Star Trek: Voyager: Starfleet Academy: The Chance Factor by Diana G. Gallagher & Martin R. Burke

Author:Diana G. Gallagher & Martin R. Burke
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Star Trek Young Adult, Fiction
ISBN: 9780671007324
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 1997-02-15T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter VII

Kathryn shifted in the saddle, working out the kinks in her muscles.

Except for a brief stop to rest and water the animals, they had been moving steadily for almost ten hours. Even after a week of hard training at the Academy stables, her body was beginning to protest.

Ahead of her, Kathryn noticed that Jon was slumping with weariness, too.

Not surprising, Kathryn thought as she brushed a wisp of hair off her forehead. Although the ascent through the mountain forest was gradual, they had been climbing upward constantly. There was no trail to follow, and the rocks and undergrowth made the going difficult. At least the animals had settled down.

Kathryn had suggested that the Klingon lead to soothe his wounded pride when the team voted to take her route instead of his. That diplomatic decision had turned out to have several advantages. The heavy sark moved at a pace the other animals could easily match, and nothing stood in its way. Hoy nej barged through brush, piles of branches, and tangles of vines like a bulldozer, clearing a path for the smaller, lighter animals.

Jup, whose name meant “friend” in Klingon, would not stray far from Thorn. However, having the targ scout the area ahead, routing any unsuspecting alien animals that lurked in the woods, had also been beneficial. Although the targ’s path meandered slightly, he led Thorn around impassable obstacles, saving them time and trouble.

T’Lor’s sehlat, Choka, roamed the surrounding woods, alert and ready to defend them from any hidden dangers. Kathryn was impressed with how fast and silently the large, bearlike creature could move through the dense forest.

Still, it had taken a few hours of trial and error before they finally agreed on everyone else’s place in line.

Neither Ginjar nor Fooz liked to be near the Sehgal serpent. According to Jon, the long-haired t’stayan was repulsed by the dinosaur’s smell and the hook spider did not want to risk being eaten. Endar was not happy that Jon could read his animals’ minds, but he had to concede that the information was valuable. Rayonica was not overly fond of the Klingon sark. T’Lor’s zabathu tolerated the saurian, but walked at a slightly faster pace and kept bumping her nose on Rayonica’s tail if she followed Jon.

After shifting positions several times, they found an order that worked. Thorn led, followed by T’Lor, then Jon on the serpent. Tango, who didn’t mind Rayonica, provided a buffer zone between the lizard and the t’stayan.

Endar had objected to being last until Thorn pointed out that the front and rear positions were both open to attack. As warriors, they were obligated to ride point and rear to defend the rest of the group.

Fooz clung to Endar’s head, basking in the sun, and Jon’s sandbats remained quiet in their bag. The hawk had spent most of the day soaring on the light winds.

Like Choka and Jup, Fiona was on guard and ready to screech an alarm at the first sign of approaching trouble.

“Maybe we should start looking for a campsite?”

Kathryn was careful not to make it sound like she was giving an order.

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