Kirk watched the scene unfold on Bounty’s main view screen. “The three scout escorts to the battlecruiser have begun random firing of phasers and photon torpedoes,” Spock reported.
“I do believe that is our cue,” Kirk said. “Chekov, standby to fire phasers and photon torpedoes. Disengage the cloaking device.”
Bounty appeared behind a battlecruiser just after it de-cloaked. “Fire,” Kirk ordered. The Bounty fired its disruptors and photon torpedoes which hit the battlecruiser dead center in the rear and was turned into three very large pieces of scrap metal.
When the MaQmIgh and its escort ships began scoring hits on cloaked vessels; it did not take long before the attacking ships realized that their little surprise attack was not quite the surprise they thought it was. Suddenly they found themselves in a knock down dragged out kind of fight shooting at three scout ships and a heavy battlecruiser fighting for their lives.
Things began folding out from the sides of the Phoenix as it raced toward the battle. “I have reached the Captain of the MaQmIgh,” Phoenix reported as it connected Darrel with the battlecruiser.
“Phoenix, put it on the main screen,” Darrel said.
“This is the MaQmIgh,” the captain of the battlecruiser replied.
“This is the Phoenix. I am Darrel, personal guard to the Empress, I must speak to her at once,” Darrel said.
“We were expecting your call, Commander.”
The Empress stepped into view on the Bounty’s view screen. “My Lady,” Darrel said with a slight bow of his head to show his respect.
“Darrel, still saving me I see,” Empress replied.
“It’s my favorite full time job,” Darrel said with a smile.
“Darrel, Ashalara is with me...,” Empress said letting her words trail off knowing she could say no more.
MaQmIgh’s bridge was filled with activity as the battlecruiser returned fire from the pounding it was taking. “Darrel,” the Empress said softly when she could not gauge the reaction of the man on the view screen, and he did not reply immediately.
“She wouldn’t have been safe in the palace alone,” Darrel said. “More bate for the trap. Are you both wearing the necklaces I gave you?”
Yes, Ashalara would never part with it. She wears it all the time. She feels her father watches over her through the necklace,” Empress replied.
“I need you both on the bridge to make it easier when I beam you onboard the Phoenix,” Darrel said.
“The GhochwI’ has been hit and has lost all power,” Phoenix said cutting into the conversation. “A light battlecruiser is now targeting the MaQmIgh.”
“Phoenix, arm all missiles,” Darrel said. “Go to warp twenty, standby to deflect photon torpedoes... Fire four missiles target the light cruiser... Lock transporter on all living crew members of the GhochwI’ and beam them onboard.
“Transporter activated. Cruiser powering up to fire photon torpedoes,” Phoenix said in a flat tone that belied the urgency of the situation.
“Full power to the shields. Intercept the photon torpedoes,” Darrel commanded.
“Firing four missiles,” Phoenix said as the ship raced toward the MaQmIgh.
A light Klingon battlecruiser fired a spread of photon torpedoes at the MaQmIgh before veering away to avoid any return fire. Moments before the photon torpedoes would have hit the MaQmIgh a small ship flew right into their path.
“System check, Scotty, how’d we do?” Darrel asked.
Scotty looked at the displays on his console. “Not even breathin’ hard. No power loss and shields are still at maximum,” he reported.
“Main systems check ok,” Phoenix said reporting on its overall systems. “I am checking for the source of an intermittent power loss in one of my minor systems now.”
“Scotty, check it out,” Darrel said.
“Checking now, I don’t show a power loss... No, there it is. Damn gone again. This could take a while,” Scotty said.
“Make it a short while,” Darrel said.
The bridge door opened and O’mri stepped into the room. “You really should get that first step fixed. Although being bounced off a transporter wall is much preferred over being dead,” he said.
“Noted, I’ll have the walls padded first chance I get,” Darrel replied.
“I’m getting to old for this shit,” O’mri said.
“You and me both,” Darrel said. “Well, pull up a chair, guaranteed front row seating for the show. Be seated quickly though the show is about to begin.”
“Two heavy battlecruisers, four light cruisers and seven Birds of Prey are closing to kill range,” Phoenix reported.
“From the cooking pot into the fire, catchy title,” O’mri said sarcastically.
“Phoenix, lock transporter on the Empress and her daughter and beam them onboard on my command. Target all incoming ships with missiles, five each, I want them to run into a wall, fire when ready. Come about and prepare to intercept or target photon torpedoes with phasers. I want to talk to the Empress on the MaQmIgh,” Darrel said.
The Empress appeared on the view screen the young woman standing next to her was her daughter Ashalara. “Darrel?” she said questioningly.
“Sorry for cutting you off before, my Lady. Please standby to be transported onboard,” he replied.
“In coming photons torpedoes, I’m tracking now, missiles firing. Firing phasers at two of the torpedoes. We will intercept the third. All others will miss the MaQmIgh,” Phoenix said.
The missiles from the Phoenix exploded in front of the enemy ships before they could be targeted. Shredded aluminum foil coated with various elements designed to disrupt ship sensors and fifty small round magnetic balls formed a wall of mines through which each ship must pass. The balls punched holes in the hull as they impacted on the ships and then exploded a moment later tearing gaping holes in the surface of the ship.
The Phoenix rocked hard as the photon torpedo impacted against the shields. The lights flickered for a moment before going out completely. “Do something,” O’mri said when the lights did not come back on.
“Power should have come on by now,” Darrel said. “Standby to go to manual... now.” The lights blinked a couple of times before coming back on. A console came up from the floor and surrounded Darrel. “Scotty to the transporter room now. Uhura, you can set the transporter controls from your consul. Make sure we’re still locked onto the Empress and her daughter. Then see if you can get Phoenix back online. “O’mri you’re sitting in the gunner’s chair shoot something. Tara monitor for him.”
“We’re going too fast, I can’t lock on,” Uhura said after a few moments.
“Scotty?” Darrel asked.
“Uhura is right, we’re going too fast to lock on manually. What happened?” Scotty asked from the transporter room. The lights should have come right back on.”
“The manual override did not activate automatically. I had to use my switch to activate the manual controls,” Darrel replied. “I can’t slow down, or they might get a lock on us. I need the Phoenix back online.
“The main power circuit and the circuit that switches to secondary power must have burned out. I’ll have to go and change circuits,” Scotty said.
Scotty quickly rummaged through the spare parts in the engine room until he found what he was looking for and then opened the panel where he knew the damaged circuit would be.
“Hurry, Scotty, I need Phoenix back online,” Darrel said.
“I’m goin’ as fast as I can,” Scotty said.
“I need Phoenix now, Scotty, I show seven ships coming in range and a dozen more right behind them,” Darrel said.
“Just one more moment,” Scotty said as he pushed a bundle of wires out of the way so he could get at the old circuit board.
“Five ships are just now coming into range,” Tara reported
“Scotty...”
“One more second.”
It was a rather long second. “Transporter standing by,” Phoenix said as the computer came back to life.
“Phoenix, your back!” Darrel said.
“I never went anywhere,” Phoenix replied.
“Good work, Scotty,” Darrel said.
“Seven photon torpedoes have been fired,” Phoenix reported.
“Beam the Empress and her daughter onboard now,” Darrel ordered.
There was hardly time to blink an eye before photon torpedoes pulverized the MaQmIgh turning it into a very large fireball in space for a brief moment.
“Welcome aboard your, Highness,” Scotty said after the Empress and her daughter materialized on the transporter pad.
“You must be Scotty, builder of this fine ship. Don’t I know you from somewhere..., hmm,” the Empress said.
“I don’t see how you’re...,” Scotty started to say before the Empress cut him off in mid-sentence.
“Take note Ashalara of who are friends are. I remember now, Commander Scott. I must tell you; you don’t act like one of the most wanted enemies of the Empire. I’m also told that you are the best engineer that Starfleet has. I dare say that there are a few things you could teach us. Commander Scott, I leave my daughter in your care. I have to talk to Darrel,” the Empress said.
“The bridge is...,” Scotty said.
“I know my way, Commander,” the Empress said cutting in again before he could finish.
This was not going according to carefully made plans. Already they had lost more ships than expected. Kratok was not happy at all. “Report,” he said not bothering to hide his irritation.
“The GhochwI’ has lost all power and there are no life signs onboard. The MaQmIgh has been totally destroyed. I have an indication that someone was beamed off the MaQmIgh before it exploded,” a crewman replied.
“Darrel, damn him,” Kratok said to himself. “Have all ships target the Phoenix.”
“Brigadier, there seems to be another ship,” the communications officer said. “I am receiving transmissions from a sixth ship.”
“On screen,” Kratok said. A picture of the bridge of the Bounty appeared on the main view screen.
“Sound,” Kratok said staring at the officer like he had done something wrong.
“None sir. The picture seems to be some kind of bleed over from another channel,” the officer replied.
“James T. Kirk,” Kratok mused to himself. So, Darrel got the Federation to help him after all, he thought. “Advise all ships. I want Kirk alive at all costs, but I want the Phoenix destroyed first.”
Kirk stared at Darrel on the main view screen. “Things are starting to get pretty thick. You’ve got the Empress, let’s get out of here,” he said.
“Ok,” Darrel replied. “We’re going to need some cover fire. I’ll send the two scouts out first and cover their withdrawal. Then I’ll fall back to your position and cover you as you withdraw.”
“Are you keeping track of the ships that are left?” Kirk asked.
“Sure, you’ve killed six, I’ve killed one, and disabled seven and damaged six more. Twenty-three out of thirty-seven can still shoot,” Darrel replied.
“The odds are getting better. Kirk out.”
“I get the feeling he’s hiding something,” McCoy said once communications were cut.
“What do you mean, Bones?” Kirk asked.
“Something’s wrong, Jim. He’s got a ship that can do warp twenty plus and armed with more weapons than you can find on any starship in Starfleet, and he has only made one kill. It’s like he doesn’t want to shoot anyone,” McCoy replied.
“Captain, I must agree with Doctor McCoy,” Spock replied.
“You do?” McCoy asked in disbelief.
“Yes, Doctor, I do. Though badly stated, your logic is quite correct,” Spock replied.
“Explain, Spock,” Kirk said.
“As Doctor McCoy pointed out Darrel has a ship that can travel at warp twenty plus and so far, he has yet to use that advantage to any effect,” Spock said as he started his explanation. “The Phoenix is armed with advanced weapons, yet Darrel has only used missiles against the Klingons. Commander Scott said he could not believe that Darrel did not have a plan, and I must agree with him. Though his plan may have seemed simple, I now believe it is far more complex than he has told us. In fact, I believe we do not know what Darrel’s real plan is.”
“Spock, if Darrel was using the Phoenix’s weapons and warp drive to full effect what would the outcome of this battle be?” Kirk asked.
“I cannot be certain, but consider, between our two ships we have destroyed or disabled more than a third of the ships we are currently engaged with,” Spock replied.
“Captain, if we could win, why run?” Sulu asked.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to ruin perfectly good junk,” Chekov injected.
“What?” Kirk asked somewhat perplexed.
“He‘s a junk dealer and he has a whole junkyard full of intact starships. I’m sure he didn’t get them by blowing them into scrap metal,” Chekov replied.
“Now that I think back, I don’t remember seeing anything that looked like scrap metal, more like junk parts,” Sulu said.
“Chekov, I think there is more to it than that though that may be a part of it,” Kirk said.
Darrel stared at the readouts on the console that was wrapped around his command chair before looking up at the main view screen. “Phoenix, slow to warp ten and fade the power to the outer shields,” he said.
The bridge door slid open, and the Empress walked in. “Darrel, it has been a long time...,” she started to say before she noticed Tara sitting in one of the station chairs. “Tara... Where? How?... Darrel?”
“My Lady, Ashalara is she...?” Tara left her question hang open-ended.
“She’s fine Tara, I left her in the Transporter room with Commander Scott,” Empress replied.
“Darrel?” Tara said asking for permission to leave the bridge by inflection.
“Go ahead, I’ll call if I need you,” Darrel said motioning with his head in the direction of the door.
Tara stopped in front of the Empress. Her eyes were filled with emotions she could not express. The Empress reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Tara’s face. “Go on,” she said softly and watched as the door closed behind her. “Darrel, where did you find her? We searched everywhere for her.”
“I found her on a slaver’s auction block on Davison’s planet,” Darrel replied. “She overheard K’lgar’s plan for your reception in the Neutral Zone. She would be dead except for Kratok’s greed. Kratok is the weak link in K’lgar’s plan. He will want Kirk alive, which is why I brought the captain and his crew along.
“That would mean Captain Kirk would have to be captured by the Klingons. You can’t,” Uhura said somewhat shocked by what she was hearing.
“I must, if Jim knew what is about to happen, he might not react the way I need him to, and now onto business at hand. Phoenix, I wish to talk to the commanders of the remaining escort ships,” Darrel said to the omni-present computer.
“On screen,” Phoenix replied.
“Lieutenants, my name is Darrel. I’m, at this time, in command of the Empress’s Guard. You may now disengage from the battle,” Darrel said.
A picture of each ship’s captain took up half the Phoenix’s main view screen. “With all due respect, we wish to stay and die with our Empress so she will not have died alone,” Lieutenant Gi'ral said.
“That’s not the plan,” Darrel said with a frown.
“Let me talk to them,” O’mri said.
The Empress walked around behind Darrel and rested her hand on his shoulder. “I commend your wish to die with me, but I am not dead yet...”
“Empress, you’re not dead. Thank the Gods,” Lieutenant B'elan interrupted.
“...Nor do I intend to die,” the Empress continued. “You have your orders, lieutenants. You know your part of the plan, carry it out now. I would not have you die needlessly in any case.”
“Have a good time at Starbase 11.” Darrel said. “You have an open account at the Starbase, try not to get too carried away, Phoenix out.” The images of the two Lieutenants on the view screen were replaced once again with a view of space. “Phoenix, target all enemy ships with one missile each standby to launch on my command. Launch five missiles each to cover the escort ships’ withdrawal.” Darrel was in no mood to play any longer than necessary.
“Incoming photon torpedoes,” Phoenix reported.
“Evade, full power to shields,” Darrel: commanded.
“Missiles launched,” Phoenix reported. “Bounty is calling.”
“Tell the Bounty I will talk with them in a moment. Scotty, is everything ready?” Darrel asked.
“Aye, when you fire the missiles on all the remaining ships the Bounty’s warp drive will fail leaving them with impulse power and shields. The power that would have gone to the warp drive will be diverted to the shields and impulse engines,” Scotty replied.
“Better than expected, Scotty,” Darrel said.
“Mr. Scott, do you know what you have done?” Uhura asked. “Darrel, you have to tell the captain what you’re doing.”
“I don’t have to tell anyone anything except the Empress,” Darrel replied.
“You’ll get the captain killed. Is that what you want? Uhura asked.
“Phoenix, what are the odds that Captain Kirk will be killed?” Darrel asked the computer.
“None. Orders have already been given that he is to be taken alive at all cost,” Phoenix replied.
“O’mri remove her from the bridge and put a guard on her,” Darrel said. O’mri waved at two of his men standing by the bridge door. “I’m sorry Uhura, I’ll explain later, right now I don’t have the time and you might try something in the way of trying to warn Jim and I can’t have that. It could get us all killed. Phoenix, I’ll talk to the Bounty now.” Kirk’s image appeared on the view screen a moment after Uhura was taken from the bridge by the Klingon guards. “Jim, what can I do for you?”
“You can tell me what the hell you’re up to? When are you going to start shooting at some of these ships out here? Kirk said.
“I am shooting the ships. I just don’t destroy them,” Darrel replied. “Scrap metal is too hard to salvage. Each missile will imbed a tracking device into the ship it hits so I can hunt them down later. You may be surprised to find out that you are fighting almost a full third of the Klingon fleet.
“That’s impossible the Klingons have more than a thousand ships,” Kirk said.
“No, Captain, that is not impossible,” Empress said. “K’lgar started a war with the blessing of the Klingon High Council. We have lost almost nine hundred ships in three years and have built few to replace them. It is one of our best kept secrets. It is not my wish to have only sixty ships with which to defend the Empire. So, in keeping with my wishes Darrel is trying not to destroy any ships, but rather than destroy, he is disabling them.
“I understand, Empress,” Kirk said.
“Jim, you ever wonder why I called my ship the Phoenix?” Darrel asked.
“No, I can’t say that I have,” Kirk replied.
“Well, think about it. Phoenix out,” Darrel said. “There’s your clue Jim. Figure it out and you’ll know the whole plan.”
You shouldn’t have told him that much. He might put it all together too soon,” O’mri said.
“K’lgar will not want the truth from Kirk. They will not be questioned,” Darrel said.
“If K’lgar did anything it would be try and get them to admit to a lie,” Empress added.
“Multiple ships closing on us,” Phoenix said interrupting. “Incoming Photon torpedoes.”
“Standby to fire all missiles,” Darrel said. “Scotty, get ready.”
“Two hits, outer shields holding,” Phoenix reported.
“Drop power to outer shields 80 percent, full power to main shields. Reduce speed to warp five,” Darrel said. “Standby to go to warp twenty-five.”
“Incoming photon torpedoes,” Phoenix said.
“Fire all missiles pods,” Darrel said.
“That’s damn peculiar,” Kirk said more to himself than to anyone on the Bounty’s bridge.
“Sensors indicate that the Phoenix was just hit amidships by two photon torpedoes,” Spock said relaying what his sensors were showing him. “Shields show an 80 percent power loss. Phoenix has decelerated to warp five.”
“Put them on screen,” Kirk said.
“More incoming photon torpedoes. Phoenix is firing all remaining missiles. Maximum of three photon torpedoes will hit the Phoenix in eight seconds the shields will not hold... Fascinating,” Spock said a bit perplexed by some of the sensor reading.
“Punch it, Darrel. Get out of there,” Kirk said to himself as he watched the scene unfold on the main view screen.
Pounded by disruptor fire and three photon torpedoes, the Phoenix exploded. Now empty missile pods, two engines, and other assorted bits of junk drifted away from the blast zone now obscured by smoke and debris.
“Fascinating,” Spock muttered to himself as he studied the sensor readouts. The smoke was not behaving as one would expect smoke to behave in space. The reading indicated it was more dust cloud than actual smoke which should have dissipated quickly.
“Scotty, Uhura, no... Sulu get us out of here.” Before Sulu could touch a thing, the instrument panel exploded along with other instruments around the bridge. “What the...Were we hit?” Kirk asked.
“No damage to the outer hull. Shields at maximum,” Spock reported.
“Damage report,” Kirk roared.
“Warp drive doesn’t answer to helm. There appears to be a massive short in the warp drive controls,” Sulu said.
“We still have phasers and photon torpedoes online. Shields still at maximum,” Chekov reported.
“Power to warp drive is being automatically diverted to the shields. We have full impulse power,” Spock said.
“Spock, how long to repair?” Kirk asked.
“If we had the parts, which we don’t, it would take a week to rewire everything,” Spock replied. “Klingons closing on our position.”
“How far to the nearest planet?”
“Four hundred and twenty-seven thousand kilometers. Class M atmosphere, thin but breathable.”
“Chekov, fire a spread of photon torpedoes to cover us. Sulu, get us down on that planet,” Kirk said trying to beat the odds one more time.
“Klingons will close to killing range in ten minutes,” Spock said.
“How long before we reach the planet?” Kirk asked.
“E T A twenty-five minutes at full impulse,” Sulu replied.
“We‘re dead,” Chekov said.
“We’re not dead yet,” Kirk said.
“Twenty of the Phoenix’s missiles have just come around from behind the planet. They are headed toward us and should reach our position in two minutes and seven seconds,” Spock said.
“Killed by our own side,” Chekov said abjectly.
“Hold your course, Sulu,” Kirk said. “If I’m right those missiles will explode behind us and in front of the Klingons. The minefield they will lay down should buy us the time we need. Spock, see if you can rig a time delay self-destruct that will blow this ship up. Bones give him a hand. Sulu, crash land, a soft landing won’t look right for what I have in mind.”
Kratok paced back and forth on the fleet flagship bridge. He stopped only to look at the battle unfolding on the main view screen.
“Phoenix destroyed, Brigadier. I am tracking incoming missiles fired from the Phoenix before she was destroyed,” one of the crewmen reported.
“Gunner destroy those missiles,” Kratok commanded.
“Brigadier I’m receiving damage reports from the other ships. They vary from minor to major damage. A few of our ships do not respond to our signals at all,” another crewman reported.
“Gunner, the missiles destroy them now,” Kratok said angrily.
“I’m trying sir. I can’t lock on,” the gunner replied.
The missiles grew larger on the view screen. Kratok had a bad feeling. “Now, gunner, fire,” he yelled.
“I can’t get a lock...,” the gunner said as he fired wildly hoping he would hit them with sheer luck. Much to his surprise the missiles exploded.
“Good shooting,” Kratok said.
“I didn’t hit them,” the gunner said. “They exploded on their own.”
“I’m getting conflicting reports, something about missiles,” the communication officer said.
“Hard over helmsman. Full power to shields,” Kratok yelled. “Brace for impact.”
“I’m getting a reading of outer and inner hull penetration on our port side. Sealing the sections now,” someone said as explosions rocked the ship.
“Air pressure has been lost on the port side. I show major damage to the port engine,” a crewman reported.
“A new kind of space mine no doubt,” Kratok said. “Order all ships to converge on Kirk. Remind them I want him and his crew alive.”
“Scanners indicate Kirk’s ship is no longer using warp drive. Impulse power only. Shields still up. They’re firing photon torpedoes. He’s trying to run for it, Brigadier.”
“We got him now. He can’t outrun us on impulse power,” Kratok said.
“He’s trying to make the planet,” one of the crewmen said.
“Twenty missiles have just come from behind the planet on a collision course with Kirk’s ship if he holds his course.”
“Even dead the Empress strikes out at us,” Kratok said to himself.
“Kirk has not changed course.”
“That can’t be.... Is he trying to kill himself?” Kratok asked no one in particular.
“Perhaps to save the Federation from embarrassment,” someone suggested.
“The missiles have passed him and are headed toward us.”
“Bring us about helmsman,” Kratok said having already tasted what those missiles could do.
“The missiles have just exploded,” a crewman reported.
“Advise all ships of the minefield those missiles lay. Tell them to go around the field,” Kratok said. “Kirk can’t go far on impulse power.”
“Brigadier, something else those missiles carry prevents our scanners from scanning beyond the minefield. I have lost track of Kirk’s ship.”
“No matter, there are only two places he could be, open space or on Skellos. No place to hide in open space. He will land on Skellos,” Kratok said.
Chekov and McCoy entered the Bounty’s transporter room carrying backpacks where the others had already gathered and were waiting on them. “Sulu, did you set the automatic controls,” Kirk asked.
“Yes sir, impact in eighteen minutes,” Sulu replied.
“Spock?” Kirk said questioningly.
“The ship will explode ten seconds after impact,” Spock replied.
“Well, now that the food’s here...,” Kirk said as McCoy and Chekov set the backpacks, one for each person, on the transporter pad.
“Should be enough to last us a week; maybe more if we stretch it,” McCoy said.
“Coming up on our mark, Captain,” Spock announced.
“All ashore that’s going ashore,” Kirk said as he picked up one of the backpacks and took his place on the transporter pad.
“Couldn’t we have gotten just a wee bit closer to the spaceport, Captain?” Chekov complained.
“We don’t want to show up too soon. Skellos will soon be overrun with Klingons all of which will be looking for us. I’m hoping they will give up after a while,” Kirk said. “Try and think of it as an extended camping trip, Chekov.”
“I hate camping,” Chekov replied.
“Cheer up it could be worse,” McCoy said.
“I don’t see how,” Chekov said.
“Just think we’ll get to experience the primal nature of an unexplored planet,” McCoy said.
“The way our luck has been lately, we’ll probably get eaten by some primal life form,” Chekov replied as he slipped on his backpack.
“Ten seconds,” Spock announced just before he pushed the button that would send them all down to the planet. He took his place on the transporter pad and a few seconds later they were all standing safely on the planet. Fifteen minutes later the Bounty slammed into the planet and exploded.
Kratok beamed down to the crash site with others of his crew. “They must be dead, nothing could live through that,” one of the Klingons said.
“That is exactly what Kirk wants us to believe,” Kratok replied. “I want the forest searched 'uj by 'uj from here to the spaceport.”
“That could take days,” one of the crew grumbled.
“Then the sooner you get started the sooner we can leave,” Kratok snapped back. “See if the transporter controls can be found. We might save ourselves a lot of work if the control circuits are intact.”
Kirk stared up at the trees of Skellos. “Have you ever seen such trees?” he asked.
“Paradise lost,” McCoy replied kind of sarcastically.
“The trees here must be close to 400 hundred meters tall,” Sulu said.
“What do you say now, Chekov? Nothing has jumped out to eat us,” McCoy said.
“Yet,” Chekov added. “Reminds me of a forest back home. Only the trees are a bit taller here.”
“Spock, which way?” Kirk asked.
“That way, Captain, one hundred and sixty three kilometers,” Spock replied pointing in the direction of the spaceport.
“Well, let’s get started. Remember we’re not in a big hurry to get there. So, everybody take it easy. Spock be sure to point out the major points of interest as we go along,” Kirk said.
“The major point of interest on Skellos is the trees, Captain,” Spock said. “The average height is four hundred and eighty-six meters. There are some trees well over a half kilometer in height. The trees are most valued for their sap which is an unusually pure natural poly resin. Because Skellos is in the Neutral Zone this source of natural poly resin has gone almost untapped. The wood is extremely hard and can only be worked with lasers. This is due in part to the tree’s poly resin sap. The trees support a wide variety of life. Ranging from the smallest flutterby to an ape like creature that is rarely seen...”
As interesting as it was, after an hour Spock’s monolog was tiring. By the end of the day... “Spock give it a rest,” McCoy finally said. “How far have we come?”
“Approximately sixteen kilometers,” Spock replied.
“We’ll stop here for the night,” Kirk said.
“Spock, you have got to be the longest winded person I have ever known,” McCoy said as he slipped off his backpack and dropped it on the ground.
“I found it quite fascinating, Doctor,” Sulu said. “Mr. Spock, you said the purest of the sap is found near the top of the tree.”
“Quite correct Mr. Sulu. Ninety nine point nine nine seven eight three percent pure in the average tree,” Spock replied.
“This would be a great place to retire,” Sulu said.
“Who’d want to retire here?” Chekov asked as his legs gave out and he sank to the ground totally exhausted.
“You don’t understand...,” Sulu said.
“I understand,” McCoy interrupted. “You have a planet full of trees filled with liquid plastic for sap. A great place Skellos.”
“Poly resins are used in everything, Doctor. From some of the armored glass in spaceships to micro-circuits,” Sulu said. “Right Mr. Spock?”
“Correct,” Spock confirmed. “It is in micro circuits that it is most valuable. Using present refining techniques, we can only produce organic poly resins that are ninety two percent pure. At present, the cost of doing so is quite expensive, about sixteen hundred Federation credits an ounce. It is the cost of refining that prevents us from converting from silicon chips to poly resin chips which are twice as stable and require less shielding than their silicon counter parts. Currently, the sap sells for about twice that amount.”
“Three thousand Federation credits an ounce. I think I could learn to like it here,” Chekov said.
“Retire here later gentlemen. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Chekov, you have first watch,” Kirk said. “Three thousand Federation credits an ounce for tree sap, Spock?
“Current market value is 3,742 Federation credits an ounce,” Spock replied. “This would be greatly reduced if this planet could be worked. Even if trade agreements could be reached with the Klingons, it would be some time before the full potential of this planet could be realized.”
“This might not be a bad place to retire,” Kirk said to himself.
The next day was as easy walking as the day before. The ground was a soft somewhat soggy spongy carpet of decayed leaves. Only the massive roots of the giant trees stretching out sometimes a hundred meters before plunging into the ground hampered their journey. Things were going well up until mid-afternoon brought them to a halt on the edge of a swamp.
“Spock, can we go around?” Kirk asked.
“Unsure Captain. There is something on Skellos that interferes with the tricorder. It has been with some difficulty that I have been able to hold the course we are taking using the beacon at the spaceport,” Spock replied. “The survey report of Skellos indicates that most of the surface is swamp a few centimeters deep to several meters in depth.”
“How deep is the water here?” Kirk asked.
“Uncertain, Captain, the tricorder cannot register anything below the surface of the water. There is something in the water that prevents sensors from registering anything,” Spock said.
“It doesn’t look deep, Captain,” Chekov said. To prove it he walked out into the swamp. For a time, Chekov proved himself right and then without warning he disappeared beneath the surface of the water as he stepped in a hole.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to walk across,” Kirk said trying not to laugh at Chekov floundering in the water.
“We’re going to need a boat,” McCoy said.
“Mr. Spock what are these plants that look like really tall bamboo?” Sulu asked looking at a stand of plants some of which were nearly 10 meters tall and almost 30 centimeters in diameter.
“They seem to be some sort of semi-rigid segmented plant the soft interior of which seems to be made of some kind of natural polystyrene foam,” Spock said after studying the readout on his tricorder.
“Is this whole blasted planet made out of plastic?” McCoy asked.
“That’s it, Sulu,” Kirk said. “We don’t need a boat, Bones. We can make a raft.”
“Well, move over Huckleberry Finn,” McCoy said sarcastically.
“Spock, is there something around here that we can use for rope?” Kirk asked.
“I believe there is,” Spock replied. “The vines that are growing up the base of some of the trees have properties similar to nylon rope.”
“Good,” Kirk said. “Sulu, you, and Chekov cut down some logs about 6 meters long. We need enough of them to make a raft 3 meters wide. We’ll also need some poles to push with. Bones give them a hand. Spock, let’s go collect some of your vines.”
“No, no, no,” McCoy said shaking his head after watching Chekov and Sulu try and work out the engineering for their raft. “It’s obvious neither of you have ever built a raft before. The cross piece needs to go on top or you’re going to hang up on the first underwater obstacle you come across.” McCoy made them take everything apart before putting the raft back together properly.
“It’s a fine looking raft, Bones,” Kirk said once they were done.
“It’s a long way from being the kind of rafts I’ve used back on the white waters of Earth,” McCoy said.
“It will do just fine,” Kirk said.
“But, will it float?” Chekov asked.
“Well, we’ll find out in the morning,” Kirk replied.
In the morning they pushed raft out onto the water. “See, it floats just fine,” McCoy said smugly. Even with the weight of 5 people the raft sat lightly upon the water.
“All right everybody, push,” Kirk said as he dipped his pole into the water and the raft began to move. “Push....Push.... I think this is going to work just fine.”
Kratok tapped his fingers on the armrest of his command chair angrily; he was not a patient man. “With all the equipment and men of twenty ships I think you could have found Kirk and his crew by now,” he said after hearing the latest report.
“We are doing our best, Brigadier,” the crewman replied.
“That’s not good enough!” Kratok snapped back angrily. “We’ve been here five days. K’lgar grows impatient. We have within our means to present the Klingon people with a Federation assassin whom we may blame the death of the Empress on, only we can’t find him.
“There is something on the planet that renders our sensors inoperable near the surface,” the crewman tried to explain. “In some places it’s worse than others. If they were on a land mass, we might detect them. If they’re in the swamp which covers most of the surface of the planet, we might never find them unless one of our men actually sees them. It is only a matter of time before we find them. We know about where they beamed down. We have men working their way toward the spaceport even as we speak. There are also men making their way through the swamp from the spaceport. Three days, four at the most if luck is not with us, is all the more time we need.”
“I don’t want excuses! I want Kirk found!” Kratok said impatiently.
Three days later everyone was tired of endlessly pushing their raft along with the long poles they had cut for just that purpose. “How much longer do we got to keep this up?” Chekov asked.
“Spock?” Kirk asked.
“Three more days at our present rate of travel,” Spock replied.
“At least Huckleberry Finn didn’t have to pole his raft all over the Mississippi river,” McCoy grumbled.
“Mr. Spock, I’ve been wondering, how could the plants on this planet have evolved to become the way they are?” Sulu asked.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. Everything seems to be some form of natural plastic,” Kirk said.
“I must admit that I too have found this planet somewhat perplexing,” Spock replied.
“Plastic trees, plastic plants, plastic flowers, I’ll bet the animals are plastic too,” McCoy said.
“You’re quite right, Doctor. Everything I have encountered so far has been made up of some form of living poly resin. There is no logical explanation,” Spock said.
“How about an illogical one?” Kirk said.
“This planet may have been an experiment in some form of genetic manipulation,” Spock said.
“An artificial planet, Spock?”
“Most likely. It is the only explanation that would agree with the known data.”
“Land,” Chekov said with a lot of relief in his voice.
“Damn, I can’t find the bottom with my pole,” Sulu said when he almost lost his pole.
“I think we can use the poles like paddles well enough to get to shore,” Kirk said. It might have been funny watching them splash around in an effort to paddle to shore with the po1es, but no one was in the mood to laugh.
“Captain, I think I just felt the bottom,” Chekov said. He pulled his pole up only to find it somewhat shorter. “What the...”
“Son-of-a-bitch, we got company!” McCoy yelled.
Out of the water appeared a large head that was mostly a mouth of long sharp teeth set below two large black eyes. It is attached to a long serpentine neck.
“Use the poles to try and keep it back,” Kirk shouted. “We’ll use our phasers as a last resort.”
The monster snapped at the ends of the poles offered him. Little by little their long poles kept getting shorter and at the rate the creature was going it wouldn’t be too long before the poles were useless. Kirk darted in and hit the creature hard across the snout with what was left of his pole. The beast slid quickly beneath the water to avoid any more abuse at the hands of the humans.
“Let’s get to shore now,” Kirk said. Before they could even try to move the creature attacked the raft from the bottom spilling everyone into the water. The few moments the enraged creature spent destroying the raft gave everyone a chance to swim to shore.
Sulu was the last to reach the safety of the shore or so he thought. Finished with the raft, the monster turned its full attention on the pitiful creatures that dared to disturb its nest. Distracted by the floundering humans trying to get out of the water, the creature struck little off center and bit Sulu in the left shoulder, arm, and upper chest. Sulu pulled his phaser as the creature lifted him from the water and fired point blank into the creature’s head to no real effect. The creature released Sulu shaking its head to clear the temporary blindness caused by the phaser. Chekov upon seeing his friend’s predicament swam back for him. Spock, still in the water only a few feet from shore drew his phaser and fired at the creature in order to cover Chekov and Sulu only to find his phaser had no effect on the creature. Kirk reached shore the same time as Spock. “Fire at its head!” he yelled.
Blinded by the phasers the creature submerged. McCoy was still standing in waist deep water a little way from Kirk and Spock. The creature emerged from the water right in front of him. McCoy tried to back away from the creature, but his foot got caught on a root or something and he tripped and started to fall backward into the water. As the creature’s head snaked toward him two man-ape like creatures rush past him in the water with long wicked looking spears. Two more ape-men grabbed McCoy and pulled him to shore. More of the semi-humans appear from out of almost nowhere, some to help Chekov and Sulu, the others to help keep the creature at bay with their long spears. A moment later the sound of gunfire, or more like that of a small cannon, was heard from two guns. Shells exploded in the head and neck of the creature which died after a half dozen more rounds all but completely severed the head from the rest of the creature’s long winding body.
“Bring him quickly. The poison will kill him if he is not treated right away,” one of their obviously human rescuers said as he slung his gun back across his shoulder. The ape-men pick Sulu up and follow after the man and the young woman with him. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Chekov followed in their wake.
Kirk and others entered a clearing around the base of one of the trees. A native village was built into the base of the trees and extended upward for three hundred meters. The ape-men put Sulu on the ground and one of them began to apply a plant poultice mixed with mud on Sulu’s wounds. “What the hell are they doing? You don’t put mud on an open wound, it will cause infection,” McCoy said as he started forward to stop them.
McCoy was stopped by the human in the group before he could reach Sulu. “Don’t interfere,” he said.
“Get out of my way,” McCoy growled at the man.
“I understand your concern, but, I cannot let you interfere or your friend will die,” the man replied.
“What they are doing to him will cause a major infection to his system,” McCoy snapped back.
“The infection is something you can treat. The poison of the Long Neck is something you cannot even if you had the time and all the equipment of a Starbase Medical Center,” the man said calmly. “The poison is not detectable with our present equipment. Without this treatment your friend will most certainly die as the poison is very fast acting.”
“Your timely assistance was most welcome. I’m Captain Kirk...” Kirk said.
“The Captain Kirk?” the man interrupted.
“Yes, I am, and might I inquire as to who are?” Kirk asked.
“I’m honored to meet you, Captain. I’m David Sarday and the young woman with me is my daughter Sara,” David Sarday replied.
“Doctor David Sarday?” Spock asked.
“Guilty, I’m afraid,” Dr. Sarday replied.
“The name sounds familiar, have we met before?” Kirk asked.
“No, not that I know of,” Dr. Sarday replied.
“Dr. David Sarday, xenobiologist, his work on the Rejellian lifecycle shook the very foundation of xenobiology,” Spock said. “Much of what xenobiology is today as well as many other related fields is due to his work, Captain.
“Yes, I remember now. You created quite a stir when you disappeared, Doctor,” Kirk said.
“One day, I just got tired of it all,” Dr. Sarday said. “The people, the crowds, the speeches, so I picked a planet off the beaten path that needed studying and moved. I just didn’t leave a forwarding address. I could easily spend the rest of my life here and never touch the surface of what could be learned. This planet is both a xenobiologist’s dream and nightmare. They should be done with your friend soon.”
“Just what does this treatment consist of?” McCoy asked skeptically.
