Klingon Hearts 10 Exposed - In The Light of Evil

  Ooooooooh, this has been so much fun. Thank you to Marianne and Junior for the beta reading.

  Paramount's universe and a couple of their characters, the rest is mine--K'Leena, Lucas, Mike, Tessa, Robbie, Sherise, Kyle, Melanie and Michael William belong to me as well as this story.

  More bodice ripping and heavy breathing, so NC-17.

  I have a warning for this story. If you don't want to be spoiled, ignore this. If you have problems with certain things in fanfic, highlight the next paragraph with your mouse.

  Tessa has a miscarriage in this story. It's not very graphic, but it does happen.

  Klingon Hearts and Beyond

  Exposed--In the Light of Evil

  by: Tracy L. Sobieski

  Lieutenant Robert Owen Paris, Chief Medical Officer on the U.S.S. Dakota, moved slowly through the deserted settlement.

  This was -wrong-.

  He could feel it. Every one of his senses tingled with unease. The muscles in his body locked tight with the tension flowing through him.

  Danger.

  The rest of the away team looked slightly befuddled, but no one else displayed any signs of unrest. They had been ordered by Starfleet Command to assist the settlers with an outbreak of the Peraton Virus. Paris had his med-team on the planet with the Dakota's First Officer, Commander Dalari, the Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Cupthland and only one security officer.

  Paris walked over to the First Officer and the CSO.

  "Commander," he spoke quietly, so no one else could hear. "We need to get out of here. Now."

  Cia Dalari looked at the ship's doctor in surprise. "Why?" she asked. "The settlers might just be hiding."

  "Why would they do that? They asked for help," Paris pointed out. "This is a trap, Commander. I can -feel- it."

  What happened next came so fast and unexpectedly, the ship's Science Officer, Sherise Cupthland, could barely believe her eyes.

  Even as the disrupter blast hit Commander Dalari and she began to disintegrate in front of them, Paris had his arm around her waist and was propelling them to the ground, yelling to the others in the process while he activated his comm-badge.

  "Get down!" he ordered. "Paris to Dakota! Get us out of here! We're under attack!"

  Sherise watched in horror as two other officers were hit just before the transporter beam caught them.

  One moment they were under fire on the planet and the next they were lying on the floor of the Transporter Room, minus four of the away team. Only she, Dr. Paris and Lt. Miles made it back.

  The Transporter Chief looked at them in shock.

  "I lost the rest of them before I could lock on," came his dazed statement.

  Robert swore viciously as he got to his feet. "You okay?" he asked Sherise, extending his hand to help her up.

  "Yeah," she replied, shaking off the stunned daze. "What the hell happened?"

  "That's what I'd like to know," Paris growled, reminding her that he was still part Klingon, no matter how human he looked. "You all right, Miles?" he asked when the Lieutenant got to his feet as well.

  "Yes, sir," the other man replied.

  --Taylor to Dalari. What happened?-- the Captain's voice came over the comm.

  Robert grimaced and tapped his comm-badge.

  "We lost Commander Dalari, Sir," he informed him. "Lt. Cupthland and I are on our way to the bridge."

  --Lost her? How the hell did you lose her?! It was a humanitarian mission to help a bunch of sick people!--

  "No, Sir, it wasn't," Paris bit out. "We were set up. This was an ambush."

  --I want you on the bridge immediately, Doctor.--

  "On my way. Paris, out."

  *****

  Admiral Will Riker stalked down the corridor to Flight Control, to the offices of one Admiral Tom Paris.

  Anyone crossing the Admiral's path could see the grim set to his mouth and determined step to his stride. Whatever Will Riker had to tell his friend...it was not good news.

  Tom looked up with a smile when Will strode into his office. It only took a moment before the smile became a frown.

  "We've got a problem," Will told him without preamble.

  Sighing in frustration, he sat down in a chair facing Tom and slid a PADD across the desk for the other man to see.

  Tom picked it up and began to read. His expression darkened. "What the hell...."

  "The Dakota lost four officers, including their XO, Commander Dalari. The rest only made it out alive thanks to Robbie, Tom. He kept his head and acted fast, or they would have been lost as well."

  "How did this happen? Where are the settlers?"

  "We don't know. They just seemed to have disappeared. There were over 200 people in that village, Tom. We can't find a trace of where they went. That's not all, either."

  "What do you mean?" Tom looked up sharply.

  "The Dakota. She was sent in to help with a virus outbreak within the settlement," Will began, leaning forward in his chair. "She wasn't the closest ship, Tom. There were two other starships that could have responded faster."

  "The Dakota is one of the larger starships, Will. Maybe Command thought she'd be better," Tom reminded him.

  "The Salk was closer."

  Tom looked at his friend in disbelief. The Salk was a medical rescue ship. Her sole purpose was to help with situations just like this.

  "Who sent the Dakota?" Tom demanded to know.

  "The order came from Merron's office."

  "Merron? That can't be, Barbara is offworld, on Vulcan, if I'm not mistaken."

  "You're not. I've already spoken with her. She didn't give the order."

  "Then who...," Tom stopped, remembering who was handling Admiral Merron's office until she returned.

  "You've got to be kidding me," he said with deadly quiet.

  "I wish I was."

  Tom stood up and paced over to his office window, staring out at the grounds unseeingly. It all made sense now. Every last thing fell into place. How could they have been so blind?! It had been there all along.

  "Keep your friends close," Tom spoke in a whisper.

  "But keep your enemies closer," Will finished for him.

  "All these years he's been there, Will. We watched him grieve and we never suspected a thing. He lost everything because of us and we never *once* considered him."

  "I know. Hell, I'm the one who assigned Tessa to him, at his request. He told me he could protect her if she worked for him," Riker laughed bitterly.

  "Where is he?"

  "Gone," Will told him. "Starfleet Security found his house and office completely cleared out. They think he left a couple of days ago."

  "Damn!" Paris turned around. "We've got to get the kids here, they're too vulnerable and too spread out. I think the estate would be best. We can add security."

  "Agreed," Riker nodded. "K'Leena and Lucas arrive on the Enterprise tomorrow. Mike will come in on the Valiant this morning, I had Geordi cancel her shakedown and recall him. He and Tessa can go to the estate today. I'll contact Kyle on the Zosa and you can handle Robbie on the Dakota. What about Mezoti, Caleb and the kids?"

  "Leave them. They're too far out to be in danger, I think. Besides, now we know it's the biological children that he's after. I don't think he'd have any reason to go after Mezoti, it would be too much trouble and too obvious. I'll contact Robbie then head over to Mike's and let them know."

  "All right. Do we tell them who we suspect?"

  "No, not until they're all at the estate. I don't want to tip Jack to the fact that we know it's him."

  "What about Tessa?"

  "What about her? She's in as much danger as she
always has been. He won't move against her now so soon after the incident with the Dakota, it would be a dead giveaway."

  "How did we miss this, Tom? How the hell did we fail to see this coming?"

  "Because we didn't -want- to see it. That's why. The minute we accept that it's him we have to accept that it's -our- fault. All of it. Every death. Every destroyed life. This is -our- mess."

  "What are we going to do?"

  "We're not going to make the same mistake twice, that's what. This ends now. If we stop them before they interfere, it's over."

  Will stared at his friend in horror.

  "You can't be serious!"

  "More than you realize."

  "Tom, if we stop them...all of it doesn't happen. Do you understand that? Do you know what you're saying?!"

  "Harry and Seven Kim are K'Leena's godparents, Will. The best friends I will ever have. I know damn well what I'm saying. We don't have a choice. You know we don't. It has to end here. It has to."

  "They'll never forgive you."

  Tom laughed bitterly. "Will, they'll never even know I've betrayed them."

  *****

  Deep in thought, Sherise leaned over the Science Station console on the bridge. Chewing thoughtfully on her bottom lip, she in reviewed the information sent from Command and the readings she'd taken before beaming planetside.

  Unfortunately, she was having trouble concentrating with Paris hovering over her like a Romulan waiting to attack. She bit down harder to stop herself from going off at him and tasted blood.

  Robbie watched her teeth sink deeper into her lip and groaned inwardly at the unbelievably strong urge he had to bite it for her.

  This was getting to be an impossible situation. She'd only been onboard a month now and it was obvious nothing had changed between them. He still wanted her like no other woman...and she didn't even know he was alive.

  Well, that was probably an overstatement. She knew he was alive, she just didn't -care-. He'd never been able to get her to so much as acknowledge him as a man. Sherise Cupthland considered him a competent officer and a decent physician...and nothing more. What really bothered him, was that fact that it bothered him at -all-. Why did her opinion of him matter so much? It's not like he lacked for female companionship. Hell, all he had to do was crook a finger and women would come. It had always been that way. He'd inherited his looks from his father, if the old pictures were accurate. Finding someone to warm his bed had never been a problem.

  Why did it matter that this particular woman seemed so immune to his charms?

  Why did it -still- matter? He thought he'd gotten over her back at the academy. Or maybe he just wanted to believe that. Because the minute he'd welcomed her on board all the old feelings had come rushing back....

  "Lieutenant Cupthland," he greeted her when she'd reported to Sickbay. "Welcome to the Dakota."

  He thought for a moment he saw something in her eyes when he held out his hand, but it was gone before he could be sure.

  "Dr. Paris," she replied, shaking his hand firmly. "It's good to see you again. It's been a while."

  "Yes," he nodded. "Five years next month since graduation."

  "Are you still close with Kyle?"

  Robbie smirked. "I couldn't get rid of him if I wanted to. We're family."

  Sherise smiled. "I always enjoyed his company."

  She didn't need to say, "More than yours," it hung heavy in the air between them. The fact that she'd dated Kyle at the academy never sat well with him.

  "Well...let me know if you need anything," he told her, rather shortly. "I have work to do. I'll see you later."

  She'd given him an annoyed look at the dismissal, then turned abruptly and left Sickbay....

  Shaking himself mentally he forced his mind back to where it should be. What was the matter with him? People were dead. Friends. And he was lusting after Sherise like a lovesick schoolboy.

  Pull it together, Paris. Your libido can wait. People are counting on you.

  People like Sherise, who almost died today.

  And there he was, back to her again, trembling from head to toe at the thought of her dying. His hand clenched the arm of his chair.

  Face it, big guy. You've been in love with this woman for years.

  Robbie bolted up from the Science Station, pulling a frustrated hand through his hair.

  "We're not going to find anything here," he told her testily. "They've covered their tracks too well."

  "If you would just shut up and let me...," she snapped back.

  He was driving her insane! How could someone who looked so relaxed and at ease, ninety-nine percent of the time, have so much barely leashed energy coursing through him?!

  And why had she never noticed it before? This underlying hardness about him? This almost frightening intensity that was just churning under the surface? The tingling she felt when he was hovering over her shoulder, his breath fanning across her skin?

  "Forget it, Cupthland," Robbie growled. "There's nothing to be found this way. We need to go down to the surface."

  "Listen, we can't...," she stood up as well, squaring off against him.

  Although she was slender, Sherise wasn't a tiny woman. Despite nearly topping six feet in her Starfleet issue boots, she -still- had to look up at him. There weren't many men around that could make her feel small and fragile. It annoyed the hell out of her that this one could.

  "Paris! Cupthland!" the Captain interrupted. "My Ready Room. Now."

  The two lieutenants followed their captain into the other room. They stood at attention as he took his seat, waiting while he viewed them silently for a long moment.

  "Let's get one thing straight, Dr. Paris," he began firmly. "You and Lt. Cupthland are not returning to the surface. Understand? There are investigators down there and you would only be in the way."

  "But, Captain...."

  "Enough, Doctor," the Captain cut him off. "It's out of even my hands at this point. You've given your statements, you've researched the medical records they sent. You've done your part. I'm relieving both of you for the next forty-eight hours. Lt. Miles was smart enough to ask for the time. I see I have to order the two of you to take it." He paused slightly, before continuing in a firm voice, "One last thing, Lieutenants.... You are Senior Officers on board this ship. I expect better behavior than what just took place on -my- bridge. -Don't- let it happen again."

  The Captain held up his hand when Robbie was going to speak.

  "Not another word...from either of you. Get some rest. That's an order. You're dismissed."

  "Well, that was pleasant," Sherise drawled wryly as she and Robbie rode the turbolift from the bridge. Turning her head slightly, she made a pretense of checking out her backside.

  "Is there anything left...or did he chew it all off?" she asked with pseudo concern.

  Robbie's lips twitched. He followed her gaze and regretted it immediately. Swallowing a groan he faced forward again.

  "Don't worry, Cupthland. The damage was...minimal," he managed to croak out, hoping he sounded a hell of a lot steadier than he felt.

  She looked like she was about to say something more, but the lift stopped and they exited as a few more crewmembers took their place.

  Silence fell heavily on them as they walked down the corridor. Suddenly, Sherise was aware of just how tired and drained she really was. Two days off sounded pretty good right now. She stumbled slightly and was startled when Robbie's arm instantly went around her waist.

  "Okay?" he asked with soft concern.

  She glanced at him through her lashes, slightly stunned at the electric shock that coursed down her spine when he touched her.

  "Yeah," she replied, pulling away from him. "Just a little tired."

  The physician in him took over. He viewed her thoughtfully with narrowed eyes.

  "And suffering from delayed shock," was the diagnosis. "Come on, it's off to bed with you," he ordered gently.

  A moment later they reached the door to her
quarters. She stepped inside and turned to face him.

  "Robbie...."

  "Hmmm?"

  She shuffled her feet for a moment. "Would you like to come in and have something to eat?"

  Being alone didn't seem all that desirable. If she was alone, she would have to think. Right now she didn't know if she could handle that. Anxious and tense, her nerves were stretched to the breaking point. If she had to think about it, she would snap.