FIVE

Stardate 5729.8

U.S.S. Enterprise

Though Kirk had ordered the Red Alert klaxons silenced, the Enterprisebridge still was bathed in the soft crimson lighting indicating general quarters, and even the power utilized for standard illumination had been routed to systems that for the moment were of greater importance. Diverting his attention from the streaking stars on the bridge’s main viewscreen, Kirk glanced to his first officer, who was leaning over the hooded sensor viewer at his science station.

“Spock, any change?”

Without looking up from the viewer, the Vulcan replied, “No, Captain. The twelve Tholian ships are still pursuing the Endeavourand the Sagittarius.Sensor scans indicate that they have been running at their maximum speed for an extended period. Their weapons are active, but I detect no signs of fire being exchanged.”

“They should be picking us up, by now,” Kirk said. “What about our ships? What’s their status?”

It took an extra moment for Spock to respond, so focused was his attention on the telemetry being fed to the viewer by the Enterprise’s array of sensors. “The Sagittariusappears to be running at full power, but the Endeavourhas sustained significant hull and internal damage. Its propulsion systems are compromised but are operating well enough for the moment.”

For the moment, Kirk mused. From the report given to him by Admiral Nogura just prior to the Enterprise’s departure from Starbase 47, the Endeavouralready had taken quite a pounding at the hands of the Tholian attackers. The admiral was less than forthcoming with details pertaining to the Endeavour’s mission, or the Sagittarius, for that matter. In that regard, he remained as consistent as his predecessor, Commodore Diego Reyes, concerning just about anything with even the slightest connection to the station or the top secret mission that was the real reason for its presence in the Taurus Reach. The one thing about which Nogura had been very clear was that the Tholians harbored strong reasons for not wanting the Sagittariusin particular to make a safe return to Vanguard. It was obvious that the Endeavourhad been sent to support that effort and had continued to do so for the past two days, now acting as a shield for the smaller and more vulnerable Sagittarius.Based on Spock’s sensor scans, that had come at tremendous cost, and if whatever patchwork repairs that ship’s engineers had managed to cobble together failed, Kirk knew that the Endeavourquickly would be little more than a practice target for its relentless pursuers.

Not if we can help it.Kirk would be surprised if either the Endeavouror the Sagittariusstill possessed any of its photon torpedo complement, and their phaser batteries might well be exhausted, too. The Tholians likely were biding their time, waiting for an opening in which to strike.

As if this were not enough, Kirk also was thinking of his crew’s next pressing mission. The report from Starfleet Command regarding the bacterial affliction that was causing catastrophic damage to the planet Ariannus and its atmosphere had come while the Enterprisewas en route to the Iremal Cluster. The assault, the origins of which at this time remained unknown, threatened more than one billion people along with every other living thing on the planet. A massive orbital decontamination effort was the only hope, and the Enterprisehad been given that vital task. Since receiving the update from headquarters, Scott and his engineers had spent every available moment preparing the special chemical compounds that would be introduced into the Ariannus atmosphere upon the starship’s arrival. At present, that mission was being delayed by this side trip.

So, let’s get this over with.

“How much longer, Mister Sulu?” Kirk prompted.

Sitting at the helm console positioned in front of the captain’s chair, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu looked over his shoulder and replied, “Just under five minutes at our present speed, sir.”

“With all of us moving at warp eight, those five minutes are going to be up mighty fast,” said the Enterprise’s chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott, from where he sat at the engineering station to Kirk’s left.

“Weapons and shields ready?” the captain asked.

Scott replied, “Aye, we’re locked and loaded, sir. Everything shows green.”

“Captain,” said Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, from her communications station behind Kirk, “I’m picking up a transmission from the Endeavour, intended for the Tholians and alerting them about us.”

Kirk smiled. “Well, at least Captain Khatami knows we’re here. Mister Chekov, commence targeting on the Tholian ships. Stand by to fire on my command.” Given the already tense situation, and the Tholians’ notorious reputation for employing their weaponry ahead of their diplomacy, Kirk saw no harm in making sure the Enterprisewas ready for anything the instant it entered weapons range. The Tholians likely would see the move as aggressive, which was the point. He would leave the smoothing of any ruffled feathers to whichever distressed ambassadors from either side were so unfortunate as to draw their respective short straws.

I’ll send them flowers.

“Targets acquired, Captain,” replied Ensign Pavel Chekov from the navigator’s station next to Sulu. “All weapons standing by.”

Spock, still hovering over his sensor viewer, called out, “The Tholian ships are changing course, Captain.”

His muscles tensing in anticipation, Kirk leaned forward in his seat. “Some kind of tactical maneuver?”

“Negative,” replied the first officer. A moment later he rose to his full height and turned from his station. “They are now headed back toward Tholian territory.”

“However that’s defined today,” Scott added.

Kirk rose from his chair and moved around the helm console. “All twelve ships are retreating?”

Moving to stand at the curved red railing separating the upper bridge deck from the command well, Spock clasped his hands behind his back. “Affirmative, sir. Sensors detect no further hostile action on their part.”

“After all that?” Kirk frowned as he folded his arms across his chest. “They just turn tail and run? It doesn’t make any sense.” Whatever the Sagittariushad recovered was of enough importance to commit the Tholians to two days of high-speed pursuit and the risk of engaging superior Starfleet forces the closer they got to Starbase 47. Despite the pride he had in his ship and crew, Kirk found it hard to believe the Tholians would simply break off the chase when faced with one more vessel poised to oppose them.

Damned peculiar, that’s what it is.

“Captain,” Uhura said, “I’m picking up a transmission from the lead Tholian ship.”

“Put it on-screen,” Kirk ordered. A moment later, the main viewscreen shifted to display the image of a Tholian, and Kirk realized this was his first time actually seeing one himself. His only prior exposure to the mysterious, isolationist race had come through his review of log entries and archived communications between Tholian vessels and the Enterpriseduring the starship’s search for the U.S.S. Defiant.Like Loskene, the Tholian depicted in those communications, this one appeared to be an oversized crystalline structure, the only sign of a face being a pair of narrow white slits that were eyes, or whatever was the equivalent in Tholian physiology. Its body emitted a bright crimson hue as it stood within the roiling, superheated red-orange cloud that was its native atmospheric environment.