One hundred thousand kilometers.

Picard nodded and narrowed his eyes.

Full shieldspower to weapons. Fire!

The Hidran ship gathered itself and fired. Orange bulbs of energy punched point blank intoEnterprise , spreading out over the shields and wrenching the marrow from Picards own bones.

Fire!

Red snarls of disrupter fire spiraled aroundEnterprise as she twisted away and volleyed a few torpedoes in defense.

The Hidran vessel shook, pummeled by the shots.

Bolster the shields!

Urosk called out.

Come about to aft course.

Target engineering, Picard ordered, gripping the edge of the helm console with tense fingers.

Fire!

Another salvo of torpedoes engulfed her. Picard couldnt breathe.

The Klingon ship swooped down out of warp and its phasers sliced intoEnterprises hull.

Itburned, by G.o.d it burnedas surely if it were his own skin.

Status!

he barked, hoping hed done enough.

His shields are holding.

Not his shieldsmine. Myship!

Hawk-like, the Klingon vessel plunged past her again, brightening s.p.a.ce with orange spheres that smashed intoEnterprise and sent her bouncing off her course.

Her shields are weakening!

Picard mopped his brow with a wet sleeve asEnterprise spat back furious bars of b.l.o.o.d.y raw power, rocking the ship around him.

Eyes fixed on her sweeping lines as she curled around to fire another blast at her master, Picard yanked up his hand phaser and ordered, Target aft shields and fire!

He tapped his comm badge and looked away as the shots rang out.

Riker, stand by!

TheEnterprise captain swung back to the Hidran helm.

Well?

One more, Meliosh a.s.sured him.

Fire then!

Picard heard the energy scream from the shipfelt the wave of the blast.

His aft shields are down!

Meliosh yelled.

Picard sucked in a breath of moist air and lifted his phaser to chest level.

Now, Riker! Now!

Crewman Lopez was the first hed found. Riker holstered the tricorder but kept his phaser in hand as he tried to position the unconscious man in what would be a comfortable position when he finally awoke.

The tricorder reopened, he checked again for any residual gas, then scanned for Data.

As soon as he beamed aboard the android had left the battle bridge. Probably changed course too. The Klingon and Hidran vessels would be left behind.

Enterprisewas alone again, and Riker with it. If Picards plan failed, Riker too would die at the hands of ten Klingon battle cruisers.

Data was difficult to scan with a tricorder. Riker couldnt link in to the ships computer to get a tack from the androids comm badge, and he wasnt about to actuallyask where Data was. Once again Picard had ordered no easy task.

Riker scratched at his legit only itched nowand continued up the corridor. He glanced down at the tricorder.

Faint energy readings, he mumbled.Could mean anything .

He ambled up the corridor, waiting for a sound, an indication, something that might give him an edge.

Suddenly the tricorder graph shot off the scale.

A smile tugged at his lips. An edge.

He adjusted the right b.u.t.tons, and headed where it told him.

Twenty meters straight, ten left, another five left. At least thats what he figuredthe tricorder didnt account for walls, it only told him linear direction.

He marched slowly, cautiously. Data could set a trap as easily as the next Starfleet officer. And the android had an advantagethe ships computer at his disposal. He could move force fields and drop emergency bulkheads, effectively trapping Riker where he stood.

He looked down at the tricorder again. What if that was a force field reading?

Noit fluctuated, a wild lash across the graph.

He pressed on. There was no place else to go.

Up one corridor, vigilantly down the next.

Mumblings ... Noyellingup the hallway.

Riker stopped, listened a moment, then discreetly edged himself up the next corridor, careful not to trip over any crewmen that happened to have fallen in the path.

You cant win, Data, Picard yelled, and Riker heard a phaser whine.

The only return argument was another phaser blast.

He poked his head around the corner, making sure to keep himself hidden from view. Picard was using a door alcove as cover at one end of the hall, Data was doing the same toward Rikers position.

Picard fired again, a bright orange lance sparking off the wall above Data and chipping the plasticine onto the androids head.

The captains phaser was set to kill.

Youre alone, Data, Picard said.

The Klingon Empire will live a thousand years longer than you could hope to survive. Give up now while you still have the chance.

Data returned the fire and nearly connected with his target as Picard fell back into the darkness of the alcove.

Boldly, Picard rolled across the hall to another door way, squeezing off two shots as he went. The deck in front of Data flared into smoke and spark, obscuring his view.

Captain, Data said, his voice normal if somewhat muted, I cannot give you this ship. I have sworn an oath and will not break it.

There are no oaths, Picard said.

Starfleet is ours.

The captain poked out of his cover and fired again. The dart of energy flew past Data and Riker had to yank his own head back as it glanced by.

Only a few meters apart, Data and Picard traded volleys again. Riker sank back against the wall, setting down the tricorder and resetting his phaser.

Stun.Heavy stun.

Picard fired once more, and the whine of his powerful setting whipped past again.

Let us help you, Data, Picard yelled.

Put down the phaser and surrender control of the ship and youll be kept aliveperhaps to fight another day. But stand in our way now, and well destroy you!

One ...

Riker tensed and pushed himself up to a squat.

Two ...

He checked the phaser setting again, and also prepared to reset it to kill if he had to.

Three!

No!

He leapt outskid up the corridorand fired.

An orange spear knocked Picard back into his alcove and through the door.

Riker dove, rolled onto a knee, and aimed at Picards limp formready to fire again.

Breathing heavily he looked up at Data.

You okay?

Eyebrows slightly arched, the android nodded.

Yes, sir.

Our good captain here had me confined when I found out what was going on, Riker explained bitterly as he rose.

I escaped the Klingon brigmade it to their transporter room. Im almost glad they knocked out your shields. Im not sure where I would have gone.

Data pushed himself up from his crouched position.

I am pleased to see you are well, sir No time for that, Data.

Riker gestured toward the nearest turbolift.

Report ships status.

His phaser now at his side, Data began for the lift.

We are back on a course toward the Klingon Neutral Zone. Shields are down and I suggest The android stiffened, his entire body gripped in energy.

He should have fallen ... but didnt.

Riker fired again Data stumbled forward.

And again Energy cloaked Data as he tried to raise his weapon. He gurgled out a sound and turned his head. Riker tensed, ready to set the phaser higher.

The android turned against the beam, trembling with determination.

Another jolt, then another.

Data lifted his phaser arm, then collapsed to the deck. The weapon tumbled from his grip.

Riker sucked in a breath. What if Data couldnt be repaired this time?

He turned away, scowling at his phaser. What if hed just killed his friend of so many A sc.r.a.ping sound.