Star Trek: The Next Generation - 119 - Armageddon's Arrow Read Online Free Page A

mounting whatever defense they could muster and buy time for Ehondar and his engineers to finalize their hurried preparations.
    Remembering a ploy he had learned while serving on an escort ship earlier in his career that had been assigned to one of the Raqilan fleet’s larger and far less-maneuverable fighter transport vessels, Jodis keyed a new set of commands to the directional thrusters. “I am initiating a roll,” he said, for Bnira’s benefit. “That should help protect the vulnerable section. Program the remaining weapons ports to compensate and engage automated tracking. Full defensive fire patterns.” He hoped that the intensified barrage of fire from the ship’s array of weapons ports would at least keep the remaining Golvonek ships occupied for the next few precious linzatu .
    “Acknowledged,” Bnira replied. “I do not believe this will protect us for very long.”
    “It will not need to,” Jodis countered. “If we do not make the jump, it will not matter.” Shifting his gaze from his instruments to the viewing port, he was able to see how the Golvonek ships were reacting to the roll maneuver. They were altering their attack vectors in a bid to focus their weapons at points along the Poklori gil dara ’s hull that now were moving even as the vessel itself continued to accelerate on its new course heading. “We are now at maximum velocity. Are the calculations for the chronopulse drive ready?”
    “Ehondar reported that Rilajor and Gagil were still making adjustments,” Bnira said, referring to the two members of the engineering team tasked with overseeing the care of the still-untested chronopulse drive.
    Engaging the controls which would allow the onboard computer to pilot the ship while compensating for the feeble defensive maneuvers he had enacted, Jodis once more opened the communications channel, this time setting it so that his message was broadcast throughout the ship. “This is Jodis. Secure your stations and report to the suspension cradles.”
    Without waiting for any responses, he released the harness holding him into his seat. “It is time,” he said, gesturing for Bnira to follow him from the command deck. He used the cockpit’s weightless environment to propel himself into the connecting tunnel, feeling the first tendrils of gravity seize hold of him as he reached for the conduit’s access ladder.
    Reaching for rungs on the ladder was enough to push him through the constricted passage, by which time the effects of the normal gravity plating had taken hold. Jodis emerged headfirst, rising from the open port in the deck plating and up onto the main passageway which ran from front to rear the length of the ship’s habitable areas. He offered a hand to Bnira as she climbed from the tunnel before both of them began running down the larger corridor. Only once was Jodis thrown off balance as another barrage from one or more of the Golvonek ships impacted against the Poklori gil dara ’s hull. He stumbled and nearly fell to the deck, but he managed to maintain his footing as he and Bnira pressed forward.
    They arrived in the suspension chamber, and Jodis saw that three of the room’s eight peculiar cradles already were occupied by members of his crew. Dlyren, Gagil, and Waeno were settling into their suspension cradles, which looked like nothing more than compact beds tucked into transparent cylinders.
    Looking to Neline, who was overseeing everyone’s preparations, Jodis asked, “You have completed your updates to the computer for the cradles?”
    The medical specialist replied, “The suspension and revival procedures are now set, but I did not have time to run a complete test of the configurations. However, none of those settings were altered before the damage, so the risk should be minimal.”
    Bnira said, “Or, at least no more severe than anything else.”
    “Correct. The remaining calculations have also been programmed.” Neline was speaking in rapid, clipped tones that