The Valiant - Michael Jan Friedman [94]
Ben Zoma shrugged. Ive been better. Fortunately, my body doesnt know that right now. How about you?
Ill live, the second officer told him. He glanced at Jomar. If only long enough to find out our guests motivation for sabotage.
Id be interested in that story myself, said Ben Zoma. And now that were not headed for the depot any longer, well have plenty of time to hear him tell it.
Picard looked at him questioningly. Not headed for the depot ?
Our secret weapon is kaput, remember? Without the Magnians manning our tractor beam, we dont stand a chance. And with our saboteur out in the open, theres no reason to even pretend were going.
His friend frowned. Perhaps youre r
Commander Picard? came a voice over the intercom, interrupting the second officers remark.
Ben Zoma recognized the voice as Gerda Asmunds.
Yes, Lieutenant? Picard responded.
Sir, said the navigator, two of the Nuyyad ships have left the depot and are coming after us.
In the wake of the announcement, the security officers exchanged glances. Greyhorse looked disturbed as well.
The muscles rippled in the second officers jaw. Then again, he said, perhaps well be having that battle after all.
Ben Zoma acknowledged the grim truth of Picards statement. The depot was significantly closer to the galactic barrier than the Stargazer was. If they wanted to return to warn the Federation about the Nuyyad, they would at some point have to engage the enemy.
We cant resort to the Magnians, Ben Zoma sighed. But without them, well be outgunned.
His friend shook his head. Two against one, Gilaad. It doesnt sound very promising, does it?
We can still beat them, someone said.
Tracing the comment to its source, Ben Zoma saw Jomar looking at them from his heavily guarded biobed. The Kelvans pale-blue eyes glistened in the light from the overheads.
I beg your pardon? Picard replied.
I said we can beat them, Jomar repeated without inflection. That is, if you allow me to complete my work.
And what work is that? asked Ben Zoma.
The Kelvan continued to stare at them. The work I did in an attempt to minimize the effects of your plasma flow regulator and distribution manifold on your phaser system.
Ang looked at him. What ?
But Ben Zoma understood. I get it now. That secondary command line you were laying in you were trying to streamline our plasma delivery system and beef up phaser power.
That is correct, Jomar confirmed. The incidents you no doubt attributed to sabotage were inadvertent and unfortunate.
Picard regarded the Kelvan with narrowed eyes. You were expressly forbidden to tamper with the phaser system.
Jomar looked unimpressed. The Nuyyad must be stopped, Commander. And I had every confidence that the Stargazers plasma conduits could tolerate the modifications.
The second officer turned ruddy with anger. It wasnt your choice to make, Jomar. It was Captain Ruhaltersand now its mine. But at no time was it ever yours .
I stand corrected, Jomar replied evenly, though it was clear he didnt mean it in the least. However, you now have an option that you would not have had otherwise.
He was right, of course, Ben Zoma reflected. And with a couple of Nuyyad warships on a collision course with the Stargazer , they needed all the options they could get.
Picard must have been thinking the same thing. No doubt, he was leery about working alongside someone who had been trying to choke him a short while earlierand the Kelvans scheme was still a dangerous one.
But the alternative was to take a chance on making Gary Mitchell-style monsters out of Santanas contingent. And that, in the long run, might be infinitely more dangerous.
The second officer looked at Ben Zoma. What do you trunk? Picard seemed to be asking.
Lets do it, his friend said.
The commander thought about it a moment longer. Then he turned to Jomar again. Very well. How much time do you need?
Not much, the Kelvan told him. Twenty minutes, perhaps.
Picard nodded. Youve got it.
Once again, Ben Zoma thought, they were putting their trust in someone who had previously