Precipice

“Is the artifact what they stole from Vanguard?”

She narrowed her eyes and stared into space. “Possibly. I recall no mention of an artifact in any of the recent news about the station, so if that was what Joshua Kane procured for the Klingons, it was very likely part of Vanguard’s mission to explore the Shedai mystery.”

That speculation made Pe

“I share your reservations. The Klingons have been single-minded in their efforts to harness the most destructive aspects of the Shedai’s technology. If the artifact is part of that agenda, then it is imperative we relieve them of it.”

Pe

“That will depend on the Zin’za’s next heading,” T’Pry

“So you’re saying if the Zin’zaheads for home, we’re going down to check out the artifact.”

“Correct.”

“And what about Commodore Reyes? Or have you forgotten he’s on board the Zin’za?”

Before she could answer him, the guttural voices returned to the comm cha

“Acknowledged,Zin’za . Well done.Qapla’ !”

The Zin’zaofficer echoed, “Qapla’ !”

The cha

T’Pry

On the one hand, after spending more than five months trapped in a dark, cold tin can with T’Pry

“Heading confirmed,” T’Pry

In a voice consciously stripped of all enthusiasm, Pe

T’Pry

“Bloody hell,” Pe

“Engaging warp drive in three … two … one.”

The stars stretched and fused into a blinding flash, which gave way to the surface of a Class-M planet. The Skyllashuddered and lurched as it slammed into the upper atmosphere, and T’Pry

Pe

“They will destroy us with their disruptors,” T’Pry

His fingers clenched the straps of his safety harness as he held on for dear life. “All right, then,” he hollered back as he watched the ground rush up to meet them. “Carry on.”

38

The Klingon convoy a

Qui

“Everyone stay calm and follow my lead,” Qui

Gesturing as he spoke, he addressed his troops one at a time. “Hopalong, remember to fire a few shots at a time, and check your targets. Don’t waste your power cell if you can’t hit anything. Slugger, stay behind cover; if you go chargin’ into the open without me tellin’ you to, I’ll shoot you myself. Doc, you got the mortar, so land your shots right in the middle of their formation. Turtle and Spaz, just do what I do and shoot anybody who ain’t one of ours. Everybody clear?”

Five upturned thumbs assured him they were ready.

He hunkered down and listened as the Klingons’ treaded all-terrain vehicles turned a corner and advanced toward his position. They were right on schedule.

Every week since their arrival, the Klingons had sent their convoy to round up a new batch of laborers and transport them out to the excavated temple. Until the ATVs made their pickup, their only passengers were Klingon soldiers.

Reckon they don’t figure it’s worth wastin’ shuttle fuel to move slaves,Qui

In the final moments of quiet, every detail seemed hyper-real to Qui

Then the convoy rolled squarely into the kill zone, and Qui

Improvised explosive devices on both sides of the street engulfed the four-vehicle convoy in surges of white fire. The earsplitting thunderclaps of the blasts came a split-second later, followed by the rending of metal as the blast waves shredded the four armored ATVs.

When the initial rush of flames and pitch-black smoke mushroomed up and away, the two ATVs in the center of the convoy had been mangled and knocked onto their sides. Both were on fire. The lead and follow vehicles had been badly damaged: both had lost most of their treads, leaving them immobilized.

Qui

His men leaped into action beside him. Just as Qui

Hatches slid open on the two toppled ATVs, and Klingon troops began hurtling up and out, rolling to their feet ready to fight. The passengers in the last ATV also evacuated their vehicle and jumped to cover moments before Stretch’s mortar man blew the armored ride to pieces.