left. Taz swung her zapper over her shoulder and started in
the direction of the buzzing sounds.
Fear overtook him.
“Wait, Taz! Where are you going?”
She turned back to him. “I’m going to go mislead those
damn bugs and buy us some time.”
No. “Taz – that sounds awfully dangerous.” You’re going
to kill yourself – you’re going to sacrifice yourself for the
rest of us.
Her voice changed, for a moment. “I know, Up. An old
friend taught me once what it was like to laugh in the face
of danger.” Her face hardened again. “So you two idiotas -”
she pointed at him and Bug in turn, and then lifted her
zapper high. “Stay out of my way!”
She was gone.
“Taz!”
He couldn’t let her do it, he couldn’t let her face them
alone. The part of him that was afraid, the soft part, the part
that he had let overtake him since his injury – it was
quivering, it kept his feet planted firmly on the deck where
they stood, when before he would never have hesitated to
run after her, stand strong beside her, save her if he had to –
just like on Qo’noS.
He looked at Bug, who looked just as lost, just as
broken.
Well, Up, do you still love her or not?
And suddenly his feet were moving.
“Taz!”
She welcomed the adrenaline, the rush, that danger
always brought her. The incessant buzzing hummed louder
in her ears and she turned to make sure the mosquitoes had
seen her, that they would follow her, away from Specs and
the overloaded core, away from the Ranger’s quarters