A Matter of Honour

Chapter 21

Beside her, Rankins nodded. "You were right, Ensign. Trying to cut our reaction time."

"Indeed." At a certain point, reaction time became irrelevant, however. "Maintain course and speed."

"Phaser range in ten, nine, eight—" she looked back over her shoulder. "The plasma weapon has discharged, skipper."

"Slightly earlier than optimal. Interesting. Evasive at your convenience, Mister Rankins."

"Evasive, aye." The engines surged in the background, their normal hum increasing in pitch for a few seconds. "That should more than do it. Can't change the course of plasma already in motion."

"Phaser range now!"

"All phasers, fire, Mister Ogden."

Both banks that could be brought to bear fired within a second of each other. "Range closing. Almost point blank. They're firing blasters. Captain!"

The ship rocked as the blasters impacted on her shields. Considering the relative firepower of the Romulan destroyer, Sarin was surprised that the broadside hadn't been more effective.

"Evasive!" Rankins' hands played over his board, but it was Ogden who jumped in. "The Romulans have fired a second plasma ball!"

Sarin felt her fingers wrap around the arms of the chair. "Mister Rank—" but she didn't have time to issue the order before the ball of plasma discharge exploded against the Nancy Wake's shields.

*

"We should attack!"

Blaster in his hand as he tried to peer around the rock, Chekov raised an eyebrow but didn't bother to make eye contact with the young Klingon. There were more critical things to watch for. "Which group?"

"What?"

No movement as far as he could tell, but every so often a blaster shot hit the scenery nearby. "We are taking fire from two directions, Master Kalleg. Which group of Romulans would you prefer shoot us in the back?"

"There are three of us!" Kalleg growled like he might say more but left off.

J'dek made a disgusted noise. "And at least eight of them, if I count correctly. A warrior needs patience. Its lack has killed many fierce fighters and spoiled plans too numerous to count."

Strange to agree with a Klingon, and yet Chekov found it easy at the moment. J'Dek seemed less typical each time he spoke, or perhaps Chekov's experience was just getting deeper as he knew an individual Klingon for longer. Either way, he felt there had been a bit of a change between the J'dek traveling with them to Harak and the J'dek crouching in the dawn with them now. "There is a time and a place for a frontal assault. This is not it."

"Bah! There is no reason we cannot return fire, at least."

Chekov risked a grin at J'dek to find the Klingon sharing the expression, though with considerably more teeth in view. "He has a point."

"Agreed." The intelligence officer and the young Klingon turned together and began a rapid assault that threatened to overheat their weapons, howling fierce battle cries.

"Ah, such enthusiasm." He turned and raised his own weapon. But before he could pull on the firing stud, weapons fire came from several directions around them. He heard distant Romulan shouts and several explosions shook his eardrums and the ground under his feet. After a few seconds, a Tellarite slid in on one knee to take cover beside him. "Bozhe moi!"

Grinning as wide as Chekov had ever seen, Grev clapped him on the shoulder. "Ha! Still alive then. And I see you found both the Klingons."

"Da." He couldn't help but smiling. He'd never been so happy to see the grouchy little sapient. "All is well." Another explosion and the sound of shouted orders in Romulan. "I think they are pulling back."