She quickly set the phasera wide beam, thinly distributed.

They were moving closer ... closer ...

Not as close as she wanted them, but she panicked a bit and fired. The phaser spat energy in a thin, broad beama spatula of energy that she sc.r.a.ped not against the Hidran, but on the ceiling above them.

Clouds of dust, the sandstone ceiling turned to grit, rained down on the Hidran, and cut off their air.

Gagging, they crumpled like large trees being tossed in a tornado. Barbara saw Picard pitched to the floor, a flash of red and black uniform through the chalk fog.

They tried to move forward through the dust barricade. Barbara aimed the phaser and fired again. This time the floor spat up into a gritty barrier that mushroomed into the Hidran. Beyond the patchy thickness she saw them choking, but they refused to retreat back through the hatch.

She choked as the dust found its way forward and reset her phaser back to stun. Stunif shed left this to the professionals Picard wouldnt have been stunned. Then again, at least she had only stunned him. A phaser setting more and he might have died.

Her mouth was dry and she licked her lips, suddenly frightened by the thought that he still might. The Hidran were trapped and who knew what theyd do now?

They did.

The Hidran moved forward, despite the dust, and continued to fire.

She was trapped, and knew she had to make a run for itto get help Taking a deep breath, Barbara leapt forward and began a sprint down the halltoward the Hidran.

The falling dust half cloaking her, she turned away from them as soon as she could and ran toward the main hall, her muscles screaming and feet barely able to balance on the line of fear she felt.

Relief melted through her as she saw three new Starfleet security guards running toward her.

The calvary had come, and just in ti Beside her the wall exploded into large chunks of rock and She felt her head snap ... and consciousness evaporated.

Saxon was glad he was only the transporter chief. That seemed almost a cowardly thought, but he knew how many security teams were down on the planet, and wasnt really sure what Commander Data hoped to gain by making a personal rescue attempt.

The commander, holding his phaser rifle and tricorder, waited near the transporter platform.

Lieutenant Wyckoff just signaled that the team is on its way, sir, Saxon told the android.

Data nodded.

Very well. I will want to beam down outside the main hall.

Aye, sir.

A wise movesensors said no one was on the streets.

The transporter room doors parted, and acting security chief Wyckoff entered, flanked by six other security officers.

Reporting as ordered, Commander, Wyckoff said, nodding his men onto the dais before them.

Each man, Saxon noticed, was also carrying a heavy-duty phaser rifle and a few power-pack replacements.

Data nodded to the men whod taken their places on the transporter platform, then spoke to Wyckoff.

The captain is being held, presumably by the Klingons. I will not discontinue the white-noise blanket for fear that the Klingons would attempt to beam the captain off the planet. However, keeping the transmission jammer active means that our sensors cannot pinpoint his specific location. We are aware that all the life-forms in question are either in the main hall or in other buildings, however, and for that reason we will transport down outside the main hall.

Wyckoff nodded and stepped onto the transporter dais, as did Data.

The android nodded to Saxon.

Energizing, the transporter chief said, running his hand along the controls. Suddenly the console turned dark. He jabbed at the panel, then looked up to Data.

Weve lost power, sir.

Data handed his phaser rifle to the guard behind him, who, with both rifles and a utility bag hanging off him, took on the posture of a bandito out of an old Western movie.

What is the cause?

Data asked, stepping down, leaving the seven security men to hold their positions.

The chief shook his head and shrugged.

I dont know, sir. Just no power to the console.

Data quickly tapped at his comm badge.

Data to Engineering.

Engineering. Lieutenant Cheng here.

Transporter Room Four has lost power. Are we experiencing difficulties?

One moment, sir.

There was a pause.

I show your null activity, sir, but its not coming from any engineering console. There may be a problem on site.

Data looked up at Saxon, who dabbed at his console, then shook his head.

The problem does not appear to be down here, Data said.

Well get right on it, Commander. In the meantime I can put Transporter Room Five on priority.

Very well. Data out.

The android waved the security men off the transporter dais and nodded a carry on to the chief.

Smoke was filling the room, billowing from phaser-punched holes, forming black clouds near the high ceiling. Riker shifted his weight onto his bad leg for only an instant, then quickly switched back, wincing in pain.

Five lovely machines, seven lovely craters burned into their sides. Riker pulled Deanna into the corridor, then lowered himself to the floor and admired his handiwork through the open door.

Unfortunately, five minutes had pa.s.sed and no one had rushed in to stop the damage. An automatic fire-suppression had begun to work its magic, but a phaser blast had quickly terminated that operation as well. The thought struck Riker that all this could be for nothing. What if no one was on this ship? What if they had just done something to hamper life-support?

Deanna stooped down next to him.

Your leg needs treatment, Will. You cant lose any more blood.

He nodded lethargically.

I know. Im open to suggestions.

Grasping his hand in hers, she said, I have an idea, but it will be painful.

More painful than death?

She smiled weakly and brushed away the hair that had fallen over his brow.

Probably.

He tried to return the smile.

Deanna, my strength, he said mock-seriously.

Whats your idea?

Give me your phaser, she said.

Ill cauterize the wound.

Eyes bulging, he edged away from her.

Have you lost your mind? Even at the lowest heat setting youd burn my leg off!

You havent heard the whole idea I dont think I want to.

She rose, and gestured into the room, toward one of the broken machines.

Look at the wealth of metal.

All we must do is cut a piece off, heat.i.t sufficiently, then use it to close your wound.

He looked from her to a bent piece of the metal panel on one of the damaged machines.

Youre not kidding when you say painful.

Id rather you were in pain than dead, she said.

Why are those always my only two choices?

He smiled. They did this to each other in times of stresseach tried to be the one that lightened the mood a little more. It didnt seem to be working today. Under each smile, Riker knew, was worry and trepidation.

She held out her hand.

Your phaser.

Nodding, he handed the weapon to her.

Be careful.

Im going to stun you first, on the lightest setting, she said, playing with the phasers settings.

It should daze you dull the pain. I dont want to use anything stronger because your system is already weak.

Understood.

Riker didnt want all the details.

Ive agreed. Just do it.

She let out a long breath, then silently aimed the weapon and fired at the large section of metal that Riker had been looking at a moment earlier. The beam of the phaser sliced easily through the strip of paneling and sent a metal wedge clattering to the deck.

What hit the floor was a triangular edge of some alien ore, still sizzling and spitting sparks.

Balancing on the b.a.l.l.s of her feet, she lowered herself to Rikers injured leg. Slowly she unwrapped the b.l.o.o.d.y bandage, revealing a deep angled wound that was as painful as it looked.

Riker was not exactly the squeamish typehe could bear the sight of his own blood, just didnt prefer it.

Deanna wrapped the thick end of the strip of cloth shed torn from her uniform around her right hand.

Her uniform was now sleeveless, having sacrificed both arms to Rikers wound. With the phaser in her left hand, she picked up the sharper, cooler edge of the metal wedge. A line of energy linked the wedge and the phaser when she thumbed the trigger. They could see the orange heat creeping up from the edge of the metal toward Deannas fingers. When the red glow was halfway up the strip of metal, and perhaps she was beginning to feel the burn on her fingertips, she clicked off the phaser and reset it.

Im going to stun you now.

He smiled back weakly.

Ive always found you stunning.

She couldnt seem to return the smile, and instead just looked at him anxiously. She aimed the phaser at his chest ... and fired.

Darkness blotted his consciousness in parts as the surge of energy jolted him, then sent him falling into waking sleep where pain was just a shadow.

He thought he saw Deanna stooped over his leg. He could sort of feel her holding his knee firmly in her free hand. Brighter than the rest of his viewin fact, the only thing he could make out clearlywas the hand that held the wedge of hot metal.

He slipped into complete darkness for a moment, then awoke to a strange feeling ... He scratched at his beard as a line of sweat from his temple drizzled down his cheek.

He heard himself moan, and tried to focus. He could make out Deannas eyesthey seemed large, and he could also see her hand shaking over his leg. Was it over?

She lowered the searing shard of metal toward the gash that was trickling blood. The wound hadnt even tried to clot.

Pain smacked him wide awake and he had to cram his eyes shut. A spike of agony shot through his leg and up his back. A heat so hot it felt cold, he flinched and Deannas grip on his knee tightened. Where had she gotten such strength? He heard the sizzle of his own blood against the hot wedge of metal. He could feel the heat on his skinit mixed with the heat of the blood until he couldnt tell the difference.

He gruntedcouldnt help itthe burningthe odor of his own flesh being scorched. He opened his eyes.