Part 20 (2/2)

Ducking into a doorway alcove, Lotre hid and waited until he could hear their breathing. He quietly reset his weapon to wide stun, and when he heard them close enough, he curled his weapon arm into the hall and fired.

Lotre fell to one knee and rolled across the corridor and into the next alcove. He was one of twenty men on a s.h.i.+p full of Federation soldiers. He would take no chances.

When he glanced up the hall during his roll, he saw all four security officers were down, stunned. He sighed, rolled back into the corridor, and jumped into a run. Leaping over the Starfleeters, Lotre fired up the hall as two more rounded a corner. They quickly deflated and collapsed to the deck.

He couldn't help but smile. It was going well. Very well. And then, suddenly, it wasn't.

A force field snapped to life and blocked his way.

Anger furrowed his brows where nature had not, and he pushed against the field for a frustrating moment. A foolish and yet instinctive reaction to being trapped-test the cage.

A waste of time, he thought, and knew he didn't have the time to squander. To snare him, they'd had to have known where to find him. He probably had only seconds.

He pulled a small device from a pouch in his tunic and set it on the deck. A one-use force-field disruption unit. He'd thought he'd need to use it around the bridge or the armory, but he needed it now for the force fields that ran through the s.h.i.+p's bulkheads and decks. Resetting his disrupter, he aimed it at the floor and pulled the rifle's trigger. A cascade of sound and energy squashed the deck beneath it. Spark and smoke gushed toward his head and he bowed away, but continued to fire. First just burning, then melting, the floor finally gave way and crashed to the deck below.

Lotre leapt and followed it down, his boots crunching into molten debris as he landed roughly and nearly stumbled. He jumped again, this time off the rubble he'd created and onto the clean floor.

The corridor was clear, but above him he heard the cursing of those looking for him in their trap.

Now he had to run-they would be on him again, and soon.

Two decks away he'd find reinforcements. His men were in the main armory, beamed directly there, and that would be where most of the Enterprise security personnel would be. There, and trying to get his other nine mercenaries out of Engineering.

”Status?” Picard asked Chamberlain.

”Commander La Forge is working on the s.h.i.+elds, sir. No ETA yet. I have a weapons lock on the enemy s.h.i.+p. They've scanned us, so they know it. They're just waiting.”

”Waiting for their boarding party to get a foothold. We can't accommodate that many more. We need those s.h.i.+elds up.” Picard paced toward tactical and looked over Chamberlain's shoulder. ”Just in case, arm the crew. Hand phasers for all personnel.”

”Aye, sir.”

Spock approached and handed Picard a sidearm. He also holstered one for himself.

”I want to know how we were damaged. And by whom,” Picard said as he took the weapon.

”I shall investigate,” Spock said. ”The enemy number in Engineering is down to six. They've sealed themselves in and are attempting to override environmental and helm controls.”

The captain pursed his lips and marched back toward the command chair. ”Make it difficult for them.”

”Of course,” Spock said.

”What about the other team?”

”The armory.” The Vulcan turned toward one of the sensor readouts on the console behind him. He tapped at the controls. ”Ten life-forms of various races, with one of the enemy force from Engineering apparently making his way there. A Klingon.”

”Interesting,” Picard said. ”A Klingon working for a Romulan?”

”Not unheard of.”

”Indeed not. Just unusual.”

”The question is, why would he break away from those he beamed in with?”

”Easy answer.” Picard stood and walked toward Spock. ”He's in charge.” He leaned over Spock's shoulder and watched the sensor readouts. ”His people secured Engineering, and now he'll make sure they secure the armory.”

Spock nodded. ”Very logical, Captain.”

”I have my moments,” Picard said. ”Let's see that their leader gets a leader's welcome outside the armory. Add a few more to the security team.”

Spock's fingers did a lithe dance on the computer console. ”Added.”

”We'll see how long it takes him to get into the armory now.”

”Hold it right there, Mister.”

Lotre turned quickly and ducked into a doorway alcove for cover.

He got a quick glimpse of the officer who'd caught him short. Red accents and the rank of commander, if he wasn't mistaken. Looked like the first officer, Riker.

The tall Starfleeter had just a hand phaser, but he seemed to know how to use it. Lotre was pinned down, and if he allowed that for much longer there would be a swarm of security officers around him.

So d.a.m.n close to the armory, he thought. A phaser shot sizzled past his head and was absorbed into the bulkhead close to him. Heavy stun. Federation fools. If his s.h.i.+p was the one being invaded, he'd be firing to kill .

”It's over,” Riker said. ”Give it up.”

Starfleet arrogance at work. Lotre was nowhere near ready to give anything up. He had a few stun grenades, but the problem with those was that they were really more for a covert operation. Tossing a stun grenade at someone who saw it coming and could disable it with a well-placed phaser shot... well, it wouldn't do too much good. But as a distraction ... He took one grenade, then decided to take another as well. He punched in the codes to arm them and tossed them up the hall toward the Starfleeter.

Jumping forward as the grenades clattered up the deck, Lotre rolled along the floor and around the corner. He heard Riker fire twice to disable the grenades. As he a.s.sumed the Starfleeter would.

He peeked up the corridor and saw no one coming from in front of him. But when he turned quickly back around' Drop it.” Riker was standing there, close enough to have his phaser aimed right at him, point-blank, but far enough away to be out of easy striking range.

”How-” Lotre was amazed.

Riker stepped forward and kicked the Klingon's rifle up the hallway. It skittered against the deck and out of reach. Lotre looked from Riker to his weapon, then back to Riker. He rose slowly, feigning a defeated posture.

Gesturing for him to take a walk up the corridor, Riker was sure to keep his distance. All that meant to Lotre was that he'd have to lunge.

He landed painfully on his elbows at Riker's feet, and managed to pull the Starfleeter's legs out from under him. Riker fell back with a grunt and Lotre pulled the man's tall frame toward him. As Riker struggled to rise without leverage, Lotre grappled for the phaser.

The Starfleeter's grip was like iron and Lotre grumbled, ”How strong are you?”

Smiling, Riker said, ”Stronger than you,” and he kicked out from underneath the Klingon, sending him a few feet down the corridor.

His right leg taking most of the blow as he fell on the deck, Loire got up quickly. He didn't have the phaser, but somehow neither did Riker. Lotre saw it, leapt for it, and rolled shoulder to knee as he grabbed it.

Now Riker was the captive, Lotre thought, and smiled.

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