Chapter 12

Jamie opened her mouth to scream, but Jarid's hand clapped down on her face. "Shh," he warned. "It's just me. Jarid. Sorry about sneaking up on you." Slowly, he removed his hand. "You okay?"

Jamie swallowed her scream and nodded. It was a lie. She was not okay. But Jarid couldn't know that. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

"I'm leaving," he explained. "I came to say good-bye." He gave her a half-hearted smile.

"Well . . ." Jamie sat up and scooted against the wall, pulling her knees up under her nightgown. "Good-bye, then."

Jarid held Jamie's gaze. "There's something else."

Jamie found herself staring into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. They were sad eyes—full of apology. "What?"

The Orion pirate sighed. "I'm sorry, Jamie. I really am. But I need your puzzle cube." He held up his own. It glowed green and orange. "I'll give you mine in exchange. I meant to do this while you were sleeping, but . . ." His voice trailed off.

"What's so special about my cube? Yours is exactly the same."

"Not quite, I'm afraid. Kornish put something extra in your cube, and I need it." He nodded toward the shelf that held Jamie's new toy. "Get it, please."

Jamie stood up and grasped her cube. She plopped down on her bed and held out her hand. "The Jewel of Cortina?"

Jarid nodded. He snatched up his prize and stowed it in his pouch. "Now," he murmured, "What to do with you. The minute I leave, you'll no doubt sound the alarm."

Sooner than that! Jamie decided.

While Jarid glanced around the small cabin, Jamie leaped from her bed and tore across the room. The doors whooshed open just as Jarid caught her by the sleeve of her nightgown. The fabric ripped as he jerked her away from the doorway.

"Security!" she shrieked.

But Jarid had her now, one strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist. With his other hand he pulled out a wicked-looking Orion needle-knife. "Stop it," he demanded through clenched teeth.

Jamie struggled against Jarid's grasp. Her arm flew up and nicked the razor-sharp edge.

"Settle down," Jarid pleaded. "I won't hurt you. I promise."

Jamie stopped struggling and stared at her arm in disbelief. The sleeve of her nightgown was quickly turning bright red with blood. She hadn't even felt the slice. She looked up at Jarid in horror.

"It's just a scratch, Jamie. An accident. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Suddenly the cabin door slid open. A red-shirted security guard planted himself across the entrance. He pointed a phaser directly at Jarid. "Hold it, sir." His eyes grew hard at the sight of Jamie's bleeding arm. "Let her go."

Jarid pressed Jamie close to him and raised his knife. It gleamed in the soft light. "You've seen what a needle-knife can do, friend. Now back off. You can't stun both of us fast enough."

The guard obeyed instantly. The doors whooshed shut.

Jarid relaxed his grip and allowed the knife to drop to his side.

Jamie fled to her bed and huddled there.

"I'm sorry, Jamie. Believe me. I never meant to frighten you—or hurt you."

"Go away." She rubbed her stinging arm. "Just take my cube and go away. I never want to see you again."

"I can't just leave. The minute I step foot outside this cabin, I'll be stunned—or worse. If you'd just stayed asleep I'd have come and gone-and left the Enterprise-with no one the wiser until it was too late." He sighed. "But now, I'm afraid, you're my only way off this ship."

"No." Jamie shook her head. "I won't go with you. You just pretended to be my friend. You tricked me, just like Mr. Kornish did on T-12. All you care about is that stupid jewel."

"That's not entirely true, Jamie. I do care what happens to you. I like you—a lot." His eyes showed his misery.

"Then let me stay here."

The door to Jamie's quarters slid open once again. Kirk stepped through the door, motioning the others to stay back. It was clear the guard had filled him in, for his face was ashen. He stood like a man perched on the edge of a precipice.

Jarid reached across the bed and pulled Jamie to him. The needle-knife rested in his shaking hand. He raised it slightly and faced the captain. "Please don't force me to do something we will both regret."

Kirk raised his hands, palms up. "I'm unarmed. The guards have put down their phasers. Can we talk?"

Jarid nodded reluctantly. He motioned the captain forward with his knife hand. "Just you. The rest of you stay back."

Kirk stepped inside. He lowered his hands and focused his gaze on Jamie. "Are you all right, honey?"

"She's fine," Jarid answered. "The knife slipped. It's just a scratch. Hardly worth noticing."

Kirk stiffened. "I noticed. And I will thank you to allow Jamie to speak for herself." He looked at her.

Jamie whispered, "I'm okay."

Jarid shook his head. "Captain Kirk, I am very sorry it has come to this." He tightened his grip. "I don't want to take her with me. All I want is the cube." He shrugged. "It's obvious you figured out that Kornish smuggled the jewel aboard the only ship that wasn't to be scanned. I knew he'd used a puzzle cube, but"—Jarid's voice turned pleading—"you must believe me when I say I had no idea who had the cube. I didn't know it was a child. I'm sorry." Jarid pulled Jamie closer. "I have to guarantee my safe passage off your ship and across the border."

"Take the puzzle cube, Jarid," Kirk said hastily. "It's yours. All I want is Jamie."

A gasp went up from the Cortinian, who began to push his way forward. "You can't give away the Jewel of Cortina!"

"Shut up, Varst!" McCoy yanked him back.

Kirk ignored the outburst. "Take the cube, Jarid. Your ship is repaired and will be allowed to leave. You have my word. Just let Jamie go. That's all I ask. Please."

Tense silence filled the cabin as Jarid considered. He looked at the small group in the doorway and let out a long, regretful breath. "This was supposed to be so easy. Just switch cubes and leave in the morning, with no one the wiser." He glanced at the Cortinian. "Maybe I can trust you, Kirk, but I don't trust Varst. I can see it in his eyes. He'd do anything, even to the point of letting this little girl get hurt or killed, if it meant the return of his Jewel. Isn't that right, Varst?"

"Yes!" Varst tried to throw himself free of the guards. "So many lives have already been lost because of the jewel, what is one more?" He jabbed a finger toward the captain. "Kirk, if you value the alliance between your Federation and Cortina, then your first concern must be the safe return of our jewel. If you fail in this, I'll see to it that you're busted lower than an ensign."

Kirk turned and regarded Varst with disgust. He looked at Jamie, who stood trembling next to Jarid. Her clothing was torn, her hair tousled. Her left arm was bright red with blood. His heart skipped a beat.

When he spoke, his voice was calm. "I'm sorry, Commander Varst, but I'm afraid I don't value the alliance that much." He took a deep breath, no doubt assuring himself of a court martial with his next words. "I must decline your request to assist in the return of the Jewel. But understand that I would make the same choice if it were your child standing here."

Varst gaped at Kirk, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

Kirk turned to Jarid. "I give you my word as a Starfleet officer that the Enterprise will do nothing to interfere with your departure. We will neither track you nor hinder you in any way, on the condition that you let Jamie go when we reach the hangar bay."

Jarid looked nervously from the captain to the guards, then at Jamie. "But can I trust you, Captain?"

"You can trust me in this one point, Jarid." Kirk's voice grew hard. "If you take Jamie off my ship, I will use all the resources at my command to track you down . . . and I'll kill you."

Jarid swallowed nervously. The silence was intense.

"Please," Jamie pleaded. "I want to stay here. If my dad says he'll let you go, he'll let you go. He'll keep his word."

The innocent pleading of Jamie seemed to break through to Jarid. He looked down and caught her staring at him. He let out a breath. "It's no use. I must be getting soft."

He turned his gaze to Kirk. "If only I hadn't gotten to know you, Captain. If only I had Commander Varst in my grip now, instead of your charming and innocent little girl." He gave Kirk a smile of surrender. "I have to trust you. I have no choice. I can't take her. We're friends."

Kirk relaxed. He nodded and walked across Jamie's cabin to the intercom. "Attention, all hands. This is the captain. Clear all corridors from Deck 5 to the hangar deck. I repeat: clear all corridors from Deck 5 to the hangar deck. Kirk out." He motioned to Jarid. "After you."

"No, thank you, Captain. You all go first. Jamie and I will follow right behind. I especially want to keep an eye on Varst. He's a wild card I don't want to play with."

"As you wish." Kirk gave Jamie a smile. "Hang on a few more minutes, Cadet. When we get to the hanger deck, Jarid will let you go."

Jamie nodded tearfully and started down the corridor, barefoot and clad only in her white nightgown. Jarid held her firmly by her arm.

Captain Kirk was as good as his word. The corridors remained deserted. The hanger deck was empty except for the Enterprise shuttlecrafts and a sleek little ship. Jarid hurried across the vast chamber, dragging Jamie along. At the bottom of the ramp to his ship, he stopped. He took one last look at his hostage and released her.

"Good-bye, Jamie." Jarid winked at her. "I apologize for scaring you so badly. I really do like you, but you know how it is with us pirates." He glanced across the hanger deck at the captain and his party. "This is it. Now I find out if your father will keep his word. Once you're safe and I'm in my ship, he could easily refuse to open the hangar doors. I'd be trapped." He sighed, as though it didn't matter any longer.

"He'll let you go, Jarid," Jamie said. "He promised."

"I hope so." He climbed the ramp, and with a final wave disappeared into his ship.

Jamie turned around and raced across the deck. She threw herself into her father's arms. He picked her up and nearly crushed her in a tight hug.

"Open hangar doors," he ordered, stepping into the corridor. He motioned McCoy to his side. "Take Jamie to Sickbay and have a look at her arm, would you? I've got to get up to the bridge."

McCoy gathered the sleepy girl in his arms. "Will do, Jim. Come on, Jamie. This won't take a minute."

"But, Daddy," Jamie protested. "I've got something important to tell you."

Kirk was already halfway to the turbo-lift. "Later, Jamie."

. . . . .

"Well, there he goes." Kirk sighed and settled into his chair with a mixture of relief and concern—relief that Jamie was safe, and concern over what would be the ultimate consequences of his decision. He knew the Federation couldn't sweep something like this under the carpet. He watched the tiny ship streak away and imagined it was a good illustration of how quickly his career was going to streak away to new and unappealing destinations.

"Shall I track him, Captain?" Chekov asked from his station.

"No. I gave him my word."

"Your word!" Varst spat, spinning Kirk's chair around to face him. "To a pirate and a thief. I am disgusted with you." He clenched his fist. "You had him in your grasp—on this ship. Your daughter was safe. You had the opportunity to arrest him, and what did you do? You let him go."

Kirk said nothing. Nothing he said would placate the Cortinian.

Varst hung his head. "Failure. Disgrace. My entire planet—the entire system—ruined because of some misguided sense of honor to keep your word to a thief." He raised his gaze to Kirk. "I know only one thing, Captain James Kirk. You will pay dearly for your part in this disaster. This I vow with my last breath."

"I know," Kirk replied. "You are within your rights to have me brought up on charges. I accept that and offer no defense. When we arrive at T-12, I will turn myself over to Commander Perry. He will take the proper steps of action."

Varst seemed taken aback by the captain's admission of guilt.

The intercom whistled.

"Kirk here."

"Jim, I think you better get down here," McCoy said. "Something's come up."

"Is Jamie okay?"

"She's fine. Just get down here—now."

When Kirk arrived in Sickbay, he found Jamie sitting on a diagnostic bed, swinging her feet. She was wearing a medical jumpsuit, and her arm was bandaged. She smiled when he approached.

"How do you feel?"

"My arm stings, but Dr. McCoy fixed me all up."

"Tell him what you told me, Jamie." McCoy crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned against the wall and grinned.

"Tell me what?"

"Remember I had something important to tell you?" Jamie didn't wait for Kirk to answer. "Well, tonight I solved my Rubik's Cube."

Kirk looked puzzled. "That's nice. But I don't think it's important enough to pull me off the bridge." He laid his hands on her shoulders. "You need to get to bed. We can talk in the morning."

"Let her finish, Jim," McCoy interrupted. He nodded at Jamie. "Tell him the rest of it."

"When I solved it, the cube opened up and a jewel fell in my lap. It was the Jewel of Cortina." She took a deep breath. "I planned to tell you in the morning, so I hid the jewel in my rock collection. I knew it was too important to let it lie around. Then Jarid walked into my cabin, without even knocking! I was sure he'd guess I'd found the jewel, because I was so scared. But he didn't."

"You mean . . ." Kirk paused, at a loss for words.

Jamie nodded. "Yes, sir. It's still in my rock collection. Jarid stole my cube, but it's empty. I think he's going to be really mad when he finds out. And serves him right."

Kirk snatched Jamie up in a tremendous hug. "You have the jewel in your rock collection?" He hugged her again. "Well done, Cadet. Very well done, indeed." He punched the intercom. "This is the captain. Find Commander Varst and escort him to Jamie's quarters. Tell him we'll meet him there."

. . . . .

When the buzzer signaled, Kirk called, "Come."

Commander Varst stepped through the doorway, a scowl on his face. "What sort of game are you playing now, Kirk?"

"No game, Commander. Jamie has something she would like to return to you."

Jamie stepped forward and reached out toward the Cortinian with a smile. "Here's your jewel, sir. I found it and kept it safe."

Mouth agape, Varst cupped his hands. Jamie dropped the dark red Jewel of Cortina into his palms and stepped back. "Now maybe you won't be so angry with me all the time. I really didn't know anything. It just fell out of my puzzle cube tonight."

In a few sentences, Kirk explained Jamie's part in the rescue of the jewel.

Varst turned slowly and looked at Jamie. His face showed his incredulity and thanks. He bowed slightly. "Child, I ask your forgiveness for my recent conduct." Then he smiled. "And I request that you accompany me to Cortina and restore the Jewel to its rightful place."

Jamie looked at her father in astonishment.

"Say yes, Cadet," he advised.

. . . . .

Epilogue

"Empty. It's empty!" Jarid swore vehemently at the smashed Rubik's cube. He turned to Tobrak. "It's impossible."

Tobrak swept the cube across the table. "We went through all this for nothing. Kornish pulled a double-cross on us."

At that moment, another Orion pirate ran up. "You'd better take a look at the update, Jarid." His face was smoldering in rage. He turned the monitor in his companions' direction. A scene of thousands of cheering people filled the screen.

The announcer was jubilant. "This is a grand day for Cortina and the Federation. Not only has the famed Jewel of Cortina been returned safely to the Hall of Memories, but the acceptance of Cortina into the Federation is a double cause for celebration."

"What's going on?" Jarid asked.

"The details behind the recovery of Cortina's national treasure is a story in itself," the newscaster continued. "Smuggled aboard a Federation starship in a child's puzzle cube, the jewel lay hidden for days, unknown to anyone aboard the ship. The puzzle was solved just minutes before the cube was stolen, and the jewel hidden by the nine-year-old daughter of the starship commander in, of all things, an ordinary rock collection. It's a story legends are made of, and everyone is praising the quick thinking of the little girl who has become a heroine overnight. Her only comment . . ."

The screen switched to a recording of Jamie sitting uncomfortably between two high-ranking Cortinians. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. "It just happened all of a sudden. When I solved the puzzle and the jewel fell out, I knew it was the thing everyone had been looking for, so I hid it. Just in case."

"Why, that little brat!" Jarid yelped. "She outsmarted me. The whole time I was holding a knife to her throat, she knew her cube was empty."

"You should have slit her throat," Tobrak said sourly.

Jarid shook his head and chuckled. "No, Tobrak. She won this round fair and square. It was ingenious of her." Then he threw back his head and laughed. "She'd make a grand little pirate."

His attention turned back to the viewer.

"I'm sorry, Captain Jarid," Jamie was saying, "but I couldn't let you have the Jewel of Cortina. I hope you understand. Thank you for letting me go." She grinned. "I like you—even if you are a pirate."

Jarid flipped the viewer off. "That's it, I guess. We'll just have to think up a new scheme to make some money. Something will turn up." He turned to his companions. "After all, it's a big galaxy."

The End