From: neale@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Neale Davidson)
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: STMOW 6-10/20 repost
Date: 30 Aug 92 20:43:46 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

This is the second part of the repost for STMOW. Hopefully, these
will be put on the archive sites... somewhere. After this, I will
repost TRR and then TUQ (which will be complete by then). As much
as I enjoy getting request letters (let me deflate my ego just  a
bit here), I can't answer them all. I'm getting 10 a day a least!
Anyway, the reposts are on the way, and I hope eveyone gets  them
all without any trouble.

 
  - STAR TREK     ----------------------------------------------------
  - MORALS OF WAR ----------------------------------------------------
 
  Parts Six through Ten of Twenty
 
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  CHAPTER SIX
 
     Intelligence Officer's Log : Supplemental
     Commander Thomas William Riley
     Executive Officer, USS ENTERPRISE, NCC 1701-B
 
     It appears that my initial concerns about sabotague have
     become reality. This ship is on direct course for Genesis
     sector, and I've got my suspicions as to what is awaiting
     us.
 
     I am growing increasingly frustrated with the situation on
     ENTERPRISE. The crew is in disarray, the ship is falling
     apart, and I am hampered by the neccessity of my position.
     If something does not change soon, I am likely to take
     things into my own hand.
 
        "Damage control reports that major systems malfunctions
  are occuring throughout the ship," Tiber quickly summarized as
  Saavik and Riley nearly simultaneously entered the bridge.
        The Red Alert systems had activated, and the air was
  filled with dozens of malfunction calls and systems failure
  reports. Riley quickly analyzed the systems display. Only Life
  Support and the Warp Drive work working normally. "Riley to
  Grissom, I want a manual evaluation of every system this ship
  has got," he barked to his insignia. "Put everyone on it,
  including the janitorial crew."
        Saavik looked through her bridge. Every system was down.
  There was no question now, someone had sabotauged the ship.
  "Lieutenant Tiber, I want that report of every malfunction that
  the ship has suffered."
        "It's in the computers," Tiber quickly replied before
  realizing that that meant that the report was as good as lost.
  "I can try to get a written report from all decks," he added,
  looking over to Riley who nodded agreement. Riley had already
  recieved Tiber's written report a few moments before.
        Saavik finally took her center seat. "Do we have
  communications capacity?" she queried, wondering wether or not
  she really wanted to know the answer.
        "Negative, sir, all systems are scrambled," Monroe
  responded out of fear. "I'm trying to get past the system
  garbage."
        Riley uncharacteristically flinched at Monroe's answer.
  His eyes narrowed for a moment, concentrating on Monroe's form.
  Monroe? Riley considered for a moment. There was something
  wrong with his being here, Riley concluded. He was out of
  place. Granted, fleet hadn't yet assigned a navigator to the
  ENTERPRISE when Riley had been reading personnel, but something
  was amiss.
        Campbell rushed onto the bridge, holding a but of
  computer core in he hand. "Sirs, there's been phaser fire in
  the main computer core." She indicated the burn mark through
  the center of the core. "There's so much damage, I don't think
  we can fix it without drydocking."
        Saavik kept in a growl, looking unemotional even in the
  chaos which surrounded her. "The food replicators, the ones
  which work," she saw fit to add given the current situation.
  "They can be used to replicate the working sections of the
  computer core. Can they not?"
        Campbell looked confused for a moment, then lit up with
  realization. "You mean we can replicate the working computer
  banks and use the replications to replace the damaged ones,"
  she replied, eager to commit herself to the assignment.
        "Is that not what I said, Miss Campbell?" Saavik cooly
  replied, signaling to the young woman to continue her duties.
  "Get the computer on-line as soon as possible, too many other
  systems depend on it."
        Riley was about to add something to that, but let the
  thought go. There are safer places to discuss such things than
  he, he thought to himself. "Captain, if this is a trap, then I
  would suggest that the sheilding and weapons systems be placed
  on priority."
        "Our priority is to not allow ourselves to fall into
  the trap," Saavik evenly responded. "We will abort the takeover
  of the ship's navigational systems and return to space dock for
  major repairs."
        It was a logical argument. But it wasn't the correct one.
  The people responsible for the trap had to be caught, otherwise
  they would make a new, deadlier, trap. Riley kept his opinion
  to himself, not wanting to show disrespect to his captain. "Of
  course, but would it not be logical to place sheilds on
  priority, as a contingency?" he decided to say instead.
        "Logical," Saavik responded, then motioned to a crewman
  to carry the order below. Riley regarded his captain for the
  first time in her role. She was indeed capable, and fairly
  impressive. She handled crisis fairly well.
        But, there was more. Riley had genuinely been upset when
  ordered to circumvent her authority in this mission. She could
  never know it, but the two of them had much more in common than
  the ENTEPRISE. He sympathized with her inner torments, noticing
  things that no one else would. Her slight emotional slips, and
  her nervousuness at command, though only very slight, must
  trouble her deeply. Riley knew the Vulcan way only too well.
        Riley again turned his attention to the bridge, and it
  was Saavik's turn to study him. Riley was quite imposing,
  possessing a commanding aura. His dark brown eyes and worn face
  seemed to demand loyalty. From his records, she knew him to be
  intelligent and capable. From his words, she knew him to be
  saavy. And from him, she found him attractive and amicable. He,
  quite simply, intimidated the hell out of her.
        Saavik noted Riley's studying of the bridge, taking in
  every detail that he could, escpecially when studying Ensign
  Monroe. The Riley didn't say anything about it, it was plainly
  obvious that Riley had some reservations about the navigator.
        "Captain," Commander Riley suddenly piped. "Permission to
  leave the bridge. I would like to be of help below." Saavik
  questioned that, but there certainly couldn't be much more harm
  done by his leaving. Before she could answer, Riley had
  already left.
        Tiber rushed over to aid Campbell, mainly by placing his
  arm around her. The couple rushed to the science-station, and
  began pulling the covering from it.
        Tiber, though not very knowledgable in the ways of
  engineering, began pulling every console and core sample that
  Campbell indicated. They kept as busy as everyone else about
  them.
        Even with work crews busy repairing the massive interal
  damage, and even with the smoothness she had given her
  commands, Saavik was not relaxed. She felt helpless as her
  people did the work. Even Riley seemed to be doing more than
  she felt she needed to. Of course, Riley seemed to do that
  often, Saavik grimly muttered.
        Though she had been handling things quite well, Saavik
  felt as if she were watching her command starting to
  disintegrate around her.
 
        Engineering fared worst on the ship. While there were
  fortunately no fatalities, three men had already been minorly
  injured when alum-glass and metal flared from exploding panels
  and safeties.
        Grissom was quite busy shoveling all of her sweat off of
  her brow as she tried to repair system after system. "Damn it,
  Ravis, I thought you were the best man for the job," she
  barked.
        Ravis activated more switches, trying to undo the damage
  the ship had undertaken. Nothing seemed to work. "The main warp
  control circuitry has been severed, backup systems may be
  operational, but the computer refuses to link with them."
        "That's because," Deuce shouted from across the room,
  "there is no main computer." Deuce pulled a couple of panels of
  his own, revealing several power couplings.
        Grissom growled. Some man had ruined her engines, before
  she had even gotten a chance to tinker with them. "Ensign
  Deuce, did you get ship communications and subspace working?"
        "Subspace is very rough, but it's up," Deuce replied as
  he pulled open the covering to a coupling. "Ship communications
  are functional, but not reliable."
        Grissom finished at her station, "I've got helm control
  back. I can't fix the navigation system without the computer,
  so we'll have to hit that as soon as the power grid's done,"
  she cooly ordered. "Ravis, what are you working on?"
        Ravis began shaking, the strain was getting to him. Deuce
  looked over, forcing down the instinct to console his partner.
  "I'm trying to get the warp control working," Ravis quaked,
  "but there's been some severe damage. I'm trying to patch it
  up, but I don't expect miracles."
        Then the sound of hell filled the room.
        Ravis's face went to stone as Deuce sudennly screamed.
  His panel weent ablaze and fire raced up his arm. Ravis rushed
  over, ignoring the warp control panel he had been working on.
  Grissom grabbed the manual extinguisher and sprayed away,
  flooding the bay with fire retardant.
        "I'm sorry, Deuce," Ravis cried as the two were covered
  with retardant foam. Deuce couldn't answer, instead accepting
  the sweet bliss of unconsciousness. Ravis held him in his arms,
  holding tight, hoping to hold the life within his lover.
        "Grissom to sick bay," Grissom commanded to her chest
  insignia, "emergency teams to secondary engineering." She
  quickly tuned her attention to the panel itself, battling the
  fire raging from it. "Fire and damage control teams to
  engineering."
 
        When Riley entered his room, he let his controlled form
  relax. There was work to be done on the ship, but there would
  only be more malfunctions if he didn't do his work here first.
        Riley composed himself, fighting the slight depression
  which had begun to work on him. He had again lied to Saavik,
  something neccessary though disturbing. Lying to a superior
  officer, though ordered to do so by another superior, was
  wrong.
        He collapsed into his work chair, only having been away
  from it for a couple of minutes. There was work to be done, he
  decided, for better or worse. Morality would have to wait.
        "Computer," Riley began, "cross-reference list of
  ENTERPRISE malfunctions with the ship's crew. Look for any
  correlation between that list, and crewmembers present at
  malfunction sites."
        Riley hadn't expected to be using his own personal
  computer for ship's business, but the ship's computer had been
  seriously damaged, and it was likely that remaining files had
  been tampered with. His personal computer, his link to the
  Federation intelligence network, was the only secure machine in
  the ship.
        "There are no single correlations found," the computer
  finally repeated. Riley had somewhat expected this, it would
  not be logical for a single operative to hit the hip with so
  many malfunctions. His trail would be too easy to mark.
        "Repeat search, include all multiple instances of
  crewmembers and malfunction sites," Riley cooly replied. This
  time, there would be a variety of answers, he thought to
  himself.
        "Crewmembers as follows. Riley, Commander Thomas William,
  present at docking ring failure, present at navigation command
  failure. Saavik, Captain, present at docking ring failure,
  present at food station seven failure, present at navigation
  command failure." The list was indeed quite long, but it did
  leave Riley wondering why his name appeared above Saavik's.
        "Computer," Riley interrupted with a hint of impatience,
  "Eliminate occurances of less than six." The computer complied
  with a small beep sequence. "Repeat list with new parameters."
        "Crewmembers as follows," the computer began. Riley
  straightened his back, dreading the names he was about to hear.
  "Cheif Engineer Lieutenant Grissom, Maintenance Officer Ensign
  Joshua Matthew Ravis, Navigation Officer James Micheal Monroe.
  List ends."
        Riley took several seconds before recording the list and
  shutting the power from his computer. He let a controlled sigh
  of dispair slip from him as he stood to consider his next
  course of action.
        There were now three suspects. But before continuing on
  this premise, Riley concluded, it was neccessary to review the
  three of them and their records.
        Grissom wasn't around on the ship for the majority of the
  malfunctions, and, despite her attitude, there was nothing
  about her record which could indicate enemy sympathies.
        Riley decided that he didn't know too much about Ravis.
  Ravis was well known to be homosexual, though until now that
  was the only thing known about him. As an ensign, his record
  was, at best, brief. He was a likely candidate, mainly because
  an ensign on a new ship was both an easy and convincing
  disguise.
        Then there was Monroe. Riley had reviewed every
  crewmember's record, and could find no trace of Monroe's
  transfer to the ENTERPRISE nor his record previous. He was an
  obvious plant, probably intended to hide Ravis.
        "Computer, crewman status report, please," Riley
  commanded to his machine with a bit of hesitation.
        "Identify subject," it gleefully responded.
        Riley stroked his chin for a moment, pondering on wether
  he was doing the right thing. Perhaps he should talk to Saavik
  before continuing, and quit playing the spy. But there was no
  denying his role in these matters.
        "Ensign James Micheal Monroe," he finally, slowly,
  responded to the computer. "Assigned aboard USS ENTERPRISE as
  a navigational officer."
        "No record on file," the machine called back. It was all
  the confirmation neccessary. Monroe's record had been added
  aboard ENTERPRISE by someone, but Star Fleet's records didn't
  recognize him.
        "Riley to bridge," he called, silently hoping that the
  intra-ship communications were still working.
        He was greatly relieved when Saavik's voice came across.
  "Captain here. What may I do for you, Commander?" she politely
  replied, though the strain in her voice was obvious.
        "Patch me through to Headquarters," Riley cooly replied,
  somewhat apologetic that he had to give orders to his superior
  officer. "I want to talk to Star Fleet Command."
 
  CHAPTER SEVEN
 
        The IRON CLAW II is indeed an impressive ship, Konok
  mused as he regarded the bridge about him. It was much larger
  than the bird-of-prey's bridge, allowing for more room to walk
  about than before. Stations could have their functions switched
  around, which was a definate advantage for the command area.
        It was, Konok admitted, vastly superior to the vessel he
  had commanded for so long. The IRON CLAW II was simply the best
  vessel in the Romulan fleet.
        ~We will be crossing the Neutral Zone into Federation
  territory in three minutes, Commander,~ the helmsman grunted.
  ~I repsectfully submit that we abort this mission,~ he finally
  added, overcoming his fear of his commander.
        Konok smiled, understanding his minion's fear. ~We have
  the superior vessel, and the superior plan, Secundam. You have
  nothing to fear.~
        The Secundam didn't seem to believe that statement, but
  quickly turned around to avoid more confrontation. He was,
  after all, more afraid of his commander than of the unknown
  dangers in the Neutral Zone.
        ~Sir, I'm getting a voice message, eminating from beyond
  the Neutral Zone,~ another officer piped up.
        Konok turned abruptly, ~On visual.~
        ~Voice message only, Commander Konok,~ the commincations
  officer replied. Konok simply pointed forward, indicating the
  go-ahead.
        For a moment, static was all that filled the speakers,
  but a voice came only a few seconds later, and successfully
  drowned out the static surrounding it. ~This is Commander T'Sal
  of Imperial Intelligence aboard the ENTERPRISE. If you are
  recieving this message, then I am pleased that my mission has
  been successful,~ the voice began.
        Konok said nothing, he seemed wholly taken with the
  message. This was the person responsible for my greatest
  mission, Konok considered. Perhaps I should thank him when
  ENTERPRISE lies in ruins about me.
        ~The ship is a battlecruiser, more powerful and advanced
  than our Nova Class battleships,~ the report began. Konok let
  his hand rest under his grin. ~The vessel, from what I've seen,
  is a fair match for your new battleship, Commander.~
        ~As per orders, I have suceeded in damaging their key
  systems to force them into the scheduled confrontation. The
  ENTEPRISE has been damaged by the tampering, though the repair
  crews are far more efficient than had been anticipated,~ the
  message continued. ~They have already overcome the navigational
  lock as well as the loss of their main computer.~
        If Konok was troubled by the news, he took no pains to
  show it. Instead, his smiled widened. The ENTERPRISE would no
  longer be a sitting duck for his attack, but a prepared and
  capable opponent. Konok felt the Romulan equivalent of
  adreneline pour through his body.
        ~The ship is currently on course to their Starbase
  Fourteen for emergency repairs. The captain and first officer
  seem to disagree as to their next course of action.~
        Konok toggled off the communications switch, smiling and
  confident. ~Continue on course to Genesis sector, warp seven.~
        ~But, sir,~ the helmsman protested. ~The ENTERPRISE won't
  be there when we arrive. Surely there is no point of crossing
  the Neutral Zone now?~
        Konok's smiled faded into a smirk. ~Ah, but there is,
  Secundam,~ he responded in an evilly assured tone. ~You should
  have more faith in fate. The ENTERPRISE will be there. It must
  be.~
 
  CHAPTER EIGHT
 
        "You wish to interview these three?" Saavik demanded.
  "Because you have found a correlation between them and the
  ship's reported malfuncitons?"
        Riley frowned at her reaction. Even though the
  intelligence committee gave him much leeway in these matters,
  Riley thought it neccessary to talk to Saavik first. Now he was
  regretting this decision. "I have some evidence, and even more
  suspicion, but I need these interviews to confirm my
  suspicions."
        Saavik didn't let her emotions escape from her, though
  she her feelings were in a bit of a jumble about her First
  Officer. "Do you consider your request logical?" she asked
  coldly. "It is not neccessary to disturb our already stressed
  crew based on emotional beliefs."
        "I have never been known to confuse my emotions with my
  professionalism, Captain," Riley replied in a voice which even
  made Saavik take pause. "I am well versed in these matters, and
  I conclude that my judgement is sound."
        Saavik stepped back at that. "How would you be so well
  versed, Commander?" she queried, hoping to gain a little
  insight, now that the opportunity was ripe. "I have seen
  nothing in your record to indicate that you are an expert at
  sabotauge and infiltration."
        Riley turned away, mostly out of self-disgust. Things
  were coming to ahead, and he wasn't sure if he could handle it.
  "I cannot discuss the matter of my record," he muttered
  angrily.
        "As Captain of this vessel, it is my right to know all I
  can about my command crew," Saavik stated matter-of-factly.
  There was no denying the ring of truth in her voice.
        Riley felt the world collapsing around him. "I can't tell
  you, Saavik," he spoke through gritted teeth. "I want to, but
  I'm under orders not to." If Saavik was more accustomed to
  reading the emotions of others, she would have noticed that his
  temper was flaring. She would have known that he was tearing
  himself apart between duty and righteousness.
        But she didn't. "I order you to disclose to me the
  details of your record," she demanded in her cold tone. It was
  all that Riley could take, and she soon became painfully aware
  of it.
        Riley punched the wall, hard. His powerful fist tore
  through the wall plating in front of him with such force as to
  make Saavik jump back. "My god," she muttered as he slowly drew
  his fist from the hole. "No human could ever do that."
        Riley composed himself, still angry with his actions. "I
  am an officer in Intelligence Command," he coldly explained.
  "My orders are to determine the nature of the ship's
  malfunctions and the disappearance of the USS FEARLESS."
        Saavik stepped back in disbelief. She suddenly realized
  that she had been a mere pawn in some larger plan. The thought
  angered her. "You've been assigned here, under me," she began
  tight-lipped. "But you were working for Intelligence all
  along." She paused, letting the meaning of his words sink in
  even more. "You lied to me," she finished, mournfully.
        "It gets worse," Riley muttered. "I was ordered to
  circumvent your command." He took a deep breath, staring
  directly into Saavik's now-saddened eyes. "Even if it meant
  taking command of the ENTERPRISE away from you."
        Saavik looked stunned for the first time. "I wasn't
  supposed to be the captain of this ship," she slowly managed
  through her mixed emotions. "You were, weren't you?"
        Riley stepped over to her, gently placing his hand on her
  shoulder. "No," he quietly said to her. "You are the Captain of
  this ship. I never wanted to take that away from you."
        "Why not?" she asked, fighting back a tear, trying
  desperately to hold off her emotions.  "It isn't logical for me
  to remain Captain of this vessel under these circumstances. You
  should assume command."
        "I can't, Saavik," Riley tried to explain. But the time
  for words had already been past. He turned her to him, noting
  that a single tear began falling down her cheek. He slowly
  wiped it off of her.
        The two stood staring at each other for several moments,
  not being able to communicate verbally with one another. Saavik
  had nearly been broken. "Why did you decide to tell me,
  William?" she finally asked.
        Riley stepped away from her for a moment, ingoring some
  of the feelings that were flowing through him. "I couldn't hurt
  you anymore," he queity replied. "I had to choose between
  keeping my orders, and you."
        Saavik raised an eyebrow at that. "You chose me?" she
  questioned. "That was not a logical decision," she indicated,
  knowing full well that logic was not amoung Riley's reasons.
        Riley again turned away. "Let's just say that I saw some
  things in you which reminded me of other things," he
  noncommittedly replied. "I can't say anything more."
        Saavik nodded, and allowed herself time to compose
  herself. "If you were to assume captaincy of this ship," she
  began honestly, "I would be honored to serve under you."
        Riley smiled, knowing full well that it would soon come
  to that. "Thank you," he replied, again looking into her eyes.
  He wanted to say more, but knew he had said too much already.
        "Go ahead with your interviews," Saavik started again,
  this time assuming a more professional posture. "I should trust
  the judgement of my First Officer."
        Riley nodded but said nothing else in reply. Saavik
  slowly stepped from the room, dimming the lights as she left.
  The first officer found himself watching her the entire time
  he possibly could. "There is more between us than you could
  possibly know," he finally said.
 
        Saavik returned to her quarters, a bit confused by her
  feelings about her First Officer. He had just violated orders
  for her benefit by revealing who he was and why he was aboard.
  She couldn't answer why, but she realized that she would have
  done the same for him.
 
        Of the three interviews, Ravis's came first. Riley
  figured that this would be the toughest of the three, since he
  had very little to go on.
        Ravis walked in, quite exhausted from his day thus far,
  and not wanting to have it last too much longer. "You wanted to
  see me, sir?"
        Riley indicated the chair across from him and Ravis
  obeyed the subtle order. "I'm reviewing some records, and since
  the computer is damaged, I'm going to have to supplement
  information with some interviews."
        "Sir, I'm sorry, but I'm needed in engineering, could
  this wait?" Ravis asked. His voice was genuine enough, though
  it was painfully obvious that his mind wasn't on a faulty
  conduit.
        Riley crossed his arms and reclined a bit. "You've been
  working very hard," he began with a slight smile. "Think of
  this as a break."
        Ravis's expression went slightly confused, but
  straightened out before it would be considered offensive. "I
  will try, Commander."
        "I just spoke to sick-bay, Doctor Matthews says that
  Deuce will be fine," Riley began a bit off-topic. "Deuce only
  suffered from some toxic fumes and passed out. Matthews pumped
  him clean."
        Ravis breathed a sigh of relief, but went to shock after
  a moment's consideration. "Then, you know about us, sir?"
        Riley nodded in the affirmative, which embarrassed Ravis
  somewhat. "There are very few secrets on a starship, Ensign.
  Eventually, everything gets found out," Riley replied with a
  slight bit of warning.
        Ravis took pause with the statement, and Riley took quick
  note of the reaction. "I understand, sir, I will try to be more
  discreet."
        "I could care less about your sexual practices, Ensign,
  so long as they don't interfere with your professionalism."
  Riley's comment was pointed, again alluding to something wholly
  different than the matter at hand. "When you let your emotions
  cloud your judgement, you can make mistakes."
        "I'm not sure what you mean, sir," Ravis replied, a bit
  concerned with the conversation's tone. "I have done my best
  to act professional at every level of my duty."
        Riley looked over Ravis, looking for signs of
  over-nervousness, trying to see if Ravis would slip. So far, he
  had only slightly, becoming too paranoid about the questions
  put to him.
        "I'm just offering advice," Riley began again. "When a
  person becomes close to someone, he has a tendancy to put
  professionalism aside in favour of that someone." Riley
  conviently ignored the fact that he had just described himself.
  "I would appreciate you being more careful. If something had
  happened at your post in engineering when Deuce was injured, we
  wouldn't be around to discuss this matter."
        "Yes, sir," Ravis conceded. "Am I dismissed then, sir?"
  he asked, looking forward to returning to engineering with a
  clear head.
        "You are dismissed," Riley replied cooly as he readied
  his notepad for his next interview. Ravis stood and headed for
  the door. ~Goodbye, Secundam,~ Riley ended as Ravis left.
        ~Goodbye, Commander,~ Ravis replied without thinking. His
  reply was in perfect Romulan.
 
        When Grissom entered, only a moment or so late, she was
  shaking. Riley had noted her uneasiness with him before, but it
  was even more pronounced now that he and she were alone. Riley
  cursed at himself for his negligence in this matter. "Sit
  down," was all he could manage.
        Grissom did so, and Riley couldn't help but notice how
  much she was shaking. "It's fine, Miss Grissom, I only need to
  ask you some questions."
        "Yes, sir," she said, gripping unusally hard on her
  chair. "Though I must inform you that I have several things in
  engineering that need to be attended to."
        Riley opened his notebook and keyed in his security code.
  "I've looked through your record, and noticed that there were
  some things marked 'Private'. May I inquire as to their
  nature?" he began as politely as possible.
        Grissom gave a worried look. "I would prefer that you
  didn't, sir," she stammered. "There are some things in the
  record which I don't want publicized."
        Riley already had an inkling as to what those things
  were, but held back any comments. "I was reviewing your records
  from your previous assignments. Captain Heito gave you very
  high praise," he tried.
        "I'm sure he did, sir," she replied with a wavering
  voice. "I do have things to attend to," she added, hoping to
  leave the room with some of her dignity still intact.
        "This will only take a couple of minutes, Lieutenant," he
  politely replied.
        "Sir," she replied, trying to get the nerve to state her
  true feelings, "I mean no offense. But I cannot be comfortable
  remaining alone in the same room with you."
        Riley went deadly silent for a moment. Grissom wasn't
  just afraid of him, she was intimidated by him. "Look
  Lieutenant," Riley tried, hoping to ease the tension in the
  room. "Miss Grissom, I didn't call you in here for any reason
  other than determining the identity of the saboteur."
        Grissom's eyes widened at that. "You mean," she stammered
  in a bit of shock. "You think that I could be the saboteur?"
  she continued with a bit of mild disgust. "I will have you know
  that I've been twice decorated for meritourious service as well
  as recieving efficiency ratings well into the nineties on every
  tour." She went into frenzy now, taking Riley aback. "How could
  you think that I would do something like that?" she demanded.
        Riley sighed, for once letting out a little emotion. "I
  never seriously considered that you were the saboteur. But my
  evidence doesn't disclude you, so I have no option but to use
  this interview."
        Grissom looked in disbelief at her superior officer. "I'm
  sorry, sir," she finally replied after several seconds when she
  collected herself. "I didn't mean to go off-line like that. The
  engine room has been keeping me on edge."
        Riley fought down the impulse to comfort her, knowing
  full well how she would take the overture. Instead he merely
  dismissed the incident. "Lieutenant, it didn't happen. Don't
  worry about it. But I do expect to be treated with proper
  respect."
        Grissom stood up, starting to excuse herself. "Yes, sir,
  and if you don't mind, sir, I have several things which need to
  be attended to."
        Riley nodded, though Grissom was already walking out the
  door. He decided that something would eventually need to be
  done about her attitude.
 
        Monroe entered the conference room, as ordered, at
  precisely eighteen-hundred hours. Riley was sitting at the main
  desk, and offered a chair to the Ensign.
        As soon as Monroe took his seat, Riley slowly stood up.
  "I apologize, but I'm getting a bit stiff from all of the
  sitting I've been doing lately," he started with a false
  humour.
        "No apologies needed, sir," Monroe piped up, though
  somewhat nervous. "If you will pardon my insistance, may I
  inquire as to why I was called down here?"
        "You may inquire," Riley replied flatly. Monroe looked
  confused for a moment. "It was a joke," Riley added when he
  noted Monroe's lack of response.
        "Sir?" Monroe queried with a bit of distance. Sarcasm was
  apparantly lost on him.
        "Ensign Monroe," Riley coldly began. "I have been
  reviewing personell records, and your name didn't come up."
  Riley folded his arms, letting the young Ensign know exactly
  how deep his hole had been dug.
        Monroe flustered for a moment, unusure as to how Riley
  could even access the computer records from what was left of
  the machinery. "I don't know what you mean, sir," he tried.
        "I mean, you must have transfered to this ship shortly
  before we set sail," Riley replied, though his tone alluded to
  another meaning. "I am requesting your records from Star Fleet
  Command at this time, but I was hoping you could fill me in
  with some information."
        Monroe drew in a breath. It was obvious he was nervous. He
  indeed had something to hide. "What do you need to know, sir?"
        Riley paced the room for a moment, allowing Monroe to feel
  even more flustered than he already was. "What ship did you
  serve on before transferring aboard?"
        "I served on the ANTARES, under Captain Jameson, sir,"
  Monroe blurted out.
        Riley paused for another moment, allowing the answer to
  dig into his head. "The ANTARES? An EXETER class ship, right?"
        Monroe looked confused for a moment,  but quickly
  straightened himself out. "Yes, sir. She had one of the best
  engine rooms of the fleet," he replied, giving an act of pride.
        But Riley was undaunted and continueud with the
  interview. "I served with Jameson when he was one the HOOD
  before his big promotion to Captaincy. He was an excellent
  first officer."
        "I imagine he was sir," Monroe replied with a smile.
  "Though I would say that you handle things a bit more properly
  than he did."
        Riley looked Monroe over again, which made the Ensign
  shake with fear. His superior was deliberately dressing him
  down, and that was not to be taken lightly. "What was your
  officer effeciency rating aboard the ANTARES, Ensign?" the
  First Officer queried from out of the blue.
        "Eighty-six percent, sir," Monroe quickly blurted. "It
  would have been higher, except that I wasn't used to the
  ANTARES navigation systems until some time into my tour," he
  added for explanation.
        Riley nodded his head in acceptance. "Very well," he
  finally commented. "You are dismissed then. I hope the records
  problem will straigten out. We've had some trouble with
  getting the computer system on-line, so your records got lost
  in the shuffle."
        Monroe nodded and quickly stepped out of the conference
  room. Riley carefully watched him leave, and continued to watch
  the empty hall until the doors closed.
        "Ninety-six degrees in here and he didn't break a sweat,"
  Riley muttered when he figured that the room was safe. He now
  had all the proof he needed for security.
 
  CHAPTER NINE
 
        The COLUMBIA was, like many similar vessels of late, a
  scout ship assigned to listening duty in the Neutral Zone. The
  ship was capable of far better sensor analysis than her heavier
  counterparts, though she was hardly a fighting vessel.
        It was suprising that the vessel had been caught alone.
  Their escort must have headed away on urgent business. Or,
  perhaps, the Federation had been negligent in this area of the
  Zone.
        No matter the reason, the COLUMIBA represented the weak
  link in the Federation's defense set up. While she was capable
  of detecting even a cloaked ship if she were near, it would be
  a simple matter to erase her from this plane of existance. Then
  the mission could proceed.
        Konok studied the sensor reports on the tiny vessel,
  knowing that the long range scans would have to be shut off to
  allow the IRON CLAW II to approach. ~This is the target,~ he
  indicated to the crew. The image of the COLUMBIA grew and
  metamorphed into a tactical display of her offensive and
  defensive capabilities. ~She is capable of detecting us, and
  therefore we must destroy her if we are to go through. The
  remainder of the Neutral Zone is more heavily defended.~
        The helmsman looked a bit concerned at that last bit.
  ~Sir,~ he cautiosly began. ~What if the scout detects us before
  we can cut off their communications? We are risking an act of
  war.~ The helmsman had dared too much there, and he knew it.
  Konok look down with an menacing expression, waiting for an
  apology. ~Isn't there any other way?~ the helmsman finally
  asked in a more subdued tone.
        Konok considered that. They were indeed about to risk a
  full scale war with their action. But his orders were perfectly
  clear. He was to destroy the ENTERPRISE and anything which
  stood in his way. ~The Empire has given her orders,~ he cooly,
  and somewhat regretfully replied to his crew. ~It is our time
  to put our brick into our road to the stars.~
        The IRON CLAW II disappeared into the blackness of space,
  heading toward the COLUMBIA beyond. The scout ship, as per
  normal under these circumstances, was running on impusle power.
        Captain Rapter knew that he had inherited the most boring
  and terrifying duty in Star Fleet. It was his job to scan for
  the enemy, wherever they are, for whatever reason, to warn Star
  Fleet that they were coming.
        "The least they could do for us is provide an escort,"
  his First Officer complained. "It's bad enough waiting for
  something to happen, let alone not being able to handle it."
        Rapter's steel-like eyes peered over to his number one.
  He wasn't pleased, and First Officer Kito's constant
  complaining wasn't helping matters much. "Mister Kito," he
  began to explain with a note of intolerance, "you know that we
  have lost three ships near starbase fourteen, and Fleet feels
  that our escorts could be of more benefit there than in this
  backwater."
        Kito quieted down, frustrated with his duty. "I'm sorry,
  Captain. I've been on edge lately." It was true enough, the
  entire crew was jumpy. Shore leave had best come soon, Rapter
  thought to himself. Muntiny was looking to be a welcome
  alternative.
        The worst thing one can do to a member of Star Fleet was
  to bore him. The vast majority of them joined the service
  wishing for the excitement promised in the stars.
        But there is a saying about wishing for things, and about
  how those wishes usually come true.
        "Sir," one of the sensor operators suddenly called. "I'm
  getting a gaseous anomaly from directly ahead."
        Rapter tensed up. "Range, Lieutenant?" he queried.
        "Thirty-four thousand kilometers, and closing." the
  Lieutenant called back with a distinct nervousness in his
  voice.
        Rapter's eyes opened wide as he stood. "On screen," he
  called. The main viewer shifted images from a tactical report
  to foward view. There was something wrong. Some of the stars
  had red-shifted.
        "Range is now thirty thousand kilometers, closing fast,"
  the Lieutenant called again, noticably more nervous than
  before.
        "That's no cloaking device I've ever seen before," Rapter
  commented to the room, stating the obvious. If it was a
  cloaking device, its effects were far better at masking a ship
  than the usual model.
        "If it is a cloaked ship," Kito observed, "it will be in
  firing range in only a couple of seconds." Rapter considered
  that for a small moment.
        "Sir, broad system commications have just been jammed,"
  the commincations officer cried. Rapter's eyes widened, and he
  quickly hit the red alert signal. "Range is twenty-eight
  thousand kilometers," the officer continued even as the klaxon
  suddenly blared to life. "Registering definate weapons lock
  from unknown."
        "Fire seeker torpedoes," Rapter barked as the enemy
  vessel shimmered into existance. The COLUMBIA complied, spewing
  forth two balls of burning light against her attacker.
        The torpedoes arced around the rear of the IRON CLAW II,
  and slammed her from behind. Konok was thrown from his chair,
  nearly hitting his head into the helmsman's station. Smoke
  began pouring from the turbolift. ~What were those, Secundam?~
        The helmsman scrambled to get the shields up, fully aware
  now that their prized cloaking device had been comprimised.
  ~Plasma seeking torpedoes, sir. They must have made them
  standard weapons.~
        The IRON CLAW limped a bit, but it was clear that the
  battleship wouldn't take long to recover from the blow. "Ready
  phasers," he commanded to his helmsman, knowing how futile the
  gesture would be. "Communications, give me a piped channel to
  Star Fleet Command."
        The communications officer complied, "Channel open,
  Captain." Everyone knew that it would be the last transmission
  that the ship would make.
        "This is the USS COLUMBIA," Rapter screamed into the
  recorder, "we are under attack. We are transmitting sensor
  reports now." Rapter activated the communicae switch to begin
  the sensor relay.
        It would only be a matter of moments before the IRON CLAW
  II could again jam the ship's transmission, but the window was
  big enough to get the job done. Star Fleet would at last know
  more about this new and deadly foe.
        ~Konok,~ the helmsman cried, ~the scout ship has sent
  transmission. They'll know we're coming.~
        Konok fumed,~ Damn them, engage thrusters and reready
  plasma torpedoes for firing.~  Upon Konok's command, the IRON
  CLAW II gingerly arced through space, turning upon the
  Federation Scout.
        "Fire phasers, don't let them get their shots off,"
  Rapter commanded, knowing that it would be a futile gesture.
  The phasers jetted from the COLUMBIA, but the IRON CLAW II had
  been quick to raise her shields. The phasers didn't punch
  through.
        The IRON CLAW II finally fired, slamming a blast into the
  COMLUMBIA's shields. ~Their sheilds have collapsed, sir,~ the
  Romulan helmsman reported. ~Recharging plasma launcher.~
        ~Excellent,~ Konok smiled, ~At least the Federation
  fodder will die fighting. Let there be some joy in that.~
        The IRON CLAW II fired again. The COLUMBIA attempted to
  evade, her crew knowing that the next hit would be the last.
  But the shot had been too precise, and it slammed into the
  impulse engines of the scout.
        The primary hull of the COLUMBIA strained under the
  blast, but the fusion reactors couldn't hold. Their explosion
  ignited others, and finally the entire ship was engulfed in a
  massive matter and anti-matter annihilation.
        Konok saluted the remains of the vessel, feeling respect
  for such a valiant crew. ~Yto,~ he commanded, ~resume course
  for Genesis sector. Warp three, silent running.~
        ~But, sir,~ the helmsman replied even as he began keying
  in the sequence, ~surely the Federation will attempt to stop us
  from reaching Genesis sector.~
        ~Of course they will,~ Konok replied with a smirk. ~The
  Federation will send their newest and best ship to test
  themselves against us. They will send the ENTERPRISE.~ The
  helmsman looked a bit confused by the comment, unsure of what
  logic his commander was using. ~Relax, Yto,~ Konok politely
  commanded. ~Fate has played her hand in our favour. The Empire
  has forsaken us, so let us go and accomplish our mission for
  its glory.~
        Konok's laugh was that of a madman's.
 
  CHAPTER TEN
 
        Riley's trap had been set, all that was needed were the
  prey. "Monroe and Ravis, Commander?" Saavik asked for need of
  confirmation.
        Riley nodded in the affirmative. "Both of them made
  subtle mistakes during their interviews," he explained. "I
  believe I did a fair job of shaking them up a bit."
        Saavik breathed heavily out of painful expectations. "Is
  it enough to prosecute them, Commander?" she queried, already
  knowing the answer.
        "No," Riley replied honestly. "But it will provide
  incentive for them to rush their mission," he continued for
  explanation. "I gave them their bait, now all we need to do is
  catch them in the act."
 
        Monroe entered the engineering section, phaser in hand.
  "No one try to be a hero, and you all might live," he called as
  Barett observed his entrance.
        Grissom stood back in shock, but still hoping to sound a
  security alert. It was obvious enough that Monroe was
  desperate. Riley must have given him a rough time in his
  interview, she thought to herself. "What do you want?" she
  managed.
        "This ship," Monroe stated matter-of-factly. Grissom's
  eyes went wide as the phaser was leveled at her. Monroe
  strutted to the main navigational control center. "If anyone
  moves, you will die," he cooly warned.
        "Why are you doing this?" Barett muttered. "What are you
  getting for this?" Barrett had succeeded in attracting Monroe's
  attention. Grissom, seizing the opportunity, inched closer to
  her command panel. The alert button was so very near.
        Monroe turned again, noting Grissom's movement from his
  periphreal vision. "I said, don't play the hero." Monroe fired
  his phaser above her head to illustrate his point.
        Grissom ducked and backed away a step from where the
  blast had impacted the wall above her. But Barett was
  undaunted, building up his courage. Monroe had his back to him
  now, and Barett seized his chance.
        Barett charged, out of fear and desperation, hoping to
  make the most of Monroe's distraction. But Monroe was too
  quick, turning and firing even as Barett was about to pounce on
  him. Barett's young form disintegrated from the phaser's
  highest setting.
        Grissom stood perfectly upright. There hadn't been enough
  time to reach the panel, let alone set off the alarms. "I
  warned him," Monroe whispered angrily. "A nice attempt,
  Lieutenant," the saboteur commented. "But a most feeble
  execution."
        Monroe slowly paced closer to Grissom, who had begun
  reaching panic. Gahrut started to inch ahead, wanting to help
  her, but the leveled phaser in Monroe's hand convinced him to
  stay behind.
        When reaching her, Monroe lifted Grissom by her neck,
  causing the woman to pass out as the air left her body. "Sorry,
  Lieutenant," he began coldly, "but I have work to do." He
  dropped the woman's limp form to the floor.
        Gahrut cried in anger, rushing at Monroe for the attack.
  Somehow, almost magically, Gahrut's rock form launched itself
  into the air. Monroe swung at it instinctively, not realizing
  how stupid it was to get into a brawl with a Horta.
        Gahrut's acid poured down Monroe's attacking arm, and the
  spy let out a painful scream which every deck could hear.
  Gahrut was thrown into the wall, accidentally burning into it
  with his acids.
        Monroe turned and fired at his Horta attacker. A beam of
  red hot energy slammed itself into Gahrut's hide. It didn't
  kill him, but the young Horta was no longer in any shape to
  continue his attack.
        Monroe ingnored the Horta for now, instead opting to rip
  out the panel to the navigation system. There was no regret in
  his face, only the stern determination of duty.
 
        Ravis peered to both sides of him, looking for any signs
  that he may be caught. Riley had set him on edge, and Ravis was
  beginning to wonder if his Commander knew more than he let on.
        But the mission came first, and Riley had said that the
  computers were becoming on-line once more. That was something
  that Ravis simply could not allow.
        "Rav?" Deuce called as he noticed his companion slipping
  quietly into the main computer room. Neither of them had access
  to that particular area, and Rav shouldn't have been able to
  get past the keycode sequence.
        Deuce cautiously walked to the doorway and eyed the
  keycode entry panel. It had been tampered with. "What the
  hell?" he pondered, wondering why Ravis would do such a thing.
        Ravis simply didn't have any business going in there.
  Deuce looked confused for a moment, then slowly marched into
  the room. "Ravis, are you in here?" he called innocently.
        "What are you doing here?" Ravis called back, a bit of
  distress in his voice. "You don't have authorization to be in
  here."
        Deuce turned up the lighting a bit, but Ravis was hidden
  amougst the many computer core fragments stacked in the room.
  "You're getting me nervous, Rav," Deuce tried again, a bit more
  cautiously. There was definately something wrong here.
        "You better go, Deuce," Ravis started again, still
  remaining hidden. "I don't want you to get in trouble." Ravis's
  voice was shaking, failing to reassure Deuce.
        "Same here," Deuce replied under his breath, turning
  another corner. "Rav?" he called as soon as Ravis came into
  view. "Rav, what the hell are you doing?"
        Ravis was standing near a stack of scorched computer
  core fragments, hot phaser in his hand. "I told you not to come
  here," he angrily spoke. "I didn't want to get you involved."
        "Involved in what?" Deuce quieried, not wanting to accept
  the obvious. Ravis let the phaser sink in his hand. "Not you,"
  he finally said with shock as the reality of the situation sat
  into him.
        "I'm sorry, Deuce," Ravis muttered in shame. He had
  finally been caught, and by the one person he had hoped
  wouldn't.
        "You lied to me, Ravis," Deuce muttered, keeping the
  tears back. "You're responsible for everything. You tried to
  kill me."
        Ravis seemed to go limp at that last assertation. "No,
  Deuce, I wouldn't do that." Ravis looked around desperately,
  genuinely regretting his actions of late. "I love you," he
  pleaded, hoping Deuce would come to his senses.
        Deuce didn't seem to believe that. "How many other people
  have you slept with to get your way?" he demanded with disgust.
  "Aren't spies supposed to use everything at their disposal?
  Including people?"
        Ravis knew that things had come to a head, and his time
  was running short. "Deuce, is it so hard to believe that I
  really did have some feelings for you?"
        Deuce let his phaser drop from target. "You bastard," he
  sadly muttered, unable to continue his duty. "You've used me
  all along, haven't you?" Ravis realized that his former partner
  was no longer listening to him. "It was a game to you, part of
  the business," Deuce rambled on, now not even paying attention
  to Ravis.
        Ravis slowly drew his own phaser. Business must come
  first. Even Commander Riley had said that. "I'm sorry, Deuce,"
  Ravis sadly spoke, though Deuce ceased listening. "But the
  Empire has to come first. Riley was right, you would become my
  failing."
        Ravis raised the phaser, aiming directly for Deuce's
  chest. "Ravis, wait," Deuce tried. Ravis didn't listen, instead
  taking careful aim, hesitating only slightly to pull the
  trigger.
        But then a phaser beam came from nowhere, burning into
  Ravis's chest. Deuce screamed in terror as his former lover
  fell. "Ravis," he called, but there would be no reply.
        Deuce looked around desperately, worrying about what the
  killer's intention was. Perhaps the killer was another Romulan
  spy who couldn't afford Ravis's capture.
        But it was Riley who emerged from behind the computer
  banks, phaser rifle in hand. "Security to computer room three,"
  he called to his insignia. His eyes gave away the pain he felt
  at that moment. He had killed one person, and sent another into
  shock. It was another weight placed on his already overburdened
  shoulders "I'm sorry," he apologized, "but I had to do it."
        "Did you, sir?" Deuce dared, his mind barely clinging to
  its sanity. "Did you?"
        Riley studied over the body again, noting that the phaser
  was indeed well within the kill range. "He would have killed
  you, Deuce," he quietly commented. "He didn't want to, but he
  still would have." That was the nature of the business.
        Deuce fell to his knees besides his former lover. Riley
  left well enough alone and quietly left the room. Security
  would arrive in only another second to deal with forenzics and
  to remove the body.
        Riley didn't feel any better about his work, even though
  that one-half of the saboteur pairing had been dealt with.
        There was still Monroe.
 
        The phaser fire from within engineering did not go
  undetected. Saavik and a security team raced to the corridoor
  leading to the room. "Why didn't the alarms sound when the
  phaser was fired?" Saavik demanded.
        "The systemry had been tampered with," the security
  officer offered for explanation. "It was Commander Riley's
  suggestion that we use the sensor array instead."
        Saavik was taken a bit by suprise at that. Her First
  Officer continously seemed to be a single step in front of her.
  "Very well then, try to get inside the door," she commanded,
  realizing that the cutting torches would give Monroe all the
  time he needed to do his damage.
        Of course, Saavik had other ways of reaching Monroe than
  the physical. "Your mind, to my mind," she quiety commanded,
  looking through the wall, directly at Monroe. "Your thoughts,
  to my thoughts."
        On the otherside, Monroe could feel his mind being
  touched. "No, Captain," he muttered, "I can't let you do that."
  But Saavik was quite powerful, more so than his Romulan
  teachers. She would not be easy to defeat.
        "We are thinking as one," Saavik continued in front of
  her stunned security force. It hadn't occured to her that none
  of them might have even seen a mind-meld. "We are feeling as
  one." Her crew snapped themselves from gaping at her, and
  returned to work. "Our minds are merging," she continued,
  relatively free of distraction.
        Monroe staggered for a moment, the weight on his mind
  increasing from Saavik's assault. "You can't do this to me," he
  cried, desperately trying to control his own thoughts.
        "I can feel your pain," Saavik continued, pressing her
  attack. Monroe's mental sheilds were formidable, and he pressed
  to resist her domination.
        But Saavik was not after domination. Monroe had
  threatened her in more ways than just her life. Monroe had
  succeeded in shattering her dreams, and in razing her command.
  Worse, she was feeling emotions more strongly than she had ever
  before. Because of this traitor called 'Monroe', Saavik's life
  was over as she knew it. She wanted more than mere domination,
  she wanted him dead.
        It was a pity for Monroe that he did not recognize the
  attack Saavik had opted to use. It was an illegal act for a
  Vulcan, one that had been forbidden for years. Monroe's mind
  ruptured as every measure of pain Saavik had ever experienced
  came into him in one brief mental bolt. Wounds, emotional
  stress, torture, and even death experience poured and
  overwhelmed his senses.
        Monroe completely lost his facilities, his mind incapable
  of handling the massive influx of pain. Saavik had turned him
  into a Romulan, as it would turn out, vegetable. If she felt
  any guilt, she easily concealed it.
 

-- 

"Our crew's living quarters have left the ship."
			- Secundam Yto aboard the IRON CLAW II
Neale Davidson, another writer wanna-be. neale@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative