throat. “Nothing,” s/he admitted. “There’s nothing I can think of. All the redundant and fail-safe systems we have are geared around allowing for a collapse of the computer so that we have to take over everything manually. We never built in anything to allow for the computer actively fighting us.”
“Well, maybe we should get right on that. You never know when it’ll come in handy,” said Mitchell drily.
Suddenly Burgoyne’s combadge beeped at hir. S/he tapped it. “Burgoyne.”
“You’d better get up here, Commander,” came Kebron’s voice. He didn’t sound happy.
“On my way. Burgoyne out.” S/he turned to Mitchell and said, “Keep trying.”
“Good advice there, Burgy. I was originally figuring on going fetal and crying softly in the corner after you left, but instead I’ll keep trying.”
Burgoyne headed for the turbolift, wondering if there was anyone on the damned ship whose default response wasn’t sarcasm.
ii.
“What’s going on?” said Burgoyne as s/he walked out onto the bridge.
Matters had calmed down slightly from when s/he had previously returned from hir temporary exile to the turbo-lift. Everyone had still been trying to process what had just happened, while the Excalibur chugged away from New Thallon with all the alacrity of a crippled snail.
Now everyone was back to business, attempting to deal as best they could with the hand that had been dealt them. Every so often, though, they would cast poisonous glances at the dealer: Morgan’s little present of her afterimage, sitting there as a phantom reminder of who was really in charge.
“We still don’t have any outgoing communications capability,” Kebron informed hir. “But I’m picking up incoming chatter, and none of it’s good.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that Starfleet has been informed of our unwilling assault on Xenex.”
“Except to them, it wasn’t unwilling, but instead a deliberate act of murder,” Burgoyne said grimly.
“That’s more or less accurate.”
At that moment, Tobias called out, “Burgy! I’ve got helm control again.”
This was the first piece of good news that Burgoyne had heard in an hour. “Excellent. What did you do?”
“Nothing. I mean, I kept trying to do things,” she said, “but none of it was having any effect. And suddenly I’m in full control.”
“Well, that’s good,” Xy said to his father.
“Actually, I wish I knew whether it was good or not,” said Burgoyne warily. “For the moment, we’re not going to knock it. Tobias, set course for Xenex, at—and please don’t laugh—best possible speed.”
“Impulse is all I’ve got.”
“Then that’s what you should use.”
She did as ordered. She didn’t have to ask why they were heading for Xenex. None of them did; Burgoyne had already explained to them what had happened to their captain, and now it was just a matter of hoping that he was still there when they returned for him. Assuming, of course, that they were able to get to him at all.
That was when Kebron said, “Commander. We have company.”
“Battle stations,” said Burgoyne, not even waiting for any specifics. S/he already knew what was about to happen. “Shields up. Kebron, show me what we’re dealing with.”
The screen image of space flickered and moments later, they could see a ship hurtling toward them. It was smaller than they were, but more maneuverable.
“A Thallonian battleship. She’s powering up. We’re targeted,” said Kebron.
Burgoyne thought furiously. This wasn’t some random opponent who was coming after the Excalibur because of some misplaced grudge. These people considered the starship to be the enemy, and with good reason. The Excalibur was far more powerful than the oncoming vessel and capable of blowing it out of space, but that wasn’t the route that Burgoyne wanted to pursue.
At that moment, the Thallonian battleship cut loose. The Excalibur shuddered from the impact as the red alert sirens wailed around them.
“Minor damage to port shields,” Kebron told him, and he added sardonically, “Apparently they’re not planning to give us the opportunity to surrender.”
Burgoyne crossed quickly to the science station. “Bring me up the schematics on that ship,” s/he ordered. Xy quickly did as he was bidden and, moments later, Burgoyne was studying the layout for the ship that was trying to destroy them. The starship shuddered once more from another blast against them, but the shields held steady.
“Bring us around, Tobias,” said Burgoyne. “Come straight at them.”
“At them? I mean, yes, Commander.”
The Excalibur, with not much speed at its command, made a leisurely turn and headed straight at the Thallonian battleship. The battleship went into reverse as the far larger starship advanced.
Burgoyne touched the point on the screen that he wanted targeted and said, “Kebron! Feeding the target through