ken_ichijouji (
ken_ichijouji) wrote2012-10-19 12:35 pm
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Fic: Phoenix Invictus Book One: Child of Light (6/9)
Same headers apply from prologue.
“Water?” Pike asked as he gestured for Lilandra to take a seat in his office.
“No, thank you,” she said as she stood.
Pike got himself a scotch. “Something stronger?”
Lilandra blinked at him for a second. “It might settle my nerves.” He poured two fingers in two glasses, and handed one to her. She took it with a grateful smile and drank. “This is quite good,” she said after swallowing. “What is it called?”
“It’s a type of Terran whiskey called Scotch,” he said with a smile of his own. “You have anything like it where you’re from?”
“No, we don’t,” Lilandra said as she took another sip. “We do imbibe, but this is different from what I usually partake.”
Pike took a sip of his own scotch. “So. The Shi’ar.”
Lilandra nodded, and she examined the room, the door in particular. She checked the exits, and Pike assumed it was in case she needed to escape. “We are based in what you call the Delta Quadrant, and have been unknown to you for some time. The Shi’ar Empire spans thousands of worlds, and we are older than societies such as the Vulcans.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Pike gave her a look that bade for her to continue.
She did. “I come from the Imperial Throneworld, Chandilar. Our people are humanoid, as you can tell. However, we are not descended from apes as you are. We are descended from birds.”
“The wings on your arms,” Pike said.
Lilandra nodded. “Having actual wings is considered undesirable; we refer to such people as genetic throwbacks. My elder sister, Deathbird, is one such person.”
“interesting name.” Pike took another long sip of scotch. He kept a close eye on her expression; it was open, not too guarded, but there was a look in her eyes that concerned him.
“It is the one she had given to her after her birth name was stripped away,” Lilandra explained. “She murdered our mother and younger sister, and the removal of her name, plus exile, was her punishment.”
“Fair enough,” Pike conceded. “Continue.”
“While the Shi’ar is mostly peaceful, much like your Federation we possess a strong military. This military is how we have amassed our empire.”
“Not all that dissimilar to the Romulans, then,” Pike mused.
Lilandra’s expression became thoughtful. “Yes and no. The Shi’ar have annexed many civilizations into our own; however, we also rely heavily on inter-galactic commerce and trade. We have several agreements with other empires such as the Skrulls and the Kree.”
More races Starfleet had never heard of. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“We are very prosperous; we are also incredibly advanced. Shi’ar ships are capable of opening stargates, or as Terrans would call them wormholes, through space-time that enables us to travel from one end of the galaxy to another in incredibly short periods. We also have faster than light speed communication and transportation, as well as incredibly sophisticated hologram technology and weapons.”
Pike gave her a long look, and this time it wasn’t because she was gorgeous. This stargate tech could be a real boon for the Federation; even the Vulcans didn’t have anything like it. At warp, it would take Starfleet years to reach the Delta Quadrant. Not to mention the good that having an empire bigger than the Romulans on their side could do.
Lilandra spoke once more. “Our current ruler is D’Ken; he is both the Emperor and the Majestor of the Shi’ar.”
Pike nodded and the smile left his face. “The tyrant you need asylum from,” he said, getting down to business.
“Yes,” Lilandra answered, and her posture changed. Her shoulders stiffened, and her eyes became afraid. “D’Ken is mad. He plans to use an artifact of my people to become ruler of all creation.”
“Must be some artifact,” Pike said. “And where is it?”
“It is on my ship,” Lilandra said, and Pike could tell it was the truth from the lack of hesitation in her voice. “I have brought it all the way here from Chandilar, hoping that you and your people can keep it from him.”
“And you sent a message to us that we’re still trying to decipher,” he said as he looked at her.
“Yes, everything I am explaining to you was in that,” she said. “The M’Kraan Crystal must be safeguarded.”
Pike downed half his scotch in one sip. “The what?”
“The M’Kraan Crystal,” Lilandra repeated. “The End of All That Is. If D’Ken uses it, both the Shi’ar Empire and the Federation are condemned.”
Pike realized why he was so quick to believe Lilandra; she was absolutely terrified. She wasn’t outright shaking; to an untrained person, she would even appear calm. Pike was not an average person, though, and to him it was obvious by the set of her mouth and the lines around her eyes.
There was a problem, though. “That’s not a lot for me to go on with the other admirals,” he admitted. “Do you have any evidence of D’Ken’s plot?”
Lilandra looked down at the floor. “The word of the Imperial Sage, Araki.”
Pike frowned. “Hearsay’s not worth a whole lot, unfortunately.”
“I also can vouch for the fact that D’Ken is power hungry,” Lilandra said.
“Again, that’s not a whole lot…” A beeping sounded throughout the room. It was probably Jim. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”
“Of course,” Lilandra said, and she finally sat.
Pike pushed a button. “Admiral Pike.”
Sir, an emissary from the Shi’ar Empire is requesting to speak with you, Davis said through the communicator. He says its urgent.
Lilandra’s eyes widened. “Do not take it.”
Pike looked at her curiously. “Patch it through, Lieutenant,” he said.
The message came through, and a man who seemed jovial enough spoke. Admiral Pike, this is Shi’ar Emissary Davan Shakari.
At this, Lilandra’s mouth tightened into a taut line. Her eyes narrowed, and she spat, “Shakari. One of D’Ken’s spies.”
Pike raised an eyebrow. “I read you, Shakari. What can I do for you?”
It is my understanding that a traitor to the Empire is attempting to seek asylum on your planet, Shakari continued. I am asking if it would be possible for her to be remanded into my custody instead.
Pike narrowed his eyes, giving Lilandra a long look. The look on her face was of barely controlled fury, and her posture was rigid.
She stole the most sacred symbol of our people. She has turned against her Emperor and jeopardized the safety of the Empire in order start a galactic war.
“Lies!” Lilandra said as she stood. “I did no such thing! I came here to prevent The End of All That Is!”
“Wait a second,” Pike said. He held up a hand for her to be silent, and Lilandra gave him a pleading look.
Admiral?
“I’m still here, Shakari,” Pike said. “I’m with Lilandra now. How about you meet us at the Starfleet corrections facility, called Foucault?” He looked at Lilandra, who had raised an eyebrow. “The three of us can have a little chat.”
I would prefer to just take her into custody. Shakari said, which also made Pike suspicious.
“If you’re telling the truth, then there’s no need to shy away from us just talking,” Pike continued.
Shakari paused. Very well, then. I shall beam down to your prison. Send me the coordinates. With that, the line went dead.
“You cannot listen to him,” Lilandra pleaded. “He works for my mad brother. He is a liar and a spy. He is only telling you this so he can take ---“
Wait a minute. “Your brother is D’ken? The Emperor?” Pike raised an eyebrow as he cut her off. “Is there a reason you failed to mention that sooner?”
Lilandra’s anger faltered. “Why does that matter?”
“You tell me,” Pike answered. Either she was lying, or Shakari was. He wasn’t sure whom, but he didn’t know enough to take a side. He needed more evidence. “Come with me,” he said as he made his way out his office.
Lilandra followed him. “Please,” she continued. “All of creation depends on this…depends on you.”
Pike shrugged. “I’ll see what happens when I interview Shakari.”
Lilandra’s shoulders sagged. “Very well.”
They walked together to a hover car, and after conferring with Pike, the driver began the route to Foucault.
----
Spock stood, still in his scrubs, in the middle of the Starfleet Academy library, reading a PADD that contained all of Vulcan lore and legend. Unfortunately, most of the information on the Phoenix was spotty at best. Many Vulcans apparently believed it to be insignificant, a child’s fable.
There was one Vulcan, however, who had written a thorough paper about the Manifestation.
Scokk’s paper detailed what happened when T’pean manifested the Phoenix. It was, perhaps unsurprisingly, similar to what Doctor McCoy was experiencing. T’pean had been disoriented and unwell before adjusting to her newfound abilities.
She not only manifested telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and greatly increased telepathy, but she was capable of reading psychic impressions from objects. She could feel a person touching something she was manipulating with her mind. She could not only read thoughts, but emotions so deep the person was not even aware they existed.
Spock wondered how she was not driven mad by the experience. Being a telepath whose power got triggered by physical contact was taxing enough some days; having to spend each waking moment with the thoughts of others intruding upon one’s consciousness had to be unspeakably painful.
No wonder the doctor was so sick. Humans, except in rare cases, did not have psychic abilities. The strain must have been tremendous. Starfleet trained those cadets who tested high for psychic sensitivity in how to use their gifts, but even one of them would have difficulty coping with awareness on such a scale.
The Phoenix was present in Earth legend as well. It was a bird, consumed by its own flames. When it would die, it would resurrect itself from its ashes. Terran folklore spoke of the Phoenix’s mystical properties. It was possible the Terran Phoenix was similar, if not the same, as the Vulcan one. It was undoubtedly a cosmic entity; it was logical to assume it had visited both civilizations, and visited again if the fact that McCoy had died and been brought back to life was anything to go by.
Spock needed to test the hypothesis that the doctor was experiencing a manifestation of the Phoenix of legend. With him needing to remain in the hospital due to his injuries, it would be tricky.
Spock walked to the library counter and checked out the PADD. He took it with him back to the temporary quarters he shared with Nyota. It was a short walk, and before long he was entering the code to the door.
Nyota sat at their computer with earphones on as she scribbled notes.
Spock debated for a second before walking over and placing a hand on her neck. She jumped, and turned to him with wide eyes. “Oh, Spock, you scared me!” she admitted. “How is Leonard?”
“He is resting,” Spock said. “What are you doing?”
“It’s a project for Gioia,” Nyota said. “It’s a message that came from deep space. I’m trying to finish piecing it together.”
“Very well then. I shall leave you to it,” Spock said, and Nyota favored him with a grateful smile. She went back to concentrating on her work. Spock took the opportunity to change out of his scrubs into a uniform, and considered his options.
Logically, he should tell the Psi-Corps division of Starfleet and let them handle this. However, the doctor was so weak…it did not seem morally right to subject him to their rigid and impersonal tests.
But Spock could do the testing quietly in his hospital room.
An idea struck him, and he went into their kitchenette; these guest quarters were new and had not been used before them. Their silverware sat still packed in its chest. He grabbed it and made his way back over to Nyota. He stood in front of her and gestured for her to remove her earphones. “I am going to head back to the hospital. Would you like to join me?”
Nyota shook her head. “I would, but I really need to finish this. I’m on a strict timetable.”
“I understand,” Spock said.
“Give Leonard my love,” she said. He leaned down for a kiss, and she gave him one,
“I shall,” Spock answered as he took the chest and made his way out of their quarters and back towards Starfleet General.
-----
Carrying a large flowering cactus in his hands, Hikaru Sulu made his way through the sliding automatic doors of Starfleet General’s entrance to the information desk. “Hi,” he said to the woman who sat behind it. “I’m looking for Leonard McCoy. He’s a patient here.”
The woman nodded and touched her screen a few times, scrolling through the patient directory. “Third floor west, room 19.”
“Thanks,” he said as he headed in the direction of the west elevator. He pushed the display on the front, and when it arrived, he stepped inside. It was a short ride to the third floor, and Hikaru made his way to McCoy’s room with ease.
Knocking on the open door, he smiled at the captain. “Hey, Kirk.”
Kirk turned to look at him, and Hikaru got taken aback by how sad and worried he looked. “Oh. Hey, Sulu. Come on in,” he said in a low voice.
Hikaru was about to ask what was going on, when he realized that McCoy was sleeping. “Oh, I can come back when…”
“It’s fine,” Kirk said. He reached his arms up and stretched, and he was in scrubs instead of regular clothing. “He’s been sleeping a lot, and I could use the conversation.”
“Fair enough,” Hikaru said as he sat the cactus down on the bedside table.
Kirk gave him a curious look. “What’s that?”
“It’s for the Doc,” Hikaru said with a grin. “I figured it’d brighten up the room, and he can take it with him when we go back into space.”
Huffing out a laugh, Kirk shook his head. “That’s very thoughtful, but Bones has a black thumb.”
“Harsh,” Hikaru teased with a grin of his own. “And yeah, I know; he told me once that he figures plants are hard, but healing people is easy. This species is very hard to kill.”
Kirk finally smiled at this, and he looked at McCoy fondly. “I hope you’re right.”
Hikaru took the seat next to him and gave him a curious look. “What happened? All I heard was that there was a crash, but he doesn’t seem all that banged up.”
Kirk hesitated before speaking, and Hikaru raised an eyebrow at this. He didn’t have to wonder for long, though, because Kirk said, “He died. Something put him back together.”
Narrowing his eyes, Hikaru leaned forward. “What?”
Kirk hesitated a second time, and he sighed. “He had to pilot the shuttle through a massive amount of radiation. It…killed him, but he came back from it. Now there’s something inside of him calling itself Phoenix, and…” He trailed off, staring at McCoy with that same worry from before. “I don’t really know much else, to be honest. When he’s lucid, he keeps talking about some guy named D’Ken and The End of All That Is, but he doesn’t really explain.”
Hikaru nodded, although he didn’t understand. Phoenix? Coming back from the dead?
How was any of that possible?
Kirk’s hands clenched into fists. “I don’t know what’s happening to him; I don’t really understand much of anything that’s happened since the Enterprise docked. I just have this feeling like what’s happening to Bones is somehow tied to what happened on StarCore. I can’t explain why I think that, but…well, it is what it is.”
Swallowing, Hikaru nodded a second time. He heard about StarCore getting blown up, but this didn’t make a lot of sense. What would some Phoenix thing have to do with it getting destroyed?
At this, McCoy awakened. He rolled over onto his back and sat up. “Jim?” he asked.
Kirk went to his side. “Hey, sleepyhead. Sulu’s here.”
McCoy, who rubbed his eyes, looked at Hikaru, and Hikaru gave him a smile. “Hey, Doc.”
“Hey,” McCoy replied. An energy trail came off his body, grabbing a glass of water that sat on the table next to Hikaru’s cactus. He grabbed it out of the air and took a sip.
That was new.
“Um…” Hikaru said eloquently.
Kirk gave him a sheepish expression. “I left that part out. Bones now has powerful psychic abilities.”
Hikaru blinked. “So…you came back from the dead? And now you can do this stuff?” He didn’t know why, but something felt cold and hard in the pit of his stomach.
Why had he come back from the dead? How had he done so? No normal human could do that…not even the surgeons at Starfleet General could bring a person back. There is no possible way that McCoy should have been able to do that. So…why now?
Hikaru swallowed around a lump in his throat.
And this Phoenix thing…had somehow not only brought McCoy back, but was inside him? And he had psychic powers?
Hikaru knew about the PsiCorps division of Starfleet; everyone did, as all entering cadets were tested for telepathy and other such abilities when they came to the Academy. He had been secretly relieved when he scored in the average human range for the tests; the thought of having latent psychic powers scared Hikaru, and that fear came back to him as he looked at McCoy in his hospital bed.
It was perhaps not justified, but he felt it all the same. It wasn’t normal for a human to be able to do things like move objects with his mind. It was weird. Vulcan touch telepathy didn’t bother him, but give those powers to a human and Hikaru became uneasy.
It suddenly occurred to Hikaru what that cold, hard feeling was.
It was dread.
“That’s about the gist,” Kirk said, his lips twisting into a humorless smile. He turned his attention back to McCoy. “Who’s D’Ken?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“D’Ken is coming,” McCoy answered, and his hair started to blow in a wind that could not exist in the room.
Yeah, that was definitely dread Hikaru felt. He stared as the doctor’s eyes turned white. More of that energy formed around his body, culminating in a pair of flaming wings. McCoy’s arms rose up towards the ceiling.
“Bones!” Kirk exclaimed.
“Phoenix”, McCoy corrected him, “We are one.”
Hikaru jerked out of his chair, scooting to stand at the back of the room. He stared at the scene before him, unable to look away from it. He wanted to run, but his legs locked up, and he couldn’t move.
“Who is D’Ken, Phoenix?” Jim asked. “What is the End of All That Is?”
“D’Ken is a pretender. The End of All That Is, a destroyer.” Phoenix answered.
Kirk frowned. “That doesn’t give me a whole lot to go on. Can’t you speak plainly?”
“He is coming,” Phoenix said, ignoring the question. “He is coming, and we must be ready.”
Making an angry noise, Kirk grabbed McCoy’s shoulders. “Tell me what is going on! Tell me why you’re in his body!”
Phoenix looked at him with a curious expression. “Leonard is the house…”
“The house where you live, I get it!” Jim said, and Hikaru frowned at the tension in his words. “What are you? Are these words from the future? Tell me what’s going on!”
“It is not a place,” Phoenix said, again not really answering his questions. “He is coming, and only we can stop him.”
Hikaru watched as the captain’s shoulders tensed in frustration. He should do something, like help the captain. Instead, he stood and watched.
“Just tell me straight what’s going on. Starfleet can help.”
“We are the Guardian,” Phoenix said, and it placed McCoy’s hands over the captain’s wrists. “There is much we must do alone.”
With that, the flames died and McCoy’s eyes went back to their usual green. He blinked up at Kirk for a second before pushing his hands away and trying to get out of the bed.
“I gotta go…” McCoy said. He managed to put his legs over the side, his bare feet resting against the floor. “I gotta stop him…” He tried to stand, but his legs gave out on him, and Kirk caught him, holding him tight in his arms.
“You’re still too weak to go anywhere,” Kirk said in a soft voice. “And you need to tell me what’s going on.”
Hikaru cleared his throat. “I’d kind of like to be let in on this, too.” He stood, still at the back of the room with his hands clasped together to hide their shaking.
“I need to find Lilandra,” McCoy said. “She has it. We have to keep it from D’Ken.”
“What is it?” Kirk and Hikaru asked in unison.
“The M’Kraan Crystal,” McCoy said. “The End of All That Is. D’Ken can’t get it. If he gets his hands on it…if he uses the power of the negative galaxy…the Federation is doomed. Everywhere is doomed.”
Hikaru raked a hand through his hair; even though the Doc explained things, it still didn’t make any sense. Who was D’Ken? Who was Lilandra? And what the hell was the M’Kraan Crystal?
Judging from the look on his face, Kirk wasn’t doing much better. “Bones, we’ll help you,” he said, his voice soothing. “We’ll get you all the help you need, but we need more to go on. Starfleet won’t let us act without evidence.”
“Starfleet can’t do anything,” McCoy said. “Don’t you see? It’s up to me. Up to me and Phoenix, we’re the only ones who can stop him!” He again tried to stand, but Hikaru could see his legs quiver. “Damn it! I need to heal faster! I need---“
“It’s okay, Bones,” Kirk said. He helped him back into the bed. “It’s okay. You get better, and we’ll help you find this Lilandra person.”
McCoy was quiet, and there was determination in his eyes. “I may not have time,” McCoy finally said, and Hikaru’s body froze from the finality of it. “It may already be too late.”
-----
At Foucault, Pike and Lilandra stepped out of the hover car and got shown to a private area used by parole officers. Pike nodded towards the chair, and Lilandra took it. Seconds later, a man beamed into the room. He wore all red and was even taller than Lilandra.
“Admiral Pike,” he said, and Pike narrowed his eyes. His words oozed with a false sincerity that did not escape his notice. “I see you do, in fact, have the traitor in your custody.”
“If anyone is betraying the Empire, it is my brother,” Lilandra said. “You would doom us all to curry his favor.”
Shakari smiled; it didn’t reach his eyes, and yeah, Pike didn’t like him. “Of course you would say that. You can’t have Starfleet figure out that you tried to stage a coup and take over the Empire, can you Princess?”
“She staged a coup?” Pike asked.
“Unsuccessfully,” Shakari answered. “She did not have much support. To escape her punishment, she stole the M’Kraan Crystal and came here to plead for asylum.”
“I did no such thing, Shakari!” Lilandra turned to Pike, and her eyes were desperate. “You must believe me, Admiral. If you give him the crystal, all is lost!”
Pike looked at Shakari, before looking back to Lilandra. It was his word versus hers. “Do you have proof, Shakari?” he said. “I can’t get Starfleet to act unless I have evidence.”
Shakari pulled out a cube, and images passed through it of Lilandra stealing the M’Kraan Crystal. “I have been sent this by his Excellency himself. If you like, I can get him on my communicator, and he can corroborate my story.”
Lilandra went deathly pale at his words, but Pike wasn’t stupid. All the video proved was that Lilandra stole the crystal, it didn’t say anything about her staging a coup. If Lilandra were telling the truth, the emperor would have every reason to lie. Pike couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being honest, and while his gut had served him in the past, this could become ugly if he pissed off an entire galactic empire.
“Excuse me for a minute,” he said, stepping out of the room with his communicator. “Get me Gioia,” he said into it, turning to face the window. Shakari leaned in close and said something to Lilandra, who did not respond, choosing instead to glare at him.
Commander Gioia.
“Gioia? It’s Pike. You got that message yet?”
Negative, Admiral, but I have Lieutenant Uhura assisting me with it.
“Timetable just got moved up. I need it five minutes ago. Pike out.” He disconnected the call and looked back into the room. Shakari continued to smirk at Lilandra, who did everything in her power to ignore him.
If he called the Emperor, and he corroborated the story, Pike would have no choice but to remand Lilandra into Shakari’s custody. The evidence lacked for him to believe her over Shakari, and he knew the rest of the admiralty would make him turn her in.
Still though, Pike couldn’t help but feel like that was the wrong call.
He was about to head back into the room when a crash rocked the front of the prison. Pike took a cautious step into the corridor, and what he saw made him freeze where he stood.
A large man with purple skin and a Mohawk in a red cape and a skintight suit had punched a hole in the front of Foucault. The guards fired their phasers at him, and he shrugged them off. He would disappear, then reappear in front of them, knocking them cold and then repeat the process.
Pike couldn’t tell if he was teleporting or if he could just move that fast.
Without a word, Pike turned and ran back into the room. “We need to go,” he said as he reached out a hand to Lilandra.
She took it with a baffled expression, and Shakari stared at them. “You are not taking her anywhere without me,” Shakari said as he followed them. Before they could get anywhere, the purple skinned man appeared in front of them, hovering in the air.
“Shakari, you have displeased the Emperor,” he said, and Shakari winced.
“I…it is an honor, Gladiator, to serve with you, the Praetor of the Imperial Guard,” Shakari said.
“He will be here soon,” the man, Gladiator, continued as if he hadn’t heard Shakari speak. “Why is the Crystal not ready?”
“Gladiator,” Lilandra said, “You are a warrior of honor. Why do you serve a mad man like my brother?”
Gladiator hesitated before saying, “Princess, I serve the Royal Throne of the Shi’ar Empire. Your brother, D’Ken, sits on that throne.”
“Now just a minute,” Pike said. “You can’t take anyone. These people are in Starfleet custody. Your ‘Emperor’ can go through the proper channels to get them or---“
Gladiator cut him off by inhaling, then exhaling. The force of the wind was so strong that all of them fell onto the ground. Gladiator picked Lilandra up and carried her out of the building.
“Gladiator, no!” she screamed. “For the sake of the galaxy, no!”
Pike stood and took off after them, but Shakari got in his way.
“Nothing personal,” Shakari said, and now Pike knew he was a liar. “But my Emperor has given these orders. They are to be followed or else your Federation will die.”
As Pike tried to get around the Shi’ar man, there was only one thought in his mind.
God damn it.
-----
Nyota admired her handiwork; the message was done, and she wiped some sweat off her forehead. Now that she finished transcribing it, she had a moment to actually read what it said.
Her eyes widened; this was…this was big, and bad if it was true.
She read it over a second time.
Then she read it out loud.
“My name is Lilandra Neramani; I am from the Shi’ar Empire in the Delta Quadrant,” she said. “My brother, the Emperor D’Ken, plans to destroy the known universe using the M’Kraan Crystal. He will trigger the End of All That Is, and both your Federation and the Shi’ar Empire will be doomed. I am requesting asylum on your planet, along with your assistance in keeping D’Ken from the M’Kraan Crystal.”
Nyota stood from her chair.
She should have called Spock or Jim, but if this was true…if the whole galaxy was at stake, there might not be anything they could do. They would have to navigate red tape in order to get people to listen.
It was obvious that they didn’t posses that kind of time.
Nyota went through the names of all the admiralty in her head to try to figure out who would most likely listen to her.
Pike.
She flipped open her communicator. “Lieutenant Uhura to Admiral Pike’s office.”
The line connected, and Pike’s assistant answered. Admiral Pike’s office, Lieutenant Nooner here.
“Lieutenant, I need to see the Admiral immediately.”
There was a pause. The Admiral stepped out a bit ago. You can reach him on his private communicator.
Nyota hesitated; this was sensitive information. It wasn’t a good idea to blurt it out in case the line wasn’t secure. “Can you tell me where he went? I can just meet up with him.”
He’s at Foucault, the Lieutenant answered. He hasn’t been there long, you should still be able to catch him. Was there anything else, Lieutenant?
“No, thank you, that’s all I needed,” Nyota said. “Uhura out.”
All right so, new plan; she would go to Foucault.
Chapter Four | Chapter Six
“Water?” Pike asked as he gestured for Lilandra to take a seat in his office.
“No, thank you,” she said as she stood.
Pike got himself a scotch. “Something stronger?”
Lilandra blinked at him for a second. “It might settle my nerves.” He poured two fingers in two glasses, and handed one to her. She took it with a grateful smile and drank. “This is quite good,” she said after swallowing. “What is it called?”
“It’s a type of Terran whiskey called Scotch,” he said with a smile of his own. “You have anything like it where you’re from?”
“No, we don’t,” Lilandra said as she took another sip. “We do imbibe, but this is different from what I usually partake.”
Pike took a sip of his own scotch. “So. The Shi’ar.”
Lilandra nodded, and she examined the room, the door in particular. She checked the exits, and Pike assumed it was in case she needed to escape. “We are based in what you call the Delta Quadrant, and have been unknown to you for some time. The Shi’ar Empire spans thousands of worlds, and we are older than societies such as the Vulcans.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Pike gave her a look that bade for her to continue.
She did. “I come from the Imperial Throneworld, Chandilar. Our people are humanoid, as you can tell. However, we are not descended from apes as you are. We are descended from birds.”
“The wings on your arms,” Pike said.
Lilandra nodded. “Having actual wings is considered undesirable; we refer to such people as genetic throwbacks. My elder sister, Deathbird, is one such person.”
“interesting name.” Pike took another long sip of scotch. He kept a close eye on her expression; it was open, not too guarded, but there was a look in her eyes that concerned him.
“It is the one she had given to her after her birth name was stripped away,” Lilandra explained. “She murdered our mother and younger sister, and the removal of her name, plus exile, was her punishment.”
“Fair enough,” Pike conceded. “Continue.”
“While the Shi’ar is mostly peaceful, much like your Federation we possess a strong military. This military is how we have amassed our empire.”
“Not all that dissimilar to the Romulans, then,” Pike mused.
Lilandra’s expression became thoughtful. “Yes and no. The Shi’ar have annexed many civilizations into our own; however, we also rely heavily on inter-galactic commerce and trade. We have several agreements with other empires such as the Skrulls and the Kree.”
More races Starfleet had never heard of. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“We are very prosperous; we are also incredibly advanced. Shi’ar ships are capable of opening stargates, or as Terrans would call them wormholes, through space-time that enables us to travel from one end of the galaxy to another in incredibly short periods. We also have faster than light speed communication and transportation, as well as incredibly sophisticated hologram technology and weapons.”
Pike gave her a long look, and this time it wasn’t because she was gorgeous. This stargate tech could be a real boon for the Federation; even the Vulcans didn’t have anything like it. At warp, it would take Starfleet years to reach the Delta Quadrant. Not to mention the good that having an empire bigger than the Romulans on their side could do.
Lilandra spoke once more. “Our current ruler is D’Ken; he is both the Emperor and the Majestor of the Shi’ar.”
Pike nodded and the smile left his face. “The tyrant you need asylum from,” he said, getting down to business.
“Yes,” Lilandra answered, and her posture changed. Her shoulders stiffened, and her eyes became afraid. “D’Ken is mad. He plans to use an artifact of my people to become ruler of all creation.”
“Must be some artifact,” Pike said. “And where is it?”
“It is on my ship,” Lilandra said, and Pike could tell it was the truth from the lack of hesitation in her voice. “I have brought it all the way here from Chandilar, hoping that you and your people can keep it from him.”
“And you sent a message to us that we’re still trying to decipher,” he said as he looked at her.
“Yes, everything I am explaining to you was in that,” she said. “The M’Kraan Crystal must be safeguarded.”
Pike downed half his scotch in one sip. “The what?”
“The M’Kraan Crystal,” Lilandra repeated. “The End of All That Is. If D’Ken uses it, both the Shi’ar Empire and the Federation are condemned.”
Pike realized why he was so quick to believe Lilandra; she was absolutely terrified. She wasn’t outright shaking; to an untrained person, she would even appear calm. Pike was not an average person, though, and to him it was obvious by the set of her mouth and the lines around her eyes.
There was a problem, though. “That’s not a lot for me to go on with the other admirals,” he admitted. “Do you have any evidence of D’Ken’s plot?”
Lilandra looked down at the floor. “The word of the Imperial Sage, Araki.”
Pike frowned. “Hearsay’s not worth a whole lot, unfortunately.”
“I also can vouch for the fact that D’Ken is power hungry,” Lilandra said.
“Again, that’s not a whole lot…” A beeping sounded throughout the room. It was probably Jim. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”
“Of course,” Lilandra said, and she finally sat.
Pike pushed a button. “Admiral Pike.”
Sir, an emissary from the Shi’ar Empire is requesting to speak with you, Davis said through the communicator. He says its urgent.
Lilandra’s eyes widened. “Do not take it.”
Pike looked at her curiously. “Patch it through, Lieutenant,” he said.
The message came through, and a man who seemed jovial enough spoke. Admiral Pike, this is Shi’ar Emissary Davan Shakari.
At this, Lilandra’s mouth tightened into a taut line. Her eyes narrowed, and she spat, “Shakari. One of D’Ken’s spies.”
Pike raised an eyebrow. “I read you, Shakari. What can I do for you?”
It is my understanding that a traitor to the Empire is attempting to seek asylum on your planet, Shakari continued. I am asking if it would be possible for her to be remanded into my custody instead.
Pike narrowed his eyes, giving Lilandra a long look. The look on her face was of barely controlled fury, and her posture was rigid.
She stole the most sacred symbol of our people. She has turned against her Emperor and jeopardized the safety of the Empire in order start a galactic war.
“Lies!” Lilandra said as she stood. “I did no such thing! I came here to prevent The End of All That Is!”
“Wait a second,” Pike said. He held up a hand for her to be silent, and Lilandra gave him a pleading look.
Admiral?
“I’m still here, Shakari,” Pike said. “I’m with Lilandra now. How about you meet us at the Starfleet corrections facility, called Foucault?” He looked at Lilandra, who had raised an eyebrow. “The three of us can have a little chat.”
I would prefer to just take her into custody. Shakari said, which also made Pike suspicious.
“If you’re telling the truth, then there’s no need to shy away from us just talking,” Pike continued.
Shakari paused. Very well, then. I shall beam down to your prison. Send me the coordinates. With that, the line went dead.
“You cannot listen to him,” Lilandra pleaded. “He works for my mad brother. He is a liar and a spy. He is only telling you this so he can take ---“
Wait a minute. “Your brother is D’ken? The Emperor?” Pike raised an eyebrow as he cut her off. “Is there a reason you failed to mention that sooner?”
Lilandra’s anger faltered. “Why does that matter?”
“You tell me,” Pike answered. Either she was lying, or Shakari was. He wasn’t sure whom, but he didn’t know enough to take a side. He needed more evidence. “Come with me,” he said as he made his way out his office.
Lilandra followed him. “Please,” she continued. “All of creation depends on this…depends on you.”
Pike shrugged. “I’ll see what happens when I interview Shakari.”
Lilandra’s shoulders sagged. “Very well.”
They walked together to a hover car, and after conferring with Pike, the driver began the route to Foucault.
Spock stood, still in his scrubs, in the middle of the Starfleet Academy library, reading a PADD that contained all of Vulcan lore and legend. Unfortunately, most of the information on the Phoenix was spotty at best. Many Vulcans apparently believed it to be insignificant, a child’s fable.
There was one Vulcan, however, who had written a thorough paper about the Manifestation.
Scokk’s paper detailed what happened when T’pean manifested the Phoenix. It was, perhaps unsurprisingly, similar to what Doctor McCoy was experiencing. T’pean had been disoriented and unwell before adjusting to her newfound abilities.
She not only manifested telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and greatly increased telepathy, but she was capable of reading psychic impressions from objects. She could feel a person touching something she was manipulating with her mind. She could not only read thoughts, but emotions so deep the person was not even aware they existed.
Spock wondered how she was not driven mad by the experience. Being a telepath whose power got triggered by physical contact was taxing enough some days; having to spend each waking moment with the thoughts of others intruding upon one’s consciousness had to be unspeakably painful.
No wonder the doctor was so sick. Humans, except in rare cases, did not have psychic abilities. The strain must have been tremendous. Starfleet trained those cadets who tested high for psychic sensitivity in how to use their gifts, but even one of them would have difficulty coping with awareness on such a scale.
The Phoenix was present in Earth legend as well. It was a bird, consumed by its own flames. When it would die, it would resurrect itself from its ashes. Terran folklore spoke of the Phoenix’s mystical properties. It was possible the Terran Phoenix was similar, if not the same, as the Vulcan one. It was undoubtedly a cosmic entity; it was logical to assume it had visited both civilizations, and visited again if the fact that McCoy had died and been brought back to life was anything to go by.
Spock needed to test the hypothesis that the doctor was experiencing a manifestation of the Phoenix of legend. With him needing to remain in the hospital due to his injuries, it would be tricky.
Spock walked to the library counter and checked out the PADD. He took it with him back to the temporary quarters he shared with Nyota. It was a short walk, and before long he was entering the code to the door.
Nyota sat at their computer with earphones on as she scribbled notes.
Spock debated for a second before walking over and placing a hand on her neck. She jumped, and turned to him with wide eyes. “Oh, Spock, you scared me!” she admitted. “How is Leonard?”
“He is resting,” Spock said. “What are you doing?”
“It’s a project for Gioia,” Nyota said. “It’s a message that came from deep space. I’m trying to finish piecing it together.”
“Very well then. I shall leave you to it,” Spock said, and Nyota favored him with a grateful smile. She went back to concentrating on her work. Spock took the opportunity to change out of his scrubs into a uniform, and considered his options.
Logically, he should tell the Psi-Corps division of Starfleet and let them handle this. However, the doctor was so weak…it did not seem morally right to subject him to their rigid and impersonal tests.
But Spock could do the testing quietly in his hospital room.
An idea struck him, and he went into their kitchenette; these guest quarters were new and had not been used before them. Their silverware sat still packed in its chest. He grabbed it and made his way back over to Nyota. He stood in front of her and gestured for her to remove her earphones. “I am going to head back to the hospital. Would you like to join me?”
Nyota shook her head. “I would, but I really need to finish this. I’m on a strict timetable.”
“I understand,” Spock said.
“Give Leonard my love,” she said. He leaned down for a kiss, and she gave him one,
“I shall,” Spock answered as he took the chest and made his way out of their quarters and back towards Starfleet General.
Carrying a large flowering cactus in his hands, Hikaru Sulu made his way through the sliding automatic doors of Starfleet General’s entrance to the information desk. “Hi,” he said to the woman who sat behind it. “I’m looking for Leonard McCoy. He’s a patient here.”
The woman nodded and touched her screen a few times, scrolling through the patient directory. “Third floor west, room 19.”
“Thanks,” he said as he headed in the direction of the west elevator. He pushed the display on the front, and when it arrived, he stepped inside. It was a short ride to the third floor, and Hikaru made his way to McCoy’s room with ease.
Knocking on the open door, he smiled at the captain. “Hey, Kirk.”
Kirk turned to look at him, and Hikaru got taken aback by how sad and worried he looked. “Oh. Hey, Sulu. Come on in,” he said in a low voice.
Hikaru was about to ask what was going on, when he realized that McCoy was sleeping. “Oh, I can come back when…”
“It’s fine,” Kirk said. He reached his arms up and stretched, and he was in scrubs instead of regular clothing. “He’s been sleeping a lot, and I could use the conversation.”
“Fair enough,” Hikaru said as he sat the cactus down on the bedside table.
Kirk gave him a curious look. “What’s that?”
“It’s for the Doc,” Hikaru said with a grin. “I figured it’d brighten up the room, and he can take it with him when we go back into space.”
Huffing out a laugh, Kirk shook his head. “That’s very thoughtful, but Bones has a black thumb.”
“Harsh,” Hikaru teased with a grin of his own. “And yeah, I know; he told me once that he figures plants are hard, but healing people is easy. This species is very hard to kill.”
Kirk finally smiled at this, and he looked at McCoy fondly. “I hope you’re right.”
Hikaru took the seat next to him and gave him a curious look. “What happened? All I heard was that there was a crash, but he doesn’t seem all that banged up.”
Kirk hesitated before speaking, and Hikaru raised an eyebrow at this. He didn’t have to wonder for long, though, because Kirk said, “He died. Something put him back together.”
Narrowing his eyes, Hikaru leaned forward. “What?”
Kirk hesitated a second time, and he sighed. “He had to pilot the shuttle through a massive amount of radiation. It…killed him, but he came back from it. Now there’s something inside of him calling itself Phoenix, and…” He trailed off, staring at McCoy with that same worry from before. “I don’t really know much else, to be honest. When he’s lucid, he keeps talking about some guy named D’Ken and The End of All That Is, but he doesn’t really explain.”
Hikaru nodded, although he didn’t understand. Phoenix? Coming back from the dead?
How was any of that possible?
Kirk’s hands clenched into fists. “I don’t know what’s happening to him; I don’t really understand much of anything that’s happened since the Enterprise docked. I just have this feeling like what’s happening to Bones is somehow tied to what happened on StarCore. I can’t explain why I think that, but…well, it is what it is.”
Swallowing, Hikaru nodded a second time. He heard about StarCore getting blown up, but this didn’t make a lot of sense. What would some Phoenix thing have to do with it getting destroyed?
At this, McCoy awakened. He rolled over onto his back and sat up. “Jim?” he asked.
Kirk went to his side. “Hey, sleepyhead. Sulu’s here.”
McCoy, who rubbed his eyes, looked at Hikaru, and Hikaru gave him a smile. “Hey, Doc.”
“Hey,” McCoy replied. An energy trail came off his body, grabbing a glass of water that sat on the table next to Hikaru’s cactus. He grabbed it out of the air and took a sip.
That was new.
“Um…” Hikaru said eloquently.
Kirk gave him a sheepish expression. “I left that part out. Bones now has powerful psychic abilities.”
Hikaru blinked. “So…you came back from the dead? And now you can do this stuff?” He didn’t know why, but something felt cold and hard in the pit of his stomach.
Why had he come back from the dead? How had he done so? No normal human could do that…not even the surgeons at Starfleet General could bring a person back. There is no possible way that McCoy should have been able to do that. So…why now?
Hikaru swallowed around a lump in his throat.
And this Phoenix thing…had somehow not only brought McCoy back, but was inside him? And he had psychic powers?
Hikaru knew about the PsiCorps division of Starfleet; everyone did, as all entering cadets were tested for telepathy and other such abilities when they came to the Academy. He had been secretly relieved when he scored in the average human range for the tests; the thought of having latent psychic powers scared Hikaru, and that fear came back to him as he looked at McCoy in his hospital bed.
It was perhaps not justified, but he felt it all the same. It wasn’t normal for a human to be able to do things like move objects with his mind. It was weird. Vulcan touch telepathy didn’t bother him, but give those powers to a human and Hikaru became uneasy.
It suddenly occurred to Hikaru what that cold, hard feeling was.
It was dread.
“That’s about the gist,” Kirk said, his lips twisting into a humorless smile. He turned his attention back to McCoy. “Who’s D’Ken?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“D’Ken is coming,” McCoy answered, and his hair started to blow in a wind that could not exist in the room.
Yeah, that was definitely dread Hikaru felt. He stared as the doctor’s eyes turned white. More of that energy formed around his body, culminating in a pair of flaming wings. McCoy’s arms rose up towards the ceiling.
“Bones!” Kirk exclaimed.
“Phoenix”, McCoy corrected him, “We are one.”
Hikaru jerked out of his chair, scooting to stand at the back of the room. He stared at the scene before him, unable to look away from it. He wanted to run, but his legs locked up, and he couldn’t move.
“Who is D’Ken, Phoenix?” Jim asked. “What is the End of All That Is?”
“D’Ken is a pretender. The End of All That Is, a destroyer.” Phoenix answered.
Kirk frowned. “That doesn’t give me a whole lot to go on. Can’t you speak plainly?”
“He is coming,” Phoenix said, ignoring the question. “He is coming, and we must be ready.”
Making an angry noise, Kirk grabbed McCoy’s shoulders. “Tell me what is going on! Tell me why you’re in his body!”
Phoenix looked at him with a curious expression. “Leonard is the house…”
“The house where you live, I get it!” Jim said, and Hikaru frowned at the tension in his words. “What are you? Are these words from the future? Tell me what’s going on!”
“It is not a place,” Phoenix said, again not really answering his questions. “He is coming, and only we can stop him.”
Hikaru watched as the captain’s shoulders tensed in frustration. He should do something, like help the captain. Instead, he stood and watched.
“Just tell me straight what’s going on. Starfleet can help.”
“We are the Guardian,” Phoenix said, and it placed McCoy’s hands over the captain’s wrists. “There is much we must do alone.”
With that, the flames died and McCoy’s eyes went back to their usual green. He blinked up at Kirk for a second before pushing his hands away and trying to get out of the bed.
“I gotta go…” McCoy said. He managed to put his legs over the side, his bare feet resting against the floor. “I gotta stop him…” He tried to stand, but his legs gave out on him, and Kirk caught him, holding him tight in his arms.
“You’re still too weak to go anywhere,” Kirk said in a soft voice. “And you need to tell me what’s going on.”
Hikaru cleared his throat. “I’d kind of like to be let in on this, too.” He stood, still at the back of the room with his hands clasped together to hide their shaking.
“I need to find Lilandra,” McCoy said. “She has it. We have to keep it from D’Ken.”
“What is it?” Kirk and Hikaru asked in unison.
“The M’Kraan Crystal,” McCoy said. “The End of All That Is. D’Ken can’t get it. If he gets his hands on it…if he uses the power of the negative galaxy…the Federation is doomed. Everywhere is doomed.”
Hikaru raked a hand through his hair; even though the Doc explained things, it still didn’t make any sense. Who was D’Ken? Who was Lilandra? And what the hell was the M’Kraan Crystal?
Judging from the look on his face, Kirk wasn’t doing much better. “Bones, we’ll help you,” he said, his voice soothing. “We’ll get you all the help you need, but we need more to go on. Starfleet won’t let us act without evidence.”
“Starfleet can’t do anything,” McCoy said. “Don’t you see? It’s up to me. Up to me and Phoenix, we’re the only ones who can stop him!” He again tried to stand, but Hikaru could see his legs quiver. “Damn it! I need to heal faster! I need---“
“It’s okay, Bones,” Kirk said. He helped him back into the bed. “It’s okay. You get better, and we’ll help you find this Lilandra person.”
McCoy was quiet, and there was determination in his eyes. “I may not have time,” McCoy finally said, and Hikaru’s body froze from the finality of it. “It may already be too late.”
At Foucault, Pike and Lilandra stepped out of the hover car and got shown to a private area used by parole officers. Pike nodded towards the chair, and Lilandra took it. Seconds later, a man beamed into the room. He wore all red and was even taller than Lilandra.
“Admiral Pike,” he said, and Pike narrowed his eyes. His words oozed with a false sincerity that did not escape his notice. “I see you do, in fact, have the traitor in your custody.”
“If anyone is betraying the Empire, it is my brother,” Lilandra said. “You would doom us all to curry his favor.”
Shakari smiled; it didn’t reach his eyes, and yeah, Pike didn’t like him. “Of course you would say that. You can’t have Starfleet figure out that you tried to stage a coup and take over the Empire, can you Princess?”
“She staged a coup?” Pike asked.
“Unsuccessfully,” Shakari answered. “She did not have much support. To escape her punishment, she stole the M’Kraan Crystal and came here to plead for asylum.”
“I did no such thing, Shakari!” Lilandra turned to Pike, and her eyes were desperate. “You must believe me, Admiral. If you give him the crystal, all is lost!”
Pike looked at Shakari, before looking back to Lilandra. It was his word versus hers. “Do you have proof, Shakari?” he said. “I can’t get Starfleet to act unless I have evidence.”
Shakari pulled out a cube, and images passed through it of Lilandra stealing the M’Kraan Crystal. “I have been sent this by his Excellency himself. If you like, I can get him on my communicator, and he can corroborate my story.”
Lilandra went deathly pale at his words, but Pike wasn’t stupid. All the video proved was that Lilandra stole the crystal, it didn’t say anything about her staging a coup. If Lilandra were telling the truth, the emperor would have every reason to lie. Pike couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being honest, and while his gut had served him in the past, this could become ugly if he pissed off an entire galactic empire.
“Excuse me for a minute,” he said, stepping out of the room with his communicator. “Get me Gioia,” he said into it, turning to face the window. Shakari leaned in close and said something to Lilandra, who did not respond, choosing instead to glare at him.
Commander Gioia.
“Gioia? It’s Pike. You got that message yet?”
Negative, Admiral, but I have Lieutenant Uhura assisting me with it.
“Timetable just got moved up. I need it five minutes ago. Pike out.” He disconnected the call and looked back into the room. Shakari continued to smirk at Lilandra, who did everything in her power to ignore him.
If he called the Emperor, and he corroborated the story, Pike would have no choice but to remand Lilandra into Shakari’s custody. The evidence lacked for him to believe her over Shakari, and he knew the rest of the admiralty would make him turn her in.
Still though, Pike couldn’t help but feel like that was the wrong call.
He was about to head back into the room when a crash rocked the front of the prison. Pike took a cautious step into the corridor, and what he saw made him freeze where he stood.
A large man with purple skin and a Mohawk in a red cape and a skintight suit had punched a hole in the front of Foucault. The guards fired their phasers at him, and he shrugged them off. He would disappear, then reappear in front of them, knocking them cold and then repeat the process.
Pike couldn’t tell if he was teleporting or if he could just move that fast.
Without a word, Pike turned and ran back into the room. “We need to go,” he said as he reached out a hand to Lilandra.
She took it with a baffled expression, and Shakari stared at them. “You are not taking her anywhere without me,” Shakari said as he followed them. Before they could get anywhere, the purple skinned man appeared in front of them, hovering in the air.
“Shakari, you have displeased the Emperor,” he said, and Shakari winced.
“I…it is an honor, Gladiator, to serve with you, the Praetor of the Imperial Guard,” Shakari said.
“He will be here soon,” the man, Gladiator, continued as if he hadn’t heard Shakari speak. “Why is the Crystal not ready?”
“Gladiator,” Lilandra said, “You are a warrior of honor. Why do you serve a mad man like my brother?”
Gladiator hesitated before saying, “Princess, I serve the Royal Throne of the Shi’ar Empire. Your brother, D’Ken, sits on that throne.”
“Now just a minute,” Pike said. “You can’t take anyone. These people are in Starfleet custody. Your ‘Emperor’ can go through the proper channels to get them or---“
Gladiator cut him off by inhaling, then exhaling. The force of the wind was so strong that all of them fell onto the ground. Gladiator picked Lilandra up and carried her out of the building.
“Gladiator, no!” she screamed. “For the sake of the galaxy, no!”
Pike stood and took off after them, but Shakari got in his way.
“Nothing personal,” Shakari said, and now Pike knew he was a liar. “But my Emperor has given these orders. They are to be followed or else your Federation will die.”
As Pike tried to get around the Shi’ar man, there was only one thought in his mind.
God damn it.
Nyota admired her handiwork; the message was done, and she wiped some sweat off her forehead. Now that she finished transcribing it, she had a moment to actually read what it said.
Her eyes widened; this was…this was big, and bad if it was true.
She read it over a second time.
Then she read it out loud.
“My name is Lilandra Neramani; I am from the Shi’ar Empire in the Delta Quadrant,” she said. “My brother, the Emperor D’Ken, plans to destroy the known universe using the M’Kraan Crystal. He will trigger the End of All That Is, and both your Federation and the Shi’ar Empire will be doomed. I am requesting asylum on your planet, along with your assistance in keeping D’Ken from the M’Kraan Crystal.”
Nyota stood from her chair.
She should have called Spock or Jim, but if this was true…if the whole galaxy was at stake, there might not be anything they could do. They would have to navigate red tape in order to get people to listen.
It was obvious that they didn’t posses that kind of time.
Nyota went through the names of all the admiralty in her head to try to figure out who would most likely listen to her.
Pike.
She flipped open her communicator. “Lieutenant Uhura to Admiral Pike’s office.”
The line connected, and Pike’s assistant answered. Admiral Pike’s office, Lieutenant Nooner here.
“Lieutenant, I need to see the Admiral immediately.”
There was a pause. The Admiral stepped out a bit ago. You can reach him on his private communicator.
Nyota hesitated; this was sensitive information. It wasn’t a good idea to blurt it out in case the line wasn’t secure. “Can you tell me where he went? I can just meet up with him.”
He’s at Foucault, the Lieutenant answered. He hasn’t been there long, you should still be able to catch him. Was there anything else, Lieutenant?
“No, thank you, that’s all I needed,” Nyota said. “Uhura out.”
All right so, new plan; she would go to Foucault.
Chapter Four | Chapter Six