Miracle Workers (SCE Books 5-8) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [54]
Ina turned contritely back around to her console.
“Overseer.”
“Speak.”
“There is a runabout moving toward our position with its impulse drive.”
Biron actually looked at the worker who made this pronouncement. “Explain yourself!”
“The Starfleet runabout U.S.S. Rio Grande, registry NCC-72452, was in a standby position proximate to Upper Pylon 1 of the Cardassian station. It is now in motion and on an elliptical course toward us.”
“I should have been informed of this sooner,” Biron said. He pressed a button on his right cuff. An electrical charge surged through the chair on which the worker was sitting, vaporizing the worker instantly.
Another worker said, “Starfleet runabout is arming its phaser weapons and preparing to fire.”
“Adjust position to present minimal aspect to runabout. Prepare another ladrion burst for the da Vinci.”
“Overseer, we can’t fire the ladrion bursts,” came the voice of Engine Master Claris over the communications system. “We have sustained damage to that system from the Starfleet ship’s phaser fire.”
Biron thought. He had use of the remaining anril torpedo, but it was only effective against shields—it would have minimal impact on the da Vinci’s hull, even as damaged as it was. Several of his ship’s other weapons systems had been integrated into the Cardassian station at the request of the client, who had found Biron’s original designs for the weapons platform to be insufficiently powerful.
His status board indicated that the runabout was firing on their still-shielded port side. Good, he thought. Now we can—
No. The board also indicated that four quantum torpedoes were being fired by the da Vinci at their vulnerable starboard side. If we still had the ladrion burst or our other weapons . . .
But recrimination was foolish. Instead, he barked orders. “Set an evasive course away from the quantum torpedoes and implement overdrive instantly!”
Instantly, as Biron could have predicted, was not fast enough.
“Overseer, our hull has been breached four times over,” Claris said. “Our power levels have been reduced to fifty-five percent of capacity and our tactical and defensive systems are off-line.”
Biron cursed. The mission was becoming less and less viable. “Open a subspace communication channel to Sub-Overseer Howwi.”
Several seconds passed, and Howwi did not reply.
Overseer Biron considered his options. Scans showed Howwi and the officers he’d brought with him were still alive. Those same scans also showed that the workers and the Starfleet personnel were also alive. So Howwi’s mission to secure the station from Starfleet must have failed. Starfleet’s rather confusing predilection for preserving individual lives at the expense of the greater good was probably the only reason why Howwi and the others were still alive—even the workers.
His weapons capacity consisted of one anril torpedo. His shields were reduced to forty percent of capacity. His opponents now had two ships with which to fight.
Much as Biron’s sponsor wanted the holo-emitters, the mission was now becoming too risky. As it was, he had several more risks to take in order to retrieve Howwi and the other two officers.
And the client’s own actions were the reason why it had come to this. If Biron’s ship had its full complement of weapons, he would be able to dispose of this tiresome Starfleet ship and its smaller compatriot with little difficulty. Instead, he was being forced into the position of fleeing the da Vinci —again.
I swear by the power of the Elite and the glory of the Leader, he thought at the entire crew complement of the Starfleet vessel, you will pay for this effrontery.
Still, the mission was not a total loss. They had obtained a certain amount of Cardassian technology on the station that would be worth something to another client.
“Lock matter-transferral device onto Sub-Overseer Howwi, Officer