Arriving on this world in response to the song resonating through the Conduit, the Wanderer was surprised to discover that a different species of sentient life—more advanced though still hopelessly primeval when compared with the Shedai—now was present on this planet. These new life-forms—nothing more than the lowest form of Telinaruulever to plague the rule of the Shedai—apparently had come and asserted their will over the native inhabitants. They had found the temple as well as the support structures that housed and protected the anchor point for the Conduit on this world.
Their vessel, now hanging in orbit, was a conventional if archaic mode of transportation, at least according to the Wanderer’s scans. Like the conveyance she had engaged above the frozen world, it appeared to rely upon a crude method of controlled matter-antimatter annihilation in order to achieve a form of hyperspatial warping, which allowed it to reach the velocities necessary for interstellar travel. The ship’s capabilities were interesting, but she suspected it too would be no match against the weaponry she might bring to bear against it. Such was the primitive nature of the craft—to say nothing of the Telinaruulwho crewed it—that the Wanderer was curious as to how such unevolved beings could even have survived the harsh, unforgiving environs of space.
Still, despite their obvious limitations, the newcomers had learned enough about the ancient Shedai technology to activate a portion of the structure’s intricate network of control mechanisms, a chance accomplishment which had signaled the Wanderer to this latest incursion and allowed her to travel to the violated site.
Perhaps they possess abilities I have overlooked or underestimated.
That concern had weighed upon the Wanderer even as she willed the activation of other power sources and control systems, breathing new life into that which had lain dormant for uncounted generations. She at first was apprehensive that the long-neglected temple and its complex arrangement of command and oversight systems would not be up to the tasks she had set for it, to say nothing of the rest of the control network spread out across the planet. That anxiety had been short-lived, however, when she determined that the ancient structures and the technology they housed had been remarkably well preserved, a much different state of affairs when compared to the frozen, lifeless world from which the Wanderer had transited. Even in their aged and compromised state, the assets at her command were more than enough for her immediate needs.
Feeling her way along the Conduit’s thought channels, she discerned that the fractional progress made by the primitives had in fact been in the restoration of power to a key control facility inside one of the temple’s ancillary structures. Judging from their actions, the usurpers did not seem to grasp the purpose of the technology they had plundered; that they had chanced into a monitoring station for part of the planetary defense network still escaped their knowledge. Still, the Wanderer realized it was possible that—if left unchecked—they might discern the technology’s purpose and perhaps even seize it for their own use.
That cannot be allowed.
18
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Reyes said as he sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples in a vain attempt to stave off the headache he already felt bearing down on him. “We’ve gone from the Tholians and the Klingons being upset with us, to having the Tholians and Klingons angry with each other, and Starfleet Command is now angry with us. Have I missed anything?”
From where he stood behind the pair of chairs situated before the commodore’s desk, neither of which was capable of supporting his oversized and stiff-backed figure, Ambassador Jetanien rolled his shoulders in an elliptical manner that Reyes had learned was the Chelon equivalent of a shrug. “No. I believe that to be a succinct and accurate appraisal of the situation.” As if punctuating his observation, the ambassador emitted a series of intermittent clicks from his blunt beaklike mouth.
“Thanks for the clarification,” Reyes deadpanned, shooting the ambassador a tired scowl. Rising from his chair, he made his way around his desk and moved to where T’Prynn stood before the viewscreen set into the wall on the left side of his office. She turned at his approach, stepping aside to give Reyes an unobstructed view of the screen and the information displayed upon it.
“While we know there has been a pronounced increase in both Tholian and Klingon ship activity during the past month,” T’Prynn said, “the past three days have brought the most alarming developments. According to data received by our network of long-range sensor arrays, there have been at least four skirmishes between Tholian and Klingon vessels. Each incident was an isolated, one-on-one encounter. To the best of our knowledge, no ships have been lost as all of the engagements were ended when the Tholian ships retreated.”
Four incidents in three days. Reyes repeated the statistic over and over in his mind as he studied the star chart showing a cross section of the Taurus Reach, upon which T’Prynn had highlighted four locations where the clashes had taken place.
As for the rest of the chart, the commodore was struck once again by just how much of it remained without detail. Despite numerous mapping missions conducted by automated sensor probes as well as the charting conducted by the crews of the Endeavour,the Sagittarius,and even the Bombaybefore its tragic loss, much of the Taurus Reach was still unknown.
In more ways than one,Reyes reminded himself.
“Is there anything to suggest that either the Tholians or the Klingons know why we’re here?” he asked, not turning from the viewscreen. “Are they simply maneuvering in response to our expansion into the region, or are they carrying out their own exploration and survey missions?”
“The Klingons are conducting planetary surveys,” T’Prynn replied, “but it appears to be consistent with normal expeditions to locate resources, such as dilithium deposits, for example. There are no indications they suspect our true motives.”
Reyes nodded. He knew at least two different star systems in the region had been claimed by the empire due to the presence of vast quantities of dilithium. The Klingons had wasted no time planting their flag, though thankfully those worlds had turned out to be uninhabited. Such was not the case with other systems in that sector, though Reyes knew there was nothing to be done about that at the present time.
Hopefully, we can correct that injustice one day soon, before it’s too late.
“What about the Tholians?” he asked. “Are they offering up any weak explanations for their actions like they did with the Bombay?”
“With regards to your first question,” Jetanien replied, “only the Tholians know what they believe about our presence here. As for their actions against the Klingons, this is different than the earlier tussles we’ve heard about.” He turned away from the Starfleet officers so that he might pace the width of the office. Waving his right hand in the air before him, he added, “The Tholians admit to launching offensive action against those Klingon vessels. While we know full well they’re not afraid to instigate hostilities, they are usually more methodical in their actions than what we’re seeing in these cases.”
“It’s retaliation,” Reyes replied. “They blame the Klingons for the destruction of their ship earlier in the week. Given how fast and aggressively the Klingons are moving into the region, it’s easy to see how the Tholians might draw such a conclusion.”
Turning from the viewscreen, T’Prynn clasped her hands behind her back. “There is no evidence to suggest Klingon complicity in that action. Further, based on what information the Tholians have elected to share with us, the way in which their vessel was destroyed is decidedly out of character for the Klingons.”