Part Three
Spock crosses the open complex pathways as one upon a leisurely stroll. That no one has intercepted him and made efforts to capture him is mildly disconcerting. It is some time before Spock spies a protestor in a shadowed building entrance ahead, wordlessly watching him. But the Qinaid does not approach.
As Spock navigates to and enters the main plaza, Mulk-dan and several of his followers are waiting there.
"Cover him," orders Mulk-dan, and a dozen or more hand weapons are trained on Spock.
Spock sees no purpose in a preamble. "I surrender."
"Do you think us fools?" Mulk-dan's barbed tone belies his flat expression. "You, a Starfleet Commander, have proven you can thwart our best-trained men. Yet you expect me to believe this is no underhanded ploy in returning so agreeably?"
"Were I seeking to deceive you, sir, would it not have been wiser to let you think you had recaptured me against my will?"
The leader's gaze narrows.
"I have been... enlightened... as to the precariousness of my situation, to the extent that I must seek asylum in the company of those I consider to be impulsive and violent. Make no mistake, sir, as a Vulcan I am a pacifist and do not condone your war-like tactics. Yet a certain truth has become unavoidable, and logic dictates that I cannot ignore it."
"What truth would that be, Commander Spock?"
Spock says as steadily as he can, "Humans cannot be trusted." In the ensuing silence, he visibly tenses. "They abandoned me."
Mulk-dan considers him a moment, then waves at the group to surround Spock. When the Qiniad turns and walks away, others prod Spock to follow.
"To know if you speak the truth," Mulk-dan calls over his shoulder, "we shall see what your allies think."
Spock is not surprised to learn that the faction now occupies the Big Debate Hall, having transformed it into a makeshift command center. He immediately spots Lieutenant Kargin, sitting on the ground in a lotus position with eyes closed as if meditating. Still, the armed Qinaid standing to either side of her jars the peaceful illusion.
"The Vulcan has returned!" announces Mulk-dan, roughly drawing Spock by the arm closer to the center of the hall and into everyone's attention.
Kargin's eyes snap open. In the next instant she is on her feet, only prevented from rushing his way by the weapons crossed in front of her. Nonetheless, she cries out, "Mr. Spock!"
He detects in her voice not just shock but a tint of dismay. Naturally, Spock should have found their captain and be actively fixing their situation. But to return of his own volition, it must be alarming to her.
Spock is here now in hopes of doing just that—but no one in this hall must know it.
He says nothing as Mulk-dan ceases to present him like a war prize, releasing Spock physically before Spock can no longer conceal his disgust at being manhandled by a madman. Confronting the captives, Mulk-dan gloats, "Starfleet forsakes you while Spock of Vulcan renounces them in order to aid our cause!"
Spock reminds him levelly, "I should not mind speaking for myself."
The leader ignores that. "The humans of Starfleet chose their own lives over his!" He points at Kargin. "Over their own kind!"
Kargin clenches her fists, her face a mix of anger and disbelief. "That's a lie! The Captain would never abandon any of his crew!"
"How loyal," sneers Mulk-dan.
To prevent Kargin from truly testing the temper of her captors, Spock interjects, "Lieutenant, you know as well as I that a command-track officer is trained to make sacrifices when necessary. Just as Kirk did in the Omia system, he accepted this no-win scenario, and as a result, we are the sacrifices."
Kargin swallows hard. Spock can only hope that she understood the specific reference to Omia, as she was not commissioned aboard the Enterprise until after that mission but Spock is well aware that there is a storytelling tradition that entails crewmen enlightening newcomers as to the daring, dangerous, and near-impossible experiences the Enterprise crew has survived.
But if nothing else, Kargin should know that James T. Kirk does not believe in the no-win scenario.
Heng-ren protests feebly, "It cannot be true."
"Irrefutably true," Spock intones as if an emotion is greatly churning within him and must be held at bay. He hardens his tone. "Captain Kirk found a means of escaping the planet but only for two. Kirk ordered me to stay behind because my skill set is worth less than Dr. McCoy's."
The Consul looks utterly shocked, whereas the Supreme Consul sighs with resignation and the other officials and attendants look fearful. Spock can scarcely make eye contact with any of them.
He remarks more gravely, "Logically, I should have prepared for this possibility, but I trusted them."
Dark eyes glittering, Mulk-dan pronounces, "No human can be trusted. The Federation cannot be trusted!"
Other Qiniad echo his cry.
"You have turned yourself in—for this I can overlook your initial deceit. You need our support, Commander."
"Your graciousness is not taken lightly."
"Very good." The faction leader steps closer to Spock, voice lowered. "My mercy has a limit, however. A person once betrayed expects to be betrayed again."
Spock inclines his head ever-so-slightly. "I understand that I must prove my trustworthiness to you. Therefore I propose that we revisit your need to deliver a message to the Federation Council. I am amenable to doing my part."
"I accept your offer."
Spock waits patiently until Mulk-dan is distracted by reports from his subordinates to quietly drift through the hall. Approaching Kargin even to inquire as to the whereabouts of Collis whom Spock fears has been discarded to suffer his injuries without treatment is out of the question. Therefore Spock moves toward the only other ally he had up to now.
More government workers have been gathered into a tight-knit circle around the Qinaid consulate. They all consider him nervously. Despite this, Heng-ren does as Spock hoped and encourages his people to stand aside and let Spock through.
"Consul Heng-ren," Spock greets him. "Are you well?"
"Alive, which I fear is the best we all can hope for." Heng-ren seems reserved. "Commander... please do not take this as disrespect. But is it possible you misunderstood Captain Kirk's intentions? Perhaps upon returning to his ship, he means to negotiate your release?"
"Kirk does not negotiate with terrorists, Consul."
"But..! It seems utterly preposterous to think—"
"Speak no more of my fellow officers. They have abandoned all of us. I am unable to defend their decision."
"I believe you to be honest, Commander Spock, and therefore I am ill-at-ease knowing you have been cast aside so." Heng-ren's distress is strong enough to irritate Spock's mental shield.
Deception should be in a sense foreign to Spock; more so, inconceivable that he can easily discard years of self-conditioning to become a Vulcan of impugnable character. He should feel unsettled and guilty, seeing the Qinaid so dejected that be left to face encroaching civil war without the aid of their newest allies.
They may blame him for his part, and no longer respect him, by the end of this farce. That is the price Spock is willing to pay. He can do no less as an officer of Starfleet.
Night has fallen. The artificial lighting of the Big Debate Hall illuminates the faces of determined people gathered to hear their leader speak. Standing on a makeshift platform, Mulk-dan's presence commands the attention of everyone present.
"For too long, we have lived under the shadow of oppression, our voices silenced, our freedoms stripped away while those in power sought to sell our rights and identities to the Federation!"
The crowd murmurs in agreement.
"The Federation's so-called 'enlightenment' is a thin veil for the Terran desire to control and assimilate other races. Don't heed their grandiose claims of peace and exploration! It is they who encroached upon our territory and disrespected our sovereignty and traditions! With their arrogance, they believe they can impose their values upon us!"
The crowd murmurs, their distrust evident.
"We must stand firm against this intrusion!" Mulk-dan proclaims. "Our culture, our way of life, is sacred. We cannot allow it to be diluted by the whims of outsiders who neither understand nor respect our customs."
"We must show the Federation and their Starfleet that we will not be used!"
Cries join Mulk-dan's voice. Then their leader turns and points directly at Spock. "Here is a witness to human treachery! This Vulcan was deceived into giving his loyal service to a pack of villains!"
Spock has already decided how far he will go; in his mind, he calls up specific examples of unsavory people he has met over the course of his career.
Mulk-dan's pause is a test, one that Spock cannot fail. Yet, his voice is not quite loud enough as he agrees, "Humans can be... self-serving."
Mulk-dan thumps his fist into his own hand. "Humans are merciless!"
"Callous," supplies Spock.
"Evil!"
"Morally weak."
Mulk-dan's expression borders manical. "My soldiers, listen to me! We must protect our home, our heritage, and our future from all interlopers! Rescind the alliance! Resist the Federation!" He roars, "We will defend our sovereignty and our way of life, whatever the cost!"
For several minutes following the proclamation, the fevered cries for justice and revolution from the insurrectionists rallying around the platform swells in volume. Some Qinaid break away from the crowd to jeer and push at those held captive around a pillar, seated on the floor and huddling together as they witness the outcry. Those ones on guard don't intervene until a small object—a rock—is thrown and narrowly misses the head of His Excellency, who had hitherto ignored the taunting and insults. The elder's face is carefully controlled, and unreadable, but the hint of fear in his voice betrays him as he orders, "Stop this foolishness at once!"
More people raise their arms, holding aloft larger pieces of rock and other objects.
Spock starts forward, catching himself as the cold thought strikes him that he may be about to witness a public stoning.
Intervening will give you away is his first thought. But can Spock call himself a pacifist if he does nothing to prevent bloodshed?
Appearing next to Spock, Mulk-dan watches the scene with a sense of satisfaction. "Their anger is refreshing."
"Do you intend to watch your hostages be murdered?" Spock demands.
"Truthfully, I haven't decided if they can be useful." Mulk-dan says, "I see you have not shaken your distaste for violence, Commander. That must be the Vulcan in you." Then, surprising Spock, the Qiniad orders some of his followers to quell the crowd.
Spock counters coolly, "I only identify as Vulcan."
"Yes," states Mulk-dan, "I begin to believe it. Regardless of how you have been treated, you are still one of Vulcan's children. Vulcans have been ingratiated with Terrans for so long that you live among them conditioned ignore how they demean your true self." Mulk-dan smiles thinly. "Your Starfleet companions will be very surprised to hear your new opinion of them, Commander."
So, that speech had been recorded and likely already transmitted by Mulk-dan's technical team to the Enterprise. Spock shows no reaction to the revelation. But he imagines the confusion of his shipmates when they play the recording.
The faction's control over the comms system must be rectified first. But for now Spock can only wait and pretend to be party to the slow destruction of this civilization's peaceful future.
Spock is not one to be idle; but despite the tentative acceptance as a 'contributor' to the Resistance, he is nonetheless allowed to do little more than stand around and observe the takeover activities. Mulk-dan does not want his opinions or strategic advice. And each time a follower reports in that no traces fo Starfleet have been discovered, suggesting Kirk and McCoy did actually manage to escape the planet (or at least the capital city), Mulk-dan closely monitors Spock's reaction.
Finally, on the third such instance, Spock remarks, "Captain Kirk will have alerted other vessels to the situation upon his return to the ship."
Mulk-dan scoffs loudly for those nearest to hear, "We don't fear your Starfleet, Commander."
"But a wise leader acknowledges a superior threat." He offers, "I may be able to convince them to stand down, at least temporarily."
"No. You will not speak to your captain."
"In this moment, he is my commanding officer in name only," Spock corrects.
"More pointedly," sneers the other, "you are a traitor. No... regardless you will only talk to those I direct you to, Vulcan."
"Very well. Is it not an appropriate time, then, to engage with the Council?"
Although Mulk-dan does not stop sneering, the way he relaxes marginally suggests he is less averse to this direction of Spock's pointed reminders. "Come," orders Mulk-dan, leading Spock into an inner corridor and away from the main populace of the grand hall. They enter a room styled for a small gathering or conference.
Spock recognizes immediately one of the occupants there.
The Qinaid, naturally, flies into a rage at the sight of him, snarling, "You!" In the next moment, she has a Starfleet-issued phaser pointed at his chest.
"My general, Suni-jun," Mulk-dan introduces her to Spock in amusement. "Suni-jun, recall our earlier conversation."
"He's a trickster!"
"I am the one who disabled her," Spock agrees.
"He's useful," emphasizes Mulk-dan to his general. "Now, I said to stand down."
With clear reluctance, Suni-jun does, although Spock can easily sense that her desire to get revenge upon him is only temporarily suspended.
Mulk-dan and another Qinaid seat Spock in front of a tabletop monitor and an attached box-like device.
"Fascinating," murmurs Spock. "This equipment appears similar to Old Earth technology. A 'desktop computer', I believe it was called. How is it connected to the main server? I do believe these devices predated responding to voice commands. How might I turn it on?"
The leader's face swings away from another conversation to Spock, his expression one of impatience. "I treated you with mercy so that you might fulfill a specific purpose. Now is the crucial hour, Spock. Satisfying your curiosity must come later."
Spock does not yet know how he might prevent this particular recording from being transmitted. But he does recognize his cooperation with the faction maintains the pretense of his defection from his oath as a Starfleet officer; more so, it buys time for Kirk and McCoy to activate the phonographic array and launch the counterattack against the insurgents.
He decides that he should make use of Mulk-dan's inherent paranoia. "I propose a live recording. I can provide you with the frequency and coordinates necessary to reach the Vulcan Embassy. The equipment here should be sufficient to make contact."
"Live?" repeats Mulk-dan sharply. "Why?"
"It would be easier to persuade my father if we converse directly."
"You forget," the leader says in a voice grown deadly, "that I am quite capable of taking your life should you provoke me sufficiently."
"Your reminder is unnecessary. Simply, I think a live connection is a more prudent course of action. Also, I do not wish to be observed so closely. The message to my father must be somewhat personal if he is to believe I speak my own mind and not another's."
"You will pre-record the message. But," Mulk-dan concedes, "we will watch from over there."
The group retreats to the seating arrangement along the wall across the room and near the only entrance and exit. There, they remain standing and watchful. A Qinaid technician activates the computer and soon indicates Spock can face the monitor and begin.
Spock is quiet for a moment, sorting through a peculiar emotion—something beyond the calm that has often buoyed him in dangerous situations. Many things could go wrong in the presence of the enemy leading to Spock's death. He supposes he can afford a moment of wistfulness. If this were indeed a final message to Sarek…
"Sarek of Vulcan," he begins formally, "it is I, Spock—your son." That should sufficiently alarm Sarek, for they rarely refer to their familial connection in their correspondence (not that Spock has messaged his father directly in recent years).
"Currently I am grounded on the planet Qinaid in the company of certain concerned citizens who wish to engage in dialogue with the Federation Council. They have chosen me as their representative to relay to you directly, a Federation Ambassador, that Qinaid authorities are at this moment within their control.
As such, the diplomatic partners who recently interacted with the Council are not available, although I can personally attest they are unharmed, albeit anxious to remedy the strained circumstances in which they find themselves."
He pauses before continuing, "Father, the Federation must dissolve its alliance with the Qinaid people. I have heard the plight of these people and sympathize with it. I, better than most, know how it feels like to be pushed to conform to another's perception of what is proper. My inability to fully conform and my status as an outcast on Vulcan drove me to seek my purpose in Starfleet. Knowing you found companionship with Mother, I had hoped being among humans would be the place I best fit."
Spock wonders if it is a sin to lie to one's parent. "I was misguided. Humans are even less accepting of my differences than Vulcans are. They do not fully respect the principles of IDIC. Therefore I find I can no longer condone the expansion of the Federation under the influence of Terra. Let Qinaid go, for their sakes and in the best interest of ours."
As Spock looks upon Mulk-dan's grinning face reflected in the monitor, he concludes, "The Organized Resistance Against the Federation welcomes an open dialogue with the Council on the matter of dissolution. I advise you to consider your response carefully."
Then Spock raises his right hand in the traditional Vulcan salutation. "Live long and prosper, Father."
He stands and turns around to face the Qinaid, asking, "Was that sufficient?"
"You did well," Mulk-dan agrees. To the others, he says, "Spock has earned his place with us. Treat him accordingly."
No one, not even the suspicious Suni-jun, gainsays their leader's command.