Mosaic - Jeri Taylor [109]
He sighed and began to think of another means of helping her see the error of her ways when two of the crew spoke at once-the pilot and the man standing behind her right side. "Captain, I'm reading something-was "We've got activity from the planet's surface-was
The captain moved immediately to the pilot's console. "What is it, Mr. Paris?" she asked crisply. The blond young man was working his controls rapidly. "Something rising from the planet-a convoy of ships... no..." He looked up at her, puzzled, and Trakis took the opportunity to move closer to them.
The man from the rear station called out now. "Captain, I have organic readings. There's a mass of life signsmillions of them-ascending through the ionosphere."
"On screen," said the captain, and Trakis looked up at what was revealed there. At the same time, he realized that they were no longer taking hits from weapons; apparently the Kazon were as curious about what was happening as the crew of this ship. And when the screen before them revealed a view of the planet below, he understood fully. What he saw there made his legs suddenly lose stability and his stomach sour.
A brown miasma, vast and inexorable, was rising into space from the surface of the planet. Trakis rubbed a damp palm on his pants and turned to the captain, who was staring in puzzlement at the screen. "Captain," he said, trying to keep his voice from quavering, "those are the Tokath."
CHAPTER 22
"A REVIEW BOARD IS STANDARD PROCEDURE, KATHRYN. ALL captains go through the process after their first mission, and frequently after that. Don't worry about it." Admiral Paris' blue-gray eyes crinkled as he smiled at her.
Kathryn sat opposite him in his office-the very office she'd waited in when she first met him over ten years ago. Now, she'd just returned from a six-month mission into the Beta Quadrant; she'd collected some valuable scientific data on microsecond pulsars, and she was annoyed that her trip home-where Mark was waiting-was being delayed for a routine and, in her mind, wholly unnecessary procedure.
"I'm not worried about it-that's the point. There's nothing to worry about; the mission was a complete success, nothing was amiss, and I don't see why everyone's time has to be wasted with this superfluous review."
"You're proving to be an excellent captain. I'm more proud of you than I can say. But you may need to pay some attention to one of the finer details of command: an abiding patience for Starfleet rules and regulations. You'll have to set the standard on your ships, Kathryn. It won't do to have a captain who plays fast and loose with the rules."
She drew a deep breath. He was right, of course. She was just so eager to see Mark, and Phoebe, and her mother. But two days more wasn't the end of the world, and she'd have a full month to spend with them before catching another assignment. "You're right, sir. Thanks for the reminder." He started to reply but suddenly the door to his office opened and his aide, the dignified Mrs. Klenman, now a full captain, walked in, her face reflecting alarm. "Excuse me, Admiral," she said quickly, "but I think you should get over to the Academy right away."
Kathryn saw Admiral Paris's face go ashen. His son Tom was now a senior at the Academy. "What is it? Is something wrong?"
"There's been an