help it. Sanity reasserted itself before he had done more than turn, and he
continued his dash for cover.
His breath was rasping in his throat, and there was a burning in his lungs
by the time he covered the thirty yards that separated him from the tent,
so he simply lay on the
1
The Tears of the Singers
ground behind the flimsy cover, and tried to calm the frantic hammering of
his heart. Around him he could hear cubs singing in discordant terror, and
occasionally one or two of them would come flopping past. The tiny cub who
had a patch of golden hair on one flank, and who was a particular favorite
of the composer's, went howling past the tent. Maslin reached out and,
wrapping his arms around the round, furry body, pulled it into cover with
him. It seemed the least he could do since the creature had saved him that
day on the beach when he had been overcome by his illness. The creature
moaned in a minor key, and buried its face in the human's shoulder. They
huddled together while energy bolts ripped through the camp.
Across the camp McCoy maintained a steady monologue about the perfidy and
duplicity of Klingons while Spock, phaser out, scanned the cliff walls
searching for their attackers.
"Damn Klingons! I knew we were making a big mistake trusting them. Why Jim
felt he had to rely oD--2'
"Doctor," Spock interrupted, "since you do not have a phaser could you
perhaps try to make yourself useful by contacting the Enterprise, and
apprising the captai n of our situation?"
"I was going to do that," McCoy replied in an aggrieved tone.
"You surprise me," Spock said dryly as he squeezed off a shot at an unwary
head which had appeared over the top. of a boulder some three-quarters of
the way up the right cuff.
McCoy ignored him, having finally managed to reach the ship. Tzeela's voice
came faintly through the communicator, overlayed and punctuated with heavy
static.
"Doct . . one moment, the captain will ... soon . .
"Jim!" McCoy shouted into the communicator. "What's going on up there?"
"Kiingons, we're . . ." The rest of his words were lost in a
long burst of static. -
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"What? Repeat please, you're not coming through.
There was a momentary clearing, and Kirk's voice came through clearly.
"We're under heavy attack up here so I'm afraid you're on your own. Thke
care of them as best you can. Kirk out."
"Captain? Captain? Jiml" McCoy demanded, shaking the communicator and
twisting the tuning dial, but there was no answer.
"Don't try to reopen communication, Doctor. It is apparent the captain is
fully occupied, and should not be distracted byus. 99
"So what do you suggest we do?"
"Fight, and hope for the best."
"I can think of other people I would prefer to have in command of a battle
situation," McCoy muttered as he thought back on that time when Spook had
taken command after the Galileo 7 shuttle craft had been drawn off course
and forced to land on Taurus H. A bolt of deadly energy buried itself in
the sand -next to his leg, and McCoy flinched back behind the tent.
"I am aware of your doubts about my command abilities in a combat
situation, Doctor, but believe me." He paused and fired, and a small figure
jerked and tumbled down the cliff face. "I am capable of fighting when I am
forced to it.-
"I'm glad to hear it, Mr. Spook," McCoy concluded and, hunkering down next
to the tent, he stared at his own quarters some fifty feet away, and
bitterly regretted leaving his phaser among his belongings in the tent.
Maslin too was feeling useless, and more frightened than he had ever felt
in his life as he lay huddled behind the tent with the 1hygetian clutched
in his arms. He hoped that no errant shot would find his hiding place, and
each time there was a whine from a weapon being fired he could feel his
body pull in on itself as if anticipating the burning pain that would
precede death from disruptor fire.
He heard the thud of running feet, and he looked up to see
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Donovan racing across the open center of the camp heading for new cover.
There was a streak of red-tinged energy from somewhere up the cliff, and
Donovan tumbled to the ground. His forward momentum had carried him to
within feet of Maslin's hiding place. The composer crawled out and, grabbing
the officer by the shoulder, he tried to pull him back behind the tent.
Donovan rolled ponderously onto his back, his hand flopping uselessly in the
sand, and Maslin stared into the burned and bloody mass that had been a
face. Turning aside, he vomited into the sand and, wrapping his arms around
himself, he sat back on his heels and shook. The 1hygetian gave a whine of
despair, and began to dig out a hole beneath the edge of the tent. This
accomplished, it huddled in the hole with just its eyes peering out between
the bottom of the tent and the sand.
A whine of fire brought Maslin back to his surroundings, and he scurried
back behind the tent. He then peered out, noticing the phaser that lay
where it had fallen from Donovan's hand. It was a scant three feet away,
and he decided to risk it. Dropping down onto his belly he crawled on knees
and elbows out to the phaser and, grabbing it, went hauling back into
cover.
As he inspected the weapon, familiarizing himself with its operation, he
wondered where in all this madness Uhura had gotten to? He pictured her
killed, like Donovan, and his chest was squeezed with a pain so sharp that
for a moment he thought he was suffering from a heart attack.
In his youth he, had done some hunting at his family's cabin in the
Adirondacks, and he found that the old reflexes still held. Lying prone on
the ground, he steadied the phaser on his left forearm, and waited
patiently. He saw a flicker of movement at the base of one cliff, and
sighting carefully he pulled off a shot. There was a wad, and the running
figure dropped. Smiling viciously he thought, That's for Donovan, and for
the cub you killed. Wish Uhura could have seen that, he ruminated as he
waited for another target to present itself.
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That would have shut her up about how I lack the training to look out for
myself.
Back in the Klingon camp Kali struggled in her bonds where she sat tied to
the center pole of her tent. She felt the rope rasp harshly across the skin
of her wrists, but it didn't give in the least. An hour ago ten more men
had transported down to the camp, and she had overheard Karsul order the
now-augmented landing party to attack and destroy the humans. She had been
terrified that he would order her back to the ship and, not wanting that to
happen, and also wishing to warn the humans, she had tried to slip out of
camp. Quarag had caught her before she had reached the bottom of the hill,
and he had tied her in her tent.
Now, off in the distance, she could hear the whine of weapons being fired,
and she redoubled her efforts to work free. Five minutes later she was
exhausted and no closer to freedom, and all she could feel was the warm
trickle of blood over her abused hands. She looked desperately about the
tent, and spotted her pack. She had a blade stored in there, if she could
only manage to reach it.
Sucking in a deep breath she quieted her mind, steadied her nerves and then
gave a quick heave. The pole swayed, but held. Three tries later she
managed to bring it down, and with it the entire tent. She lay under the
suffocating folds of material and tried to get her bearings, then propelled
herself across the floor by means of small pushes with her bound feet.
Ten minutes later she was free, and came climbing out from under the fallen
tent. Quarag had taken her disruptor, and a quick search failed to produce
an extra. Grumbling, she tore a long piece of fine wire out of one of the
geocorders, and jerked it experimentally several times between her hands.
Since she had failed to find a weapon here she would simply have to make
one, she thought with a predatory little smile, and she slipped off toward
the sound of the fighting.
She ran swiftly toward the human camp without bothering
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to use cover. She assumed that Karsul's men would have all their attention
centered on the humans, and never suspect an assault from the rear. She
reached the left outcropping of rock that formed one arm of the sheltering
cove in winch the humans were camped, and here she became a good deal more
covert. She didn't want to go stumbling blindly into one of the men she had
come to hunt.
Taking cover she listened, trying to pinpoint the location of one of the
attackers from the sound of his disruptor fire. There seemed to be someone
a scant thirty yards from her shchering rock. Holding her breath she peered
over the top of the boulder, and spotted the head and burly shoulders of
one of the new arrivals. Pulling back down she slipped wraithlike from rock
to rock until she was directly behind her quarry.
From this proximity she could hear his heavy breathing, and an occasional
muttered curse as a bolt of phaser fire came uncomfortably close. She
tested the wire between her hands, and was suddenly assailed by doubt. She
was about to kill one of her own kind, a comrade in arms. And why? Ib save
a group of Earthers who were her traditional enemies. She hugged her arms
about her body, back pressed against the rough surface of the rocks, and
tried to decide what to do. She wished Kor were here to advise her.
The thought of her husband steadied her, and she remembered how days ago
she had decided if it were a choice between Kor and the Empire she would
take Kor. It seemed now that that choice had come upon her. It was apparent
that Kor was no longer in command of his ships, and if he were taken he
would be killed. As for herself ... her fate was far less enviable. She
would end up as chattel to the man who had murdered her husband.
Her jaw tightened with determination and, keeping her back against the
rocks, she slipped up behind her prey. The soft sand muffled any sound from
her footfalls, and the man was dead before he knew he had been attacked.
Kali calmly 201
The Tears of the Singers
removed her garrot from the man's throat and, picking up his fallen
disruptor, brushed the clinging sand from its barrel. She then settled down
to look for targets.
There was a flash of black and silver from the rocks to her right, and she
quietly aimed and blew away his head. Two more fell to her merciless fire
before the remaining Klingons realized that they were under attack from the
rear.
Down in the camp Spock also realized that something had changed. There was
still the whine of disruptor fire from the cliffs, but none of it was being
directed into the camp. Instead the Klingons seemed to be battling with
some unknown assailant.
"What the hell's going on?" McCoy asked as he cautiously lifted his head
from the protection of his arms.
"I'm not certain, Doctor, but the Klingons appear to be under attack."
"Well of c ourse they're under attack, Spock," McCoy said in exasperation.
"What do you think we've been doing for the past fifteen minutes?"
Spock's lips narrowed into a thin line. "Try not to be more obtuse than
usual, Doctor. The Khngons are firing behind them. 17
"But who could it be? Taygetians?"
"Highly unlikely. If the Singers won't protect themselves why should they
protect us?"
"Good point. 11
"At any rate we have no more time to debate the issue. This would seem an
opportune time for an assault," the Vulcan said, pulling out his
communicator. "Mr. Ragsdale."
"Aye, sir," the security chiefs voice came back over the communicator.
"What is your situation?"
"I'm down in good cover. Yeoman Chou is with me."
"Excellent. What of Mr. Brentano?"
"I saw him go down several minutes ago." 202
The Tears of the Singers
Spock nodded and, switching frequency, signaled Uhura. "lAeutenant?"
"Here, sir."
"Is Mr. Maslin with you?"
"No, and I don't know where he is." Her voice was ragged with worry.
"Is any one else with you?"
"No, sir, I'm alone."
"Well ready yourself, we're going to charge the Cliffs."
yes, Sir. 19
"You have no weapon, and I would prefer that you waited here. Also, I would
like to have your services available to tend any of us who might be hit."
"First time,you've ever expressed any confidence in my abilities."
"You are, one is forced to admit, Doctor, better than nothing.99
"numks, what a vote of confidence. I hope you do get shot so I can make you
eat those words," McCoy muttered, but W blue eyes were dark with worry.
Spock tried unsuccessfully to raise Donovan, and finally decided with
regret that the young man had been hit. He knew Maslin carried no
communicator so he put the composer out of his mind for the moment.
Cautiously lifting his head, he eyed the cliffi, and settled upon a plan of
attack. In a few quick words he informed everyone of their targets, and
then dropped back to wait until there was a particularly vicious barrage of
fire, none of which came into the camp.
"Nowl" he ordered, and they all exploded from their places of cover heading
for the clifis.
Spock saw Maslin come charging out from behind a tent, a phaser clutched in
his hand. "Back!" he shouted. "Go back!" but Mashn kept running.
Uhura suddenly glanced back, and saw the composer.
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The Tears of the Singers
Spook wondered bitterly if she were going to break discipline and go back
after her lover, but she once more lived up to his high estimation of her
abilities. She paused, made a quick adjustment to her phaser, and fired a
quick stunning burst at Maslin. He went down like a rag doll, and Spook
nodded in satisfaction and continued his sprint for the cliff.
They
were beginning to take a little fire as the Klingons realized their
danger, but with that withering fire from their backs they were unable to
make a concentrated effort to stop the humans. Spook saw four more of the
Klingons fall as his people opened fire, and that seemed to break their
morale. There was a concentrated rush for the beach as the five remaining
Klingons tried to escape the deadly crossfire. One more fell, victim to the
humans' unknown benefactor, and Yeoman Chou went down clutching her leg as
a last random shot from the Klingons managed to hit.
Lieutenant Uhura hurried to the other woman, and Spook saw a small figure
rise out of the rocks. Shading his eyes against the glare of the sun on the
crystal cliffs Spook recognized Kali. He waved, and she came leaping like
a goat down the rock wall to join him.
"Thank you for your timely help," he said formally. "It would have gone
badly for us if you hadn't intervened."
"My pleasure."
The Vulcan frowned, and glanced about. "How many did we kill?"
"Ten, I think."
"But there were only five---'
"In our landing party," she interrupted. "Yes, that's right, but some
reinforcements arrived a few hours ago."
"And the Enterprise is currently under attack," Spook murmured as he began
to assemble the entire picture.
"4 think we can safely assume that my husband is no longer in command, and
that the truce is off."
"Unfortunately I must concur."
Brentano and Ragsdale gathered Chou up in a fireman's
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The Tears of the Singers
carry, and they headed back to camp. McCoy was bent over Maslin, running his
tricorder over the composer's limp body.
"Is he all right?" Uhura demanded, rushing oyer to his side.
"Yeah, the stun didn't do him any real harm, but I'm not happy with these
other readings."
"'Me disease?"
"Yes, it's on the rise again. Spock, help me get him into his tent."
After Maslin was safely ensconced in bed, Spock moved to the large computer
that had been tied into the synthesizer, and began making adjustments.
"What are you doing, Mr. Spock?" Uhura asked, having been shooed away by
McCoy.