Chapter 20

Jamie leaned over the tabletop and rested her weary head on her arms. Her throat was tight with unshed tears. She sniffed them back and gazed across the table at Princess Meyla, who smiled and waved.

Jamie did not wave back. She didn't smile, either. The princess has no idea what's happening to Ms. Rushmore and me.

Jamie had entertained a slight hope that her father would come to her rescue, but that was before she saw him an hour ago and had seen the horrified look on his face.

"I'll get you out of this mess, Cadet. I promise."

Jamie wasn't sure he could keep that promise anymore. She had wanted to tell him how scared she was, but she knew she didn't dare. Her whole body tingled painfully just thinking about disobeying Ms. Feldman.

She shifted and watched Nan Rushmore report on the progress of the trade conference, for the entire quadrant to hear. Jamie felt sorry for her newscaster friend. Nan wore jeweled neckband similar to Jamie's but much prettier. It glittered brilliantly and complemented her outfit. Only Nan and Jamie—and the Klingons—knew what it really was.

Nan looked pale and sick, but her voice was strong as she presented the proposals to her audience. The newswoman caught Jamie's gaze and gave her a quiet thumbs-up. Survive and succeed.

Jamie nodded. She strained to hear what Nan was discussing with the other news reporter, who was covering the event for another news service—Independent News. Nan gave the man a slight nod then turned toward the camera and spoke in a loud, clear voice.

"Those of you who have been following the talks here on Epsilon Hydrae IV will no doubt be fascinated by what I am about to tell you. The Seri Stones are important to both the Federation and the Klingon Empire. However, they are slightly more important to the Empire, though I haven't a notion why."

She took a deep breath. "They are so important to the Klingons that the representatives here have cast aside honest persuasion and resorted to kidnapping and coercion to further their gain. They kidnapped the princess of Jovita, myself, and a young girl for the purpose of . . . of—"

Nan gasped and broke into a fit of choking coughs. She flung her arms out in front of her and grabbed at her neck.

Jamie watched in horror as Nan struggled to breathe.

The Klingons leaned forward as if surprised at this sudden interruption. They frowned among themselves. K'traz kept his hands hidden.

"Nan!" Jamie screamed. She leaped up.

"Be silent," Marrid hissed, slamming Jamie back down into her seat.

Tears coursed down Jamie's cheeks. She knew that with this act of defiance, Nan Rushmore was going to die. Not if I can help it!

It was a crazy, impulsive decision, but Jamie sprang away, taking Marrid by surprise. She slipped out of the woman's grasp and raced toward Nan.

The Jovitians and other bystanders watched in stunned confusion.

"The Klingons are killing her!" Jamie shrieked at the crowd.

Then a piercing, stabbing pain surged through Jamie's body, forcing her to the ground. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Darkness overtook her. She felt a tingling sensation and saw twinkling lights.

I must be dying. Then Jamie gave in and let the lights take her away.

The transporter had barely finished it cycle before Kirk was sprinting onto the platform. Jamie lay in a crumpled heap, still as death. He scooped her up in one quick motion and held her close. She can't be dead!

"Jamie, wake up. You're safe now." He spared a quick glance at the other figure lying just as still on the transporter platform. It was Nan Rushmore, and she looked dead.

"Another signal's coming through," Scott said. "McCoy."

The transporter hummed, and the doctor formed. He immediately ran a scanner over Jamie. Then he looked up. "She's in no immediate danger, Jim. She'll pull through."

Then he bent over Nan, and his breath caught. "Get Ms. Rushmore to sickbay," he barked at the medical team that had magically appeared. "On the double."

The medical team gently lifted Nan onto the anti-grav sled. McCoy ran a scanner over her body. "I don't know if I can save her, Jim."

Kirk gave a quick nod of acknowledgement, but his attention was focused on Jamie. She looked terrible. Dark circles marred her eyes, and her neck was swollen and bruised where the band encircled it.

A gentle hand on his shoulder made the captain jerk.

"Jim," McCoy said softly. "Don't just stand there. Bring her to sickbay. I want to check her out thoroughly and make sure that band isn't interfering with her breathing."

Kirk nodded but continued to hold Jamie tightly to his chest. "Thanks, Scotty," he whispered as he slipped through the transporter room doors and down the corridor to sickbay.

For the first time in days, Jamie felt warm. Too warm. Somebody was holding her, carrying her. Crushing her until she could hardly breathe.

Daddy, help me! she wanted to shriek. But she couldn't. She didn't dare make a peep. Ms. Feldman, the evil Klingon woman, would zap her again. And again. Her neck tingled like a million pins were poking her. It hurts!

"Jamie, honey. Wake up."

Daddy's voice.

No. It was a dream. It had to be. She was afraid to wake up. Afraid to open her eyes and find Ms. Feldman smiling her evil smile.

"You're safe now. You can open your eyes. You're with me."

Was it true? Jamie opened her eyes and gasped. Her father was carrying her down the corridors of . . . it couldn't be! The Enterprise!

"Daddy?" she croaked. "How did I get here?"

"It appears that Mr. Scott beamed you and Ms. Rushmore aboard in the nick of time."

Jamie tried to look around. "Where is she?"

"In Sickbay. Dr. McCoy is taking care of her. I'm taking you there too. You look like you've had quite a time." He gave her a tired smile. "How do you feel?"

"Sick, Daddy. So sick. My head hurts and I—" She swallowed. "It hurts to swallow, and now I feel like . . . like . . . I'm gonna throw up."

Kirk barely made it to the head before Jamie followed through. Choking and crying, she let her last meal come up. Her whole body shook from the effects of the agonizing necklace.

When her stomach was empty, her father gently cleaned her up, brushed her hair out of her face, and picked her up again.

Jamie encircled his neck with shaky arms. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered. "It's just that everything felt swirly and dizzy and—"

"It's all right," Kirk assured her with a smile and a hug. "That's what fathers are for. To pick up the pieces and make everything all right." He squeezed her tight. "You are going to be all right, you know. The good doctor said so."

"I don't feel all right." Jamie clung to his neck. "Don't put me down," she pleaded. "Just hold me."

"Tell me what happened."

"They tortured Ms. Rushmore with the agonizer over and over. But she was so brave. She told everyone at the conference what the Klingons were really doing. Then she started choking and dying, right in front of all those people. Nobody helped her. I ran to help, but then everything started to hurt and . . . and . . ."

She started crying and shivering. "Nan's been zapped by the agonizer so many times, I don't think she'll live through this last one."

"If anyone can pull her through, McCoy can." They entered sickbay and Kirk gently laid Jamie down on a diagnostic bed.

Nurse Chapel hurried over with a smile on her face. "Dr. McCoy says you've been through the ringer, and I need to give you all the TLC you can handle." She held up a hypo. "But first, a little hiss and we'll get that shaking stopped."

Jamie turned a terrified look at her father. "Don't leave me, Daddy."

Kirk leaned over and brushed a light kiss across her forehead. "Listen to me. I don't want to leave you, but I have to beam down to the conference. There's some unfinished Federation business to attend to involving the Klingons. Nurse Chapel will take good care of you." He winked at the nurse. "Won't you?"

"Of course, Captain. Jamie and I are good friends."

Jamie shook her head and threw her arms around his neck. "I don't want you to go."

Gently, Kirk untangled her arms and sat down beside her on the bed. He picked up one of her hands. "Remember that disk you gave Meyla?"

Jamie nodded.

"I looked at it. It's very important. It means life or death to the Jovitians. They must learn what the Klingons have planned for them should they win the Seri Stone trade."

"The weapon?" Jamie whispered. She shivered.

"Yes. Meyla's people will die if the Klingons aren't stopped."

"All right," Jamie reluctantly agreed. "Go down and help Meyla."

Kirk squeezed Jamie's hand. "That's my cadet." Then he grinned. "How did you get hold of that disk, anyway?

Jamie looked at her lap. "I stole it."

Kirk's eyebrows shot up. "I'd love to hear all about it sometime, but I've got to run." He sprang from the bed and pointed a parting finger at her. "And you, young lady. Don't you dare leave this ship."

"No, sir," Jamie replied fervently and lay down with a sigh. She gave Nurse Chapel a worried look as her father hurried from sickbay.

"Don't worry, Jamie," Chapel assured her. "Once the captain shows the Jovitians what's on that disk, the conference will be over."

Epilogue

Jamie spent most of the day asleep. When she woke up, she was disappointed to learn that her father was still at the conference. Then Nan Rushmore was settled into a diagnostic bed next to her, and Jamie decided to keep vigil over her. She held her hand, spoke in whispers about how she'd better get well quick, and stroked her hair.

But there was no sign that Nan even knew Jamie was there.

When the captain finally strolled into sickbay late that evening, Jamie abandoned her post. She bounded across the room and into his arms. "Daddy, you're back! So, what happened?"

Kirk scooped Jamie up and gave her a hug. "Well, you're looking perky this evening. No ill effects from your unpleasant time with Ms. Feldman?"

Jamie pulled down the neckline of her jumpsuit. "Just this red mark around my neck. Once Dr. McCoy got that horrible collar off, the swelling went down right away. He says the red marks will go away in a couple of days. And I feel lots better. I didn't even throw up anymore."

"That's good to hear," he remarked with a grin. He carried Jamie to Nan Rushmore's bedside and peered down at the sleeping woman. "How's Ms. Rushmore?"

"Dr. McCoy says she's going to make it, but it'll take another week of rest and some kind of treatment he calls nerve therapy. I guess the Klingons really tortured her bad, and it nearly wrecked some important nerves."

"You've summed it up nicely," McCoy broke in. He wandered over to his patient and checked the monitors. Then he turned to his captain and echoed Jamie's question. "So, what happened? The Klingons? The Jovitians? The Organians? The Seri Stones?"

Kirk smiled and lowered Jamie to the floor. "It was quite satisfying. I've never seen Commander Kor look so shocked as when he saw what was on that computer disk. It proves he wasn't part of it, anyway."

"I'm glad," Jamie remarked. "He was pretty nice, for a Klingon."

"The Jovitians, including the faction that originally supported the Klingon trading offer, voted to give the trading rights to the Federation," Kirk went on. "But it's a limited agreement. Because of the possibility of the Seri Stones being used for weapons development, the cut Ice Flakes alone will be allowed to leave the planet. Only raw Seri Stones can be used in the manner the Klingons wished, although cut Ice Flakes do set up a resonant reaction if they are near a combination of the Seri Stones and dilithium."

"That's a relief." McCoy sighed. "Just in time too. I imagine the Klingons felt the conference was not going well after Jamie and Nan disappeared. The computer disk was the frosting on the cake."

"It gets better," Kirk continued cheerfully. "The Jovitians petitioned the Organians to keep the Klingons away from their planetary system entirely. They feel the Klingons will try to gain the Seri Stones any way they can."

"That's likely," McCoy agreed. "They don't give up easily."

"There's more." Kirk leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, grinning. "The Organians decided the Klingons' secret work with the Seri Stones constituted a violation of the peace treaty. They cordoned off the entire system for a diameter of ten light years. The Klingons, of course, are hopping mad, and when the High Command hears about it, heads will roll."

"Commander Kor's too?" Jamie asked.

"No. I spoke with Kor. K'traz, Marrid, and a few of the others were acting on orders from the minority faction of the High Command. If they'd succeeded in their plans, no doubt that group would have gained much power and prestige for their daring, but as it is"—Kirk shrugged—"Klingons don't easily forgive failure. Because it failed, the Jovitians found out about their treachery and rejected their offer."

He shook his head. "The frightening part of all this is if the Klingons had acted in honesty, their offer might have been accepted. It was as good as ours. They would have obtained the stones, and who knows what would have happened then?

"I bet the Klingon High Command is seething," he finished. "Kor expects to be exonerated. He has friends in high places and a very loyal crew. He was following the orders of the majority in the High Command."

"Does . . . uh . . . anyone know how the data disk was stolen?" Jamie asked in a small voice.

"Not a clue, thankfully," Kirk said. "Although I suspect Kor figured it out. He made some very interesting comments about his ventilation system before I left. I neither denied nor confirmed his suspicions, because frankly, I have no idea how the disk got to me, either."

He gave his daughter an unhappy look. "You disobeyed me and climbed around in the Korbin's air ducts, didn't you? Spying on the Klingons? Stealing important state secrets?"

"No, sir!" Jamie shook her head. "It's true I climbed around in the Korbin's air vents. But I didn't disobey you, Captain. You told me to stay out of the Enterprise's ducts."

Kirk's eyes opened wide. "I . . . you're right." Then he sighed. "But if the Klingons ever learn about this, you could find yourself on their list of most-wanted criminals. Not a pleasant thought."

"Well, I'm never going to tell them," Jamie assured him. She frowned. "What about Starfleet? Do you suppose they'll be upset with me?"

"They'll probably want to give you another medal," McCoy said with a laugh.

Kirk frowned at his chief surgeon. "They're never going to find out about this." He lifted Jamie's chin and regarded her seriously. "This has got to remain an Enterprise secret, Cadet. What Starfleet knows others tend to find out—unfortunately. The most I can do is log a commendation for the role you played in helping the Federation secure the trading rights. However, but it will be based solely on your friendship with the princess. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Jamie nodded. "It's just as well. I don't want any attention from Starfleet."

"Good idea, Jamie." McCoy laughed, then he glanced at his patient. "It looks like Ms. Rushmore is waking up at last."

Jamie turned around and bent over the bed. "Nan, are you okay?"

Nan opened her eyes a crack. It was clear she had no idea where she was. "Jamie," she whispered hoarsely. "I hurt all over, especially my throat. What's been happening? Are we back in detention?"

"Oh, no, Nan. We're back on the Enterprise. My dad rescued us. Only, you're very sick because you spoke against the Klingons, and they zapped you really bad."

"I . . . don't remember," Nan mumbled. She closed her eyes.

"Jamie," McCoy interrupted gently. "That's enough." He started to pull her away, but Nan reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Survive and succeed," Nan whispered. A smile formed on her dry lips. "We managed it, didn't we?"

"Yes, Nan. And everything's going to be all right."

"I know. Now that we're back on your Enterprise."

Nan took a deep breath. "When I'm well, I'm going to see that this ship and crew get the best documentary of my life. I promise." She closed her eyes, and her hand became limp as she fell into a deep sleep.

"Come on, Jamie." Kirk took her hand. "Princess Meyla wants to see you one more time before she and her entourage return to Jovita."

He looked at the chronometer. "The Newton leaves orbit in a couple of hours, so if you want to say good-bye to your friend, we'd best beam over now."

"Yes, I do want to say good-bye." Then she bit her lip. "Uh-oh. I just remembered that I lost my Ice Flake. Ms. Feldman yanked it from my neck and kept it. I hope Meyla doesn't ask me about it. She might not understand." She sighed. "That Ice Flake was worth a lot of money. I'll never get it back now."

"What?" Kirk gasped in mock dismay. "You left a priceless Ice Flake with the Klingons? I was going to sell it and buy ourselves a nice little planet."

"Daddy!"

Kirk chuckled. "I'm only teasing. Ms. Feldman can keep that hunk of rock. I'd much rather have you." He squeezed her hand and led her across the room. His eyes suddenly lit up in mischief.

"Come on, Cadet. I'll race you to the transporter room!"