A Time for War, a Time for Peace - Keith R. A. DeCandido [45]
“I said be silent or I will—”
“Rov!”
It took Alexander a moment to realize that the voice that had called Rov’s name was coming from Vark’s ear. The old man lay insensate on the floor, but his com unit was still functioning, and now Alexander could hear what came through the earpiece.
“What?!” Rov screamed.
“We’ve finished this floor. There is no sign of the ambassador or the guard. Should we move down to seven?”
“That would be pointless.”
Alexander’s heart sang—he knew that voice. Father!
“Who is this?” Rov asked.
“I am Worf, son of Mogh, Federation ambassador.”
Rov laughed. “Of course you are. I should have known that you’d find the new frequency. In fact, one of my advisors warned me that you would do such a thing.” Rov looked down at Vark’s prone form. “Perhaps I should have paid more attention to him.”
“Perhaps. You should be aware that Chief Masekela and I have killed several of your people already. It is only a matter of time before we take back the embassy.”
“You are a fool, Ambassador.”
“This is the only chance you will get to surrender the embassy to me.”
“I will never surrender to the likes of you, Ambassador. You, who have done everything you can to destroy the empire! You, who have—”
“Your rhetoric bores me, Rov. Surrender or die. Those are your choices.”
Rov laughed. “You can do nothing to me, son of Mogh. You are nothing.” Then he switched his com unit off. “Karra,” he said to the woman, “grab Krant and Mukk and take them to the subbasement. Either Worf or the guard must be there attempting to regain computer access. Go!”
Karra hesitated.
“I will not lead you astray, Karra. You believe in our cause as much as I do.”
“I believe in this cause,” Karra said, “because you convinced me it was a true one. No longer am I quite so convinced. I will go and find the ambassador for you, but this is not over, Rov.” With that, she left.
Switching the com unit back on as Karra ran out the door, Rov said, “Do your worst, Ambassador. Soon you will be dead, as will the traitor Martok. The hologram of Kahless will be deactivated, and your treachery will be revealed for all the empire to see!”
“Rov, I think I hear something.”
Alexander frowned. That was a female voice.
“Worf may be approaching your position, B’Eko—switch to the alternate frequency.”
“We’re on the alternate frequency,” B’Eko said.
It was all Alexander could do to keep from laughing.
Then he looked over at Gorjanc’s body, and the urge to laugh left him.
“Damn you, woman, just be ready for that Starfleet woman or the ambassador to attack. B’Eko?” Silence. “B’Eko!?”
Vark started to stir.
“Damn you—”
Vark sat up. “No, Rov, damn you!” He aimed his disruptor at the Klahb leader.
Unfortunately, Rov was too fast for him, and he fired his own weapon. Vark fell back to the floor, his own shot firing harmlessly into the ceiling as he collapsed, dead.
Turning away as if Vark were unimportant—and to him, Alexander thought bitterly, he probably isn’t, any more than Gorjanc was—Rov put his hand back to his ear. “B’Eko, respond, damn you! Torvak, can you hear me?”
Then the lights went out.
Emergency lights came on a moment later.
Then a green gas started to waft into the room.
Anesthezine gas. Alexander recognized it from his days on the Enterprise. The Federation wouldn’t allow any fatal security measures in their embassy. The gas, though, would take care of everyone in the building. Including, he thought as he started to grow drowsy, me.
The last thing Alexander heard before falling unconscious was Rov screaming. The last thing he saw was Giancarlo Wu smiling.
Chapter 5
Earth
MONTGOMERY SCOTT had yet to grow tired of the view.
For as long as the building had been in existence, the commissary at Starfleet Command headquarters on Earth had a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline. The first time Scotty came here was when he was an Academy cadet. The