CHAPTER 9

Orwell stuck out the six-hour journey at the communications console on the Morning Star, sending hail after hail, refusing to be put off by the Lanaris' prevarications. When one official couldn't help, he would contact another, wheedling, coaxing, and, in a few cases, threatening, trying to obtain any information about Hoshi.

An hour from the planet, he changed tactics. Instead of contacting planetary officials, he tried reaching internal security and wound up talking to a police supervisor in the capital city. The contact proved productive, and he put the transmission with the police officer through to Malcolm in his office.

"Captain Reed?" said the dark-haired Lanari who stared out at him from his computer screen.

"Yes. And you are...?"

"Supervisor P'kora. I'm with the security police in Linau, the capital city."

Malcolm regarded him for a moment. He was a typical Lanari, with the slight cheek ridges and gold-rimmed irises. Other than that, he could pass for human. The man seemed sincere and confident, meeting his eyes with a steady gaze.

"What can you tell me about Hoshi Sato?" Malcolm asked.

The Lanari exhaled, and answered Malcolm's question with a question. "What do you know of the political situation on this planet?"

"Not much. You have a central government, but it is somewhat ineffectual," Malcolm said, drawing on his recent research about Lanari. He saw P'kora raise his eyebrows at his comment but the policeman didn't interrupt him, so he continued. "There are a number of opposition groups, some of which resort to violent means to further their goals."

P'kora nodded. "Succinct and accurate. Hoshi Sato was taken by one of those opposition groups. From our investigation, it seems members of the Lanari Liberation League, posing as government officials, went to her hotel room and kidnapped her under the guise of moving her to a better room."

"Do you have any idea where they may have taken her?"

"Not yet."

"Why did they take her?" asked Malcolm, who had been puzzling over that aspect since he'd first heard she'd been kidnapped.

"It's a political move," P'kora said. "The government wants to set up medical clinics, and the LLL doesn't want it to."

Malcolm was genuinely confused now. "But medical clinics... How could that be of any concern to a group opposed to the government?"

P'kora looked evenly at Malcolm. "It's much more complicated than you realize. I can explain in more detail when you get here. Perhaps I'll have more information for you then."

Malcolm arranged to meet P'kora when they arrived and, as he cut the transmission, he felt the first spark of hope since he'd found out that Hoshi had been kidnapped.

Hoshi dozed off and on after being taken back to her room. She felt better since emptying her stomach. Maybe she couldn't handle Lanari food. That's all it was, she reassured herself, and not something to do with the baby. She desperately hoped it wasn't anything to do with the baby.

After a while, she got up and began to pace around the room. She had to find a way out. She had come to the decision that she couldn't wait on Malcolm. At the very least, it would be three days before he even knew anything was wrong since she told him she wouldn't call him until she was on the way home.

In the meantime, F'linu might come up with something he could use her for, and she didn't want to wait around for that to happen. She'd be damned if she was going to be a pawn in his schemes against the government, no matter what she thought of it. The fact that he was preventing her from helping his own people didn't sit well with her, either.

There was no way out of the room except for the door, which was locked. Even if she could get into the hall, no doubt there would be someone around who would see her if she tried to leave the building.

The next time she was allowed to use the bathroom, she'd check the window. Maybe she could get out that way. She'd have to make a run for the jungle as quickly as possible, before her escort realized what she was doing. Every second her captors were unaware she was gone would make it that much harder for them to find her.

That she was in a jungle didn't bother her. She'd been in jungle settings before. What worried her was how far she might be from any city or settlement, but that was a chance she'd have to take.

Having made a plan boosted her confidence. She couldn't help shivering, though, wondering if she'd have enough courage to run when an opportunity presented itself.

Malcolm was waiting in the transporter room for Trip so they could beam down to Lanari. Kleth had insisted on beaming down with him, and Malcolm was keying in the transporter commands to receive the Klingon captain on the Morning Star when Trip arrived with Slanea. The usual drab jumpsuit worn by the Klingon engineer had been replaced by battle armor.

"I am coming with you," she announced bluntly.

Malcolm glanced at Trip for an explanation. With the resigned air of someone who has lost an argument, the engineer said, "She thinks she'll be able to help."

"I should go instead of Trip," she said forcefully. "He is a Starfleeter. If I understand correctly, his participation in this is not sanctioned by Starfleet. It could damage his career."

Malcolm hadn't considered that. He'd assumed Trip would go along. At Malcolm's surprised look, Trip grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, she's worried about me. What can I say? But I'm goin' anyway."

"Slanea," Malcolm began, half intending to order her to remain on board, but the chime announcing an incoming transporter beam interrupted him. All three turned to look at the platform where Kleth was materializing. At the last moment, Slanea reached over and put a hand on Trip's arm.

Kleth took in the assembled group when he materialized. A frown crossed his face as he saw Slanea's possessive hold on Trip.

He turned to Malcolm. "Well?" he asked loudly. "What are we waiting for?"

"You," Malcolm said, entering new commands into the console. He gestured for Trip and Slanea to get on the platform and pushed a few more buttons before joining them on the pad.

They materialized outside police headquarters in the capital city. Glancing around once to get his bearings, Malcolm set off up a set of stone stairs to the entrance.

Their arrival created a stir in the main lobby, most Lanari never having seen Klingons before. Malcolm felt a rush of satisfaction. The Klingons' presence was an intimidating force, and he was glad both of them were along. It didn't hurt that they were dressed in full battle armor, complete from the gauntlets on their forearms down to the clawed-toe boots they favored.

No one approached them, so he walked over to the reception desk where a Lanari male dressed in the black uniform of the police force was seated. The Lanari looked nervous as the off-world delegation approached him. Out of the corner of his eye, Malcolm could see both Kleth and Slanea wearing fierce scowls. Slanea issued a low growl, and Malcolm had to stifle a smile as the Lanari police officer gulped nervously.

"We're here to see P'kora," he told the officer.

The man bobbed his head in acknowledgement and got up. Gesturing for them to follow, he led them through a door behind the desk and down a long corridor. Upon reaching a door with Lanari lettering on its frosted window, he knocked and opened it, standing back for the group to enter.

The same Lanari with whom Malcolm had talked while on the ship rose from a seat behind a desk to greet them. "Captain Reed," he said, then looked questioningly at the other three who crowded in behind him.

"Some of my crew," Malcolm said but singled out Kleth by saying, "and the captain of the Falcon, the other ship with us."

P'kora made no move toward the group, but when Kleth growled loudly, he didn't back up, either. Compared to the reaction of the other Lanaris who had seen the Klingons, this one had some guts. Malcolm was beginning to think this man might be able to help them.

Getting right to the point, Malcolm asked, "Have you found out anything since we talked earlier?"

"I have," said P'kora. "I'm arranging a detail to raid the location where I believe Ms. Sato is being held." He hesitated, looking at each member of Malcolm's group as if measuring them. "You are welcome to join me, if you wish."

Not waiting for an answer, P'kora turned and went through another door in his office. As it opened, Malcolm could see what appeared to be a weapons storage room. He walked over to peer in, taking in the Lanari firearms.

P'kora picked up a rifle and remarked, "I'd offer you the use of some of these, but I don't think you need them," and looked pointedly at the disruptor on Malcolm's hip.

P'kora came back in the room, gave the group one more visual inspection, and said, "Let's go."

The humans and Klingons followed him out into the hall, but instead of turning toward the front of the building, the Lanari went toward the back. He led them through an outer door to an alley and walked to a ground vehicle parked nearby.

There were no markings on the vehicle. If this was to be a clandestine operation, the Lanari police wouldn't want to announce their arrival, Malcolm thought with approval. That would take away some of the element of surprise.

P'kora got in behind the wheel and looked at the four people who stood on the pavement watching him. "Get in. We haven't got all day."

Trip and Slanea hurriedly got in the back seat, while Malcolm and Kleth both made for the passenger door in front. Malcolm gave Kleth a look that dared him to challenge him for the front seat, and saw a small smile flit across the big Klingon's face.

"You have the right. She is your mate, Ma'Com," Kleth conceded, and moved to get in the back.

As soon as the doors closed, P'kora put the vehicle in gear.

"Where are the rest of your men?" Malcolm asked as they pulled away from the building.

Keeping his eyes on the road, the Lanari answered evenly, "There aren't any."

"What!" came Trip's disbelieving shout from behind them as he leaned forward to grab the back of the front seat. "Do you mean to say you're the entire police force for this raid?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe this!" Trip ranted, backed by low growls from the Klingons. "What kind of police force are you people runnin' down here?"

Malcolm was watching P'kora closely during Trip's tirade. They hadn't gotten any cooperation from any other official on the planet, but he had an idea of what might be going on. Before the Lanari could say anything, Malcolm said, "They don't know you're doing this, do they?"

A humorless smile graced the man's face as he negotiated skillfully through heavy traffic, keeping his eyes on the road. "If by 'they' you mean my superiors, no, they don't know I'm doing this. If this raid isn't successful, my career will be over."

The rumbling coming from the Klingons increased at his statement. Malcolm shot a glare into the back seat, urging them to refrain from doing anything. He could see Kleth's hand twitch over the handle to his disruptor, and Slanea's fingers were curved into claws.

"But you are helping us," Malcolm said to P'kora.

"I believe I must."

Studying the man's face for any sign of a falsehood, Malcolm asked, "Why?"

"I have a family," he said. They stopped for cross traffic, and P'kora looked over at Malcolm. "A wife, two fine sons, a daughter. They are everything to me."

P'kora returned his gaze to the road as he began driving the vehicle forward again. "One of my sons suffered from a rare neurological condition. There was no treatment on Lanari for him. He was going to die in a matter of a few years. My wife and I used our entire savings to take him to Estab."

A broad smile broke out on the police supervisor's face. "You should see him now! He can run and play with the other children, no longer so tired that all he can do is sit."

"You took him to one of Hoshi's clinics, didn't you?" Malcolm asked.

P'kora nodded. They were at the outskirts of the city now and their speed was increasing as the traffic thinned. "We had no money to pay for the treatment. It took all we had for the trip. When I explained this, the director of the clinic contacted Ms. Sato, who arranged for J'lino to be treated without charge. I did not want to accept charity, Captain Reed, but my son's life was at stake."

Malcolm was humbled by the man's words. P'kora obviously was a proud man who had gone to great lengths to help his son, and now he was willing to give up his livelihood to help the person whom he believed was responsible for saving his son. He wondered, after his own child arrived, if he could do the same.

"Now it is my turn," P'kora said, breaking into Malcolm's thoughts. "I know you are of the same species as Ms. Sato, but what is she to you that you are willing to risk your lives to find her?"

"He is her chosen one," came Kleth's deep voice from the back, followed by a gasp from Slanea.

Malcolm couldn't help it. He laughed. "That's under Klingon custom. According to the customs of my species -- humans -- she is my intended. She's going to be my wife. And she is carrying my child."

A look of comprehension crossed P'kora's face, but he didn't say anything else as they continued to speed down the road.