Chapter 7
Kirk materialised on the transporter pad. Kyle, the transporter chief, was conspicuous by his absence, his station occupied by Spock, who evidently had performed the beam-up.
"Uh oh, I know that expression."
An eyebrow rose in reproof. "Sir," said Spock, at his most punctilious, but nevertheless course set and laid in, "you are my Captain, and I am bound to follow your orders, but I would be remiss in my duties if I were to fail to caution you that being the landing party's singular presence, with no protection and no back-up, is markedly unwise."
"DeMarco got to you, too, huh?"
Spock folded his arms across his chest. "Jim!"
He grinned and stepped off the transporter pad. "Well, Mr Spock, I consider myself properly rebuked."
One would hardly credit it, but Spock's gaze became even flintier. Uh oh, indeed. He put a lid on the flippancy. "DeMarco is right. It is unwise, but we are playing for higher stakes than just the safety of a starship captain."
"You have discovered information not covered in the intelligence reports?"
"The intelligence reports don't cover the half of it." He sniffed the arm of his shirt and wrinkled his nose. "Walk with me. I need a change of clothes, my shirt stinks of something like boiled cabbage. Any news on the missing people?" he said, as Spock obligingly fell into step with him.
"We may have located the male Vulcan. Further to what we have gleaned and since, as Doctor McCoy and the head of the delegation advise, he was injured, the most logical place to find him would be the hospital in the capital, and there is indeed a wing on that site, which employs a transporter suppression field."
"I still can't get over they're using those things. That's some advanced technology to play around with."
"Indeed, and I am attempting to analyse the suppression field signature for a match with those we know who use them in an endeavour to determine where the Matli acquired them from."
"My guess is the Gammenori."
"A feasible conjecture. As to the injured Vulcan, the obvious assumption is that the male Vulcan is the occupant at the hospital, unless this is a Matli deception."
"What do you think?"
"The capitol also accommodates two separate security facilities, both of which have similarly shielded quarters and there are other smaller fields. I cannot rule out his presence at the alternative sites. Nevertheless, I think it more likely he is in the hospital. The delegation's leader reports his injuries were extensive and the Matli appear to have expended more energy in making an issue over his bondmate, and of she, we have no clue of her whereabouts."
"Do I have to consider a worst case scenario?"
"That they may be deceased, Captain?"
He nodded.
"Unlikely, I should think. The female Vulcan, in particular, appears to be the instrument of a Matli stratagem, whatever that may prove to be. It would not serve them well, if she were to have been harmed."
"That's what I'm thinking."
"Indeed, except that one may not rule out mischance and misadventure," Spock said, as though his object were to depress him all over again. "It is a development we must consider, since our sensors detected the four Vulcans, we have already recovered, as soon as they were removed from the cover of a transporter suppression field."
"You're a regular ray of sunshine, you know that, Mr Spock."
Spock inclined an eyebrow, to underline that he was, after all, the one who'd asked.
"Talking of the delegation, would you convey my regards to its head and ask him to join the pair of us in briefing room one at 1600 hours."
"Aye, sir."
"Any good news?"
"If we should succeed in recovering either one of the pair alive and conscious, they will know whether the other remains alive or not."
"Well, my gut tells me they are both alive."
"Forgive me, Captain, but I would prefer to work on more than your intestinal perspicacity."
"Well, in that, Mr Spock, we are in utter agreement." At that point in the conversation, they reached his quarters and Spock left him and went off to mind the store.
xxx
Was it his imagination or had that sonic shower made little impact on the smell he fancied still clung to his person. Uhura's call caught him with one leg inside his pants.
"Kirk."
"Captain, you asked me to report on Gammenori comm chatter."
"I did. Any spikes?"
"Well, that's just it, sir. No spikes, in fact no nothing. A complete absence in sub-space."
"That's odd." His shirt, stuck about his ears, muffled his voice and he yanked it into place.
"Aye, sir. It makes a strange contrast to the Matli. I have monitored another seven calls of upset captains reporting their ships have been seized and the Matli authorities attempting to resolve the situation with the Orions."
"What was the Orions response?"
"Short shrift, sir." Uhura smothered a snort and he gathered the Orions had minced no words.
Ha! That should keep the pressure on. "Understood. Keep me posted."
"Aye, sir."
xxx
Komack's call, demanding an update, interrupted both Kirk's early dinner — this time he'd missed lunch — and his perusal of a new report of shipping movements in the sector. He was starving and spared a longing eye for his chicken sandwich and coffee, but what could you do.
Farragut and Apollo reported little amiss.
Komack had heard of his appeal to T'Pau, a development the admiral obviously appeared less than happy about; surprise T'Pau had stooped to take his call, openly weighed with what ulterior motive or motives lay behind such ready co-operation. Komack huffed, in what was proving to be his default sentiment, but was at least pleased to hear Enterprise had recovered the majority of the Vulcans.
At this point he chose not to mention offworlder interference in Matli affairs, not without more data to present first. Anyway, he'd bet Komack knew more than he cared to let on.
The admiral's call made him late to his meeting with Iskar, the head of the delegation. He wolfed his sandwich and took his coffee with him; it was the real thing from his private store, too precious to let grow cold and go to waste.
He entered the briefing room, where Spock and the head of the delegation were already seated. "I apologise for keeping you waiting, Iskar."
As one might expect, Iskar betrayed no impatience for his tardiness, simply regarding him with Vulcan calm and collection "It is quite alright, Captain. I understand the claims you must have upon your time."
He indicated his own cup and offered refreshment that was declined, so he got to the heart of the matter.
"What happened?" he said, taking his own seat next to Spock.
"I believe that the situation may be described as a clusterfuck."
The comment caught him mid-swallow and a mouthful went down the wrong way. He spent the next minute coughing, spluttering and purple in the face. Spock leaned over and gave him a helpful wallop on the back that rattled his teeth.
He smothered another cough. "Iskar, please don't do that!"
"Oh, is the usage not correct? I was attempting, as I believe you say, a 'when in Rome approach'."
Spock, at his most impassive Vulcan self, said, "The usage is correct and I would endorse the assessment, except the word is entirely vulgar."
"I see," said Iskar, digesting their response; the blunder appeared to have disquieted him.
His airway cleared enough for him to add, "And I have been on the surface and would likewise agree about correct usage." He cast a discreet eye at Spock, who was subjecting Iskar to an intense forensic stare, seemingly sharing his curiosity of whether such a minor blunder was emblematic of a diplomat with a tin ear for the customs and proprieties of other races. Small missteps sometimes led to big consequences.
"In that case I might add that I erred. I over assessed Matli capacity for logic."
That sounded more like it, if not at all promising. He rubbed his still watering eyes. "What was the objective of your mission?"
The question brought Iskar up short. "Surely you have been briefed, Captain?"
"Oh, I have, but it is astonishing what sometimes gets lost in translation, not to mention reports have a habit of leaving out that which is implicit in one's instructions."
"In that case, I would reiterate what you must have already heard: the objectives of our mission were designed to assuage Matli fears of Vulcan expansion in this sector as Gurad continues to prosper. I was also authorised to offer the prospect of new trading opportunities with Federation worlds and provide assurances of the protection of any new trade by Starfleet." Iskar saw Terran restiveness at this last point and was quick to reassure him. "That latter consideration has been sanctioned by Starfleet Command."
He sipped his coffee. "Yes, much of the reports I read all made similar points." Assuaging Matli fears, indeed. Incite Matli paranoia more like. He stared at Iskar, trying to determine whether the head of the delegation was as blind to nuance, as his words would have him believe. It seemed hardly credible; perhaps Iskar was merely keeping his cards close to his chest, and he knew full well how difficult it was to read Vulcans. He needed more data.
"So, when did the mission go belly-up?" You want a colloquialism? Run with that.
"When," said Spock, performing the office of Kirk to Vulcan translator and spoiling all the fun, "did matters go awry?"
"Our mission was troubled from the first. Our initial contacts within the Matli Assembly would not come forward, not to discuss matters in earnest, at least. My team and I spoke to many Matli assembly members, but when it came to discussing specifics, they made excuses and absented themselves. It did not take us long to discover the Matli responsible for intimidating his rivals, an individual with a far more belligerent character. He proved quite intractable."
"You mean First Minister Jomadai?"
"Yes."
"You spoke with him?"
"Yes."
"What are your impressions of him?"
"An individual who seemed very sure of himself. A clever man, but possessing an unpleasant, vindictive streak and quick to use any sort of intimidation to achieve a goal. We saw him use these tactics on a fellow Matli; an instructive, if not an edifying experience."
After what he'd learned from Trukoi and his staff that seemed par for the course.
"However, Jomadai and his staff were pleasant and courteous to us, at first," Iskar said.
"How long did that last?"
"Not long."
"You made him the offer of greater trading opportunities? How did he respond?"
"I hardly know. His response was so inconsistent. One moment he appeared pleased at the prospect, the next he would accuse Vulcan of seeking to deny Matli the means of expanding their territory. It was all most illogical."
"Sounds to me, Jomadai was treating you and your people to an object lesson in how to keep an opponent off balance."
A lofted eyebrow bespoke surprise. "It seems a very illogical way to go about it."
"Not if they were looking to pick a fight." Another discreet glance to Spock. He knew his friend well enough to know Iskar's response left him less than impressed.
"Well, in that case his behaviour served."
He finished his coffee and tossed into the conversation, "My landing party was met by Assembly Member Trukoi."
"Then you had better success than us. I know of him and by that stage, we would have been pleased to extend overtures even to an academic. He avoided us, though. Quite assiduously, I might add."
Unlike Iskar, he would cut the Matli assembly member some slack. Of more interest was the calculation Assembly Member Trukoi had been scared out of his wits, when he had come out to formally greet the Starfleet visitors, yet meet them he had, which corroborated Trukoi's assessment of a changing political landscape. Was that why Jomadai had responded to the Vulcans as he had? A reckoning of his own eroding power base? Nothing served to bring a world together quite so well than contending against an offworld foe.
Iskar fell silent, tenting his fingers in front of him and tapped fingertip to fingertip, fingertip to fingertip. So mannered a gesture. Summoning up Vulcan discipline because the rest of the conversation was going to be difficult?
"After three days in Jomadai's company, we knew enough to be wary of him. Such caution proved warranted."
"You did not consider a call for an immediate extraction?" Spock asked.
"I did, and I would, had not our communications been jammed."
No more coffee. He put down his empty cup, wishing for a refill. Later. "Which served a similar result: to alert Vulcan that something was seriously amiss."
"Yes, Captain."
Iskar again lapsed into silence for a moment, staring at his hands once more, and his inquisitors gave him space. "The Matli leader began to speak of a tradition amongst their people, used to promote closer ties between allies. An exchange of wives." Iskar's eyes tracked in his direction. "You know that one of my team brought her bondmate along. I thought the experience would be good for them, especially as he was considering a change of career to the diplomatic corps. The pair may be full young; they do, however, show much promise and I am a great proponent of early training. I must confess I did not anticipate the Matli's absurd proposition."
"You objected?" Spock said.
"Of course I objected. I explained that the ties between bondmates may not be put asunder."
Or, in other words, a bondmate's for life, not just for Christmas. He gave himself a stern talking to for his ill-timed frivolity and brought his attention back to Iskar.
"I prepared thoroughly for this assignment, Captain, and all the data I acquired on Matli society and its customs made no mention of such a ritual."
So the self-justification part of the conversation had now begun. Spock regarded Iskar with a stony expression; yet another nugget, which garnered a poor reception.
The last thing he needed, though, was for Iskar to clam up and so he offered soothing words. "I'm not surprised. Trukoi informed me the practice was an old one, not performed for centuries."
"The Matli intended to provoke," Spock said.
"Indeed. When they came to take my young team member away, her bondmate became aggressive." Iskar stirred in discomfort. "Please understand he is very young. Very young, indeed, Captain. They intended to provoke and they achieved their goal. He would not have meted out his own retribution, if they had not attempted to restrain him."
"How badly did they injure him?"
Iskar inspected his hands again. "I have no training as a healer. I think it likely he has broken bones, probably internal injuries. His injuries would likely repair well under a healing trance. In his present state, however, I think he is too agitated to initiate one. The furore did at least afford us an opportunity for one of my associates to break into a communications facility and send out a distress call."
"Do you know where they've taken your kids?"
"No."
That would be too easy, of course.
"It would be logical to assume the nearest hospital facility for our injured colleague, but of his bondmate I have no idea." Iskar's mask of Vulcan imperturbability faltered for a fleeting moment. "I think you should be aware First Minister Jomadai, when he was made aware we had sent out a call for assistance, cautioned against a rescue bid, Captain."
"Did he now?"
"I mention it because Jomadai says he fitted her with what sounds like a variation on a neuro-lytic restraint."
Spock's eyebrows rose. "That is not technology the Matli have developed on their own."
"No, it is not," Iskar said.
That was a nasty little wrinkle. "Did you see this device on your team member? Is there any chance Jomadai was bluffing?"
"I have not seen her since Jomadai's people took her away. Consequently, there is no way for me to answer your question as to whether Jomadai was bluffing." Alas, Vulcans weren't the type for intestinal perspicacity.
"Well," he said, rising to his feet, signalling the meeting was at an end, "we'll take it from here, Iskar." Their guest, belatedly understanding he was being dismissed, also rose to his feet. "Please let Mr Spock, or I, know if you, or your team, require anything."
He waited for Iskar to leave the briefing room before he turned to Spock, who, ever mindful of Starfleet protocols had not remained seated when his captain had got up on his hind legs. "What do you think?"
"I find it hard to credit." Spock grouched, yes grouched, and his own eyebrows must have shot up in surprise, because his Vulcan friend immediately schooled his expression into immobility.
"Explain," he said, dropping back into his chair and waving Spock to be seated also.
"Iskar's mission was not what one might describe as routine, yet he thought it fitting to add two very young Vulcans to the delegation, and a bonded pair at that."
"Plainly you disapprove."
"Indeed, Captain." Spock folded his arms, as if that were the final comment on the subject.
"Well, Mr Spock, you can't just leave me hanging there."
"Their youth, particularly the male, makes them volatile. I am in favour of providing good in the field training. This was not the mission for it, however. An older Vulcan would not have responded thus. If the Vulcan youth is as agitated as Iskar reports, then his life is in danger and I have no great expectations of Matli medical skills to keep him alive, until we might recover him."
"Yeah, the injured boy cannot wait for a leisurely rescue." He hit the comm panel before him. "Mr DeMarco to briefing room one."
xxx