Chapter Sixteen

LuRsA GLANCED AT HER SISTER, who stood beside her, intently watching the screen. Then she, too, went back to watching. They were at warp eight, maximum velocity under cloak. They were heading into Klingon territory. Gowron and his guards had been beamed directly into a room on the Botka, which traveled close beside them.

They were both traveling under cloak. Yet behind them followed three ships. The Cardassian Gul Dukat’s ship, Gowron’s flagship, and the Federation ship Enterprise. And all three were overtaking them quickly.

“How can they know we are here?” B’Etor asked for the fifth time.

For the first four times neither Lursa nor any of the crew had an answer. Yet it seemed their pursuers did

know exactly where they were. She had already made two course corrections. But each time Dukat’s ship followed exactly. And Gowron’s flagship and the Enterprise did the same. This made no sense.

And it could not be happening. Their ship was cloaked. Not even another Klingon ship could accurately follow a cloaked Bird of Prey.

“Alter course again,” Lursa ordered. “Two degrees, then bring us back on heading.”

The other ships followed as if she were making the turns in plain sight.

,,They will catch us shortly,” B’Etor said. “What then? We can’t stay ahead of them if we are cloaked.”

“We fight,” Lursa said. “And when we die, Gowron dies with us.”

“So be it,” B’Etor said.

“So be it,” Lursa repeated. “But I have another idea first.”

“Captain,” Worf said. “It is possible the Cardassians are working with the enemies of the Empire.”

Riker glanced around to where Worf stood, intently watching the path of the two ships in front of them. Riker had thought of the same thing, as he was sure Picard had also. This might just be Gul Dukat’s way of leading Gowron’s ship and the Enterprise into a wild ride across space.

But on the other hand, if Dukat truly did have a way of tracking a cloaked ship accurately, at these speeds he might be Gowron and Admiral Jellico’s only hope.

“I know, Mister Worf,” Captain Picard said. “Continue following, Mister Data.”

“Yes, sir,” Data said. “Dukat is changing course again.”

“Stay with him.”

“Ten minutes and we’ll be into the neutral zone,” Worf said.

Suddenly ahead of them the scene changed. What had simply been three ships following in close order became five as two Klingon Birds of Prey decloaked. They were a surprisingly close distance ahead of Dukat’s ship.

“That answers the question of Dukat being able to follow a cloaked ship,” Riker said. “But I wonder how he managed that trick?”

“I’d like to know that myself,” Picard said. “And about a thousand other people in Starfleet.”

“The two Birds of Prey are accelerating,” Data said. “They are now at warp nine point one.”

“Go to warp nine point two. Stay with them, Mister Data,” Picard said.

“They are sending a subspace message ahead of them. They are calling for help.”

Riker glanced over at Picard, but he showed no emotion. If extra Birds of Prey came into the fight, this might get out of hand very quickly. And there was no way of knowing just how many ships would come to such a call.

“Any other starships near here?” Picard asked.

“No, sir,” Worf said. “The closest is the Merrimac, a good five hours away.”

Picard nodded and said nothing.

“Gowron’s ship is also calling ahead for help,” Worf said.

“We’re going to have a Klingon civil war,” Riker said. He just couldn’t believe this was happening. He should be having a relaxed, fun dinner with Jadzia Dax at this very moment.

“Let’s see if we can stop that war from developing,” Picard said. “And any other war, for that matter. Mister La Forge?”

“Go ahead, sir.” Geordi La Forge’s voice came back strong over the comm.

“How much harder can we push this?”

“For a short time I can give you warp nine-four, sir,” Geordi said. “But I can’t promise you too much more than that.”

“Do it,” Picard said. “Mister Data, warp nine point four. I want to be on top of those two Birds of Prey.”

“Yes, sir,” Data said.

On screen the ships in front of them visibly moved closer. Within a few seconds the Enterprise moved past both Gowron’s flagship and Dukat’s ship as if it was passing them in a race.

“Mister Worf. I want you to target both ships at the same time. Slow them down, without destroying them. We don’t know where Chancellor Gowron and Admiral Jellico are.”

“Understood, sir,” Worf said.

A moment later Worf said, “In range, sir.”

“Fire.” Picard said.

Chancellor Gowron had spent the time in the darkened room ignoring Admiral Jellico and listening to the ship around him. He knew they were traveling under cloak. And at top speed under cloak.

Then, when the sound changed faintly, he knew the cloak had been dropped. And he could hear the engines being pushed even harder. His guess would have been over warp nine.

It took him a moment to understand why. Why a cloaked ship would need extra speed, more than being cloaked. Then he understood. Someone had been tracking the cloaked ship since they left the station.

He suddenly laughed aloud, understanding exactly what had happened. And most likely, how.

“What’s so funny?” Admiral Jellico asked. Gowron could not miss the sneer in the admiral’s voice.

“Our enemies are stupid,” Gowron sai . “Their stupidity may yet get us killed. But they are stupid, so our chances of living are better.”

“How do you know that, sitting in here?” Jellico asked, staring at Gowron.

“I have ears, Admiral,” Gowron said. Then, turning directly to look at the admiral, the head of the Klingon High Council said, “And I know how to listen.”

Before Admiral Jellico could respond, the ship was rocked. Gowron rolled with the first impact and came to his feet, braced against a wall for the next.

“Watch the door. If the field drops, I want out of here. Quickly.”

Both guards nodded their understanding.

Again the ship rocked with another hit. Admiral Jellico tried to hang on, but he fought the movement and ended up banging his arm and head against the wall. He was not knocked out. But he could not walk.

Gowron ignored him. There would be time for him if they lived through this. Instead Gowron kept listening.

“We have slowed,” he said after another moment.

Another blast rocked the ship and the lights flickered. Instantly both his guards fired at the door and it

swung open.

“Good,” Gowron said. He took the disrupter from Rocla and indicated that the guard should pick up the stunned admiral and bring him along. Then without so much as a glance backward he was out the door.

“Fire again, Mister Worf,” Captain Picard ordered.

Again the blue beams of the phasers shot out at both Klingon Birds of Prey.

“Direct hits,” Worf said. “They are losing power and slowing.”

Two phaser bursts shot from one of the Birds of

Prey, and the Enterprise rocked.

“Shields holding,” Data said.

“Warn the other two ships to stand clear and not fire,” Picard said.

“One ship is again trying to power up,” Worf said.

“Hit them again,” Picard said.

Again two blasts of phaser fire shot out, wrapping the Klingon ship into a ball of fire.

“They have lost power,” Worf said.

“The two ships are slowly moving apart,” Data said. “In less than thirty seconds the second ship will be out of our range.”

“Stay with this one,” Picard said. “Inform Gowron’s ship of our decision.”

A moment later Data said, “Done, sir. Gowron’s ship is moving after the other. Dukat is remaining outside the fight.”

Picard nodded. “Smart man, Dukat. He’s just letting the enemies fight.”

“He brought us here to fight his battle,” Riker said.

“That he did,” Picard said. “That he did.”