The Murdered Sun - Christie Golden [92]
"No. Only true to my people. You can yet be true to them, Garai.
Stop the ship from leaving! You are closer than I. Fire upon the Voyager, and we will all die together!" He felt spittle clinging to his mouth. It trickled down his chin, tickling, but with his helmet on he could not wipe it away.
He waited, his heart slamming against his chest, for First Warrior Garai's response.
It was totally unexpected. "I pity you, Linneas, and all the innocents who will die with you. I shall inform your widows."
And then his image disappeared. Just like that. For a long second, Linneas simply sat, utterly stunned. Then he let out an enraged, affronted, abandoned roar, a sound deep and primal and bestial.
"Follow them!" he cried.
***
"Captain, the Destroyer is hailing us," said Kim.
"On screen."
The image of Garai appeared. He began speaking at once.
"Captain, we are far from allies. And once we are both safely out of here, do not think we will bare our throats for your sword. But honor compels me to warn you that you are in grave danger. Linneas is insane. He plans to destroy the concavity before any of us can escape.
Can your vessel move any faster?"
"We're at top speed now," Janeway replied.
"Then keep it up." Garai blipped out.
The tension on the bridge escalated, but Janeway kept calm.
"Keep her steady, Chakotay."
The commander only nodded, his brown eyes fastened on the screen and his hands moving on the controls.
"Where are the Victory and the Destroyer?"
"Directly behind us, Captain," answered Tuvok. "They have halted, with the Destroyer between us and the Victory. I believe our reluctant ally First Warrior Garai is trying to buy us some time."
Janeway hoped that the time needed for Voyager to escape wouldn't have to be bought with the blood of Garai and everyone aboard his ship.
Smoothly, though slowly, the Starfleet vessel moved toward the entrance. As before, Torres strengthened the shields as the ship progressed--fore, mid, aft. They kept well away from the river of light this time, though as they moved through the aperture, Janeway saw it glowing orange and yellow on their starboard side. Ahead, she could see the starfield of normal space drawing closer until, finally, they were free.
"Paris, get ready to go into warp one on the count of three.
Three, two, one--engage!"
Voyager and her small fleet streaked away from the deadly trap.
Janeway watched the screen and saw another ship emerge from the mouth of Sun-Eater. It was the Destroyer.
"Tuvok, ready photon torpedo," she snapped. "Fire on my command--and not an instant before. Shields at maximum." She was going to give Linneas a chance to emerge to discuss things rationally.
But he did not take that chance. Even as the crew of the Voyager watched Destroyer barely escaping, there came a sudden explosion of light from the mouth of Sun-Eater. The burning hydrogen and star matter burst forth in a shower of orange, red, and yellow, like fireworks of old. For just an instant, the dark depths of Sun-Eater lurked behind the radiant shower, then all at once it was gone--vanished as if it had never been. The explosion caused by Linneas's suicidal, fruitless attack had restored the fabric of space to its norm.
The mighty Destroyer, though it had escaped certain destruction, was caught helplessly in the shock wave. Janeway saw the force take it and toss it like a piece of driftwood on a raging river.
A volley of huge asteroids, all that was left of the ill-named Blessing, were spewed out from the collapsing concavity.
"Brace for impa--" But the wave hit Voyager before she could even get the words out. She dug her fingers into the arms of her chair and just barely stayed seated. Lights flickered, died, went to emergency backup. She heard cries of pain as others, less fortunate than she, hit the unforgiving metal of the Voyager as the ship was buffeted about.
At last, the vessel stabilized. "Report!" she snapped.
Kim