The Valiant - Michael Jan Friedman [80]
Ready phasers and photon torpedoes! the second officer called out.
But even as he gave the order, he saw the enemy release a volley of bright green vidrion packets. They loomed on the forward viewer, growing gigantic before Picard could do anything about them, finally filling the screen from edge to edge.
Then they tore into the Stargazer with all their savage, disruptive force. But Jomars vidrion-laced deflectors seemed to hold against the Nuyyad assault, keeping its destructive potential at arms length.
Engage tractor! the second officer told his navigator.
Gerda did as she was toldand used the ghostly beam to punch a hole through the enemys shields. Seeing the aperture, Picard smiled a grim smile and glanced at Vigo.
Fire! he said.
Instantly, the weapons chief drove his phaser bolts through the gap created by the tractor beam, piercing the outer skin of the Nuyyad ship. Then he followed up with a couple of photon torpedoes.
With neither shields nor hull to stop them or even slow them down, the torpedoes entered the enemy vessel and vented their matter-antimatter payload in a massive outpouring of yellow-white splendor.
Even if he had wanted to watch the resulting debris spin off into space, the second officer didnt have the time. He had to turn his attention to his other adversary.
Give me a visual of the other ship, he told Gerda.
The image on the viewscreen changed, showing him the lone surviving diamond shape. It was exchanging fire with the planets surface, perhaps unaware that its sister vessel had been destroyed.
Target their deflectors, said Picard, just as we did before. Ready phasers and torpedoes.
Ready, sir, came Vigos reply.
The Nuyyad vessel began to come about, leaving Magnia alone for the moment. Obviously, its commander had recognized a more pressing concern.
Engage tractor beam! snapped the second officer. On the viewscreen, the pale, barely visible shaft of the tractor opened a window in the enemys shields. Fire! he commanded.
The diamond shape didnt stand a chance. Before it could launch an offensive of its own, before it could try to get out of the Stargazers range, a pair of crimson phaser beams sliced through the opening in its defenses and penetrated its hull.
As before, Vigo followed the phaser attack with a pair of photon torpedoes. And as before, they exploded inside the enemy ship, blotting out the stars with a splash of deadly, yellow-white brilliance.
Well done, said Picard. He turned to Gerda. Damage?
Shields are down twenty-two percent, the navigator reported. Otherwise, all systems are functioning at rated capacity.
The second officer was pleased beyond all expectation. Well done indeed, he told his officers.
Sir, said Paxton from his communications console, Mr. Williamson is hailing us from the surface.
Picard smiled. Put him on screen, Lieutenant.
A moment later, the Magnians visage appeared. Tell me our instruments are accurate, Commander. The Nuyyad ?
Have been destroyed, the second officer confirmed.
Williamson looked relieved. And the Stargazer ?
Has not been, Picard said. How is Magnia?
Unharmed as well, the colonist reported. Our only casualty was a stand of old trees of which I was rather fond.
It could have been worse, the second officer told him.
He glanced at Vigo, recalling their momentary shield failure, and contemplated the danger in which it had placed them. If the weapons chief hadnt managed to get the deflectors back online
Much worse, he added.
15
CHAPTER
icard sat behind Captain Ruhalters desk and regarded his acting weapons chief. What happened out there? he asked.
Vigo frowned. Honestly, sir when we lost our shields, I was too surprised to even think for a moment After all, nothing like that had ever happened to me. Then I thought of the saboteur.
As did I, the second officer admitted.
I remembered how he had run a parallel data line through that command junction, and I started thinking