(c) copyright 2000
Karyn Van Kainen


                                             Chapter Seventeen

     Sulu looked up from his desk when Commander Mackenzie entered the Ready
Room.
     “We’ve received a message from Ambassador Spock, captain,” she told
him, coming to stand in front of the desk.  “He and the Klingon chancellor
have arrived safely at the Military Command Center on Kronos.”
     “Good,” Sulu replied.
     “He said that there’s still some sporadic fighting here and there,” she
continued, “but for all intents and purposes, the coop is over.  He expects
normal diplomatic relations to resume within the week.”
     The captain nodded.  “That’s good news.”
     Mackenzie paused.  “We’ve also received a message from Admiral Ellison,
sir.”
     “Oh?”
     “Yes, sir.  On the record, she congratulates you for helping save the
chancellor and the Basedean emissary, “ she told him.  She paused a long
moment, then added, “Off the record, she would like to write us both up for
gross insubordination.”
     “Hmm.”
     “She also said that it’s painfully obvious that you and James Kirk were
cut from the same mold, and that you shouldn’t take that as a compliment.”
     At that, Hikaru Sulu laughed aloud, falling back into his chair.

                                                  ************

     Corry sprang up from the bed, gasping to catch her breath.  She pushed
the covers away, rose and crossed to the small sink recessed in the wall.
She bent to splash cool water on her face, her breathing gradually slowing
to a normal pace.  Corry buried her face in a towel for a long moment.
Then, tossing the towel away, she quickly dressed and headed out of the
guest quarters.  She followed the long corridor, walking swiftly with
purpose, not even noticing the crewmen she passed in the hall.  Finally, she
turned into a doorway.
     A medical tech was seated behind a wide bank of monitors, and looked up
in mild surprise at her arrival.  “Can I help you, ma’am?”
     She glanced at him, heading toward the only occupied bed in the ward.
“No, thank you.”
     The tech watched her with clear curiosity as she crossed the room and
paused next to the narrow bed.  Then, shrugging slightly, he turned his
attention back to his work.  Corry gazed down at Kerla, then up at the
readouts on the monitor display above his bed.  The readings meant nothing
to her, but to her untrained eye they all appeared to be within normal
limits.
     “You’ve been dreaming again,” he suddenly said, startling her out of
her examination of the readouts.
     Corry flushed fiercely, and was irritated at her inability to hide her
embarrassment.  “Someday, I’d like you to explain to me how you know these
things.”
     He opened his eyes and looked at her.  “Perhaps, someday...when you
need to know.”
     She smiled, shaking her head.  “God, you’re infuriating.”
     Kerla grinned slightly, but did not reply.
     “They tell me it’s all over,” she said, “that we can resume the
relocation program.”
     For a long time, he did not answer.  He looked at her closely, the
intensity of his stare quickly making her uncomfortable.  “Why do you do
that?”
     “Do what?” Corry said, trying not to squirm.
     “Try to mask your sexual feelings with idle conversation?”
     Corry’s mouth fell open.  She swiftly closed it.  “I, ah...” she
laughed nervously, “I didn’t realize I was doing that.”
     He watched her thoughtfully, curious at her obvious discomfort.  “You’
re doing it now.”
     She looked into his eyes, unable to muster a sensible reply.  Corry
suddenly felt extremely vulnerable, like a sailor heading into uncharted
waters, with all sorts of unknown, unimaginable dangers ahead.  That panicky
little voice inside her head was screaming for her to run from the room, to
hop the next shuttle for Basedea and never look back.  She could almost feel
the disapproving eyes of the medical tech burning into her back.  Then an
even more frightening idea popped into her head.
     Good God, what is Dad going to say?
     In the midst of all this mental turmoil, Kerla reached out and softly
ran his fingers down her arm.  “It’s on your skin.”
     She blinked.  “What?”
     “The scent of your dreams,” he said.
     The room suddenly felt like a vacuum, without enough air to let her
catch her breath.  As she looked into his eyes, the unknown dangers, the
staring eyes, Dad’s shock and dismay...they all suddenly seemed to shrink in
importance, like a helium balloon floating higher and higher into the
vastness of the sky.  She ran her fingers along his arm as he had done to
hers, eliciting a small smile from Kerla.
     “Well, if you’re quite through dragging me all over Kronos in my
night-thing,” she said, letting his hand envelope hers, “I believe you and I
have some unfinished business...”


                                                        The End