CHAPTER 15

Cadet's Log, Supplemental

I did not think my idea through very well. I hope Mr. Spock never finds out. He will be most disappointed if he learns about my illogical decision. But at least the rest of the kids will be safe.

With true Vulcan efficiency, Shaull rendered the guard unconscious. It wasn't difficult to lure the huge man into the room with the shouts and screams the girls provided. He raced through the door, expecting to see murder taking place. Instead, he crumpled to the ground before he had taken four steps.

"You're as good at that as Mr. Spock," Jamie said in awe. She yanked a wicked-looking weapon from the guard's holster. "This is not a phaser, but I guess it will do."

Essak held out his hand. "I am skilled in firing weapons and with the bow. I would be honored to carry this weapon. If Allah is merciful, he will send a terrorist my way so I can demonstrate my ability."

With one easy motion, he holstered the gun in his belt sash. "Follow me. I remember the way to the hangar deck. If we meet anyone, I can clear a path for us."

"Put the weapon on stun," Jamie pleaded. "I don't think I could watch you kill somebody with that thing."

Essak pulled out the laser pistol and turned it over in his hands. "I will put it on the lowest setting, but I don't know if it has a setting for stun. I'll do my best not to aim for a vital area." He returned the gun to his belt. "Let's go."

Jamie fell in behind Essak. Then came J'nai and RiAnn, followed by the twins, who were holding hands and trying not to cry. York hurried after them. The three older boys—Shaull, Derek, and Clarence—took up the rear.

They met no one on the upper level and came to the ladder hatchway without incident.

Essak shook his head. "This is too easy."

One by one, the children climbed down the ladder. Soon they were standing in the lower engineering sections.

At the sound of heavy footsteps, Essak motioned the rest of the group around a corner. A lone crewman strode down the corridor, muttering to himself. When he spotted Essak, his eyes opened wide. He opened his mouth to shout, but the words died in his throat. A yellow beam of light crumpled him to the ground in a moment.

Jamie and the others rushed over to see the damage.

"What did you do to him?" Derek asked. "It was a good shot, whatever it was."

"He's alive," Shaull pronounced. "You must have stunned him."

Essak nodded. "I have no idea how long he'll stay out. Come on, let's drag him into a spare room."

It took all four older boys to drag the heavy Orion into what looked like a storage area. They left him propped up against some crates and hoped he wouldn't wake up too soon.

"Hey," Clarence said. "That was fun."

J'nai and RiAnn gaped at him.

"Well, it was. I'm sick of doing nothing. It felt good to fight back."

A few minutes later, the group stood in front of the large double doors of the docking bay. A transparisteel viewing window allowed the children to peek into the bay.

"It looks deserted." Derek turned around and faced the group. "What now?"

They all looked at Jamie.

"There's only one safe place aboard this ship when the terrorists find out we've sabotaged their screens." She pointed through the window. "In there."

Essak protested. "If we open the docking bay doors like you want us to, we'll be sucked out into space."

Jamie shook her head. "No. You all crowd into the runabout shuttle. It's right over there." She pointed it out through the window. "You seal it up and wait until the bay doors close again and the pressure goes back to normal. The runabout is heavy enough that it shouldn't get sucked into space. But even if it does, you're safe."

"If nobody shoots at us," Derek muttered.

Jamie frowned. "I guess that could happen. But this whole thing is scary-crazy, anyway. Stay in the shuttle and wait to be rescued. I think it will take the terrorists awhile to find you. The Enterprise will probably scan you and beam you to the ship in no time."

"But what about you?" Essak asked. "Aren't you coming with us?"

Jamie walked over to a panel set in the wall next to the door. Opening it, she saw a red lever. The writing was Orion script, but she had a pretty good idea it read Emergency Override. "I want nothing more than to go with you. But somebody's got to create the emergency and launch those little fighters we saw in the bay."

"The empty fighters?"

Jamie shrugged. "That's the emergency that's going to lower the screens."

No one said a word.

Finally, Shaull spoke. "Logical." But his voice sounded frightened.

"But if you stay behind, you'll get caught," J'nai said softly.

"I'm going to pull that lever and run," Jamie said. "I'll find a place to hide until the Enterprise guards secure the ship."

Essak sucked in a big breath. "Come on. Let's get this over with." He turned and looked at Jamie, who was standing alone by the panel. "Good luck, Jamie. Hope to see you soon."

"Jamie," RiAnn blurted out, "I'm really glad you were part of our group, after all."

J'nai added her thanks, and the Andorian twins hugged Jamie.

"A starship's a pretty handy thing," Derek admitted with a lopsided smile.

Clarence nodded his agreement. "You're lucky to live aboard her."

"Live long and prosper." Shaull raised his hand and spread his fingers.

Jamie returned the Vulcan salute without speaking. A lump had formed in her throat. In just a few short days, these kids had become her friends, even snooty J'nai and RiAnn.

Jamie did not want to be left behind.

But there's no other way, she told herself. And that's what Daddy would do. Or any Starfleet officer.

The children piled through the door and into the docking bay, and the doors slid shut. Jamie watched them through the view port as they scurried across the bay and disappeared into the shuttle. The hatch closed.

Jamie sighed. "Now or never." With a determined lift of her chin, she walked over to the panel, reached in, and yanked as hard as she could on the red lever.

The force of the depressurization of the docking bay threw Jamie against the bulkhead across from the doors. The ship tilted at a sickening angle. Alarms blared.

Jamie pulled herself up and glanced through the view port. All six fighters were floating freely in space. The docking bay doors were closing slowly, ponderously. The runabout shuttle had shifted halfway across the bay, but it was still a safe distance from the outer doors. She heaved a sigh of relief and turned to scamper away.

A huge body blocked her way. It was the man Essak had stunned. He reached out and gripped Jamie with both hands. Then he jogged down the corridor, yanked her up the ladder, and headed for the bridge.

Jamie closed her eyes and prayed with all her might that Finnegan wouldn't toss her out an airlock.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Screens are down!" Chekov yelped from his weapons station. "I repeat. Shields on the enemy vessel are down."

"Target their shield generator and fire!" Kirk leaped from his chair. This was an opportunity he had no intention of losing. "Disable those screens permanently."

Chekov punched his phaser control panel. A long, thin lance of blue shot out from beneath the ship. It touched the rounded, bulky object on the terrorists' aft starboard side. Instantly, it was pulverized. Pieces of metal tumbled end over end through the void. A cheer went up from the bridge.

"Good shot, ensign," Kirk said. Then, "Quickly, Spock. Where are the kids? Can you pinpoint their location?"

"Affirmative. My sensors show two Andorian life forms, a Vulcan, and an indiscernible number of human life forms." Spock glanced up. "They are clustered together in the docking bay, in what appears to be a shuttlecraft. Fascinating."

Kirk slammed his palm down on his armrest. "Transporter room."

"Kyle here, Captain."

"Lock on to the coordinates Mr. Spock is sending you and prepare to beam some guests aboard."

"Aye, sir."

"Mr. Sulu," Kirk asked, "how long will it take the terrorists to notice if we lower our screens to beam the hostages aboard?"

Sulu twisted in his seat and frowned. "No time at all, sir."

Kirk nodded. "I suppose they'll open fire."

"A certainty, captain."

"I think we need a distraction. Mr. Chekov?"

"Sir?"

"What's out there we could use as target practice, without hitting their ship?"

"I'm tracking six contacts," Chekov replied. "Similar to Starfleet's two-man, Warrior-class fighter ships. They're drifting and unmanned."

"Perfect. On my signal, drop our screens and open fire on a couple of the fighters. Transporter room, prepare to energize on my signal." Kirk clutched the armrests, took a deep breath, and barked, "Now. Lower screens, fire, and energize."

The Enterprise dropped her screens as two streaks of blue lanced out.

"Magnification ten," Kirk ordered. The view screen lit up with a close-up of the tiny fighters. Silently, two of them exploded. Debris fell against the Rim Pride. "I hope this keeps them too busy to return our fire," Kirk muttered. "Transporter room. What is your status?"

"I've got a room full of hysterical children," Kyle reported gleefully.

"Well done, lieutenant." He turned to Chekov. "Raise shields." He looked up at Dr. McCoy. "Care to join me in the transporter room, Doctor?"

McCoy grinned. "I would be delighted." He slapped Kirk on the back as they headed toward the 'lift. "You pulled it off, Jim. I don't know how you did it, but you pulled it off."

"A freak accident and a sharp crew." He turned to Spock. "Mr. Spock, you have the bridge."

"Acknowledged."

Kirk and McCoy entered the transporter room to the sound of weeping, shouting, laughing, and talking. Children were everywhere. Most were sitting on the platform, but a few were already exploring the room. A friendly-looking, dark-haired boy turned when he saw the new arrivals.

He ran up to Kirk. "Are you the captain?" When Kirk nodded, the boy became frantic. "You've got to go over there. She's still there. You can't leave her. Hurry."

"Whoa," McCoy broke in. "What are you talking about? Everything's going to be all right. You're safe now. What's your name?"

"Essak," the boy answered in a rush. He shook his head. "Jamie's not safe. She stayed behind to pull the lever that forced the docking bay doors to open. She knew the shields would drop long enough for you to blast the generator."

Kirk felt the blood drain from his face. "Where is she?"

"I don't know. She was going to hide, but when the rest of us entered the shuttlecraft, we couldn't see her anymore. Can you send some security men over there to capture the terrorists and rescue my friend?"

"You bet I can." Kirk slammed the intercom. "Stoddard, I need two dozen men for a boarding party."

"We're on our way."

It took two minutes for Lt. Commander Stoddard and his men to crowd onto the transporter platform. Kirk explained the situation and secured himself a phaser.

"My men and I can handle this, captain," Stoddard suggested softly.

"Fine. You round up the terrorists. I'll find Jamie." He punched the intercom. "Bridge, I want you to lower our the shields, fire on the remaining ships floating out there, and beam our boarding party to the enemy vessel."

"Captain." Spock's voice sounded grim. "That ploy worked well as a surprise. I am not sanguine about a second attempt. We have the children. Perhaps it would be best to disable their vessel more permanently from here."

"Spock, Jamie didn't beam aboard with the others. I'm going after her."

There was a long pause. "Understood, Captain. Your orders?"

"See to the safety of the crew and our guests. If things don't go as planned over there, you're in command. Take care of my ship."

"Yes, sir. Bridge out."