“I’m on my way,” Bowers said, drawing his phaser, already at a run. Shar followed him out into the corridor and within moments the pair came bounding into the medical bay, where Lieutenant McCallum had also just arrived, phaser in hand. Bowers signaled with a quick shake of his head, and the lanky security officer stood ready to back him up.
Ensign Richter held a large hypospray in front of her. She had backed a few meters away from Sacagawea, who stood in the center of the chamber, gesticulating wildly with his spindly, insectile limbs. “Nothing is to fear now/presently,” the D’Naali was saying, repeating the phrase like a mantra. “Help/assistance is inbound/ coming. Soonfastsoon.”
Shar felt an odd tingling in his antennae, a sensation he’d felt only in the immediate proximity of either a shrouded Jem’Hadar soldier—
—or a powerful subspace transmitter.
His curiosity fully roused, Shar approached the tall, willowy being, raising a hand in the direction of Bowers and McCallum to silence their protests. Sacagawea was immediately calmed, either by the science officer’s mere presence or by his utter lack of fear.
“Are you saying that D’Naali ships are coming to assist us against the Nyazen?” Shar said, speaking slowly and distinctly so as not to overtax the universal translator. The ship shook and pitched again as yet another Nyazen salvo grappled with the Defiant’ s shielding.
“Affirm/aver this to be so,” said the creature.
Yes, Shar thought, glancing back at Bowers, whose eyes were beginning to narrow with suspicion. McCallum merely stood by, holding his phaser and looking bewildered.
“I would like to know why,” the tactical officer said to the D’Naali, “you seem so sure about that.”
Shar tapped his combadge. “Ensign ch’Thane to Commander Vaughn.”
“Vaughn here,” came the curt response. “We’re a bit busy at the moment, Ensign.” The ship shook yet again, as though to underscore the commander’s words.
Shar winced inwardly, recalling his zhavey’ s frequent tongue-lashings over far more trivial matters. “I don’t think this can wait, sir.”
“Then make it good, Mister.”
* * *
After listening to Shar’s bare-bones report, Vaughn ordered Tenmei to fall back another twenty million kilometers sunward. Undeterred, the Nyazen flotilla continued its dogged pursuit.
“They’re rapidly closing to weapons range again,” Merimark said from the tactical station, her tone losing a bit of its customary professional detachment. “Pulse phaser cannons are still off-line from the last salvos.”
“Propulsion?” Vaughn asked.
“Warp and impulse both available,” Merimark reported. “As long as we don’t take any more damage, that is. Ensign VanBuskirk reports that the last hits effectively wiped out the cloaking-device repairs that were in progress.”
Vaughn wasn’t surprised. A working cloaking device would have been far too much to ask for. “Look sharp, Ensign Merimark. Ensign Tenmei, I want you to be ready to warp us out of this system on my order.”
Tenmei cast a quizzical glance over her shoulder. “Sir?”
“That’s only as a last resort, Ensign. I’m not abandoning our away team while there’s an alternative.”
“Captain, we can’t survive another sustained, simultaneous assault from all nine ships,” Tenmei observed with a frown.
Vaughn smiled humorlessly, recalling the discovery Shar had just related to him. “Somehow I don’t think we’ll have to.”
“I’ve got several more incoming bogeys on the long-range scanners, sir,” Merimark reported.
Vaughn hoped that was good news. “How many?”
“Eleven. No, twelve. They’ve just dropped out of low warp speed. Quickly closing on our position.”
Stroking his beard, Vaughn grunted in acknowledgment. “Let me see them.” An instant later, several long, gracefully tapered vessels appeared on the viewer.
D’Naali, Vaughn thought, picking out a particular ship from the group. Its distinctive pattern of hull scorches positively identified it as the vessel from which Sacagawea had come.
He heard the turbolift doors whoosh open behind him, and turned his chair toward the sound. Shar and Bowers stepped onto the bridge, flanking Sacagawea. The tall, insectile alien adopted a slouched-over, splayed-legged stance to accommodate the bridge’s relatively low ceiling.
“Keep a close eye on him, Mr. Bowers,” Vaughn said.
“The D’Naali are powering up their weapons,” Merimark reported, her tone wary.
A split second later the bridge viewer showed bright bluish pulses of energy issuing from the prows of several of the newly arrived vessels. But the Defiant wasn’t their target. The bursts struck the bulbous hulls of the lead Nyazen ships, who promptly returned fire. Compression disruptors again, Vaughn observed silently. Relatively low-power stuff, on both sides.
The battle unfolded quickly, and was decidedly one-sided. Although the weaponry of both sides was essentially equivalent, the newly arrived D’Naali fleet was stronger in both numbers and, apparently, in energy reserves.
“The Nyazen are breaking off,” Tenmei reported. “Most of them are now on a direct heading for the alien cathedral. Several of the D’Naali are pursuing.”
“Sometimes the cavalry really does come riding over the hill in the proverbial nick,” Bowers said, still standing vigilantly beside Sacagawea and Shar.
Vaughn turned his chair toward the tactical station. “Hail the D’Naali flagship, Ensign Merimark.”
Merimark was already listening intently to something on her earpiece. “Sir, the lead vessel is already hailing us.”
A moment later the buglike face of a D’Naali commander appeared on the viewer. Vaughn wasn’t absolutely certain this was the same being with whom he had spoken previously. They all looked remarkably similar, and Vaughn was willing to bet that they harbored precisely the same notion about humans.
“Thanking us not required/needful,” the alien began. “But your help/assistance we could accept/use in the now/futuretime.”
“How can we assist you?”
“Most impressed/astonished were we to discover/ learn of your mattermover, with which your crew/people came/went to/from our vessel—and later/subsequently gained cathedral/anathema ingress.”
Vaughn’s initial impulse was one of anger, but he reined it in, reminding himself that these beings weren’t human, or even humanoid. He had to make allowances for their culture, particularly in view of the difficulties that still existed in simply communicating with them. Nevertheless, Shar’s report that Sacagawea had somehow informed his people of the beam-in to the cathedral was obviously right on the money.
Vaughn made a slashing gesture toward Merimark, who responded by cutting the audio channel. The alien commander’s face remained on the screen as Vaughn turned toward Bowers and Shar. “How did Sacagawea report to his people, gentlemen? I presume he was searched and scanned for transmitters when he first came aboard.”
“He was, sir,” Bowers said, obviously at a loss. “We didn’t find anything.”
“We obviously missed something,” Vaughn said, wondering how the universal translator might mangle the D’Naali word for “spy.”
“I stumbled across this inadvertently only a few minutes ago, Captain,” Shar said, gesturing toward his antennae. “The D’Naali evidently possess an internal electromagnetic organ that enables them to communicate nonverbally on the lower-energy subspace bands. We never detected it because no one thought to monitor the long-wavelength channels.”
Vaughn couldn’t conceal his surprise. “You’re saying they’re…subspace telepaths?”
“Essentially,” Shar said, nodding toward the alien visage on the screen. “And as such, they probably aren’t being deterred by interrupting our audio feed.”
Damn! Of course. The D’Naali commander is hearing everything we’re saying—through Sacagawea. Vaughn gestured toward Merimark, who immediately restored the audio link wit
h the D’Naali ship.
“Hear/perceive me enabled?” the alien captain was saying. “Relieved/gratified am I that hearing/audition/ reception is restored.”
“I can hear you quite well,” Vaughn said, coming to a decision. Whether the D’Naali had intended to commit espionage aboard the Defiant or not, there was no reason to allow it to continue. “We thank you for allowing Sacagawea to act as our guide.”
“Ryek’ekbalabiozan’voslu assures/attests that his time interval aboard/within your vessel has been enjoyable/profitable/instructive.”
Vaughn smiled at the alien commander, whose casual mention of communications with Sacagawea made it appear that the D’Naali had no treacherous intentions. “We are prepared to beam him back to you any time. Now, if you wish.”
The D’Naali commander made a gesture resembling a shrug. “Not urgency, Ryek’ekbalabiozan’voslu’s return/recovery. Far more interest/desire in matters other/ different. Now/presently, we need/require use of your mattermover device/machine. And your new scheme/ plan for enhancing/increasing its capability/power. Such machine/method we D’Naali could put to virtuous/appropriate use.”
They want to use our transporter? Vaughn bit back a curse at the deficiencies of the universal translator. Aloud, he said, “What use?”
The D’Naali blinked several times before replying, as though it had just heard an unutterably stupid question. “With it, we too/as well may ingress/enter cathedral/ anathema, just as Ryek’ekbalabiozan’voslu informs/reports that you have done/accomplished. With your mattermover, we can resolve/finish cathedral/anathema. For now, and for evermore/eternity.”
At last Vaughn felt he was beginning to understand the nature of the obscure conflict between the D’Naali and the Nyazen. His initial anger, sparked by Sacagawea’s covert conversations with his commander, began smoldering again.
“You want to beam weapons into the cathedral,” Vaughn said. “Those Nyazen ships aren’t trying to prevent you from worshiping the thing—they’re trying to keep you from destroying it.”
“The Nyazen worship/revere the power/puissance of the cathedral/anathema,” the D’Naali captain said. “Its reach spans realms/worlds/universes. It is a sacred/terrible thing to them. It is a sacred/terrible thing to us—the selfsame sacred/terrible thing which shattered/ destroyed our innersystem ancient/ancestral home-world, longlonglong ago. An ancient evil/desolator, which scattered both lineages to the outervoids uncounted timeoutofmind ages/aeons past.”
Beginning to believe that something more sinister than a language barrier was responsible for the apparent obfuscation on the part of the D’Naali, Vaughn suddenly had a chilling thought. If their sole purpose all along had been to destroy the cathedral, they might be inclined to say anything to achieve that objective—even if it jeopardized the Defiant. Turning away from the viewer, Vaughn crossed to Sacagawea. Had the alien not stood more than a head taller, they would have been standing nose to nose.
“We’ve sent members of our crew inside the cathedral because you told us that their…afflictions could be cured only there,” Vaughn said evenly. “I sincerely hope you were telling us the whole truth about that.”
Sacagawea shrank away from Vaughn, clearly intimidated. The creature’s long, graceful fingers played idly with the small antigrav units harnessed to its appendages, as though suddenly aware of its extreme vulnerability aboard the Defiant.“No prevarications/lies I told,” it said. “All this D’Naali-being has stated about/ concerning afflicted ones is correct/true/sincere. The anathema’s power/puissance is/remains your afflicted ones’ sole/final hope.”
Vaughn backed away from Sacagawea, not interested in appearing belligerent before its commander. Facing the viewer again, he said, “Your conflict with the Nyazen is none of my business. Our involvement was strictly in the interests of preventing any needless deaths.”
“Our thanks/gratitude you have earned for this,” the D’Naali commander said. “Many D’Naali live/endure because of you.”
Vaughn smiled. “I’d like you to return the favor. Before you resume your fight with the Nyazen over the fate of your…anathema, we ask that you assist us in gaining access to it. Just long enough to locate and rescue our people. Then we’ll be on our way.”
The D’Naali commander seemed to consider Vaughn’s proposal for a protracted moment before saying, “Counteroffer/proposal. Afterward/following, you will give/send us your mattermover device/machine. We will then use it to resolve/finish the cathedral/anathema.”
“I can’t do that,” Vaughn replied without hesitation. Because both of these civilizations were warp capable, however marginally, the noninterference protections of the Prime Directive did not strictly apply. But the thought of radically disrupting the delicate, aeons-old balance of power that had obviously evolved between these two peoples didn’t sit well with him.
The alien commander made a sound that evoked an image of a rusty iron gate. Vaughn interpreted it as a self-satisfied laugh. “Damaged/strained is your vessel. Much/greatly drained/depleted are your energies/capabilities. Refusal is no option/poor choice.”
“Don’t underestimate us,” Vaughn said, realizing that his earlier unfavorable appraisal of the D’Naali’s motivations now seemed precisely on the mark. “And don’t think you’ll impress us by making threats. Especially while one of your own people is still aboard my vessel.”
“You will surrender/relinquish your hostage/prisoner,” the D’Naali captain said.
“Primed/ready am I to die as a prisoner/hostage,” Sacagawea responded, folding his long limbs about himself in what Vaughn interpreted as an elaborate display of D’Naali dignity. Clearly, the alien was preparing to die.
Not on my ship.
Vaughn turned toward the tactical station. “Ensign Merimark, inform transporter chief Chao that our ‘guest’ will be beaming back to his ship immediately. Straight from the bridge.”
“Respectfully, Captain, are you sure that’s wise?” Bowers said, his wary eyes on Sacagawea. He and Shar had backed several paces away from the creature.
“Damn sure,” Vaughn said, his glare spelling out plainly that there would be no further debate. “We can still run if we have to.”
Vaughn faced the alien leader again as Sacagawea disappeared in a blaze of sparkling light. “Whatever you may believe about us, D’Naali, we’re not hostage-takers.”
The alien commander’s mouth parts moved in a manner that Vaughn could only interpret as a grin. “Defend/ protect your ship, then.”
“Tenmei, make your best speed toward the alien artifact.”
“Aye, sir.” Her hands worked the console with the virtuosity of a concert pianist.
Vaughn saw a flash of blue light originate at the D’Naali flagship’s prow just as the entire fleet fell away into the distance.
Relieving Merimark at tactical, Bowers said, “The D’Naali vessels are pursuing. But they won’t be able to catch up to us.”
“Unless we stop,” Tenmei said from the conn. Over her shoulder, she flashed Vaughn a mock-questioning look.
Vaughn favored her with a good-natured scowl as he seated himself in the command chair. “We will, Ensign. At the Nyazen blockade fleet. And let’s hope that the defenders are a little more reasonable than the destroyers.”
* * *
“Keeping station at one hundred thousand klicks from the artifact, Captain,” Tenmei said.
“No sign of weapons activity,” said Bowers. “But the blockade ships have scanned us. They seem more curious than hostile.”
“Perhaps they saw their adversaries firing on us,” Shar said from the main science console.
My enemy’s enemy is my friend, Vaughn thought. He sat in the command chair, absorbing and considering the constant reports coming from each member of his bridge crew.
“The Nyazen flagship is finally answering our hails,” Hunter said.
The round, blotchy, whitish face that appeared on the viewer struck Vaughn as a study in astonishment, though he
knew he was anthropomorphizing an alien being. On the other hand, perhaps the Nyazen captain simply couldn’t believe Vaughn’s audacity in approaching with a request to parley after having been driven away so recently by the massed forces of thirteen Nyazen blockade ships.
“You wish/desire to aid/assist us against the D’Naali destroyers?”
Who are going to arrive in force any second.“As I said,” Vaughn continued, using his most patient, persuasive tones, “members of my crew are inside the cathedral at this very moment. They seek cures to the maladies that the cathedral caused.”
“Not possible/believable. We prevented/averted your approach to cathedral/anathema.”
Vaughn sighed. “You detected the energy beam we directed at the cathedral, did you not?”
“Detected, we did, your weapon,” the Nyazen commander growled. “Ineffectual/inconsequential it was.”
“It did no damage because it wasn’t a weapon.” Time to roll the dice, Vaughn thought, pausing. “It was a material transmission device.”
As inscrutable as the alien had been up until now, Vaughn could tell instantly that he had finally piqued his counterpart’s interest. He continued his effort at persuasion: “Your sensors must have detected the approach of the D’Naali fleet by now. So here’s my proposal: We will help you defend the cathedral against them—if you will allow us to approach it and render assistance to our officers.”
“You could/might use your mattercaster to deliver weapons to/within cathedral/anathema.”
Vaughn took a deep breath to keep from raising his voice. “We could have done that before. We didn’t.”
The Nyazen commander was clearly turning that fact over in his mind.
Bowers spoke up. “Twelve D’Naali ships are dropping out of warp, Captain. Almost right on top of the blockade.”
“Red alert!” Vaughn said, and alarm klaxons began blaring. He signaled to Bowers to turn them down.
“Incoming fire!” Bowers said. Tenmei reacted swiftly, turning the stronger starboard shields toward the massed fire of four of the arriving vessels. The deck pitched, and Vaughn held tightly to the arms of his chair.
Cathedral Page 32