He hadn’t felt so troubled since the Orions had laid waste [318] to KothaVillage all those years ago. His thoughts went yet again to his dear, dead Shandra. So much blood has been shed already. And so much more is to follow if nothing is done to stop it.

Some of that blood, Lojur knew, would issue from the veins of Captain Sulu, who would shortly be fighting for his life aboard one of those Tholian vessels out there.

There had to be a better way. Too many had died already.

The doors to the situation room hissed open, momentarily drawing Lojur’s attention away from the viewer. He watched as Tuvok, Hopman, and Akaar stepped back onto the bridge, their expressions uniformly serious.

Lojur’s gaze locked for a moment with that of Akaar as he made his way to the tactical station. Thank you, my friend, for lending me some of your strength in my moment of weakness. Were it not for you, I would have become a murderer.

Yet again, he considered what he’d nearly done: he’d tried to murder Jerdahn in cold blood, and would have succeeded if not for the Neyel’s exceptionally tough hide. He had no choice other than to accept the bitter truth that he had yet to atone for that most grievous of sins.

Merely because Akaar hadn’t turned him in.

I must atone,Lojur thought, recalling the Orion raiders who had died by his hand so long ago, in defiance of every Halkan tradition. Perhaps I can do so in a way that will prevent still more bloodshed.

The only action he could conceive at the moment lay, in its own fashion, utterly outside the bounds of propriety. But hadn’t Commander Chekov taught him that failing to act could be as costly as acting incorrectly? Improper action might be precisely what was called for.

Lojur decided then that he had to seek the advice of someone neutral. Someone completely outside of Excelsior’schain of command. Neither of his closest friends, Akaar and Tuvok, could help him this time.

[319] He turned his chair toward the communications station, where Commander Rand appeared to be listening intently to something on her earpiece. She was also nominally in command of the bridge until the captain and Commander Chekov returned from the situation room.

“Commander?”

Rand looked up, quickly giving Lojur her full attention. “What can I do for you, Mr. Lojur?”

He regretted compounding his earlier sins by lying. But he felt he had little choice. “I feel ... unwell. I request permission to leave my post.”

“It’s past time to take some decisive action of our own,” Burgess said. “Nothing good can come of Captain Sulu’s plan to duel with the Tholian admiral.”

“I am forced to agree with your assessment,” Jerdahn said, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the ambassador’s VIP quarters.

Burgess was surprised at how quickly the huge Neyel officer had come around to her way of thinking. He was obviously a creature of discipline, a man used to following the orders of his superiors without hesitation. But he also just as clearly possessed a lively, flexible intellect that seemed at odds with his humble position as a sanitation worker aboard Oghen’s Flame.

Jerdahn had evaded her direct questions about the “previous life” to which he’d referred after the boarding party had briefly been taken into custody aboard Oghen’s Flame.While she could only speculate about the details of Jerdahn’s mysterious past, it seemed to have given him a perspective on alien relations that was atypical of his species.

Or maybe he’s finally realized that he’s run out of options other than trying to make peace. Could that mean he’s also coming to accept the Tholians as fellow sentient beings?

“All right, then,” Burgess said, feeling truly hopeful for the first time in hours. “That just leaves us to work out the [320] operational details. We’ve already tried asking Drech’tor Joh’jym nicely to consent to a meeting with the Tholians, and vice versa. That approach got us nowhere. So now we have to find a way to forceyour commander and Admiral Yilskene to sit down with me at the negotiating table.”

Jerdahn’s expression grew even more deadly serious than usual. “You understand that to do this will require us to kidnap both of them. They have already demonstrated that nothing less will suffice. But we will have to move quickly. My drech’tor grows impatient with waiting, and might soon take some precipitous action on his own.”

Burgess sighed, well aware that she might be about to cross the Rubicon. “We’d have to move quickly in any case, with half the Tholian fleet ready to pulverize both your ship and Excelsiorthe moment Yilskene kills Captain Sulu. Under the circumstances, I think we can be forgiven for letting the ends justify the means.”

“Perhaps Captain Sulu would also agree, in private, were he not bound by both honor and military regulations,” Jerdahn said.

She laughed harshly. If Sulu really thinks he can win a monoblade-duel against a giant hunk of sentient crystal, then he’s bound more by testosterone than by Starfleet regs.

The door-chime sounded, interrupting her reverie. “Come,” Burgess said.

The door slid open, admitting Lieutenant Commander Lojur. The Halkan was clearly beside himself. Burgess supposed he was traumatized by the prospect of the extreme violence that almost assuredly lay ahead.

She decided it was best to give him a polite but firm brush-off. Though she had long admired the tradition of pacifism embraced by Lojur’s people, she simply didn’t have the time right now to let him cry on her shoulder.

“Lieutenant, I’m really quite busy at the moment.”

For a Halkan, he was surprisingly direct. “None of us [321] has much time, Ambassador. I need to speak to you about the truthcombatritual that the captain intends to undertake.”

He surprised her again by stepping past her and entering the room unbidden. Before she could react, he walked straight toward Jerdahn, who eyed him warily.

Stopping within arm’s reach of the Neyel, Lojur said, “I tried to take your life earlier because Neyel weapons fire took the life of someone I cherished. In my rage, I betrayed everything I grew up believing. I beg your forgiveness.”

Jerdahn seemed surprised as well, but quickly recovered. “We were adversaries. You tried to kill me. Such is the way of the universe.”

“Sometimes, yes,” Lojur said. “But it shouldn’t be.” He suddenly seemed on the verge of tears.

Burgess felt her impatience beginning to boil over. “All right, Lieutenant, I hope you feel better now. But Jerdahn and I currently have more important things to do than help you redeem your honor. Now, if you’ll excuse us—”

The Halkan surprised her yet again by turning toward her and interrupting. “We’re about to be destroyed by an overwhelming force. So are the Neyel. I can’t imagine what could be more important than that.”

“Get out,Commander.” Burgess pointed toward the still-open door.

But Lojur stood his ground. “Too many have already died. The two of you may be the only ones who can help me prevent still more unnecessary death.”

Burgess’s eyebrows rose involuntarily. After considering his words silently for a moment, she turned and placed her hand back onto the security keypad for a moment. The door hissed closed.

“He may prove useful,” Jerdahn said. “Don’t forget, Ambassador, that certain ‘operational details’ still remain to be worked out before we can proceed.”

[322] Burgess had to admit that Jerdahn was right. She and the Neyel officer could do little without the assistance of at least one member of Excelsior’screw. Yet she remained uneasy about taking any Starfleet personnel into her confidence, given what she and Jerdahn were considering.

But she also knew she was all out of other options. It truly was time to cross the Rubicon. A plan, possibly an incredibly stupid plan, began coming together in her mind. You always told yourself you wanted to do something bigger and nobler than simply fine-tuning agreements made by other people,she thought. It looks like it’s finally time to put up or shut up.