Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile

Episode 13: The Zantree

(Stardate 46632)

By

Jay P. Hailey

And

Dennnis Washburn

There were five Kliges'chee Type-B cruisers facing us. Our shields were still up and the Harrier was still at red alert. This saved me the time.

"Get us out of here! Full evasive!" The Harrier began to swoop and dodge away from the Kliges'chee cruisers. I knew that it was essentially all over at that point. Our starship was in sad shape from long time of hard use with no refits, repairs or spare parts. Our shields were weakened, our main power plant was only giving us half power, and the Harrier had been at red alert, doing evasive maneuvers for the entire previous afternoon.

"Captain, we're being hailed."

What could it hurt?" On screen."

The face that appeared on screen was not a Kliges'chee. It was a male humanoid. He had an aquiline look, enhanced by a wider, flatter nose. He looked as though he had been designed for life on the beach, in and out of the water. The alien man was short and wiry looking.

He said "Bleeg mork wadle Poong meetful." Very earnestly, and slowly.

"I am Captain Jay P. Hailey of the Federation starship Harrier. We are on a peaceful mission of exploration. We seek peaceful contact with other races."

"Zladae, wop-wop."

I made the signal to cut audio from our end. "What's the tactical stance of the Kliges'chee ships?"

Stephanie read her panel. "They are shadowing us, but not closely. Their shields are up, but their weapons are not armed. They would seem to be at yellow alert."

Tillean spoke up. "Captain. Two of the five ships are maintaining a class "M" atmosphere. I'm reading various humanoid life forms in them. The other three have the class "F" atmosphere and Kliges'chee life forms in them."

"That's weird. Reopen the channel." The universal translator beeped to let us know that it had locked on to the transmissions of the humanoid man.

"Ah, that's better." He said "I am representative Poong of the Zantree Alliance. Please identify yourselves."

"I am Captain Jay P. Hailey of the Federation starship Harrier. We are on a peaceful mission of exploration. We seek friendly contact with other civilizations and cultures." I responded.

"Well, that's a pleasant change. Captain, by `Federation', do you mean The United Federation of Planets?"

"Yes, that's us. Have you heard of it?"

"Nothing substantial. I couldn't help but notice that you have been ejected from Harmon territory."

"Uh, they should really be left alone." I said.

"We have had our own run in with them. The fact that they brought you here says something about you. Would you care to return to our starbase and meet with more of our representatives?"

"Yes, please. I have some information about the Federation here that might prove helpful."

"Please send it to me. We will escort you to the base. Please set your course accordingly."

"Thank you. Mr. Poong."

As soon as the channel was closed, Li'ira said "Captain are you sure that this is wise?"

"No, but I'm sure that we don't have many other options. How far does the Zantree Alliance extend around us? How many ships do they have? If we respectfully decline, what will that battle group do to us? We will play along until we find out more about what's going on."

Li'ira gave a resigned nod. She understood my logic.

I stood us down from red alert. We returned to cruise mode and followed the Zantree ships.

We transmitted the information packet about the Federation to the Zantree ships. It was a collection of public access information about the UFP. It was honest and truthful as far as it went. It was obviously pro-Federation in its' bias. It didn't talk about embarrassing incidents or things that hadn't worked out in a simple, cheerful way.

Some Captains added information from other points of view. Many called it a sales brochure and joked about the complimentary T-shirts, mugs and pens to hand out with it.

I left it alone.

The trip back to the Zantree starbase was a couple of uneventful weeks. I took the chance to recover from my encounter with the Harmon.

-*-

We arrived at the Zantree starbase and docked. The base was a small space station with dozens of auxiliary modules plugged into it. There were also dozens of warships at the base. Ninety percent of them were Kliges'chee built ships.

The crew of the Harrier was allowed to wander the more public areas of the space station. They reported that it was rough. There were a few restaurants serving strange foods, and a couple of slapdash casinos or brothels. There were none of the features of a more established cross roads or transshipment point.

Lt. Colonel Flagg reported that it looked more like a forward fire-base than a regular starbase.

I was meeting regularly with Poong and the base commander, Freen. They asked me a lot of penetrating questions about the packet I had sent them. They had read it thoroughly. I hadn't read it as well as they had, and so I had to query the Harrier's computer banks and my officers on many points.

I was also getting an education myself, about the Zantree Alliance and the Kliges'chee.

The Zantree Alliance was similar in many ways to the Federation. They were a looser group though. In this they resembled the early United Federation of Planets more than the modern one that I was familiar with.

They had five founding worlds. These worlds banded together for mutual protection and exploration of the surrounding areas. They had grown to encompass about seventy-five worlds all together.

Then the Kliges'chee had found the Zantree. The Kliges'chee were said to have been trying to out flank their long time opponents, the Romulans. The Zantree learned of the Romulans and tried to establish an alliance against the Kliges'chee. The Romulans had given the Zantree a lot of knowledge, including data about the Romulan's neighbors, the hated dictatorships the Klingons and the Federation.

Then the two had attempted a combined operation. The Zantree attacked, only to find that the Romulans had held off. The Zantree forces were decimated, and the Kliges'chee decided to focus on getting rid of them first. The Romulans had sold the Zantree out in order to gain time to rebuild their own fleet.

Just as all looked lost for the Zantree, the Kliges'chee held a civil war.

I was told that the Kliges'chee are a mass mind, controlled by telepathic comptrollers well behind the lines. No individual Kliges'chee has a mind or will of its own. All ideas, thoughts, desires and instructions are relayed to them from a distance by the comptrollers.

Since all ships and units are controlled by a small group of comptrollers, each time a Kliges'chee ship was lost the commanding mind was still safe and they learned from each defeat. The Kliges'chee were devilishly good tacticians.

Young Kliges'chee are independent. They are trained in a variety of support and maintenance skills. As they age and become adolescents, they are then dominated by the comptrollers. A group of adolescent Kliges'chee had avoided the domination of the comptrollers. They had freed others, and soon began to fight for control of the Kliges'chee.

I learned that the war took over thirty years to resolve and that in the end, the Free Kliges'chee lost. They had retreated to the Zantree Alliance, requesting asylum. The fact that they had brought half the Kliges'chee star fleet with them didn't hurt.

Now, the Zantree were able to fight the Kliges'chee with nearly seventeen thousand starships. I was floored. The Federation Starfleet had something over six hundred active ships. Two hundred of these were ships of the line.

All of known space could probably put together two thousand front line combat units.

It wasn't quite as bad as all that, though. The Kliges'chee and the Free Kliges'chee/Zantree could only operate about ten percent of their ships effectively at any one time

The Free Kliges'chee had arrived in the Zantree Alliance about three years ago. That coincided with the reappearance of the Romulans in galactic affairs in known space. The Kliges'chee had concentrated their full efforts on recapturing their lost members and their lost ships.

The Zantree now had a fighting chance. They had not sought out the Klingons or the Federation as allies because of the stories the Romulans had told of us. Worse, these stories were not as exaggerated about the Klingons. The Zantree Alliance was only one hundred light years away from the Klingon border. If the Klingons decide to attack the Zantree, then the Zantree could not hold the border. They would be crushed between the Klingons and the Kliges'chee.

When asked, I couldn't honestly say that I knew what the Klingons would do. I thought that it was good bet that they would act honorably. Klingon notions of honor were slippery sometimes. They might choose to "Liberate" the Zantree Alliance from the Kliges'chee, which would be about the same thing as crushing it between the two.

I knew for a fact that overwhelming hordes of cannibalistic monsters were a Klingon's wet dream. Once the word was out, then there would be no stopping a certain number of younger sons and glory hounds from coming to the Zantree Alliance in an attempt to fight in the great battles that would make their reputations.

In the end we agreed to a friendly relationship between the Federation and the Zantree Alliance. I agreed to try to keep knowledge of the Zantree away from the Klingons.

-*-

I was briefing the command staff of the Harrier about what I had learned of the Kliges'chee and the Zantree. The news was greeted about like I would have expected. If the Romulans or the Zantree couldn't hold, then the Klingons and the Federation would be facing the Kliges'chee. If we reported to the Federation, and they believed us, then we might have a chance. The experience of the Borg was illustrative. The Enterprise-D had encountered the Borg. They warned Starfleet Command. Starfleet Command messed around and dithered until the Borg were on the door step. The result was Wolf-359, the worst massacre in Starfleet's history.

"That's why I have decided to trade certain technologies to the Zantree Alliance in exchange for a refit."

This caused a sensation. Li'ira bored through me with her eyes. "Captain, you know that this would violate the Prime Directive."

"I don't think that it's especially relevant here. This isn't interference so much as it's a military alliance." This was a cheesy old argument. In the Academy it was a common debate question. How can a Federation devoted to non-interference justify having military alliances with races who were not as advanced? The answer again is convenience. Most of the time the Federation will avoid conflicts between races that are less advanced. However, if the Federation's over all security is involved then the question will be considered a little more deeply.

"What are you going to trade to them?" Patricia Flynn, my Chief Medical Officer asked.

I took a deep breath. This was going to be tough. "Photon torpedoes, launchers and sensor schematics."

"Why?" This was Lt. Colonel Flagg. He was in the briefing as a courtesy. As a flag officer he might wind up in command of the Harrier if I were disabled. I wanted him up to speed on what was going on.

"The photon torpedoes will give the Zantree Alliance a serious tactical advantage. The Kliges'chee don't have anything comparable. The sensor specs will neutralize the main Kliges'chee strategic advantage. Remember that their stealth suite makes them hard for long range sensors to detect. With sensors as good as ours, the Zantree will enjoy a good strategic advantage."

"What if it turns out that they are enemies of the Federation?" Flagg was looking at me oddly and I didn't enjoy it.

"I think that their main problem is the Kliges'chee at this point."

"Why not give them the whole works?" Harksain Varupuchu said. "Your logic is clear. You would like the Zantree Alliance to win their war with the Kliges'chee. Why not go all the way?"

"I don't think that the Zantree could profit by the whole raft of Federation technology. What would happen if they tried to produce new ships with completely new technology? I think that they would fall behind the Kliges'chee and never recover. The Kliges'chee built ships that they have could be refit with new sensors and photon torpedo launchers relatively quickly."

"Good point." Flagg said "If the Kliges'chee ships in Zantree hands are so easily refit, then so are the ones in Kliges'chee hands."

"Yeah, well, I can't help that. There are other reasons, too."

"Such as?"

"If we get this refit, then it's almost guaranteed that we can get home. A lot of the data that we have is one of a kind stuff. Then there's the warning to Starfleet Command about the Kliges'chee. All of these things together I find quite persuasive."

"I don't. What you're about to do is treason." Flagg was as cold as ice.

"I don't agree, Colonel. My decision is made."

A phaser appeared in Flagg's hand. "Then I must relieve you."

I was shocked. "What? Flagg, put that thing away!"

Stephanie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but remained seated. Li'ira remained calm. Harksain Varupuchu just shook his head ruefully. Patricia's face drained of color and her eyes were focused on Flagg's phaser.

I was unhappy. Either Flagg would lock me up and do paranoid, stupid things with my ship, or he'd just kill me and go ahead. If none of that happened, then I'd have to space him as a mutineer.

"Computer secure this room." Flagg said

The Computer beeped "Briefing room number three is secure."

I said "Computer, over-ride. Code: Vrendeemok." The Computer beeped and said "Over-ride accepted." Varupuchu and Li'ira looked at me. The word was a very obscene Vulcan concept.

"Computer, master over-ride. Code: Federation forever. I tell you three times."

The Computer asked "Does Lieutenant Colonel Flagg concur?"

"Yes, I do."

"Master over-ride confirmed."

If the computer asked for confirmation, then it was somehow tied into the self destruct system. Guessing, I said "Computer, end self destruct, code zero four nine five destruct five."

The computer said "Does the First Officer concur?"

Flagg said "Son of a bitch!" Then he shot me. I tried to scramble out of the way. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. I could see his phaser aimed right at me. I wasn't moving quickly enough. I could see Stephanie's' phaser whip up from under the conference table. I really didn't want to die. At least I had some consolation. Stephanie had him dead to rights. Then there was a bright flash.

-*-

I woke up on the deck. I was alive. The thought made me indecently happy. Almost enough not to mind the headache and nausea from being stunned.

"Ugh." I said.

"Captain, Are you all right?" Li'ira was peering over Patricia's shoulder.

"Ow." I said "My head hurts."

"You are incredibly lucky, do you know that?" Patricia's face was drawn and she was obviously unhappy.

"Oh, yeah. Where's Flagg?"

"In the Brig. After Stephanie stunned him, the Marines came and took him away."

"Is everyone else okay?"

Patricia was grim. "That depends on what you mean by `Okay'."

"What do you mean?"

She showed me her hand. It was still shaking from the adrenaline reaction. "That maniac could have killed all of us!"

I took her hand "It's okay. He didn't."

Patricia gave my hand a squeeze and then resumed her professional demeanor. She scanned me and told Li'ira that I was okay. I would feel ill for a couple of hours, but otherwise I would be fine.

I got up and immediately regretted it. I sat down in a chair, but what I really wanted was to lie down on the floor and command the ship from a prone position.

"Did you complete the over-ride?" I asked Li'ira.

"Yes, Captain. I have Ensign Bruce rebuilding the self destruct circuits now."

"Doctor," I said to Patricia "In my layman's opinion it seems as though Colonel Flagg was as mad as a hatter when he flipped out, just now."

She looked me in the eye. "What's the penalty for mutiny, Captain?"

"The Harrier is running under emergency conditions, Doctor. If an officer was convicted of willful mutiny, I would have to space him."

Patricia thought it over. "I will confirm the diagnosis of the Ship's Counselor. Father McTague is better suited to make that determination." Her expression made it plain. Patricia wouldn't mind if Flagg was spaced.

I went to see McTague. The red headed priest was his usual over stuffed, jolly self. "Captain, if you've been stunned recently then there is only one prescription to make." He opened a small cupboard and drew out a flask of amber liquid, along with two glasses. He poured a certain amount of the liquid into the glasses and then handed me one. I took a cautious sip. I was brandy. I am no judge, but it was definitely alcoholic. I took a delicate sip to be polite.

McTague shook his head sadly. "Ah, I can see we have some more work ahead of us before we turn ye into a drinker, sure enough. What brings ye to my office, this fine afternoon?"

"I need you to interview Colonel Flagg, and assess his mental competence."

"Oh, and this'll be the mutiny he pulled earlier this afternoon."

"In my opinion, he was not stable when he did it." I emphasized my opinion.

"Aye, It's a possibility. What's the penalty for mutiny, then?"

"If he's competent and found guilty, then I'll have to space him."

"Aye, and a miserable task that would be."

"I'll do it if I have to, but I'd like another option."

"Captain, let me ask ye one more thing. How many people have been convicted of mutiny and then spaced on Starfleet vessels?"

I racked my brain for a moment. I couldn't remember my space law classes worth a damn. "I don't recall. I don't remember any."

"I've been looking it up, Captain. There have been none. Tell me are ye asking me this to preserve Starfleet's perfect record? Or are ye protecting yer queasy stomach?"

I got mad "I'm not going to kill a man unless I absolutely have to. I'm not going to use the letter of the law to stuff a man out a goddamned airlock. Have you ever seen someone die of decompression? I have! If he's got to die to protect the ship then I'll take a phaser and do it myself, but not until the last option has been exhausted! Is that clear?"

McTague grinned "Yes, Captain! Sorry, I had to make sure what you were about."

-*-

I was watching the tape of McTague's interview with Flagg. They were in Flagg's cell. Flagg had been stunned, and then restrained. He came to and groaned, rolling against the restraints. People develop good ducking reflexes from getting stunned. The recovery process is very painful.

He came awake fully and regained his composure. He saw McTague and seemed confused for a few brief moments before he understood the Counselor's presence.

"Oh, yes, that's right!" Flagg said snapping his fingers as if he suddenly recalled. "I must be mad! The reputation of the service must be preserved."

"Colonel Flagg, I'll be wantin' to know what diagnosis ye'll be preferring on your chart." Seamus said, mildly.

"Oh, I don't know. Schizophrenia? A psychotic episode?"

"Each of these is a clinical condition with distinct neuro-chemical markers, lad. We could claim it, but it wouldn't show up in the examinations."

"I have drugs available to simulate these readings. Of course they induce temporary insanity, but you get what you pay for, I suppose."

"Well, sir, I had in mind paranoia with delusions of persecution."

Flagg's expression grew a little colder "Oh, how unoriginal. Surely you can do better."

"No, sir, no. That seems to be the diagnosis from where I'm standing. Of course we'll have to settle it up with another, more clinical interview."

"No. I refuse." Flagg said.

"Ye can refuse all ye like Sir, it won't change things."

"I am not paranoid." Flagg growled "If you put that down it will taint my report back to the Federation. Captain Hailey's treason won't be brought to light. It'll be swept under the rug. He must pay."

"Well, sir, that sounds important. Why don't you tell me about it."

"I know you don't believe it, but I know. That fool Hailey is threatening the whole Federation to save us. That's not what this ship is about! That's not what Starfleet is about. We're suppose to protect the interests of the Federation with our lives."

"Aye. I made that vow, too."

"I believe that this whole cruise can be viewed as either brute incompetence or criminal negligence. I don't know what exactly is going on with him, but I know that Hailey is not acting in the best interests of the Federation."

"I see. That's a heavy charge way out here in the boonies. What would ye like to do about it?"

"Out here? With no support and no back up? There doesn't seem to be much I can do, Counselor. Back home, oh, I'd have had him removed from command a year ago. I know people. I have the right connections. Hailey would have been back pushing papers where he belongs."

"And yet, Starfleet named him the Captain of the Harrier, didn't it?"

"I should have been the Captain of the Harrier. I don't what exactly happened to the Holly-Hop project, but I know that it was my baby. I made the whole thing fly. I arranged the support of certain key people. I found Holly and funded his work. I chose the Harrier out of the scrap heap and oversaw her refit. I took all the tests. I have all the qualifications. I'm twice the starship captain that fool Hailey is."

"And you feel that he's in command of the starship unfairly, then."

"No. Not just that. There was some monkey business. You see it was Admiral Quinn. He assigned Hailey as the Captain right under my nose. He found out about my project and then tried to slip his own ringer in. Ask yourself why? Who would stand to gain from the failure of that project? That will tell the whole tale."

"So it's yer opinion that yer Holly-Hop project was sabotaged, and the Harrier taken away from ye?"

"It's not just about me. These people were acting against the whole Federation. I could have been a hero. I just didn't cover my ass well enough and the enemies of the Federation took it away from me. From all of us."

"I see." McTague was thoughtful.

"I wangled myself a place on board the Harrier to see if I could ferret out who was doing what, but then the ship was thrown out of Federation space. If that was an accident. Why was Hailey left in command of this ship? What purpose could he serve? Since we left Federation space, he's made alliances and broken the Prime Directive. He's on the loose out here like he's Starfleet Command or something. Ask yourself why. That's all I ask."

"So ye felt that the security of the Federation was threatened, then?"

"Yes! The Zantree Alliance is a lost cause. Any fool can see that. This is an attempt to leave our best tactical systems where the Kliges'chee can get them. That is, if the Kliges'chee are really our enemies. I've learned to take nothing for granted."

Thank ye, Colonel, I'll be back to see ye, soon."

McTague turned to leave.

"Please listen. It might be too late for me, but some one has to know. Someone has to be in position in case Hailey reveals his hand. Please Counselor, just ask yourself why!"

-*-

I had a cold sleep tube built and Colonel Flagg was the first customer. The technology was tricky to develop, but three hundred years ago they worked out all the kinks. We were able to use their records to rebuild the device. Flagg's body was filled with a life preserving anti-freeze, and he was quickly frozen to the temperature of liquid nitrogen. When we returned home he could be thawed out and revived easily with modern twenty-fourth century medicine.

When Ensign Bruce went back to rebuild the self destruct device, he found that it and several other crucial systems had been sabotaged to turn control of the ship over to Flagg. I didn't want to take any chances that he might escape the brig and cause havoc on the Harrier. I felt that Starfleet Command could more easily try him on our return Earth. Flagg was the first person that we had to do that to during the trip.

-*-

The Zantree Alliance quickly took us up on our offer and I handed Poong the schematics to our devices personally. The Harrier was given new phase inducers and we made the trip to Poong's World.

We called it "Poong's World" and the people the "Poong" because the literal translation of their words for their planet and people came out "The World" and "The People".

The Harrier was hard docked to a large space station in orbit around Poong's World. The Harrier underwent a three week refit. It was not the easiest refit ever. Ruezre had a list of parts and equipment needed to return the Harrier to full functioning. The Zantree didn't have all of the materials and equipment necessary. Again our chief engineer's experience in the under-equipped merchant marine came in handy. She was able to improvise what we needed.

Much of the crew had leave on Poong's World. I was told that it was a pleasant time. The people of Poong's World were friendly and tolerant and generally nice. I spent a lot of my time in conference with Poong and the leaders of Poong's World.

Hafla was the Secretary of the Military. She was talking to me.

"Due to the massive effort of the war, we can't explore the anti-spinward frontier. We can't afford even a single ship away from the front lines."

"Okay." I knew that she was leading up to something.

"You say that your starship was on an exploration mission?"

"Yes, Sir, that is our mission."

"We have a huge exploration zone there. There may be new allies and new sources of energy and material to fight the Kliges'chee with. The irony is that we can't afford to take a look out there and see."

"Even if you do somehow manage to discover new allies or resources in the exploration zone, how will you exploit them? You just said that you can't afford any ships."

"The truth of the matter is that there is a balance between the risk of the exploration and the certainty of new resources. A new mission could probably be arranged for a certain return."

"And how does that relate to the Harrier, Sir?"

"Would you be adverse to scouting the Zantree Exploration Zone?"

"You're hoping that we can find you your sure thing?"

"Indelicately put, but accurate."

"You understand sir, that we won't be able to do some of the in depth surveys that could find new war material?"

"I'm not asking for a miracle, I'm looking for a break."

"Please let me examine the charts you have of the Exploration Zone and I'll talk to my Navigator. We'll see what we can do."

-*-

Poong showed me another chart. It was a portion of the Zantree Exploration Zone.

"One of the five founding races is called The Tabooists. Their name comes from a racial mission they have. The marked area on this chart is the Taboo Zone."

The marked area was a cylinder marking a diagonal path across the Zantree Exploration Zone.

"The Tabooists insisted that the taboo area be left alone by all members of the Zantree Alliance. At first we agreed. The Tabooists offered much in return. We all thought that humoring them was one of the first civics lessons of the Zantree Alliance."

"Now you aren't so sure." I said.

"No one but the Tabooists know what is in there. They won't tell. What if it's the break we need to defeat the Kliges'chee?"

"Are you asking me to take the Harrier in there?"

Poong's eyes twinkled. "That would be a violation of the Alliance treaty."

"How do I report what I find to you?"

"Our world has elected to act as control for the Harrier."

"So I'll be reporting to you on the results of the scouting mission?"

"Yes."

The Harrier's most direct path home went very near the Taboo Zone. "I'll let you know what we find." I said. Ruezre Vengla reported that the Harrier would be back to ninety-five percent of her original capability. We owed Poong and his people a lot.

-*-

A few weeks later the other shoe dropped. The Murachi Delegates met the Zantree. They tried to arrange a rescue mission to liberate their Homeworld. The Zantree could not even begin to afford it. But they liked the idea of sending delegates to the Federation. The request came and I said yes. I thought that two or three more passengers at this late date would not be a serious problem. I was wrong.

The first list was fifty three delegates long. The total list with retinues came to one hundred and forty-three beings. I quickly pointed out to Poong that the Harrier was only so big. It turned into the second biggest diplomatic negotiation in Zantree history.

The Harrier completed her refit and we took her around Poong's system. The new parts and adjusted systems settled in with only a few hiccups.

Then the Harrier returned to orbit around Poong's World and I rejoined the diplomatic fray. The engineering crew joined the rest of the crew on the shore leave list for Poong's World.

-*-

It took about four weeks to work all the details out. Many of the worlds in the Zantree Alliance didn't want to hear of combining delegates. The Alliance wasn't that close and many worlds were afraid that another world's delegate wouldn't fairly represent their point of view.

Eventually it was decided that only the five founding worlds would send delegates. Newer world would tie their fates to the delegates from the founding worlds.

This actually made new relationships inside the Zantree Alliance. They might remain stable, if the Zantree could survive the Kliges'chee.

Then the discussion turned to the delegates. That was a whole new can of worms. Most of the delegates eventually saw reason, and agreed to travel light. The Delegate from Youn insisted that his body guard of five Marines be included on the manifest. The Delegate was a fat, self important ninny. I figured that he would be the Federation Council's problem, when we returned home.

-*-

The last delegate was added at the last minute. None of the other delegates raised a word of objection. I went to the surface of Poong's World to meet the last delegate. He was deep inside the government complex of Poong's World. Poong and I took and elevator deep into the bowels of the building. We went through a heavy secured corridor and past a door with guards on it.

I went into a large chamber. In the middle of the chamber sat a transparent cube. Inside the transparent cube there was a familiar green mist. A sickly green shape slid up to the glass and peered at me with a dozen eyes.

"Greetings, Captain Hailey." The Kliges'chee said "For the sake of convenience you may call me Mike. I am the delegate from the Free Kliges'chee.

I couldn't help it. I yelled.

-*-

Eventually it was sorted out. The Free Kliges'chee were the back bone of the Zantree defense against the Kliges'chee comptrollers. They had as much right to send a delegate back to the UFP as anyone. However, I had an instinctive revulsion to them and it was all I could do to allow the slimy horror on my ship.

We installed Mikes' life support cube in a cargo bay on the lower decks of the Harrier. I was worried. If the life support system didn't hold, or if the Harrier was damaged, then the chances of loosing Mike the Kliges'chee were good. We didn't even have time to rig a jettison mechanism for Mike's life support cube in case we had to abandon the ship.

Mike's attitude was philosophical. "If I do not take these risks, then the Alliance between the Federation and the Zantree might be too weak. If I do go and succeed in convincing your people of the danger that threatens all of us, then the Federation might support the Zantree Alliance and the war might yet be won. Lives have been spent for far less hope."

This speech was delivered in a cultured computer monotone, while the various eyes of the Kliges'chee just stared out at me. I could tell that there was something there, but I couldn't tell what it was thinking or feeling and that disturbed me.

"Does your life mean so little to you?" I asked.

"On the contrary, my freedom is that valuable to me and more so."

That at least, I could understand. Then came time to feed Mike. It was his last real meal before being hooked up to a self contained recycling system. One of the Poong brought in a bunny. It was a little bigger than an earth rabbit and it had little horns. It struggled in the man's arms. He was grim as he approached the life support cube. He attached a pass-through port to the cube and stuffed the bunny into it.

I saw the bunny leap from the port into the environment of the Kliges'chee. The bunny shrieked and then suddenly stopped. The two hundred and fifty degree below zero temperatures had frozen its lungs. It struggled on the ground as its temperature fell.

Mike picked it up in a tentacle. The bunny's fur had frozen and protected Mike's tentacle from the burning temperature of the bunny.

The bunny kicked frantically. It was painfully blind and it was starting to freeze solid while still alive. Mike opened his mouth and popped the bunny inside. I will never forget the sight. The bunny slid down Mike's throat and into a gizzard were rocks and liquid nitrogen would quickly finish it off. I could see the impressions in Mike's skin as the bunny kicked frantically on it's way down.

"Thank you my friend. That was very satisfying." Mike said.

I had to leave.

-*-

Soon the Harrier was equipped and stocked as well as the Poong and the Zantree Alliance could manage. They even equipped the Harrier with the Kliges'chee shield disruptor and shield protector. The Kliges'chee had developed the shield disruptor and the Free Kliges'chee had developed a related device which neutralized the effects of the shield disruptor. These were great prizes for Starfleet. With them, Federation Starships would be nearly invincible, at least for a while.

It was with a sense of great confidence that I ordered a course set for the Zantree Exploration Zone. The Harrier was now six months shy of the Klingon Border. Almost home.

-end-

Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this story for me.