The silence was thick in the runabout Marquand.Kebron was taking great pains not to look in Si Cwan's direction.
"Lieutenant," Si Cwan finally said, "would you mind telling me what your problem is?"
"Problem? I have no problem," said Kebron with exaggerated formality.
"Lieutenant, dissembling ill suits you."
"Are you calling me a liar?" inquired Kebron.
Si Cwan studied him a moment more, and then unstrapped himself from his seat and moved to the aft section of the ship. "All right," he said. "Let's go. Come on."
"What are you talking about?"
"I know what this is about. This is about the fact that, in your very first assignment as security chief of the Excalibur,you were beaten up."
"I was not beaten up."
"Yes, you were. I should know. I was the one who did it."
Kebron tried to get up so quickly that he almost knocked his chair backward . . . which was a formidable feat, considering that it was bolted down. "Knocking me off balance is hardly the same as 'beating me up.' "
"Well, now you'll have the opportunity to prove it." Si Cwan stood in a limber, prepared fashion, his arms poised, his legs slightly bent. "Come on. Take a shot at me. Let's settle this once and for all."
"We're on a mission," Kebron told him angrily. "This is not the time for pointless displays of combat."
"I see. Perhaps you're afraid, then."
"Of you?" Kebron laughed contemptuously. "In a true, honorable fight, you would not stand a chance against me."
"Then let's find out right now."
"No." And Kebron sat back down again.
Si Cwan strode forward. "Why not?"
"Because," he said reasonably, "if your sister is aboard the vessel, do you wish to greet her with your face bruised and battered? I would think she would be frightened to see you in such a state."
Si Cwan laughed curtly. "My being disfigured would not be a factor."
"Your confidence is misplaced."
"As is your hostility. We're on the same side, Kebron."
Keeping his gaze fixed resolutely on the stars streaking past them, Kebron said, "I dislike dictators. I dislike stowaways. And I dislike those who feel they are superior to others. You fall into all three categories. As I'm sure you can surmise, then . . . I dislike you."
For a time, Si Cwan said nothing. And then he drew very close to Kebron and said in a quiet voice that seemed filled with pain, "I've noticed that those who are the most confident that they know another person are the most likely to know the least."
And with that, he sat back down in his seat in the cockpit, and said nothing more for a full hour. Until their sensors told them that the science vessel Kayven Ryinwas just ahead. Immediately, Kebron began hailing on the subspace radio again, and as he did so, Si Cwan said nothing. Kebron became aware that Si Cwan was holding his breath, and it was an awareness that annoyed him tremendously. For Si Cwan's concern over his sister was going a long way toward "humanizing" Cwan in Kebron's eyes, and it was so much easier to dislike someone when you could find nothing redeemable in their character.
And then a voice came over the radio. Si Cwan jumped so unexpectedly at the sound that he banged his head on the ceiling of the runabout as a voice said, "Incoming vessel . . . this is the Kayven Ryin.Are you here to aid us?"
"This is the Marquand,dispatched by the Starship Excalibur,"Kebron responded. "We are here to provide whatever temporary aid we can, and then report back to the Excalibur.In a short time, er, we'll be able to offer you the full services of our main ship."
"Kallinda," Si Cwan was whispering urgently. "Ask them about . . ."
"Your passenger manifest listed a Thallonian named Kallinda," Kebron said. "Is that Kallinda of the deposed royal family of Thallon?"
There was a hesitation on the other end. "We don't generally discuss private matters of our passengers, Marquand .. ."
"You have nothing to fear from us, Kayven Ryin.We're from Starfleet. We're here for humanitarian aid and," he glanced at the agonizingly eager Si Cwan, "if she is the Kallinda in question . . . I have her brother here."
There was the briefest of pauses. "Si Cwan is there?"
"That is correct, yes."
"Tell him . . . tell him his sister never stops talking about him, and is looking forward to seeing him."
It was all Si Cwan could do to steady himself. Kebron gestured toward the console, silently indicating that if Si Cwan wanted to say something, he could. And Kebron was surprised to see that Cwan clearly could not do so because apparently he didn't trust himself to speak, so choked was he with emotion. "Consider the message passed along. We'll be there within five minutes. . . ."
"We'll be ready for you, Marquand.. . ."
. . . and aboard the Kayven Ryin,several Thallonians were grouped around the communications board. "We'll be ready for you, Marquand,"one of them said. Then he snapped off the comm unit, and turned to the most powerfully built of the group, who was sliding a fresh energy clip into the barrel of his plasma blaster. "We will be ready for them . . . won't we, Zoran."
"Oh, yes," said Zoran. "And finally I'll have that reunion with Si Cwan I've so been looking forward to."
And he slammed the clip tightly into place. . . .
THE TWO-FRONT
WAR
MACKENZIE
Captain's Log, Stardate 50926. 1— TheExcalibur has been endeavoring to provide humanitarian aid to the stranded vesselCambon and its four dozen passengers presently in sickbay. However, we now find ourselves face-to-face with an unexpected intruder, who has openedfire on us.
First Officer's Log, Stardate 50926. 1—Our attempt to effect repairs on a stranded private crew ship, theCambon, populated by refugees from the fallen Thallonian government, has been interrupted by the appearance of an unknown vessel, which is reacting in a hostile manner to what is undoubtedly perceived as our trespass. Ideally, Captain Calhoun should be able to handle this matter in a calm and reasonable manner.
I.
"IWANT TO BLOW THOSE BASTARDSout of Space."
The Excaliburhad just been rocked by the opening salvo from the black-and-silver ship that hung 100,000 kilometers to starboard. The phase/plasma cannons had pounded against the starship's shields, firing specially created "phaser/plasma" essentially designed not to smash shields apart, but instead to determine the wave harmonics of the shielding and basically eat through them with violent force. The first of the blasts went a long way toward cracking through the primary shields, and the Excaliburwas jolted by the impact.