Part XXV
Captain's Log : Stardate 5540.1 - First Officer Spock and myself have just returned from meeting with Captain Storan on the Vulcan ship Cholla. While onboard, we arranged for the recovered body as well as the the uniform top to be transferred over to the Enterprise. Doctor M'Benga and the rest of the medical staff are running tests in the attempt to identify the twenty-two dead. The uniform top has already been positively identified as belonging to Doctor McCoy though the blood on the shirt has not been matched yet.
Turning off his log, Kirk closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead. Spock had taken the shirt immediately to the labs to run the tests on it himself. Normally, when either of his friends slipped and let their concern for one another show, Kirk would tease them about it unmercifully, causing Bones to bluster or Spock to quirk that eyebrow at him. Why the two of them wouldn't just outright admit it was one of those ongoing mysteries onboard the Enterprise. Like how Rand managed to keep up that elaborate hairstyle she seemed to prefer.
Lowering his hand, Kirk took a deep breath and got to his feet. Whether the news regarding the recovered bodies was good or bad, avoiding hearing it was not going to change it. His stride firming along with his determination, the Captain made his way to Sickbay, feeling the missing presence of his friend keenly when he entered the area.
"Doctor M'Benga - any results to report?"
Raising his head from the computer terminal he'd been studying, M'Benga straightened further to address the Captain.
"While I can only give you positive identification on two of the bodies, I can tell you that none of them are Doctor McCoy."
"You've been able to identify two of them?"
"Yes, Captain. Both men had served time at penal colonies and still have their required tracking chips. I've only pulled the information on one of the chips. The one from this man -"
M'Benga gestured toward the body currently on the biobed behind him, containment field activated.
"- shows that he spent six years on Jaros II. Former Starfleet Lieutenant named Bernard Muir, while assigned to the USS Forrestal, he tried and convicted of misconduct that led to the injury of two Coridan natives. Part of his release terms specified that he was not to enter Coridan space again - the last entry on the chip is the acknowledgement of the captain of the Azalaris that he knows of the restriction and would be guilty of a crime if he brought his ship into their space with Muir aboard."
"Whose name? Mudd's?"
"Actually, the name given as the captain of that vessel was K'toomsu."
"That was the same name given to Starbase 124 when the ship requested to dock. Mudd must have actually gotten at least one crewmember that didn't have a criminal record to do the paperwork for him."
Glancing back to the biobed, Kirk's eyes fixed on a darker spot on the man's clothing. He knew what it appeared to be, but that wasn't consistent with being thrown into the airless cold of space.
"Did all of these men die from suffocation?"
M'Benga indicated the body on the biobed again.
"All but former Lieutenant Muir. He was stabbed, but it would be too close to call as to whether the stabbing or the lack of air ultimately caused his death. Either would have done it."
It was at that juncture that Mister Spock entered the area, the torn uniform top in his hands.
"It would be a reasonable assumption that whatever he was stabbed with was the same item that was used to cut Doctor McCoy's tunic. None of the blood on the shirt belongs to the good doctor, but I was able to make two matches. One to former Lieutenant Muir and the other to one of the augments named Tamerlane Ashina. With that, there can be no doubt that Doctor McCoy is indeed aboard the Azalaris."
"Agreed. Doctor M'Benga, do you mind if we make use of this section of Sickbay for a quick conference?"
"Not at all, Captain. Shall I remove the body back to stasis?"
"No. Leave it where it is for now."
Moving to the wall unit, Kirk made use of the ship's intercom.
"Lieutenant Commander Scott, Lieutenant McGivers, Lieutenant Uhura and Ensign Chekov report to Sickbay immediately."
Lieutenant McGivers was the last to arrive and, when she saw the body on the biobed, she turned a bit green even though a sheet had been pulled over it. If anything, she turned a little greener when her eyes fell on the table where Spock had laid out McCoy's ruined tunic. Kirk ignored her discomfort. The woman could admire whomever she wanted to, but if she was going to do it, she was going to do it with her eyes open to what they were capable of.
"The assumptions that we have been going on are now facts. Doctor McCoy's tunic had two different types of blood on it. One was from the body under the sheet there and his identity has been confirmed as having been a member of the Azalaris crew. The second was from Tamerlane Ashina. Lieutenant McGivers - what do you know about that name?"
Swallowing, McGivers forced her eyes to focus on the floor in front of her.
"Tamerlane became one of Khan's lieutenants, but before that, he and his men scoured the lands outside of Khan's borders. He earned the nickname Rombolo - it means the Destroyer in one of the lands he ravaged. He was said to be a cruel man who was said to claim that killing before eating was a good way to whet the appetite."
Scotty's eyes went to the bloody tunic as her spoke.
"Not exactly a shining example of what the augments were supposed to be."
Moving to take a closer look at the man on the biobed, Chekov commented.
"Perhaps not, Mister Scott, but an accurate example of what they are."
Hesitating, Chekov looked over to the tunic, then to the Captain.
"The bodies retrieved. None of them were the doctor?"
"No. From what we've been able to learn of the Azalaris, all of these people were probably the crew. Spock?"
"If the records at Starbase 124 are accurate, the crew of that vessel numbered thirty-one. The most likely scenario is that the augments kept such members of the crew that they considered necessary and ejected the rest."
Still keeping her focus on the floor, McGivers cleared her throat.
"Captain, I have been thinking and I've come to two conclusions. First, I believe I know why they took Doctor McCoy."
"I'm listening, Lieutenant."
Making use of the Sickbay terminal near her, McGivers pulled up the blueprint Scotty had made of the Botany Bay.
"This is the section of the ship where all of the units failed. DNA identification was made on three of the bodies found in that area. Doctor Amina Sukhausa, Doctor Colestah Yakama and Doctor Herve Moubray. As you can see from the blueprint, this area should have been the one best protected from external damage. Between that and the fact that three doctors were in the same area leads me to believe that all of their medical people were located in the failed section."
"Which would have left them without any doctors whatsoever to assist anyone that required aid after the long hibernation. You said two conclusions, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Captain. I have been doing a great deal of thinking about what Ensign Chekov said earlier and I find that I have to agree. While the augments certainly have the abilities and talents to create a colony on an uninhabited world, that would never be their first choice."
Scotty shook his head at that.
"They could be headed anywhere then. Well, anywhere within the range of their ship."
"I think it would be more limited than that, Mister Scott."
Everyone's attention shifted back to Chekov again.
"Explain, Mister Chekov."
"Well, Captain, as you pointed out earlier, the ship - even discounting the ones that were tossed out - has over twice the bodies on it that it was designed for. And these are not people known for having calm dispositions. If Khan is going to keep his people from turning on one another, he is going to have to give them another target sooner than later."
Spock found that the assembled officers were all looking to him now and he gave a brief nod.
"I see no flaws in that logic, Captain. The only question would be how much influence Mister Mudd might have on the decision. Still being wanted for some legal indiscretions, he would be more likely to guide the group away from a Federation planet."
Scowling, Kirk nodded slowly.
"And if they do choose a non-Federation world to invade, we wouldn't be able to step in unless invited without causing a diplomatic incident."
The room was silent except for the background noises of the Sickbay equipment as Kirk clasped his hands together in thought.
"Lieutenant Uhura - send out a message to all Federation planets in this quadrant warning them about the potential threat. Mister Spock and Mister Chekov - I want you to look over the non-Federation worlds and determine which ones you think would be the most likely target. We might not able to step in, but I want us as prepared as we possibly can be. Eliminate as many unknown factors as you can. McGivers, I know that they're sketchy at best, but comb through what you can find out about the Botany Bay group in the archives. Concentrate on anything you can find on their tactics - anything that might give us some more insight on them. Mister Scott, we will be maintaining position here for now, but when we have a direction to go, I want to get there fast."
"Understand, Captain. She'll be ready as a lass on her wedding night."
That brought a slight smirk to Kirk's face. As everyone disbursed to carry out their orders, his thoughts turned back to Bones again. His friend was not one to stay below the radar, even when it was in his best interest. His eyes went back over to the tunic and he found himself walking over to it, laying his hand on the fabric.
"Just this once, Bones - just this once, keep your head down and give us time to find you."