The Murdered Sun - Christie Golden [76]
Tuvok lifted an eyebrow. "One should not attribute to some mysterious `sixth sense' what is easily explicable by logical deductive reasoning.
Commander Linneas has been actively hostile to us and to the inhabitants of Veruna Four every time we have encountered him. It is therefore reasonable to assume that when he does decide to engage in an action, it will be an antagonistic one."
Janeway, her blue eyes never leaving the ships on the screen, allowed herself a slight smile. "Lieutenant, you take all the fun out of it."
"I would not consider waiting to be attacked `fun' under any circumstances," replied the Vulcan almost haughtily.
Janeway was about to reply when the Victory suddenly veered off and headed straight for the concavity.
"Heads up," snapped Chakotay.
"There he goes," said Janeway simultaneously. She sat erect in her chair, longing to stand, but not wanting to be tossed about should Voyager have to engage in sudden maneuvering.
"He's going right inside..." Her voice trailed off. Her first thought, the most logical assumption as Tuvok would have put it, was that Linneas would go into the concavity and try to prevent them from rescuing the Verunan slaves or going through the wormhole, if there was indeed one inside. Instead, the Akerian vessel sailed through the whirling dust and particles that comprised the accretion disk and positioned itself at the very entrance to the concavity.
Sun-Eater was large. But a goodly portion of its entrance was taken up by the furiously moving stream of hydrogen and star matter that it was devouring. There was a relatively small area through which Voyager could travel safely, and right now, Victory was effectively blocking the entrance.
Destroyer had not moved. It merely waited--for, Janeway assumed, further orders.
"Mr. Kim, open a frequency." She waited until he nodded for her to proceed. Janeway rose, planted her hands on her hips, and strode forward until she was standing almost directly behind Chakotay.
"This is Kathryn Janeway, of the Federation Starship Voyager. It is our intention to enter this concavity, Commander Linneas. I suggest you move and let us do so. We will not retreat."
There was no response. Janeway waited, feeling the tension on the bridge, then continued.
"Commander Linneas, I know you can hear me whether or not you care to respond. I repeat, we are coming in."
Silence. The seconds ticked by. Then Janeway heard Paris talking to himself or perhaps to one of his Verunan companions.
He said a word that would have been humorous in its incongruity had not the situation been so dire.
"Chicken," said Paris softly.
"I didn't get that, Mr. Paris," said Janeway. "Please repeat."
There was a pause, then Paris cleared his throat. "Um, I said, `Chicken,' Captain."
"Explain."
"Um... well, it's a game that the cadets back at the Academy used to play. Two ships make a standoff, then approach each other at full impulse. The one that veers off at the last moment is a chicken.
Linneas is playing a game of chicken with you, Captain. He's counting that you'll back off." A pause. "Not, of course, that I ever played such a dangerous, foolhardy game, Captain."
"I'm sure you didn't," lied Janeway, "and I'm thinking you're right."
She took a deep breath and turned to her crew.
"Suggestions."
"Linneas does not strike me as a person of great logic," said Tuvok.
"Hostility and aggression, certainly. But not logic. We have superior weaponry, and he has never yet seen us retreat from a conflict, though we have taken great pains not to provoke any.
Therefore, it is not logical to assume we would back away now.
He seems to wish to protect the planet inside; yet a collision this close to the mouth of the concavity would certainly collapse it.
Therefore, I think he is, as you would say, bluffing."
"I don't think Linneas is a stable personality," put in Chakotay.
"Many of his orders are contradictory, some dangerously so,