The Soldiers of Fear (18 page)

"I thought you said fleets would be coming through," Riker said to Data.

"They are," Data said. "They are apparently entering one ship at a time in sixty-five second intervals."

"How many ships are you reading, Data?"

"I count a minimum of one hundred ships, sir," Data said, "and that only covers the ships which my sensors can pick up. At a distance through the wormhole, the readings become hazy."

"Were your readings on the device on the other side hazy?" Riker asked.

"No, sir," Data said. "Those are accurate. I used"

"We have no time, Mr. Data," Picard said.

Worf agreed. Very soon another ship would come through the wormhole. They would lose their advantage if the captain did not act.

"Sound the red alert, Mr. Worf."

"Aye, sir," Worf said. He tapped in the command, and within seconds the lights all over the ship glowed red. "Captain. We have only a few moments. Send me through the wormhole."

Data stood. "No, sir. I am the logical choice."

"Your analysis said a skilled pilot was needed," Worf said, letting some of his anger lash at Data. "My instincts are superior to your programming. A skilled pilot knows when to use speculation"

"Mr. Worf," the captain cautioned.

Worf stopped.

"Mr. Worf has a point," Data said, "but I do not feel the emotional effects of the Furies' beam. I would remain rational throughout."

"Thank you, Mr. Data," Picard said, "but I need you here. If we lose our screens, I need someone here who can still think clearly and take control."

"You need all of us here," Riker said. "But you'll have to choose someone, and quickly."

Worf looked at him. Riker was one of the best pilots in Starfleet. His record was better than Worf 's. Everyone knew that. But he didn't have honor to defend. He had less at stake. And a warrior with a blood vengeance was always more powerful than one without.

"Captain, I have honor to avenge," Worf said. "The Klingons were defeated by the first Fury ship. Let me return honor to my people!"

"Another ship is about to come through, sir," Ensign Eckley said.

"Mr. Worf," the captain said, "I want you to take the shuttlecraft Polo with a full contingent of armaments. Have Mr. La Forge download the shield modifications into the shuttle's computers."

"Aye, sir." Worf pivoted, and headed for the turbolift.

"You are not dismissed, Mr. Worf."

Worf halted. He had felt at odds with the captain ever since this mission began. His sense of what was needed obviously differed from Picard's. "I am sorry, sir."

"You shall use the shuttle Polo as a shield for Commander Riker." Picard's voice softened as he turned to face Riker. "You are the best pilot on the ship, Will."

"Thank you, sir," Riker said.

"I am the better shot," Worf said, unable to remain silent.

The captain nodded. "I know. Which is why you will defend Will's shuttlecraft," Picard said.

"Sir," Riker said, "Lieutenant Sam Redbay from engineering he's a damn good pilot. He'll be able to fly third cover."

"Good," Picard said, nodding. "Have him provide defense from the shuttle Lewis."

"Captain," Worf said, knowing he had only one more chance at convincing Picard, "Klingons are used to dying for honor. Humans are not."

Picard was standing almost at attention. Deanna looked lost beside him. Her face was blank, her eyes distant as if she couldn't bear to watch what was happening in front of her.

Suddenly Worf 's words came back to him. A Klingon commander would not think twice about sending one of his men to die in battle. The captain obviously felt burdened by it.

"I know, Mr. Worf," Picard said. "I shall depend on that finely honed sense of honor to get Commander Riker through the wormhole, alive, and his shuttle intact."

Worf raised his head as the realization hit him. Captain Picard did not believe any of the shuttlecraft would return. He was sending out his troops to die with honor. It did not matter who fired the final shot, only that the final shot was made.

"I shall do everything within my power to make certain Commander Riker enters the wormhole," Worf said.

"I'll destroy that device," Riker said. "You can count on it, sir."

"I am counting on it," Picard said, softly. "Dismissed."

Riker joined Worf.

Both of them looked squarely at their captain, and he returned their stare. It lasted only a moment, but it was long enough for Worf to understand that Picard was very proud of both of them.

It was an honor Worf would take to his death. As a warrior he could be no more blessed.

Deanna took a step toward both of them and then stopped. A tear was streaking down her cheek. Beside him, Riker smiled to her.

All Worf could bring himself to do was nod. This was his proudest moment. Deanna was strong. She would survive.

Together they turned and headed for the turbolift.

The door slid open and they entered, turned, and faced the bridge as a unit. All eyes were on them.

Deanna stood beside Picard, her arms hanging at her side. Worf had never seen her look so upset.

"Good luck," Picard said.

"Thank you, sir," Worf said.

Riker glanced up at him and smiled. "It is," he said, giving voice to the traditional Klingon battle cry and meaning it, "a good day to die."

DOZENS OF PERSONNEL flooded the shuttlebay. Technicians crowded around all three shuttles. Other people were taking notes.

Redbay noted as he glanced around that one woman was putting emergency medical kits on each shuttle. One-man medical kits, the kind that a person could use with one hand on the console. Not very effective. The kits were often used on missions in which the pilot's health was not an issue.

Staying alive was.

Redbay's mouth was dry. Picard had ordered him to report to Commander Riker in shuttlebay, nothing more. Redbay assumed he would get more orders when he arrived.

The conversation, though, usually so high in a situation like this, was muted. People seemed to be speaking only when necessary.

Another sign of a serious mission.

Of course, how could the mission be anything else? The Furies were out there, waiting, literally growing stronger by the minute. Any mission at this point would be serious.

Will Riker and Lieutenant Worf were standing near the computer tactical display terminal on the interior wall. An ensign beside them sighted Redbay and tapped Riker on the shoulder, pointing his way.

Riker turned. He had a look in his eyes that Redbay had seen before, a steely determination that made Riker seem twice as powerful as usual. No longer the roommate from the Academy, no longer the jet-dogfight partner, no longer the good friend. This was Riker the warrior, ready to do battle.

And when Riker was like this, he was usually very serious and very, very determined.

So Redbay forced himself to grin. If nothing else he could keep the tension of this down to a reasonable level.

Riker motioned for him to join them. Redbay made his way around the technicians, ignoring the argument near the diagnostic computer, an argument he could have settled with few words, and hurried toward Riker. When he reached Riker's side, Riker clapped a hand on his shoulder.

Will had only done that once before.

A dogfight run the cadets had to fly because the Federation base near Chala IV was under attack.

They had thought they were going to die that day. So Will thinks we are going to die. No wonder he had the look.

"I only have a few minutes to brief you," Riker said. "The longer we wait, the more Fury ships come through that wormhole."

"There are six ships now," Worf said.

Redbay tensed. He glanced at the monitor. Sure enough, six ships hovered near the wormhole opening. "They're coming through, quicker than expected?"

Riker nodded. "About one a minute. We don't know how long they'll wait before they attack."

"That's where we come in, I take it," Redbay said.

"Lieutenant Data has found a way to destroy the wormhole," Worf said. "However, it cannot be done with the Enterprise. It must be done by a sure shot from a shuttlecraft."

Redbay swallowed. He'd seen Worf's records. He knew Will's. All three of them were crack shots and top pilots.

"Here's the schematic." Riker tapped the console. A computer simulation of the wormhole appeared. It looked like the horn of plenty Redbay's mother had put on their dining-room table every fall, even in Nyo when fall didn't really exist.

The six ships hovered around the small side of the horn. A small red dot on the other side of the horn flashed.

The target.

"That's the power source," Riker said, pointing at it. "Hit it just right and there will be a feedback loop that will destroy the wormhole, and the Furies will no longer have a path to us. The problem is the shot. I figure we only have one chance at it."

He tapped the console again, and a blue dot appeared. It was near the mouth of the horn.

On the other side.

The shooter would have to go through the wormhole, past all the Furies' ships, into enemy territory. Suddenly he understood the reason for Will's determination.

This made every other mission Redbay had flown look like a cakewalk.

"All right," Riker said. "Data believes that the shuttles can make it through the wormhole without being detected. The Fury ships in there are in a form of stasis field, crowded one right after another. The shuttle won't be. It should make it through in one-hundredth of the time they are taking coming the other way."

Redbay nodded. "Do we have enough firepower?"

"One photon torpedo is all it will take," Riker said. "Each shuttle is equipped with more than that."

"Only one shuttle will go through the wormhole," Worf said. "The other two will provide cover." He brought his head up and met Redbay's gaze. Klingons were naturally fierce; Worf even more so. "You had better be as good a pilot as Commander Riker says you are."

Redbay glanced at Riker, who didn't even grin. "He is, Worf. Trust me."

"So I am taking one of the shuttlecrafts," Redbay said, "and doing what?"

"Providing cover for me," Riker said.

"You're going through?"

Riker nodded. "You and Worf will make sure I get inside. If the wormhole doesn't collapse in four minutes after that, then you'll have to try. But I doubt that will be necessary. The tricky part is getting into the wormhole and through it. The shot is easy."

"After you destroy the power source," Redbay asked, "how long will it take the wormhole to collapse?"

Riker bent over the console and tapped it once more, and the screen went dark. He didn't say any more.

He didn't need to.

A suicide mission.

Picard was sending his second-in-command because he didn't trust anyone else to get the job done.

With ships coming through the wormhole one every minute, the odds of Redbay and Worf surviving were small too.

But not as small as Riker's.

"You are taking the shuttlecraft Lewis," Worf said. "I will be in the Polo. I shall head for the wormhole at top speed. When the Furies try to intercept me, I shall veer off."

"Then you will do the same, Sam," Riker said. "When they move to intercept, veer off. You'll take at least one of their ships with you. I will be right behind you. Only I'll go in."

It sounded so easy.

It sounded like it might work.

"What about the starships?" Redbay asked.

"They all will be doing variations of the same maneuvers, trying to pull Fury ships away from the wormhole," Riker said. "The Furies won't fall for this very long, which is why we have to move quickly. You'll be on Worf 's tail. Questions?"

Redbay shook his head. What was there to question? He and his best friend were going to die in the next few minutes. It was that simple.

"Good," Riker said. "The shuttles are equipped with the diagram of the target. They also have modified shields. I have no idea how well those shields will hold up with the Furies in close range. In case it gets too much, Dr. Crusher has provided us with her calming gas. I suggest that we not use it unless absolutely necessary. She claims it has no effect on motor skills, but I'm not so certain."

"Sometimes fear has an effect on motor skills," Redbay said, remembering La Forge as he fell out of the Jeffries tube.

"Which is why we're equipped with the gas." Riker turned and faced them both. "You both ready?"

"Yes, sir," both Worf and Redbay said at the same time.

Riker nodded. "Let's do it."

Without another word he turned and walked quickly toward the center shuttle. Worf strode toward the left shuttle.

Redbay stood for a moment watching his best friend move toward his certain death. He knew without a doubt he would never see Riker again. But he couldn't leave it like that.

"Will!"

Riker glanced around, but kept walking.

"I want a rematch when you get back. I saved that last dogfight."

Riker grinned. "You got it."

Redbay ran toward the remaining shuttle. He was the best pilot in Starfleet, and one of the best shots. He was going to prove just how good he was by giving Riker the best cover possible.

And helping him close that wormhole forever.

Picard moved his shoulders trying to ease some of the tension. The bridge seemed empty without Will and Worf. Data still manned the science console, and Counselor Troi remained on the bridge. But Data's news about the wormhole was not good more ships lined up inside, waiting to come through and Troi was looking more and more strained with each passing moment.

The five-way conversation with the other two starship captains and the captains of the Klingon ships hadn't helped. They all agreed that Mr. La Forge's schematics helped them, and they also agreed on the coded attack plan Picard had sent them, but the agreement had ended there. Both captains Higginbotham and Kiser commended Picard on his negotiation skills. The Klingon captains believed that negotiating had been a waste of time. They seemed amazed that they could agree upon anything.

Privately Picard agreed with the Klingons. If he hadn't tried to negotiate, Will might have had a better chance of getting through that wormhole.