Dark Matters_ Cloak and Dagger (Book 1) - Christie Golden [8]
'Try what?" Chakotay asked. Harry thanked him silently-that was exactly what he wanted to know.
The intelligent gaze flickered from Janeway to Chakotay. "When they learned what I had discovered about you, the chairman was anxious to capitalize on my knowledge. They have ordered me to locate Voyager in order to board it and bring it back through the wormhole. You would be useful to them if you cooperated, but they have no compunction about disposing of you if you resist. If they succeed, they may well destroy the true timeline. Captain, we wrestled with this decision once before. We came to a conclusion that we must continue to defend, even with our lives."
Janeway rose and walked down to the screen. The Romulan's head seemed gigantic; her slim, small frame, even tinier to Kim. 'Telek, I agree with you and thank you for this warning, but I need more information. How did you find us? What do you know about this wormhole?"
The Romulan's visage contorted in frustration and anger. "There is no time-" he began, then fell silent, horrified. A small red light began to blink on his console. An instant later, there came an angry pounding on the door and cries in the Romulan tongue.
Oh, my God, thought Kim. They've detected his transmission. Even as Kim gaped, Janeway turned to him, her eyes snapping fire.
"Get a lock on him!" she cried.
His fingers fumbling only slightly, Kim did as he was told.
The door to the scientist's room slid open. Harry caught a blur of motion and color as helmeted men and women rushed inside.
"Harry! Get him out of there now!"
Harry hit the controls before the words were out of his captain's mouth. Truth be told, Kim had already been moving toward transporting the unfortunate scientist the moment the door had been forced. Telek R'Mor wasn't slated to die until 2367, and Kim wasn't about to let the Tal Shiar take Telek before his time.
The space beside Janeway shimmered, and the familiar sound of the transport beam whined. An instant later Telek stood, clearly startled, next to the captain of the U.S.S. Voyager.
The Romulan guards exchanged stunned glances. Then they snapped to attention when a young, very attractive female strode into the room that until seconds ago had contained Telek R'Mor.
Harry couldn't help it. He stared. She was gorgeous. It took him another heartbeat before he realized that, if the deferential treatment by the guardsmen was any indication, the Romulan female was a personage of great importance.
Telek's quick exit may have confounded the guards, but this new individual sized up the situation
almost at once. Pale gray eyes, almost silver, gazed into the screen and fastened on Telek. Harry flinched before the raw hatred and fury in those eyes.
She thinks he planned it, Kim realized. She thinks he's a traitor.
"Chairman Kaleh-" Telek began in a trembling voice, taking a half step toward the screen with his hands lifted in a supplicating gesture.
"Your family is dead," said the female R'Mor had called Chairman Kaleh.
"No!"
Kaleh was immune to the raw anguish in the scientist's voice. She lifted a small fist and brought it crashing down on the console. The screen went black.
Harry never thought he'd feel sorry for a Romulan, but as he regarded Telek R'Mor, pity swept through him. /
The private quarters of the Federation Starship were almost roomier than Telek's entire small vessel. He lay on the bed in the guest quarters to which Janeway had temporarily assigned him and gazed out at the almost incomprehensible openness of space. He supposed he should be grateful that he wasn't in Voyager's brig, though, naturally, there was a strapping young human outside standing guard. This human female Janeway had shown him nothing but courtesy and respect in every single exchange they had had.
But there was nothing of gratitude in Telek's heart