Gauntlet

by Michael Jan Friedman

  “The captain put you up to this,” she said accusingly.

  “Didn’t he? Or was it Ben Zoma?”

  “Ben Zoma,” Greyhorse replied.

  And Wu knew why he had done it.

  She had tried to hold Lieutenant Asmund, Chief Simenon, and Captain Picard to the letter of the law. This was Ben Zoma’s attempt to show her how it felt to be held to that kind of standard.

  The second officer regarded Greyhorse. “Thank you for your honesty,” she told him. Then she left sickbay, already beginning to fashion an appropriate response.

  Ulelo was on his way to the bridge when he heard someone call his name. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw that the greeting had come from Lieutenant Vigo.

  “Yes?” Ulelo said.

  The weapons chief smiled at him as he caught up with his overlong strides. “Headed for the bridge?”

  “That’s right.”

  “So am I.”

  They walked together for a moment, Vigo reducing his strides to match his companion’s. Then he spoke up again.

  “So tell me, Lieutenant, do you have anything planned when your shift is over?”

  Ulelo nodded. “I have some reading to catch up on.”

  It was his stock answer to such a question—and a valuable answer it was, enabling him to keep his options open in case the Pandrilite’s suggestion didn’t serve his purposes.

  Vigo looked disappointed. “That’s too bad.”

  “Why’s that?” Ulelo asked.

  The weapons chief shrugged. “I was hoping to engage you in a session of sharash’di. You’re familiar with the game, aren’t you?”

  Ulelo had to admit that he wasn’t.

  “It’s easy to learn,” Vigo assured him, the twinkle returning to his eye. “If you like, I could teach you sometime.”

  Ulelo considered the offer. On one hand, the idea of learning sharash’di held no appeal for him. He had no patience for trivial pursuits these days.

  On the other hand, it would give him a chance to spend time with the Pandrilite. And that might garner him some insights into the ship’s weapons systems.

  “I would like that,” Ulelo said.

  Vigo smiled, exposing blunt, white teeth. “Good. Maybe tomorrow, then, after our shifts are over.”

  “Tomorrow,” Ulelo echoed, and made a mental note of it.

  * * *

  His shift over, Ben Zoma was plying a corridor en route to his quarters when he ran into Commander Wu.

  “Sir,” said Wu.

  “Commander,” said Ben Zoma.

  “I’m glad I found you,” Wu said.

  “You are?” he asked, wondering why that might be.

  “Yes. Apparently, Lieutenant Asmund isn’t the only one overdue for a helm test. Your qualification’s expired as well.”

  Ben Zoma hadn’t been aware of that. “Are you sure?”

  “Quite sure,” the second officer told him. And she handed him her data padd to prove it.

  He scanned it and saw that his qualification had expired, all right—at midnight the night before. He eyed Wu, hoping to find some evidence that the woman had learned her lesson.

  But he couldn’t see it in her expression.

  “According to regulations,” said Wu, “you’re not permitted to take the helm until you requalify.”

  Ben Zoma sighed. He didn’t much care whether he was permitted to take the helm or not. What he did care about was his second officer’s attitude. Apparently, neither his advice nor her episode with the doctor had done anything to change it.

  “Is that an order?” he asked halfheartedly.

  As he waited for her response, something marvelous happened. Wu laughed—actually laughed. Then she said, “Let’s call it a suggestion, Commander, and leave it at that.”

  Ben Zoma was only too happy to oblige.

  Look for STAR TREK fiction from Pocket Books

  Star Trek®: The Original Series

  Enterprise: The First Adventure • Vonda N. McIntyre

  Strangers from the Sky • Margaret Wander Bonanno

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  #1 • Star Trek: The Motion Picture • Gene Roddenberry

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  #3 • The Klingon Gambit • Robert E. Vardeman

  #4 • The Covenant of the Crown • Howard Weinstein

  #5 • The Prometheus Design • Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath

  #6 • The Abode of Life • Lee Correy

  #7 • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan • Vonda N. McIntyre

  #8 • Black Fire • Sonni Cooper

  #9 • Triangle • Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath

  #10 • Web of the Romulans • M.S. Murdock

  #11 • Yesterday’s Son • A.C. Crispin

  #12 • Mutiny on the Enterprise • Robert E. Vardeman

  #13 • The Wounded Sky • Diane Duane

  #14 • The Trellisane Confrontation • David Dvorkin

  #15 • Corona • Greg Bear

  #16 • The Final Reflection • John M. Ford

  #17 • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock • Vonda N. McIntyre

  #18 • My Enemy, My Ally • Diane Duane

  #19 • The Tears of the Singers • Melinda Snodgrass

  #20 • The Vulcan Academy Murders • Jean Lorrah

  #21 • Uhura’s Song • Janet Kagan

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  #25 • Dwellers in the Crucible • Margaret Wander Bonanno

  #26 • Pawns and Symbols • Majliss Larson

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  #28 • Crisis on Centaurus • Brad Ferguson

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  #32 • Chain of Attack • Gene DeWeese

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  #36 • How Much for Just the Planet? • John M. Ford

  #37 • Bloodthirst • J.M. Dillard

  #38 • The IDIC Epidemic • Jean Lorrah

  #39 • Time for Yesterday • A.C. Crispin

  #40 • Timetrap • David Dvorkin

  #41 • The Three-Minute Universe • Barbara Paul

  #42 • Memory
Prime • Gar and Judith Reeves-Stevens

  #43 • The Final Nexus • Gene DeWeese

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  #45 • Double, Double • Michael Jan Friedman

  #46 • The Cry of the Onlies • Judy Klass

  #47 • The Kobayashi Maru • Julia Ecklar

  #48 • Rules of Engagement • Peter Morwood

  #49 • The Pandora Principle • Carolyn Clowes

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  #52 • Home Is the Hunter • Dana Kramer-Rolls

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  #59 • The Disinherited • Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger

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  #62 • Death Count • L.A. Graf

  #63 • Shell Game • Melissa Crandall

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  #85-87 • My Brother’s Keeper • Michael Jan Friedman #85 • Republic

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  #97 • In the Name of Honor • Dayton Ward

  Star Trek: The Next Generation®

  Metamorphosis • Jean Lorrah

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  Reunion • Michael Jan Friedman

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  The Devil’s Heart • Carmen Carter

  Dark Mirror • Diane Duane

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  Ship of the Line • Diane Carey

  The Best and the Brightest • Susan Wright

  Planet X • Michael Jan Friedman

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  I, Q • John de Lancie & Peter David

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  Immortal Coil • Jeffrey Lang

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  Novelizations Encounter at Farpoint • David Gerrold

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  #33 • Balance of Power • Dafydd ab Hugh

  #34 • Blaze of Glory • Simon Hawke

  #35 • The Romulan Stratagem • Robert Greenberger

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  #37 • The Last Stand • Brad Ferguson

  #38 • Dragon’s Honor • Kij Johnson & Greg Cox

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  #40 • Possession • J.M. Dillard & Kathleen O’Malley

  #41 • Invasion! #2: The Soldiers of Fear • Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  #42 • Infiltrator • W.R. Thompson

  #43 • A Fury Scorned • Pamela Sargent & George Zebrowski

  #44 • The Death of Princes • John Peel

  #45 • Intellivore • Diane Duane

  #46 • To Storm Heaven • Esther Friesner

  #47-49 • The Q Continuum • Greg Cox #47 • Q-Space

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  #49 • Q-Strike

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  #53 • Red Sector • Diane Carey

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  #55 • Double or Nothing • Peter David

  #56 • The First Virtue • Michael Jan Friedman & Christie Golden

  #57 • The Forgotten War • William R. Forstchen

  #58-59 • Gemworld • John Vornholt #58 • Gemworld #1

  #59 • Gemworld #2
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  #60 • Tooth and Claw • Doranna Durgin

  #61 • Diplomatic Implausibility • Keith R.A. DeCandido

  #62-63 • Maximum Warp • Dave Galanter & Greg Brodeur #62 • Dead Zone

  #63 • Forever Dark

  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®

  Warped • K.W. Jeter

  Legends of the Ferengi • Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe

  Novelizations Emissary • J.M. Dillard

  The Search • Diane Carey

  The Way of the Warrior • Diane Carey

  Star Trek: Klingon • Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  Trials and Tribble-ations • Diane Carey

  Far Beyond the Stars • Steve Barnes

  What You Leave Behind • Diane Carey

  #1 • Emissary • J.M. Dillard

  #2 • The Siege • Peter David

  #3 • Bloodletter • K.W. Jeter

  #4 • The Big Game • Sandy Schofield

  #5 • Fallen Heroes • Dafydd ab Hugh

  #6 • Betrayal • Lois Tilton

  #7 • Warchild • Esther Friesner

  #8 • Antimatter • John Vornholt

  #9 • Proud Helios • Melissa Scott

  #10 • Valhalla • Nathan Archer

  #11 • Devil in the Sky • Greg Cox & John Gregory Betancourt

  #12 • The Laertian Gamble • Robert Sheckley

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  #14 • The Long Night • Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  #15 • Objective: Bajor • John Peel

  #16 • Invasion! #3: Time’s Enemy • L.A. Graf

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  #18 • Saratoga • Michael Jan Friedman

  #19 • The Tempest • Susan Wright

  #20 • Wrath of the Prophets • David, Friedman & Greenberger

  #21 • Trial by Error • Mark Garland

  #22 • Vengeance • Dafydd ab Hugh

  #23 • The 34th Rule • Armin Shimerman & David R. George III

  #24-26 • Rebels • Dafydd ab Hugh #24 • The Conquered

  #25 • The Courageous

  #26 • The Liberated

  Books set after the series

  The Lives of Dax • Marco Palmieri, ed.

  Millennium • Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens #1 • The Fall of Terok Nor

  #2 • The War of the Prophets

  #3 • Inferno

  A Stitch in Time • Andrew J. Robinson

  Avatar, Book One • S.D. Perry

  Avatar, Book Two • S.D. Perry

  Section 31: Abyss: • David Weddle & Jeffrey Lang