Part 20 (1/2)

”Is that supposed to be better?” scoffed one of the nine different aliens gathered about.

”Yes,” Lotre said. ”It is.”

”Ravings,” someone said. ”We're asking for death,” another complained. And again, Gorlat said, ”You're crazy, Lotre.”

”I am not insane.”

”Then you're drugged.” Gorlat pushed Lotre away from the lockers, as if Lotre wasn't done and on his way anyway.

”I am not drugged.”

”Insane or drugged, 7 care not. We'll all be just as dead if we continue to follow this s.h.i.+p.”

Lotre noticed that while Gorlat spoke for himself and probably most of the others, they were all stowing their gear nonetheless. ”You're supposed to be mercenaries. You're paid to do as you're told.”

”I'm paid to fight,” Gorlat said. ”Not to die.”

Lotre smiled. ”Fight well, and you won't die.”

”Against a stars.h.i.+p? That stars.h.i.+p? In case you'd not noticed, that is the Enterprise.”

”I noticed. We'll have help, from the inside.” Lotre turned to them, and smiled. ”Now what do you say?”

Gorlat sneered. ”I say the help'd better be flippin' divine.”

U.S.S. Enterprise. NCC 1701E Klingon Empire Lanmit Sector ”Captain, we're reading increased neutrino emissions.” Spock had been at the science station, waiting for just such an occurrence.

”They're closing in,” Picard said, stepping up toward the Vulcan.

Spock turned toward the captain. ”A logical a.s.sumption.” He had that glint in his eye. Smiling, without actually smiling.

”Within transporter range?” Picard asked.

”In ... seventeen seconds,” Spock answered with just a slight glance at the console.

Picard turned toward tactical. ”Mr. Chamberlain, silent signal of general quarters and intruder alert. Notify Mr. La Forge.”

”Aye, sir.”

Determined, the captain turned back, his jaw tight.

”Stand by, Mr. Sp-”

Cut off by a low rumble and then an alert, Picard stopped instantly and listened. Somewhere, deep within the s.h.i.+p, a series of explosions vibrated up to the bridge.

”Captain,” Chamberlain called, ”s.h.i.+elds are down! We've lost the main s.h.i.+eld conduits.”

”Reroute, Ensign! And now, Mr. Spock. Now!”

The whole process lasted longer than it should have, and for a very brief moment he thought he might actu ally panic. It was a common phobia, but he pushed it away. He knew that when he finally did materialize, there would be much to do.

Lotre experienced the final stage of transport when his feeling slowly returned. His skin tingled and then his sight was restored in a hail of harsh sparkle. Enterprise's engineering room appeared before him. His disruptor already raised, Lotre targeted the nearest Starfleeter and fired.

The man crumpled, stunned into submission. Lotre targeted another, by his rank probably the chief engineer, but the dark man jumped behind a console. ”Fan out,” Lotre ordered, and gave chase.

The engineer was fast and well trained. He rolled away quickly, and when he came up on a knee, Lotre a.s.sumed he'd have a weapon. He did. The mercenary bowed left and protected himself behind a support strut. He glanced back at the nine others who had beamed in with him. They were all still standing, but only two of the Starfleeters were yet down. Two down, hundreds to go? Only if Lotre couldn't get to environmental control and the bridge.

”Secure engineering,” Lotre ordered, ”I will proceed with the plan and meet the other-”

Squinting in sudden pain, Lotre pressed his free hand's fingers into his skull above one ear. ”Sonic!” he grunted.

”They don't hear it,” cried one of his men. ”Earplugs.”

Something Lotre hadn't thought to bring. ”Find where it's coming from!”

A painful distraction that could win this battle for the Starfleeters. Lotre looked for any speaker centers or communications hubs, and at the same time needed to defend himself from phaser shots. He darted between support struts, painfully zeroing in on the place from where the sonic whine seemed to emanate.

He reached for his tricorder, but the scanning device was missing. Odd-he'd not felt it drop. Too small a concern to occupy his mind now. The pain in his head was too great. He felt the sound reverberate throughout his skull, now his spine and breastbone. He couldn't take anymore. He fired toward the area wildly. Foolish, really-his own orders were to maintain stun settings so that neither necessary equipment nor necessary personnel would be damaged.

Disrupter energy punched forward from his weapon and slammed into a force field. Containment fields! ”They had time to raise containment fields!” Loire screamed in pain, but fought to keep himself from grumbling. He reset his rifle to full and fired a prolonged burst Raw energy finally pushed past the electronic barrier and the console exploded. Fire suppression force fields quickly surrounded the flames, but smoke had already plumed into the room.

Loire coughed hard, but the painful noise was gone and he ran toward the exit. The air was cleaner in The corridor, and he remembered the deck map clearly as he turned toward the turbolift, and the armory.

”Two sets of ten life-forms have transported aboard, sir.” Chamberlain's voice was thick with apprehension. He anxiously leaned on one leg and then the other as he stood al The tactical station. ”s.h.i.+elds are still down.”

”La Forge?” Picard asked.

Chamberlain shook his head. ”Comm systems are down, too. Also due to internal explosions.”

”Sabotage,” Picard growled. ”Ensign Bradley.” The captain motioned the man quickly forward. ”Alert security. I want the guard doubled around T'sart.”

”Aye, sir.”

”Chalna, find La Forge and get him to find a way to bypa.s.s the destroyed conduits. Sanderson, I want status from every deck. You'll have to go on foot.”

All three cleared out for the turbolifts.

The captain pivoted toward the upper deck. ”Mr. Spock?”

Spock nodded but didn't look up from his internal s.h.i.+p's scanners. ”Internal sensors show all intruders are accounted for. One of the ten from Engineering is on his way to deck twelve.” He looked up and met Picard's eyes. ”Engineering has been secured by the intruders.”

”They've been lucky until now,” the captain said. ”Let's see that luck doesn't hold.”

Spock's left hand glided over his console. ”Aye, sir.”

Lotre stopped quickly, catching himself before he entered the turbolift. Obviously the sonics had left him more disoriented than he thought. He knew better than to confine himself in an elevator, and he'd committed to memory every ladder access he'd need and a few he shouldn't, but might. And he'd wasted time running in the opposite direction.

Dull footsteps echoed up the corridor. d.a.m.n Federation! What kind of wars.h.i.+p has carpeted halls? Boots MAXIMUM WARP: BOOK ONE.

on metal would have alerted Lotre sooner; now he had only seconds.