Star Trek: The Next Generation - 119 - Armageddon's Arrow (29 page)

“Everybody okay?” he called out, and received a chorus of assurances that beyond a few hard falls, which in time would produce nasty welts and bruises, no one had been injured.

Doctor Crusher’s going to be busy tomorrow
, La Forge mused.
Assuming we all make it to tomorrow
. The errant thought made him think of Tamala Harstad, who at last report was one of the few remaining away team members still on board the
Arrow
. The team had been overdue to return to the
Enterprise
even before the current situation had erupted, and now the chief engineer knew he had to place aside his personal concerns and focus on the issues at hand. From the looks of one set of status monitors on a nearby workstation, those issues were many and increasing by the minute.

“Bridge to engineering
,
”
rumbled the voice of Worf through the intercom system.
“Damage report.”

Moving toward the master systems display table, the freestanding workstation positioned between the warp core and the engineering section’s main entrance, La Forge called out, “Whatever that last attack was, it smacked us around pretty good. We’re still assessing everything.”

“
The
Arrow
fired its primary particle cannon
,” replied the Klingon.

La Forge scowled. “Yeah, well, don’t let it do that again.” He glanced up to where Lieutenant Commander Taurik had taken up station on the other side of the table. Since returning to the
Enterprise
, it was the first time the chief engineer had seen his assistant following the bombshell revelation that the Vulcan had come across potentially hazardous information about the future that was the
Arrow
’s point of origin. A list of regulations longer than La Forge’s arm had required Taurik to sequester himself until such time as he completed a detailed report for the Department of Temporal Investigations. The contents of that report were not allowed to be shared with anyone else on board, including La Forge and even Captain Picard himself, and Taurik also had created a protected archive within the
Enterprise
’s main computer for storing the potentially volatile information retrieved from the
Arrow
. Given time, La Forge could defeat the encryption guarding that archive, but he knew doing so might cost him his career and perhaps even result in incarceration. Of course, all of that paled when compared to the potential for altering the course of future events.

So, don’t do that, and focus on your job
.

As he studied the master display, which depicted a computer-generated dorsal schematic of the
Enterprise
, La Forge saw entirely too many areas of the ship highlighted in red for his comfort. “What’s the story, Taurik?”

The Vulcan engineer said, “There are power outages throughout the ship. Backup systems are activating in most cases, but several processes will require rerouting.” The long fingers on both of his hands were moving at a rapid pace across the table’s interface. “I am dispatching repair teams to those locations. Deflector shield generators overloaded and are resetting, though I predict they will only return to seventy-eight-percent capacity.”

“Weapons are offline,”
Worf said over the speaker,
“as is flight control. Those are the top priority.”

“We’re on it,” said La Forge, looking to where Taurik was directing his attention to one section of the table’s display. “We’ve still got warp drive, for whatever that’s worth.”

Worf replied,
“The
Arrow
is breaking off its attacks and is setting course into the Canborek system
.
”

Why would it be doing that?

Before the engineer could ask the question aloud, realization struck him. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Mister La Forge,”
said the voice of Captain Picard,
“it’s looking as though Jodis might be setting the
Arrow
on course for Uphrel with the intention of carrying out its original mission. How extensive is the damage to
flight control?”

Taurik replied, “We will be unable to maneuver the ship at impulse speeds until the problem is corrected. Warp travel is possible, though of course not recommended.”

Stepping around the table, La Forge began tapping another set of controls. “We’re trying to work around the problem, Captain, but it’s going to take some time.” It was growing more difficult to maintain his concentration on the tasks before him. If Jodis had regained control of the weapon ship, what had become of Tamala and the rest of the away team? It took every scrap of self-discipline he possessed for La Forge to resist asking that question of the captain. Instead, he said, “Sir, I don’t know that we can put up much of a fight against that thing. You saw what one shot did to us.”

“Then we’ll just have to stay out of its way,”
Picard replied,
“but we have to do something. Several of the Raqilan and Golvonek vessels have been disabled, and the truth is that they simply don’t possess the firepower to defeat the
Arrow
.”

Across the table from La Forge, Taurik was listening to the captain’s report and raised one eyebrow. “Why would Jodis attack Raqilan ships?”

“He targeted anything within range
,
basically clearing a path for the
Arrow
. Geordi, I can’t sit here while he destroys an entire planet. Noble intentions notwithstanding, this situation is our fault, and the
Enterprise
is the only thing standing in Jodis’s way.”

“How much time do we have?” La Forge asked, dividing his attention between the workstation readout he was using to prioritize resources for the repair work and directing Taurik and damage control teams to where they could do the most good in the least amount of time. Glancing up from the table, he saw members of his staff climbing ladders and crawling into access conduits, swarming over the engineering room and adjacent sections as they set to various assignments. Other teams, tool kits and satchels in hand, were heading for the hatch and out to other areas of the ship currently demanding attention, and he knew his people here were being supplemented by repair teams from all over the ship.

“The
Arrow
is moving into the Canborek system at warp two point one
,”
Worf answered.
“At their present speed, they could be orbiting Uphrel within thirty minutes
.
”

Looking at the swaths of red bathing the display table’s ship diagram, La Forge blew out his breath and shook his head. “Okay, Taurik. Let’s get to work.”

“Acknowledged,” replied the Vulcan, retrieving a padd from the display table and setting off to direct other members of the engineering staff.

All of the needed repairs could be made, given sufficient time, but under the present circumstances, it was going to take a miracle to get the
Enterprise
back into the fight.

I just hope we haven’t run out of those.

29

Aneta Šmrhová saw the Golvonek soldier before he saw her.

That’s just your bad luck
, thought the security chief as she aimed and fired her phaser rifle in a single smooth, rapid motion up the dimly lit corridor. The Golvonek had no chance to react before the stun beam enveloped him, and he collapsed against a bulkhead before sliding unconscious to the floor.

“Nice shooting, Lieutenant,” remarked Ensign Eli Chapman, one of the recent additions to the
Enterprise
’s security detachment.

Behind Chapman, Lieutenant T’Sona said, “Lieutenant Šmrhová’s marksmanship scores are among the highest for the crew.”

“No kidding,” added Ensign Bryan Regnis, keeping his voice low. “Whatever you do, Chapman, don’t let her sucker you into a bet. She’ll have your lunch. And your dinner.” The detachment’s resident sharpshooter, even Regnis had been hard-pressed to match Šmrhová’s scores. “Are you sure you weren’t a sniper in a previous life, or something?”

“Okay, enough,” Šmrhová said. “I’ll whip you on the phaser range later. Let’s keep moving.” Despite the situation and its plethora of unknowns, she was confident in her abilities and those of her team to accomplish the mission given to her by Captain Picard. After having to stand by while sending subordinates into harm’s way, she now felt useful as she led the effort to rescue the away team. Though the captain would never say as much aloud, Šmrhová knew that in addition to being worried for the safety of anyone under his command, he also harbored an obvious personal concern for Doctor Crusher. Duty and professionalism saw to it that Picard almost never permitted his own feelings to take precedence over a mission, but that did not mean he was immune to such conflicting thoughts. How he managed to compartmentalize such turmoil, Šmrhová would never understand.

“Do you hear that?” asked Lieutenant Jarata Beyn, the last of the three security officers Šmrhová had elected to bring with her. The brawny Bajoran was cradling a phaser rifle in the crook of his right arm and holding a tricorder that looked like a toy in his oversized hand. “This thing’s main power plant is increasing its output.”

The omnipresent thrum of the
Arrow
’s massive engines had been a constant companion from the moment they had materialized on the portable transporter room in the weapon ship’s landing bay. Even now, as they moved deeper into the giant vessel’s inner compartments, the sound of its power plant resonated across every surface, with frequent spikes in tone and pitch as energy was routed to weapons, propulsion, and other critical systems. After being asleep for decades, the ship had been brought back to life, presumably to fulfill its lone, appalling purpose. The idea that such a vessel existed for no other reason than to destroy an entire civilization was something that she had considered largely in the abstract sense: a theory to be discussed and debated. From a tactical standpoint, she could understand the reasons for such a weapon, but the very notion of targeting millions if not billions of noncombatants to secure a military objective sickened her.

We can’t let that happen.

Šmrhová was aware that Captain Picard had been wrestling with the Prime Directive implications of interfering in the conflict between the Raqilan and Golvonek, but to her the matter had been decided the instant the
Arrow
had unleashed its weapons against the
Enterprise
. Now it was a matter of survival for the starship, and the admirals, diplomats, and historians could argue about it later.

Which is why I’ll probably never be an admiral, or a diplomat, or even an historian.

Šmrhová was okay with that.

“Lieutenant,” said Ensign Regnis, who was pointing toward a dark lump on the deck ahead of them. “Another soldier.”

“How many is that, now?” Šmrhová asked. “Six?”

Upon their arrival in the landing bay, the first thing to greet her and her rescue team was the trio of unconscious Golvonek soldiers strewn around the shuttlecraft
Jefferies
, the interior of which appeared to have been rifled if not outright looted. With no way to know what had happened here and still lacking the ability to contact any of the missing away team, Šmrhová had assigned the fifth and sixth members of her group to remain with the shuttle and secure any remaining equipment. Guiding them was her tricorder and the internal schematics of the
Arrow
provided by Commander La Forge after his team’s initial surveys of the colossal weapon ship. It had not taken long before her scans had pinpointed human, Betazoid, and Vulcan life signs. One human as well as nearly two dozen Golvonek biosigns were scattered across the ship, with the human not all that far from her team’s present location. Along the way, they had found the half dozen other Golvonek soldiers, all unconscious, leading Šmrhová to believe that at least one member of the wayward away team was clashing with the aliens for reasons as yet unknown.

As for what she presumed was the rest of the team, they along with two Raqilan life signs were concentrated in or near the
Arrow
’s engineering section.

So that’s where we’re going
.

“Whatever’s jamming communications is still active,” reported Jarata, studying his tricorder. “If we can get into the computer system, we might be able to take care of that.”

Šmrhová shook her head, her gaze still fixed on her own tricorder. “We know where the away team is. We’ll just concentrate on that.” Adjusting one control to better tune the device’s scans, she added, “I’ve got a human life sign heading in our direction, and he or she has a tricorder, too.” Whoever it was, they were coming at them at a rapid pace, the bio signature growing sharper with each passing second. Also clearing from the haze of distortion affecting the quality of the tricorder’s scans as a result of the
Arrow
’s armored hull were at least five other life signs, all Golvonek. “Company.”

“I hear them,” said T’Sona, and when Šmrhová eyed her the Vulcan gestured with her phaser rifle toward the length of passageway that lay ahead of them. Three dozen meters away, the corridor was intersected by another tunnel running transverse to the larger conduit. Within seconds, Šmrhová heard the sounds of rapid footsteps, growing louder.

“Take cover,” she ordered, and the team moved to crouch along the bulkheads to either side of the corridor, trying to conceal themselves using the shadows cast by the dim lighting. As Šmrhová raised her phaser rifle to her shoulder and sighted down its length, a figure dashed into the intersection and turned toward her, cloaked in partial shadow. She saw the familiar silhouette of someone dressed in a Starfleet uniform, carrying an equipment satchel while wielding a hand phaser and a tricorder. Shoulder-length dark hair gave away the runner’s identity as Šmrhová recognized Lieutenant Kirsten Cruzen.

“Hello, fan club!” Cruzen snapped as she came abreast of Šmrhová, turned, and dropped to kneel beside the security chief. Her breathing somewhat labored from what Šmrhová assumed was a protracted dash through the
Arrow
’s bowels with pursuers dogging her every step of the way, she offered a tired smile. “I brought some friends.”

Other running footsteps from the crossing corridor were coming closer, and Cruzen did not wait for any order to fire as the first dark figure emerged into the intersection. The orange beam of her phaser illuminated the hallway as it struck what Šmrhová recognized as a Golvonek soldier. He or she—it was impossible to tell with the uniform, helmet, and other equipment—was spun around and fell to the deck just as a second soldier appeared in the passageway. Šmrhová fired her own weapon, dropping her target. Voices called out from around the corner, the remaining soldiers taking obvious heed of their companions’ misfortune.

“Don’t give them a chance to regroup,” Cruzen cautioned, rising from her crouch and moving up the corridor toward the intersection. Before Šmrhová could utter the first word of protest, the security officer was halfway to the junction. Then something appeared from around the corner. It was small and close to the floor, and Šmrhová realized it was one of the Golvonek, peering out into the corridor to search for threats. Only a portion of his helmeted head was visible, but Cruzen saw it and lowered her phaser toward it. She never had the chance to fire before another beam flashed in the corridor and passed over Šmrhová’s shoulder to strike the Golvonek’s head. Using the confusion as cover, Cruzen advanced to the intersection and fired into the other corridor. Another weapon sounded in the passageway, and Šmrhová saw the pulse of red energy strike a bulkhead above and behind Cruzen, but then the hall was silent and the lieutenant was backstepping into view, searching for other targets.

“All clear,” she called out.

Shifting her position, Šmrhová saw Ensign Regnis lying in a prone position on the deck, his phaser rifle still aimed up the corridor. His had been the shot that had taken the concealed Golvonek. “Nice shooting,” she said.

“Thanks,” replied the ensign as he pushed himself to his feet.

The team regrouped at the junction, where Cruzen stood surveying the results of the brief skirmish. Catching Šmrhová’s gaze, she smiled again. “I’ve been trying to outmaneuver these goons for fifteen minutes. I was hoping if I led them this way, you’d be ready for them.”

“So it’s you who’s been leaving a trail of bodies behind you?” asked Regnis.

“They’re all stunned,” Cruzen said, “not that they’d return the courtesy if the situation was reversed.” She explained the methods used to subdue the away team, including the nasty-sounding device that had injured Rennan Konya and Tamala Harstad.

“How many more of them are aboard?” asked Lieutenant Jarata.

Cruzen shook her head. “No idea, but right now that doesn’t matter.” She grabbed the strap of the satchel slung over her shoulder. “We need to get to the engineering deck. Konya’s hurt pretty bad, and we have to get him back to the
Enterprise
.”

“That might be a problem,” Šmrhová replied, explaining in rapid fashion the state of the battle between the
Arrow
and both the Raqilan and Golvonek ships as well as the
Enterprise
. “I don’t know what happened after we beamed over.”

“Then we’ll fly him out of here on the
Jefferies
and take our chances,” Cruzen said. “But we can’t waste any more time talking about this, Lieutenant.”

She was right, Šmrhová knew.
Focus on the mission
.

“Okay, then,” she said, stepping to the front of the group and leading the way to the
Arrow
’s engineering deck. “Let’s do this.”

*   *   *

T’Ryssa Chen grew more agitated with each moment. She stood next to Beverly Crusher and the remainder of the away team, all under the watchful eye of Bnira. Jodis was immersed in the rush of information being relayed to the control console’s various monitors and indicators, all of which seemed to have increased their output as the
Arrow
continued to carry out its attacks. The illumination from all of the displays made his lavender skin seem almost pale, and to Chen he appeared like a ghost, which seemed oddly fitting given how he and Bnira had—in a manner of speaking—been resurrected.

“I think you’ve proved your point,” Chen said after Jodis had halted the ship’s weapons and turned his attention instead to propulsion and flight control. He ignored her commentary, of course, instead maintaining his attention on those consoles that still were active on the engineering deck’s damaged central control tower. After what from Chen’s vantage point appeared to be a devastating attack on the
Enterprise
, Jodis had tracked and fired on several more Raqilan and Golvonek vessels before moving the
Arrow
away from the skirmish. The weapon ship had been following whatever course Jodis directed for twenty minutes, and though she only was able to read portions of Raqilan written text, Chen still was able to interpret some of the labeling on monitors depicting what appeared to be navigational charts. She also noted the large number of alert messages and indicators highlighting many of the control tower’s remaining functional displays. Despite the
Arrow
’s obvious advantage over the
Enterprise
as well as the Golvonek and even Raqilan vessels, the weapon ship still had sustained significant damage during the brief firefight.

“What’s he doing?” Crusher asked, kneeling next to Rennan Konya.

Chen replied, “From what I can tell, he’s definitely put us on a course into the Canborek system. I can’t make out the exact destination from any of the charts he has visible, but do we really need to guess where we’re going?” She directed her gaze to Bnira. “You’re really going through with this?”

“Be quiet,” warned the female Raqilan. Based on how she held the pulse rifle she was using to guard the away team, Chen had no doubts Bnira knew how to employ the weapon.

“Or what?” Chen asked. “Your boss over there said he didn’t want to hurt us, so long as we didn’t get in his way. Are you going to shoot me for being annoying?”