Part 18 (2/2)
She smiled. ”We're not arguing, Data.”
”We're discussing,” Riker said.
”With him in a testy mood.”
”I am not testy.”
Deanna rolled her eyes.
Data said, ”We will be approaching the relay station soon.”
”Any vessels in this sector?” Riker turned to his own scanners.
”None, sir.”
”Increase power to the sensors by seventy percent. I'd like a better long-range look.”
The android nodded. ”Aye, sir. However, that will burn out the sensor circuits in less than twelve hours.”
”We have to rendezvous with the Enterprise in 15 hours. Think you can stretch it?”
”I will try, sir.”
”Thank you, Data.” Riker smiled, but Deanna felt no change in his mood.
”He is not testy with me,” Data whispered to Deanna as he turned away.
”Faker,” she mumbled.
Romulan Warbird Makluan Klingon s.p.a.ce Malinga sector ”Are you ready?” Folan was rather excited. This was the first time since command had fallen on her that she felt perhaps she need not fight to keep it. ”How long will it take to send?”
”I am ready,” Medric said, and though she searched his tone she could not find much hostility. ”Thankfully, the transmission doesn't require the main subs.p.a.ce communications array.”
Folan didn't chuckle, but she let her voice be a bit lighter, and she decided not to pursue the obvious reminder that they didn't have audio or visual subs.p.a.ce communications. ”My question remains unanswered.”
He continued tapping at his controls and didn't look up. ”From this distance, it will be a few minutes after we initiate the program code.”
”And it will destroy the relay complex?”
”And any vessel within a twenty-thousand kilometer radius.”
Pleased, she nodded. ”Good. Good.” She'd been grasping at straws, struggling with decisions she wouldn't truly know the outcome of. Until now. This felt concrete. This felt right.
Medric turned to her. ”Have you considered that our calculations of when the Enterprise's shuttle will arrive at the relay might be incorrect?”
Even Medric couldn't stifle her good feeling. ”There hasn't been time for them to arrive yet. Of that I'm sure. Even traveling at their top speed, at the route they'll need to take to avoid detection ...”
”And if they should arrive after the relay station has self-destructed?” He was trying to ruin it, wasn't he?
”Answer your own question by answering this,” Folan said. ”What will happen when a subs.p.a.ce relay station suddenly stops working, and long-range sensor scans indicate it was destroyed?”
He huffed out a short breath. ”It will be investigated. Expeditiously.”
She leaned down close to him and almost whispered. ”By whom?”
”At the very least, a warbird will be dispatched.”
”At the very least,” Folan said, rolling the thought around her head and the words around her tongue. ”And probably more than that.”
Medric nodded, satisfied.
Folan smiled. ”They're as good as dead. Now we just have to deal with Picard and T'sart themselves.”
U.5.S. Enterprise, NCC 1701E Klingon Empire Malinga Sector ”Thirty degrees pitch!” Rossi cried.
”Stabilizers!” Picard ordered as he white-knuckled the arms of the command chair.
”Trying, sir.”
”We're losing power.” Spock's voice.
The captain heard La Forge on the comm. ”Inertial dampers down by fourteen percent.”
Picard glanced at a status screen to his right. ”Aux power!”
”Transferring.”
The vessel shook around them, the bridge shuddering seemingly to its rivets. Picard felt it in his bones, in his teeth. ”Tractor status!”
”Maintaining,” Chamberlain said with a grunt as the s.h.i.+p bounced under them. ”Barely.”
”Spock, how much-” And suddenly, it stopped. ”-longer?” Silence. Like waking from a nightmare.
”I believe it is over, Captain.” Spock said dryly.
Pulling in a long breath, Picard rose, straightening his tunic. ”Status.”
”Warp power was offline due to a plasma injector imbalance. Mr. La Forge reports that has been solved. Minor injuries, minor damage.”
”Klingons” status?”
Spock tapped at the science station scanners. ”Four of the seven Klingon vessels are intact.”
Kalor staggered forward. ”Parl...”
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