Homecoming

Chapter 10 of Ardra

In the darkness of octagon 739, Ardra stood starkly bathed in the light of Orchidia's dorsal spots. The ship's massive underside floated in silhouette against faint blue out in the sphere. Its nose towered above, inserted enough to keep the portal hatch from closing. How were she and the avatar supposed to shut down the gateway when they had no clue about the advanced Builder tech? Annoyed, she pushed aside a floating Dominion corpse. "Ugly brutes. But then, they probably feel the same way about us." Existing in a vacuum was no more a problem than speaking, thanks to magic.

The avatar, gifted with a new sub-space holo-emitter on one arm, concentrated on a series of opaque tubes. They looked disturbingly organic, like sausage-shaped balloons connected by short tubes. Orchidia walked along one of them at right angles to Ardra.

"I wish you'd come up here, Orchidia. I'm getting disoriented watching you down there. What are these things, anyway?"

"Phase shift inducers. They precisely map a ship's outline to create a template for transfer. I believe the sequence can be interrupted by wrapping a steel spar around one of them, done by method of your psychokinesis."

"Magic, lady. But Moast thinks the elephant ears will just come in and remove it."

"It is also probable that this will prevent the hatch from closing."

Ardra pondered a huge, convex lens at the far end, from which conduits radiated. Nothing promising presented there, as it was decided not to risk cutting anything.

"Change of plans." Moast's voice came from a receiver on Ardra's shoulder. "Time is short. Evacuate, so we can clear the debris out of there. It may interfere with hatch operation."

"But Moast," Ardra pointed out, "we can't just leave this gate to the enemy."

"Look outside," came his reply. Floating just beyond the hatch was a tubular vessel sprouting sensor arrays. A red light pulsed slowly at the nose. The avatar explained.

"It is a class one probe containing a black hole bomb."

Moast again: "This is what I wanted to keep secret. We don't want to see you people building them and throwing them at each other."

"This is what makes Commander Moast so effective. Even he cannot predict his next action."

"I'll try to take that as a compliment, Orchidia. Now—the two of you get back up here to the bridge."

Ardra flashed them there in time to see Kyra mapping the debris with sensors, then using the tractor beam to siphon it outside the chamber. "You might blow up the whole sphere with that thing!"

"Not mine. Theirs."

In the shocked silence, Kyra elaborated. "The transfer cycle takes three minutes. The bomb is fused at five, which means it should detonate on the other side one minute before that hatch opens. Even if it doesn't collapse the chamber, the black hole will be permanent. No one will use it again."

"Kyra," Moast said, "stop the timer if the transfer doesn't initiate. Helm, back us out. Warn Voyager to keep her distance just in case." It was encouraging to see the hatch close, once the ship's nose wasn't in the way. The avatar confirmed the good news.

"Transfer sequence initiated. The bomb is live."

Moast set his own timer. "Take us outside, just to be safe." A minute later they joined Voyager outside in the starry void. "Voyager, we'll go back in after five minutes to see whether the portal has been shut down."

"What's our assurance?" Janeway asked on the view screen.

"If I'm right, the hatch won't open when we approach, since the link in the other galaxy no longer exists."

"Just in time," Janeway said. "We'll have plenty of company in twenty minutes." Her features clouded. "When its all over, they'll shuffle me off to an admiral's desk. I still want to see your side, though."

"The welcome mat is out, Kathryn. You're the only one who knows our hatch number. I can guarantee Pluto Station won't admit anyone who doesn't have my approval."

"You won't stay for the party?"

Moast grinned. "My ship has a date with a dry dock."

Janeway leaned back, arms on the arm rests. "The Romulans won't sleep at night worrying about you coming back with a force like Orchidia."

"Actually," Moast said, "Orchidia has only one sister ship. We have a lot of smaller ones. When it comes to battleships, they have to be sent over in sections, then reassembled. Hardly a way to conduct an invasion."

"Five minutes," Kyra warned. Voyager followed Orchidia back inside the sphere, where Moast edged the ship's nose close to the hatch. It failed to open.

"That's that," Chet said.

Burl made a fist. "Did ya ever doubt the boss?"

"Well then." Ardra moved a few steps away. "Katy, I'm renewing your wonder weapons. I'm going to have a talk with Vixia, the Romulan strike leader, and tell her to let Enterprise come here. You people have to decide if you're crazy enough to explore other galaxies." Impulsively she went to hug Moast. "If I don't see you again, have I seen all of your little secrets?"

"No." Moast held her gaze. "I have worse things than black hole bombs."

Ardra held hands up. "I don't want to know!" She backed away and flashed out of view.

Aboard the Romulan warbird Valdor:

"Stand down!" Vixia ordered all the guns pointed at the intruder who'd just appeared. "Ardra. I assume you've come to enhance my weapons. We're about to engage the Dominion."

"I advise caution," said a man in a wide-shouldered silver tunic. "This feels like a trap."

Vixia turned sideways to regard him. "Our pickets report no fleet in this sector."

"The invaders are headed for a rogue moon, Commander. The enemy fleet could be hiding there."

"Commander!" A second man looked up from his console. "A vessel is detected coming from the moon. It bears a Federation signature."

"Naturally," Ardra said. "It's the Voyager."

Vixia stared. "If anyone else said that, I'd laugh. How did Voyager get here from the delta quadrant?"

"Consider who you're talking to." Ardra took credit for something beyond her ability.

Vixia was taken in. "Why did you bring them here instead of Federation space?"

"It's simple, Vixen. It's to help you deal with the invaders. Voyager's weapons are the ones I decided to enhance. She'll help you mop up the last of the Dominicans." Ardra strutted with a hand on a hip. "As you know, there is a debt due when you make a deal with a demoness."

Vixia blinked. "I suppose you want my soul."

Ardra laughed, leading Vixia aside for privacy. "I want you to contact Picard. He's still nervously spinning his wheels in the neutral zone, waiting for an answer from your senate. Invite him to the 'moon', as you call it. It's really an intergalactic portal system."

"Indeed." Vixia raised a ridged brow.

"You Romulans will share it with the Federation or else. I'll be watching."

It only took Vixia a moment to decide. "Proconsul, send this information to Enterprise, code F." Heads turned. Code F allowed a commander to bypass the senate, on pain of death if it wasn't for a very good reason.

"Message sent," said the doubting man. He wore the look of one anxious to move up the ladder at Vixia's expense. "Estimated arrival time six hours."

"Perfect!" Ardra enthused. "That gives us time to help Voyager chase down the last of those Domiciles."

"I fail to see your part in this," Vixia said, shrewdly making a connection. "What is it that you want?"

"I want to invite you to the party of the century." A smiling Ardra put an arm about the Romulan and led her back to the command section. Enterprise would be the place to be, once Ardra and her girl's club made the scene. Vixia, Janeway, the avatar . . . and Queenie.