La Forge winced, realizing that he should have thought of that himself. "Get the crews out. Blow the docking latches. We can catch up with the shuttles later, or Challenger Challenger can recover them." can recover them."

A shuttle drifted free from the Intrepid, Intrepid, and was almost immediately sliced open by a disruptor beam. It ripped apart, the on board atmosphere burning itself out in a momentary bloom of fire before it dissipated too far to sustain a flame. and was almost immediately sliced open by a disruptor beam. It ripped apart, the on board atmosphere burning itself out in a momentary bloom of fire before it dissipated too far to sustain a flame.

As several more shuttles fell away from the Intrepid Intrepid's air-locks, propelled by emergency release charges, the K't'inga- K't'inga-cla.s.s ship looped around. It swung back toward the dispersing cl.u.s.ter of shuttles, green disruptor beams stabbing out and spearing the shuttles like moths against an entomologist's wall. In a matter of seconds, there was nothing left of the shuttles but a few clouds of gas and sparkling debris.

The marauder slowed as it approached, looming over the tiny silver shape of the Intrepid. Intrepid.

Red whirlwinds deposited a Ferengi, two Klingons, and two Breen into the bridge of Intrepid, Intrepid, and the room began to feel overcrowded. La Forge started to reach for a phaser that he only wished he had. n.o.body had antic.i.p.ated the need to be armed on a derelict. and the room began to feel overcrowded. La Forge started to reach for a phaser that he only wished he had. n.o.body had antic.i.p.ated the need to be armed on a derelict.

All of the new arrivals carried Klingon disruptors, which they kept covering the Starfleet crew. The Breen wore red refrigerated armor, the Klingons wore nonstandard leather and metal jerkins. The Ferengi, who looked more athletic and muscular than any Ferengi that La Forge had ever seen, glanced to either side. Apparently satisfied that his men had their prisoners effectively covered, an a.s.sessment with which Geordi ruefully agreed, he lowered his weapon and approached La Forge.

"You were sensible not to resist."

La Forge said, "If we had anything to resist with, we'd have given you all the resistance you could handle."

"That's good to hear. I'd hate to have wasted my time on cowards. Now, Commander La Forge . . ." The Ferengi laughed at Geordi's immediate astonishment. "Yes, I know who you are. You have been speaking to Challenger Challenger on open channels, after all." on open channels, after all."

"I guess you have the advantage."

"Yes." He smirked. "Now, a question. How many people are aboard?"

"If you couldn't scan the ship before you beamed in, I don't see a reason to tell you."

"Of course we did. Consider it a test."

"La Forge, Geordi, Rank: Commander-" The Ferengi silenced him with a raised finger, then drew his disruptor again, and leveled it at Rasmussen's eye.

"Eleven," Rasmussen yelped, his eyes bulging at the business end of the disruptor. "The four of us here, four in engineering, one looking after sickbay, two . . . exploring the ship."

"Very good. Exactly what our sensors told us." He nodded to the two Breen, who herded the Starfleet officers, and Rasmussen, to the rear of the bridge. The two Klingons took the science and helm stations. "You," he said to Rasmussen. "Was LaForge lying about not having the where-withal to resist?"

Rasmussen shrugged. "He's not lying. Intrepid Intrepid's weapons systems are still offline. No power to the phase cannons, and the servos that traverse and elevate them are still fused solid anyway."

"Photon torpedoes?"

"The photonic torpedoes have decayed beyond usability. They could probably still be fired, but they'd be no better than cannonb.a.l.l.s, as projectile weapons go."

"No warheads?"

"Nothing that would actually go off. A good sneeze would have a larger yield than what's currently in the armory's launch bays."

"Lucky me." The Ferengi raised a communicator to his lips. "The Intrepid Intrepid is secure. Lock on with tractor beams and prepare for docking procedures." is secure. Lock on with tractor beams and prepare for docking procedures."

"Acknowledged," a voice crackled, but Geordi could barely make it out. A few moments later, La Forge's stomach lurched as the tractor beam took effect on the ship, interfering with her gravity, and then there was a distant and m.u.f.fled clang somewhere. The Ferengi and the two Breen prodded La Forge and Rasmussen past the briefing area. Geordi remembered to step down. a voice crackled, but Geordi could barely make it out. A few moments later, La Forge's stomach lurched as the tractor beam took effect on the ship, interfering with her gravity, and then there was a distant and m.u.f.fled clang somewhere. The Ferengi and the two Breen prodded La Forge and Rasmussen past the briefing area. Geordi remembered to step down.

The tubolift opened, and another Ferengi emerged. He wore a civilian suit cut to look like a daimon's uniform, and La Forge instantly recognized his thin-lipped demeanor of revulsion, and the embers that burned in his hollow eyes. "Bok . . ."

The hollow-eyed Ferengi stopped immediately. "You know me?" He turned moved closer, looking coldly over Geordi's features. He paused as he met La Forge's eyes, then raised his hand and put it, edge-on, between his own eyes and Geordi's. He nodded, and smiled slowly. "Ah . . . I remember a man with a visual aid device across his eyes like this . . . On Picard's Enterprise, Enterprise, yes?" yes?"

"I used to wear a VISOR, if that's what you mean."

"I'd forgotten the rest of your features . . ."

"A lot of people do. They just saw the VISOR."

Bok's expression veered between a smile and a sneer, as if he was unsure which approach would be most intimidating. "Is that why you got rid of it? Vanity, perhaps, or to make you feel better? Or perhaps it was simply a vulnerability, exploitable by your enemies?"

"The technology improved." He couldn't deny that Bok's third suggestion had some merit. Both the Romulans and the Duras sisters had used his VISOR to attack the Enterprise Enterprise and its crew. "The device was also painful to use." Over time he had got used to the pain, and didn't really register it any more, but as soon as Beverly Crusher had given him the new cybernetic eyes, the freedom from the pain had been a revelation. and its crew. "The device was also painful to use." Over time he had got used to the pain, and didn't really register it any more, but as soon as Beverly Crusher had given him the new cybernetic eyes, the freedom from the pain had been a revelation.

"Painful? Well, every latinum lining has a cloud." He drew a phaser from his belt and turned to Rasmussen. "Let me show you what I mean," he said, and raised the phaser.

"No!" La Forge shouted. Rasmussen was a pain and a thief, but he didn't deserve to be executed in cold blood. "Whatever you think Captain Picard did to you, this man had nothing to do with it."

"You'd be surprised what this man has to do with," Bok said with an evil grin. He stepped closer to Rasmussen. "And now I'm going to give him what he deserves."

"No!"

Bok hesitated, obviously enjoying Geordi's discomfort, then reversed his grip on the phaser, and handed it to Rasmussen. For half a second, Geordi almost thought he was surrendering, but then he realized the truth, as Rasmussen gave a little "ah" of triumph.

"You and La Forge know each other?" Rasmussen sounded as amazed as he looked.

"We have met," Bok said.

"Wow. I mean, I knew that this is a much smaller universe than mine was back in the good old twenty-second century, but even so . . ." He spread his hands apologetically. "I'm sorry, Geordi, I really am, but, you know . . . The Starfleet life just isn't really for me." He looked at Bok. "I'll be over . . . here." With that, he stepped up onto the bridge, leaving a shocked and angry La Forge staring at his captors.

"What do you want this time, Bok? Do you think that you can get some advantage over Captain Picard by taking this ship?"

"A simplistic notion, which could have proved an amusing diversion, but, no. We have a much more profitable business venture in which to engage." As he spoke, La Forge noticed a couple of Ferengi carrying crates onto the bridge. In fact, traffic onto the bridge had been pretty high while they had been talking.

"We? You can't mean you and Rasmussen?"

"Mister Rasmussen is remarkably wise and approachable for a hew-mon. The merger we have made should provide profit beyond imagining." Bok chuckled. "Though I can imagine a lot."

La Forge couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How long has it been since you really did anything for profit? You even spent time in jail for trying to seek unprofitable revenge on Captain Picard."

"Revenge upon Picard would have profited my . . ." He trailed off, as if unable to think of the right word.

"Soul?"

Bok looked puzzled for a moment, as if trying to translate the word, or the concept, then snorted. "Such a concept is vaporware. My sense of well-being, perhaps."

"And you just happened to stumble across us?"

Bok shook his head. "Actually we've been waiting for several days, shielded from you by the star's photosphere."

"Several days? What were you waiting for?"

"What do you think?"

"For us to get Intrepid Intrepid up and running?" Bok nodded. "But your engineers-" up and running?" Bok nodded. "But your engineers-"

"Are not the specialists that Starfleet's Corps of Engineers would send. They can get a ship running, or even improve it, but restore such an ancient vessel? No. Not in the time available." Bok grinned nastily. "Allow me to congratulate you on the excellence of your work."

Another Ferengi approached Bok. "Daimon, everything is aboard, except Sloe. The Starfleeters are being held in the mess for now."

"Good. Escort Mister La Forge to join his comrades, and then tell Grak that he can undock."

Rasmussen put a hand on the center seat that had been installed to replace the original, and tried to shove it back and forth, just to test that it was secure. Satisfied that it didn't snap off from its mounting, he sat in it, shuffling around until he was comfortable. "Hm, I could get used to this." He opened his mouth to give an instruction to the Breen at the helm, but then hesitated.

He had seen the news reports, and, in this century, viewed enough records and holoprograms about starship captains to last a lifetime, and he would have been a liar if he had told his prison psychiatrist that he had never tried to imagine what sitting in the center seat of a starship was like.

"All right," he said to the Breen, "so I'm a liar."

Rasmussen had tried to imagine what it was like, and thought he had succeeded, but now he realized he was wrong. He had never actually imagined what it was really really like. It was both wonderful and thrilling, and scary, and, in the end, just a slightly uncomfortable chair. He shifted in it some more, knowing he would have to get a cushion to put at the base of his spine if he was going to sit here for extended periods over the next few days. like. It was both wonderful and thrilling, and scary, and, in the end, just a slightly uncomfortable chair. He shifted in it some more, knowing he would have to get a cushion to put at the base of his spine if he was going to sit here for extended periods over the next few days.

Bok stepped next to Rasmussen, who couldn't resist giving him a high-five. There were a couple of distant thuds. "Is that Grak?" Rasmussen asked.

"Yes, he has undocked. We are free to move."

"Excellent!" Rasmussen grinned to himself. "Helm," he said at last, "lay in a course for star system Delta Five in the Gamma Zeta Alpha cl.u.s.ter." The suited Breen fiddled with some switches and b.u.t.tons, then sat still. It took Rasmussen a moment to realize that the course was laid in, and the pilot waiting for the next order. "Aren't you supposed to, you know, say something like 'Course laid in,' or 'Okay, what next?' Or something like that?" The Breen didn't reply, and in fact didn't even turn around. Rasmussen found himself wondering if there was actually a living being under that armor.

Rasmussen sighed, rolling his eyes. "All right, warp factor four." The Breen's hand was already moving. "Let's go."

"There is more to commanding a ship and crew than just sitting in the center of the room, Ras-mew-son." Bok chuckled to himself as he moved toward the communications station. He reached across the newly fabricated box-like console units and opened a channel. "Grak, this is Bok."

"Grak here. Go ahead, Daimon."

"We're ready to get under way. Engage your cloak, and follow us, just in case."

"Understood. Cloaking now. Out."

La Forge was relieved to see that everyone who was seated in the mess was mostly unharmed, though there were a couple of black eyes and one broken nose in the room. He had wasted no time telling Reg Barclay and the other eight Starfleet personnel about who had handed over their prize.

"He seemed like such a nice guy, too," Reg said.

"I'm sure Colonel Green was loved by his dog." Geordi looked around the mess. It wasn't cramped, however the galley equipment was something they hadn't thought to restore. It hadn't seemed necessary, since they had a.s.sumed that they could always just beam back to Challenger Challenger to eat, or at least use the replicators on board the to eat, or at least use the replicators on board the Thames Thames or or Clyde. Clyde.

A deep vibration thrummed through the floor, and La Forge and Barclay swayed to one side for a moment under the pressure of acceleration before the inertial dampeners kicked in. "Well, we're under way," Reg said.

"And just when I got used to her." Geordi sighed.

"Challenger? She's a fine ship-" She's a fine ship-"

"No, Leah."

"Oh. I, uh-I'm sorry, Commander."

Geordi laughed mirthlessly. "Don't worry about it, Reg. Challenger is Challenger is a fine ship. Not as fine as the a fine ship. Not as fine as the Enterprise, Enterprise, though." though."

11.

Scotty watched as Leah Brahms slid into the ops seat. It had been her preferred place on the bridge since the project began, even though the Challenger Challenger was as much her baby as anyone else's and so she merited one of the three center seats. was as much her baby as anyone else's and so she merited one of the three center seats.

He knew she liked ops because its displays were a lot better than the tiny ones the center seats had in their armrests, and she liked to be able to monitor everything about the engines and power systems. If he was a hundred and twenty years younger, he reflected, she'd probably be his ideal woman.

Tyler Hunt dropped into the seat next to him. "Intrepid "Intrepid should be safe, at least. I wonder what this guy was after over there. What could they want with a two-hundred-year-old ship?" should be safe, at least. I wonder what this guy was after over there. What could they want with a two-hundred-year-old ship?"

"Good question," Nog said from his position at tactical. "Could there be something aboard? Something valuable?"

"Like what?" Scotty asked. "Technology? Dinna be ridiculous, man. It's two centuries out of date."

"Cla.s.sified material? Military secrets?"

Scotty shook his head. "Again, still two hundred years out o' date. The only cla.s.sified materials aboard would be their orders at the time, and mebbe some technical readouts that they'd have wanted to keep safe from others. A way to protect their systems against the Romulan telepresence weapon they had back then. But none of that would be worth a d.a.m.n thing to anybody today."

Hunt frowned. "A person, then? A life-form?"

"If that's what they want, they'd have been better just asking us. I'd have beamed them aboard and wished them the best of luck sponging the object of their search off the walls."

"More likely they were after us than Intrepid, Intrepid, surely," Leah said. "We've got a lot of experimental projects and systems on board. Valuable research in a lot of places." That sounded about right to Scotty as well. Even in his own career he'd seen that much. Strife with the Klingons over dilithium-rich planets, with the Romulans over borders, and then there was the whole Genesis Device business. Always planets, technical advances, or something that would give one a hand up in those two things. surely," Leah said. "We've got a lot of experimental projects and systems on board. Valuable research in a lot of places." That sounded about right to Scotty as well. Even in his own career he'd seen that much. Strife with the Klingons over dilithium-rich planets, with the Romulans over borders, and then there was the whole Genesis Device business. Always planets, technical advances, or something that would give one a hand up in those two things.

"Whoever he is," Qat'qa said, "he's pretty good, but he's inexperienced. Fresh from training, I suppose."

"Is that a problem?"

"Only for them."

"If they are after us," Nog pointed out, "we're probably walking into a trap."

"Don't worry, lad," Scotty said grimly. "This ship has a lot more power under the hood than that Vor'cha Vor'cha does." does."

"He's coming about," Qat'qa reported.

"Strange that he doesna cloak." Scotty said thoughtfully. He didn't like the oddity, not one bit.

"He knows he has a fight on his hands, so why waste the energy?" Hunt suggested.

"Well, the gloves are off now."

The former Klingon ship rolled over as it banked, and spat torpedoes and disruptor bolts. The shots went wide, as Challenger Challenger barrel-rolled off to the side. barrel-rolled off to the side.

Challenger returned fire, the golden beams of her phasers flaring against the shields of her enemy. returned fire, the golden beams of her phasers flaring against the shields of her enemy.