EPILOGUE
Stardate: 54094.1 (4 February 2377)
USS Independence
En route back to Federation Space
“Captain’s log; supplemental. After spending a week on the Tamarian homeworld, Starfleet is sending us to the Klingon-Gorn border area. Tang, and several others, were disappointed that Command didn’t let us off the leash for awhile. I’m not surprised, though, exploring is still low on Starfleet’s list of priorities.
On the upside, the diplomatic part of the visit went pretty well. I didn’t piss anyone off and my crew behaved themselves…for once. There is some residual tension from the confrontation between Zo’Kama and Lemipil…I have a feeling, that’s going to be an ongoing issue.
For now, however, we’re back on the road. It will take awhile to get there, but we’re scheduled to dock at Starbase 90 for crew replacements and supplies in early May.”
*****
A wall of cool air hit Karim as the door to Counselor Kimula’s office opened. Coming from an ice world, she often kept it cool. An entire wall was fitted with a recirculating waterfall. The Andorian loved the sound of the cascading water. She was forced to get a new one when the ‘old’ Indy exploded. Blues, greens, and purples filled the room.
Kimula smiled wide, “Hello, Karim. I was surprised when you made an appointment.”
“Well,” he began as the hatch hissed shut, “I just felt like talking.” He plopped on the couch.
She placed a padd on a nearby end table, giving him her complete attention. “You can talk to me about whatever you want. You know that.”
Karim joshed, “I heard a story from young Crewman Runningox.”
The Andorian turned a dark blue, “I ah…don’t really recall much.”
He grinned, “I know. But it made me wonder, who does the counselor talk to when she needs to vent?”
She looked down, “I guess I’m a bit of a martyr when it comes to that.”
He touched her knee, “If you need to talk…”
Kimula nodded and her eyes watered. She placed her hand on his, “Ok…I will. But not right now, ok?”
“Fair enough.”
The room was silent for a few moments.
Karim decided to put Kimula back into her more traditional…and more comfortable role. “I was thinking about Nicole, again.”
Kimula hesitated. She knew the hatred and guilt Karim felt. She suspected that he believed he was responsible for the destruction of the Independence and the deaths of eighty people. She had tried to persuade him otherwise, but he merely placated her.
The first officer continued, “I wonder who killed her if it wasn’t us. Nechayev swears her group had nothing to do with it.”
“There was no evidence of foul play aboard the Gibraltar,” she remembered.
Bin Nadal sighed, “To quote a great Terran scientist, ‘God doesn’t roll dice.”
“What?”
“There’s no such thing as coincidence.” His gaze wondered, “Section 31 must have had her eliminated.”
The Andorian grimaced as the secret organization was mentioned. She never really bought into the idea of it. The deaths of so many friends…Jinal’s death, however, turned her into a reluctant believer. “It’s so frustrating. We don’t even know who those people are. It’s like they don’t even exist.”
“Oh they exist, alright,” Karim countered. “Nechayev is in the process of identifying their operatives. She and Uhura have been trying to figure the hierarchy for years.”
“And then what?”
The question hit Karim like a ton of bricks. He had never considered the next step. How could Section 31 possibly be purged from the government? They were so entrenched. Where did they end and the Federation begin? He met her eyes, “I don’t know.”
*****
D’nas walked into the candle lit chamber. The great images of Tamarian mythology stared back at him. He approached the seven Elders. The former exchange officer removed the blade from its sheath. The seven each produced their own Betoken of Uzani. The knives were held high in the air for a moment. Then, each Tamarian kissed the side of the blade, and returned it to their sheaths.
Balah, one of the old women, started, “Temba, his arms wide.Kira at Bashi. (Give us your story.)”
He nodded and said, “Ria…the trade of Itah. Sokath, his eyes uncovered. Kira at Bashi. Opii, when she wrote. The kingdom of Soma. Morden and his shadow. When Nek saw the temple. As Rafa’s arrow flew. (Via the exchange program with the Federation, I learned great things. The story the Federation gave us about them is not entirely true. Most are honorable people, but there is a hidden force at work. We should gather more intelligence. I know some people we can trust.)”
END OF “EYES UNCOVERED”
I realized, I could have written about the ceremony, but it wasn't critical to the story I wanted to tell. Besides which, this was always intended to be a short story. So...
I was wondering if anyone was going to notice that.
