CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

                "Ready, Mr. Spock."

                "As am I, Commander Uhura. You may begin."

                The Commander played her console like a master pianist. Moments later, she smiled. "We're in. Work your magic."

                Spock's left eyebrow rose slightly, as he began to weave a web around the Cardassians' data streams.

                Montgomery Scott tensed slightly as he made the final adjustment. There. He signaled his counterpart on Enterprise-D. "Mr. LaForge, can I count on ya?"

                There was a smile in the voice that came back over the comm system, "Yes, Sir. Mr. Scott. The power link is

completed and acknowledged on all ships and the station. We're ready for the beam out anytime."

                Scott smiled broadly, "Ayyyy," he said with pride. "And laddie, call me Scotty."

                "There is a fluctuation in their shields, " Dax reported on the Ganges.

                "Excellent," Sisko said from beside her. "I see it. Just enough Old Man, to punch some holes."

                Dax nodded, "But where did their sudden power lose come from?"

                Sisko shrugged his shoulders, "All I care about for now is that its there. Contact the others. Tell them to commence with round robin fire patterns."

                Dax reached for the comm board, when she noticed the readings coming from the Yangtzee Kiang. "Kira!"

                Onboard the Rio Grande, Data analyzed his readings, "They appear to be energizing their warp engines. I can only surmise their course of act---"

                "Chris," Garrett punched the comm. "Wait." She heard a signal overlapping from the Ganges, essentially the same hail. "Chris. Don't do this --- We need you," her voice cracked slightly, "I need you."

                Pike closed the comm channels. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Major?"

                "Their shield degradation is strongest along the upper pylon struts," she snapped militarily.

                Pike nodded. He reached out and touched her hand. "Engage."

                "May the Prophets be with us."

                The Yangtzee Kiang went to warp speed.

                Picard's head struck the hard wood surface, dazing him.

                "SO RELIGION IS YOUR DEATH KNELL, PICARD." Ayelborne's voice echoed through his already ringing head. No longer meek like outside, the Captain could only surmise that the being's powers were returning. How could he deal with that?

                With a back hand punch and a roll Picard shook himself free momentarily from the entity. He tried to get up, but stumbled.

                Ayelborne held his hand to his head, where the Captain struck. "PAIN... A UNIQUE FEELING. ONE I CAN LIVE WITHOUT. FEEL YOUR LAST PAIN, PICARD."

                Ayelborne stepped forward, Picard rose to his knees, trying a crouch stance.

                "Freeze!"

                The voice came from the back of the room. Ayelborne looked up, startled for a moment, to see James Kirk pointing a phaser at the entity's chest.

                Ayelborne laughed. "TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE, EXCELLENT."

                He swung his arm back with lightning speed... and shattered the Tear of the Prophet.

                On the Promenade, Ayelborne opened his eyes and turned to Q, "Now."

                Q looked puzzled, "Now?.... ahh, oh, Now! Now!" He ooked up to activate the station's comm system, "Attention, everyone. This is Q." He pulled down on the front of his Starfleet tunic. "Now." He said with infinite calm.

                The sky was falling. Kirk dodged immense shards of wood and glass, covering his eyes and face as he moved as best he could toward the disintegrating alter. "Jean-Luc!"

                Picard was blown off the alter stage by Ayelborne's actions, landing on his side at the first row of pews. He tried to get up, sharp pains, 'broken ribs,' Picard thought. Chapel pieces were falling all around him, a chapel that if Picard couldn't move would become a tomb.

                The communication system worked perfectly as Scotty, La Forge, O'Brien, Kyle, and Bailey energized in sinc. All power diverted to the linked transporters, in an attempt to grab two patterns from the nearly-sealed pocket.

                And the attempt failed.

                Kirk saw Picard struggling toward the back, the debris piles were growing all around him. Huge amounts were blocking his path to the other man. Kirk decided to use his phaser to blast a path.

                Picard heard the familiar whine, still getting to his feet, "Damn the pain,' he thought to himself.

                And then Ayelborne's laughter returned.

                "Resets in place," Miles O'Brien said from his location on DS9. "Emergency systems are shunted to the pattern buffers."

                "Energize," Scotty and LaForge ordered together.

                Jean-Luc Picard rose, and limped, albeit quickly, through the newly cleared path.

                James Kirk met him as their eyes locked, "Let's get out of here, Captain."

                "I second that, Captain."

                They turned around to begin their trek, and then Ayelborne yelled.

                "NO!!!!"

                And Picard and Kirk no longer controlled their destinies.

                And Picard and Kirk once again controlled their destinies.