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“Lock phasers and fire,” Gold said.

“Firing.” As McAllan spoke, Gold saw the image on the viewscreen of the amber beams from the da Vinci’s phaser banks strike the Androssi vessel. “Torpedo impact in ten seconds. Their shields are down to eighty percent. Torpedo impact in three . . . two . . . one . . .”

The torpedo struck with what felt to Gold’s experienced self as a light blow. “Damage?”

“No damage at all,” McAllan said, sounding rather surprised. “Maybe they—Oh, hell. Captain, shields are completely gone.”

Gold was grateful that he had such an impressive lexicon of curses.

“They’re firing again,” Ina reported. “Phasers this time.”

Which will cut us to pieces without shields, Gold thought grimly. “Wong, get us the hell outta here, full impulse, pattern gamma.”

“Pattern gamma, aye.”

Under Songmin Wong’s expert guidance, the da Vinci blasted away from Empok Nor at its fastest sublight speed.

Away from Empok Nor and, to Gold’s annoyance, away from Duffy and his team.

But without shields, they were sitting ducks.

“Sir, whatever that torpedo did completely disrupted the shields,” McAllan said. “I can’t get them to reconstitute.”

Wong said, “Androssi ship is not pursuing.”

Gold leaned forward. “What?”

“They’re taking up a position relative to one of Empok Nor’s upper pylons.”

The captain pounded his fist on the console. He had run out of Yiddish curses, and started muttering a few in Klingon.

“Bring us back, Wong. We can’t leave the away team exposed. McAllan, as soon as we’re in range, full spread of phasers.”

The da Vinci arced back toward the box-shaped ship.

“Sir, they’ve lowered their shields,” Ina said.

“In weapons range,” McAllan said at almost the same time.

“Fire,” Gold almost shouted. The only reason the Androssi could have had to lower shields was to transport someone to the station.

Phaser fire lanced out from the da Vinci once again, this time striking right on the Androssi’s unprotected hull.

“They’ve raised shields,” McAllan said.

“Barnak to bridge. Captain, I can’t get the shields back up, and whatever’s jamming communications has increased in intensity.”

Ina said, “They’re firing phasers.”

“Evasive, Wong,” Gold said. “Pattern epsilon.” McAllan added, “They’ve also raised shields again, still at eighty percent.”

Wong’s maneuvers were partly successful—there was an impact, but it was less than Gold had feared, though more than he’d hoped. “Damage report.”

“Hull breach on Deck 6,” Ina said. Gold noticed that the lieutenant put one hand to her left ear. Bajoran beliefs said that the pagh, or life force, resided in the left ear. “Force fields holding. Power systems rerouting.” She turned around to look at Gold with a dismayed expression. “Sir, they were able to get a transporter beam off before we fired. Sensors are picking up five Androssi life forms on the station.”

At this rate, I’m going to run out of curses, Gold thought.

CHAPTER

8

Duffy heard Ina Mar say, “Sir, long-range scans are picking up a vessel on direct approach to Emp—” before the signal started to degrade.

He tapped his combadge. “Duffy to da Vinci —you’re breaking up.”

“—figuration and po—the Androssi. Sens—ered—Maegli—”

“ Da Vinci, come in!” Duffy shouted.

Corsi tapped her combadge. “Corsi to da Vinci, come in.”

Duffy looked over at Pattie, but it was Nog who spoke. “There’s some kind of jamming field—the combadges are useless.”

“Which means we can’t be transported even with these pattern enhancers,” Pattie added with the tinkly noise that indicated that she was annoyed.

Corsi hefted her phaser rifle. “Ina identified them as Androssi. I think they came back to see who’s been sleeping in their beds.”

Duffy snorted. “Fairy tale references, Commander? That’s new.” He did notice that Stevens was particularly taken aback by the reference.

“Commander Duffy, this is serious. We need to—”

“Keep doing what we’re doing—what the captain ordered us to do,” he added quickly, hoping that it would cut off Corsi’s inevitable objection. “Soloman, continue the analysis. I want to know everything the Androssi