Death of a Neutron Star - Eric Kotani [66]
"Xorm ship destroyed," Kim said.
Janeway permitted herself a sigh of relief. But only a small one. At least they wouldn't be fired on anymore. Now all they had to deal with was a neutron star explosion in the binary.
"Stay with the shuttle, Tom."
"Right with them," Tom said. "Like a big brother."
"You still have a transporter lock on the crew, Mr. Kim?" Janeway asked.
"Got them solidly," Kim said. "No problems."
Voyager was bucking in the incredible variable gravitational forces coming off the neutron binary. It felt as if the entire ship was being torn apart around her. Janeway doubted they could take much more. She had no idea how Tuvok and Tyla were managing on the shuttle.
"At periastron, we're approaching the same distance the Xorm ship was."
"How much time do we have before the shuttle goes too low at its periastron?" Janeway asked.
"Less than ten seconds," Chakotay said.
"Get ready to get them out of there, Mr. Kim," she said.
"Ready, Captain."
"B'Elanna?" Janeway said. "No time left."
"Tractor beams coming back on-line now, Captain."
"Got them," Chakotay said.
"Tom, pull us up out of here."
"Gladly," he said.
"Slowly," she said. "We don't want to lose the shuttle a second time."
Tom nodded and for the next few seconds Voyager continued to rattle and shake as Tom moved them up away from the intense, rapidly changing gravity well of the binary.
"Tuvok? Lieutenant Tyla?" Janeway asked. "Are you all right?"
"Bruised," Tuvok said. "But otherwise our health is fine. I am pleased we could save the shuttle."
"So am I," she said.
Tom let out a deep sigh and leaned back, sweat dripping from his neck and staining the back of his shirt.
Janeway sat back in her command chair for a moment and stared at the binary on the main screen. It was lucky there weren't more of these things in the galaxy. They were too dangerous. Far too dangerous.
Then she stood.
There was still one more task to accomplish.
A few more worlds to save.
IN ALL HIS YEARS OF COMMAND, CAPTAIN QADOS OF the Qavok warship Invincible had never had such a bad day.
Never.
Around him his crew worked intently. And very silently, not daring to speak. The smoke still filled the air of his command, forcing his second eyelids down, making everything seem blurry. The smell of burning equipment choked him, but he did not allow himself to cough and show weakness. He would remain strong and in command until the very end. And if they escaped, he would become the hero of this fight. The only ship to survive against the dreaded humans.
The human ship Voyager, with its insufferable Captain Janeway, had destroyed their shields, their weapons, and their drives. Only the skill of Command Pilot Qaad had kept them orbiting the neutron star on maneuvering thrusters. They were just barely holding an orbit, but unable to pull away at all.
Unless they got their warp drive back on-line very soon, it would make no difference. They would be vaporized when the neutron star exploded.
The ship hit a bump, as if it had just run over something on a smooth road. Normally he would have yelled at any pilot who made such a mistake, but Command Pilot Qaad was doing his best under these trying conditions and Qados knew it. No amount of yelling would help at this point anyway.
The worst part of the day was the moment the Voyager captain had tricked his proud Qavok fleet into taking the prince's yacht back. Of course it had been a trap. Why else would a monster like Jane-way send out such a gift? Surely not out of goodwill He would have tried to warn his comrades, but he was on the other side of the binary at that moment. There was nothing he could have done.
They were stupid.
They deserved to die.
Now, over the last few minutes, he had sat, mouth slightly open, teeth partially exposed, as Voyager obliterated the Xorm ship.
At first he had wondered