by Andy Mangels
“Incoming!
Hernandez felt her ship shudder for a moment as one of the Vulcan vessels returned fire, and the lights on the bridgealready crimson-hued from the moment Columbiahad gone to full tactical alertflickered and dimmed significantly.
“Status? she yelled.
“Hull plating is down to eighty percent, Thayer said.
“Fire at will, Lieutenant, Hernandez shouted to the tactical officer. She tapped the com unit on her chair. “Karl, we need that hull plating at full.
“Im working on it,Graylock said, sounding testy.
“Firing! Thayer said, and the viewscreen showed that Columbiawas swooping over what appeared to be the dorsal surface of one of the combat cruisers. This time, a full spread of Columbias photonic torpedoes struck the warp ring of the ship, resulting in a blazing arc of bluish energy that crackled around the surface of the ring.
“Bring us about for another salvo, Hernandez said.
“Theyre targeting another one of the cargo ships, Fletcher said.
“Get us betweenthe Vulcans and the cargo fleet, Hernandez said. “Our hull plating can take the pounding better than theirs can. She didnt add the words “I hope out loud, though she felt certain she wasnt the only one on the bridge thinking them.
“BothVulcan ships are opening fire! Thayer said.
“I need every last amp of power you can send to the hull plating, Karl, Hernandez shouted into her com unit.
Perhaps a second later, Columbiashuddered and jumped as though shed been struck by the fist of some angry god. The sharp impact threw Hernandez from her chair. Above her head, the hull rang like a gong, and the bridge abruptly plunged into darkness. She heard several screams and thumps from across the bridge, and saw showers of sparks as various duty stations overloaded.
The continued illumination from the console fires showed that most of her bridge crew had either been thrown from their posts or had barely managed to hang on to them. Luckily, no one seemed to have been seriously hurt.
Fletcher and el-Rashad were the first to break out the emergency hand beacons and fire extinguishers, which they immediately brought to bear against the worst of the electrical fires. The emergency lighting finally kicked on as the crew attempted to access Columbias almost uniformly downed systems. The drinks, which had remained mostly untouched after their arrival, had become airborne momentarily, and the emptied cups now rolled in the liquids that had pooled across part of the decks port side, where cups and contents alike now lay forgotten.
“Systems are down shipwide, Akagi said, an apprehensive tremor in her voice.
That fact alone didnt tell Hernandez very much of value. “I need to know how badly weve been damag
“Internal communications coming back online now, Captain, Valerian said, interrupting.
The com system crackled, and the chief engineers Teutonic-accented voice issued from it. “Captain? Whatever they hit us with really fubared us. The warp core iskaput, at least temporarily. Itll take us several hours to fix it, even if the rest of the systems were working fine. Which they arent.
So much for the repairs we just completed,Hernandez thought ruefully. She stared at the main viewscreen, which had yet to return to life. “Are they targeting us again? Hernandez asked, hoping the bridges interval of blindness would be a brief one.
“Sensors are coming back up, Akagi said, coughing at the acrid by-products of the damped-down electrical fires that still lingered in the air.
The ships ventilation system must be down, too,Hernandez thought, cursing inwardly. But she knew Columbiahad to deal with issues even more urgent than life support.
To Hernandezs relief, the viewscreen lit up and displayed a three-dimensional tactical image of what lay above Columbias dorsal hull. The two Vulcan ships seemed to be doing nothing, though Hernandez was pleased to see that the warp-propulsion ring encircling the one they had fired upon appeared to be damaged and offline.
“Transmit our bridge flight recorder files to Starfleet Command now, Hernandez shouted to Valerian. “They need to know what the Vulcans are up to, in case they dont give us time to send a report.
“Im trying, Captain, Valerian said. “Subspace communications seem to be working only intermittently.
“I dont understand any of this, Fletcher said as she wiped the sweat away from beneath her blond bangs. “Why would the Vulcans fire on other Coalition ships?
“Maybe they had intel that told them something about the cargo they were carrying? Hernandez wondered aloud.
“Maybe. But that wouldnt explain why they fired on usas well, Fletcher said.
Hernandezs mind reeled as she realized she had no answers. All she knew for certain was that this situation was not,in the words of members of a certain pointy-eared race, logical. Unless
“Unless the Vulcans arent the ones piloting those ships, she said, her voice low enough that only her XO would hear. “What if the Romulanshave learned to commandeer Vulcan tech, like they did with the Klingon battle cruisers at Draylax?
“Captain, sensors are picking up three more incoming ships! Thayer shouted.
Hernandez stared, slack-jawed, as the image on the viewscreen changed yet again.
Dropping out of warp were two more DKyr-type combat cruisers, and one of the larger, better-armed ShRaan-class ships, which looked like a spear jammed through a hoop. The weaponry the newcomers carried between them would be more than enough to blow both Columbiaand the remnants of the cargo fleet to little more than drifting trails of vapor in a few seconds, polarized hull plating notwithstanding.
“Some days you just cant win, Hernandez said as she slumped back into her chair. Turning toward her XO, she said, “Better prepare to launch the log buoy, Veronica. While we still can.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Tuesday, July 22, 2155 EnterpriseNX-01, near the Gamma Hydra sector
“S HUTTLEPOD T WO IS MAKINGits final docking approach now, Captain, Hoshi said.
Archer nodded, rising from his command chair. “Im going down to the launch bay to meet them, he said. “You have the bridge, Hoshi.
The bridge was running with a skeleton crew at the moment; the most overworked of Enterprises personnel, including ONeill and McCall, were taking well-deserved breaks during the outbound voyage, at least until the time came to bring the ship about deep in the Gamma Hydra sector, retracing the original patrol route back toward Earth.
As he traveled down to E deck in the turbolift, Archer was glad that relatively few people would be around to witness the return of the stolen shuttlepod. No one had questioned him about it directly over the last few days, but by now scuttlebutt had placed TPol and Malcolm on any number of secret missions. He felt fairly certain that none of the crews guesses had come even remotely close to the reality, whatever that might actually turn out to be. He was eager to learn the truth himself.
For the past several days, whenever he hadnt been preoccupied with some emergency or otherhis life-or-death duel on QonoS sprang instantly, not to mention painfully, to mindArcher had mentally rehearsed what he planned to say to TPol and Malcolm once they returned. The chance that they might notmake it back had been a variable he hadnt allowed himself to consider; he couldnt bear to dwell on the possibility that he might have lost two more of his most valuable officers and friends so soon after Trips “death.
But now, as his reunion with the two errant officers neared, he felt his anger being pushed into the recesses of his mind by a rising sense of relief; his momentary pleasure at that unexpected feeling calmed his soul. Whether the root cause was mere fatigue or an emotional ricochet off the ceaseless frustrations all the recent political uncertainty within both Starfleet and the Coalition Council had caused him, by the time he reached the entrance to Launch Bay Two he had settled into an almost Vulcan state of serenity.
The hatch slid open in front of him, and Archer saw that Ensign Bougie was scuttling about outside the newly docked shuttlepod, making post-flight checks of the little ships outer hull and exter
nal propulsion components. The launch bays magnetic docking arm stood just above the shuttlepods roof, and the launch bay air seemed charged with expectation, along with the traditional chill it usually carried immediately after the bay had been repressurized.
“Ensign, Id like a bit of privacy to welcome my officers back aboard, Archer said.
Bougie looked up, apparently surprised and caught in mid-thought, his mouth twisted to one side. “Yes, sir, he said finally, gathering his materials up quickly. Archer noted that he still used old-style writing implements and clipboards, checking off the items on his duty list manually rather than relying on computers and datapads.
A few moments later Archer had positioned himself directly outside the shuttlepod, standing beside its stabilizer wing as he waited for the dorsal hatch to open. TPol exited first, followed by Reed. Both wore dark, tight-fitting but otherwise nondescript clothing, which was partially covered by loose Vulcan-style travelers robes.
“Welcome back aboard Enterprise,Archer said, inflating his words with an air of laconic drollness. In spite of himself, he was enjoying the look of discomfiture he saw on both their faces, especially Malcolms.
“Captain, we can explain, Reed said in a guilt-ridden tone, before TPol had even had a chance to open her mouth.
Archer released a long exhalation through pursed lips. He wanted to ask after Trip Tucker, whose absence now seemed as conspicuous as a corpse at a funeral. At the moment, however, he was in no mood to hear what could well prove to be very bad news. Instead of saying anything, he opted instead merely to smile as he held both arms out before him, making the universal gesture for “give me a hug.
“You can save your explanations for later, he said. “First, are both of you all right?
Reed stepped awkwardly into the hug, half embracing Archer while patting him on the back lightly, though just hard enough to force him to suppress a wince. TPol merely stood in place, looking nearly as awkward as Reed did.
“We managed to make it back in one piece, with no scratches or dents, as has the shuttlepod, Reed said in overemphatic tones as he pulled back just enough to make a close study of Archers bruised face. “Which is apparently more than we can say about you, Captain.
“Cracked ribs, Archer said. “I had a mean encounter with a Klingon admiral, but I think he ended up looking even worse than I do. Long story, short ending.
“Like I said, well have a long talk later about what the hell you two were doing when you took that shuttlepod, Archer said, trying to color his words with the same stern, scolding authority he remembered from the occasional childhood reprimands he had received from his father. “All Im going to say on the subject right now is that Im getting a bit tired of my most trusted officers deciding that the rules dont apply to them. Finding a detour off the main road doesnt automatically make it the route to take. And ifmy most trusted officers want to continuebeing my most trusted officers, theyd better have an explicit understanding that there will notbe any more detours.
TPol raised an eyebrow. “Captain, you have my sincere apologies. Our actions wereinappropriate and badly timed. I hope that you will allow me and Lieutenant Reed to make amends.
Archer turned and strode in the direction of the hatchway that led out of the launch bay and deeper into E decks interior, TPol and Reed following in his wake. “As far as anyone on this ship other than myself is concerned, you wont needto make amends. Phlox is the only person other than the three of us who knows that what you did wasnt authorized. Everybody else thinks you were on some kind of secret spy mission for Starfleet.
“Which is true, except for the Starfleet part, Reed said, grinning sheepishly.
Archer turneda bit too sharply for his ribsand growled, “Nobody else needs to know that. My log will show that TPol needed a lotof therapeutic meditation, and that you, Malcolm, were in your quarters recovering from the worst case of the Altairian quick-step in the history of human space exploration.
Reed made a face, but said nothing in response.
“Captain, the ship that helped ferry us in and out of Romulan space was a Vulcan intelligence vessel, TPol said.
“I was wondering how you were going to manage to pull off that part of your plan, Archer said. “You wereflying a short-range Starfleet shuttlepod, after all.
“Apparently, a craft as small as a shuttlepod canescape detection even deep inside Romulan space so long as it calls no undue attention to itself, TPol said. “Unfortunately, the only way we could discover that fact was to proceed with our plan.
“Gaining access to a Vulcan spys rather detailed Romulan star charts didnt hurt either, Reed added.
Archer stared at him as the hatch that led to E decks corridors opened in front of them. “Youve got maps? The official Coalition maps of the Romulan Empire were astonishingly incomplete, cobbled together mainly by means of long-range scans. Archer didnt know what good Reeds maps would do anyone at the moment, but he suspected that they might become extremely valuable in the days ahead.
Reed nodded, grinning an “aw-shucks grin that he had developed after four years of close association with Trip. “I certainly hope those maps will buy us back some of the goodwill weve lost.
“Ill consider it a down payment, Archer said. “As long as it stays in trustworthy hands, and away from certain shady characters I could name. The idea of having a resource that the mysterious black-garbed Agent Harris and his secretive Starfleet intelligence organization might lack appealed to him greatly.
Reed swiped his index finger across his chest, miming the letter X. “Cross my heart, sir. This little adventure of ours had nothingto do with the bureau.
As they approached the central turboshaft, TPol spoke again. “Captain, while we docked with the Vulcan vessel, we also discovered some intelligence related to you.
“Me? Archer said as he came to a stop just outside the turbolift door, which slid obediently open for him.
She nodded. “We know, for instance, about the evidence you presented to the Coalition Council concerning the Romulans and this new ability of theirs to remotely commandeer Klingon vessels.
As the trio stepped into the turbolift, Archer said, “Good. That ought to make it easier to persuade the Council not to get caught up in the wrong war against the wrong enemy. The doors hissed closed and Archer directed the turbolift to A deck, and the bridge.
“Our understanding, at least from those aboard the Vulcan ship, TPol said, “was that the Vulcan government may be far more inclined to accept your interpretation of the danger posed by the Romulans than are the other Coalition members.
“I wonder how much of that agreement stems from the relationship we know exists between the Vulcans and the Romulans? Archer said. He knew that Reed hadto know about that relationship by now; he couldnt have undertaken an extended mission into Romulan space without gaining some exposure to the startling physiological similarities between the two races.
“I am not sure, Captain, TPol said with evident sincerity; Archer knew that this was an extremely sensitive topic for her.
Noting they were about to reach the bridge, Archer pressed the stop button on the control pad. “Before we go any further, I want to cover the one topic weve all been avoiding since you two came aboard. He wasnt certain he wanted to hear the answer, but he had to know the truth. “How is Trip? Did you find him?
Reed nodded and displayed a sober expression. “We found him, and arrived just in the nick of time, too. Whatever these psychic flashes or connections that TPol has been having with our late chief engineer, she was right; his life wasin danger. After we helped get him out of the jam hed gotten himself into, we offered to bring him back, but he refused. He felt he still had a mission to complete.
“Something about the Romulan warp-seven project? Archer asked.
“That is at least oneof the objectives he appears to be pursuing, TPol said, her voice dropping lower. “He had also gathered other information, which he passed on to us. It concerned the Klingon attack on Draylax.
“He found more evidence that the Romulans were behind what happened at Draylax?
TPol shook her head, looking almost wistful. “No, Captain. His Romulan intelligence contacts had led him to believe that the Klingons were indeed the aggressors at Draylax.
Archer was puzzled. “But we already know that cant be true. How could he discover something that isnt true, unless
The answer to his question dawned on him before he could finish his sentence, and the idea chilled him to the core.
“Unless he was purposelybeing misled, TPol said. “Meaning that his identity as a spy may well have been compromised.
Archer shuddered, trying desperately to force his mind not to wander down the path it was already navigating. If Trip was indeed compromised, any information he was finding was likely to be tainted. And if he failed to pass along what was almost certainly disinformation concocted by the Romulan Star Empires intelligence servicesor if he managed to discover that Romuluss own spymasters were using him as a pawn in their gamethen he was likely to end up in the crosshairs of some Romulan assassin.
Archer knew that in the shadowy world of espionage, compromised spies frequently ended up very dead.
THIRTY-NINE
Tuesday, July 22, 2155 S.S. Kobayashi Maru, Gamma Hydra sector
K OJIRO V ANCE TRACEDthe swell of the womans dusky-hued hip as she slumbered, his fingertip traveling over the exquisite area he had so recently ravished. She had tasted like plums, although he granted, in retrospect, that it might have been the liqueur they had consumed before theyd had passionate sex against nearly every flat surface in his opulently appointed quarters.
Orana Shubé clearly wanted to go places on the ship, but Vance wasnt certain that there was any place for her to go. After all, she wasnt particularly intelligent, and her mechanical aptitude was laughable. He suspected that she would best serve him exactly where she was, in the captains bed. Or, perhaps, in the galley, preparing food for the crew and passengers. And, of course, thetemporary guests.
