The Murdered Sun - Christie Golden [77]
"Torres to Janeway."
"Go ahead, Lieutenant."
"The shields are up to one hundred percent."
A smile spread across Janeway's face. "Wonderful news, Torres.
We're going to need those shields any moment now." She rubbed her chin. On the viewscreen, the immobile Victory, its very name a taunt, waited.
"I've seen a lot of bullies in my day," she said slowly, reaching her decision. "A lot of loud talk and underhanded tricks and dirty fighting. But I've never yet seen a bully that would stand up and die for something like this. Bullies are cowards, gentlemen. And I'm going to bet that First Warrior Linneas is a prime example of a bullying coward. Ensign, open that frequency again."
"Ready, Captain."
"This is Captain Janeway for the final time. We are going into the concavity. I suggest you move aside"--suddenly she recalled Linneas's taunting threat from days earlier and added--"or face the consequences." She gestured to Kim, who abruptly terminated the channel.
"Mr. Paris, did you hear that?"
"Aye, Captain. We're all ready down here."
"Excellent." She returned to her chair and sat down. Her heart was hammering with slow, hard strokes. "Take her in, Commander Chakotay.
Full impulse. Let's find out just who it is who's chicken."
CHAPTER 15
The gleaming starship moved forward purposefully.
Unconsciously, Janeway's hands tightened on the arms of her chair. If she had guessed wrong about this, had misjudged Linneas in any wayBut I'm not wrong, her deep, inner voice assured her. Linneas isn't exactly what one would call stable, but I don't think he's insane. He wouldn't destroy everything for this.
"What's the Destroyer doing?" she asked Tuvok.
"Nothing at the present time," reported the lieutenant.
"Keep an eye on that ship," ordered Janeway.
Closer they came. The Victory sat sullenly, stubbornly, a gun metal blue lump of obdurate ugliness in a milieu of dangerous but beautiful cosmic activity. Behind it loomed the mystery of Sun-Eater, and around it whirled the colorful, luminous accretion disk.
"Phasers on-line," ordered the captain.
"I would remind you that once we enter the gravity well, our phasers will become extremely volatile and dangerous," warned Tuvok.
"I'm well aware of that," Janeway answered. "But I want to be able to fire on an instant's notice in case the Victory or the Destroyer tries anything."
"Aye, Captain," agreed Tuvok, making the necessary motions.
"Phasers on-line."
Janeway took a deep, steadying breath and felt the profound calmness that nearly always descended when she was in a life-or-death situation.
Later, she would react. She was human; she'd have to. But now, and for as long as this crisis continued, she was utterly calm, her thinking startlingly clear.
She and her crew were at peak efficiency. She was ready for anything Linneas or his cronies might dish out.
The Victory grew larger, began to fill the screen. "No indications of movement from either the Victory or the Destroyer," Tuvok reported calmly.
"Keep going, Chakotay," said Janeway.
Closer it grew and closer. Still no sign of movement. "One hundred kilometers and closing," reported Kim. Still the Voyager moved inexorably forward. "Fifty kilometers... thirty..."
"Move," Janeway whispered softly, for her own ears alone. She wasn't wrong. Linneas would move. He had to.
"Twenty... ten... five... two..."
Suddenly the Victory roared into life, surging hard to port. At the same moment, it released its six pods. The crew knew what to do.
Before Janeway could even inhale to snap out the orders, they responded. Almost instantaneously, Tuvok, reacting faster than any human, fired his phasers on the deadly little orbs. If they managed to attach themselves to the shields now, it would mean disaster.
Chakotay, not far behind Tuvok in his speedy efficiency, brought Voyager hard to her own port and dove like mad. The ship bucked like