Planet X - Michael Jan Friedman [60]
Then the captain’s image blinked out, to be replaced by a darkened screen. The first officer understood. After all, they were still being pursued by the Draa’kon, though in the last few minutes the captain’s maneuvers had bought them a respite.
“Commander?” said a feminine voice.
Riker turned and saw Dr. Crusher depositing a container on the deck of the shuttle. “Your tricorders,” she noted.
Crusher looked harried, her copper hair in disarray. But then, sickbay had been brimming with casualties in the last few minutes.
“Here,” Sovar told her, “I’ll take that.” Bending to the task, he lifted the doctor’s container and stowed it in a place designed for such cargo.
Crusher eyed the first officer. “Getting me that blood information is as important as anything you’ll do down there.”
“I don’t doubt it,” said Riker.
He turned in his seat and surveyed his squad. Storm, Shadowcat, and his four security officers were already seated. As the first officer watched, Sovar joined them.
The doctor sighed. “Good luck, Will.”
Riker gave her a reassuring smile. “Thanks. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got some work to do.”
As Crusher withdrew from the shuttle, the first officer touched the hatch control. A moment later, the metal plate slid closed, rendering the craft airtight and spaceworthy.
Leaning forward and glancing out his observation port, Riker could see the next shuttle over. It was piloted by Lt. Kane, one of the officers on Troi’s away team and a fine pilot in his own right.
The first officer couldn’t see the counselor herself or the others who accompanied her. But he found some comfort in the knowledge that Wolverine, Colossus, and some of the ship’s best security people were with her.
Not that Troi couldn’t take care of herself. But when one was entering what amounted to a war zone, one needed all the help one could get.
As he thought this, the shuttlebay’s doors slid apart. Only an invisible barrier still held the atmosphere inside the ship.
Riker powered up his engines. “Clear for departure?”he asked the officer in charge of the bay, who was standing at his control panel off to the side.
Suddenly, a shudder ran through the ship and the shuttledeck tilted wildly, sending men and women skidding across its surface. Fortunately, the shuttles themselves stayed put for the most part. Only one pod tipped over and lay on its side like a wounded beast.
It was a grim reminder of how vulnerable the Enterprise was in her damaged state. Riker almost hated to leave her—but like Troi, she was in the best hands he could imagine.
It didn’t take long before order was restored and personnel returned to their posts. But it seemed to the first officer that Dr. Crusher would have some new casualties to deal with.
“Clear for departure,” came the response, at last, from the officer in charge of the shuttlebay.
Riker worked his controls, lifting his shuttle off the deck while he still could, and nudged it forward toward the bay’s transparent energy barrier. Then he activated the thrusters and slid the craft right through it.
A moment later, the first officer found himself free of the ship. He could see the immense, dark form of the Connharakt bearing down on the Enterprise—but with a burst of impulse speed, he powered himself clear of the alien warship. After all, with the Draa’kons’ warp drive damaged, the shuttle could move every bit as fast as they could.
Riker’s next stop was Verdeen. Still, he lingered for a few seconds to make sure the other shuttle made it out of the Enterprise all right. When he saw it emerge through the barrier and dart clear of the Connharakt just as he had, he nodded approvingly.
Then he headed for the planet’s surface.
Worf and his team made their way down the dimly lit corridor, eyeing the juncture up ahead of them. They had to be getting close to their objective, the Klingon observed.
Not that it had been easy. They had run into squads of powerful Draa’kon defenders no less than three times since beaming aboard. And while Lt. Lee remained