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"Payment" - Part Ten
Rating: R (Violence, Strong Language, Adult Situations, Brutality) Note: Vulcan terms used in this story were taken from the online Vulcan Language Dictionary, the Vulcan Language Institute, or I made them up myself. A/N: I told you I would get to it eventually Asso. :) The next chapter should be slightly longer and more revealing. Part Ten:
Tucker blinked. Colors sharpened and focused. A medical tech was looking anxiously down at him. The young woman, barely old enough to be out of school, clutched her scanner white knuckled and repeatedly ran it over him. She was plainly terrified. She had plenty of reason to be, Tucker reflected. Suddenly called to the presence of the Empress and instructed to heal a command officer. A command officer that had been struck down by some mysterious malady caused by the Vulcans, using some technique that nobody had ever heard of? But the Empire gave short shrift to excuses for failure. Either Tucker recovered or she would never see sickbay again. Thus, her pale complexion and shaking hands. She saw his eyes opening and almost collapsed in relief. “How do you feel, Sir?” she asked him, silently begging him with her expression to be all right. “Head hurts,” he told her shortly. “Colors too bright. Feel a little dizzy. Otherwise, ok.” The tech’s face cleared and she grabbed a hypo. “Here, Sir.” The hypo hissed. “That will help the pain. Just lie still for a few minutes and the dizziness should wear off. Close your eyes briefly whenever the brightness starts to bother you. They will re-adjust quickly. Your scans read normal now. As far as I can tell, whatever the Vulcan’s did to you acted almost like a phase stun.” “Feels like one too,” he admitted. Ignoring her instructions, he sat up to take stock of the situation. Then he almost went back down again. Bracing himself on both arms, Tucker half turned to watch the drama that Hoshi was putting on. “She never stops,” he sighed. Her Imperial Majesty was pacing back and forth in front of the Vulcan prisoners in high dudgeon, waving her arms for effect and letting her penetrating voice echo throughout the chamber. “You didn’t know! How convenient! You six are probably the most experienced melders on Vulcan, and yet you claim that you had no idea that attacking one member of a bonded pair would cause an effect in the other member. Why do I have difficulty believing this? Travis, my love, can you help me understand why I have difficulty believing this?” Travis chuckled softly and shook his head. His eyes glittered with mocking amusement, but he humored her. “Perhaps, because we knew that it would have an effect and we are not even telepaths?” “Brilliant!” She whirled to face the five Vulcans that were still standing stiffly before her. V’Lar’s unconcious form was stretched out on the deck where she had fallen when Travis shot her, unattended and, for the moment, ignored. “You see now why I chose Fleet Admiral Travis Mayweather for my consort? His keen insight is incredibly valuable to me in the most difficult circumstances.” Her heavy handed sarcasm was starting to weigh on the Vulcan’s patience, Tucker could see it clearly. So could Colonel Reed. The Empire’s newly promoted Chief Inquisitor stepped forward, stopping only a fraction of a pace behind Travis. His eyes were almost glassy, like a man on drugs. The vacant stare that he fixed on the six prisoners would have put any Human into a state of gut churning fear. The Vulcans gave no outward clue to their reaction, of course. But Tucker doubted they were as indifferent as they presented themselves. Reed ignored T’Pol, who was curled into an immobile ball at his feet. Tucker gingerly tested the feelings he was getting through the bond and blinked in confusion. Nothing was coming through. He concentrated and realized that was wrong. He could still feel the connection clearly enough. But T’Pol was sending nothing. She was either unconcious, or in a state of mind where she wasn’t reacting to any stimuli. Time to defuse this, before Hoshi really flew off the handle. When that woman got enough pressure built up she was capable of absolutely anything at all. Tucker wasn’t worried about the Vulcan bureaucrats, but he winced to consider the potential consequences to innocent bystanders. And Travis wouldn’t do anything more than prevent her from sabotaging herself or him. The rest of the universe was on its own as far as he was concerned. Standing up was about equal to having a tooth pulled without anaesthetic in terms of pleasure (an experience that Tucker had been unfortunate enough to endure once). But as soon as he was on his feet the rocking deck stabilized pretty quickly. “Well, Commander,” Hoshi snapped. “I see you have finally chosen to rejoin us.” She glowered at Tucker, in no mood to cut anyone any slack for any reason whatsoever. “Get over here.” “Yes, Ma’am,” Tucker replied meekly. He shuffled across the deck wearing his humble look. It had always worked on Archer, and usually on Forrest. From the corner of his eye he saw Travis stifling a smile. Tucker kept his mental fingers crossed as he stopped next to Reed, with T’Pol on the floor between them. But no such luck. “Don’t bother, Fool,” Sato was steaming. “If you think I am going to fall for that ‘oh don’t pay any attention to me - I am a harmless nobody’ act that you always used on Enterprise, think again. I am not Archer.” She stomped over and got into his face. “Anyone who can intimidate his people to the point where they are willing to fight the Emperess’s own personal guardsmen is far from harmless,” she hissed. Tucker flinched openly and let her see it. Hoshi drew back, satisfied for the moment. “You can thank Travis that I didn’t take two of your technicians in payment for his bodyguards, and one of your hands for interest on the debt. He pleaded your case most eloquently.” She lunged back. “But if anything like that ever happens again, Tucker, I will personally supervise your punishment. Is that clear?” “Yes, Ma’am,” He knelt and bowed low. “I am deeply sorry, Ma’am. It will never happen again, Ma’am. I swear it.” He looked up to see Hoshi’s face starting to lose its crimson flush. Reed was staring down at Tucker in disbelief, glancing from him to Hoshi, then to Travis and back to Tucker as if he could not believe his ears. A swift survey of the hanger told him that every guard had also heard, and the story would be all over the ship within an hour, meaning all the political shifts and adjustments that it would cause. Tucker supressed a groan. The rumors alone that this would start were going to give him headaches for weeks, if not months. He really should spank Hess for this one. Kneeling beside her gave Tucker an unusually close view of T’Pol’s face. Her color was nearly white. Her eyes were barely cracked open and her breath was so shallow as to be almost undetectable. While Hoshi’s breathing slowed down, Tucker’s hand moved by sheer reflex before he had time to think and touched T’Pol’s cheek. In an instant he realized what he had done and yanked it back like he had been burned. He skidded backward like a man who had touched a live conduit. Sato snorted in contempt. “Did she bite you?” “No, Ma’am,” Tucker swallowed and looked up. “I think she is still out of it.” He stood up and waited for instructions. Now was definitely not the time for innovation. Tucker saw the controller on the floor nearby and left it where it was for the moment. Reminded of her other targets, Hoshi swirled and stalked back toward the prisoners. “Now that he is finally awake, explain to Commander Tucker how you had no idea that attacking his bonded mate would also affect him,” she sneered. “Go ahead. I think I will permit him to select the specific punishment you receive for this offense. Over and above your punishment for treason.” Minister Syrann stepped forward a pace. “Commander Tucker, you have been most grievously wronged.” The man looked to be a weatherbeaten late middle age. His expression was as haggard as any Vulcan’s that Tucker had seen. But he still held himself with that stiff Vulcan dignity that was either a racial characteristic, or was pounded into every one of them with their first toddling steps. “I hope that you will believe that we had no intention of compounding that wrong. Our intent was to extract information from T’Pol, nothing more. She resisted most strenuously, and we found it necessary to use significantly greater force than is generally required. Still, it should not have caused this reaction.” “I suspect the answer is straightforward,” Minister Kuvak inserted. “Commander Tucker, it is unusual in the extreme for a Vulcan to mate with someone of another species. It was, until now, unheard of for a Vulcan to mate with someone of a non-telepathic species. The fault is, of course, entirely our own. It simply did not occur to us that since Humans are not naturally telepathic, you do not possess the instinctive defenses that all telepathic races develop. Thus, when we penetrated T’Pol’s mind and the conflict between we and she developed, you had no defense against the backlash.” Syrann looked even more unhappy. “This seems most logical. Indeed, almost self-evident now that Minister Kuvak has pointed it out.” “Can you show me how to defend myself against her?” Tucker broke in, trying hard not to sound eager. Sato snickered at him. “What’s wrong, Trip?” she gibed. “Getting tired of keeping your little puppy muzzled all the time?” “Against... her?” Kuvak looked puzzled. “I do not understand, Commander. Telepathic contact between bonded mates is of course instinctive for Vulcans. But it can be minimized if you find it distressing. Perhaps if you discussed the matter with T’Pol-” “No,” Tucker shook his head. “I want to know how to defend myself if she attacks me again.” Kuvak’s knees actually weakened for an instance, something none of the assembled Humans had ever seen before. Syrann closed his eyes and said in a hoarse whisper, full of pain, “Do you actually mean that T’Pol attacked you telepathically?” “That’s what I call it,” Tucker told them belligerently. “You tell me.” He gave them a brief summary of how T’Pol had melded with him and used implanted commands to force him to sabotage Enterprise , then let him take the blame and sent him into the agony booth while she walked away. Minister T’Sara, one of the most ancient members, who had been holding back and keeping quiet, stepped forward. “Imperial Majesty? May I speak?” Sato stood with her arms crossed, pulling on her lower lip and listening closely. Her eyes kept switching back and forth. “I must say, this is the most entertaining display I have witnessed since Arvon built my mountain. By all means, chatter away.” “Majesty,” T’Sara went on impassively, “we came here to offer our lives in payment for the crimes of our young ones. But it is plain that this young one,” she inclined her head in T’Ppol’s direction, “has committed crimes that are perhaps even worse. Before we are put to death, will you grant us the privilege of performing one last act of judgment in our capacity as the ruling council of Vulcan?” Sato gaped. Then a smile like sunshine broke over her face. With a voice as gentle as spring rain she said, “By all means, Minister. Please continue with your work. I would not dream of interfering.” T’Sara knelt beside V’Lar and placed her hands on each side of her head. A few seconds of concentration passed. V’Lar gave a loud gasp and arched her back, T’Sara shifted her grip with one hand to grab V’Lar at some point on her neck, Tucker could not see exactly where. T’Sara held pressure for a count of five, then V’Lar reached up to grab her wrist. “That will be sufficient. Your assistance is appreciated.” Several other members helped V’Lar to stand, while Kuvak whispered rapidly into her ear. Her expression quickly came to match the rest of them, except that her control looked on the verge of breaking. Tucker supposed none of the others had known T’Pol’s family. The old woman moved forward stiffly and pointed at T’Pol. T’Sara and Syrann promptly moved forward, stopping just before reaching her and looking hesitant. “Back up, Gentlemen,” Sato ordered briskly. “Give these public servants the room they require to do their duty.” T’Sara knelt beside T’Pol and waited. Syrann turned to Tucker and explained. “We are about to revive her. With your permission as her mate, in order to prevent her from lashing out and potentially injuring you again, I am going to meld with T’Pol and place restraints upon her. She will be conscious and able to respond, but unable to initiate any telepathic activity on her own.” Tucker’s eyes narrowed. “Will this be permanent?” Then wondered why he cared. “No,” T’Sara answered. “It can be removed at any time. Or if you prefer, we can leave it in place and allow it to wear off naturally over the course of the next several hours. There will be no permanent damage.” “Do it then,” Tucker told them. He muttered out of the corner of his mouth to the medical technician, “Keep that hypo handy, Kid.” The two elders knelt beside T’Pol, one at each shoulder. Each placed one hand on T’Pol’s temples and one hand on the other’s temple. Hoshi watched avidly. Tucker swallowed and couldn’t decide which way to direct his eyes. Something was buzzing and burning at the back of his head. Not really pain, but far from comfortable. He watched Reed’s eyes jump from T’Pol to him to the Vulcans. Tucker locked his best poker face into position and held it while T’Pol writhed and gasped. T’Sara jerked her hands away. Syrann brought his suddenly free hand around in a smooth curve and fastened it onto T’Pol’s other temple. He leaned closer, murmuring something inaudible. The younger woman’s back arched. Her teeth bared and she screeched. Tucker clenched his eyes shut. Just for a second it felt like a hot spike was driving between his eyes. Then the feeling was gone. When he looked again. Syrann was standing next to T’Sara. T’Pol was alert but still on the floor. Tucker caught Reed glancing speculatively at the collar control pad, and decided to scoop it up before the fool did anything rash. Beyond doubt, her Imperial Majesty would strongly disapprove of a duel between two Terrans while she was in the middle of passing judgment on some alien dignitaries. While he grabbed the controller T’Sara and Syrann turned to rejoin their comrades. “Up.” He gestured and stepped back, holding the controller carefully in view. T’Pol gave him a cold look, shot Reed a glance of disdain, and rolled to her feet. V’Lar looked at Sato, who waved her to continue. {T’Pol, daughter of T’Les, of Clan Sh’hiran’lin’iijyliunh’rei’iy’iukn’hy’wen’lhia’ehrm’n.} V’Lar intoned in sonorous High Vulcan. {Step forth and be judged.} T’Pol went rigid. A blast of freezing terror shot through the bond and almost knocked Tucker back down again. Reed’s eyes started glittering with pleasure as faint quivers swept over T’Pol’s skin. She took a tiny step forward like a robot, followed by another one a second later. Pinned by every eye in the hanger, the slim figure moved with stiff reluctance until she stood before V’Lar, who was standing front and center before the assembled ranks of the Council. “Do this in English,” Hoshi ordered, smiling. “I want to hear this.” “T’Pol.” The old woman sounded exhausted. She switched back to English, as commanded. “Thou hast been accused, examined and judged. Thine own words and memories have condemned thee. Thou hast bonded another without his knowledge or consent, without even telling him that a bond had been formed. Thou hast used and abused thine own bonded mate in a manner most grievously foul, deliberately subjecting him to pain and injustice in thy place and then gloating of thy crime to his very face. But worst of all, thou hast deliberately conspired to accomplish the death of thine own bonded mate. Thy guilt is manifest. What hast thou to say for thyself?” T’Pol squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently. Tucker heared her voice come out in a weak croak. “I did what I did for my people.” It sounded like she was mindlessly repeating a mantra. V’Lar looked away and her throat worked. Minister Syrann stepped forward wrathfully to take over. “For thy people? What thou has done is a denial of everything that it means to be Vulcan! Thou has shamed us all!” “I could not help it!” T’Pol burst out. “I was dying! I had no way of knowing that a bond would form!” She stopped and fought for control. “He did not hesitate to accept what I offered him,” she turned and looked aggressively at Tucker. “He took me to his bed without reluctance.” Sato snickered and covered her mouth. Her eyes danced at Tucker. Travis quirked one corner of his mouth but otherwise did not react. “Didst thou warn him that there was a possibility of a bond?” V’Lar rasped out. T’Pol fell silent and looked down. “Answer!” She demanded loudly. The old woman’s angry voice echoed throughout the hanger, causing the watching Humans to start. “No,” T’Pol acknowledged miserably. “But I never thought that it would happen.” “But it did happen,” Syrann pursued relentlessly. “And when it happened, didst thou inform him of this?” He waited. Finally T’Pol shook her head. “No.” “Why not?” Syrann hammered at her. “Because...,” she took a shuddering breath. “Because he would have taken advantage of me.” “Because he would have rightfully expected thee to behave in the manner of a bonded mate,” Syrann corrected. “Is this not the real truth, T’Pol daughter of T’Les? Thee witheld the truth from thy mate so that thou could evade thy honorable duty? Thou hast witheld from him the loyalty that was his right to expect of thee, is this not the truth?” “I...,” she could not finish. Syrann continued mercilessly. “And yet even so, did not thy mate continue to display loyalty to thee? Did he not assist thee in whatever manner lay within his power? Did he not, even after thy treachery, conceal thy crime and protect thee from the punishment that was thy just reward for thy crime? And in return for his loyalty, what was his reward from thee? Murder.” She choked and fell to one knee. “I was . . . I did it for Vulcan. I DID! I wanted to free my people! I wanted to protect our world from this ship! You have not seen the power this ship holds! I did it for all of us...” Her voice trailed into a whisper. Syrann shook his head and looked back at the Council. T’Sara made a gesture and stepped forward, taking his place. “T’Pol,” she said. “Thee claims that thou hast committed these crimes for the sake of thy people, to protect us. But for what dost thou claim to protect us? The physical survival of animals? Dost thou truly fear that the Humans would go so far as to drive our species into extinction?” T’Pol slowly looked up with a confused expression. “N-no. No. We are too valuable to them for that.” She braced herself on her knee and stood up like someone very old. “I did what I did to preserve the Vulcan people. The Vulcan heritage. I wanted to regain our freedom, so that our history and our culture could once again be free to grow and flourish.” “Our culture,” T’Sara sighed. “Child. Our culture is nothing without the sacred bond of mates. It is the foundation stone upon which all else is constructed. First there is the mate bond. Then come children, and the family is formed. The children grow and find mates, and the clan is formed. The clan grows and forms alliances, and the tribe is formed. Different tribes make alliances, claim territory, and the nation is born. Nations join and merge, and the planet is one. But everything begins with the mate bond. Everything.” She looked hard at T’Pol to see if she was getting through. “Without the mate bond nothing else matters, because nothing else is possible,” T’Sara continued. “If the mate bond is not cherished and preserved, then the family splinters. If the family splinters, then the clan is not stable. If the clan is not stable, the tribe is not secure. If the tribe is not secure, the nation is subject to insurrection and invasion. With constant war, the planet will never be united. The mate bond IS Vulcan, T’Pol daughter of T’Les. The strength of the mate bond, the loyalty of the mate bond, the absolute sacredness of the mate bond is the essence of what it means to be Vulcan. Dost thou begin to understand the depths of they disgrace?” Tucker found a cold knot in his stomach and realized that his breath was coming faster. The medical tech touched his arm in concern. “Sir?” She still looked scared. “If you would like, I can give you a hypo for stress,” she whispered. He took a deep breath and held it. “That’s ok,” he reassured her. “But thanks. I’m all right.” He backed it up with a smile and returned to watching the show. Once he realized that the source of the stress was coming from the bond he could insulate himself from it. Somewhat. V’Lar pressed the tips of her fingers together for a moment and closed her eyes. The others fell silent and watched T’Pol, who looked extremely nervous. Finally V’Lar opened her eyes and requested, “Commander Tucker, if you would be so kind, could you please join us here?” He walked over, curious now. Tucker was strongly aware of Sato’s eyes avidly watching every movement of the ongoing drama, as well as Reed’s glittering rat gaze. Travis surveyed the situation as he always did, completely relaxed and unimpressed. For a split second Tucker found time to wonder what it would take to get the man excited, then shoved the thought away. He stopped beside T’Pol and looked at the Vulcan elders in front of him. “I’m here,” he said somewhat gruffly. “What do you need?” V’Lar told him, “By our law it is your decision as to the punishment T’Pol should receive. Unfortunately we cannot inflict the traditional penalty, execution, since this would be unsafe for you. There are alternatives. The first is lifetime solitary imprisonment in the deep caverns beneath Mount Seleya, never again to see light in any form. The second is irrevocable exile from Vulcan and all Vulcan colonies for the rest of her life. Which do you choose?” T’Pol made a sound that was not appropriate for any sentient creature. Her face twisted and she looked back and forth, searching for an escape. Her terror crackled along the bond like plasma along a warp conduit, flooding Tucker’s blood with adrenaline. Sato gasped. Tucker looked across the room and saw the Empress beaming with undisguised delight. “This is better than the booth ever was,” she squealed. Hoshi sauntered over and lifted T’Pol’s chin, turning her face back and forth. “Look at her eyes, Malcolm,” she told him. “Have you ever seen fear like that in a Vulcan’s eyes before?” “Never,” Reed answered weakly. He was shaking almost as badly as T’Pol. The Chief Inquisitor’s face was pale and sweating. His breath was coming short and sharp. His pupils were dilated and his eyes were glassy. Sato let her gaze linger on him for a long moment before she turned back to Tucker. “I think you had better keep her, Commander,” Sato purred. “She might find some way to kill herself down in those caves. We wouldn’t want that to happen, would we?” Tucker bowed his head. “As you command, Majesty.” Like he would have sentenced even Reed to a lifetime alone in the darkness. Tucker turned back to V’Lar and told her, “Exile.” T’Pol’s broke into a tiny whimper. As V’Lar pronounced her sentence it slowly grew into a shrill keening. “T’Pol, Daughter of T’Les of Clan Sh’hiran’lin’iijyliunh’rei’iy’iukn’hy’wen’lhia’ehrm’n, thou art judged guilty of treachery toward thine own mate. The mating bond is the foundation of the family and all of Vulcan society. Therefore, thou hast thereby also betrayed thy family, thy clan, and thy people. Thou art unfit to dwell among us any longer.” “Noooo!” T’Pol’s knees buckled and she went to the floor, hands outstretched to grab at V’Lar as a child reached for her mother. The old woman tightened her lips and took a step backward, leaving T’Pol to fall forward onto her elbows. Tucker suddenly felt an almost uncontrollable impulse to vomit. V’Lar drew in a deep breath. “Thou art stripped of thy Vulcan citizenship. More, thou art barred from residence on Vulcan or any Vulcan colony or station. More, thou are barred from contracting for transport aboard any Vulcan ship. More, thou art-” T’Pol choked and gagged. V’Lar stopped for a moment, uncertain. Tucker looked at the medical tech and wondered if he should have her check the prisoner. Then she started sobbing. Everyone in the room froze solid. V’Lar closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. “More. Thou art barred from conducting lawful trade with any Vulcan business. And finally...” She turned her head away, then back again very slowly as if she was forcing herself to meet T’Pol’s eyes. V’Lar might as well have spared herself the pain. T’Pol’s head was bowed low and her hair spread out across the floor. Her shoulders shook helplessly with deep wracking sobs. Tucker was weaving on his feet. It took everything he had to stand still. Protective barrier or no barrier, the feedback he was getting through the bond was crippling him. He turned his head to glare resentfully at Sato, expecting to see her gloating. Instead, Hoshi was staring in shock like the rest of them. If anything she was hit harder than most of the people in the room. As Tucker watched, the empress slowly raised a hand to her mouth and started shaking her head in absolute disbelief, unable to take her eyes away from T’Pol where she knelt on the floor crying her heart out. “T’Pol.” The old woman sounded like she was going to cry herself. “Thy mother assigned to me the duty of standing in her place when she passed on. Her intent was to ensure that someone would be here to secure your interests.” V’Lar stopped and struggled for a moment. “But this position also carries with it a heavy weight of additional responsibility. As thy va’prah ko-mehk, I am bound to uphold the honor of thy clan and thy mother’s name. And thou–” She stopped and for an instant Tucker was sure that he was going to see another Vulcan break down. “thou hast disgraced thy mother’s name and thy clan. Therefore, nevermore shalt thou be known as T’Pol, daughter of T’Las of Clan Sh’hiran’lin’iijyliunh’rei’iy’iukn’hy’wen’lhia’ehrm’n. Henceforth thy name is only T’Pol.” V’Lar seemed to fall inward upon herself and turned away, almost staggering as she walked back toward the other members of the council. T’Pol dropped onto her side and curled into a tight ball, jerking with rib tearing sobs. Tucker waited until his own breathing stabilized before he looked down. She wasn’t going anywhere for a while. He doubted that even the collar on full power could get through to her in her current condition. Sato started toward the two of them, staring, still in a state of shock. She was actually pale. “I can’t believe it,” Tucker heard her whisper. “She’s . . .” Sato shook her head slowly. Reed’s breathing had settled down. He looked relaxed and completely satiated. Tucker very carefully did not turn his head, but his peripheral vision caught the man’s smile. He knew that if he turned around at this moment, Reed would die. Not even Travis would be fast enough to stop him this time. This was not the time or the place. But it would happen soon, he decided. Plan or no plan, he had been patient with Reed long enough. Time to take out the trash. Speaking of Travis, there he was right behind Hoshi. He looked worried about her. Come to think of it, she was acting a bit odd. Sato stopped on the other side of T’Pol and looked down. The Vulcan woman paid no attention to either of them, or anything else. “You did it,” Sato spoke in the tone of a wondering child. She looked at the waiting Vulcan council members. “She’s...” she stopped. “You made her...” It seemed that whatever she wanted to say was too inconceivable to put into words. “We are ready to face our own judgement, Imperial Majesty,” V’Lar sounded incredibly tired. Sato looked startled. Then she shook her head impatiently and waved her hand. “Don’t be stupid.” She sighed. “I pay my debts, old woman. That is my one unbreakable rule. It is the primary reason that I am still alive and in the position that I hold today. People who serve me can rest assured that I will reward their service, and that the reward will be given generously in proportion to the service rendered. Always.” She looked down at T’Pol again. “I have no intention of breaking that rule now. Especially not now,” she added softly. Sato walked over to stand in front of the council members. “You have done what I never could. You have broken her. Not only have you punished her for what she did to Commander Tucker, but you have offered justice for the innocent blood she spilled in her mutiny. Because of this, you have earned some mercy for yourselves. But only a little mercy, and only one time.” She turned and pointed at the large chronometer mounted on the wall above the main entrance. “When that chronometer finishes flipping over to the quarter hour, you will have exactly 30 days. And I mean exactly 30 days, I do not mean 30 days and one minute, to recall all of your people and all of your ships to Vulcan.” “You are indeed gracious, Majesty,” Kuvak managed to force out, since he seemed to be the only one capable of speech. “Maybe I am,” Sato told him, “but don’t push it. Because at 30 days and one minute any Vulcan, or Vulcan ship, that has not taken advantage of this amnesty will be considered at war with the empire and destroyed on sight without mercy. Also, at 30 days and one minute all Vulcan ships that are warp capable and able to mount weapons of any kind will be expected to join the battle fleet and engage the rebellion. That includes firing on any rebel Vulcan ships. If you fail to comply with these terms, Defiant will lead an attack force against Vulcan. The primary targets for our photon torpedoes will be your major cities, followed by your major religious and cultural centers. I will personally turn your Mount Seleya into a crater that goes down into your planet’s mantle. Is that clear?” “Eminently clear, Majesty.” “Good,” she smiled sweetly. “I am pleased that we understand each other.” TBC |
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