Mosaic - Jeri Taylor [106]
The sleek ship hove to and began to move out of the nebula. Janeway felt her pulse quicken as she anticipated the encounter with the Kazon, hopeful they might be willing to talk once they realized Voyager was back at full strength.
"Mister Rollins, prepare to hail the Kazon ship as soon as we've cleared the nebula and are within range."
"Aye, Captain. I've got them on sensors now. Hailing on all channels." A minute passed, then another. Finally Rollins stated the obvious: "They're not answering, Captain." Then Chakotay reacted to something on the center console. "They're powering weapons."
"Ready evasive maneuver chi-eight, Mr. Paris. We're going to have to pull a few tricks to get that Trabe doctor off the ship."
But before she could indicate what those tricks might be, the ship was rocked violently by a huge weapons blast. But this time Voyager was ready, and though they were knocked around, no serious damage was done. "Return fire, Rollins. Target their weapons arrays and propulsion systems."
"Aye, Captain, firing."
Beams of phaser fire leapt across space toward the Kazon ship, but hit only a glancing blow; the Kazon pilot was also flying evasive maneuvers. Fire was returned, and the two ships kept this barrage up for several minutes, Voyager all the while working its way closer to the Kazon vessel.
"Captain, the shields are starting to degrade. The closer we get to their ship, the more impact their weapons have," observed Chakotay. "I know. We just have to hold out a few minutes more. Mr. Paris, I want you to take us directly underneath the Kazon ship. It's going to be a little tougher for it to fire at us in that position. Just snuggle up to its belly like a baby kitten trying to nurse."
Tom Paris smiled at the image and entered the commands. Janeway saw the underbelly of the Kazon ship looming ahead of them, trying to buck and roll away from them, but Tom's skillful piloting kept Voyager all but glued to them.
"Mr. Rollins, when I give the order, drop shields and simultaneously initiate transport of the Trabe life sign near the starboard ventral airlocks."
"I'm locked on, Captain," replied Rollins smoothly. "Do it," snapped Janeway, and at the same moment the shields dropped, a huge blast from the Kazon hit Voyager's dorsal plane. The hull buckled, causing instant depressurization until the automatic forcefield activated, but in that moment havoc was wreaked. Conduits exploded and consoles threw sparks. Emergency circuits frantically rerouted power to critical systems-but the transport had already been initiated.
Trakis had been pacing nervously in the laboratory, jarred by the weapons blasts from the Federation ship, and wondering if the female captain would be able to bring him aboard. How that would be possible in the midst of a pitched battle he had no idea, and he had begun to resign himself to staying with the Kazon. As he was trying to figure out how to survive the day, Nimmet entered, a smug smile playing on his face. Trakis turned to face him, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Did you think you could outwit us, Trabe?" rasped Nimmet, eyes slitted in that ridiculous guise. "Did you think we were so foolish we wouldn't pick up your transmission to the Federations?"
"What are you talking about, Nimmet? Have you misread the sensing indicators again?"
"Don't bother with this pretense. I know you contacted their ship." Nimmet paused, as though for dramatic effect, and then spoke in a hoarse, affected whisper. "And I have been granted the privilege of ending your pitiful life."
A huge impact blasted the ship and Nimmet momentarily lost his balance. Trakis took advantage of the mishap to put the examination table, still holding the carcass of the dissected creature, between him and Nimmet. But Nimmet was soon on his feet and brandishing an ugly-looking knife as he advanced on Trakis.
"I haven't yet made my report to Maje Dut about the necropsy I performed," Trakis began