Chapter Ten
Captain's Log: Classified Entry, Supplemental.
First Officer Commander Spock Recording for Captain Kirk.
It has been almost four hours since Captain Kirk and Doctor Selana beamed too the surface of Romulus. So far, we have no contact with Captain Kirk or the Doctor. Their subcutaneous transponders have been deactivated somehow, as a result Lieutenant Chekov and his team are standing by in the transporter room awaiting final orders to beam down too the surface of Romulus…
As a result of this, we have detected several heavily armed Romulan warships scanning the area for the Enterprise, so far we remain under the cloak. However, I fear that if we transport the away team too the surface, the transporter signal will be identified and tracked back too our location. Doctor Selana has almost four hours of protection before she is vulnerable too the effects of the Langaran plague. Mister Scott is currently working on a way to hide our transporter signature from detection, so far… he has come up empty handed.
Uncomfortably sat in the command chair, the acting captain of the large vessel studied the sensor readouts channelled through the science console into the command console surrounding the captain's seat. Although he had little chance of detecting Doctor Selana on the surface of Romulus, it was his hope that he could detect human life signs on the surface of the enemy world. Spock knew that an active scan of the area would be detectable by any ship or sensor network surrounding the planet, so he had taken up the use of a passive scan of the planet surface. Although not as effective and sensitive as an active scan, Commander Spock had discovered a way to tap into the sensor network around the planet without detection in the hopes of boosting the sensor range and sensitivity.
"Mister Spock, this is Lieutenant Chekov… We stand ready sir"
"I am aware of that Lieutenant. However, it would be ill advised to transport too the surface until we have located the Captain and his party"
"Very well sir, what would you have me do?"
"Remain in the transporter room and await further orders, once I have located Captain Kirk or Doctor McCoy…"
"Understood Sir, Chekov out!"
On the surface of Romulus, Captain Kirk and his Romulan advisor had been taken directly too the Praetor of Romulus. Stood in the large Romulan Senate, Kirk looked around slowly at the seat of power for the entire Romulan Empire as a frail old man entered the room closely aided by what appeared to be Reman Guards and two Romulan Doctors. Stood at Kirk's side, Doctor Selana bowed slightly with respect as the ever grumpy Doctor McCoy sighed slightly.
"I must admit Captain Kirk, I was surprised when I learned of your capture…" He wheezed slightly.
"I am here to return my officer too his home" Kirk growled.
"I see, you have a loyalty that we sometimes… forget about, isn't that correct… Selana?" He growled.
"I did what I thought was best… if I am to cure this plague, the Federation is the best place to be… since that is where it began" She said quickly.
"I understand. Many of our people have… called for your head. You have placed me in a difficult position, little one… however, I believe you are correct"
"What?" Kirk said quickly.
Slowly sitting in his large seat of power, the Praetor waved for the guards to leave the senate, much to their own dissatisfaction. However, following the orders of the Praetor was not something they would argue with since he held the life of every Romulan in his frail old hands.
"Guards, release our guests from their shackles"
"My lord?" Complained one guard.
"You heard the man… get these damned things off me!" McCoy yelled.
"As you wish. My lord, would it not be prudent to have a guard in this room with you?"
"If it makes you feel any better… wait near the door. I give you my word… He will not be harmed" Kirk said politely.
"If you so much as breath your foul human stench in his direction… your head will decorate the entrance to this Senate!" The guard warned fiercely.
Releasing the shackles from Kirk and his party's hands and feet, the large guards walked towards the entrance to the Senate as the Reman guards walked behind the large partition separating the senate from the Praetor's personal quarters. Coughing up green blood, the Praetor wiped his mouth with his frail hand before he spoke softly to the enemy of the Romulan Empire.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you Captain Kirk. I have followed your career for many years. You have surpassed my greatest expectations"
"That is high praise Captain Kirk" Selana smiled slightly.
"I am honoured. What are you going to do with us?"
"I have read a report stating that your… vessel… has been detected in orbit of this world. Very impressive Captain Kirk, I see your Federation has perfected the cloaking system"
"Is that a problem?" Kirk smirked.
"No… We have known for some time that the Federation has been experimenting with the cloaking system. Since your deception during the treaty…"
"We did what we had to do" Kirk smiled as he folded his arms.
"As we would do also. Perhaps… sometime in the future, our peoples could work together"
"Why in the future Praetor, we are here now"
"As it is" He smiled slightly. "Doctor McCoy, you are free to leave this world unharmed as are you Captain Kirk. However, Doctor Selana must remain behind and account for her actions"
"No!" Kirk demanded.
"This matter is not open for debate Captain Kirk. She has betrayed her oath to the Empire"
"She is a member of my team… and my crew" Kirk said quickly.
Selana fired a questioning look at the Captain, shocked by what he had said.
"She is an impressive woman Captain Kirk, but she is after all Romulan and accountable too our laws. I believe your Federation has laws concerning the interference of alien cultures. What is that quaint little word you have for it?"
"The Prime Directive…" Kirk sighed.
"That is the one I speak of. By refusing this… you are in breach of this… Prime Directive am I correct?"
"Yes. What will happen too her if she remains behind?"
"I will be placed on trial for my defection, after which I will be publicly executed and my remains placed on display as a warning for future generations…"
"I will not allow that" The Praetor called out.
"What?" McCoy said in shock.
"She is more important to me then a mere symbol of defiance"
"Why?" Kirk replied.
"He is… the Praetor is my father" Selana said slowly.
Her words echoed around the great hall of the Senate like an explosion as Kirk and McCoy fired a look of shock in her direction and then back towards the Praetor himself, coughing once more. He nodded slightly as Selana continued.
"My birth father was a member of the senate, when he died of the plague I was a child. The Praetor took pity on me and brought me into his family, he raised me as his own. My mother died of the plague shortly after I was born. I am sorry Leonard… I could not have told you the truth about my past"
"Now she tells me" McCoy moaned.
"It was on my orders that Selana contacted your father with regards too the plague and eventually you. Yet another reason she can not return too your Federation, she is now infected with the plague… as I am" He said slowly.
"Not exactly" She smiled. "A year ago I made a breakthrough, I have perfected a… shield against the plague… effective for eight hours exposure. I have little time before it wears off and I will be susceptible to infection"
"What?" McCoy said in shock.
"I used your research notes Leonard. You where onto something… possibly even the cure itself"
"How?" He smiled.
"It would take to long to explain, if I am allowed to return too the Enterprise… with Leonard's help, I may be able to complete my work"
"How long would this take?" The Praetor said slowly.
"With McCoy's help… eighteen hours, maybe two days"
"Very well. Captain Kirk, order your ship to lower its cloak… they will be unharmed. However, as insurance against your cooperation, you will remain on Romulus as my guest…"
"No Jim, you can't!" McCoy exclaimed.
"I give you my word Doctor McCoy, no harm will come too your Captain. He will be treated as my honoured guest… besides, we have a lot to discuss"
"I'll be okay Bones…"
Nodding slightly, the dirty and scruffy looking exhausted Doctor nodded slightly. They all knew they had no choice in the matter and had too cooperate with the deadly Romulan Empire for the safety of the Enterprise and her crew.
After being allowed a brief contact with the Starship high above and under the orders of Captain Kirk, the USS Enterprise lowered her cloak as eighteen Romulan ships converged around the large deadly Starfleet ship. Upon returning too the Enterprise, McCoy was greeted by medical staff and much too his own dissatisfaction, thoroughly examined before h was allowed to return to duty.
As news of the Enterprise's situation, Starfleet had been placed on high alert as every free Starship had taken up position on the Federation side of the Neutral Zone, everyone knew what would happen within the next two days would reshape the galaxy for the better or for the worst.
Dressed in his usual medical scrubs and thoroughly cleaned and with his hair neatly cut, the slightly bearded McCoy entered the medical lab for the first time in two years as he was greeted by applause from his medical staff, much to his own embarrassment.
"Welcome back Doctor McCoy…" Chapel smiled widely.
"Thank you Nurse"
"Actually, I'm a Doctor now" She smiled.
"Congratulations… Doctor Chapel" He smiled.
"Thank you sir. Doctor McCoy, this is Doctor Jon Walsh… He's been taking over during your…"
"Captivity?" McCoy sighed.
"I wasn't exactly going too say that… but yes"
"Welcome home Doctor McCoy, I have heard some… interesting stories about you"
"It is a pleasure sir" McCoy nodded.
"Well, time is short… let me show you what I found" Selana said.
Medical Log… Stardate… Umm… No idea.
For ten hours we have been working on the vaccine discovered by Doctor Selana, she is brilliant. Although I have been working on this for the better part of my adult life, I find my self exhausted by the research. I must admit, I am looking forwards to returning home and sitting on a beach someplace for months with nothing to do but enjoy the sun.
Commander Spock has informed me that we have maintained a regular contact with Captain Kirk on the surface and he is currently in deep negotiations with the Romulan Praetor and several of the Senate into a possible ceasefire between our peoples. I know that if anyone can do it, Jim Kirk is man.
I'm not sure about the new Starfleet uniforms though… everyone looks like a damned circus clown. I half expect to see Spock walk in with a big red nose and baggy trousers, it's possible…
"Leonard, I think this is it"
"What?" He yawned.
"The nucleotide sequence… it appears to be realigning"
"That's impossible" He grunted.
"I think, I think we've found it!" She smiled.
"This is based purely on Reman DNA…" McCoy said with a grunt.
"The Reman DNA is not exactly all that dissimilar to Romulan or Vulcan… with a few modifications to the Base-Pair sequence… it can possibly be encoded to react with Romulan DNA"
"How long will that take?"
"Give me… give me twenty minutes!" She laughed.
"Do it… nice work Doctor!"
"Thank you Doctor" She winked.
As she returned too her work, something was still hanging over the two of them as McCoy sat back down in a large chair while he kept a close eye on the Romulan Doctor working before him. Although he had been freed from his captivity on Romulus, he still felt a certain resentment towards the Romulan people for his many months or torture at the hands of a Romulan whip. In order to break his spirit, the Romulan Senate had sent him to the Dilitium mines on Remus as punishment for his disobedience. Feeling his eyes watch her every move, she looked up from the console in which she working as she spoke softly.
"I'm sorry" She sighed. "For everything that happened to you, I'm sorry. It should have been me"
"I made my choice… I still think it was the right one to make"
"I should've been with you, the Haz-Mat suit would have protected me… I could've helped you" She sighed.
"No! I made my damned choice, now shut the hell up… and get back too work" He growled.
"What happened to you Leonard?"
"For months I refused to help them… I was beaten, tortured and eventually sent too Remus as punishment, perhaps even to die. It's funny… event he lowest of the low hated me. Too them I was a symbol of everything they hated. I spent months down there… I almost died. But once the Praetor… your father contracted the illness, I was brought back to Romulus to treat him. At first I refused… but I had no choice. I lost two toes on each foot in my refusal to work for them… they even forced me to amputate them myself with a blunt knife…"
"Holy shit…" She sighed. "I'm sorry"
"You surprise me Doctor, you sound like a human"
"I've picked up a few habits over the years… Doctor McCoy… Leonard, if I can do anything too help…"
"Complete your work…" He sighed.
"Yes Doctor!" She said with a half smile.
Finally completing the research for the vital and hopeful cure of the plague, Doctor Selana returned to the Romulan Senate along with a reluctant Leonard McCoy and Commander Spock. Given yet another dose of the shielding agent against the plague itself, they entered the large Senate to be greeted by a full assembly of the infected personnel. With a slight smile on his face, Captain Kirk walked towards the Starfleet away team while still in his Romulan disguise.
"Welcome back, took you long enough… I'm not sure how long I can take this food" He laughed.
"I assume you have been treated well Captain?"
"Yes Spock, thank you. We have come to an agreement. Two hours ago… and with the Praetor at my side, I contact Admiral Pike with a proposal…"
"I was not aware of this" Spock said abruptly.
"Don't feel left out Spock. Once this plague has been cured once and for all, the Romulan Senate has agreed to host a Federation delegation in the hopes of fostering a ceasefire…"
"And possibly dismantle the Neutral Zone" A Senator smiled darkly.
"I see" Spock replied.
"Captain Kirk is an accomplished diplomat… much too our surprise. His offer was… to good too pass on"
"What offer?" McCoy growled.
"Once this plague has been cured, the Federation will assist the Romulan Empire with rebuilding itself. We will provide medical and economical aide to the Romulans along with rebuilding their domestic infrastructure"
"What about Selana?" McCoy said aloud.
"She will be allowed to return to the Federation as a full Ambassador of Romulus… assuming the plague is cured of course. Two hours ago, Admiral Pike dispatched thirty medical ships along with a healthy supply of medical staff and equipment to be dispatched across the Romulan Empire with the cure you have… created. Each member of the medical teams will be given a healthy dose of the shield you have… created"
"In effect Commander Spock, the war is over between our two powers"
"That is… indeed good news" Spock nodded.
"For the moment. Spock you will return to the Enterprise and set course for the Neutral Zone… the Romulan flagship, Praetor's Pride will pull along side as escort. In sixteen hours, you will rendezvous with the USS Concord, once she is along side… Ambassador Sarek will transport onboard, I believe you are familiar with him and his work"
"Humorous" Spock said with a raised eyebrow.
"Once onboard, the Enterprise and Romulan Flagship will return here… on the way, Sarek will continue with his negotiations with the Praetor, after which he will be protected by Selana's shield injection and beam down to this location to formalise the treaty. Any objections?"
"No sir… why Sarek?"
"We have heard a great deal of the Ambassador's… reputation, I understand he is a formidable opponent in the chambers. From what I have seen, his reputation is correct" Smiled the Praetor.
"Selana, I assume you have the cure?" Kirk said quickly.
"Yes sir, however… it is untested in its current form"
"It's potent Jim…"
"Do what you can Bones… smile, we're about to make History!"