Planet X - Michael Jan Friedman [43]
It wasn’t an unreasonable request. Picard was about to tell her that when a voice came to him over the intercom.
“Captain,” said Riker, “I have a Priority One communication for you. It’s Admiral Kashiwada at Starbase 88.”
Picard wondered if this was a response to Geordi’s request for additional information. If so, it was a quick one.
“I’ll be right up,” he told Riker.
“Aye, sir,” said the first officer.
The captain looked at Storm. “I would like to continue this conversation after I speak with the admiral.”
“It would be my pleasure,” she told him.
Reluctantly, Picard tore himself away from the woman and went to see to Kashiwada’s call.
Chapter Fifteen
ENTERING HIS READY room, Captain Picard sat down behind his desk and faced his monitor. Then he activated it.
Immediately, Admiral Kashiwada’s wizened features filled the screen. The man seemed a tad less serene than usual—even though he had already been relieved of the X-Men’s company.
“Admiral,” said Picard. “Am I to understand you’ve already sent the information Commander La Forge requested?”
Kashiwada waved the subject away. “Not yet,” he said. “As it happens, there’s a matter of considerably greater urgency at hand.”
No niceties this time, the captain noted. And the communication was Priority One. Clearly, something was afoot.
“You’re familiar with a world called Xhaldia in the Antiacus system?” asked the admiral.
“Certainly. A Federation ally, though not a member.”
“That’s the one,” the admiral confirmed. “Its government sent out a distress call recently. It seems there’s a rather volatile situation on the planet’s surface. They’ve attempted to deal with it themselves, but it’s too much for them to handle with their meager planetary security forces.”
Kashiwada went on to tell the captain about it. The man hadn’t lied; it was volatile, all right.
“And you would like the Enterprise to respond?” Picard asked.
“You’re the one nearest Antiacus at the moment, Jean-Luc—less than a day’s travel at warp nine.” The admiral shrugged. “It’s only a matter of luck you’re that close; normally, there aren’t any starships in light years of your position.”
The captain leaned back in his chair. “We will attend to it.”
Kashiwada smiled. “Best of luck, Jean-Luc. I trust I will see you again soon.” And with that, his image vanished from the monitor.
Picard sighed. Apparently, the planning session at Starbase 42 would have to wait a while. And so would any attempt to return the X-Men to their own frame of reference.
He looked up at the intercom grid hidden in the ceiling. “This is the captain, Number One. We have a new destination.”
There was silence for a moment. “A new destination, sir?”
“That’s correct,” said Picard. “Have Lt. Rager set a course for Xhaldia in the Antiacus system. Warp nine.”
The Enterprise seldom traveled at speeds higher than warp five. However, this was an emergency.
“Aye, sir,” Riker replied.
The captain turned from his monitor and sought a view of the stars through one of his observation ports. Before long, he saw them wheeling about, as his officer implemented the course change.
“Computer,” he said, “tell me about Xhaldia.”
Sovar felt his mouth go dry.
This can’t be, the security officer told himself. I must have heard the captain incorrectly.
Using his tactical controls, he established a link with Lt. Rager’s control panel. Instantly, one of his screens showed him a chart of the sector where the Antiacus system was located.
Just as Captain Picard had requested, Rager was setting a course for the planet Xhaldia. And she was accelerating to warp nine.
When scientists discovered that high-warp travel wore out the barrier between space and subspace, Starfleet had prohibited anything faster than warp five. Except, Sovar added silently, in emergencies.
Dire emergencies.
And now the Enterprise was headed for Xhaldia at warp nine! The lieutenant clenched his teeth and wanted to know why.
Suddenly, he realized