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“Kobayashi Maru, Hoshi said. “Were on our way to you now. Please stand by. Well reach your coordinates in approximately twenty minutes.

Trip craned his neck in an attempt to gauge the freighters position relative to Sopeks vessel, making a few quick mental conversions and translations in the process.

He turned back toward Sopek quickly enough to prompt the uhlan to reach for his weapon. “We could reach the Kobayashi Maru and start a rescue operation nearly twice as quickly as Enterprise can.

“We could indeed, Commander, Sopek said, apparently unfazed by Trips accusatory tone.

Understanding was settling uncomfortably onto Trips consciousness, like a heavy, smothering blanket. “But thats not what youre planning to do, is it? At the moment he didnt care what the rest of the crew heard, and it seemed clear that neither did Sopek.

The other man shook his head. “Regrettably, no. We cannot afford to be too close to the freighter when Valdores people engage their arrenhehwiua telecapture system against it. Its going to happen very soon.

Trip scowled. “How the hell could you know so much about Valdores plans?

Before Sopek could say so much as a word, the answer to Trips own question now seemed blindingly obvious to him: The only plausible way for this man to know as much as he did about sensitive military matters like the new Romulan starship-telecapture systemwhile apparently running a dissident group with impunitywould be if he had been secretly working for Valdore all along, allowing the admiral to use him to test the loyalty of underlings like Ehrehin and Terix.

This man could stand astride the twilight espionage worlds of both Vulcan and Romulus, posing as an enemy of the latter while discreetly pushing buttons on Admiral Valdores behalf.

An even simpler but far more chilling explanation for Sopeks behavior toward him occurred to Trip then: What if this cruel son of a bitch is only keeping me alive to make me watch the bloodbath hes really planning?

The only answer the other man offered to Trips question-cum-accusation was an enigmatic half-smile. The mannerism prompted Trip to wonder, not for the first time, whether this man had been born Vulcan or Romulan.

“Have a seat now, Commander, Sopek said, his smile hardening into something akin to sharpened steel. “I dont want you getting underfoot after the crew and I become preoccupied dealing with the arrenhehwiua systems target.

Trip nodded. Hyperconscious of the armed uhlan s watchful eye, he slowly moved toward a nearby unattended console, one that lay even closer to Sopek than the dead panel to which he had been posted earlier. He wants to “deal with the Romulan weapons target, Trip thought. Hes not here to help the Kobayashi Maru establish an Earth-Vulcan listening post. Hes here to stamp it out.

He wondered ruefully whether his suspicions were well founded, or if he had merelyfinallystarted to think like a Romulan.

“We are venting atmosphere rapidly, Enterprise! said the increasingly frantic voice from the wounded freighter.

If Sopek really is secretly Valdores guy, Trip thought, then he might be the one whos really running the telecapture gadget he seems to know so damned much about. And he would probably have to do it all from this ship.

“Enterprise! the man on the Kobayashi Maru cried, barely outshouting the background deluge of static. “We have very little time left to us!

The repetition of the name of the ship that had been his home for four years brought another horrifying realization in for a hard landing right on top of Trips soul: With the Kobayashi Maru so badly damaged, it made no sense to bring the Romulan Empires new starship-hi-jacking device to bear against her.

Enterprise, however, was quite another matter.

Trip sat on the chair beside the new console, staying directly in Sopeks line of sight so as not to rouse any undue suspicion. Captain Archer wouldnt let a whole field of gravitic mines keep him from trying to pull off a rescue operation, he thought. Especially