Sondra Marshak

"We do," she said. "We have to tell ourselves exactly what we face. We will fight Omne--I too, whatever you do. And we can lose. We will lose things we may not be able to stand, if we do not cut this at the root." She turned to Spock again. "Either one of them or both, to death or a thousand years, uncounted thousands of years, of--slavery. Omne can prepare another retreat where we can never find him. Probably has one already. Several. Needing only to get out to get to them. He will fight us across the galaxy--for the galaxy--take it over, if for no other reason than to defeat us. He will try to set us at each other's throats, Federation against Empire, a war of all against all, for his vengeance--because we beat him, and he will not be beaten. We made him die--and of all men he would not die."

"That is true," Spock said, his eyes looking into some darkness.

"It is not all," she said inexorably. "He will do the same to others, wherever he finds love. Of all men, he hates love-and wants it. But he will begin and end with us. We showed him what love meant. Jim? James? There will be James II, James III. Omne will make copies. Some to keep. Some to--sell. We will see Kirks sold by Orion slave traders--along with green dancing girls. And each one will be Jim and James. Each as brave, as real, as valuable. Are we to spend our lives rescuing Kirks--and if we do, what will we do with them--or they with themselves?"

"Captain," Spock said. "There is no question of the Prime Directive here. It is an artificial culture, an assembly of legends and license, outcasts and outlaws. And--those here have--chosen. There are others who have not--in their billions and hundreds of billions. I do not say that we have the right, but it is possible that we have the duty."

Kirk turned to him slowly. "It is you who are my--balance, sometimes my conscience. Do you say war, Spock?"

"I say there can be a time when there is no way to choose the right, because there is no right left to choose." He looked down steadily at Kirk. "It is why one makes rules not to be broken, and chooses a man able to break them." His eyebrow bowed in what was almost a smile. "I have never needed to be your conscience, but I suspect that this is your time to be mine. I think I know your choice--and how long we may live to regret it."

"Antonio Perez, on board the passenger ship Starfarer. Where's Jim?"
"The captain is not on board on present."
"What ?" said Perez. "But Kirk and his ship come in a set. Like a hermit crab and its shell.
How'd you get him out? "

Spock made a pose of having difficulty remembering the question. In fact, it was not entirely a pose. And there was the question of the answer. One must take exactly the right line with Omne. "Oh," Spock said finally, "the--fidelity of the reproduction is excellent." He took a breath. May I ask the price?"

Omne grinned with a certain appreciation. "The usual," he said. "Your soul. Your honor. Your home. Your flag."

"Done," Spock said. "Wrap him up and I'll take him with me."

Omne rumbled. He roared. He threw back his head and wiped his eyes. "I do like your style, Mr. Spock!"