weapons. Otherwise the soldiers would not be
able to get close enough to anything to pick it up.”
Nick began
working out a solution in his head. Growing up as a wunderkind of sorts, he had
become accustomed to making the impossible possible. For him, defeat was not an
option. The Mok’tu had to have a weakness somewhere. Given enough time, he
would find it.
“We could draw
them out and hit them from behind. Ambush them,” Nick suggested.
Clearly annoyed
by Nick’s ignorance, Captain Argos interrupted. “This is all pointless. Tac
Squads are trained to disable propulsion and hold the area until support
arrives. They are very efficient. You can’t flush them out, and you can’t get
close enough to hurt one without becoming a splat on the deck. We don’t have
much time either. You can bet more Mok’tu forces are on the way.” The Captain
spun his chair back around and checked the sensor readings.
The sound of the
tube doors opening drew Nick’s awareness. He didn’t even have to look to know
who it was. He could tell by the vibration of the floor that Karg was entering
the room.
Karg went
directly to the Captain. “They’re entrenched good, Captain. They have all the
access corridors to the aft section welded shut, except for Bay Two.”
Nick touched
Arya on the shoulder to get her attention. “What about a regular gun? Would
that work?”
Arya looked
confused by his question. “A what?”
“Gun powder,
lead bullet?” He could tell by her expression that she had no idea what he was
talking about. “Um, an explosion that pushes a mass through a tube, at a
target.”
“My ancestors
had such things,” answered Karg. “Long ago, before plasma weapons. We have no
such ancient weapons here. Plasma much more efficient, will not punch hole
through hull.”
“Can we make
one?” Nick questioned. “There has to be something on this ship we could
use.”
The Captain
looked at Nick sternly. “There is no time. Can you create that hole of yours
again?”
Nick shook his
head. “No. Even if I could get to my ship, the equipment is destroyed.”
Argos looked
back at Arya and Karg with his usual commanding gaze. “I need options. If we
don’t do something before their Star-Killer gets here….” The Captain stared
straight into Arya’s eyes. “I will blow this ship before I let them take
it.”
Arya took a deep
breath and gave Argos an apprehensive nod. “Understood.”
Nick Bannon was
not about to let himself fall into the hands of an alien race that even Karg
feared. Nor did he plan on going down with the ship. He pointed at Arya’s gun.
“Tell me about your plasma pistol.”
Arya looked at
the Captain for his approval.
Argos nodded.
“Show him.”
She walked over
to a smooth, white table protruding from a wall on the right side of the
bridge. Pulling the magazine from her gun, she laid it on the table and
dismantled the pistol’s chamber. She held up the shiny silver ammo magazine for
Nick to examine. “This clip contains the fuel pellets for the plasma reaction
and the power source for ignition. Each clip contains 144 rounds.” Reaching
down, she picked up the dismantled reaction chamber. “The chamber is where the
Quantonium pellet is turned into plasma, which is then held by a magnetic
field. The electromagnetic field drives the plasma through the barrel. It all happens
very fast.”
“An
electromagnetic field? Like a linear accelerator?”
“Yes. You know
of such things?”
“Yeah, we use
linear accelerators in our rail guns and….” Nick thought for a moment.
“That’s it!” His explosive shout startled Arya, and her ears automatically
folded back as she flinched. Nick was too focused to even realize that he had scared her for a change.
“Can you fire
the pellet without transforming it into plasma?” Nick queried.
“Yes, but they
are very small in mass. They wouldn’t—”
Nick interrupted
her. “What would happen if a Quantonium pellet hit something at high
able to get close enough to anything to pick it up.”
Nick began
working out a solution in his head. Growing up as a wunderkind of sorts, he had
become accustomed to making the impossible possible. For him, defeat was not an
option. The Mok’tu had to have a weakness somewhere. Given enough time, he
would find it.
“We could draw
them out and hit them from behind. Ambush them,” Nick suggested.
Clearly annoyed
by Nick’s ignorance, Captain Argos interrupted. “This is all pointless. Tac
Squads are trained to disable propulsion and hold the area until support
arrives. They are very efficient. You can’t flush them out, and you can’t get
close enough to hurt one without becoming a splat on the deck. We don’t have
much time either. You can bet more Mok’tu forces are on the way.” The Captain
spun his chair back around and checked the sensor readings.
The sound of the
tube doors opening drew Nick’s awareness. He didn’t even have to look to know
who it was. He could tell by the vibration of the floor that Karg was entering
the room.
Karg went
directly to the Captain. “They’re entrenched good, Captain. They have all the
access corridors to the aft section welded shut, except for Bay Two.”
Nick touched
Arya on the shoulder to get her attention. “What about a regular gun? Would
that work?”
Arya looked
confused by his question. “A what?”
“Gun powder,
lead bullet?” He could tell by her expression that she had no idea what he was
talking about. “Um, an explosion that pushes a mass through a tube, at a
target.”
“My ancestors
had such things,” answered Karg. “Long ago, before plasma weapons. We have no
such ancient weapons here. Plasma much more efficient, will not punch hole
through hull.”
“Can we make
one?” Nick questioned. “There has to be something on this ship we could
use.”
The Captain
looked at Nick sternly. “There is no time. Can you create that hole of yours
again?”
Nick shook his
head. “No. Even if I could get to my ship, the equipment is destroyed.”
Argos looked
back at Arya and Karg with his usual commanding gaze. “I need options. If we
don’t do something before their Star-Killer gets here….” The Captain stared
straight into Arya’s eyes. “I will blow this ship before I let them take
it.”
Arya took a deep
breath and gave Argos an apprehensive nod. “Understood.”
Nick Bannon was
not about to let himself fall into the hands of an alien race that even Karg
feared. Nor did he plan on going down with the ship. He pointed at Arya’s gun.
“Tell me about your plasma pistol.”
Arya looked at
the Captain for his approval.
Argos nodded.
“Show him.”
She walked over
to a smooth, white table protruding from a wall on the right side of the
bridge. Pulling the magazine from her gun, she laid it on the table and
dismantled the pistol’s chamber. She held up the shiny silver ammo magazine for
Nick to examine. “This clip contains the fuel pellets for the plasma reaction
and the power source for ignition. Each clip contains 144 rounds.” Reaching
down, she picked up the dismantled reaction chamber. “The chamber is where the
Quantonium pellet is turned into plasma, which is then held by a magnetic
field. The electromagnetic field drives the plasma through the barrel. It all happens
very fast.”
“An
electromagnetic field? Like a linear accelerator?”
“Yes. You know
of such things?”
“Yeah, we use
linear accelerators in our rail guns and….” Nick thought for a moment.
“That’s it!” His explosive shout startled Arya, and her ears automatically
folded back as she flinched. Nick was too focused to even realize that he had scared her for a change.
“Can you fire
the pellet without transforming it into plasma?” Nick queried.
“Yes, but they
are very small in mass. They wouldn’t—”
Nick interrupted
her. “What would happen if a Quantonium pellet hit something at high
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