The Complication

Just In Time

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all your kind words of support!

This is our bang-bang shoot 'em up chapter. There's a lot of action happening in different spaces. Mostly it is all centred around the Iconian outpost, Lantera (with a few scenes on the Enterprise).

Thank you for sticking with me on this journey!

Trigger warning: Strong language, violence, injury, death, big honkin' space guns.

-X-

He gripped the console in front of him to stay upright as another powerful blast wave rippled out from the bow of a Romulan D'deridex class cruiser.

A heavy structural beam collapsed right on top of Lieutenant Branson. He was crushed and killed in an instant.

Reg wanted to squeeze his eyes shut and walk himself through the breathing exercises he learned in therapy.

Only he couldn't.

He was like a machine, operating with one singular focus as he worked to keep the shields in place.

The bombardment had lasted so long and was so continuous that it had become almost like clockwork as the Romulan forces chipped away at the shield.

Were he not occupied, Reg might have considered that he was a knight holed up in an ancient castle under siege.

And under siege they were.

Thick, acrid smoke choked the breathable air and made it difficult to see. There was a heavy thud as someone stumbled over a hunk of fallen debris.

"Brace!" Data ordered.

Everyone clutched the nearest solid object as disruptor fire rocked the Bridge.

Crewman D'escor lost her grip and tumbled into the wall with a sickening thump. She groaned and clutched her arm as she tried to get up – only to be thrown across the floor once again.

Data dashed out. He quite literally leapt into position, using his body to stop her from rolling off the edge of the platform on the Bridge.

It was at least a twenty metre drop.

"Thanks," she said, still reeling from being tossed about.

"Are you able to resume your station?" Data inquired.

He didn't mean to be harsh, but every second counted.

"I'll do my best, sir," she answered.

Data hauled D'escor to her feet and she stumbled off to take up her post for the next barrage.

-X-

Will Riker dropped back behind the corner. He pressed his body against the wall, clutching his phaser rifle as a hail of disruptor fire whizzed past.

He was waiting for a gap in the fire.

Catching the eye of Ensign Jeffords, they shared a quick nod.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, they returned fire.

It wasn't enough to stop the onslaught of the advancing Romulan troops. Somehow they had managed a nonstop replenishment of fresh troops.

Each time they felled a line of Romulans, there was a fresh group of replacements ready to take their place.

It was a fighting withdrawal, corridor to corridor, as Will Riker and his team tried to buy the engineering team enough time to complete their mission.