Whatever Vaughn wanted to wait until remained unsaid, interrupted as it was by the Klaxon of the ship going to red alert. Commander Lin’s voice came over the intercom. “Captain Haden to the bridge.”
Troi looked up in shock, then all three of them immediately went through the door. “Report,” Haden barked at Lin, who was standing between the command center and the helm. Troi stepped into the bridge’s lower level to take his position at the operations console to the left of the helm even as Haden moved to sit in the command chair. Vaughn remained on the upper level, standing just to the right of the communications console.
“We just received a distress call from Raknal V,” Lin said. “We’ve increased speed to warp eight.”
Troi winced. Lin looked over at Zipser, who said, “According to the signal, a building in the Klingons’ capital city on the southern continent has been destroyed.” He cast a quick glance at Haden. “Governor Qaolin thinks it’s because of Cardassian sabotage.”
“What kind of building?” Haden asked.
“They didn’t say, but there was an indication that people were trapped.”
Haden and Lin exchanged a glance, then the captain looked at Vaughn. “Looks like this just mutated into a damn rescue mission.”
“So it would seem.” Vaughn, Troi noticed, spoke in a neutral tone.
Zipser then said, “Sir, we’re being hailed directly by Governor Qaolin.”
“This oughtta be good. On screen.”
Troi blinked in surprise at the face that appeared on the forward viewer. Fifteen years ago, Qaolin had given the impression of a vibrant man, dark hair framing a fierce face. His voice had a deep, confident timbre to it.
The voice that issued forth from the gray-haired wreck of a Klingon with several missing teeth had none of that confidence left. From the way he slurred his consonants, Troi’s best hypothesis was that he had drunk all the confidence away. “I demand the immediate arrest of Prefect Monor and the ceding of Raknal V to the Klingon Empire!”
“Greetings, Governor Qaolin,” Haden said dryly. “This is Captain Haden. We’re on our way to assist you. Is there anything we can do—”
“I don’t have any interest in your Federation politeness,”Qaolin said with a snarl. “There are Klingons dying and dead in that building, and Cardassian treachery has killed them, just like it did the good men and women who died on theChut.”
“Do you have any evidence to support this accusation?”
Qaolin slammed his fist on his desk. “I need no evidence! I have lived on this mudball with Monor for fifteen years! I know hisheart , Captain, and he will stop atnothing to keep Ch’gran from us!”
Troi could hear Haden’s sigh. “So no evidence, then?”
Before Qaolin could say anything in response, Zipser said, “Sir, we’re now being hailed by Prefect Monor.”
That prompted a laugh from Qaolin. “ThepetaQ no doubt wishes to curry favor with you by spinning lies of his innocence.”
“Split screen, Mr. Zipser,” Haden said. “Let’s all talk together.”
Qaolin’s image shifted to the righthand side of the viewer, with the left side now taken up by Monor’s visage. The Cardassian showed less evidence of the passage of time to Troi. His face, hair, and bearing were much the same as they were. The only difference Troi could see was in the prefect’s eyes, which looked tired. Then he checked the library computer and discovered that, in the Cardassian capital city on the northern continent, it was the middle of the night right now.
Both leaders stared straight ahead, though Troi knew that they were each getting the same split-screen view that the Carthagehad. “Greetings from Raknal V, Captain Haden. I’m sure Governor Qaolin has already laid the blame for this at my feet. As if the Foreheads need our help to construct buildings that fall down at the drop of a rock.”
“Are the souls of theChut not enough for you, Monor? Will you not rest until all the Klingons on this world cry out for vengeance against Cardassian treachery?”
Monor made a dismissive noise that sounded like a leaky pipe. “You’re drunk.”
“Of course I’m drunk! I drink to the souls of the dead—slain by Cardassian cowardice!”
“The only coward I see is an old wreck who should be embarrassed to let himself be seen like that! Look at you—inebriated, unkempt. You wouldn’t last an hour on a Cardassian ship. That’s why you Foreheads will always—”
“That’s enough!” Haden barked, which came as a great relief to Troi. “Both of you shut the hell up. Mr. Troi, what’s our ETA?”
Troi double-checked the navigational computer. “Thirty-five minutes at this speed.”
“When we arrive, the Carthagewill aid in any rescue endeavors, and our sickbay will be at your disposal as well.”
“That is appreciated, Captain.”Qaolin spoke in a more subdued tone. “The Federation, at least, has always been honorable.”
“‘Honorable.’”Monor made the leaky pipe noise again. “That’s your catch-all word for everything, isn’t it?”
“Worry not, Monor,”Qaolin said with a wide, half-toothless grin, “it will never be applied to you.”
Haden continued as if the two men had not spoken. “After that, as per the agreement signed at the Betreka Nebula by both your governments, we will investigate the destruction of the building, and report our findings to both of you—and to your respective governments, and to Ambassador Dax and the Federation Council.” He turned toward the communications console to look at Vaughn. “Lieutenant Commander Vaughn, you will lead the investigation.” Then he turned back to the screen. “I expect both of you to cooperate fully with Commander Vaughn and his team. If you don’t—well, that will go in our report, as well.”
Monor scowled. “I can’t imagine what help we can provide, Captain, since the incident had nothing to do with me or anyone from—”
“Do you fear that the Federation will learn what I have known for fifteen years, Monor?”
“What, that you’re a pathetic drunken—”
“Screen off,” Haden muttered, and Zipser quickly cut off the communication, returning the main viewer to the image of the distorted starfield that signified the Carthage’s warp-speed travel. Then the captain rose from his chair and moved toward the turbolift. “Commander Li, let me know when we arrive, and have the transporter chief prepare for multiple transports. And put all shuttlecraft on standby, just in case.”
As Wai-Lin Li sat in the command chair she said, “Should I alert sickbay also?”
“I’ll do that. I’m going there now to do something about this headache I just acquired.” As he passed Vaughn, Haden added, “Mr. Vaughn, feel free to use whatever Carthagepersonnel you need, but get to the bottom of this thing quickly, understood?”
Vaughn nodded. “Yes, sir. With your permission, I’d like Lieutenant Commander Troi to assist me.”
“Permission granted.” As the turbolift doors opened, he said, “You have the bridge, Number One.”
Chapter 24
Raknal V
By the time the Carthagearrived, there was comparatively little rescuing to be done. The building in question held several residences as well as three merchants. Most of the debris had been cleared by Klingon rescue workers. Fifty-three people were in the building when it collapsed, of whom twelve were dead. At Commander Li’s insistence, the remaining forty-one were transported to the Carthagerather than brought to the local hospital, on the logic that a starship sickbay was better equipped than any Klingon hospital, a point no one could truly argue.