Part 7 (1/2)
Vaughn also seemed unperturbed by Riker's objections. The mission leader stood beside a viewscreen on the far wall, amus.e.m.e.nt tugging at the corners of his mouth. ”Don't hold back, Commander. Tell us what you really think.”
Will shook his head and pointed to the Betazed system tactical graphic displayed on the viewscreen. ”You can't expect the Enterprise and only three Saber-cla.s.s light cruisers to go up against a dozen Carda.s.sian and Dominion s.h.i.+ps of the line. We'll never get anywhere near Sentok Nor.”
Picard had shared the same concerns with Vaughn earlier, but the captain had also accepted that three light cruisers were the maximum Starfleet could spare. All other s.h.i.+ps within range were either disabled or fighting along the extensive front, struggling to prevent Dominion forces from penetrating Federation s.p.a.ce. Besides, Picard wasn't about to express his reservations in front of his crew. For the mission to succeed, they had to believe that it would, or they were beaten before they left the starbase.
Seeing Worf and O'Brien gathered once again around the table with Riker, La Forge, Data, Troi, and Crusher brought back a number of fond memories-pleasant times Picard now forced himself to set aside in order to face the current crisis.
”I would share your skepticism,” Vaughn said, ”except for the factors in our favor.”
As if forcing himself to relax, Riker took a deep breath, but his expression dared Vaughn to prove him wrong. ”I'm listening.”
”First, Captain Picard will lead the task force against the Dominion fleet,” Vaughn said, ”and Starfleet has full confidence in his abilities. The stars.h.i.+ps Tulwar, Katana, and Scimitar will be under his command. Saber-cla.s.s stars.h.i.+ps may be small, but therein lies their strength. They're fast and easily maneuverable.
”Second, we may not have to destroy the enemy fleet. We simply have to keep them occupied long enough for you and Mr. La Forge to to beam aboard Sentok Nor with a team, complete the job, and beam out.”
”In a heated battle,” Riker said, ”even ten minutes can be a lifetime.”
”Ten minutes may be all we'll need, Number One,” Picard stated with a calm he didn't feel. The captain realized how much would be at stake when they engaged the enemy defenses. He had already discussed tactics with the captains of the light cruisers. Each was aware that her s.h.i.+p and crew might not return from this action, a possibility they had each accepted when they volunteered.
”Let's move on,” Vaughn said, and indicated the sixth planet ringing Betazed's sun. ”This is Darona. Because its population is small, the Dominion has garrisoned less than a thousand troops there, according to our intelligence. However, those troops are vital to the Dominion because of the planet's strategic location. It makes an excellent listening post to scan the s.h.i.+pping lanes and observe movements of s.h.i.+ps and supplies.”
”If the Dominion forces are using long-range scanning equipment,” Data said, ”beaming onto the planet undetected seems unlikely.”
”You're right, Mr. Data. Which is precisely why Admiral Ross has a.s.signed the Defiant to get the extraction team to Darona,” Vaughn said with a nod to Worf. ”She'll be operating under cloak.”
Data's eyes narrowed, and Picard could almost hear the subprocessors humming in the android's brain.
”It is my understanding, sir,” Data said, ”that the Dominion possesses the capability to detect cloaked vessels. Will that not be a problem?”
Worf spoke up. ”Perhaps not. On Deep s.p.a.ce 9, we have been looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of the Defiant 's cloaking device ever since we learned the Jem'Hadar possessed countermeasures. Chief?”
O'Brien picked up the ball and ran with it, speaking directly to Picard. ”It took a while, but I think we finally came up with a solution. It's based on the same principle Commander La Forge first devised to defend ourselves against the Borg back on the Enterprise -D. By randomly rotating the field harmonics of the Defiant 's cloak, we should be able to stay below the threshold of the Dominion's sensors. With luck, the Jem'Hadar will have no idea we're in the area.”
”I take it you haven't had a chance to test your modified cloak yet?” Riker asked.
O'Brien shook his head apologetically, ”No, sir. My a.s.sistant and I actually worked out the final kinks after we left DS9. But the real test will come only when we're facing a Jem'Hadar s.h.i.+p.”
Picard looked at Vaughn. ”Then, a.s.suming you can make it to the surface successfully, Commander ... what next?”
”According to Commander Troi, beaming directly into the prison facility isn't an option. We'll need to make contact with the warden, Director Lanolan, and secure his cooperation in releasing Tevren. We'll be wearing surface blacks for maximum protection, with native coats over them. And with the help of Dr. Crusher's skills, even Mr. Data will be able to pa.s.s for a Betazoid.”
Picard turned to Troi. ”You think Lanolan will cooperate?”
She glanced at him with dark eyes still haunted by the depth of her dilemma and the discomfort of her decision. ”I can't imagine he'll like it, but I think he'll understand the necessity.”
”While on Darona,” Vaughn continued, ”we'll be operating without combadges-a total communications blackout. We don't want the Jem'Hadar homing in on our transmissions. Once we have Tevren, Data will activate a subs.p.a.ce transponder that Commander La Forge will install today in his positronic systems. When Data gives the signal, the Defiant will lock on to that transmission and beam the team out.”
”And by that time,” Picard added, ”Commander Riker's team should have destroyed Sentok Nor.”
Vaughn nodded. ”That's the idea. The Defiant will proceed to Betazed and deliver Tevren to the resistance.”
”Piece of cake,” Riker said with more than a trace of sarcasm.
”Let's hope so,” Vaughn said evenly. ”Any questions?”
”I have a comment,” La Forge said. ”Destroying Sentok Nor is fine in theory, but I'd be a lot more comfortable emptying our torpedo launchers into it than trying to blow it up from the inside the way you're proposing.”
”Inadvisable,” Vaughn said. ”Even if our task force wasn't already contending with a dozen enemy craft, the station is still able to defend itself.”
Picard turned to O'Brien. ”Chief, what can we expect from Sentok Nor?”
”Ma.s.sive armaments and heavy-duty s.h.i.+elds at least, sir,” O'Brien said, ”if it's that similar to Deep s.p.a.ce 9. And we should expect upgrades from the original design. Commander Vaughn is probably right when he says that getting a team in will be easier than trying to destroy it from a distance.”
Vaughn nodded. ”There's also the fact that there's almost certainly some Betazoids on board. We have an obligation to try to get them off before we take out the station. Obviously it won't be easy, but that's why Mr. O'Brien is going with the boarding party.”
O'Brien looked up. ”Me, sir?”
But La Forge had already deduced Vaughn's meaning. ”You're the Federation's leading authority on Carda.s.sian s.p.a.ce stations, Chief. If anybody would know how to blow that monstrosity up from the inside in the shortest time, it'd be you. Frankly, I wouldn't want to try this without you.”
”With all due respect, sir, I spend most of my time trying to keep Deep s.p.a.ce 9 from falling to pieces,” O'Brien reminded him, ”not figuring out ways to blow it up. But I appreciate the sentiment.”
Eighteen hours after the briefing, and after the fourth day of combat drills with Vaughn, Deanna prepared to join Elias, Worf, Beverly, and Data aboard the Defiant. Will had come to the transporter room to see her off, and even dismissed the transporter operator so he could spend a final moment alone with her.
”I know you don't want to hear this,” he said, ”but I'm gonna say it anyway. Be careful.”
Deanna smiled. ”You too. I'll see you soon.” Suddenly she had her arms around him, and Will was hugging her back, his long arms wrapped tightly around her.
”You know what I'm feeling, don't you?” she heard him ask unnecessarily.
”Yes,” she said. ”Me too.” After a moment, she said. ”Promise me something, Will?”
”You name it.”
”Promise you'll never let me go.”
Will smiled. He knew what she meant, and that it had nothing to do with their embrace. ”That depends,” he said. ”Does it work both ways?”
”Of course.”
”Then, yes,” Will said. ”I promise.”
Later in the Defiant 's mess hall, as the s.h.i.+p warped through s.p.a.ce under cloak, Deanna sat in silence, keenly aware of her turbulent emotions and finding the s.h.i.+p strangely disquieting. She missed the familiar decks and faces of the Enterprise. Vaughn, amazingly, seemed comfortable regardless of his environment and adjusted as easily to new surroundings as Data. Worf, to his credit, had provided them with every comfort his s.h.i.+p had to offer-such as they were.
She allowed herself a wistful sigh. She had hoped to spend time with Worf, but his duties as captain had kept him too occupied for them to share even a few moments alone together. Through his fierce Klingon demeanor, she continued to feel his devastating grief over Jadzia, and Deanna's frustration at being unable to comfort her dear friend added to her agitation.
Shortly before their arrival at the edge of the Betazed system, she, Vaughn, Beverly, Data, and Worf had convened for a briefing in the mess hall.
In preparation for their a.s.signment, the away team had donned their s...o...b..s, equipped themselves, and put on dark hooded coats that, Deanna a.s.sured them, were typical on the planet. With the exception of Deanna, the team wore dark cosmetic lenses that made even Data appear Betazoid at a glance, once Beverly had altered his skin's pigment to something comparable to Deanna's.
”We can't transport directly into the city of Jarkana without risking detection by Jem'Hadar sensors,” Vaughn said.