Crossover - Michael Jan Friedman [29]
The Intrepid’s captain came on screen. Gray-haired and ruddy, the man looked about fifty-five to sixty, which meant he was well into his Starfleet career.
He wore his experience easily, obviously comfortable with the fit. Scotty didn’t think there would be any tricking this man or charming him, or appealing to him. This was a fellow who knew his duty.
“Captain Scott, this is Captain Terrance Riley of the U.S.S. Intrepid. I have orders to apprehend you and take the Yorktown in tow. Please release the controls of your ship.”
Riley’s tone was deadly serious. “Make no mistake, Captain, I will fire on the Yorktown and disable her if necessary.”
Scotty heard every word the man said. Yet part of his mind was one hundred years in the past.
It can’t be, he thought. There must be dozens of them in Starfleet. Still, the engineer was sure he could see a resemblance.
“Captain,” Scotty began, “I am prepared to cooperate with ye fully. But I have one request.”
Riley let his impatience show. “Captain Scott, I’m afraid I can’t allow you to set terms. Your surrender must be immediate. Please do not test me, sir.”
The engineer sighed. He had to make his move quickly—or not at all.
“Captain Riley … are ye related at all to a Starfleet officer named Kevin Riley?”
For a moment, Riley’s face betrayed his surprise. Then he looked downright uncomfortable, and Scotty was sure he was right.
“My family has no bearing on the matter at hand, Captain Scott. You have stolen Starfleet property and are in violation of at least a dozen Federation laws and Starfleet regulations. I must insist—”
“Son or grandson?” Scotty asked.
The man paused. “Kevin Riley was my father,” he replied.
It fit, Scotty thought. Kevin Riley must have had a son relatively late in life. Now, the boy was fully into middle age.
“He was a lieutenant when he served on board the Enterprise under Captain Kirk,” Scotty noted.
Riley’s face was stony. “I’m aware of that, sir.”
“I was his supervisor in engineering,” Scotty added. “Did ye know that as well?”
The captain nodded. “My father told me a great deal about the Enterprise… and about you, sir.” He added the last part almost reluctantly.
Riley frowned. “Please understand, Captain Scott. You’re putting me in a very awkward position. I can’t let you go, no matter what you’ve done for the Federation or what you did in the past for my father.”
Scotty smiled broadly.
“Lad, I’m nae asking you to do anything but talk to me, in private—for a few minutes at most. I’ll beam over to yer ship. And once we’ve spoken, ye may do with me and the Yorktown what ye wish. As an officer, I’m just asking for a few minutes of yer time.”
Captain Riley hesitated as he mulled over the proposition. Watching the doubt play over the man’s features, Scotty felt sorry for him. Yet again, the engineer regretted what he was about to do.
At last, Riley came to a decision. He looked like a man who had set a course he knew he would regret.
“I’ll have you beamed directly to my ready room,” he said.
“Thank ye, Captain,” Scotty replied.
The transporter took him just a few seconds later. The meeting was brief, and Scotty did virtually all of the talking. He simply told Riley the truth.
As he spoke, Scotty avoided mentioning Kevin Riley’s name or their service together. But then, he didn’t need to. Hell, it was only because of his relationship with the elder Riley that the younger one was even listening to him.
To his credit, the captain remained attentive to Scotty’s story throughout. He didn’t interrupt him even once. But when it was over, his expression was as stony as before.
Scotty cursed inwardly. He was on the verge of losing everything—on the verge of losing Spock.
“Captain,” he started again, “did yer father ever tell ye about the time he shut off the Enterprise’s engines? As we were in orbit around a class-M planet?”
“Yes,” Riley answered, his face a mask. “He was under the influence of a mind-altering compound at the time.”
“Aye, most of the crew was by then,” Scotty remarked. “It was nae