Myriad Universes_ Echoes And Refractions Part 19

"Yes, sir."

Picard went into his ready room and made a beeline for the replicator. "Tea, Earl Grey, hot."

First the Borg, now a war with the Romulans. The first year of the Enterprise-E's existence had been a relatively sedate one, marred only by a rather unfortunate incident involving a very pregnant Lwaxana Troi and her attempts to get out of her marriage to a Tavnian named Jeyel.

However, aside from the Carda.s.sians' surprise absorption of the Ferengi Alliance and the usual border squabbles between the Klingons and the Romulans, the Alpha Quadrant had been quiet of late. The former had Picard a little concerned, but the latter just seemed to be business as usual between two powers that seemed destined to always be at odds.

There was always the threat of the Borg returning, but that had at least been dealt with-for now. Prior to this recent conflict, the Enterprise had been able to spend most of the last year on its primary mission of exploration, mapping the T'Yira Cl.u.s.ter.

After the EnterpriseD's destruction at Veridian III, Picard had been worried that he would not be able to retain his senior staff. But they all came back together when the Sovereign-cla.s.s ship was launched-even Worf, whom Picard had to track down at a monastery on Boreth and talk out of resigning his commission.

The computer station on Picard's desk beeped. Sitting down at his desk, he activated the station and saw that Data had gathered all the latest on the Klingon-Romulan conflict.

He read it over and realized that it wasn't quite the usual. A Romulan ship had led a wholly unprovoked attack on a Klingon outpost. A Klingon fleet-led by a Captain Wogh, who claimed to be avenging the death of his son, the outpost commander-destroyed a Romulan installation. War was inevitable after that.

But why did the Romulans attack that Klingon outpost in the first place? The Romulan High Command insisted that it was the act of a renegade, but that explanation seemed too pat.

"Worf to Picard."

Tapping his combadge, Picard said, "Go ahead, Commander."

"Seven vessels are accompanying us to Starbase 24, Captain-and five more are meeting us at the starbase. We are proceeding at warp four."

"Thank you, Mister Worf. Time to arrival at the starbase?"

"Three days at this speed. You are also receiving a personal communication from General Martok."

Martok was, Picard knew, the person in charge of Klingon forces for this war. "News, it seems, travels fast. Pipe him through to here, Mister Worf."

The grizzled face of a seasoned warrior appeared on Picard's screen. The general's eyes both stared intently at Picard even before the image came into focus. "Captain Picard. I have been informed that you are to lead the Starfleet forces that are supporting us in battle."

"So I have been led to believe, General."

"Chancellor Gowron specifically requested you, Captain. That is a great honor."

"Indeed," Picard said, though it was an honor he could have done without. "I should warn you, General, that our forces are a trifle depleted. We have just faced the Borg-"

"And you survived." For the first time, Martok smiled. "Anyone who can defeat those cybernetic creatures is a worthy warrior, and one I would be proud to have at my side against the Romulans." Martok shook his head. "They attack us without provocation, and we believe their lies that it is the action of a renegade. Then, when Captain Wogh seeks vengeance, as is his right, they declare war. They will learn their folly, Picard-and you will help us teach it to them."

"Our fleet will a.s.semble at Starbase 24 in three days, General. I'll contact you then."

"Very well, Captain. Qapla'!"

Picard simply turned off the viewer, unable to bring himself to wish Martok success-though he hardly hoped for failure, either. In truth, he did not want a war. The Sovereign-cla.s.s Enterprise was far more suited to battle than the old Galaxy-cla.s.s had been. The newer ship was built in the shadow of the Borg, after all. But Jean-Luc Picard still thought of himself primarily as an explorer, and the Enterprise-E was still designed for that purpose. Being sent to lead troops in a war wasn't the mission Picard had signed on for.

But it was his mission right now, given to him by the president himself.

8.

An Unnamed Starhopper Interstellar s.p.a.ce Carda.s.sian Union When Kira had first beamed onto the starhopper, her third emotion was grat.i.tude that the refrigeration units were still active and had kept the ration packs fresh. (Her first and second emotions were also grat.i.tude, the first for the still-functioning transporter console, and the second for the life-support system. The air was incredibly stale, but it was breathable. The hauler didn't have any EVA suits-probably another budget-saving move-so if the atmosphere had been drained from the starhopper, Kira would have been in serious trouble.) The refrigeration units were also filled to the brim; whoever used the starhopper last had thought to restock before hiding it, which was standard procedure, but not always possible. The ship could only go to warp three, so it would take her a few weeks to make it to the Federation border, and she needed to eat.

Her fourth emotion was annoyance, however, because the warp engines were not quite up to snuff. According to a note left behind by a resistance fighter named Biroj, the intermix chamber couldn't handle anything faster than warp one-point-nine. Kira had never met Biroj, though she remembered Furel talking about her and saying that she knew her way around an engine.

Which was more than Kira could claim. She had no way to find out if Biroj's note was correct, since she didn't know an intermix chamber from a waste extractor, so the best she could do was to keep the starhopper at warp one-point-nine.

That speed meant her arrival in Federation s.p.a.ce would take months, not weeks. It also meant that Garak's intelligence regarding patrols would be decreasingly useful as she went along. Shipping patterns changed, after all, and the farther away Kira got from the time when Garak received the information, the more likely it was to be amended.

After five days, she discovered something else that would delay her arrival further, something Biroj had forgotten to put in her note, but did program into the computer. Apparently, after five days of continuous warp, the engines overheated. Biroj had programmed them to automatically shut down for seven hours when that happened, which meant that Kira had to hope she would be somewhere safe each time that happened. The starhopper had a hull sheath that made it invisible to long-range sensors, purchased by the resistance years ago from a trader named Arctus Baran. But it was effective only when a ship was far away or at warp. If she had to take the ship out of warp too close to a ship, a planet, or a base, she was in trouble.

Of course, had the ship been capable of warp three, she'd only have had to stop three times, but since she was stuck at less than warp two, she would have to make dozens of those stops over the months she traversed Carda.s.sian s.p.a.ce.

Many times, she was tempted to open the containment unit. But she knew that was impossible. Once the unit was opened, Garak had said, it could not be reused. She had to wait until she was safely on a Federation ship before she opened it.

At least the hauler had a comfortable bunk and a decent commode. As unpleasant as it was to be stuck in a ship for so long, the accommodations were actually of a higher quality than Kira had ever had in her life. I just hope they're not my last.

Toward the end of one of her enforced stops, the proximity alarm went off at the same time that the comm system said she was being hailed. Sensors indicated a convoy of Ferengi vessels. Dammit, they couldn't have shown up ten minutes later?

She checked to make sure the holofilter was working, but then answered only on audio, confident in her ability to bluff her way past a DaiMon without the need of holographic tricks. "This is the pleasure vessel Koramar. How can I help you?"

"You can start by broadcasting your face."

"Who am I talking to?" Kira said snappishly. She only needed to keep him talking for another nine-and-a-half minutes; then she could go to warp, and would be home free.

"I am DaiMon Gig of the attack vessel Security. I am in charge of protecting this convoy, and you will tell me your business and show me your face."

Kira shook her head. They named the security ship Security. Can't fault them for description. "My name's Kella Torcet. I'm trying to get to Bol'rak's Planet to meet my husband. Unfortunately, the starhopper he gave me leaves a lot to be desired. The warp drive overheats every five days, and it won't go faster than warp two."

"That explains your business. I still have not seen your face."

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Kira activated the holofilter. "All right, all right." She turned on the viewer, which gave her a view of a weaselly-looking Ferengi with small eyes and a big nose even by their standards. "You happy, you little troll? This trip has been agonizing enough without having to justify my existence to the likes of you."

A voice sounded from the DaiMon's right. "Oh, it isn't the likes of him you have to justify your existence to, Ms. Torcet."

The image frame widened to show a Carda.s.sian gul standing to the DaiMon's left. Gig glanced over at the gul with an annoyed expression. Kira suspected that the Carda.s.sian's presence on the vessel didn't meet with Gig's approval.

Maintaining her arch tone, Kira asked, "And you are?" She also started trying to override the computer lockout on the warp drive, in case this gul didn't give her the remaining nine minutes.

"I'm Gul Ovell, and I'm here to ensure that these citizens of the Carda.s.sian Union are safely brought to their new homes. That includes making sure that privateers don't try to harm the convoy-as has happened in the past."

"If you say so. I'm simply waiting for my warp drive to be active, and I'll be on my way. I couldn't care less about your convoy."

"Really?" The gul was holding up a data clip. "Yet, according to these readings, your ship has a sheath that is not standard issue on pleasure craft of that type."

Kira finally overrode the lockout. "My husband made a number of modifications, I don't think-"

"Plus there's that holofilter you're using."

That ended that. Kira had no idea when the Carda.s.sians or the Ferengi got the upgrades to their sensors that would allow them to detect the sheath or the holofilter. It also didn't really matter. She quickly started running the start-up sequence to get the warp drive going.

"Train all weapons on this spy's ship, DaiMon," Gul Ovell said.

DaiMon Gig looked to his left. "Do as he says!"

The start-up sequence was almost finished, but the lead Ferengi vessel was powering weapons.

Come on, come on...

One second before the start-up sequence finished, the Ferengi phasers started firing.

Kira watched as if in slow motion as the phaser fire spit out of the Ferengi ship even as she activated the warp drive. The phaser fire clipped the hull as she went into warp.

Alarms blared throughout the flight deck. The ship shuddered for several seconds as it entered warp, then settled down. Kira kept her speed at warp one-point-five to be safe, and once the ship seemed to be going all right, she eased it up to one-point-nine. Sensors indicated that the the sheath was still intact, but it was cracked, and that the warp engines were damaged.

She did a quick inventory, and realized that there was no way she could repair the engines, having neither the parts nor the knowhow. Certain on-the-fly repairs were within her abilities, but the dilithium crystal housing was physically cracked. There were no replacements on board, and the housing couldn't be patched.

Checking the computer, she learned that she could continue at warp for another seven hours before the crack in the housing increased to a size that would interfere with the proper working order of the starhopper.

Kira snarled. Proper working order. Right. Meaning I'll blow up.

She then checked the star charts and the long-range sensors in search of planets and bases that, at warp one-point-nine, were within seven hours of her position.

After finding and rejecting several candidates, she noticed that the Oolon system was one of the options. On the fringes of what used to be Ferengi s.p.a.ce, it was just within the starhopper's now-limited range.

Changing course, she headed for the Oolon system.

Just short of seven hours later-during which time Kira showered and grabbed a nap-the starhopper arrived at the Oolon system. Kira came out of warp and then shut down the warp drive completely. It was useless to her now. Switching to impulse engines, she set a course for the third moon around Oolon IV.

As the starhopper approached the moon, another alarm went off. Checking, Kira saw that the structural integrity field was failing, and the hull damage from the fire she'd taken was such that the starhopper would start venting atmosphere once the SIF failed. Just in time for me to achieve orbit, Kira thought sourly, pushing the impulse engines to go faster so she could at least make it within transporter range of the moon.

Then another alarm went off, signaling that the antimatter containment unit was failing. Suddenly, all of Kira's other problems paled in comparison. She gathered up the satchel, with its critical contents, and slung it over her shoulder, then stepped to the transporter console. Scanning the surface of the moon, she found its lone piece of construction: a mansion gilded with latinum.

Smiling, Kira set the transporter to beam her down in front of the mansion as soon as the starhopper got into range.

I just hope that happens before the containment unit fails, she thought nervously. She'd hate to have come all this way, broken free of Bajor, and gotten past a Carda.s.sian-run Ferengi convoy, only to die here.

Various alarms pealed throughout the ship, almost deafening Kira, when the transporter started to engulf her.

Just as it did, the flight deck was consumed by a ma.s.sive fire.

Then she was on the surface.

It was night on the moon, and it was freezing cold, with wind whipping in off a nearby lake and cutting into her. Looking up, Kira saw a plume of fire erupt, lighting the night sky. So much for that starhopper. Sorry, Biroj, I know you took good care of it.

The door to the mansion opened, and its owner and sole occupant (except for servants, which said occupant didn't count) came running out, dressed in a nightshirt and looking extremely peeved.

"What in the name of the Grand Nagus is going on out here?"

Kira looked over at the perturbed Ferengi, and smiled. "Good to see you, too, Quark. I need your help."

9.

Starbase 24 In Orbit of Korvis IX United Federation of Planets Jean-Luc Picard was furious.

He beamed onto the two-person platform in the anteroom outside Starbase 24's commandant's office. A young Bolian ensign sat at a desk. "Captain Picard," she said. "The admiral's waiting for you."

Picard had just enough tattered remains of his comportment to mean it when he said, "Thank you." After all, it wasn't the ensign's fault.

He headed for the large wooden doors emblazoned with the Starfleet delta, which obligingly parted at his approach.

Admiral Vance Haden sat behind his desk, reading over a padd, but he looked up when Picard entered. He'd added a few bags under his eyes in the months since Picard saw him last. The war had that effect on people.

"Good to see you, Jean-Luc."

"It is good to be seen, Vance. There were moments when I had my doubts."

Setting down the padd and indicating the guest chair, Haden said, "Have a seat." In contrast, Haden got up and went to the replicator. "You look like you could use a drink."

Closing his eyes, Picard found himself imagining the family vineyard on Labarre. He didn't think of the place often-more since his brother and nephew died in a fire two years ago-but now, he recalled sitting in the living room with Robert, drinking the '47 Merlot, after they'd had their ridiculous fight in the mud.

Sad when the war has gone so badly that I'm thinking back fondly on my recovery from being a.s.similated. "A gla.s.s of red wine would be lovely. Merlot, if you please."

To the replicator, Haden said, "Computer, two drinks, alcoholic. A gla.s.s of Merlot and a shot of Bushmills 21."

Picard raised an eyebrow. "Alcoholic?" Starfleet regulations stipulated that officers could drink only syntheholic liquor while on duty.

"Admiral's privilege. Or wartime exception. Call it what you want." The drinks materialized with a hum, and Haden brought them to his desk, handing Picard a long-stemmed gla.s.s while keeping a square, thick-bottomed gla.s.s of amber liquid for himself. Picard twirled the wine around, disappointed to see it had no legs. But then, this was a replicated wine...

Raising his gla.s.s, Haden said, "To Khitomer."

"To Khitomer, which remains a Klingon planet."

They both drank. The Merlot was a bit harsh, but fairly fruity for all that. "I compliment whoever programmed your replicator."

Haden smiled. "The same engineer who turned me on to this stuff. Never used to be much of a whiskey drinker, then I had Bushmills 21 for the first time, and now I can't drink anything else without being disappointed." Haden set down the gla.s.s and gave Picard one of his patented wide-eyed stares. "What happened, Jean-Luc?"

"Martok, for reasons pa.s.sing understanding, diverted Captain Kirros's fleet to H'atoria."