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The Stargazer dove to the left under the skillfull hands of her helm officer. A moment later, the blue blaze of a Thallonian energy blast passed harmlessly beside them.

The ship was still in the roll as Picard shot a glance at Vigo and cried out, “Now!”

A rapid volley of photon torpedoes struck Thul’s vessel dead on, detonating when it hit the Thallonian’s deflectors. Picard didn’t need his weapons officer’s report to know he had made the right choice. He could see how quickly the enemy withdrew in the wake of his assault

“We made some headway that time,” Vigo reported. He grinned at his monitor. “Their shields are down thirty-eight percent… and we seem to have taken out one of their weapon ports.”

The captain decided to press his advantage. Given the disparity in their weapons systems, Thul wouldn’t be expecting it

“Bear down on them,” Picard told Idun Asmund. “Mr. Vigo, ready phasers and torpedoes. Full spread.”

“Aye, sir,” said the helm officer.

“Aye, sir,” said the Pandrilite.

The governor’s ship was still looping about in an almost casual manner, her flank very much exposed. The captain’s eyes narrowed eagerly as she loomed on his screen.

“Fire!” he barked.

Suddenly, the Stargazer hammered her adversary with all the might at her disposal. The Thallonian seemed to recoil from the barrage, ruby-red phaser beams ripping hungrily at her shields, photon torpedoes exploding around her to spectacular effect.

If Picard was going to win this battle, he told himself, he would do it now or not at all. “Fire!” he barked.

Again, Vigo unleashed a hail of phasers and torpedoes, tearing apart the enemy’s defenses with overwhelming efficiency. The Thallonian tried to escape, but to no avail. No matter how Thul’s ship tried to elude her, Idun clung to it like a predator worrying her prey.

One more volley, the captain thought, and it would all be over. One more volley and the enemy vessel would be crippled.

“Fire again!” he told his weapons officer.

But no sooner had the words left his mouth than the Thallonian turned the tables. Instead of trying to shake his pursuer, he did the last thing Picard had anticipated… he came about and fired back.

All the captain saw was a blue-white burst of brilliance on his viewscreen. Then he was catapulted out of his chair like an ancient cannonball. The next thing he knew, he was pulling himself up off the deck, a distinct taste of blood in his mouth.

He looked about-and didn’t like what he saw. The Stargazer’s bridge had been transformed into a scene out of hell. Control consoles blazed and smoke gathered in dark clouds under the low ceiling. All around Picard, his officers were struggling to get to their feet, trying to shake off the bludgeoning effects of the Thallonian’s counterattack.

“Casualties on decks six, seven, ten and eleven,” Ben Zoma bellowed, waving smoke away so he could see one of the aft consoles.

“We’ve lost weapons,” Vigo announced sharply, wiping some blood from his forehead with the back of his hand. “Shields as well.”

“Propulsion and helm control are offline,” Idun observed grimly.

“So is navigation,” Gerda added.

The captain turned to the forward viewscreen. Through the thick, acrid smoke, he could make out Thul’s ship. She seemed to be hanging in space, her portals dark.

“What about the Thallonian?” he inquired as he made his way back to his center seat.

“Looks like he’s in bad shape too,” Ben Zoma reported, checking his sensor readings. “No shields, no weapons, no propulsion …” He turned to Picard. “That killer’s in the same boat we are.”

The captain grunted at the irony-not that he wasn’t grateful for it. “Picard to engineering.”

“Aye, sir?” came Simenon’s response.

“How does it look down there?” he asked the Gnalish.

“Like we’ve been turned inside out,” came the answer. “I’ve got half my people working on restoring propulsion and the other half on the EPS system… unless, of course, you’ve got a better idea.”

“No,” Picard sighed. “Can you tell