Chapter 2
The whole ship lurched sideways and an alarm sounded.
"Full phasers," commanded Picard. A phaser fired out from the dorsal of the saucer section and hit the crystal. The laser seemed to bend and bounce through the different parts of the other ship, and then shot back at the Enterprise. The whole ship lurched the other way.
"Phasers are being routed through the ship and back at us," said Data.
"Thank you Data," said Picard. "Frontal torpedo spread, quantum and photon!" Blue quantum torpedoes shot out of the ventral side of the saucer section and red photon torpedoes shot out of the front side of the engineering section. They all swerved as they were going to hit the ship.
"No damage to their shields," reported Data, at the same time a torpedo shot out of the other ship. It collided with the top of the saucer section. "Dorsal shields at 70."
"Bring us about," commanded Commander Riker. "Ventral torpedoes." As the Enterprise turned away from the ship, photon torpedoes shot out of the back of the saucer section. The torpedoes again turned away from the ship as they were about to hit. Captain Picard had an idea.
"Data, do a quick sensor sweep right as the next torpedo starts to swerve," he commanded.
"To do that as precisely as you want to sir," replied Data, "would require getting within 100 kilometers of the ship."
There was a pause he asked, "Number 1, what do you think?"
"We should do it," Riker replied.
"Bring us in closer," said Picard. "Half spread, quantum torpedoes." Quantum torpedoes fired as the Enterprise turned again and headed straight from the ship. The torpedoes flew away from the ship.
"We need to be closer," reported Data. They continued to drive toward the other ship.
"Fire two more!" exclaimed Picard. Two more torpedoes fired at the ship and swerved away.
"Data collected," Data reported at the same time Picard and Riker commanded, "Bring us about." The Enterprise turned, missing collision by a kilometer. "What's happening," inquired Picard.
"It seems that whenever a torpedo nears the ship, a magnetic field is created that drags the torpedo off course. They seem to have the ability to create magnetic fields."
"Is there any way to combat it?" asked Commander Riker. As Data was about to reply, a phaser hit the top of the engineering section. The ship shook and another alarm blared.
"Dorsal engineering shields at ten percent!" exclaimed Data. The other ship fired a torpedo. It curved above the saucer section, broke through the shields, and crashed into the top of the engineering section. The torpedo exploded, creating a momentary fireball and sending fragments of metal flying through space.