Read Encounter at Farpoint for Free Online

like to pretend.” Picard nodded toward Tasha. “Lieutenant, I want a full spread of photon torpedoes aimed to detonate close enough to the hostile to blind it at the moment we separate. Stand by to fire on my ‘mark.’ ”

    “Understood, sir.”

    Picard tabbed his communications control. “Lieutenant Worf, this is the captain.”

    Worf’s voice replied crisply over the speaker. “Yes, sir?”

    “As separation begins, we will reduce power just enough to get the saucer section out ahead and clear of us.”

    “Understood, sir.”

    “Begin countdown.” Picard paused, gauging the glittering intruder on the viewscreen, then said firmly, “
Mark!”

    Tasha’s fingers flew over her weapons console. “Photon torpedoes away.”

    The torpedoes leapt away from the
Enterprise
’s aft tubes with solid satisfying ka-chunks. Each one flashed and glittered as it sped rearward.

    Tasha was a superlative weapons officer, but the timing Picard required depended largely on the assumption that the hostile was traveling at its maximum speed. If it was not—if it could still increase its faster-than-light velocity, then the torpedoes would very likely detonate behind it, losing the advantage the command disk needed to get away. Picard was counting on the limitations of the alien’s technology as an ally.

    “On the count,” Data said. “Six, five, four, three, two, one,
separation
.”

    At the rear of the saucer section, where it joined the gooseneck of the stardrive section, a crack appeared. The massive retention assemblies unlocked and pulled back into their housings. Jets of vapor hissed into vacuum as connections were pulled free.

    “Captain’s log. Moment of separation, Stardate 41153.75. We are now free to face the hostile.”

    “Good luck, sir,” Worf murmured as he watched them drop away.

    The great disk angled up, up and away from the cobra-shaped stardrive section. As they cleared, the locking mechanisms completed their rotation and finished up flush in their housings with a thump that was unheard in space but which was felt in the disk. Worf checked his distance and ordered the impulse engines to full power. The immediate response quickly thrust the saucer section away so the stardrive section could maneuver. The instant that the saucer section cleared the warp envelope of the
Enterprise
battle module, it appeared to vanish. The
Enterprise
and its pursuer were past it in an instant too brief to register on any instruments.

    This was what Picard had been hoping for—a chance for the saucer section to lose itself in the vastness of space and make a run for Farpoint Station.

    On the battle bridge, Data reported quietly, “Separation is successful, sir.”

    Picard found himself breathing a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath. “Grâce à Dieu. Where is the hostile?”

    Data tabbed his console, and the viewscreen again showed the glint of the alien vessel at its center. The multiple flares of photon torpedo explosions were still glistening around it. Picard clenched his fist and hit his knee in triumph.

    “Good timing. All stop. Reverse course.”

    The
Enterprise
collapsed its warp envelope and swung around to face its pursuer head on. On the huge forward viewer, Picard could see that the photon torpedoes had apparently had no effect on the
Q
ship. Despite several near-direct hits, the alien vessel remained unchanged. It drove on toward the
Enterprise
with no decrease in speed. The two ships were on a collision course.

    Picard studied the viewscreen a moment longer and then said, “Hold position.”

    Data suppressed a surprised look and replied evenly, “Aye, sir.”

    “They’ll be on us in minutes—” Troi began.

    “I know that, Counselor.”

    “Will we make a fight of it, Captain?” Tasha asked. “If we can at least damage their ship—”

    Picard pointed at the viewer and snorted. “Lieutenant Yar, are you recommending we fight a life form that