Star Trek(18)

“Only the military has the resources, numbers, and efficiency to get the job done,” Kurvanis declaimed with pride. “And they are already on their way. The decision is final. We are doing you a courtesy by allowing you to stand here and argue at all. But it is best if you are gone by the time the troops arrive. They are . . . dedicated to protecting their people from all threats.”

Laila Alindogan turned to Densri. “So this is it? All we’ve taught you, all the generosity and welcome you’ve shown us . . . it ends at the point of a gun?”

“So long as you cooperate, there will be no need to make this . . . unpleasant,” the chief said, though she clearly did not wish it to be this way.

“Don’t worry, your Federation won’t lose its precious minerals,” Kurvanis said, misreading Alindogan’s concerns. “M’Tezir will continue to honor its deal with the Federation, but it will now be managing Narpra’s resources instead of the Global League . . . as soon as the terms of alliance are finalized.”

“Getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you?” Ruiz asked.

“I need not justify myself to you. Your only concern at this point is packing your belongings and leaving. That is a government order.” He turned to Chief Densri. “Which you will now enforce. Correct?”

Densri glared at him. “I know my job, Colonel. Even if I don’t take the pleasure in it that you do.” She turned to Lucas. “Please, Doctor. On behalf of Narpra, I thank you for your service. But I now require you to leave.”

Lucas looked around at the police troops—big, strong, incredibly durable Saurian police troops—and knew there was nothing he could do. He still had nightmares about that horrible day a decade ago when a band of genetically enhanced human Augments had held him hostage at Cold Station 12, torturing him and threatening the lives of others—even killing Deputy Director Iyer before his eyes—to force him to hand over the hundreds of Augment embryos stored there. He had done his best to be brave, only to ultimately succumb in order to save his friend Phlox’s life . . . rendering Iyer’s sacrifice essentially meaningless, a guilt that had stayed with him ever since. As much as he wanted to stand up to this intimidation and redeem his shame, he knew he couldn’t bear to risk any more lives if he could avoid it. His fellow offworlders were better off cooperating with the Narpran police than they would be if they waited for Colonel Kurvanis’s forces to arrive.

So with a heavy sigh, he turned to Ruiz, Alindogan, and the others. “We have to do as she says.”

“But, Doc—”

“It’s their decision, Antonio,” he said, nipping the young Cuban’s tirade in the bud. “We have to respect it even if we don’t agree with it. That’s part of being a good guest.”

“So . . . so where will we go?”

“There are still other countries in the Global League where we should be welcome.” He tilted his head back and took one more lingering look at the beautiful lava-tube city. The sun was just rising, and the light filtering through the plant canopies above gave the city a verdant glow like the depths of a rainforest. He lamented that his stay in Narpra had been so brief. “But there’s nothing more we can do here.”

May 12, 2164

U.S.S. Pioneer, orbiting Kaferia (Tau Ceti III)

Malcolm Reed smiled at the familiar face appearing on his ready room monitor. “Admiral Archer! To what do we owe the pleasure, sir?”

“Good to see you, Malcolm,” the admiral said. “And you, Travis,” he added to the man who stood on Reed’s left.

“Always good to see you, sir,” Mayweather replied.

“So . . . any luck with the Kaferians?”

“No, sir,” Travis reported. “They’re grateful for our offer to help shore up their planetary defenses, but they’re still not interested in Federation membership. They hardly even have any kind of government to negotiate with.”

“I understand. I guess I’m not surprised.” The insectoid natives of Tau Ceti III had never had a problem with the erstwhile human colony on the neighboring fourth planet (confusingly called Outer Kaferia, with the third being Inner Kaferia; the system’s first explorers and settlers, the Kaferi family, had lacked both imagination and modesty when it came to naming things). Far from the stereotype of the insect hive mind, the Kaferians were fervent individualists content to let everyone, even alien colonists, go their own way so long as they stayed peaceful. But when the Romulans had conquered Tau Ceti IV and destroyed the NX-class vessel Atlantis, the Kaferians had offered safe haven and medical care for the starship’s survivors—including one Lieutenant Travis Mayweather. After the Starfleet crew had been evacuated, the Romulans had invaded Inner Kaferia in retaliation. Luckily, the Kaferians had evolved the ability to hibernate underground to survive the frequent asteroid impacts the system was prone to, so most of them had managed to sleep out the four-year occupation undetected. Otherwise, the Romulans would probably have exterminated their entire race as they had the human colony.