Star Trek 045a: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier by J. M. Dillard

Author:J. M. Dillard
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, Media Tie-In, General
ISBN: 9780671680084
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1989-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Kixx FOUND HIMSELF IN unpleasantly

familiar surroundings: the transporter room of a Klingon vessel. Even more unpleasantly, two oversized Klingon guards seized him, one to an arm, and propelled him out into the dim, faintly noxious-smelling corridor.

The Klingon Bird of Prey was designed

strictly for battle; the size of its crew and its interior was roughly one-fortieth that of the starship, which was designed for exploration. Therefore, it was only a matter of several steps before the guards arrived with their prize at the doors to the bridge.

Jim was bitterly disconsolate. The static on his communicator when he awaited Scott's

transporter beam and the subsequent failure of the Enterprise to rescue him from the Bird of Prey's talons could only 294

mean one thing; that the ship and all those aboard her had been destroyed. Jim indulged in an agony of self-recrimination, remembering the instant he had said to Sybok, "What makes you think I won't turn her around?" He should have done exactly that-should not have permitted himself to slip into the same self-delusion that had gripped his crew. If he had listened to his head instead of his instincts, the ship he had mistrusted at first but that had served him so well would still be whole. Sybok would not have died in the depths of the tunnel. Spock, McCoy, his

crew. . . all of them would still be alive.

He had lost everything now--more than David and Carol. He had lost the Enterprise again, his crew, and the two closest friends he had in the universe. His grief was overwhelmed by anger-at himself, at the Klingons who had murdered his son and now had killed his friends. As the bridge.doors opened, Jim's rational mind fled.

If he was going to die, he would, as the Kliogons said, die well. Flanked by the two guards, he walked onto the tiny bridge, intending to lunge forward and throttle the vessel's commander at the first opportunity. At least that way, death would come more swiftly and be more gratifying.

The back of the captain's chair faced him, so that its occupant was not immediately visible. Jim's eye was caught by a surprisingly familiar face off to one side: General Korrd, who stood straight and proud, for the first time in recent days, with his hands clasped behind his back.

Korrd looked Jim in the eye and beamed with pleasure; his expression was entirely devoid of both scorn and ill will. Yet Korrd's presence could only mean one thing: that the Klingons had somehow effected his rescue shortly before destroying the Enterprise.

And then Jim saw something even more puzzling: the disgruntled young Klingon standing beside Korrd wore the insignia of a Bird of Prey captain. Then who the hell was sitting in the command chair? Kirk stepped toward it; curiously, the guards did not

attempt to restrain him. As he neared, the chair swiveled slowly, revealing its occupant. Jim gasped. "Spock!"

The Vulcan unstrapped himself from what appeared to be a custom-designed gunner's rig and rose with consummate dignity. "Welcome aboard,

Captain.

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