CHAPTER 20

Hoshi and Malcolm tried to think of every possible scenario that could happen at the meeting with Shidak, but a lack of information limited their ideas. For one thing, all they knew about Shidak's base was its location. They didn't know how many men he had there, or whether there would be other pirate ships in the vicinity to back him up. They didn't even know if he was Human or alien.

"Kleth said that Shidak spoke Klingon without an accent," Hoshi told Malcolm as they sat in her cabin, she behind her desk and he in the chair on the other side. "That doesn't mean he's a Klingon, though."

Malcolm grunted as he put his feet up on the desk. "If he is Klingon, you probably know how to deal with him," he said, and Hoshi snickered.

Recalling something they'd talked about earlier, she pushed a button on the comm panel on the desk. "Kleth, report to my cabin. And bring that other Human with you. Stop by the crew's quarters on the way and find some clothing and armor for him."

As she flicked off the button, Malcolm said, "Oh, this ought to be good."

They sat for a while in silence, waiting for Kleth and Tucker. Malcolm picked up a padd at random and glanced at it.

Hoshi suddenly felt shy and picked up another padd to avoid looking at him. She had been comfortable with him while they were discussing strategy. He had presented some good ideas she would never have dreamed of.

But, she thought with a sinking feeling, that's because he's been trained by Starfleet to deal with security. He would be a good ally, if he didn't turn on her, or turn her in. Maybe if she told him about... No, not yet. He'd just hold that over her head, saying she'd get into even more trouble because of it if she killed Shidak.

Hoshi looked up at the clatter when he tossed the padd back on the desk.

"Fuel reports?" he asked as he put his feet back on the floor.

"Told you there was paperwork," she said.

The chime sounded. Hoshi called out in Klingon and a wary Tucker, followed by Kleth, entered after the door slid open.

"You wanted to see me...ma'am?" the Southerner asked.

"Yes. You need to fit in better with the crew," Hoshi stated, motioning to Kleth who was carrying various pieces of Klingon battle armor.

Tucker looked at the heavy-duty clothing, looked at Malcom who was decked out in a similiar outfit, then back at Kleth.

"Don't have a choice, do I?" he said.

"If you wish to carry out your mission, it would help if you dress accordingly," Hoshi said.

"Accordingly?"

"Like a pirate," she growled. "You're one of my crew now."

Kleth handed over the Klingon accouterments to Tucker and gave him a shove toward the bathroom. "I understand some Humans do not like to be seen in front of others without their clothing," he said with a glance at Hoshi, who blushed slightly, recalling Kleth barging in on her and Malcolm the day before.

"Damn straight!" Tucker muttered, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

Kleth looked at Malcolm, who was grinning. "So, Humans enjoy the embarrassment of other Humans when they are naked?"

Hoshi burst out in a loud guffaw, and Malcolm joined her. Kleth certainly was learning a lot about the nature of Humans. She laughed so hard that her sides began to hurt, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

She'd managed to calm down before Tucker opened the bathroom door. He'd had to take off his civilian clothes to put on the softer garments worn under the battle armor. His version of the armor, like Malcolm's, had no rank insignia.

No one said anything as they took in his appearance -- one slender Human in dark protective clothing made for someone much stockier than he. He looked like a malnourished turtle poking its head out of its shell, Hoshi thought.

"Well?" Tucker asked, holding his arms out from his sides.

"You do not wear it as well as Ma'Com," Kleth said with an air of disappointment.

Hoshi tried to stop a new wave of laughter but was powerless to contain it when Malcolm voiced the very same thing she was thinking.

"Don't think I've ever seen a blond Klingon before," he said.

"Like you really think I'm gonna pass as a Klingon?" Tucker asked skeptically over Hoshi's laughter.

"No," Kleth answered, "but you must look like you are part of a Klingon crew."

Tucker and Kleth left to go back to engineering, and Hoshi could hear the engineer muttering his displeasure about the uncomfortable outfit as he made his way out the door.

"I'll break it to him later that he's going with us to meet Shidak," Malcolm said.

"Better you than me," she replied as she picked up yet another a padd, intent on resuming her work.

Besides, she needed to quit thinking about Malcolm, who was seated only a few feet away. She'd never get any work done if she allowed herself to be distracted by him.

She tried to concentrate on the information on the padd, something about the amount of the Falcon's food stores, but could feel his eyes on her. She persisted for a few more minutes, but when she realized she'd read the same sentence four times, she gave up. Imitating him earlier, she tossed the padd on the desk and sat back with a sigh.

"Don't you have anything else to do?" she asked, her breath catching on the last word as she saw the look in his eyes.

"Actually, no," he replied, his voice deep and husky.

Clearing her throat, she looked away, trying to think of something for him to do. Her eyes fell on her bed, and she quickly averted her gaze. She was racking her brain, trying to think of something to say, when he spoke up.

"By the way, I'm curious about something," he said.

She looked over in time to see him take something from a pocket in his battle armor. He held it up and flipped it to her. Catching it, she saw it was the tracker she had found on her sash.

"Why didn't you destroy this when you found it?" he asked.

Turning the tracker over and over with her fingers, she avoided looking at him. She really hadn't wanted to tell him yet, but there might not be a better opportunity.

"There are a few things you don't know about me," she began.

"Such as?"

Still avoiding his eyes, she blurted out, "I'm working for Starfleet, too."

"What? That's impossible! I'd know if you were a Starfleet agent."

"Maybe not," she said under his disbelieving stare. "And it's not like I'm officially working for them. I'm sort of a...free agent...I guess you could call it."

"I suggest you tell me exactly what you are talking about," he said sharply.

"Well, after Matthew was killed, I didn't know at first what I was going to do," she said, her eyes losing their focus as she remembered that awful time. "I had some notion of continuing to run H-S Shipping, but my heart wasn't in it. Not without Matthew."

She could feel the tears threatening and drew a shuddering breath, angry at herself. She didn't want to appear weak in front of Malcolm. She wiped her eyes quickly, trying to rein in her rampant emotions, but every time she thought about what had happened to Matthew... She took another deep breath and plunged on.

"Kleth showed up on my doorstep about two weeks after Matthew died. He had to tell me himself what had happened. And he pledged the loyalty of himself and the Falcon's crew to me, in Matthew's stead."

What was with her today? Now she felt like laughing as she recalled her sudden impulse to ship out on the Falcon. "I visited the Falcon at Kleth's insistence. That's when I came up with the idea to become its captain, and this whole crazy plan to seek out Shidak and kill him."

Malcolm interrupted her brusquely. "That doesn't tell me how you are involved with Starfleet."

"I'm getting to that," she said just as sharply. "It took another two weeks to make the Falcon ready for travel. Supplies, repairs, and everything else it takes to prepare a ship. It was during that time that I was approached by a person with Starfleet Intelligence."

She saw Malcolm's interest pique even more, if that was possible, at the mention of Intelligence. "Who was this person?" he asked.

"Vice Admiral Nolan."

Malcolm shook his head, not recognizing the name, but then, it wasn't his branch of Starfleet. There were probably a lot of higher-ups he hadn't heard of.

When he didn't say anything, she continued, "He guessed that I was planning something, getting the Falcon ready for deep space. He didn't ask exactly what I was planning to do. He did, however, suggest that if I were to meet any pirates, Shidak in particular, that any information I found out should be passed on to him. I would be his 'person on the inside.'"

"So he wanted you to infiltrate Shidak's organization?"

"Yes."

"Did he tell you to kill Shidak?"

"No."

"Did you tell him that is what you were planning to do?"

"Of course not! Do you think he would have helped me if I told him that? He gave me certain codes to relay and receive information. He also gave me several ideas where to start looking for Shidak."

Hoshi sat there as Malcolm considered her revelation. His eyes were drawn to the tracker which she still held in her hand.

"So, since you knew I was Starfleet, you decided to bring me onto your ship, instead of leaving me and Tucker behind when our engine gave out," he stated, holding out his hand for the tracker.

"That's pretty much the gist of it," she said, giving it back. "And, you may not believe this but, well..."

"What?"

She laughed harshly before answering. "I must be insane. I can't believe I'm doing this."

"What?" he asked again.

"I really do believe it is wrong to take a life," she said, looking miserably at him. "Everything I believe in, everything I was brought up to believe... When Matthew went to the Falcon's aid, it was an affirmation of the way I try to live. He couldn't let that crew die, knowing he could have helped them. And I couldn't leave you behind when your engine gave out. You could have died if Tucker couldn't fix it or no one came along to help."

She began to laugh almost hysterically. "And even though I believe it's wrong, I'm going to kill someone, because that person took the life of someone I loved."

Malcolm was up and around her desk before she knew what he was doing. He gently drew her up until he was holding her as her laughter turned to sobs.