Nothing.
All was quiet in the vicinity of the pirate freighter, and that really irritated Jazz. They'd been flying around looking for intel on the enemy since 0700 hours that morning, and it was now late afternoon; she was positively bursting for some action. The freighter so far hadn't provided any, although it remained a mystery, its cargo holds opaque to their sensor probes.
While it didn't have a Jolly Roger emblazoned on its hull as Jo had facetiously suggested earlier, the pirate ship was painted jet black the entire length of its elongated hull. A dozen oversized cargo pods were slung in tandem beneath a central connecting spine, which terminated at the forward end of the ship by a bulbous command and living area, and at the rear by the engineering section and warp nacelles.
"We need to get a look inside that ship," said Jazz, preempting anything Carter had to say.
"As you were, Commander," snapped Carter with more than a little annoyance at the growing willfulness and uncontrollability of the Banshees' former Wing Commander. "First things first. Sam?"
"Still can't penetrate the shielding around the cargo holds," reported Sam.
"What about that big asteroid?"
Jo supplied the answer to that question. "Distance: 10,000 miles. It's composed mostly of iron and nickel, with traces of kelbanite and yominium in the outer layers, and trans-uranic elements in the core. There's an unusually strong magnetic field surrounding it that is partially disruptive to sensors."
More sensor blind spots; Carter didn't like that one bit; too many unknowns. A cautious approach was called for. "Max, you and Jazz stay out here and look sharp. Sam, Jo and Alex, you're with me inside the freighter."
"No way! I'm coming with you!" objected Jazz indignantly.
"You'll follow your orders, Commander!" retorted Carter angrily, but then decided to relent a little. The last thing she needed now was dissension in the ranks. "I need my two best pilots out here to cover our butts in case this is a trap."
Jazz groused in dissatisfaction but relented. "Fine," she said. "Just don't take too long."
"We'll be out of there quicker than a pickled Medusan at an Elaysian tea party!" quipped Jo cheerfully.
Carter shook her head in bewilderment; she had no idea what that meant and had no desire at the moment to find out. "Everybody move out!" she ordered quickly, partly because she didn't want to spend any extra time in unfriendly territory, but mostly to forestall the inevitable inane discussion Jo's colorful if enigmatic colloquialism would instigate.
Jazz and Max peeled off to take up defensive positions around the pirate freighter, while Sam, Jo and Alex followed Carter in closer to the big ship, looking for a way in. They found it quickly enough -- a small personnel hatch atop the forward module near the connection point with the central spine.
Carter magnetized the landing struts of her Banshee and made soft contact with the hull of the pirate ship beside the hatch. She activated her flight suit's force bubble to protect her head, as well as the life support, and was rewarded with a light breath of cool, recirculated air on the skin of her face. Unhooking the umbilicals to her fighter, she popped the Banshee's canopy, released her seat harness and floated free. Although she didn't recognize the ship class of the freighter, the airlock controls were standard and she had no trouble opening the door. "It's not even locked," she said over the commlink in her collar.
"Be careful," admonished Jo.
Carter shone her flashlight into the dark interior of the freighter. There was nothing to be seen except for an empty corridor for as far as her small light would reach. She waved the others down.
Parking their fighters around the hatch and activating their spacesuits, the other three women filed after Carter into the metal bowels of the freighter, Carter's flashlight bobbing around and leading the way. Alex had her phaser drawn, while Jo was intent with her tricorder, as usual. Sam brought up the rear. The corridor in which they found themselves, actually a very elongated airlock, terminated at the far end in another closed door. There was no artificial gravity here, so they all floated free in the center of the chamber.
"How's it going down there?" crackled Max's voice in Carter's ear.
"We're inside," replied Carter. "Haven't found anything yet."
"All's quiet out here so far," reported Max. "Jazz wants to check out the asteroid, so w--"
Max's transmission cut off abruptly, and the resulting silence was deafening by contrast. The only sound Carter could hear was her own breathing echoing around inside her force bubble. Realizing the trap she had feared all along was being sprung, she whirled about just in time to see the outer airlock door slam shut, sealing them inside the pirate ship. Sam, who was closest, realized as well that the door behind her was closing, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She searched frantically for a way to open it again, but there were no controls on this side.
"We're trapped!" cried Alex.
"Stay calm!" said Carter. "We're not in immediate danger. Things could be worse."
Naturally, her flashlight chose that moment to blink out, plunging them into almost complete darkness, the only light coming from the tiny indicators on their equipment. Seconds later though, even those winked out, as did the power gauge on Alex's phaser. The corridor was suddenly as black as the inside of the Coal Sack Nebula.
"It's worse," drawled Jo.
Moments later, the phaser beams began flashing out of the pitch darkness.
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