Part 4 (1/2)

”That will be quite enough, Data.” Picard closed his eyes momentarily. That was the risk one ran with getting information from Data rather than a computer. It was an old habit that Picard retained, preferring to garner facts from a speaking individual rather than a disembodied computer voice. Still, sometimes it seemed more trouble than it was worth. The captain turned to the main screen. ”Picard to Kreel s.h.i.+p.”

The irritated voice barked back, ”You certainly took your feldling time getting back to us.”

”Yes, well ... I was discussing your 'ultimatum' with my bridge crew. I'm afraid that surrendering to you at this time is utterly out of the question.”

”How inconvenient. I'd heard you were all cowards ... it explains why the gutless Klingons have allied with you.”

Picard felt Worf's eyes drilling into the back of his neck. He ignored it. ”That is hardly the case,” said Picard.

”If you do not surrender, we shall be forced to destroy you!”

Upon hearing this, Geordi brushed his fingertips across the activity panel of his engineering station. The indicators lit up in front of him, showing him, among other things, a silhouette of the Enterprise with the s.h.i.+eld indicators serenely in place around them. From behind him, he became aware that Worf was checking the exact same thing. ”Take your best shot, suckers,” muttered Geordi La Forge.

”s.h.i.+elds in place,” said Worf.

”Picard to Zon.o.bor,” Picard said in his best no-nonsense voice. ”We will not surrender the s.h.i.+p. That is our final word. However, if there is some emergency that you require a.s.sistance with-”

Picard was not permitted to finish the sentence as the Zon.o.bor cut loose.

Worf's report was a mixture of businesslike response and astonishment at their arrogance. ”They're firing on us, s-” And then, if Worf's voice were capable of going up an octave, it would have. ”Captain! Energy readings off the scales! It-”

The blast from the Kreel s.h.i.+p cut through the forward s.h.i.+elds as if they simply were not there.

The impact was felt throughout the entire s.h.i.+p, as if a ma.s.sive fissure in s.p.a.ce had just opened up and the Enterprise had fallen in. Wesley, gripping the side of the conn chair, imagined he heard the screams of civilians throughout the s.h.i.+p.

”Evasive maneuvers!” shouted Picard through the din.

Wesley froze. He didn't know what to do. He was at conn, it was his responsibility. But they were being fired upon, by a vessel packing fire power unknown to present engineering. Immediately his mind started visualizing energy fields, trying to figure out just how the devil it was possible to hit the Enterprise with that much pure power ...

And Picard, who was hardly accustomed to repeating himself, said, ”Go to red alert! Conn, evasive maneuvers! Marks, take o-”

That got Wesley's attention. ”Evasive maneuvers, sir!” he quickly called out, executing the order.

Gracefully the Enterprise angled hard astern.

The Kreel s.h.i.+p, like an angry, stubborn mongrel, kept on her and fired again. This time the astounding weaponry ripped through the starboard s.h.i.+elding, knocking it out of existence.

At engineering, Geordi didn't know where to look first. He had a fleeting wish his visor had an ”off” switch. ”Forward and starboard deflectors out! Circuit overloads!”

”Compensate!” snapped Picard.

”Working on it, sir.”

Deanna Troi felt compelled to say, ”Panic from all over the s.h.i.+p, Captain. I can feel it.”

”So can I,” Picard said.

”Separation?” asked Riker.

”No time, Number One. Besides, the Kreel would hardly be sporting enough to let them go.”

As if on cue, the voice of the Kreel commander sneered over the s.h.i.+p-to-s.h.i.+p, ”We could have destroyed you just then, Enterprise. If you attempt to fire on us, we will destroy you. If you attempt to run away again, we will destroy you. You have no option but to surrender.”

”Death First!”

The shout came not from Picard, but from Worf.

With utter astonishment, Picard looked at Worf. The burly Klingon was clearly seething, furious beyond anything Picard had ever seen.

His voice laden with danger, Picard said, ”Worf ... be ... quiet.”

But the damage was done. ”Is that Klingon I smell, even through s.p.a.ce?” came the snide voice.

Picard needed to say nothing further. Worf had regained control of himself, making a visible effort to keep his mouth clamped shut.

”How marvelous. In addition to your s.h.i.+p, Captain, we want the Klingon. For a toy.”

Worf clenched his fists, the knuckles flexing under the skin, as if envisioning a Kreel neck between his fingers.

Picard now understood Deanna Troi's brief hesitation earlier, when he'd asked what impressions she was picking up. She'd been about to report about overwhelming hostility, not just from the Kreel, but from Worf. Twenty-twenty hindsight, however, was going to serve no purpose.

”All right,” said Picard. ”You win. The s.h.i.+p is yours.”

The bridge crew, as one, turned and stared at Picard. Picard had the distinct feeling that, had he been in command of a Klingon vessel back in the more savage days of the Empire, he would have been incinerated right about now by his own people.

”Excellent,” came the voice. ”You send the Klingon and yourself over here for insurance. Then bring our boarding party over there ... and no transporter tricks, or you're dead.”

”We'll be there in a moment. Picard out.”

He stepped away from his command chair, heading in the direction of the doorway in the bridge aft section which led to the conference room.

”Conference, sir?” asked Riker.

”Devil take that,” snapped off Picard. ”What would you suggest we discuss, Number One? The scenery?”

And now Picard walked to where he'd been heading in the first place, namely the science station just to the right of the door. ”Mister La Forge, I need you for this.”

Obediently, Geordi stepped over to his captain's side. Riker, still not fully understanding what was happening, tried to establish some sort of handle on the situation. ”Captain, I cannot allow you to deliver yourself in to their hands.”

”No one is delivering anyone, Number One. Mister La Forge, call up a schematic of the normal design of a Kreel s.h.i.+p.”

Geordi did so, and a s.h.i.+mmering outline of the specs of the Zon.o.bor appeared on the computer screen.

”Now,” said Picard, ”full sensor scan of our opponent. Compare and contrast.”

A detailed image of the actual Zon.o.bor appeared alongside its specs. And there was something else. On the underside of the actual s.h.i.+p was highlighted, in yellow, a very small image. From its shape and design, it could only be some sort of weapon.

”Well well well,” said Riker. ”Accessories.”

”That must be why they're uns.h.i.+elded,” Geordi exclaimed. ”All power's going into their weapon. If we remove it from them, that should shut the weapon down.”