stop. He wished they at least had some water, but they had had no time to bring anything with them.

"We must keep moving if we are to get there early," Azetbur said.

"Right," Jim replied. "I just had to stop a minute."

By the time daylight began breaking, they were coming around to the edge of the plateau slope. Jim thought he might crash on a bed somewhere after that long, fast trek through the jungle. They had even been through a thunderstorm with no shelter. They still had to get to the Great Hall, but as they stopped at the edge of the city, his communicator chirped.

"Kirk here," Jim answered.

"Admiral, I have made contact with the Enterprise," Korax said. "They were relieved to hear that you were not captured or killed. They were planning to come after you."

"We're at the edge of the city now."

"There are some still hiding in the city. You should be careful. They have family here but they are still traitors and will attack you."

"What about the ships in space?"

"Duras and his mob have a limited supply. They have gone for the time being, but I am certain that they will return."

"Yeah, and they may have their next monstrosity too."

"Stay where you are and we will bring a ship and transport you."

"Okay."

The transmission ended. Jim was glad he would not have to find his way all the way through that city. He leaned on a tree and rubbed his eyes. He thought all that sitting in an office had taken some of his endurance away. He looked at Azetbur who was waiting at the other side of the trail they were on. She drew her blaster as she looked toward the city.

Jim instantly became alert as she looked toward him. He waited to see who was coming, trying to keep his breathing quiet. He could hear someone talking in Klingon language. He thought they must be awfully bold to be walking through there and talking like that. Then again, Klingons were known for being bold.

Soon, three Klingons came into the trail. Jim stayed in the shadows and would have let them pass on by, but Azetbur was in no such mood. "Stop right there!" she demanded as she was behind them.

The three Klingons whirled around and glared at her. Jim had his blaster out now too, and he stepped out of the shadows. One of the Klingons glared at him. "Admiral Kirk!" he said. "You will not escape."

"I think you need glasses. This blaster is pointing at you, not me."

Just then, they heard a ship coming. Jim smiled slightly. "I think you're the ones who won't escape," he said.

"Think again!"

Jim whirled as a Nausicaan suddenly came from among the trees. He grabbed Jim shoving him backward and into a tree. That was all the Klingons needed as a distraction. Two of them went for Azetbur, and the other went to help the Nausicaan get control of Jim. Jim struggled with the two of them, and he drew the kut'luch. The Klingon jumped back avoiding the blade as Jim swung it at him. The Nausicaan punched Jim so hard, he wondered if it loosened some teeth. He tasted blood in his mouth, but he still had the kut'luch in his hand. However, he was at the disadvantage because he was trapped on the ground between two trees. As the Nausicaan came at him again, Jim managed to dive out of the area he was in and rolled down into the trail. He tried to come back to his feet, but the Klingon tackled him and they struggled over the kut'luch.

Jim saw the ship coming over the treetops, and he thought they must know they were in a struggle. The Nausicaan joined the struggle again. He grabbed Jim by the head and slammed his head into the ground, addling him. He shook his head trying to clear the fog that seemed to be there as he tried to hold onto the kut'luch. But then, a big fist punched him so hard that he was sure he saw stars.

Korax and several other Klingons shimmied down from the ship to join the fight. The Nausicaan picked Jim up over his shoulders. "I will take care of them," the Klingon said. "You take our prey."

The Nausicaan ran out into the jungle with Jim over his shoulders as the Klingon turned to face Korax and Dipodi. "We have your Admiral now," he said. "You cannot save him."

"We will see!" Korax replied.

Jim was not completely knocked out but he was addled. He was starting to realize that he was being carried through the jungle. Being carried?! Jim suddenly used his legs to knock his captor off balance, and the Nausicaan tripped, falling into the thick foliage. Jim fell too, of course, and scrambled his way out of the vines and bushes. With a yell of frustration, the Nausicaan tackled Jim and grabbed him in a choke hold. Jim remembered Spock teaching him how to get out of something like that. He elbowed the Nausicaan in the stomach and then used momentum to propel him over his shoulder. The Nausicaan landed on his back with a surprised look on his face.

Jim did not wait to see if he would get up, but turned and ran back toward the area they had been in when the fight started. He heard the Nausicaan's yell of rage behind him and he tried to run faster through the tangle of brush and tree roots. He could not outrun the Nausicaan, however, but he still had the bat'leth on his back. He decided to stop and make a stand. He jerked the bat'leth from his back and glared at the Nausicaan as he came into the slight clearing.

"You are a brave one!" the Nausicaan said as he drew his lance which doubled in length at the press of a button.

Jim knew he could not combat that stunning weapon with a bat'leth. "I won't let you take me to be tortured!" he declared.

"I will enjoy torturing you."

Jim realized he was going to have to be the aggressor or this enemy would simply hit him with that electric shock. He lunged for the Nausicaan and the bat'leth met the lance with a clang of metal, but Jim swung the bat'leth around in a circle trying to slice the Nausicaan's legs, but he managed to jump over the weapon. As he came back down, he tried to touch Jim with the lance, but Jim got the bat'leth back up to clang once again.

Korax was fighting with the Klingon who had attacked Jim, but Korax knew him as Egek. They were in a vicious bat'leth battle which would more than likely end with one of them dead and the other wounded. Dapodi was watching the battle as he and the others had already taken care of the two Klingons who had attacked Azetbur. However, Grakar and Jirrok had gone after Jim and the Nausicaan. They arrived at the small clearing in time to see Jim battling with the Nausicaan. They stood still to watch, and Jim noticed them. He knew they would not help him unless it looked like the Nausicaan was going to win and capture him. He wished they did not care so much about fighting with honor because he was exhausted. He would not consider it dishonor at all if they just came and made short work of this Nausicaan.

The Nausicaan stood back and glared at Jim as he had seen the others come as well. "Your friends do not help you, puny one!" he said.

Jim did not say anything. He knew he was getting tired, but he would not just give in and let this Nausicaan take him to his band of traitors.

Jim lunged at him again, but this time the Nausicaan managed to thwart his bat'leth attack and touched his hip with the lance. Jim felt the electrical jolt and his whole left leg went numb. His leg collapsed under him and he barely got the bat'leth up in time to stop the Nausicaan from touching his head with the lance.

Grakar stepped into the clearing then and had his own bat'leth. "His battle is finished," he said. "To take him, you must defeat me."

The Nausicaan snarled at him. Jirrok got Jim out of the clearing. "If I win this fight, the Admiral belongs to me!" the Nausicaan declared.

"NO deal," Grakar replied. "You will not take him anywhere."

"You protect this puny human!"

"I protect my friend!"

Jim leaned against a tree panting as he watched Grakar swing that bat'leth with much more skill than he ever could, and the fight did not last very long. Grakar returned his weapon to its sheath. "You are glad we arrived, are you not?" he asked as he walked over to Jim.

"Ecstatic," Jim replied.

Grakar pulled Jim up. "Can you walk?"

Jim felt rather dizzy after all that activity. "Well…"

"It is not far." Grakar picked Jim up onto his shoulder and they headed back to the trail.

Jim did not care if he did have to hang upside down. He was exhausted. Jirrok kept a lookout around them as they walked. By the time they got there, Korax had defeated the other Klingon as well. "We have rescued the Admiral," Grakar said as he set Jim down.

Jim stumbled because his leg still felt numb, but they did not let him fall. "I have seen you looking better, my friend," Korax said.

"I've known myself to be feeling better too," Jim replied. He was still wet from all the rain they had walked through the night before, and he thought all the dirt he came in contact with while he fought was clinging to him.

"The ship is waiting."

They got aboard the ship and were soon on their way back to the Great Hall. Jim sat in the chair and wanted to simply fall asleep but Azetbur sat beside him. "You fought hard," she said.

"I tried," Jim replied.

"You are very tired."

"Oh, well, I've been this tired before…I think."

Suddenly, an alarm began blaring in the ship. "Incoming missile!" Dapodi said.

Jim sat up and almost said evasive maneuvers, but he remembered that this was not his ship. However, Dapodi was accustomed to dodging, and he rolled the ship to avoid the missile. It exploded close to the ship however, and damaged the shields slightly.

"I thought you said the ships were out in space," Jim said.

"That was not from a ship," Dapodi replied. "It was from the ground. I will relieve them of their weapons." He turned the ship around and aimed at the area where the missile came from.

Jim watched as there was a large explosion on the ground among a lot of trees. "You think you got them?" he asked.

"Hard to tell," Dapodi replied. "But I know I gave them something to think about."

Jim thought this was as bad as being with Solan and Bones. "Great."

Dapodi put the ship down in the hangar at the Great Hall and they all disembarked. Jim thought some of the feeling was coming back into his leg but it certainly felt weird. The Klingons seemed to be in a hurry, so they helped him get back into the Great Hall and all the doors were locked.

"I want to contact the Enterprise," Jim said.

"If that is what you wish," Korax replied. "They know you are well."

Jim thought he was beginning to know just how weary he was. "Are you suggesting that I rest first?"

"You have fought hard after running through the jungle all night…and you don't look very well."

"Oh I don't, huh?"

"A mineral bath is just what you need."

"A mineral bath?"

"Yes. Relaxes the muscles. Makes one feel invigorated."

Jim almost laughed. "You find this amusing?" Korax asked.

"Well…I never would have thought of the Klingons relaxing in a bath," Jim said.

"Hmmm. You do not know much about the Klingons."

"I know, but I'm learning all the time. What if I'm allergic to your minerals?"

"Perhaps you should just use water."

"I don't exactly have any clothes to change into. Everything went back to the Enterprise."

"I will find something for you while your clothes are being cleaned."

"Thank you."

Jim noticed there was what looked like a reflective stone in his room. He reluctantly looked at himself and rolled his eyes. "Ugh, it's worse than I thought," he said to himself. He thought it was no wonder Korax thought he should do something to himself before he called his friends. He supposed he could not cover up those bruises. He wished he could just lie down and sleep for a long time.

Korax soon returned with a Klingon robe and some other clothes that looked like they would be too big for Jim. "They will do until your clothes are clean," he said.

"Sure," Jim replied.

"If you should need something else, you should ask."

"Thanks. I think this will be all I need."

"I will see you later then."

Jim went on into the Klingon equivalent of a bathroom. He thought maybe it looked pretty normal, but the water did not come from a faucet like he was used to. However, when it came out, it was hot. Jim wondered if it came from some hot spring. He knew Kronos was known for volcanoes as well as all the other features he had seen. He climbed into the bath and almost climbed back out because of the temperature of the water, but he sat down in it anyway. He did not want to fall asleep there but the water was relaxing and it was running the whole time, and running out as well. If he had not stayed there, he would not have found out about this. Maybe the Enterprise could come back now that the battle was over for now. He was uneasy about how close he had come to being captured. He had thought he would not get away from that Nausicaan, but he did only because Grakar showed up.

That evening, Jim was resting on his bed when Korax came back to the door. "The Enterprise has contacted you," he said.

"Okay," Jim replied. He followed Korax to the communication array.

"Admiral, I am pleased to see you well," Spock said.

"It's good to see you too, Spock. Are you coming back to Kronos?"

"To retrieve you, but I am not certain that Admiral Winston wants us to stay there any longer."

Jim nodded. "I'm not surprised. It's pretty dangerous here. I came pretty close to being their prisoner."

"I see that you fought hard."

"With all my might. I've done nothing much but sleep today. I talked with Chancellor Gorkon a little. They're just going along with business as usual but they have more patrols out. There were some Klingons out in the jungle…" Jim told Spock about his night in the jungle. "I didn't see any wild animals out there, but according to what I've heard, I could have been dinner for some of them."

"You were lucky then. We will arrive at Kronos tomorrow morning. Do you believe you will be safe until that time?"

"I think so. No guarantee that I won't have to fight again, but hey, do you know that you can take a bath in a hot spring here?"

Bones moved into the field of view then. "You mean you're relaxing around there taking hot baths while we sit over here worrying about your safety?" he asked.

"Well, if I hadn't taken one, you would have thought I came out of a mud hole."

"You actually sat in a hot spring?"

"No. The bathroom is hooked up to one. You know they have volcanoes here. And with volcanoes come…"

"I know all that. So it's just kinda like a geothermal bath, huh?"

"Something like that."

Just then, Jim sneezed. "I am allergic to something on this planet," he said.

"Well, sometimes with beauty comes a lot of pain," Bones replied.

"Every time I smell that fragrance, I sneeze."

"Yep, that's a sure sign."

"Hey, they even have mineral baths here. I wasn't sure I wanted to try that since I don't know what effect it would have on me."

"Wise."

Jim sighed. "I'm starting to get the creeps."

"Admiral?" Spock said.

"I don't know. I just feel like I'm being watched or something."

"Do they have surveillance in the Great Hall?"

"No. It's not that. Now that I know they're after me, I guess I'm just uneasy."

"I would be too," Bones blurted. "But I don't see how you could be safer surrounded by Klingons."

"They got in though."

Bones and Spock were silent a moment. They could not get to Kronos any sooner. "Just keep a blaster handy," Bones said.

"I already do that."

"Looks like you've acquired some new clothes."

"Mine were kinda dirty and a little torn too. I have to contact Carol. Have you heard from her? You didn't tell her that I was here like this, did you?"

"No," Spock answered. "We have not heard from her, nor told her anything."

"Good. I think I'll contact her next." Jim paused a moment. "Does Admiral Winston think they've built another of those ships?"

"He does not know," Spock replied. "But he sees their destroying the outposts as a sign that there is some sort of plan. It is impossible to know since we have no spies among them."

Jim nodded. "Once we get back to Caleb Four, maybe we can try and find out something."

"I do not believe we should discuss this further over an open channel."

"I agree. See you guys tomorrow. Kirk out."

The transmission ended. Jim looked at Korax who was still waiting for him. "I want to contact my wife," Jim said. "Oceanview Apartments in San Francisco."

Korax showed Jim how to establish the connection. "Are you my bodyguard?" Jim asked.

"Yes," Korax answered. "I was aboard the ship. I will be outside your room tonight. We will not allow them to try and capture you again."

"Thanks." Jim thought maybe he would rest easier if Korax was outside that door.

Soon, Carol answered the call. "Jim," she said. "I thought you would never call. I tried to reach the Enterprise but I couldn't get an answer."

"Well…"

"Have you been in a fight?"

Jim thought he might as well just tell her the whole story, so he did. "Now, I'm here till morning," he said.

"Jim, you're always in danger," Carol said.

"Well, you know that we only came over here for peace talks."

"Yes, and nothing ever turns out like you planned. Hold on just a moment."

Carol left the viewscreen and soon came back with Alex. Jim smiled. "Hey there, young man," he said.

"Daddy," Alex replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm on Kronos, the Klingon home world."

"Wow. Are you friends with the Klingons?"

"Yes. I have Klingon friends." Jim motioned for Korax to come over there. "This is my friend Korax."

"Are you a real Klingon?" Alex asked.

"Don't I look like one?" Korax asked.

"He's a real Klingon," Jim said. "Why would you ask him that?"

"Daddy, when are you coming home?" Alex asked.

"Soon," Jim said. "I'm doing some work right now."

"I like it when you're home."

"I like it when I'm home too. Don't worry. I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going next?"

"To Caleb Four."

"Can I find that on the star chart?"

"Sure you can. It's a space station."

"Daddy, are you going to stay on the Enterprise again?"

"No, Son. I'm an Admiral now. I'll be back on Earth as soon as I get this business done."

"Are we gonna play baseball when you get back?"

"Absolutely."

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too."

Alex got down then, and Carol moved into the view again. "Jim, are you really safe?" she asked.

"I'm as safe as I can be right now," Jim replied. "Hey, I even got to take a bath in a hot spring."

"And you didn't invite me?"

Jim could not help but smile at that. "Well, I would have."

"Don't you think it would have been a lot more fun with me?"

Jim started to reply to that but then he looked to see if Korax was listening. Korax looked up toward the ceiling. "Could you give us a little privacy?" Jim asked.

"Of course," Korax replied. He moved to the other side of the room.

Jim had thought he would go out of the room, but he supposed that was all he was going to get. "Of course it would have been more fun with you," he said to Carol. "That water was pretty hot though."

"Hmmm. We might have made it even hotter."

"Carol."

Carol giggled at that reaction. "You still blush when I tease you."

"I'm not exactly alone." Jim smiled. "I just wanted you to know I'm okay in case you heard something."

"Jim…"

"I'll be back."

"You better be."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"I don't like saying goodbye but…I'll contact you again when I get to Caleb Four."

"I'll be waiting."

"Don't worry."

"I will."

Jim leaned on his elbow. "You make it really hard for me to end this transmission," he said.

"Why don't you have a communicator in your quarters?" Carol asked.

"I'm not on the Enterprise. But I have to go."

"Get some rest."

"I'll try."

Jim pressed the button to end the transmission. He had been anxious to go on this mission…he supposed, but now he wanted nothing more than to be at home. Then again, he had not expected this mission to last this long. He hoped it would be a while before he went to another peace talk conference.