Miracle Workers (SCE Books 5-8) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [4]
Corsi’s voice brought Duffy to attention. “I assumed as much, Commander. The team is already waiting for us in the briefing room.”
Duffy couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped his lips, feeling more at ease with the idea that “Core Breach” Corsi was acting as a safety net for his first tightrope walk of a command. With her at his side, he might just survive this mission yet.
They entered the briefing room and Duffy took note of who was at the table, while at the same time trying not to think about who was noticeably absent. Scattered about in their usual seats were other members of the team: Carol Abramowitz, their chief liaison with the Tholian Assembly; Fabian Stevens, the ship’s expert on tactical systems; and Bartholomew Faulwell, the team’s cryptography and language specialist, who had stepped in to help brainstorm options for salvaging their mission, given the current void of command officers. Duffy mulled taking the head seat at the table, the one typically occupied by Captain Gold, but settled instead for the comfort of his usual chair next to Abramowitz.
“Okay,” Duffy began, placing his elbows on the table before him and lacing his fingers. “Warp drive is almost operational again. Everything else is good to go, right?”
Stevens was quick to answer. “We didn’t take it on the chin too hard, Duff. Weapons are fine. Communications, shields, the deflector array, life support, everything checks right on down the line. I’d bet the warp drive would have been fine, too, if it wasn’t for this space we’re in.”
Duffy wondered whether that was the rule and not the exception here. Tholian ships’ disruptors could wreak havoc on unshielded vessels, he was certain, but it seemed that Federation starships with fully charged deflector shields usually could shrug off the initial volleys of such an attack.
“Maybe so, Fabian,” Duffy replied, “but here, all bets are off. Right now I want to dig into the deflector modifications and see whether we can open the rift again without waiting for it.” He knew that time was a precious commodity right now. The Tholians had to know how much damage they had inflicted on the da Vinci, and they most likely also knew that the starship wouldn’t leave the area unless forced to, so long as there was a chance to recover the Defiant and the away team. The chronometer was ticking for those aboard both ships, however, so he wasn’t willing to be patient.
Corsi leaned forward in her seat. “Shield harmonics need to be monitored closely as well, Mr. Stevens, in case that rift has the same degenerative effect on them as it does on our warp capability. We need to be prepared for an all-out attack once that Tholian ship returns with reinforcements.”
Duffy was ready to answer, but instead was cut off by Carol Abramowitz.
“Prepare all you want,” she said, “but we’re not going into battle.” The cultural specialist was met with Corsi’s perturbed expression but continued unheeded. “You can bet that our next orders will be to head home without the Defiant. No one is going to throw away the trust that diplomats and ambassadors have earned with the Tholians during the Dominion War. Unfortunately, an antique ship and a few engineers will be considered expendable.”
Abramowitz’s assessment matched his own, Duffy realized as he hung his head a bit. Captain Gold had told them all up front that the mission would be scuttled should any signs of eroding relations with the Tholians appear, and an exchange of fire definitely seemed