Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [94]
"Get right on it," Janeway said. "Do the best you can."
"Our problems are about to be compounded," Paris said, glancing up at the main screen, "unless we get moving."
"Agreed," Janeway said. Paris was carrying out orders, bringing Voyager around the nearby moon once again, just approaching the position of the cruiser that had paced them here. Paris would find the derelict, or he would do whatever he could to take Voyager to safety.
The problem with the latter was that no safe place existed. The combined Televek fleet could outgun and outmaneuver Voyager many times over, rendering any tactical attempts to hide behind planets or moons quite hopeless. Yet if they lingered here, Voyager's future would certainly consist of only minutes.
"Abandon the rescue attempt," she said at last. "Helm, plot a course toward the outer gas giants. Mr. Stephens, try hailing the Televek fleet. With a little luck, I may be able to buy us some time."
"The Televek are not responding," Stephens said after only a moment.
"The fleet continues to approach at nearly full impulse."
Tuvok said, "Their heading will bring them directly to us. I estimate they will intercept in fifty-nine seconds."
"If we leave the system without warp capability we'll be sitting ducks," Chakotay said.
"And if we stay, they'll cut us off," Janeway muttered. She looked up at the screen as the image changed to real space, magnified many times.
At least a dozen ships could be seen now, small shining dots like tiny stars against the black night of space. She stood up and stepped forward. There were words that needed to be said to the crew, both Starfleet and Maquis, men and women who had truly begun to work together and hope together.
She had always thought there would be time to say them. It wasn't working out that way.
"Arm the photons and transfer all available power to the shields, including life-support. We won't fire unless they do, but I want to be ready." She looked around her, found Chakotay looking back. "We won't go quietly," she said. "I promise you."
He returned a silent, solemn nod.
"Captain," Tuvok said, his voice raised above his usual Vulcan monotone. "I am detecting multiple energy readings from the planet.
Similar to previous contacts, but stronger." He paused.
"Much stronger. I'm also reading a massive buildup--" "In the cavern!"
Janeway said, eyes wide as she spun one-half turn to face the tactical bay. "How many individual readings?"
"Dozens, and all of the contacts appear to be headed toward space."
"Put it up," Janeway ordered.
The tactical display Tuvok had been monitoring appeared on the main screen. All eyes watched as a cloud of energy bursts swept up from the planet's surface. They rushed past Voyager's position in an instant, then continued out into space.
"Projected course?" Janeway asked.
Tuvok paused, verifying. "They appear to be on an intercept course toward the Televek fleet. Their individual power levels are continuing to rise to extraordinary levels."
Janeway narrowed her gaze and watched the ghosts cross the screen, watched the Televek fleet bearing down on them, nearly arrived at Drenar Four, close to Voyager's own position now.
"I'll just bet they are," she murmured, nodding to herself.
"The energy beings are attacking," Stephens said.
"So it would seem," Chakotay replied.
"The Televek do appear to be under attack," Tuvok said. "Though the nature of the attack is not clear. No weapons have been fired by the energy entities. The Televek are firing, but their weapons are having no verifiable effect."
Chakotay raised his eyebrows. "How do you know the fleet is under attack?"
"The Televek are having... technical difficulties. They are experiencing an extraordinary number of system overloads and failures."
"I've got their ship-to-ship