STAR TREK: TOS - Errand of Vengeance, Book Two - Killing Blow Read online

  POCKET BOOKS

  New York London Toronto Sydney Singapore

  The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS

  POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

  STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures.

  This book is published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., under exclusive license from Paramount Pictures.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  ISBN: 0-7434-4602-X

  First Pocket Books printing August 2002

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-456-6798 or [email protected]

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  For Misha and Kevie

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  About the Author

  About the e-Book

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks once again to Gene Roddenberry and all the creative people who have brought the Klingons to life. And thanks again to Marc Okrand for his work on the Klingon language and his three books The Klingon Dictionary, The Klingon Way, and Klingon for the Galactic Traveler. Thanks also to the Klingon Language Institute for more helpful translations.

  And thanks to Mike Okuda for his patient technical and general Star Trek advice. Once again, The Star Trek Encyclopedia and the Star Trek Chronology by Mike Okuda and Denise Okuda were indispensable to me as I worked. This book also owes a debt to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual by Mike Okuda and Rick Sternbach.

  Special thanks to my friend Larry Brantley for his advice on things military and to my friends Anthony Steele and Scott McFadden for their patience.

  And finally, thanks to my wife, Paullina, who once again provided many thoughtful comments and suggestions. And thanks to my children Natasha, Misha, Kevie, and Tania for their great patience with Dad.

  bItuHlaHbe’ chugh blquvlaHbe’

  (“If you cannot be shamed you cannot be honored.”)

  —KLINGON PROVERB

  Prologue

  KLINGON BATTLE CRUISER D’K TAHG

  KLINGON SPACE

  KAREL SLEPT FITFULLY.

  When he opened his eyes he was looking at his brother Kell—not as he would have been now, but as he was when they were children. Kell was eight and Karel twelve.

  “I’m going with you,” Kell said. His voice was full of all the force his eight years could muster. It took an effort for Karel not to laugh.

  “It is impossible. You are too young and it is too dangerous,” their mother said, appearing at the door.

  Karel did not question the fact that he was standing outside his family home on Qo’noS, or that his mother was there, or that his brother Kell was young and still alive.

  The logic of dreams told him these things were so and he believed them. By force of will he pushed down the dim beginnings of questions. He was too pleased to see his brother to allow them to remain.

  [2] “I am no coward, Mother,” Kell said, gripping his mek’leth sword firmly.

  “No one is saying you are a coward, but only a fool faces a trial before he is ready for it,” their mother said.

  “Karel was my age when he went on his first hunt,” Kell said.

  Mother shook her head in exasperation.

  It was true, but Karel had been bigger at the same age. He had also simply been more ready. Besides the additional danger because of his smaller size, Kell was more squeamish than Karel had been at the same age. He might falter when immediate action was necessary, and such a mistake on a hunt could be fatal.

  “Karel, talk to him,” Mother said.

  Both his brother and mother looked to him now.

  His brother’s eyes were full of expectation that seemed to demand he be taken seriously as a Klingon and a warrior. The look should have been laughable on someone Kell’s age. But it was not. He might not have had size, strength, or years, but he was determined.

  Karel knew that if he said no, his brother would forgive him—but he found that he wanted to do something to nurture a determination so strong.

  “You are not ready,” Karel said.

  “I am—” Kell began.

  “You are not!” Karel shouted over the younger Klingon’s protests. “But today you have an opportunity to prove me wrong.”

  Before Mother could voice her own protests, Karel continued, “You must prove it by staying by my side and doing what I say.”

  [3] Relief visibly washed over Kell’s face as he nodded vigorously.

  Karel said, “I will look after him, Mother.”

  Karel could tell she was not happy, but she was satisfied. She was their father’s wife and would not let fear rule her.

  She looked seriously at Kell and said, “Let your foe know the strength of your blood.”

  Kell nodded seriously as Karel picked up his own mek’leth. They walked in silence down a path to the edge of the woods near the family farm.

  The brothers met another four Klingon boys of about Karel’s age. They immediately shot glances at Kell, who met the gazes with an iron stare, daring them to challenge his right to participate in the hunt.

  None did. The small group had learned to show respect to Kell—Karel had seen to that. Though neither the oldest or biggest Klingon of the group, Karel had established himself as their leader several seasons ago.

  The group walked on to the edge of the cultivated fields of Karel and Kell’s farm. Once inside the woods, they walked on to the spot where they always began their hunts. As they looked for signs, the group spread out in their familiar pattern, with Kell staying close to his brother.

  Mourl was the first to find something and whispered, “Over here.”

  The others converged on Mourl’s find and saw the small piece of fur-covered flesh on the ground.

  Karel gave a silent nod to Mourl, who began looking for the trail. Though the smallest of the
group—next to Kell—Mourl was the best tracker.

  [4] After a short time, Mourl had crept behind a heavily thorned bush and pointed straight ahead. Karel and the others peered over the bush and saw the targ lying down and watching over its larger prey in the center of a small clearing.

  Quickly testing the air, Karel confirmed that they were downwind of the beast. Pleased, Karel used a hand motion to tell the others to wait.

  Wild targs were never docile, but they were less aggressive after a large meal. Speed and reactions were slowed. The difference would mean the difference between a successful hunt and an unsuccessful one. For the hunters, it often meant the difference between life and death.

  These were targs, after all.

  A sound of movement sounded behind the targ, whose head spun around to look for the disturbance. Karel and the others froze.

  The sound had come from the other side of the clearing, but the targ would be extra alert now.

  Scanning the group, Karl was pleased to see that Kell was frozen in place. The only movement was the small rise and fall of the young Klingon’s chest as he breathed.

  Kell also had a look of relaxed concentration, one that Karel knew mirrored his own expression. He also knew that Kell was hyperalert and ready to move on an instant’s notice. It was one of the Mok’bara techniques that Karel himself had taught his brother.

  The others had not studied the Klingon martial art and were getting restless, their bodies giving in to small, involuntary movements.

  Slowly, Karel raised his head above the thorns in [5] front of them. The targ was sitting there, guarding its prey ... but not eating.

  It was maddening, and Karel knew that sooner or later one of the young Klingons with him would give away their position and they would be facing a hungry targ determined to protect its catch.

  Karel knew he had to do something quickly. He motioned for the others to take their positions.

  They got up slowly—but not silently, Karel noted with displeasure. However, eight-year-old Kell was stealthier than many older, bigger, and more experienced hunters.

  Sparing a look at the targ, Karel was pleased to see that it had apparently not heard or paid attention to the noise. Kahless is forgiving today, Karel thought.

  Strangely, the targ had not begun eating yet. Usually, a targ would not hunt if it was not hungry. This one had no interest in its food.

  Well, Karel and his friends had taken on hungry targs before. Yet, he had not wanted to take the additional risk with Kell there.

  For now, it could not be helped.

  Karel slowly backed away as the others formed a line in front of and on either side of him. They would form a rough pincer with Karel and Kell at the apex.

  Karel would make noise to attract the targ. When it charged, the others would lash out with their mek’leths, weakening it as it charged Karel and his brother. Then Karel would have to strike the final blow, or face the wrath of the charging targ.

  All Klingon hunts ended with such a confrontation between the two combatants; a confrontation that could have only one victor—and one survivor.

  [6] Then the largest and oldest of the group made a mistake that changed the nature of the hunt. The big Klingon stepped on a stick, which snapped under his foot.

  Instantly, the targ was on its feet and moving. The Klingons were far from being in position and far from ready. Suddenly Karel was certain this hunt would end badly.

  Then Karel heard the squealing of targ young and knew with complete certainty that badly would not begin to describe this hunt by the time it was done. He spared his brother a glance—Kell’s face showed alertness but not panic.

  “A nest?” Kell whispered.

  Karel nodded. They had stumbled on a targ who was not just protecting a fresh kill but a litter of young, who were hidden in the nearby bush.

  When the targ was lying next to its prey, it was collecting information about the Klingon hunting party and assessing the threat to its young. In effect, it was planning its own hunt.

  Targs were not particularly intelligent, but they were efficient hunters and fierce protectors of their offspring.

  And this one was very, very angry.

  Since the Klingons were just a few meters away from the bush and not even close to their hunting positions, the targ charged the nearest target, Mourl, who had turned to run.

  It was a bad mistake. Facing an uninjured charging targ with a mek’leth was difficult if a Klingon met the attack head-on. If a targ caught an unlucky Klingon from behind ...

  Karel quickly saw what Mourl was trying to do as the [7] Klingon headed for a nearby tree. It was not a dignified way for a warrior to survive an encounter with a targ, but survival, not dignity, was clearly Mourl’s primary concern.

  Still, Karel saw immediately that it would not work.

  “Mourl,” Karel shouted. “Turn and face it.”

  If the Klingon heard, he gave no indication, and continued to sprint for the tree, eyeing a low-hanging branch.

  Mourl meant to leap for it.

  By now the targ’s snarls were loud, even from Karel’s position—more than two dozen meters away.

  Mourl turned quickly and saw the targ nearly on top of him.

  He couldn’t wait another second. He leaped for the branch, putting all of his strength into that single burst ...

  ... and missed.

  He came down hard on the ground, stumbled forward, fell, and tried to immediately roll to his feet.

  But the targ got there first. It hit the Klingon at full speed, its mouth tusks piercing Mourl in the side.

  The Klingon howled and reached for his mek’leth, which hung from his side. Unfortunately, that side was pressed against the ground.

  Without thinking, Karel was racing for his friend, sensing his brother behind him.

  The targ backed away and bit hard into Mourl’s hand. The Klingon howled again, using his good hand to push at the targ, leaving his head and throat unprotected.

  The targ struck with great speed and bit straight into Mourl’s throat. The screams stopped abruptly.

  Karel forced himself to a stop and grabbed out to reach for his brother. He slowly began backing away. Mourl was beyond help. He had to make sure that Kell got home.

  [8] Quickly glancing around, Karel could see the backs of the other three of their group as they disappeared in the distance.

  When he turned back, he saw that the targ did not mean to tarry on Mourl. Its head was turned up and it was watching Karel and Kell carefully.

  Karel knew he had no choice but to face the targ directly.

  “Keep moving back,” he said forcefully to his brother. “If I fail, you will need some distance to escape.”

  Kell said nothing, but Karel heard his brother’s footsteps behind him. He was pleased to see that his brother was showing some sense. He did not want to face his mother if he failed to bring down the targ and then failed to protect his brother.

  Karel realized that if he did not bring down the targ, the animal would make certain he was spared the task of facing anyone. Karel grabbed his mek’leth firmly in hand and asked Kahless and the spirit of his father for the strength to prevail.

  Then he heard the shouting behind him.

  Snapping his head around, Karel saw his brother shouting and swinging his mek’leth back and forth to attract the targ, just as he would do if he were the apex of a pincer formation during a hunt.

  The difference was that there weren’t four other Klingons to weaken the beast before it reached him. And Kell was only eight years old and didn’t have the size or strength to stop a targ at full charge.

  Courage and determination were powerful weapons for a warrior, but they alone would not win a battle.

  [9] Karel began shouting himself, but the targ had seen Kell and was charging after him.

  The pincer formation was effective because a charging targ would not stop until it had reached its target or had died. Thus, the Klingons on either side of t
he charging beast could strike blows at it.

  When the targ swept past him, Karel acted without thinking and swung his mek’leth in a swift arc. He made satisfying contact with the beast’s hide. The targ slowed slightly.

  Another two or three blows like that and the targ might have actually been slowed and weakened enough to make a difference.

  Kell stood firm, holding the mek’leth directly in front of him. Karel knew that Kell’s best chance was to hold the sword high and swing it hard as the targ attacked him. Of course, given the circumstances, Karel knew that would make very little difference.

  Still, Karel hoped that Kell would hurt the creature before it set on him.

  The targ was just meters away now, but Kell still stood firm. Karel found himself yelling and noted that his brother was doing the same. It was a Mok’bara cry—a cry of battle.

  Then the targ prepared to leap and Kell suddenly dropped, jamming his mek’leth into the ground. Even if the targ had seen the danger, it would not have been able to stop. The animal leapt, flying through the air for a brief moment until its chest hit the blade, which Kell held firm.

  The targ kept moving, flying toward the hilt of the weapon, even as the blade tore through it.

  [10] By the time the beast had come to a rest, Karel was there, kneeling next to his brother.

  Both the young Klingon and the beast were still. Kell could see they were connected. One of the targ’s tusks had burrowed deeply into Kell’s shoulder.

  Grabbing the targ around the neck, Karel pulled and the tusk came out. Tossing the beast aside, Karel watched as his brother’s wound began to bleed freely. He turned his brother onto his back and felt for a pulse. He was relieved to find it strong.

  Taking a quick look around, he saw that none of the others from their party was in sight. Grabbing Kell by the neck and knees, he lifted.

  That was when the younger Klingon stirred.

  “No,” he whispered.