Demands of Honor (6 page)

There was a flash of understanding on Doctor McCoy's face, and a raised eyebrow on Spock's, which amounted to the same thing. Once, when Kirk was young, he had seen a man named Kodos execute four thousand colonists on Tarsus IV because of a food shortage. At the time, the decision had had a cold logic: the colony's food supply had almost completely been wiped out, and the entire settlement could not survive until resupply ships came. Kodos had expressed regret and then done what he said was necessary to preserve as many lives as possible.

The decision was indeed logical. However, it was not only an immensely immoral decision but a fatally flawed one. Through a series of events that no one could have foreseen, the supply ships had come early, and Kodos became one of the most hated names in the galaxy.

Kodos the Executioner had traded the lives of the
people under his protection to serve a larger purpose. Kirk would not do the same.

“I thank you all for your input, but my decision is final,” the captain said.

“Understood,” Giotto said. The chief's people would carry out any rescue mission and would be in the most danger, but now that the decision was made, Kirk was sure that Giotto was already reviewing rescue scenarios in his head.

“Lieutenant Parrish,” Kirk said. “Recommendations on the rescue mission.”

Lieutenant Leslie Parrish was one of the few surviving crew members from the incidents on Systems 1324 and 7348. She was also one of only two survivors from her squad of the Klingon assault on Starbase 42, where the Klingons had taken too many good people, including Sam Fuller. She had about as much experience at fighting Klingons in close quarters as anyone alive in Starfleet today.

“I would send in one full squad, hit the Klingons hard and quick. Because of their cultural prejudices against ‘Earthers,' they don't expect much from us. As a result, they have a hard time adjusting to setbacks. Chances are we can get in and out before they can mount an effective response.”

Kirk shifted his gaze to Giotto. “I agree, sir,” Giotto said.

“I would like to volunteer my squad for the job, Captain,” Parrish said. “Besides my own experience with Klingons, we also have Michael Fuller on our team.”

She was right. As a survivor of the Battle of Donatu V, Fuller had even more experience with Klingons than
Parrish did herself. Of course, there were complications with Fuller, and with Parrish herself for that matter. However, the place to have those discussions was not in an open meeting.

“Thank you, Lieutenant, I will take that offer under advisement. Lieutenant Uhura, continue to monitor all communications from the Klingons. Mister Spock, please let me know when long-range scanners have a lock on the merchant Klingon vessel now holding the prisoners. I want to know as much about that ship as possible. Then Kirk scanned the room, looking for any questions or concerns, but there were none, just people anxious to get back to their jobs now that the ship was getting closer to Klingon space.

“Mister Spock, Doctor McCoy, and Lieutenant Commander Giotto, stay with me. Everyone else is dismissed,” Kirk said, and the group filed out of the briefing room. Kirk was not surprised to see that Lieutenant Parrish remained behind.

“Captain, may I have a word?” she asked.

Kirk knew this was coming. “Of course.”

“Sir, have you considered my request? My squad—”

The captain raised his hand and said, “Is the best choice for the rescue mission.” Parrish nodded, but Kirk continued, “But you will not be leading them.”

“Sir?”

“Lieutenant, we have had this discussion before. You are pregnant and I will not send you into a dangerous situation. You have remained on duty only to train your squad.”

“But, sir, there is no squad leader on board with more experience in close fighting with Klingons. I understand
your concerns about my condition, but these circumstances are
extraordinary.
”

“They are, Lieutenant, and it
is
true that no current squad leader has more experience than you in this area. That is why I am relieving you of command of your squad and promoting Mister Fuller to section chief. He will command the squad and the mission.”

Parrish looked sick. “Sir, my squad—”

“I'm sorry, Lieutenant. You have done an excellent job training them, but you cannot go.”

Parrish's face was set, but Kirk could see a swirl of emotion beneath it. After a moment, she said, “If Fuller is squad leader, that will leave an opening in the squad. I recommend Ensign Jawer to replace him.”

It made sense. Jawer was also a survivor of the three encounters with the Klingons.

Kirk nodded. “I will have Lieutenant Commander Giotto make it official. Thank you, Lieutenant.” Then, before she could turn to go, he said, “I'm sorry, Leslie.”

But her face was a mask. She simply nodded and left the briefing room.

Leslie Parrish walked slowly through the halls of the
Enterprise.
She had been relieved of her squad and was no longer an active-duty officer in Starfleet. True, since her pregnancy her duties had been limited to running training exercises, but since the
Enterprise
hadn't been in any hostile situations since then, it had been easy to fool herself into believing that nothing had changed. Now she saw that things were really different. Hell,
everything
had changed.

Because of Jon and the child she now carried inside
her. Their child. His child. A half-Klingon child.

Doctor McCoy had been clear. A human/Klingon pregnancy was difficult at best. There would be complications and it would be dangerous for her. And then there was the question of the kind of life the child would have in the Federation after the inevitable war with the Klingons.

And she would have to give up not just this mission, or the next one, but her career in Starfleet, the only job she had ever wanted. Her first squad leader, Sam Fuller, had called security the “highest calling in Starfleet.” She had seen what security people could do. It was important work. And she knew she had something to offer. She had proven that much to herself in the last few months where she had seen people around her die for their beliefs—people like Sam Fuller, even people like Jon. Whatever his biology, he had been as much a part of the crew as anyone else.

Those people had stood for something, and they had all died for something. Nevertheless, in a short time, the Klingons would try to smash it all: Starfleet, the Federation, and everything they represented. If she stayed on the
Enterprise,
she could make a difference in that fight, but she couldn't stay if she had the baby. The best she could do would be to watch from the sidelines and wait—two things she had never been good at.

It made sense; it was perfectly logical. The fact was, she could do more good in Starfleet security than out of it. And yet …

That would be the end of Jon. If she didn't have this baby, there would be no physical proof that he had ever existed. He would be a name on a Starfleet report, and
a memory in the minds of the few people that served with him.

Did he even have a family? Did anyone who really knew him even know what he was doing? He had given up his face and his identity to infiltrate Starfleet. He had done it to serve the Klingon Empire, but in the end he had given up that allegiance to fight against Klingons with Starfleet—with her.

It was an amazing story, most of which had died with him on Starbase 42. What would be left if she didn't have his child? What would be left of him in this galaxy, and what would be left of what they had shared together in the brief weeks they had known one another?

Leslie Parrish had faced impossible odds on more than one mission on board the
Enterprise.
She had faced death and helped the people around her succeed when every rule in the book said they should fail. And never in all that time had she felt so overwhelmed by a decision.

Kirk stood up when Giotto and Fuller entered the briefing room. “Mister Fuller,” he said, pointing to a seat. As much as any officer Kirk had ever known, Fuller was born to lead. And for nearly all of his quarter-century Starfleet career, Fuller had been a security squad leader, politely declining all offers of promotion.

Kirk had served with Fuller as a young officer and understood the decision. Michael had done a hell of a lot of good as a section chief, as had his son Sam before his death. Something about the bond within the security squads was unique in the service, a bond that was related to the shared dangers they faced and the high casualty rate in their ranks.

“Mister Fuller, have you seen the briefing materials on the situation with the
S.S. Harmony?
” Kirk asked.

“Yes, and I understand we are effecting a rescue. I volunteer, of course, but I assume there is more to this than a request for volunteers.” Fuller had lost none of his sharpness in the years since Kirk had served with him. And he was no less direct. “Do you still have concerns about my ability to carry out my duties with respect to Klingons, Captain?”

Klingons had killed Fuller's son, and Michael had reenlisted in Starfleet because of the coming conflict with the Klingon Empire. Of course, Kirk still had concerns, but he was also sure that Fuller was the best person for this job.

“The reason you are here, Michael, is that I am giving you a field promotion, effective immediately, and putting you in command of the rescue operation.”

“Captain?” Fuller asked respectfully.

“We both know that you are the most qualified person on board for this sort of operation, and you belong running a security squad,” Kirk said.

“I made a choice to reenter the service as a line security officer. I'm not seeking promotion—”

Kirk waved him off. “The team needs a leader and you are the best person. And, because of Leslie Parrish's pregnancy, I am short a section chief. It may not be what you want, but it's what the mission and the ship requires.”

The captain could see that Fuller wanted to say more but kept it to himself. He wouldn't put his personal wishes ahead of a mission. “Understood, Captain,” Fuller said finally.

“As section chief, you are now cleared to see the service records of your squad members,” Lieutenant Commander Giotto said.

“I have already seen them.”

Of course, as a frequently called-upon consultant to Starfleet, Fuller had kept his security clearance. “Good, then you can assemble your squad and begin preparations immediately. Your replacement in the squad will be Ensign Jawer,” Giotto said.

Something moved on Fuller's face, and Kirk realized what it was: Jawer had served under Fuller's son Sam on his last few missions. After a moment, Fuller said, “I've seen his record. We're lucky to have him.” Kirk could see that Fuller was anxious to go. “If that's all, Captain?”

“Yes, dismissed,” Kirk said.

Fuller was out of his seat and headed for the door. Before he reached it, Kirk said, “Congratulations, Mister Fuller.”

Fuller turned and gave him a thin smile. “Thank you, sir.”

ORION-BUILT MINING FACILITY

SYSTEM 7348

FEDERATION SPACE

E
NTERING THE FACILITY,
Gorath felt the power of the mine built by the green-skins. The power they held had nearly torn the entire world apart, though now it represented the future for his people. Also, the mine sat on the planet's true power—crystals buried deep under the ground. The value of those rocks that had brought the green-skins here in the service of their masters, whom Captain Kirk of the humans called Klingons.

These Klingons were of Gorath's people's own blood, yet they had sent the Orions to take the crystals and in the process destroy this branch of the family tree. It was madness done to power the Klingon ships that traveled between the stars. These ships would make war on the
humans and their allies. Gorath had fought with Kirk and his people. They were good and noble warriors who had helped Gorath and his fighters destroy the green-skins.

Gorath was shamed that people of his blood would take such a course, but he could not change the past. He could, however, ensure that his planet's crystals were never used against Kirk's people.

He found his son, Adon, showing a small group of his people how to operate one of the control stations that ran the machine that powered the facility. The humans called it the
warp reactor
in their language. Gorath had made an effort to understand the outsiders' technology as well as their language.

The computers the green-skins had left behind were programmed to communicate in Orion, Klingon, and the human language. Gorath had as many of his people as possible learn Human. Someday, they would come back, or the green-skins would, or the Klingons, or some other people. Gorath was determined to keep that day as far in the future as he could, but when it came, he and his people would be ready. They would have the means to defend themselves, and they would have crystals of value to trade.

Before that day came, there was much to do. Already they had repaired the damage done to the facility in the last battle with the green-skins. All of the nine clans had sent people to help, as they had all sent people to fight the Orions—well,
almost all of the clans
had fought. Gurn's clan had been the only one who had not joined the combat. Gurn and his warriors had arrived a full day after the battle was won and their world saved.

Of course, they had had to travel the farthest, so
Gurn's claim that they had come as soon as they could might have been true—the only problem was that Gorath had seen the lie in Gurn's eye. Gurn's people were not all sniveling cowards, and Gorath had seen that a people could be better than their leaders, but not often and not by much.

A good leader could make his people stronger, better, and achieve more than they knew. Watching his son instruct the others, Gorath knew that they would have that sort of leader in the future.