Star Trek: The Original Series - 160 - Foul Deeds Will Rise by Greg Cox

Author:Greg Cox
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Alien Contact, Action & Adventure, General, Science Fiction, Military, Fiction
ISBN: 9781476783246
Publisher: Pocket Books/Star Trek
Published: 2014-11-25T08:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

A missing warhead?

Kirk brooded upon the bridge, mulling over the latest communication from Spock, which was troubling in the extreme. With tensions between the two planets nearing a boiling point, the last thing they needed was a protomatter warhead floating around somewhere. Kirk had his own reasons to be leery of anything involving the banned material. His son, David, had experimented, illegally, with protomatter. . . .

“Captain,” Uhura said from the communications station. “I’ve been monitoring the situation on both planets, and I think you need to see this. It’s a global news broadcast on Pavak.”

Kirk trusted her judgment. “On screen.”

A stern-looking Pavakian woman in civilian attire appeared on the viewer. She stared directly forward and spoke gravely as she delivered the news:

“Reliable sources report that a Terran calling herself Lyla Kassidy, attached to the so-called relief efforts on Oyolo, has been conclusively identified as Lenore Karidian, a convicted mass murderer and assassin.”

Twin images of Lenore filled the screen. The one on the left depicted her as she appeared twenty years ago, around the time of her killing spree. The one on the right showed Lenore as she appeared now. That they were the same woman was unmistakable.

“It has been confirmed that Karidian, who has a documented history of homicidal mania, was aboard the Federation Starship Enterprise at the time of General Vapar Tem’s assassination. Furthermore, she remains aboard the vessel at this time. The daughter of a notorious genocidal despot, she is also rumored to be a former paramour of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, who is currently spearheading Starfleet’s investigation into the general’s brutal death, leading to concerns that he may be protecting her from prosecution . . .”

The broadcast elicited a few gasps from the crew members unfamiliar with Lyla’s true identity and colorful history. A few even snuck curious glances in Kirk’s direction before studiously turning their attention back to the screen or their stations. Not that Kirk blamed them; that was quite a bombshell to absorb. The crew had to be wondering how much of the report was accurate and what this meant for their mission.

“It’s all over the Oyolu news feeds as well, Captain,” Uhura informed him.

Damn, Kirk thought. As if the current situation wasn’t precarious enough, somebody had obviously leaked Lenore’s true identity to the press. But who had done so . . . and how had they found out about her in the first place?

The turbolift door slid open and Riley barged onto the bridge. “Have you seen—?” he began before spotting the Pavakian broadcast on the main viewer. He came to a halt at the rear of the bridge.

Kirk signaled Uhura to mute the sound on the transmission. He’d gotten the gist of it.

“I’ve just been informed,” he told Riley. “Obviously, this complicates matters.”

“Yes, Captain, it does.” Riley joined Kirk in the sunken command well. “I’m already getting extradition demands from both planets. The Pavakians and Oyolu both want to try her . . . for the murders of General Tem and Minister A’Barra, respectively.

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