After drawing a deep breath and knowing how his response likely would be received, Okagawa said, “With all due respect, Commander, I can’t do that. Nezrene has been charged to my responsibility.” In truth, he had believed it a mistake to bring the Tholian with them to Erilon, but Ming Xiong had insisted, citing her importance to the research he wished to conduct in the bowels of the ancient Shedai ruins. Okagawa had viewed the idea as risky, given the Tholians’ general jumpiness about Federation encroachment on planets in the Taurus Reach known to possess Shedai artifacts. The fact that they also were upset at the decision to offer Nezrene sanctuary aboard Vanguard and had made clear their desire to have her extradited, it made sense that they would monitor ship traffic to and from the station in the hopes of recapturing her should she leave her temporary safe haven for any reason. Had they done exactly that, thereby tracking Nezrene to Erilon?
I hate being right all the time.
Restrene’s response was to sever the communications link. On the main viewer, his image was replaced with that of the Tholian vessel. An instant later, the foremost point of the smaller vessel’s hull glowed red, and a writhing ball of energy spat forth, expanding as it drew closer until it bathed the viewscreen in a harsh crimson shroud an instant before the energy burst struck the Lovell’s shields.
Okagawa felt the deck shudder beneath his feet, and he reached back for his chair to steady himself as alarm indicators sounded around the bridge. “Helm, evasive maneuvers! Get me some breathing room. Pzial, notify the landing parties still on the surface that we’re breaking orbit.”
At the helm console, Lieutenant Sasha Rodriquez said, “Evasive, aye,” as she punched in the necessary commands to move the Lovellout of orbit. On the viewscreen, the Tholian vessel actually seemed to be breaking off, allowing the Starfleet ship the room to maneuver without harassment.
“Fire a warning shot across their bow,” Okagawa ordered. “I don’t want them dropping shields and activating transporters.”
At the weapons station, Diamond replied, “Aye, sir.”
The image on the main viewer depicted the twin streaks of bright blue energy as the Lovell’s main phaser banks came to bear, shooting past the forward edge of the Tholian ship.
“That’s going to irritate them,” zh’Rhun said.
There was no choice, Okagawa knew. Outnumbered three to one and with people vulnerable on the surface, his options were limited. He had to make a stand, a show of strength to demonstrate to the Tholians that he would not simply surrender or even make it easy for them to get what they had come for. Looking down at the astrogator, he saw that the other two vessels were breaking formation, moving closer together at the same time as they closed the distance between them and the Lovell.
“I’m picking up power surges in two of the ships,” reported Lieutenant Xav, the Lovell’s science officer. Standing at his console, the Tellarite was peering into his hooded sensor viewer. “Massive buildup in their secondary power-generation systems.”
“Continue evasive,” Okagawa ordered. Looking to zh’Rhun, he asked, “Any idea what they’re up to?”
The Andorian shook her head. “No, sir.”
Beneath his feet, Okagawa felt the deck tremble once again as another disruptor volley slammed into the ship’s deflector shields. Zh’Rhun, holding on to the curved railing to maintain her balance, called out, “Transfer power from nonessential systems to the shields.”
“Energy buildup is increasing,” Xav said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Another strike on the shields sent reverberations through the deck plating, and Okagawa even felt the effects channeled through the arms of his chair. “Diamond, fire at will. Target to disable, if at all possible.” Even under the circumstances, he had no desire to take lives if it could be avoided. Damaged vessels were easier than dead people to discuss and perhaps reconcile, assuming the Tholians felt like discussing anything with the Federation ever again.
One problem at a time, Captain.
Overhead, the lighting flickered for the briefest of moments as the phaser systems drew power. Okagawa watched on the viewscreen as the blasts struck the shields of one Tholian vessel, which promptly broke off its own attack, changing course and veering away.
“Captain,” Xav called out from the science station, “the two ships actually look to be maneuvering into position to join or link up in some manner.”
Confused, Okagawa swiveled his chair toward the science officer. “Is one of the ships damaged? Are they attempting a rescue of some kind?”
“No damage I can see, sir,” the Tellarite replied. Then another alert tone sounded above the rest of the bridge’s omnipresent background chatter, and Xav looked up from his station. “Captain, new sensor contacts. Two Klingon ships approaching at high warp.”
Scarcely believing what he was hearing, Okagawa turned toward the science officer. “Are you serious?”
Xav nodded. “Yes, sir. They’re coming in at full impulse, shields up and weapons armed.”
Still gripping the bridge railing, zh’Rhun said, “The day just gets better and better.”
“They’re targeting the Tholian ships,” Xav reported.
“Onscreen,” Okagawa ordered.
The image on the viewer shifted once more to depict the now-familiar shapes of two Klingon D-7battle cruisers. At the forward edges of the vessels’ nacelles, the ships’ main disruptor banks glowed with the power of barely harnessed energy.
“Get us the hell out of the way,” Okagawa called out, gripping the arms of his chair even as Rodriquez worked her controls. Despite the Lovell’s inertial dampening field, his stomach still told him when the ship banked to starboard, answering the skilled touch of Rodriquez’s hand and clawing for distance.
At the science station, Xav shouted, “They’re opening fire!”
Angry red energy spat forth from the first one, then both of the Klingon cruisers as they homed in on their targets, the oddly conjoined pair of Tholian ships. Multiple plumes of disruptor fire slammed into the smaller vessel’s shields before overpowering those defenses. Another salvo, following on the heels of the first, pushed through the floundering deflectors and punched holes in the hull of one Tholian ship. Shuddering beneath multiple devastating hits, the vessel broke away from its companion only moments before its hull came apart. The vacuum of space snuffed out the intense fireball that ripped through the ship, spewing debris in all directions. Seconds later, the other Tholian vessel followed suit, its frame buckling beneath a relentless onslaught of Klingon disruptor fire.
“Captain,” said zh’Rhun, her tone one of warning, “if we don’t get out of here…”
Okagawa nodded. “I know, I know.” To Rodriquez, he said, “Helm, plot us an evasive course back to Erilon.” He could not leave without the people still on the planet’s surface.
“The Klingon ships are separating,” Xav said. “One is going after the last Tholian ship, and the other…” He turned to look at Okagawa. “Captain, the other is making for orbit. I’m picking up sensors directed at the planet.”
After exchanging alarmed glances with zh’Rhun, Okagawa looked first to Xav and then to the main viewer, which now showed an image of the blue-white world that was Erilon, with a Klingon cruiser speeding toward it. Both Klingon ships were ignoring the Lovell? Okagawa did not know whether to be relieved or insulted.
“What the hell are they doing?”
Running down the corridor, Mahmud al-Khaled was ripping open the closures on his parka with his free hand, reaching for his phaser even as he held his communicator close to his mouth.