Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [175]
5
Ro Laren was staring at the ceiling when the proximity alarms began to chime. She wasn’t gathering wool, as the Earth expression went, or exploring her pagh, as the somewhat more colorful Bajoran phrase put it, but was reviewing what she’d learned in Advanced Tactical Training about strategies for uncloaked ships traveling in hostile space. It had been a few years since she graduated from ATT, but the lessons she’d learned there had been so ingrained that she could almost hear the voices of her instructors even now, if she stopped to think about it.
“Commander,” said the ensign at the ops station, as Ro jumped to her feet, “Romulan warbird dropping out of warp, less than three light-minutes out.”
“Go to red alert,” Ro said. “And put it on the forward viewscreen.” The small, distant image of the fierce-looking green craft appeared on the screen. “Speed and heading?”
“They don’t appear to have spotted us yet, but are heading toward the inner planets at one-quarter impulse.” The ensign glanced up from the display. “They’re initiating a sensor sweep, Commander. It seems like they’re looking for something.”
“We may have to make sure they don’t find it,” Ro answered. “Open a channel to the away team…”
Before she could finish the order, Ro was interrupted by the ops manager once more. “Incoming transmission from Captain Picard, Commander.”
“Ro here,” she said, raising her voice and directing her gaze unconsciously upward, as she always did when receiving a communication.
“Commander Ro,” came the voice of Captain Picard as clear as if he were standing beside her. “A Romulan warbird is approaching our position. Assuming it is still out of sensor range, I want you to break orbit and get the Enterprise out of sight. Hide on the far side of Turing’s sun, and await further orders. Under no circumstances are you to engage the Romulans unless all other options have been exhausted. If you don’t hear from me or another member of the away team within twenty-four hours, you are to return to Federation space at best possible speed and apprise Starfleet of our circumstances.”
“Captain, I think it best if you and the others beam back…”
“So noted, Commander,” Picard said, cutting her off. “You have your orders.”
Ro took a deep breath and sighed. Her instinct was to argue the point, but her years serving under Picard had given her the ability to judge when the argument would be a fight not worth having, and this was definitely one of those time. “Acknowledged, Captain.”
As the channel closed, Ro turned to the officer at the conn. “Plot a course to the far side of the system’s sun, Lieutenant, and engage at full impulse.”
“Aye, aye,” the lieutenant said, already laying in the coordinates.
As they sped away from Turing, the ensign at ops reported that they appeared to have evaded the Romulans’ notice, as the warbird’s sensors had yet to paint the Enterprise. If they could make it through the next few moments, and get in the star’s shadow, they would be able to keep out of sight indefinitely, assuming the Romulans didn’t launch probes for triangulation.
Ro sat back down in the captain’s chair, her lips drawn into a line, and crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced up at the ceiling, reviewing again what ATT instructor Chakotay had said about strategies for flying uncloaked through enemy territory, all those years ago. Ro had the feeling she was going to need any edge she could get.
Picard tapped his combadge, closing the channel to the Enterprise.
“Captain, are you certain you wish to remain?” Data asked with evident concern.
“Affirmative,” Picard said with a slight smile. “I have too many questions still needing answers to leave just yet. If you and the other residents of Turing don’t mind, I’d just as soon stick around a short while longer, and hear the rest of the explanation.”
“It was a wise course of action to send your ship away,” Lal put in. “If the Romulans were