Distant Shores - Marco Palmieri [11]
Chakotay sat back, hands gripping the ends of the armrests. After a few silent moments he leaned forward and asked, “Paris, what’s our best course out of the mine field?”
“Long-range sensors indicate they stop at z-plus five-hundred million kilometers. We could go up and over the field.”
“How long would that take us compared with going through the field?”
“Since we don’t know the length of the field, that’s hard to say.”
Chakotay struggled to make a decision; there was insufficient data to be comfortable. A sound caused him to turn his head, and he watched as Seska, grim-faced, returned to her post from having delivered the captain to sickbay. She did not even look in his direction.
“We have something, Commander,” Tuvok said instantly. All heads turned toward Tuvok, who continued to monitor status from his board.
“Something?” Chakotay asked. “That’s awfully imprecise for you.” Did he imagine the tone of pique in his voice?
“Five ships approaching at warp six, estimated arrival in eighteen minutes, twenty-five seconds,” Kim called out.
First mines, now ships, likely hostile. This was not at all what he expected even when expecting the unknown. No doubt Voyager was going to be outgunned, so what other options existed? He was even uncertain of the starship’s top speed, which was no doubt compromised by the engine inefficiency.
Chakotay looked up sharply at Kim and then at the screen, as if he could see the ships for himself. Time to act. He settled himself in his chair and ordered for shields to be activated.
“Commander, the vessels are coming into range,” Tuvok announced a few minutes later. Both Tuvok and Kim attempted to refine the data input, but the starships were still too far out. Chakotay had to keep from drumming his fingers along the armrest, force himself to remain in control.
“Any subspace chatter?”
“Nothing I can detect,” Kim answered.
Chakotay rattled off questions to Kim, Paris, and Seska, assessing not only the ship’s ability to put up a fight, but the crew’s ability to function. In the short time they were together, the crew had already been pitted against Kazon Ogla battle cruisers, but that time they were still on two ships, with two different ways of fighting. Janeway would never have sacrificed Voyager to buy Chakotay time. He reflected that she would have found some weakness to exploit, the scientist in her winning out over the warrior in Chakotay.
He had heard enough, letting a portion of his mind absorb the information while another reviewed the options as he saw it. Finally, he was ready to commit the ship and crew to a course of action, one he suspected Janeway would approve when she recovered.
The first officer said, “Paris, full reverse. Get us back into the field where mines have already exploded so we have clear space to maneuver.”
“Full reverse, aye,” Paris said.
Tuvok nodded contemplatively. The option was a valid one, if not as sound as the one he anticipated. It appeared as if Chakotay was preparing for a battle, which was not something the ship and its crew was truly equipped for at this point. After all, there remained key posts unfilled, and the melded crew had barely learned each other’s names, let alone drilled together. It was going to be difficult to know how they would perform under enemy fire with an untested captain.
But was Chakotay untested? Before he joined the Maquis, Chakotay had served aboard other Starfleet vessels, and Tuvok had witnessed Chakotay outthink and outfight the Cardassians on more than one occasion. Still, the Vulcan considered a thirty-nine-year-old ship and known enemy to be entirely different than the current situation. The matter merited close scrutiny.
Tuvok’s thoughts were interrupted as the turbolift doors opened and Kes, the Ocampa female recently added to the crew’s complement, entered the bridge. She seemed on the verge of panic, quite logical considering the unknowns she was facing. With Neelix, she asked to accompany Voyager on its journey homeward, hoping to learn much in the few years she had. Her kind, he was