CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

(Empire)

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"Security to Sickbay!" McCoy's voice came over the intercom, followed by a loud crash.

Kirk jumped up from the table and followed Kang and Koloth out of the mess hall.

When they arrived at the small Sickbay, Kang ordered the guards out of the room and locked the door. Ramsey stood in front of Ta'les, her right hand around his throat as she held him against the far wall. McCoy was slumped in the corner behind the small desk.

"petaQ! Why did you tell them?" Ramsey shouted at Ta'les.

Ta'les only stared at her through half-closed eyes. Kirk was surprised at the appearance of calm on the Vulcan's face, considering the situation.

"Answer me!" Ramsey said, slapping Ta'les hard across the face with her left hand.

Ta'les shook his head slightly, his eyes opening fully. "I did not betray you or the Empire, Kitten," he said softly, his voice raspy. "Please come back to us. You are no longer in D'Ras' interrogation chambers. You are on Kor's ship. Kang and Koloth are here, as are Kirk and McCoy."

Ramsey stepped back her hand dropping from Ta'les neck to his chest. "Kor's ship?" she whispered.

Ta'les took a slow deep breath and nodded once.

"Yes, K'Lyssia. We are on Kor's ship," Kang said stepping around Ramsey to stand next to Ta'les.

"Kelli, it's almost over. We're headed to the Federation." Kirk moved to stand next to Ta'les. "Trust me, Kelli. You once asked me to trust you, now I'm asking you to trust me."

"Jim?"

"Yes, Kelli. I'm really here this time." Kirk placed his hand on Kelli's and gently pulled it away from Ta'les. He felt her fingers brush across the scar left by her dagger during their confrontation in his quarters on the Enterprise and nodded as she looked at his face. Her green eyes searching his for proof this wasn't one of D'Ras' illusions.

Kang reached for Ramsey's other hand. "Come K'Lyssia, you need to get some rest." He gestured to the bed with his free hand.

Ramsey looked at Kang, then jerked away from his touch, her eyes going wide. She took a step back, then suddenly lashed out with her right hand, her palm connecting with Kang's nose. The Klingon's head hit the wall hard.

Ta'les moved to step between Ramsey and Kang and fell to the floor as she backhanded him.

"Qo'!" Ramsey brought her arm back to strike again and Kirk grabbed it. Ramsey grabbed Kirk's wrist with her free hand and twisted sharply, trying to break his grip.

Kirk felt something in his wrist snap and he released his hold on Ramsey.

Koloth grabbed her wrist and elbow, breaking her hold on Kirk's wrist. He twisted the arm back behind Ramsey's back as she continued to struggle against their control.

Kirk used his uninjured hand to grab Ramsey's free arm and prevent her from hitting Kang or Koloth.

"Kang, you have supported my uncle in the past," Ramsey said suddenly. "Our houses are allied. Why do you do this? Have you no honor? Do you now sell your services to the highest bidder, or is this part of a scheme for personal power?" Ramsey gasped out the questions as she continued to struggle with Kirk and Koloth.

"K'Lyssia?" Kang asked softly.

"Kang, you can't do this!" Ramsey screamed. "No!"

Kirk slapped Ramsey hard across her face. He gritted his teeth against the pain it caused in his wrist. "Commodore Kelli Jolynda Ramsey, that is enough!" he snapped.

Ramsey relaxed slightly and turned to look at him. "Admiral Kirk? Jim?" she asked softly.

"Welcome back, Kitty Kelli." He released his grip on her arm and nodded at Koloth, who released her other arm, and took a step back.

"Jim? What's going on?" Ramsey voice was strained and she struggled for the words.

"We're going back to the Federation to warn them about D'Ras' plans," Kirk said.

"Federation? D'Ras?" Ramsey clenched her fists and pressed them against her temples. "D'Ras? Qo'!" Ramsey screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor.

"K'Lyssia!" Ta'les reached for Ramsey and was blocked by Koloth.

"Stay away from her, maghwI'! She has condemned you with her own words." Koloth drew his d'k tahg.

"And, has she also condemned Kang?" Kirk asked. "You gave me your word, Koloth. I have not given you his life, yet."

Koloth sheathed his dagger and glared at Kirk. "Do not forget your oath or it will be your life that is forfeit, Kirk."

"I know what a blood oath means, Koloth," Kirk said.

"Koloth return to the bridge," Kang said.

Koloth nodded sharply then left the room.

"Ta'les, help me get her on the bed," McCoy said forcing himself back to his feet.

"Doctor, perhaps we should keep K'Lyssia under restraint for now," Kang said.

McCoy looked at Ta'les as they reached to lift Ramsey onto the bed. "What do you think?"

"It would be a safer course for now. At least until we can bring her back to herself," Ta'les said.

Kirk jumped back as he felt someone grab his right foot. He glanced down to see Ramsey pulling the dagger from his boot. "Kelli, no!" He tried to grab the weapon from her as she slashed Ta'les arm and turned to face McCoy.

Kang reached around Ramsey and twisted the blade. He held the engraved hilt in front of her as they knelt on the floor. "Look at it, K'Lyssia! Look at the design!"

"House Lynsia," she said weakly. Her free hand touched the dagger's hilt. "My house." She took a hesitant breath. "Enterprise? This is the Enterprise's symbol." She released the dagger and looked up. "D'Ras? No! Jim?"

Kirk knelt down and placed his hands on Ramsey's shoulders. "I'm here, Kelli."

Ramsey stared at him for several minutes then slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Together Kang and Kirk placed Ramsey on the bed.

"Ta'les, if you would, please." McCoy said, gesturing to the restraining straps on the bed. While Ta'les took care of the restraints, McCoy picked up his medical scanner and began checking Kang.

"Good thing Klingons have such thick skulls, that was a pretty hard hit you took. No signs of a concussion, or other injury except the broken nose," McCoy said.

"Thank you, Doctor. If you will excuse me, I will make a report to Kor," Kang said then left the room.

"It's broken, Jim," McCoy said after scanning Kirk's wrist. "And, I don't see anything resembling a bone knitter around here. We'll have to do this the old fashioned way; with a split." McCoy ran the scanner again. "The bones are still aligned-so I won't have to set it. Wiggle your fingers for me."

Kirk wiggled the fingers of his right hand slowly.

"Good. Give me a few minutes and we'll get a splint on it."

Kirk watched as McCoy checked the restraints on Ramsey then ran the medical scanner over Ta'les.

"Everything seems to be okay, but you need to get some rest." He turned and ran the scanner over Ramsey. McCoy looked at the readout then ran the scanner again. "That's odd," he muttered.

"What's wrong," Kirk asked.

"The pain readings are gone. I'm not getting anything right now."

"That's good isn't it?" Kirk asked.

"I don't know. I don't have the proper equipment to do the type of scan I need."

"She has retreated deeper inside herself, behind a wall." Ta'les said. "I can not reach her at this time."

"Get some rest," McCoy said. "Come on Jim, let's get that wrist splinted and wrapped. Then I want you to get some rest."

"You need to take your own advice, Bones," Kirk said.

"I have a patient to care for. I'll rest when she's stable. One other thing: Thanks for not using an energy weapon on her, during all that. With everything D'Ras did to her, she doesn't need that added shock to her nervous or neural systems."

"To tell you the truth, I didn't think about using a phaser on stun, I just jumped in. But, I'll remember in case we have to wrestle with her again."