Chapter 19

"Thoughts?" said North once they could see daylight again.

They stood just within the mouth of the cave, but it was refreshing to taste the outside air again. The return journey had been quicker, now that they weren't treading carefully, but still deathly silent. They were still in unknown territory.

"I appreciated your input, Commodore," said Mamao'lani, and he was frustratingly sincere, "although it was probably not a good idea to bring up their own violence so bluntly."

"I know we're on the back foot here," said North, firmly, "but that doesn't mean we should ignore their transgressions against us. Bringing it up may help to equalise things." He was in no mood to argue further. "What do you think their decision will be?"

Mamao'lani sighed. "The best outcome would be: They release the hostages and agreed to share the planet in some form. Worst outcome… Well, like I said, let's not bring up violence." He smiled nervously. "But, the most likely outcome will be: They release the hostages and ask us to leave."

North nodded. This had occurred to him as well. He wanted to hear from everyone though, if only to fill the time.

He turned to Kostopoulos. "Colonel?"

Still standing rigidly attentive, she said, "I think Ambassador Mamao'lani is right, sir. We're looking at a middle-ground compromise. Should the antimatter hit the fan though, I suggest you all head for the shuttlepod as fast as possible and leave Threv and I to deal with the rest."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," said North. He turned to Sylor. "Lieutenant?"

The stoic science officer raised an eyebrow. "I believe you will handle the situation positively regardless of the outcome, sir, and I will endeavour to aid you in whatever capacity I can."

Typical Vulcanian neutrality. "What do you think about the situation?" North said. "I'm looking for opinions."

His face tightening for just a second, Sylor almost seemed annoyed at the question. "While there are no specific directives for how to interact with undeveloped societies, the general Vulcan and Starfleet guidelines advise as little influence as possible. However, as we have now crossed the threshold of interference, albeit inadvertently, it would be... logical to take control of the situation."

North now raised his own eyebrow. "Oh? And how do you propose we do that?"

"We have the superior force and intelligence, sir," said Sylor. "A sufficient display of both should be enough to keep the creatures in line. By which I mean, convince them to release the hostages and keep away from us in future, of course."

North was taken aback by such an aggressive suggestion from a Vulcan. Perhaps T'Pau's peaceful reformation six years ago had not fully taken hold yet. Or maybe it genuinely was the logical thing to do.

"Well," North said, "as I told the ambassador, we shouldn't be too passive, but that doesn't mean we should go too far in the other direction either. Some damage might have been done, yes, but that's not an excuse to continue blundering forward."

Sylor remained expressionless to this.

North now turned to the Andorian, who had not said a word throughout the entire mission. "Mister Threv? Your thoughts?"

Threv seemed surprised to be asked. "Oh, uh, I'll be ready no matter what happens, Commodore."

"Come now, son," said North. "You know that's not what I'm asking."

Threv looked down for a moment. "I think, sir, that it would be an awful shame for your people to come this far, to make all these new alliances, only to have to turn back because someone asked you to." He shrugged. "I remember everybody laughing when Humans tried to make peace between my people and the Vulcans and the Tellarites. Now, here we all are, watching each others' backs." He smiled faintly at the group. "You never seem to give up so easily."

North was now the one with his head hung gravely. This was another thought that had occurred to him, but Threv putting it into words now made it clearer.

"Sir?" Sylor interrupted his internal lamentation. "There is something that may help our position without using force."

North looked up at him. "Go on."

Sylor clasped his hands behind his back and continued. "I was responsible for the death of the first creature we encountered. It is possible that turning me over to the others would show respect for whatever sense of justice they have. I am prepared to sacrifice myself for the cause."

Before North could respond, Threv stepped forward.

"Sir, the Lieutenant only had to kill the creature because of my inaction," the young Andorian said. "It's my fault, I should be the one to be sacrificed."

North held up his hands. "Gentlemen, I admire your selflessness, but we're not Aztecs appeasing a volcano god." Both aliens regarded him with confusion. "No one is getting sacrificed," he clarified.

"That's not our way," Kostopoulos told them.

"Lives are not bargaining chips," Mamao'lani added.

Threv seemed genuinely relieved at this, although North did not doubt he fully intended to offer his life, but Sylor was almost irritated. As much as a Vulcan could be, anyway.

North contemplated the viewpoints that had been offered to him. If the dragons wanted them gone, they would have to oblige. A tactical action was out of the question, but Threv was right; it would be a great loss to dismantle the starbase because they could not reach an agreement with the natives. Many cultures on Earth had been destroyed by colonisation from other lands, true, but many more cultures had been enriched by earnest, mutually beneficial cooperation.

A voice reverberated from deep within the tunnel. "Return!" it bade them.

Their fate wound unravel within the next few minutes.

When they were back within the large chamber, North and Mamao'lani stepped forward to address Caeldon, who stood before the other dragons, her neck upright so that she looked down upon them.

"We have reached our decision," she said.

North looked to Mamao'lani, who shared an anxious glance with him. "And what have you decided?" the ambassador asked.

"We have never before seen creatures like you," said Caeldon. "Nor heard words like yours. Some of us would like to see and hear more."

Her head bowed slightly, as if in sorrow. "But many of us are afraid. As Clan Mother, I must consider all of us.

"You must take your people and go. Leave this world and never return."

North could see Mamao'lani was crestfallen, and he felt the disappointment welling up within himself too. This was it; after all their wins and losses, they would have to endure so big a setback. North felt powerless as the galaxy laughed at them. The ambassador remained dignified.

"We… We understand, Clan Mother," said Mamao'lani. "It breaks my heart than we will not be able to learn more about each other, but we thank you for your kindness, and we will respect your-"

"No," said North.

All eyes, humanoid and reptilian, were now on him, and North realised that he had voiced his denial out loud.

"No?" said Caeldon.

"What are you doing?" Mamao'lani whispered to him.

There was no turning back now. North stepped forward, between Mamao'lani and Caeldon, looking up at the large dragon.

"Forgive me, Clan Mother," he said. "And, if you truly want us to leave, we will, but I don't think you realise what you're throwing away.

"My people, my clan - Humans - strive to forge alliances. It enriches the lives of those involved and makes them stronger together."

This was so unlike him, but North knew he needed to speak his mind. And he needed to explain why he believed all this.

"The enemy I told you about, who brought the fire from the sky? I fought them elsewhere. They almost defeated me. I thought…" North swallowed. He had never told anyone this. "I thought I was going to die… I was ready to die…

"But I was saved, Clan Mother. Saved by our allies from other worlds. Over the years, there were many people from each of our clans who said we should not join together with others. They said this because they were afraid as well."

He spread his arms. "I would not be here today if that fear had won. And I made myself a promise in that moment. Since that day I have been living on borrowed time... I should have died... I promised myself I was not going to waste the life given back to me. I would not go backward, I would try new experiences and strive for new achievements.

"And now, here I stand before you today because of that promise. Because of that alliance. I don't know if you believe in fate, Clan Mother, but if there is such a thing then it clearly wants me here for a reason. To tell my story."

Once again the air was thick with silence. Caeldon regarded North with an inscrutable expression while the other dragons looked to her, awaiting her next words. North had no idea what would happen now, but he knew it would be the making or breaking of his career. And his promise.

"Fate takes us many places, Commodore Zachary North," Caeldon said, her head lowering towards him. "Perhaps it is taking us on the same journey.

"You have courage, if your words are true." Her snout was now mere centimetres from North's face. "You fought those who brought fire from the sky? Then maybe you have much to offer."

She now turned her neck to look at the others behind her. Many of the larger ones bowed their heads to her, but Gamus and some other smaller dragons by him bared their teeth.

Looking back at North, Caeldon said, "You may stay. Until our next hibernation. Then, we shall decide again."

North felt like a weight had been lifted from him. Mamao'lani was absolutely beaming with delight, and stepped up alongside North.

"Thank you, Clan Mother, thank you," said Mamao'lani. "You will not regret this, I guarantee. But, as before, if you still want us gone after a trial period, we shall respect that."

"It has been a long time since we saw anything new," said Caeldon. "We are curious, but-"

"NO!" Gamus roared, mimicking North's earlier refusal at a much louder volume that echoed off the high ceiling. The orange-red dragon reared up on his hind legs. "This is not what we agreed! They must go!"

Caeldon turned to face Gamus. "I have spoken for the clan, Gamus! Only you and your friends wanted the newcomers gone! You will respect your elders!"

"You are weak and foolish!" shouted Gamus. "You will die like them!" His head pulled back, his jaws opened wide, and a jet of flame erupted from his mouth.

North instinctively grabbed Mamao'lani, hurling the ambassador to the ground and placing himself on top of the other man. Kostopoulos and Threv had their rifles aimed at Gamus, and even Sylor had drawn his phase pistol, but Caeldon leapt between the group and the fire, taking the full force of it and screaming in pain.

Despite Caeldon blocking them, North still felt the heat singing the hairs on the back of his neck and prickling his skin. When it dissipated, he looked up to see Caeldon lying on the stone floor, gasping, her belly blackened, the flesh glowing like embers. Gamus seemed almost as shocked as everyone else, but he recovered quick enough.

"Their mountain will fall and they will all die!" With that, Gamus shot upwards and out of the opening in the roof of the cavern, pursued by four of the other, younger dragons.

While the remaining dragons, and his own team, gathering around the wounded Caeldon, North quickly pulled himself up off of Mamao'lani and ran with possessed speed up the tunnel.

He was back outside swiftly and could see the five dragons making their way across the sky towards the base; a glinting line on the horizon.

He pulled out his communicator and flipped it open.

"North to Starbase One," he said into it. "Battle stations."