Pursuit
“According to their trajectory, the Romulans are heading directly for the neutral zone.” Solak was right. They had to get out of shot. “Well, what are you waiting for then? Follow them! Maximum warp!” Jade was very agitated, to say the least. “Get me starfleet HQ; in the ready room!” - “Admiral!” - “Commander MacKinnon. What can I do for you?” - “Captain Martin has been taken hostage by the Romulans. We do not know yet, if it was a military action, or the work of some ill tempered Freelancers.” In short she explained the situation to the admiral. Then she posted her request:”Admiral; Request permission to follow the Romulan ship into the neutral zone.” - “Commander. It is not, that I wouldn’t want to help you, or that I do not understand the necessity of your concerns, but I have to decline this request. I’m sorry! You are bound to federation regulations, as am I. You are under no circumstances to enter the neutral zone, unless being attacked, or…”, He made a pause there, “or I wouldn’t know of it. Carter out.” Speaking those last words, Admiral Carter had a certain smile on his face. Jade knew how she should interpret it. Back on the bridge, she sat down in the Captain’s chair and said in a very quiet and reassured voice:”Helm! Are we on an interception course with the Romulan ship?” - “Yes ma’am”, answered Jerry. “Good! Keep it that way, until we reach the neutral zone.” Jade lent back in the chair and watched the stars go by at high warp.
Captain Martin felt very uncomfortable in the chair, the Romulans had tied him to. Jarun entered the room and pulled himself a chair to sit opposite to Martin. “What do you want from me?”, Craig demanded to know. The Romulan Commander asked his counter-question:”Well, what do you want to talk about.” - “Oh, there is much I do want to talk about. For example: Why does the rain always fall down, instead of falling up to the heavens?” - “That was not what I meant.” Jarun was obviously trying very hard to stay calm. “Let’s talk about the Klingons.” - “I barely know them”, Martin answered momentarily, “The have a certain reputation, you know”, and in a slightly lower voice, “Giving me the creeps!” - “Don’t try to fool me, Terran!” This outburst of Jarun’s was it, that Martin gave the certainty, that he had the Romulan right where he wanted him to be. Know everything he said would be taken for granted, because humans are known to react to threats in a very particular way, they always tell the truth, when under stress. Jarun thought so too.
“We have the Warbird on long range sensors, Commander. They must have disengaged their cloak.” - “Very good. What is their E.T.A. at the border?” - “About five hours thirtyseven minutes.” - “And how long until we catch up?” - “Five hours and fourteen minutes, at our current velocity.” Solak’s cold mathematical calculations lacked every bit of concern about the captain’s abduction. Jade called engineering:”Commander Jefferson; Is there anything more we can get out of the warp engine?” - “I could give your warp 9.3 but I wouldn’t suggest to travel at this speed for more than two hours.” - “Solak; how much closer would that bring us to the Vex’ra?” - “It would take approximately 1 hour 58 minutes off our trip.” - “Jefferson; Do it!” - “As you wish, Commander.”
Jarun shouted:”Bring the cloak back online, you idiot!” - “I can’t! Our cloaking device is laden with antiprotons. We will have to purge it first.” - “Do it.” - “We would have to make a full stop to perform the necessary operations.” - “Well then we have to go on without a cloak. Maximum velocity!”, Jarun was angry, angry about his useless crew. Never again he would let somebody else make suggestions on which crewmembers he should choose. In the meantime Martin managed to free himself from his restraints, but he stayed where he was.
“The Romulans are now travelling at warp 9.35, Commander.” Jade hammered on the intercom and demanded:”Engineering; I need warp 9.4 for as long as possible, otherwise the Captain will be lost.”