Double Helix 03_ Red Sector - Diane Carey [121]
He saw it in their faces. Stand and fight? Fight that warship coming at them at flank speed?
“It’s me he wants;’ Zevon spoke up. He came around the helm to face both Stiles and Spock. “I am the key to his control, Eric, not you. Let him take me. Then you and your ship can go.”
“I can’t let you go, you know that,” Stiles said. “We need you. Your blood-“
“I hate the Romulan ruling family” Zevon claimed bitterly. “I hate the government that flagrantly caused the Constrictor. I hate the relatives who abandoned me. I deride the stupidity of a system that allows birth connections to command important missions. I hate those of my heritage, and now I am told I must go save them? I have no interest in saving my philosophical enemies.”
“Travis, keep firing on that ship,” Stiles ordered. “Just fire at will, any chance you get to hit ‘era.” That done, furious and frustrated, he barked at Zevon. “So it would be better to go back there and serve a system that allows a scumsucker like Orsova to end up in control of a whole planet? What’s the matter with you?”
“My husband is a genius!” Sykora rose from the deck, still pale from the phaser stun, her face a mask of defiance. She moved forward and steadied herself by gripping the back of the command chair. “He has designed a spaceborne barricade that will funnel the Constrictor waves around the planet. If we help you, will the Federation come and build our barricade in space? No! You will go your way and let the Pojjana planet crumble behind you!”
As enemy fire rocked the CST again, the real challenge was right here, right now.
“Why should I mast the Federation’ Zevon confirmed. “After I save the Romulans, you will leave again as you did before”
“We can help the Pojjana” Spock firmly told them both, “but they must be receptive to our help:’
Zevon spun to him. “why should I trust you? Why were you not more persistent? When you saw your presence was good for them, why did you leave?” “The Pojjana asked us to leave.” “But you left!”
Spock seemed to be searching for a way to explain when Stiles took over. “Never mind, Ambassador. Until today, the only Federation citizen Zevon’s ever spoken to in his life was me. He doesn’t get it.” Fixing his glare on Zevon, he forced himself to ignore the pounding the ship was taking. “You’re going. I didn’t go through this for nothing! We need you to go. ff the Empire falls, the whole sector is going with it. Like it or not, you’re the last royal family member with unadulterated blood and you’re coming with us:’ “No, Mr. Stiles. He is not.”
Spock’s announcement, without a hint of doubt or question, took Stiles completely by surprise. Everyone else, too, from the looks on their faces.
Digesting the words from his idol as quickly as he could, Stiles jabbed a finger toward Zevon. “But he’s wrong!”
“He is wrong according to us,” the ambassador contradicted evenhandedly. “He has that right.”
“Why did we come all this way! Why didn’t you say something down on the planet!”
“I entertained the hope that you might be able to convince him.”
Setting aside annoyance at being used, Stiles argued, “The Romulans are attacking the Federation for something we didn’t do!”
Spock offered only a nod in limited agreement. “I will not force any individual to act against his will.” “Even if it means a war?” “If that is the price of freedom… so be it.”
“They’re almost in phaser range,” Jeremy White reported, a thread of fright rising in his voice.
Stiles didn’t blame him a bit. The sight of that dark ship with the white buttons all over it streaking toward them with the posture of an angry bumblebee it scared him too.
“Jeremy” he ordered, “tell me the two