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"Chicken," said Paris
softly. "I
didn't get that, Mr. Paris," said Janeway. "Please repeat."
There was a pause, then
Paris cleared his throat. "Um, I said, 'Chicken,' Captain."
"Explain."
"Um . . . well, it's a
game that the cadets back at the Academy used to play. Two ships make a
standoff, then approach each other at full impulse. The one that veers
off at the last moment is a chicken. Linneas is playing a game of
chicken with you, Captain. He's counting that you'll back off." A pause.
"Not, of course, that I ever played such a dangerous, foolhardy
game, Captain."
"I'm sure you didn't,"
lied Janeway, "and I'm thinking you're right." She took a deep breath
and turned to her crew. "Suggestions."
"Linneas does not strike
me as a person of great logic," said Tuvok. "Hostility and aggression,
certainly. But not logic. We have superior weaponry, and he has never
yet seen us retreat from a conflict, though we have taken great pains
not to provoke any. Therefore, it is not logical to assume we would back
away now. He seems to wish to protect the planet inside; yet a collision
this close to the mouth of the concavity would certainly collapse it.
Therefore, I think he is, as you would say, bluffing."
"I don't think Linneas is
a stable personality," put in Chakotay. "Many of his orders are
contradictory, some dangerously so, some merely foolhardy. We can't
count on him backing off."
"Torres to Janeway."
"Go ahead, Lieutenant."
"The shields are up to
one hundred percent."
A smile spread across
Janeway's face. "Wonderful news, Torres. We're going to need those
shields any moment now." She rubbed her chin. On the viewscreen, the
immobile Victory, its very name a taunt, waited.
"I've seen a lot of
bullies in my day," she said slowly, reaching her decision. "A lot of
loud talk and underhanded tricks and dirty fighting. But I've never yet
seen a bully that would stand up and die for something like this.
Bullies are cowards, gentlemen. And I'm going to bet that First Warrior
Linneas is a prime example of a bullying coward. Ensign, open that
frequency again."
"Ready, Captain."
"This is Captain Janeway
for the final time. We are going into the concavity. I suggest you move
aside"--suddenly she recalled Linneas's taunting threat from days
earlier and added--"or face the consequences." She gestured to Kim, who
abruptly terminated the channel.
"Mr. Paris, did you hear
that?"
"Aye, Captain. We're all
ready down here."
"Excellent." She returned
to her chair and sat down. Her heart was hammering with slow, hard
strokes. "Take her in, Commander Chakotay. Full impulse. Let's find out
just who it is who's chicken."
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