Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [39]
“Ah! I knew you’d listen to reason.” Darvin jumped to his feet and pushed in his chair. “I’ll be in touch. Expect a message with the stardate and coordinates to rendezvous with Kruge’s ship. If we all just cooperate, this can be nice and painless, right? Anyway, I truly enjoyed seeing you again.”
With a wave, he turned and began maneuvering his way back through the crowd.
Thelin remained seated at the table for a very long time. He knew that Kirk had barely been able to cope with the knowledge that his son was dead. He wondered how Kirk would possibly cope now with the knowledge that he was alive.
4
One by one, the images were downloaded via subspace transmission and appeared on Kirk’s screen: blueprints, specifications, and technical documentation on the Klingon B’rel-class bird-of-prey. As he browsed through them, his demeanor visibly brightened. The last few days had been a nightmarish emotional roller coaster, driving Kirk into headstrong action without any second thought. His focus was solely upon David’s welfare; the manner of the young man’s liberation was an afterthought. But this new information would certainly put them in a much stronger position to accomplish that goal.
He reached out and pressed a few keys on his desktop terminal, bringing the video communication back onto the main screen. The face of a young Romulan woman reappeared, smiling, her long dark hair wrapped tightly into a tall pillar. “I hope you will find the information useful, Admiral,” she said.
“Ambassador Dar,” Kirk said. “I cannot begin to express my deepest gratitude. Hopefully this will help us to resolve the matter without creating an intragalactic incident.”
“No gratitude is necessary, Admiral,” Caithlin Dar said from her office on Nimbus III. “When you informed me of Saavik’s capture, my responsibility was clear. Please bring her and your son back safely.”
“From your lips, Ambassador.”
“Jolan’tru.”
The image was replaced by the Federation emblem, and Kirk quickly tapped a few additional buttons, then waited for his new transmission to work its way through the subspace communications network. He sat back in his chair and slowly glanced around at the barren walls of his quarters aboard the Enterprise. He had cleared out all his personal possessions weeks ago, when the official announcement was made about the ship’s decommissioning. Granted, he hadn’t officially had quarters on the ship for years, ever since Thelin took over the captaincy. But he still felt at home there-a reflection of the fact that, in his heart, he had never truly given her up.
But now, his only personal effect in the room was a photograph of David.
After a few moments, the graceful features of Nyota Uhura’s face appeared on the terminal viewscreen. “Commander!” Kirk warmly acknowledged her. “Is this channel secure?”
“Yes, Admiral,” Uhura responded. “In fact, I’m piggybacking onto the control signals from several sensor buoys in your area. Starfleet won’t be able to trace it; don’t worry. What’s your status?”
Kirk smiled. Uhura’s communications skills were still held in high esteem, and he was lucky to have served with her so many years. “Steady as she goes, I guess. We should be nearing the DMZ around Klingon space in a few hours. Are you going to be able to lie low until this blows over?”
“As a matter of fact, I’m now officially taking my leave, and unless they’re on their way to arrest me, I plan to head out of San Francisco within the hour.”
Kirk hoped she was joking. “I can’t imagine they’ve discovered your involvement already. But…how is the buzz back at headquarters?”
“Rather interesting! After all, it’s not every day that a decorated Starfleet admiral steals