“Weve got a better chance of doing that than we do of winning a straight fight, Paul said. Even though his brother had persuaded him of the wisdom of upgrading the Horizons weaponry during his last visit more than two years earlier, a Klingon battle cruiser was nowhere near as easy to dissuade from using force as was your garden‑variety pirate ship.

“All right, son,Rianna said. “Ive got my hand on the throttle. You just give the word.

“Consider it given. Charlie, take us back down into the gravity well of the system we just left, pedal down all the way. Maybe we can lose em in one of the asteroid fields.

“Hang on to your butts, Charlie said again as he entered the appropriate commands. Paul felt his stomach lurch once more as the freighter accelerated and the inertial dampers again took a few microseconds to catch up. His lunch seemed to desire escape nearly as urgently as he did, but he somehow held on to it until the mercifully brief peristaltic impulse passed.

“Nora, send a distress signal, Paul said once hed found his voice again. He knew that transmitting a Mayday via ordinary EM‑band radiothe only option available with the subspace gear still downwould be about as useful as waving semaphore flags. But he had to do something.

“Its no good, Nora said, shaking her head in evident frustration. “Theyre jamming us!

“Then launch the log buoy, Paul said, swallowing hard.

“Done, Nora said a moment later.

Paul felt a subtle change in the vibrations coming through the deck plates. Something wasnt right.

At the helm, Charlie seemed to be beating back panic, but only barely. “The helm just went dead. Navigation is completely offline.

Pauls heart raced. “Did the log buoy get away?

Nora slammed her fist down on her console, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath as though struggling to compose herself. “Afraid I cant tell. My station just went down, too.

Darkness suddenly enfolded the bridge. Paul heard a brief chorus of startled cries and gasps.

“Life support, too, Charlie said. Only then did Paul notice the sudden total absence of the ubiquitous background hum of the air‑circulation fans.

Paul fumbled for the intercom controls. “Engine room! Mom! Nothing. Despite the failure of the helm and just about everything else, the ever‑present aural backdrop created by the warp engines was gradually intensifying.

Then an eerie but welcome reddish glow slowly began to suffuse the chamber as the battery‑powered emergency backup circuits dutifully yawned, stretched, and began to wake up.

“At least somethingsstill working, Paul said.

“We still dont have any control over anything up here, Juan said, speaking from the gloomy shadows near one of the port stations.

The vibration in the deck plates shifted yet again. Paul knew the ship was accelerating.

“Were still generating warp power, Nora said.

The deck rattled and vibrated. The effect was very different from anything he had ever experienced before. More powerful, and more out of control. Deck segments slammed into one another like a planets tectonic plates suddenly cranked into absurdly fast motion, a billion years crammed into a few fleeting heartbeats.

“Wed better get the escape pods ready, he said, raising his voice to be heard above the din. “Just in case.

Charlie entered a command, checked a readout, then cursed. “Not functioning.

Why doesnt that surprise me?Paul thought, struggling to remain calm, or at least to sound that way the next time he spoke. “Nora, get that viewer back up. I need to see what that Klingon ship is up to.

“Working on it, she said, a keen edge of terror audible in her voice. “But I cant seem to

She stopped abruptly when the forward viewer suddenly winked back to life, displaying an aft view. Looming against the star‑bejeweled blackness of deep space, the Klingon battle cruiser was still closing in inexorably on the Horizons retreating stern.

“Good work, Paul said, thankful for whatever small miracles might appear.

“I didnt do it, Nora said, sounding flummoxed. “I still havent figured out why the hell the lights went out in the first place.

Theyre why,Paul thought, staring straight ahead at the approaching harbinger of death. They must have a new weapon that can cripple us without having to blow us full of holes first. And the screen came up just now because theywanted us to see whatevers going to happen next.

“Charlie, he said aloud as renewed determination and plain, old‑fashioned anger stiffened his spine. The Horizonwas both his home and his livelihood, and he wasnt going to give up either without one hell of a fight. “Were going to have to get clever with these guys.

I.K.S. MupchIch

“The remote system is working flawlessly so far, Commander, Centurion TVak said, his gaze still riveted on the broad bank of gauges and indicators that stretched across three bridge workstations.

Of course, the still experimental arrenhehwiuatelecapture weapon had worked somewhat less than flawlessly during its initial outings, Commander TVoras recalled; still, it had enabled the capture of the klivamcruiser he was currently using as the systems test bed, and had done so in fairly short order. And thanks to the Romulan Star Empires long and acrimonious association with the Klingon Empire, the translation device that the chief technologists office had integrated into the prototype had succeeded in transmitting a convincingly barbaric‑sounding klivamhail.

It was a pity that it couldnt also do something about the lingering stench of the hirsute, overly armored animals that had once infested this otherwise adequate vessel.

“We have achieved complete control over the Terran freighters propulsion, navigation, and life‑support systems, the centurion said as he entered a few adjustments into the system interface.

“Very good, Centurion, TVoras said. “Admiral Valdore and Chief Technologist Nijil will both be pleased indeed. I shall not neglect to mention your diligence to them.

The centurion immediately stood at attention and offered the traditional salute, his clenched right fist raised to high chest level just below the left shoulder, his bent elbow positioned precisely above the lower abdominal ribs that protected his heart. “You do me honor, Commander, the junior officer said.

Let us hope that this device will prove as effective against Terran military vessels,TVoras thought, as it has thus far against their civilian freighters and theklivam warship that now carries us.

An ominous blood‑green light on the devices central console suddenly began flashing rhythmically, matching the staccato wail of a klaxon. The centurion immediately returned his full attention to his readouts.

“The freighter crew is attempting to bypass both its primary and secondary systems, he said, sounding surprised at his opponents apparent ingenuity.

TVoras nodded, taking the revelation in stride. “Theyre no doubt trying some novel method of recovering their console functions. Respond accordingly, Centurion, and maintain control.

The centurions brow ridge crumpled with concern, as though hed suddenly become worried that the commendation he had been expecting earlier might suddenly metamorphose into a reprimand. Or perhaps something far worse.

TVoras placed a hand gently on the hilt of his razor‑sharp datheanofv‑sen,his Honor Blade. That shall be entirely up to him,he thought.

E.C.S. Horizon

“Damn it! Nora shouted.

“Whats wrong? Paul said. Apart from the obvious.

“Almost had helm control rerouted and recovered. Then I lost it again. Its like the Klingons have found a way to monitor everything we try to do, using our own systems against us.