GAVRON WATCHED HIS screens with deep satisfaction. Hammer and Anvil wings were continuing to engage the enemy craft. Both were suffering heavy losses, but inflicting the same. On the main screen, he caught the tail end of a fight, with one Cardassian cruiser raking a Hive ship with concentrated phaser fire. The alien ship attempted to pull free, but the Cardassian pilot was of course!—superb. He locked on to the other craft no matter how it twisted and turned. Despite its shields, the alien vessel couldn't sustain such damaging fire. A moment later, it was a silent fireball, and the Cardassian ship slipped past it and—on to another assault;
"All craft in attack formation," Tarvok reported. There was excitement in his voice. "Preparing to engage … now!"
Gavron's pilot moved the flagship into the correct alignment, and then boosted for the Hive. The gunnery officer sat hunched over his controls, eager for the right second to launch his cargo of photon torpedoes. On the tactical screen, Gavron could see his other ships starting their coming run. tie smiled, anticipating the devastation to come.
Laser fire erupted about them as they drew closer to the Hive.
"Automatic fire," Ladra reported from her science station. "Computer controlled, most likely. Shields holding."
"Is it enough to damage any of our ships?" asked Gavron.
"Yes," confirmed Ladra. "But it would take several direct hits. The faster we make this run, the better."
"Understood." Gavron ignored the threat. Computer controlled fire was notoriously unreliable in combat situations. He could afford a few losses.
One went down even as he thought this. There was a brief explosion on the screen, and then further raking fire from the waiting Hive.
"Steady," he growled, but the pilot didn't really need encouragement. He seemed more eager for the attack than worried about being hit. Morale was high, that was certain. The forerunners of the attack formation were now drawing close to the Hive. Laser fire burned through space at the ships, missing more often than it scored. But another Cardassian ship erupted into a flower of flame, and then a third.
"First torpedoes away," Ladra announced. Gavron saw the sparks of fire from his lead ships, which almost instantly began to peel away from the Hive to avoid being caught in the backlash. He grinned as he waited to see the impact.
Fire exploded in several places at once, scattering debris and smoke into the stars, to vanish almost instantly.
"Sixteen hits," Ladra reported, "Minor damage to two of the airlocks. Their shields are still holding for the most part."
Was that all? Gavron hunched down further, scowling at the image on the screen as his flagship came ready for its own run.
"Take us low," he ordered the pilot. And then, to the gunnery officer: "Fire all possible torpedoes as we pass."
The screen was now filled with the smooth metallic surface of the Hive as they whipped across its surface. Tactical showed their target as drawing closer and closer. He gripped the arms of his seat, eager for the kill.
"Torpedoes away,' the gunnery officer reported.
"Take us out of here," Gavron snapped. "Screen to reverse view."
As they pulled away from the Hive, the view switched to show the air lock they had aimed at. Further laser strikes splattered harmlessly off their shields. Gavron ignored them, concentrating on the target zone.
Vast explosions ripped through the area, twisting the smooth skin of the Hive into jagged teeth biting at empty space. Gases, smoke, and flames vented—into the vacuum.
"Bring us around for another sweep. All vessels, commence second run," ordered Gavron.
Pakat felt the second Hive shudder. He looked at his screens. There hadn't been time to appoint a new Security Master, so he was commanding the defense squadrons. They had deployed their monofilament nets as ordered, and had now taken out almost half of the attacking force. But some of the enemy were getting through, and the Hive was suffering damage.
Warning lights flickered around airlock seven. A picture on the screen showed that it had been hit, and was venting gas and materials into space. The damage-control teams sealed the section, but there was now a gap in the skin of the Hive. The enemy was bound to make use of this weakness.
These Cardassians were definitely stronger than either he or Dron had anticipated, and they attacked with a ferociousness he had never imagined. Still, there were ways to turn that aggression against them. They were bound to target the damaged area, so Pakat smiled to himself.
They would not get the swift victory they were obviously anticipating.
He tapped the comp before him. Master Premon's face filled the screen. "'It is time," he said. "Prepare."
"Understood." The screen went blank.
Pakat studied the images in the holographic display above me tame. It stowed the alien vessels regrouping for a second assault. Their diversionary craft had been almost completely destroyed, and there were still sixteen of his forces left. These immediately began to single out targets among the remaining Cardassian vessels, and moved to intercept. The alien commander would most likely have some of his forces break off to engage the Hive ships, but the rest were bound to repeat their bombing run, with airlock seven being the main target.
He smiled. The Hive would be ready for them. . . .
"Prepare the Defiant for immediate launch," Sisko ordered as he reached Ops with Tork. He glanced around. "Chief," he snapped, spotting O'Brien. "How is she?"
"Everything's back to optimum," O'Brien reported with a grin.
"We may need everything she's got," Sisko informed him. "We launch as soon as Kira and Dax arrive." As O'Brien hurried off to the Defiant, Sisko turned to Lieutenant Soyka. "How long until they arrive?"
"Less than five minutes, Captain," Soyka reported. "They've just requested docking assignment."
"Good. Tell them to head for the Defiant as soon as they arrive. We'll launch as soon as they reach it, so get the clearances ready now,"
"You've got it, Captain," Soyka replied. "And—good luck."
"Thanks." Sisko turned to Tork. "Right, let's go. Even if we do have a plan by the time we reach the Hive, we won't have long to implement it."
"I understand." Tork scuttled to keep up with him as they reached the turbo lift. "I do have one or two thoughts as to how to proceed, but I feel that discussion should be put off until the others are with us."
"I quite agree." Sisko stepped out of the lift, and almost into Quark's face.
"Captain," the Ferengi began, "I really must protest—".
"Not now, Quark," growled Sisko, irritated. "There are more important things to worry about than your profits."
"Bite your tongue!" exclaimed Quark, horrified. "It's just that—"
"Save it," Sisko snarled, pushing past him.
Quark watched Sisko and the weird looking alien leave. It looked as if Sisko had a plan …
Hurrying back into his bar, he grinned at the few dozen patrons there. "I'm giving ten-to-one odds on Sisko being able to stop the Hive," he announced. "Any takers?"
There were indeed. . . .
"We can expect trouble now," Dimas announced, as he stepped back from the control panel. "Raldar is bound to know that I have overridden his orders. It is only a matter of time until they respond. ."
"I imagine so," agreed Bree. "But what form will it take, do you think?"
Dimas's snout wrinkled. "Knowing Dron, I would expect an assault on the rooms here. He will first of all wish to silence us."
"Pointless." Bree gestured to the computer. "The information is already being spread. Containment is no longer a viable option."
Dimas managed a smile. "You think logically; Dron is apt to be more emotional about this."
"I suppose he is." She shrugged. "So, you're the security expert. What is our best option?"
Dimas had obviously considered this. "If we wait here, they'll attack. On the other hand, I do not believe that most of your fellow astronomers would be capable of defense; I suggest that we leave here those who might be better off if they surrendered."
Bree nodded. "And the rest of us?"
He grinned again. "I think that attack is the best form of defense don't you? While Raldar comes looking for us, we might be better off if we incapacitated them."
"What, all dozen of us?"
"The odds are irrelevant," Dimas replied. "We just have to know where to strike. At the moment, our best option is to take out the guidance controls. If we stall Dron's forces, by the time that they engage us, the information we've set loose will be disseminated to all levels of the Hive, And if we are the only ones who 'rebel against the Hivemasters, I shall be greatly surprised"
Bree gave him a delighted smile. "Dimas, you obviously learned a great deal as a youth."
"I had good tutors," he replied. "Now, shall we make our selection as to who will accompany us?"
The Cardassian fleet swooped toward the Hive again. Gavron detailed another fifteen of his cruisers to intercept the enemy's remaining defenders. Then he ignored the side fight, concentrating his attention on their looming target. He had thirty-nine ships remaining, including his flagship, and they were all still in full fighting mode.
"Target the two damaged areas," he ordered Ladra. "Concentrate main fire on the ruptured skin we struck last time. We will widen that gap and break the alien craft in two—they'll have no hope of regenerating it this time!" He turned to the gunnery officer. "Prepare maximum barrage. I want every torpedo you can manage rammed into that gap."
"Acknowledged!" exclaimed the officer happily. He was just as eager for this kill as Gavron was.
"Begin the next assault," Gavron ordered, and Tarvok relayed his command to the other ships of the battered fleet. Gavron smiled happily. The battle was hard-fought, but it was being won. This next bombing run would lay open the Hive. A third run would most likely be needed to finish it off, but that would be all.
It would be a glorious victory! One that would sweep him back to the fore in the military again, one that would bring him the power that he deserved. Those who had conspired against him in the past wouldn't dare to do so once he was the undisputed savior of Cardassia Prime!
All about him, his troops moved with calm efficiency.
Every one of them could sense their impending victory and almost taste it. They were all proud to be a part of this glorious hour.
Then the run began. The remaining ships closed about him as they spun down toward the Hive and back into the barrage of laser fire.
Which immediately stopped.
Gavron frowned, puzzled. What was going on? The enemy couldn't have run out of energy for their weapons yet, surely? Why the sudden shutoff, then? A nagging fear tapped at the rear of his mind. The aliens were up to something. . . .
"The Hive is changing configuration," Ladra reported. "I am reading strange movements."
"On screen!" Gavron barked. As they drew closer to the Hive, the flattened shape of the wings was starting to alter. They were beginning to curve upward, as if the ship were trying to gather the attacking vessels to itself.
What was going on? The reason for the cessation of laser fire was now obvious the cannons would have simply hit each other and the Hive in this formation. Did this mean that the Hive had some other weapon that they had not anticipated? If so, what could it be?
"'I'm picking up an energy buildup," Ladra reported. They had already passed between the up spread wings, and were passing over the main body of the Hive now. Ahead of them, tantalizing, was the open maw of the airlock they had destroyed on their last run.
Disturbed and confused, Gavron snapped, "Pull out! Get us out of here as fast as possible! Order all vessels to take evasive maneuvers."
The pilot responded instantly, whipping the nose of the flagship up and outward, toward open space. Tarvok started to relay his orders to the rest of the fleet. It would be moments before they could follow Gavron's lead.
Moments they did not have.
The energy discharged across the space enclosed by the folded wings. It was that same, awesome force that had ripped apart Darane IV. The vast energies seethed as they burned, ripping apart the Cardassian attackers in blue fire, rending them into shards and then absorbing the metals and components.
The outer edge of the destructive wave scrawled across the wing of Gavron's vessel. The flagship groaned and shook as the wing was ripped apart and annihilated. Then they were free, spinning uncontrollably away from the Hive.
Behind them, rapidly vanishing clouds of metallic gas were all that was left of the Cardassian fleet.