Double Helix 06_ The First Virtue - Michael Jan Friedman [69]
Picard swore under his breath.
“What’s going on?” Ben Zoma wanted to know.
“Our quarry has been here all the time,” the captain informed him, “right under our noses. It seems our good friend and ally Governor Thul was behind the attacks.”
The first officer’s eyes widened. “Thul… 7”
“Yes. And now he’s disappeared. We have to catch him before he makes the situation worse than it already is.”
Ben Zoma thought for a moment. “Sir,” he said, “a Thallonian ship leaves a distinctive ion trail…”
“Which we can follow,” Picard noted crisply. “Quite right, Number One.” He turned to Gerda Asmund, his statuesque, blond navigator. “Find that trail for me, Lieutenant.”
“Aye, sir,” said Asmund.
The captain regarded Idun Asmund, Gerda’s twin. “When we find it,” he told her, “pursue at full impulse.” At least until we leave the planet’s gravity well, he reflected.
“Full impulse,” the helm officer repeated.
Finally, Picard addressed Cadwallader. “Send the following message to Commander Crusher and Ensign Tuvok,” he instructed. “Message received, quarry has departed. We are following the trail, bearing-” He raised an eyebrow as he regarded his navigator.
Gerda Asmund frowned for a moment as she analyzed the sensor data. At last, she looked up. “Bearing three two four mark nine,” the lieutenant said with the utmost confidence.
The captain nodded, grateful for the quality of his bridge personnel. It was hard for him to imagine having a more efficient officer in charge of his navigation console.
“Bearing three two four mark nine,” he repeated for Cadwallader’s benefit. “Make your best speed to intercept. Picard out.”
He watched Idun Asmund out of the corner of his eye as she set a course in accordance with the Thallonian’s escape route. Like her sister, she was as proficient as they came.
“Course set,” the helm officer announced when she was finished.
“Thank you,” the captain told them, “one and all.”
He took his center seat and trained his eyes on the viewscreen, where the field of stars wheeled by as Idun Asmund brought the Stargazer about. Ben Zoma came over to stand at his side.
“That old fox Thul has led us on a merry chase,” the first officer noted without any of his characteristic good humor.
Picard nodded. “Yes,” he agreed, “that he has. But the hounds are finally on the right trail.”
He imagined the Thallonian’s vessel centered on his screen, in his phaser sights. Now, the captain added silently, it’s just a matter of how fast the old fox can run.
Chapter Seventeen
JACK CRUSHER FINISHED LISTENING to Picard’s return message through his Benniari headset. Then he turned to Tuvok, who was seated beside him. “They want us to rendezvous with them,” he said.
“Our Benniari vessel cannot match the speed of a Constellation-class Starship,” the Vulcan observed.
The commander shrugged. “I know. I guess we’ll just have to do our best.”
Tuvok nodded and tapped in their new heading. The ship came about smoothly under the Vulcan’s direction.
Crusher leaned back and unfolded his long legs, which were starting to cramp. There was nothing to do now, he reflected, but activate the warp drive when they escaped the gravity well of Debennius VI-and hope they were in time to be of some help to their captain.
“Commander?” said Tuvok.
Crusher looked at him. “Hmm?”
“I have been spending a great deal of effort reviewing this mission…”
The human smiled wanly. “Me too.”
“And I have come to two conclusions,” the ensign announced. “First, that I was insubordinate to a superior officer. And second, that I was incorrect in my assessment of his methods.”
Crusher realized his mouth was agape. He closed it. “You’re kidding, right?” And then, before Tuvok could correct him, he added, “Don’t say it. Vulcans never kid.”
“That is true,” Tuvok remarked.
“But how can you say that about my methods?” the human asked. “All I did was manage to get us captured by Barrh’s men. As you yourself said, I put us in unnecessary danger.”
“Nonetheless,” the Vulcan insisted, “we obtained the requisite information and survived