Death of a Neutron Star

by Eric Kotani

  “It seems,” Tyla said, “that the computer was used as a command storage area. All Qavok military plans and operations were automatically downloaded to the second computer and stored. If the prince was using the yacht, he could then always be in touch with whatever operation was going on in the Qavok Empire.”

  “No wonder they were so angry when you took it,” Janeway said, smiling at Tyla.

  “Yes,” Tyla said, feeling a little more relaxed now. “It does make sense.”

  “And we’ve downloaded all this information from both computers?” Janeway asked.

  “We have,” B’Elanna said. “But Tyla found this in the process.”

  B’Elanna keyed in a screen and a report appeared, filled with pictures of a round ship of some sort.

  “What is it?” Janeway asked, scanning the page as quickly as she could.

  “We think it’s what the Qavok plan to use to change the course of the neutron star,” Tyla said before B’Elanna could answer. She wanted to make sure that if anyone was punished for delivering the bad news, it would be her. She found it, she took responsibility for it.

  “What?” Janeway said.

  “Sure looks like it, Captain,” B’Elanna said. “Extra-strong forward shields, no real passenger room, no real bridge area, very large warp core. And no weapons.”

  “And it seems to have been built for one flight,” Tyla said. “Qavok only build ships with weapons, so that they can fight. They would never build a ship without a weapon, unless it was to be used to trigger another weapon.”

  “The neutron star binary,” Janeway said.

  “The binary,” Tyla said, agreeing. “To attack my homeworld.”

  “Well,” Janeway said, “that isn’t going to happen. Especially now that you’ve found this. Good work.”

  Tyla nodded, not letting her relief show. “Thank you.”

  “You two make sure every detail of the shuttle and yacht is ready. And transfer the gravitational container to the shuttle when Seven tells you it’s time.”

  “We’ll be ready,” B’Elanna said.

  Tyla watched as the captain left the shuttlebay, walking as quickly as she had come in. “She’s an amazing captain,” Tyla said, more to herself than to B’Elanna.

  “Captain Janeway?” B’Elanna asked, glancing up. Then she nodded. “You are right about that. Now get back to work. I want you scanning that information from the secondary computer. See if you can find anything more we might use.”

  “Gladly,” Tyla said. Digging in the most top-secret files of her enemy made her feel like a child in a room full of candy. There was so much good stuff, she just didn’t know where to start.

  She just hoped that Captain Janeway would give the files to her when this was all over.

  CHAPTER 17

  “FIFTY MINUTES REMAINING,” THE COMPUTER SAID.

  “All right, that’s it. Turn off that stupid reminder,” Janeway said. She was standing beside Ensign Kim, going over the data from the last three successful retrievals of probes.

  “Gladly, Captain,” Chakotay said.

  “Thank you,” she said, ignoring his smile.

  She went back to studying the probe retrieval reports. Ensign Kim had gotten better and better at holding a lock on the probe and then transporting it back at the exact right moment.

  “Tuvok,” Janeway said, glancing up at her security officer. “You feel comfortable enough to risk your life on this?”

  “I do, Captain,” Tuvok said. “The risk is minor compared with the reward of success.”

  Janeway nodded. “I’m glad you feel that way. Ensign Kim, you think you can get him out of there at the right time?”

  “I do, Captain,” Kim said.

  “Good. Tuvok, get to the shuttlebay and make sure you’re familiar with how B’Elanna has the shuttle and yacht connection worked out. Then stand by there for launch.”

  “Understood,” Tuvok said. He started for the door.

  “And good luck,” Janeway said, smiling at her friend.

  “I would rather depend on skill and percentages,” he said. “But thank you.”

  He stepped through the door and she moved down to her chair. “Harry, keep an eye on those long-range scans. If the Qavok are going to move, they’ll be doing it soon. They’ve got to set off their explosion ahead of ours.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Kim said.

  “How are you doing, Tom?” she asked. His shirt was soaked in sweat and his hair was damp. He never took his eyes away from his control panel.

  “It’s getting rougher by the hour,” he said. “But I’ll last until we’re away from here.”

  “Good,” she said. “Can I have Mr. Neelix bring you anything?”

  “Doing fine,” he said. “Thanks.”

  She dropped down into her chair and let herself, for the first time in the last hour, study the binary on the screen. Even visually, it was clear the end was near. The two stars almost looked as if they had a ring around them as matter was ripped off and flung away from the distended secondary.

  “Everything ready?” Chakotay asked.

  Janeway glanced over at her second-in-command. He’d been stuck on the bridge while she, Seven, B’Elanna, and the two Lekk guests had been getting everything ready. “All set,” she said. “Seven and Dr. Maalot have gone over the math more times than I care to think about.”

  Chakotay laughed. “And they both loved it, I’ll bet.”

  “Can’t speak for Seven,” Janeway said, “but you’re right on the money with Dr. Maalot.

  “Lieutenant Tyla also found a second computer on board the yacht, loaded with Qavok military plans and information.”

  “Gold mine for her,” Chakotay said. “You going to let her keep the information after all this is over?”

  “I don’t honestly know yet,” Janeway said. “I’m not sure how far past the Prime Directive we are here, trying to save these planets in the first place. And I’m not sure how much further I want to go in this situation.”

  “She did capture the yacht herself,” Chakotay said. “And she was the one who found them.”

  “Always loopholes,” Janeway said, smiling.

  The ship bumped hard and Janeway grabbed for her chair to hold herself in position.

  Another sharp bump, and then the deck seemed to shudder and settle back to its normal, calm state.

  “Sorry, Captain,” Tom said as his fingers flew over his controls. “Getting worse and worse out there.”

  “You’re doing fine, Captain Proton,” Janeway said.

  Tom glanced around at her and smiled. Then he turned back to his work.

  “What’s left to do?” Chakotay asked.

  Janeway stared at the binary, then said, “Nothing but wait. We’re actually ready early.”

  “Seems the countdown helped,” Chakotay said.

  “Surprised to hear that from you.” Janeway grinned. “I thought you found it irritating.”

  “Let’s just say it grew on me,” Chakotay said. “In any case, we are ready.”

  “Yeah,” Janeway said, softly, never taking her gaze from the screen. “We sure are.”

  She just wished she felt as certain as she sounded.

  * * *

  Seven unhooked the energy containment from its connection with the outside filters and sealed the container. The standing waves of gravitational force were bouncing from the sides of the container in such a way as to keep any feedback problems from building up in it. It was a shame that such an incredible store of energy had to be used in this fashion. Seven doubted they would ever again have the chance to gather this much, or solve the problems of how to use it.

  She placed the container inside a security force-field to make sure it remained stable, then lifted the entire thing with an antigrav carrying unit. “Step ahead of me,” she told Dr. Maalot. “We must deliver this to the shuttlebay.”

  Dr. Maalot strode out ahead of Seven enthusiastically while she focused on moving the container smooth
ly and slowly to its final destination. She supposed it was lucky that this experiment in gravitational wave energy containment had worked. Otherwise, the two warp-core breaches of the small ships would not have been enough to get the desired results. It was only the release of this energy at the same moment that even allowed this plan a chance of success.

  Dr. Maalot had the shuttlebay door open and Seven floated the containment through.

  “In the shuttle,” Torres said, moving to open the door for Seven.

  “This must remain mounted inside the security forcefield,” Seven said. “That way it will ride safely until the moment it is needed.”

  “I got that,” B’Elanna said. “Don’t worry.”

  “I am not worrying,” Seven said, wondering, not for the first time, why her crewmates were constantly projecting their own pesky emotions onto her. “I am simply stating an instruction.”

  Lieutenant Tuvok turned as Seven entered and studied what she and B’Elanna were doing. Beside Tuvok stood Lieutenant Tyla. She too was just watching.

  As Seven held the containment steady, Torres secured it to the inside of the shuttle. After a minute the engineer said, “Remove the antigrav unit now.”

  Seven did as she was told and stepped back. The containment held as B’Elanna ran a series of checks on it.

  “Done,” B’Elanna said, smiling after the last scan. “I can think of a hundred better uses for this energy.”

  “Assuming that we could control its release,” Seven said.

  “Yeah,” B’Elanna said. “Assuming.”

  “We will never know if we would have succeeded now,” Seven said.

  “You have succeeded in containing the energy,” Tuvok said. “Such success does not preclude success in the future.”

  “It is an amazing feat,” Dr. Maalot said, his voice broadcasting admiration. “A fantastic accomplishment.”

  “Agreed,” Tuvok said.

  Torres only snorted.

  “Thank you,” Seven said. Deep inside she could feel a small part of her taking in the compliments and being proud of the accomplishment. She did not dwell on the feeling. Simply noted it. She would think to ask Captain Janeway about such feeling later, if the opportunity presented itself. It might make for an interesting discussion.

  * * *

  “Captain,” Ensign Kim said. “I’m picking up three Qavok ships on long-range scan. Heading this way.”

  Janeway snapped around. Thirty-one minutes until the Qavok had to explode their device to change the path of the neutron star into the Lekk system. They might be ornery, but they were also punctual.

  “Can you get a reading on the ships?” Chakotay asked, standing and moving up to Tuvok’s position.

  Kim frowned for a moment, then said, “Two Qavok warships and a ship of unknown design between them.”

  “Round in shape?” Janeway asked.

  “Yes,” Kim said.

  “The ship Lieutenant Tyla found the plans for. Good. At least we know what we’re up against.”

  “That will help,” Chakotay said.

  “Captain,” Kim said. “The other eleven Qavok warships are slowly leaving position to join the three new ships.”

  “Estimated time of arrival?”

  “Twenty-eight minutes,” Kim said.

  “Captain,” Tom said. “We’ll be a sitting duck if we stay in this low orbit for a fight.”

  “Understood,” Janeway said.

  “Captain,” Kim said. “The thirty troops on the Invincible have locked down in two shuttles. They appear to be getting ready to launch.”

  She shook her head in amazement and turned back to stare at the binary filling the screen. Thirteen Qavok warships on the way. Another already in orbit. All arrayed against Voyager and a Xorm science ship. If Tuvok were here, he would most certainly tell her how slim the odds were of survival. But at the moment, he was facing his own slim odds.

  “Ensign,” Janeway said. “Hail the Gravity.”

  “On screen,” Kim said a few moments later.

  “We’ve seen the Qavok movement,” Captain Fedr said. “This doesn’t look good.”

  “No it doesn’t,” Janeway said. “The round ship is one they built specially to dive into the neutron star binary. Nothing but screens and a large warp core.”

  Captain Fedr shook his head slowly from side to side, clearly amazed. “You know, I sometimes don’t give the Qavok enough credit for pure evil.”

  “By trying to destroy an entire inhabited system,” Janeway said, “I’d say that pure evil just about describes them.”

  “So what are we going to do to stop them?” Fedr asked.

  “I think,” Janeway said, “that it might be a wise idea if you pulled off to a safe distance and stayed out of the fight. Let us handle them.”

  “Thirteen Qavok warships?” Captain Fedr said, almost laughing. “Captain, I know your ship is powerful, but there are limits to everything. It would help if I drew a few of those warships’ attention. Even the odds a little. And don’t worry. We can take care of ourselves just fine.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Janeway said. “Your help is gladly accepted.”

  “No, the thanks belong to you,” Captain Fedr said. “It’s just lucky for all of us you came along when you did.”

  “Let’s see how this turns out first,” Janeway said, smiling at the Xorm. “Follow my lead and move up to a higher orbit where we have more room to fight.”

  “Actually, Captain,” Fedr said, “I’m thinking I should take my ship slightly lower.”

  “Lower?”

  “Exactly,” Captain Fedr said. “I have a skilled pilot and a ship designed to withstand battering. We’ll set up to block the path of their special ship. If a few of those warships come down to clear us out of the way, we’ll have the advantage.”

  “Good thinking,” Janeway said.

  “Thank you,” Fedr said.

  “One more thing,” Janeway said. “The Qborne troops are about to launch from the Invincible in two shuttles. Any idea what we should do about them?”

  “One moment,” Fedr said.

  He did a slight bit of work below him, off screen; then beside his face an illustration of a Qavok warship appeared.

  “Captain,” he said, “the Qavok shuttlebay doors are here.”

  On the illustration a red circle appeared around an area of the Qavok ship. Of course, Janeway knew that, but said nothing, letting the Xorm captain go on with his idea.

  “A preemptive strike against the Invincible,” he said, “hitting this area, would lock those shuttlebay doors closed, and render the Qborne irrelevant. If they can’t get out, they can’t hurt anything.”

  “Got it,” Janeway said, turning back to Captain Fedr. “And good luck to you in the upcoming fight. We’ll stop them.”

  “I certainly hope so, Captain,” Fedr said. “May the gods be with you over the next hour.”

  Janeway broke the connection. “Hail Captain Qados.”

  “On screen,” Kim said.

  The sneering, reptilian face of the Qavok appeared. Now, after getting a pretty solid confirmation that they were purposely trying to destroy an entire system, she was so angry she could barely talk.

  “Captain Qados,” Janeway said before the Qavok could even say a word. “We know you are planning an attack against the Xorm ship with a group of Qborne. Either have them unload from your shuttles or face the consequences.”

  Janeway cut the connection before the Qavok could even say a word.

  “Fair warning,” Chakotay said. “Very restrained. How long do we wait?”

  “We move the moment those shuttlebay doors start to open. Seal them solid. Then target the Invincible’s weapons and engines and take them out. Might as well drop the odds a little right off the bat.”

  “Targeted and standing by,” Chakotay said.

  “All right, people,” Janeway said, settling into her chair. “Take us to red alert. Tom, move us up out of this orbit.”

&nb
sp; “Gladly,” Tom said.

  Around her the lights changed to a red tint and the computer announced red alert, battle stations to the crew.

  On the screen in front of her the binary neutron star continued to tear itself apart.

  What a stupid place to fight a battle was all she could think. Really, really stupid.

  CHAPTER 18

  DR. MAALOT WATCHED IN SHOCK AS THE LIGHTS around the shuttlebay dimmed and turned red. “Battle stations,” the voice came over the comm system. “All crew to battle stations.”

  Suddenly the large bay transformed from an inviting workplace to a cavern of urgency and doom. On the walls red lights blinked, and the air seemed suddenly heavy.

  At a run, and without a word, both B’Elanna and Seven left the shuttlebay. Both, it seemed, were heading for Engineering, or maybe the bridge. Dr. Maalot didn’t know.

  He moved over to where Tyla stood beside the Qavok yacht. She looked calm and collected. He supposed she was used to this type of thing. But for the life of him he couldn’t imagine how anyone could get used to fighting. It just wasn’t something he understood.

  “Any idea what we’re supposed to do?”

  “None,” she said, shrugging. She clicked off the display of Qavok military files in front of her and turned to face him. “Stay out of the way, I would guess.”

  “I’d much rather help, if I could,” Maalot said. And he honestly would, for two reasons. First, he felt he owed these humans a great deal, not only for saving his life, but for what they were trying to do to stop the Qavok. And second, he hated what the Qavok were thinking of doing to his homeworld. They simply had to be stopped.

  “So would I,” Lieutenant Tyla said. “I’d love to get my hands around the neck of a Qavok and just squeeze.”

  “That is not exactly the type of help I was thinking of,” he said. He could tell that she meant what she said. He looked around. There had to be something they could do.

  “We should check in with Lieutenant Tuvok in the shuttle,” Tyla said, moving in that direction.

  “True,” Maalot said. “Excellent idea. He very well might have something for us to do. Or at least we can find out what is happening outside this bay.”