Star Trek: Earth Strike
Episode 20: Sacrifice
Data didn�t pause as he drifted slowly away from the Enterprise�s hull. Grasping his uniform tunic he ripped it from his back - it�s strong weave no defence against his android strength. Wadding the tunic he threw it as hard as he could in the direction he was travelling. twisting and tumbling in mid space he pulled off his boots and sent them speeding rapidly
after his tunic. The momentum he was able to impart to the reaction-mass of his discarded clothing and footwear was conserved by nudging the android back towards the Enterprise. The removal of his boots increased the effectiveness of the electro-magnetic coils in his feet. After a few seconds he �touched down� on the Enterprise�s hull and resumed his progress towards the prow. He didn�t, however, run. If he had had his emotion chip switched on he would have been glad that he hadn�t had to sacrifice an arm as well as his clothing.
The Dotty had already clamped herself to the Enterprise�s most forward point. In short order Data made the Plasma conduit connection from the starship to the tug. Standing on top of the tug he bent over and peered in the tiny window, upside down to the occupant�s point of view. He gave Alya the thumbs up and she blew him a kiss in reply.
* * *
�Power supply to the Daisy and Dotty ready.� Data�s voice said over the bridge intercom. It sounded no different than it would have if he had been standing there.
�Very well,� Picard said, �let�s do it, gentlemen.�
�Mr Scott: start your engines.� Spock requested of the engineroom. A moment later the bridgecrew was aware of an unfamiliar hum pervading the ship.
�Power levels increasing,� Hawke reported, �I think we�re impulse capable!�
�Mademoiselle Alya: shields, if you please.� Picard asked.
�But of course, mon capitan,� Dotty�s pilot�s French accented voice obliged. The image on the viewscreen took on a violet tinge as the tug�s tractor beam, on wide-spread and reverse polarity radiated light a searchlight beam in front of them.
�Mr Hawke,� Picard ordered, �lay in a course...�
* * *
�The Enterprise is up to something.� Chakote said, his voice at Janeway�s shoulder momentarily startling her, so involved was she in getting the last erg of motive power from the ship�s thrusters. Futile as the effort might appear to seem it was all she could think of to do - and she wasn�t the type to just give up.
The first officer, his efforts at keeping life support running having proved unsuccessful had shifted his attention to maintaining the ship�s structural integrity field - and not a moment too soon. The Voyager had been about to tear itself to pieces and only constant adjustment and balancing of the various stresses by Chakote was keeping her together. Both Janeway and Chakote were panting; a combination of the rising temperature and the depleted oxygen levels in the bridge.
The violet projection from the Enterprise�s prow showed clearly on Voyager�s viewscreen. �It looks like the old reversed-polarity-wide-spread-tractor-beam-as-ad-hoc-shield ploy.� Chakote observed.
�Ah: that old chestnut.� Janeway acknowledged, then, �She's coming this way.�
Indeed the huge Sovereign class vessel turned in space and shot towards them at nearly half impulse speed. In seconds she had rendezvoused with them, crossing a distance that would have taken hours at thruster speeds. the Enterprise positioned itself in front and above Voyager and a second tractor beam - this one at normal polarity - connected the rear of the flagship with the galactic wanderer.
�Looks like we get a free ride.� Janeway observed.
�Not completely free.� Chakote answered.
�Janeway to computer; initiate self destruct sequence authorisation Janeway pi one one zero.�
* * *
�Transporter room three: prepare to transport Captain Janeway and Commander Chakote to the Enterprise.� Picard ordered.
�That might not be wise,� Spock stated, �sensors indicate that Voyager is on the verge of disintegration. Only a very delicate �balancing act� - presumably by either or both of them has and is holding her together. When the stresses induced by a tractor beam tow is added into the equation it is likely that without �hands-on� adjustment Voyager will destroy itself before we reach our target, thereby defeating our purpose.�
�That�s cold, Spock,� Hawke protested, �they�ll die!�
�Not necessarily,� Picard averred, �Frosty, maintain a transporter lock on the Captain and Commander: we shall endeavour to transport them at the last moment.�
�But we�re risking their lives,� Hawke objected.
�The needs of the Earth,� began Spock.
�Outweigh the needs of just two.� Completed a dark skinned vulcan who had just entered the bridge in Mongo�s company.
�Quite,� agreed Picard, not bothering to identify the newcomer in the urgency of the moment.
�Mr Hawke: lay in a course for the alien formation and engage at best possible speed!�
* * *
As the Enterprise turned to face the alien formation Data stood on the hull of the small tug, Daisy, attached like a pimple on the nose of the flagship. The precise calculations that went through his positronic brain could have filled a book, but their conclusion could be summed up in just three words: �What the Hell!�
The android�s head twitched as he switched on his emotion chip. He assumed a crouch with arms spread like a surfer on a board, or like a mascot or figurehead as he rode the great ship towards the battle. His mouth gaped wide and jaw worked, though there was no sound.
In space, no one can hear you �Yee Ha!�
* * *
The Enterprise shot towards the remainder of the Species 8472 fleet and the formation that was creating the planet destroying beam of anti-protons. The four remaining fighter-sized alien vessels peeled off and came to meet the charging Starships but were no match for weapons recently honed by the Dominion war. Phasars licked out and bathed each in turn, destroying all in their destructive fire.
�Release Voyager!� Picard commanded, �Hard a-port! Energise transporters!� The tractor beam linking the intrepid class Starship and the Stardock tug clamped onto the Enterprise�s stern winked off as the flagship altered course. Voyager shot onwards, retaining all of the nearly half impulse velocity imparted to it by its tractor beam tow - straight into the heart of the Species 8472 Rosetta formation.
* * *
�One minute to auto destruct.� The impassive voice of the computer informed them.
�Oh, Chakote: we�ve never said it...� Janeway said; the only regret she had.
�We�ve never had to.� Asserted Chakote as he enfolded her in his embrace. For the first - and last - time the lips of the Captain met those of the First Officer aboard the bridge of the Starship Voyager.
* * *
�Captain!� Frosty yelled as the rest of the Bridgecrew of the Enterprise watched the USS Voyager dive into the alien formation. For a moment as she entered the beam she seemed like an insect caught in amber, then the unimaginable energies to which she was subjected overwhelmed her and she exploded into a trillion pieces. One of the alien vessels was destroyed by the shrapnel blast, the other five, though escaping the effects of the initial explosion had but a
momentary reprieve until the huge wave of modified nano-probes that had been Voyager�s final cargo reached and broached their defences. One after another the alien capital ships detonated spectacularly.
The planet-destroying beam and the last of the Species 8472 fleet was finally destroyed.
�Captain!� Frosty said again, frantically, but was drowned out by the whoops and cheers of triumph that rang through the bridge.
�Picard to transporter room three,� Picard said, �present my regards to Captain Janeway and Commander Chakote and ask them to join us on the Bridge.�
�But Captain, that�s what I�ve been trying to...�
�Uh; they�re not here...� the voice of the transporter technician reported from transporter room three.
�...tell you;� Frosty went on, �as Voyager got closer to the alien beam and we got further away from her the radiation spillage from the beam climbed through the roof. We lost transporter lock on the Captain and Commander: we couldn�t save them.�
The gasps and groans of the bridgecrew were just as heartfelt as their previous cheers. Although only Tuvok of those present knew Janeway and Chakote personally, the tragedy of their loss and the debt of gratitude owed them for their sacrifice was immense.
Disaster upon disaster, Spock dashed their hopes even further: �The Caldera pressure levels have passed critical,� the vulcan said, �an eruption is imminent.�
