Precipice

“I reckon we’re talkin’ about a hundred and twenty, maybe a hundred and thirty troops,” Qui

McLellan swallowed a bite of her vegetable wrap—the least disgusting option from their remaining rations—and said, “I think the real problem is your old pal, Zett. Are you sure he said the object in the temple had been stolen from Vanguard?”

“Not in so many words, but that was the gist,” Qui

“I’m not worried about our cover,” McLellan said. “I’m worried about you getting killed by an assassin with a grudge.”

Qui

McLellan shoved the last bite of her wrap into her mouth and studied the projection while she chewed. “Okay,” she said at last. “Whatever that glowing thingamajig is, if the Klingons took it from Vanguard, we need to find a way to take it back.”

“Hang on,” Qui

Lifting her hands in mock surrender, McLellan said, “If you want to play it safe, let’s talk about lying low till our backup gets here. But if you want to make a difference, we need to find a way to get that gemstone. Because if the Klingons bug out and take it with them, we might never get another shot at it.”

He unleashed a disgusted sigh. “Goddammit,” he muttered. “Fine. Last I saw, they had it patched into the Conduit through some kind of pedestal. If it’s still there in the open, we might be able to draw their forces away with a hit-and-run attack and then slip inside to make the grab.”

Backing up the holographic playback, McLellan pointed out the image of the scientists taking the object from a shielded case. “What if they store it in there between experiments?”

Cocking his head and frowning, Qui

“But then the grab’s not a one-person job anymore,” she said. “And sneaking two people inside increases the risk.”

He shrugged and flashed a grin. “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.”

She shook her head. “We need more intel. I have to know whether they leave the stone in place or pack it up.”

“So we’re talkin’ about another recon op,” Qui

“Y’know, I lied before,” McLellan said. “I am worried about him talking to the Klingons. Whether he knows we’re with SI or not, if he gives them a heads-up we’re out here, it could mean big trouble.”

Qui

“Yes, that would be a shame,” McLellan deadpa

“Just callin’ it like I see it,” Qui

McLellan nodded. “Sensible. So how do we play it?”

“The only way I know how,” Qui

42

September 10, 2267

Night had fallen, and Pe

Two moons had risen as the sky dimmed. One had climbed above the horizon shortly after dusk; the second rose as the first stars appeared, and it pursued its sibling in slow degrees across the dome of the sky.

Progress across the desert had been slower than Pe

Since leaving the ship, T’Pry

As they descended another balance-challenging slope, T’Pry

“Why were you unfaithful to your wife?”

Delivered without provocation or preamble, the question caught Pe

“I wish I could say I had a good reason,” he said. “The truth is, it was just the latest in a long series of mistakes I made with Lora, starting with getting married.” T’Pry

Casting back through the muddy currents of his memory, he struggled to make sense of his own actions. “On one level, I think I wanted to get caught, to be let off the hook. But I knew how much Lora loved me, how much she trusted me. I told myself I had to hide what I was to keep from hurting her, but the truth is I knew I’d never find anyone else who’d love me the way she did, and I was afraid of losing her.”

T’Pry

“I don’t think so,” Pe

A cool night breeze tousled his fair hair and pulled a few strands of T’Pry

“Did you ever love your wife?”

The question drew a bittersweet smile from Pe

They crested another dune and began the next careful descent. T’Pry

“I thought it would,” Pe