A Time for War, a Time for Peace - Keith R. A. DeCandido [39]
I will continue to feign unconsciousness until the time is right for me to strike. Rov had said all along that Worf was the most dangerous foe the empire had ever faced. Kl’rt had dismissed that as rhetorical hyperbole, but now he saw that Rov was correct. Somehow, without the use of standard weapons, he had rendered Kl’rt unconscious and brought him somewhere outside the embassy.
The traitor looked over at Kl’rt. “You are awake. Good. I require information.”
How did he know—? Kl’rt put the thought out of his head. He knew, so Kl’rt would deal with it. “Where have you brought me?”
“I said I require information.” Worf was, Kl’rt saw, studying a Starfleet tricorder, but now he closed it and walked toward Kl’rt. “I have no reason to provide you with any.”
As soon as Worf was close enough, Kl’rt leapt to his feet and attacked. He had always been skilled at weaponless hand-to-hand combat—as a boy growing up on Mempa VIII, he’d always done well in brawls, and even wrestled professionally for a time, before he was expelled due to what the judges mistakenly deemed dishonorable behavior. The drugs he took in no way affected his performance; they simply allowed him to breathe more easily.
He therefore came at Worf secure in the knowledge that he could take a diplomat with little trouble.
A second later, he was sprawled on the floor, wondering why his entire face hurt.
“You will not move until I say you can,” Worf said. “Now speak—where is the device that is blocking use of weapons?”
“I will die before I tell you anything, traitor!”
The ambassador tilted his head. “That is the second time you have labeled me a traitor. Why?”
This question Kl’rt would happily answer. “You have been a puppet of the Federation all your life, and through you, the Federation has controlled the empire.”
“Really?”
Kl’rt spit on the empty floor. “Do not attempt to deny it! First you had K’mpec killed and then framed Duras for the crime, paving the way for your first puppet, Gowron. But he was too strong for you—he found Kahless, made him emperor, and then would not listen to your Federation lies when he invaded Cardassia or during the Dominion War! So you had him killed and installed your one-eyed fool. Now you have stolen the emperor from us!”
“The emperor remains on his throne where he belongs. Your words are the ramblings of a deranged toDSaH.”
At that, Kl’rt laughed. “I do not expect you to admit it. But your days are numbered, traitor. We will expose your perfidy, and your blood and that of your slime devil of a chancellor will paint the streets of the First City!”
“And how will this goal be accomplished?”
Kl’rt folded his arms. “I will speak no more to you, traitor. As I said, I will die before I tell you anything.”
“Of course. That is the way of all cowards.”
“You dare call me coward?” Kl’rt leaned forward, but did not get up. He did not know how, exactly, Worf managed to knock him to the ground before—he had moved that fast—but he wasn’t ready to risk it again.
“No dare is required—I simply speak the truth. Dying for your cause is easy. It requires no effort on your part, no sacrifice. You simply sit there and spit like a rabid targ and wait for me to kill you. No, the true act of bravery is to live for your cause—and to suffer for it.”
“What do you mean?”
Worf reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a small weapon. “This weapon has three settings—stun, kill, and burn. The kill setting is fixed, but the others have levels. Different species have different tolerances for what will stun them, and the amount of power required to burn something will vary depending on the target.” He pushed two buttons on the weapon, based on the beeps Kl’rt heard. “It is now set on light burn. Your embassy record indicates that you are left-handed. I will therefore fire on your right arm if you do not answer my question. That will leave you with a one-centimeter hole in your arm. If you continue to be uncooperative, I will fire on your left arm, and your capacity as a warrior will be greatly diminished.