"I don't want to shadow-dance with you, D'ndai. Do you have them or don't you?"
"Have a care with your tone, little brother," D'ndai said sharply. "If it weren't for me, 'your' people would be nothing but scattered atoms right now. Scraps for you to collect and keep in a jar. So I would have a bit more respect right now if I were you. Now," and he leaned back, looking utterly in control of the situation, "if you would like to come over here and discuss the matter of your missing crewmen . . . I would be more than happy to extend an invitation to you."
"Accepted," replied Calhoun without hesitation. "Calhoun to transporter room."
"Transporter room, Watson here."
"Watson, ready the transporter room. I'll be down in a moment and you'll be beaming me over to the vessel that we're currently in communication with."
"Aye, sir."
"Captain, I'd recommend a security escort," Shelby said immediately.
"Security?" Overhearing this on the screen, D'ndai actually seemed amused by it. "Are you overly concerned that I may harm you, Mackenzie? Has our relationship come to that?"
Calhoun was silent for a moment, and then he said to Shelby, "No security team will be necessary."
"But—" Then she saw his expression and simply said, "Aye, sir."
"I'll be there in a few minutes, D'ndai."
"We'll be certain to have out the good silver," replied D'ndai, and the screen faded out.
Before Shelby could say anything further, Calhoun turned quickly and said, "But before I'm going anywhere, we're going to find out what the hell is going on with our people. Soleta," and he turned to face her. "You said that the capital is called Thai?"
"Yes, sir. Last time I was there, in any event."
"Work with Boyajian and send out a message to them. I want to talk to whoever is in charge and find out if Kebron and Si Cwan are down there. If necessary, send an away team. I want to know what's going on with them, and I want to know now."
For the moment, matters were quiet at the Federation embassy, Thallon branch, Zak Kebron overseer and sergeant at arms.
The gas had cleared out and Kebron was sitting quietly, letting his body's impressive healing capabilities tend to the wounds that he had sustained. The fact was that Kebron was in more pain than he would have cared to admit, but the Brikar had a stoicism so renowned that they made Vulcans look like laughing hyenas in comparison.
It had been a while since Si Cwan had said anything as well. He sat on the far side of the cell from Kebron, his legs drawn up, his arms around his knees. Finally, he spoke up: "Kebron."
"What?" One could not have told from his reply that he was in any sort of physical discomfort.
"I . . ." He paused, and then continued, "I just . . . wished to say . . . thank you."
"You're welcome," replied Kebron.
After which point, nothing more was said. It didn't seem necessary.
Then they heard footsteps from the direction of the door of the cell. Slowly Kebron rose to his feet, a brief grunt being the only indication that he was starting to wear down. But from outside they heard a voice say, "Do not concern yourselves. There will be no battle. I am alone. No guards are with me."
Kebron noticed from the corner of his eye that something was wrong with Si Cwan. There was utter astonishment registering on his face. He looked at him questioningly, but it was as if Cwan had ceased noticing that there was anyone else in the "embassy."
"Do you recognize me, Si Cwan?" The voice came once again from outside the cell.
"You're dead," Si Cwan said, as if speaking from very far away.
"I was reported dead. One should never confuse reports with reality."
"Friend of yours?" Kebron asked.
Si Cwan looked at him with undisguised shock. "I had thought so, once upon a time." Then he called back, "Yoz? Chancellor Yoz?"
"Once Chancellor, yes. The tainted title given me by the oppressive royal family of Thallon, back before I saw the error of my ways and aided the people of the Thallonian Empire in throwing off the shackles of oppression."
"Save the rhetoric for the gullible," Si Cwan retorted. He was leaning against the wall, using it for support as he raised himself to standing. And as he spoke, his voice became increasingly louder and angrier. "Our trusted Chancellor Yoz. You helped organize the . . . the rebellion? You helped oversee the overthrow of the Thallonian Empire? You helped destroy my family!? We trusted you!"
"I was your flunky and you treated me with contempt. Don't endeavor to rewrite history now to suit your own purposes. I was always a second-class citizen to—"
And once more the ground beneath them shook.
This one was more violent than the previous occasions. Si Cwan stumbled back and fell onto Kebron, who managed to catch him at just the right angle so that he didn't injure himself against Kebron's rocky body. They could not see Yoz on the other side of the door, but Cwan took some bleak measure of satisfaction in the notion that Yoz was being flipped around helplessly. Kebron, unmovable, held on to Cwan and prevented him from rolling about more inside the cell.
And then something cracked.
They looked in astonishment as the cell floor shifted beneath them, and a large chunk of the ground actually cracked and thrust itself upward by about a foot. "I don't believe it," whispered Si Cwan. "What the devil is happening around here?"
Slowly the shuddering subsided. "Yoz," called Cwan. "Are you still with us?"
"Thank you for—" Yoz started to say, and then he coughed loudly. Dust was seeping in through the door; it was possible that a portion of the wall had crumbled outside, sending up waves of dust. "Thank you for your concern," he continued sarcastically. "I am here to inform you that your space vessel is here. An away team will be coming down to the People's Meeting Hall fairly shortly. You are invited to join us there. In order to do so, you will have to leave your 'embassy,' of course, but I guarantee you safe conduct."
"The 'People's Meeting Hall'?" inquired Si Cwan.
"What you used to call your throne room. All such artificial trappings are now in the possession of the good people of Thallon."
"It could easily be a trick," Kebron pointed out.
"Yes, your Commander Shelby said you might say that. She asked me to relay to you the following: Code Alpha Gamma Alpha. Does that have any significance to you?"
Kebron turned to Si Cwan and said, "It's no trick. We have regular security codes for identification purposes for just such situations."
"Situations such as this? That is impressively comprehensive planning."
"We are Starfleet. We endeavor to be prepared."
"So tell me, Yoz. Once I am brought to this People's Meeting place, what will happen to me there?"
"You will face your accusers," replied Yoz. "You will face the people of Thallon, and Thallonian justice."
"Very well. I accept your terms."
In a low voice, Kebron said, "I do not like this situation. You do not know what you are agreeing to. This could be some sort of setup."
"I agree," said Cwan. "But I do not see much choice in the matter, do you? I mean, as charming as these facilities are, and as pleasant as your company may be, I have no desire to spend the rest of my life in this 'embassy.' Do you?"
"I must admit that I had career and life plans which would be difficult to pursue from this location."
There seemed nothing more to say. Kebron walked slowly to the door and pulled on it slightly. It was not locked. He slid it open and, sure enough, there was only the Thallonian named Yoz standing there. Si Cwan came up behind Kebron and said slowly, "You know . . . I kept telling myself that if I encountered anyone from the happier days of my life, I would be overjoyed to see them. This simply goes to prove that nothing ever works out as one expected."