Ring of Treason

Chapter 14

Interregnum II

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

Robert Burns

Soloth's vid viewer beeped. He squared his shoulders, straightened his tunic and went to answer it. He knew who was calling.

"Hello, Commander Toth." The handsome austere face looked back at him.

"Soloth."

"You saw what happened on all the media networks, I'm sure, Commander."

"Yes." Toth's face became a little grimmer. "You were correct. Captain Kirk does have more lives than a Terran cat. He lives. I had strong doubts about the efficacy of the assassination attempt and it gives me little pleasure to know that my doubts were well founded."

Soloth bit his bottom lip, hard. He felt a nervous pulse in his neck. "Commander, as I mentioned to you in our last conversation, there are no guarantees with this type of target. The man I hired is considered one of the best in the business. However, luck plays a large part in such an attempt, and Kirk carries luck with him wherever he goes. Luck and that Vulcan shadow of his. He has saved Kirk's life innumerable times."

"Yes, yes, Soloth. I place no blame on you. It was an ill-conceived deviation from our original plan. My superiors now concede that I was correct in expressing doubts." Toth gave Soloth a bitter smile, which Soloth interpreted with no difficulty.

"What of the shooter?" Toth asked.

"There is no need for concern. Our transaction and the exchange of credits was done anonymously as usual. He knows nothing. Fleet intelligence will question him rigorously, but there is nothing he can tell them about me, or you." He paused. "So what now? Do you want to go ahead with our original plan?"

"Yes, the original plan is back on schedule. Let us forget this fiasco, Soloth. Are your people in place?"

"Yes, everything is ready. I am waiting for the final War Games battle schedule before finalizing the parameters for the actual theft of the Transwarp Coil. It has to be timed exactly."

"Keep me apprised, Soloth. Toth out."

Soloth shut down the transmission and sat thinking for a few minutes. He pulled out his communicator and encrypted the number for the person he was contacting. The number was answered immediately.

"I need the final War Games battle schedule as soon as it's available."

"I don't have it yet. Rumor has it, that the timeline may be delayed a day, due to Captain Kirk's injury. Admiral Nogura will make his final decision by this evening. You'll get it when I get it."

"Thank you, Commodore. Send it to me as soon as you receive it. The usual encryptions."

He hung up and made his next call. "Commodore, are you now on the War Games Observers list?"

"Yes. We will observe from the bridge of The Columbia. She is not participating in the War Games. There will be one Admiral, three Commodores and two Commanders all knowledgeable in battle tactics."

"Good. Plans are back on track. I'll be in touch."

His last call was to the Admiral on his payroll. "Admiral, are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes, I'm ready, but I must confess to having second thoughts. You know if anything goes wrong, I'll be tried for treason and the penalty for treason against the Federation is death."

"Nothing will go wrong, Admiral, and it's much too late to change your mind. You accepted my very large payment readily enough."

"At the time I needed the money desperately. Gambling debts can be detrimental to your health."

"So is going back on your word to me, Admiral. Soloth out."

Soloth shook his head in disgust. "Amateurs, he thought. I hate dealing with amateurs