<Romulan Warbird detected entering orbit Amelia. They're starting to scan the surface, probably looking for the wreck.>
"Or maybe us Monica. Five more minutes and I'll have what we came for. See if you can't hide our presence and keep me informed if they get near."
<OK Amelia, you're the boss, five minutes that's all I'm giving you. Activating scattering field.>
Five minutes later:
"Monica, I've got it. Transport me back and we'll leave this desert moon. Get the engines warmed up and prepare to 'dust-off'."
<Just in time, I think the Warbird has detected your location, transporting you now.>
Amelia appeared on the main deck of the small ship. She quickly 'stowed' the piece of equipment that she'd salvaged and headed towards the Bridge. No time to get this installed, I guess we're going to escape the hard way.
Taking the pilot's seat Amelia said "OK Monica, fill me in, what do we have ?"
"There's a Romulan Warbird in orbit or haven't you been listening to what I've been telling you for the last fifteen minutes." Monica replied.
"I know that, but what type ?" Amelia asked.
"D'deridex class I think. Whatever it is it's big. Now can we get out of here, like NOW," Monica said, panic in her voice.
"OK, have we been detected Monica?" Amelia asked.
"No, the scattering field has blocked their sensors, but it was close. Wait, a shuttle has been launched and is entering the atmosphere, looks like it's heading towards the wreck." Monica replied.
"OK, maybe we can use the descending shuttle as a diversion, the Romulans will probably be concentrating it. Firing liftjets, here we go. Let's make a slow low pass. We'll circle the planet's surface until we're on the far side and then 'high-tail' it out of here." Amelia said.
Ten minutes later:
"We've not been detected, preparing to jump to warp." Monica said as the small craft started to an ascend into space.
"I think they've detected us Amelia, the Warbird is breaking orbit and heading towards us at pursuit velocity." Monica announced in an alarmed voice.
"Let's give it everything we've got, head back into Federation space. With any luck we'll be out of the neutral zone within an hour or so." Amelia replied, reassuring Monica.
"Warbird is firing torpedoes, three launch's detected, maximum spread. Impact in forty seconds." Monica announced.
"Aft shields down to eighty percent." Monica announced as one of the three torpedoes hit the shields "I don't know if we could take more than a couple more hits like that. Second salvo fired, impact in thirty seconds, three torpedoes again."
"Divert all available power to the aft shields Monica, let's hope we can keep them up long enough for us to reach Federation space." Amelia ordered.
"Shields down to forty percent, we took two hits this time. Another hit like that and our shields will fail. Wait, I'm detecting a power fluctuation in the warp core, we're starting to lose speed and the warp drive is destabilising.". Monica announced as the second salvo of torpedoes hit the aft shields.
"Keep on course, I'll see if I can't stabilise the warp core." Amelia said, heading towards the engineering section of the ship.
<Looks like that last hit knocked the plasma injectors out of alignment, I'm going to try and re-align them.> Amelia said over the ship's intercom.
"Third salvo heading our way, if we're hit we're done for, if we lose warp, we're done for." Monica said panicking. "Hurry up."
<Keep calm Monica, initiate evasive manoeuvre Dawson Twelve Alpha.>
"Hang on, it's going to get bumpy." Monica said.
The small vessel made a 'lurch' to the left and then headed upwards. After three seconds, the ship levelled off and returned on its original course some three hundred metres above the three torpedoes. The torpedoes 'flew' underneath the ship and then exploded, self-destructing close enough to the fleeing ship to rock it about.
"That was scary," Monica said, "I though that the interial dampeners would fail for sure with that manoeuvre. Shields are now down to twenty five percent, warp drive still failing, we're starting to drop out of warp."
<Keep evading, I'm making the last adjustments now.> Amelia said.
Suddenly the ship shook violently. "Disrupter fire Amelia, that Warbirds getting close. Warp drive has failed, and we're only a couple of minutes from the Federation border, we need warp power soon." Monica said "Amelia, are you there ?"
The Engineering console that Amelia had been working on had exploded, leaving Amelia laid out on the floor of the Engineering section of the ship. She couldn't answer Monica even if she wanted to.
"Access internal monitors, Engineering section." Monica requested.
She examined the section and saw the body of Amelia.
"We've got to get you out of here and get help." Monica said to herself.
<This is Romulan Star Empire Warbird D'Daracks, cut your engines and prepare to be boarded.>
"Just one chance, it should work so long as the Warbird doesn't notice the power build-up. Activating emergency propulsion system."
[Charging Starburst capacitors, full power in two minutes.]
"This is the SS Mystique to Romulan Warbird D'Daracks, we are a civilian salvage vessel of Federation origin. We have nothing to hide and are shutting down our impulse engines." Monica announced.
<D'Daracks to Mystique. We will be within transporter range in two minutes.>
Two minutes later.
<D'Daracks to Mystique. Lower your shields and prepare to be boarded.>
Instead Monica activated the 'Starburst' system.
In an instant the Mystique accelerated from drifting in the spacial currents to half light speed. She held that speed for almost thirty seconds, before the energy stored in the 'Starburst' system was depleted and the impulse engines cut in at full impulse. The vessel was in Federation space before the much larger Warbird could react and start to give chase.
Instead, realising that they had lost their 'prey', the Warbird cloaked and headed back to Romulan space, before the Federation sensor grid detected their presence.
Monica thought about what to do next.
"Got to find a safe place with medical facilities. I've got to get help for Amelia. Wait, this is new, Supply Base 901. A Federation outpost on the far side of a nebula called the 'Briar Patch', looks promising. It's going to be a long journey, it will take three days to traverse the 'patch' and over eight to go around at maximum warp." Monica said, looking over the ship's starcharts. "First things first, got to get warp drive back on-line. Just one plasma injector to re-align and we should have full warp."
The small craft was soon heading towards the Briar patch at warp 6.2.
"Now to deal with Amelia." Monica said. "The medical scans don't look good, we might never reach help in time. If only I had some medical training or there was medical help nearer. Wait of course, the stasis chamber, if I could get her in there, she would at least stand a chance."
Two days later, the Mystique reached the boundary of the Briar Patch. A series of warning beacons announced that the area of space ahead was incapable of sustaining a stable warp field and travelling at more than one quarter impulse would lead to serious damage to impulse drive engines.
I need to get Amelia to SB 901 and medical help, but three days might be too late. If I travelled at full impulse, I'd get there within the day, but we'll damage the impulse engines, I've got to try. Monica thought.
Monica flew the vessel straight into the Briar Patch at full impulse.
Within thirty minutes the computer was warning of that the impulse engine manifolds were overheating. Reluctantly, Monica realised that she had to slow down or risk being stranded in the middle of nowhere.
"Reduce speed to one quarter impulse and divert plasma coolant to the impulse engine manifolds." Monica announced.
Slowly, the Mystique moved through the nebula and Monica slowly increased the speed, balancing the state of the impulse engines and the need to reach SB 901 quickly.