Planet X - Michael Jan Friedman [59]
Suddenly, Worf heard a shout of surprise, followed by another—cries so guttural even a Klingon couldn’t have made them. Then he saw a beam of green energy scald the bulkhead up ahead of them, its source the corridor Archangel had invaded.
Before Worf could hiss a warning to his comrades, the winged mutant came whipping around the corner, frantically waving his arms at them. “Watch out!” he shouted.
As his warning echoed from bulkhead to bulkhead, a squad of seven or eight Draa’kon flooded the junction ahead of them—their weapons spitting vicious, green energy bolts that filled the corridor with their fury. The Klingon shoved Banshee in one direction and threw himself in the other, narrowly avoiding the barrage.
One of the Enterprise security officers wasn’t so lucky. Caught in one of the enemy’s bursts, Lt. Wayne was lifted off his feet and thrown backward four or five meters. By the time he landed, the man was dead, his chest a wet, smoking ruin.
Cursing under his breath, Worf took aim and returned the Draa’kon’s fire. Kirby and Ditko, the surviving security officers, followed suit.
So did Archangel, but from an entirely different angle. As the others stood their ground, he launched himself into the air and performed a devastating strafing run with his borrowed phaser.
Obviously unprepared for an adversary who could fly, the Draa’kon raised their weapon barrels too late to hit the mutant with their energy bolts. All they could do was sear the metal ceiling in his wake.
Archangel, on the other hand, was more successful. By the time he wheeled about on the far side of them, he had taken out one Draa’kon with a well-placed phaser shot and was zeroing in on the others.
Banshee didn’t even pull his phaser from his jacket pocket. Instead, he opened his mouth … and let out a shriek so loud that even Worf could barely stand it.
Instantly, one of the Draa’kon’s weapons exploded in his meaty hands. And a fraction of a second later, his comrade’s weapon did the same.
As Archangel forced the enemy to turn and deal with him, the Klingon took down another Draa’kon with his phaser. A beam from Kirby sent yet another one slamming into a bulkhead, and Ditko dispatched one as well.
Ignoring the chaos around him, a Draa’kon nearly burned a hole in Archangel’s wing. Fortunately, the mutant was quick enough to rise out of harm’s way. Then he released a beam of his own, striking his adversary in the forehead and dropping him where he stood.
That left only one armed Draa’kon. Lips pulled back in a wolfish grin, Worf cut him down. Then, for good measure, he turned his phaser on the two whom Banshee had disarmed, stunning them.
In the silence that followed, those still standing listened for signs of other Draa’kon. For the time being, there weren’t any.
Taking advantage of the respite, Kirby went to check on Wayne. Kneeling beside the man, he felt Lee’s neck for a pulse. Then he looked at Worf and shook his head.
Klingons believed the body to be nothing more than a shell for the spirit. Since Wayne’s spirit had clearly been released, Worf felt no responsibility regarding it.
Gesturing for Kirby and the others to follow him, he advanced along the corridor. One by one, they fell into line behind him.
Again, with a single airborne exception.
Chapter Twenty-two
STILL IRKED that he had not been able to beam over to the enemy ship, Riker settled into the pilot’s seat in the shuttle. He tapped a stud on the craft’s control console. Instantly, the captain’s image appeared on one of the console’s monitors.
“Number One,” said Picard.
“We’ll be ready to depart in a moment, sir,” the first officer responded. “We’re just waiting for the medical tricorders the doctor wanted us to bring.”
The muscles worked in the captain’s jaw. “Don’t worry, Will—we’ll take care of the Draa’kon up here. You just concern yourselves with the Draa’kon down there.”
Riker nodded, knowing Picard wasn