The Battle of Betazed - Charlotte Douglas [33]
“I would share your skepticism,” Vaughn said, “except for the factors in our favor.”
As if forcing himself to relax, Riker took a deep breath, but his expression dared Vaughn to prove him wrong. “I’m listening.”
“First, Captain Picard will lead the task force against the Dominion fleet,” Vaughn said, “and Starfleet has full confidence in his abilities. The starships Tulwar, Katana, and Scimitar will be under his command. Saber-class starships may be small, but therein lies their strength. They’re fast and easily maneuverable.
“Second, we may not have to destroy the enemy fleet. We simply have to keep them occupied long enough for you and Mr. La Forge to to beam aboard Sentok Nor with a team, complete the job, and beam out.”
“In a heated battle,” Riker said, “even ten minutes can be a lifetime.”
“Ten minutes may be all we’ll need, Number One,” Picard stated with a calm he didn’t feel. The captain realized how much would be at stake when they engaged the enemy defenses. He had already discussed tactics with the captains of the light cruisers. Each was aware that her ship and crew might not return from this action, a possibility they had each accepted when they volunteered.
“Let’s move on,” Vaughn said, and indicated the sixth planet ringing Betazed’s sun. “This is Darona. Because its population is small, the Dominion has garrisoned less than a thousand troops there, according to our intelligence. However, those troops are vital to the Dominion because of the planet’s strategic location. It makes an excellent listening post to scan the shipping lanes and observe movements of ships and supplies.”
“If the Dominion forces are using long-range scanning equipment,” Data said, “beaming onto the planet undetected seems unlikely.”
“You’re right, Mr. Data. Which is precisely why Admiral Ross has assigned the Defiant to get the extraction team to Darona,” Vaughn said with a nod to Worf. “She’ll be operating under cloak.”
Data’s eyes narrowed, and Picard could almost hear the subprocessors humming in the android’s brain.
“It is my understanding, sir,” Data said, “that the Dominion possesses the capability to detect cloaked vessels. Will that not be a problem?”
Worf spoke up. “Perhaps not. On Deep Space 9, we have been looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of the Defiant ‘s cloaking device ever since we learned the Jem’Hadar possessed countermeasures. Chief?”
O’Brien picked up the ball and ran with it, speaking directly to Picard. “It took a while, but I think we finally came up with a solution. It’s based on the same principle Commander La Forge first devised to defend ourselves against the Borg back on the Enterprise -D. By randomly rotating the field harmonics of the Defiant ‘s cloak, we should be able to stay below the threshold of the Dominion’s sensors. With luck, the Jem’Hadar will have no idea we’re in the area.”
“I take it you haven’t had a chance to test your modified cloak yet?” Riker asked.
O’Brien shook his head apologetically, “No, sir. My assistant and I actually worked out the final kinks after we left DS9. But the real test will come only when we’re facing a Jem’Hadar ship.”
Picard looked at Vaughn. “Then, assuming you can make it to the surface successfully, Commander … what next?”
“According to Commander Troi, beaming directly into the prison facility isn’t an option. We’ll need to make contact with the warden, Director Lanolan, and secure his cooperation in releasing Tevren. We’ll be wearing surface blacks for maximum protection, with native coats over them. And with the help of Dr. Crusher’s skills, even Mr. Data will be able to pass for a Betazoid.”
Picard turned to Troi. “You think Lanolan will cooperate?”
She glanced at him with dark eyes still haunted by the depth of her dilemma and the discomfort of her decision. “I can’t imagine he’ll like it, but I think he’ll understand the necessity.”
“While on Darona,” Vaughn continued, “we’ll be operating without combadges—a total