It seemed as though they had been traveling for hours, yet Kirk knew it was only a matter of minutes. He breathed in the damp air, coughing as the musty smell hit his lungs. Except for a circle of light illuminating Chazar, and the slight glow of the occasional patch of bioluminescent slime on the walls, the cavern was pitch black. Awel and the other scout followed behind, spears held out in front of them. "How much further?" he asked, doubling over in another coughing fit.
Chazar placed a hand on the wall. "Tired, Captain? You don't know the meaning of the word." He ushered Kirk into a low-ceilinged alcove covered in stalactites, stooping as he did so. Shoving Kirk to the ground, Chazar turned to the scouts. "Bind him, hand and foot." He waved his hand, and long coils of strong rope appeared on the ground. The scouts bent over and each picked up a length of rope and began to secure Kirk with it.
Kirk shifted to the side to get more comfortable. He gasped as they pulled the rope into tight, complicated knots around his wrists, ankles, and torso. He looked up at Awel. "Awel. Awel, listen to me; Chazar gave you free will. You don't have to do this."
Awel refused to meet his gaze. "I obey only Chazar." He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. "Forgive me, Captain. I have nothing against you. I do this for Chazar. And for Essa."Awel pulled the last knot tight and stood to his feet, yanking Kirk upwards. The scouts secured Kirk's arms and legs by threading the ends of the ropes into brass rings that were fused to the wall and knotting them tightly. Their work finished, they backed away towards the entrance to the alcove.
Chazar approached Kirk, lowering his face to eye level. "It was your free will that placed you here, Captain. Not Awel's. Not mine. Your gamble. Do you trust your crew to follow your orders? Or will they follow their hearts instead?" He shoved Kirk against the rocks and jabbed a finger in his face. "You had better hope they listen to you. If anything happens to Moss…Rave'el shall be no more. And when Rave'el is no more, all that shall be left is the frozen, black void of space…and you. Not that you'll have enough time to process it, of course." He backed away, chuckling. "Let your last thought be this, then; there is nothing I will not do for my people."
"Except…" Kirk inhaled deeply, coughing. "Except…die for them."
Chazar's face darkened, and he shrank back. For an instant, his angry, determined look was replaced by one of sorrow; the white robe temporarily replaced by a blue Starfleet uniform. Zachary Moss moved one step forward, as if to release him from the ropes. Then, just as quickly, he became Chazar again. Rage hardened his features. "AAAAARGH!" He thrust his hand towards Kirk, and a bolt of energy enveloped him, striking him dead center in the chest.
Kirk gasped, his face a mask of pain. He gritted his teeth as waves of electricity shuddered through his body. Chazar lowered his hand and Kirk went limp, unconscious. Turning around, he headed out of the alcove and caught the attention of the scouts. "Make sure he doesn't escape. Do not let anybody else in either."
They nodded and took their positions by the sides of the alcove. Chazar moved down the cavern tunnel and disappeared at the entrance.