The Devil's Heart - Carmen Carter [75]
A flash of orange light warned of a sudden change in the ship’s status.
“Third-stage perimeter alert, Commander,” explained the weapons officer. “Vessel one approaching on a direct intercept vector, seven minutes; Vessel two approaching on a direct intercept vector, eleven minutes; Vessel three will pass within firing distance in five minutes.”
The viewscreen was clouded by the dampening effect of the Haakona’s cloaking field, but she could see three globular shapes growing in size as they drew nearer.
“We’ll be surrounded,” whispered Vedoc.
Even in the subdued light of the command pit, Taris could see him tremble at the thought.
“Surrounded by two freighters and a passenger ship,” explained the weapons officer without any trace of amusement. Seemus was too well trained to reveal contempt for a superior officer, even one who had not learned the difference between an alert and a warning.
“Full power to the cloaking device,” ordered Taris. Her voice carried easily across the still bridge. “Evasive maneuvers to avoid collision.”
The first of the approaching vessels filled the viewscreen, then veered off to one side. Her helmsman had steered the Haakona out of harm’s way with an economy of motion. He ducked under the second trade ship, then returned the warbird to its previous course heading.
“Estimated arrival at the starbase in twelve minutes.”
If fortune favored this mission, the Enterprise and her captain would soon rue their theft of Romulan property.
A new shape took form on the viewscreen, the triangular profile of an orbital docking station. Even with the compromised resolution of the image, Taris could see that the space surrounding the station, an area normally cluttered with stationary vessels, was empty.
She looked to her navigator for an explanation.
“Commander,” said Etrajan, “sensors reveal there are no life-signs on the starbase.”
“Your instruments must be in error!” Vedoc stepped behind the man and peered over his shoulder to double-check the instrument readout. “Life support functions are still operating … energy collectors near maximum …” He scowled fiercely, then said, “no life-signs.”
“And no Enterprise.” Little else mattered to Taris, but Vedoc kept prattling on about the station.
“Somehow they must have been warned! A full-scale evacuation explains the ships we passed earlier. We could still catch one—” “No,” Taris snapped, growing weary of his inflexibility; a good soldier learned to adjust to the fluctuations of war. “Let them pass on.
We have larger game to track.”
“Yes, Commander.” He ducked his head, visibly chastened by her reprimand, another sign that he was too easily swayed even from a bad opinion. At the conclusion of this mission, she would recommend that his highly placed uncle find another post for his nephew; Vedoc would not serve on her ship again.
“What is our next course of action?” he asked.
“Destroy the base as planned.”
His large brown eyes blinked rapidly in confusion. “But there’s no one even on the station.”
“It doesn’t matter, Subcommander.”
Perhaps, if she was exceptionally clever, he could die honorably in battle; his uncle would probably thank her. “Upon hearing of the destruction of a Federation starbase, the nearest starship will proceed immediately to this sector.”
“And that starship will be the Enterprise,” said Vedoc, finally comprehending the obvious.
“Photon torpedoes locked on target,” announced Seemus.
“Fire.”
A cluster of dark shapes shot out from beneath the warbird’s curving hull. She lost sight of them as they sped through the void toward their target, but the weapons officer tracked their progress.
“… three … two … one …”
Commander Taris smiled as she watched the starbase explode into a cloud of molten metal.
Its fires flared like a beacon in the cold night of space.
CHAPTER 21
Having reached the limits of his own understanding, Data swiveled his Ops station around to face the occupant of the captain’s chair.