Part 14 (1/2)

The crew of the bridge stared at the unfolding scene on the main viewer. At the last moment, the Tzenkethi vessel slammed to a halt, then yawed on its axis. The tapering aft section of the teardrop-shaped hull swung around in an impossibly fast maneuver that must have overwhelmed the s.h.i.+p's inertial dampers. Sisko couldn't believe that the marauder didn't tear itself apart.

The tip of the Tzenkethi s.h.i.+p sliced through the pylon supporting a.s.surance a.s.surance's starboard warp nacelle. An explosion bloomed outward, the fire and gas swallowed in the next instant by the emptiness of s.p.a.ce. Sisko watched in horror as the nacelle went spinning off in one direction while a.s.surance a.s.surance tumbled away in another. tumbled away in another.

”Weapons,” said the captain. ”Open fire as soon as we're in range.” But as soon as the Tzenkethi marauder steadied after its attack on a.s.surance a.s.surance, it streaked away. ”Initiate pursuit,” Leyton said, throwing himself into the command chair.

”Sir,” said Sisko, still gazing at the viewscreen. On it, a.s.surance a.s.surance plunged toward the planet. plunged toward the planet.

”Get me Walter,” the captain said.

The scene that appeared on the main viewer contrasted radically with the one Sisko had seen earlier. Captain Walter, disheveled, his uniform sliced open down the right side of his chest, looked beaten, the bridge around him charred and smoky.

”Captain,” he said, breathless, he said, breathless, ”we're falling into the atmosphere and our impulse engines are down. My chief engineer and half her team are dead or wounded. We need a.s.sistance.” ”we're falling into the atmosphere and our impulse engines are down. My chief engineer and half her team are dead or wounded. We need a.s.sistance.”

To Sisko's surprise, Leyton hesitated, then turned toward Snowden. ”Lieutenant, speed and heading of the marauder.”

Snowden took a beat to find the information. ”They're traveling at warp five, on a direct course back to Coalition s.p.a.ce.”

Leyton turned back toward the viewer. ”Where they'll inform the Tzenkethi fleet what's happened here,” he said. ”They'll bring back an armada, and it's a certainty that they'll locate the bilitrium.”

”Pull us out of the atmosphere and then go after them,” Walter said. Walter said.

Again, Leyton hesitated. ”Out tractor beam is down.”

A shadow seemed to cross Captain Walter's face as he realized the implication. A rush of thoughts swirled through Sisko's mind. He considered the crew of a.s.surance a.s.surance activating their s.h.i.+p's tractor beam, and having activating their s.h.i.+p's tractor beam, and having Okinawa Okinawa travel into the beam to connect the two vessels and then haul it back into s.p.a.ce. travel into the beam to connect the two vessels and then haul it back into s.p.a.ce.

No good, Sisko thought. It would be too great a risk for Okinawa Okinawa, but- ”Go after the Tzenkethi,” Walter said evenly, though the color had drained from his face. Walter said evenly, though the color had drained from his face. ”You have to prevent them from reporting back to their fleet and coming back here in force. The bilitrium . . .” ”You have to prevent them from reporting back to their fleet and coming back here in force. The bilitrium . . .”

”George-” Leyton started to say, but Sisko interrupted him.

”Captain, give me three shuttles and I can pull the a.s.surance a.s.surance out of there,” he said. ”That way, you can stop the Tzenkethi.” out of there,” he said. ”That way, you can stop the Tzenkethi.”

This time, Captain Leyton didn't hesitate.

”Go.”

Sisko sat at the operations console aboard the shuttlecraft Naha. Naha. Beside him, Master Chief Petty Officer Kozel, one of Beside him, Master Chief Petty Officer Kozel, one of Okinawa Okinawa's highest rated pilots, worked the conn. Through the forward ports loomed the ruddy form of Entelior IV, and somewhere below, the Stars.h.i.+p a.s.surance Stars.h.i.+p a.s.surance and its crew of seven hundred plummeted toward destruction. and its crew of seven hundred plummeted toward destruction.

”Nago and and Chatan Chatan signal that they're in formation and ready, Chief,” Sisko told Kozel. ”Take us in.” signal that they're in formation and ready, Chief,” Sisko told Kozel. ”Take us in.”

”Yes, sir,” hissed the Saurian as his claws raked across his panel.

At once, Entelior IV seemed to rise outside the ports as Kozel aimed the shuttle's nose toward the planet's surface. Sisko checked the sensors and saw Nago Nago and and Chatan Chatan following closely behind, one off to port, one to starboard. Scans also picked out following closely behind, one off to port, one to starboard. Scans also picked out a.s.surance a.s.surance, thousands of kilometers below Okinawa Okinawa's trio of auxiliary craft.

Sisko reached up and opened a channel. ”Shuttlecraft Naha Naha to to a.s.surance. a.s.surance.”

”a.s.surance, Captain Walter here,” Captain Walter here,” came the immediate reply. came the immediate reply. ”We don't have much time, Commander.” ”We don't have much time, Commander.” Sisko perceived tension in his voice, but not panic. Sisko perceived tension in his voice, but not panic.

”I know, sir,” Sisko said. ”We're on our way. Activate your tractor beam now, at its maximum power and widest dispersal.”

Sisko thought he heard Walter issue the order in the background, and then the captain said, ”It's done.” ”It's done.”

”Hold on tight, Captain,” Sisko said. ”We'll get you. Naha Naha out.” He closed the channel, then studied the sensor readings of out.” He closed the channel, then studied the sensor readings of a.s.surance. a.s.surance. He could see an alteration in the stars.h.i.+p's flight dynamics-if you could call an unpowered, uncontrolled descent a flight-as the tractor beam wrestled with the atmosphere through which it pa.s.sed. Temperature readings for the meteor that He could see an alteration in the stars.h.i.+p's flight dynamics-if you could call an unpowered, uncontrolled descent a flight-as the tractor beam wrestled with the atmosphere through which it pa.s.sed. Temperature readings for the meteor that a.s.surance a.s.surance had become continued to rise, portions of the hull measuring upwards of twelve hundred degrees. had become continued to rise, portions of the hull measuring upwards of twelve hundred degrees.

Sisko peered through the ports. ”I see it,” he said. Even against the red surface of Entelior IV, the blazing form of a.s.surance a.s.surance stood out. stood out.

Kozel did not even glance up once, his gaze fixed on his console. As the shuttle drew nearer the falling stars.h.i.+p, he said, ”I read the tractor beam. Plotting an entry course.”

Sisko pulled up a navigation readout on his own display and watched as the flight plan for the shuttle took shape, calculated by computer and manipulated by Kozel. ”I'm signaling Nago Nago and and Chatan Chatan that we're almost ready,” Sisko said. He waited as that we're almost ready,” Sisko said. He waited as a.s.surance a.s.surance grew ever larger. Beyond it, the surface of the planet filled the ports. grew ever larger. Beyond it, the surface of the planet filled the ports.

As the seconds seemed to elongate, Sisko wondered about a.s.surance a.s.surance's transporters. If they still functioned, they could theoretically transport the crew to safety. That would mean donning environmental suits in order to survive the hostile environment of Entelior IV. But there would have been enough time to beam down only a fraction of the seven hundred souls aboard the s.h.i.+p. Who would Captain Walter choose? How How would he choose? How do you tell a young girl or a young boy that you saved somebody else's mother or father, but not their own? would he choose? How do you tell a young girl or a young boy that you saved somebody else's mother or father, but not their own?

Sisko could not help but think of his own son. Jake would turn seven soon, and Sisko missed him terribly. The thought of never returning to him, of his son having to grow up without knowing his father, was almost too much even to consider. And Jennifer- Sisko squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He missed his wife so much, and to imagine her having to go on without him, having to raise Jake by herself, seemed cruel. It made him despise the Tzenkethi even more for the war, which had necessarily taken him away from his family. If he should- ”Course laid in,” Kozel said.

Sisko opened his eyes and examined his mirror navigation display, highlighted the course, then transmitted it to Nago Nago and and Chatan. Chatan. First one and then the other signaled their receipt and implementation of the course. First one and then the other signaled their receipt and implementation of the course.

Just ahead, an explosion startled Sisko. He felt as though an electric shock had coursed through his body as he imagined a.s.surance a.s.surance cras.h.i.+ng into the ground. ”Hold on!” Kozel yelled, and the shuttle decelerated rapidly, for a moment overpowering the inertial dampers. Sis...o...b..aced himself and kept his seat as he saw the other two shuttles shoot past cras.h.i.+ng into the ground. ”Hold on!” Kozel yelled, and the shuttle decelerated rapidly, for a moment overpowering the inertial dampers. Sis...o...b..aced himself and kept his seat as he saw the other two shuttles shoot past Naha. Naha.

”What-?” Sisko said, but then another object appeared spinning through the sky. Sisko had just enough time to recognize it as a.s.surance a.s.surance's other warp nacelle before Nago Nago slammed into it. slammed into it.

The shuttle exploded.

Kozel veered to port and accelerated, outrunning the wreckage as it too now fell toward the planet. Sisko looked around wildly, finally seeing Chatan Chatan continuing its own flight. Quickly, it fell back into formation. continuing its own flight. Quickly, it fell back into formation.

”Implementing course,” Kozel said as they finally reached a.s.surance. a.s.surance. The shuttle hove to port and headed for the blue-white light emanating from the forward section of the primary hull. As Sisko watched the tractor beam, he began to feel dizzy, and he realized that he shouldn't look at the wheeling coruscation of light. He focused instead on his console. The shuttle hove to port and headed for the blue-white light emanating from the forward section of the primary hull. As Sisko watched the tractor beam, he began to feel dizzy, and he realized that he shouldn't look at the wheeling coruscation of light. He focused instead on his console.

He felt the shuttle veer again, then jolt as it entered the field of the tractor beam. The cabin brightened within the illumination. He checked the sensors to see that Chatan Chatan had followed them inside. had followed them inside.

”We're hooked,” Kozel said. ”Pulling up.”

The sound of the shuttle's drive changed, grew labored as it struggled against the tractor beam. Sisko's engineering background had allowed him to roughly calculate that three of Okinawa Okinawa's shuttles would be able to haul a.s.surance a.s.surance out of its fall. He didn't know if only two would. out of its fall. He didn't know if only two would.

Again he thought of Jennifer and Jake.

The sound of the engines worsened, whining under the strain. Sisko checked the sensors. a.s.surance a.s.surance had straightened out, its bow now pointing toward the sky, but its velocity continued unchanged. After several seconds, though, it finally began to decelerate. had straightened out, its bow now pointing toward the sky, but its velocity continued unchanged. After several seconds, though, it finally began to decelerate.

But not enough.

The stars.h.i.+p continued falling toward the planet, pulling the two shuttles with it. ”Keep going,” Sisko said, his eyes not leaving the velocity gauge. The three vessels, tethered together by the tractor beam, slowed more and more.

Entelior IV raced upward at them.

All at once, the light inside the cabin changed, the engines quieted, and Naha Naha shot forward, up into the sky. shot forward, up into the sky.

”What happened?” Kozel asked, obviously surprised.

Sisko examined the sensors. ”They cut the tractor beam,” he said, realizing that Captain Walter had not wanted to haul the two shuttles down to the planet with a.s.surance. a.s.surance. ”Turn us around,” he said, even as he adjusted the sensors to scan the surface of the planet. ”Turn us around,” he said, even as he adjusted the sensors to scan the surface of the planet.