The Last Stand - Brad Ferguson [78]
“Very well,” Data replied. He turned to the other two. “I wish you both luck,” he said. “However, your luck will be enhanced if you do not remain here too long.”
Tarrajel remained stubbornly silent. “Thanks, son,” Ilsewidna said, “but we’ll be fine. Get along, now. You go take care of your wife.”
“Ah. Yes. Yes, so I shall. Good-bye.” Data left the shelter and, hurrying up the dark stairs, met Ro at the top landing. Smoke was beginning to fall the place.
“Do you want to do the honors, sir?” Ro asked.
Data nodded, drew his phaser, and fired at the blast door. It crumpled and fell with a loud crash into the street. They stepped over it and looked around.
“Wait a moment,” Data said, holding up a hand. A second later, from below, they heard the downstairs shelter door roll back into place. “Very well,” he said. “Let us leave.”
Data and Ro looked up and down the boulevard as they hurried away from the building. The street was strewn with the wreckage of buildings and cars. Despite the strict civil defense regulations, not everyone had bothered to go to a shelter; there were bodies everywhere. They could see other people, still alive, hurrying through the fire and smoke and wreckage along the boulevard. They were heading no one knew where—to homes that perhaps no longer existed.
The fighting was still going on. In the distance there were dozens of bright flashes as conventional weapons were brought to bear on the civilian population of the capital. Through the smoke and haze that now hung over the city, Data and Ro could see Government House, still intact, sticking up like a black finger of defiance against a blood-red sky.
Ro studied her tricorder again. “The Krann must be attacking from orbit, sir,” she reported as they continued down the boulevard. “The only aircraft overhead are not bombing the city—therefore, I assume they’re friendly.”
“Reasonable, Ensign.” Data looked around. “I think we had better hurry to Government House—” He was interrupted by a tearing, grinding sound behind them. The two Enterprise officers whirled around just in time to see the building in which they had taken shelter shudder and collapse, crushing and burying whoever and whatever was inside.
Ro’s scan for life signs was negative.
They moved on.
Chapter Fourteen
FIVE OF THE SIX surviving members of the Council of Ministers of Nem Ma’ak Bratuna were seated around the table in the conference room at Government House, which still stood. One or two of the men at the table looked determined, while the others seemed frightened and uncertain. Three of their number were dead or missing as a result of the Krann raid—a raid that the Council itself seemed to have precipitated.
For his part, Picard was seething, but he was hiding it well. He remained seated in his chair in the bridge command area, hoping that doing so would send an unspoken message that would soothe the Lethantan leadership and calm the ministers down a bit. It was the kind of subtle thing that had worked before—the Picard touch. Unfortunately, it was not working very well now.
“First Among Equals,” the captain began, “it was not helpful for you to have declared a planetwide military alert—even if, as you say, it was for defensive purposes only. As I have told you, Presider Hek of the Krann took your move as an aggressive one and authorized an initial strike on Nem Ma’ak Bratuna. That offensive continues even now with heavy losses on both sides. I must also tell you that a promising avenue for negotiations to resolve this crisis peacefully has simply evaporated away. The most that can be done now is to try to stop the fighting. I suggest a truce in place—”
Kerajem opened his mouth to speak, but Security Minister Jemmagar interrupted him. “Pardon me, First, but the captain has issued a direct challenge to the authority of this body, and I must respond to it.” Kerajem nodded without looking at Jemmagar.
“Captain Picard,” the security minister began, “I’m sure