Pantheon - Michael Jan Friedman [124]
“Warp one,” the ensign confirmed, locking in the new information.
Riker looked at the viewscreen. The Romulan commander was glaring at him, considering his options. He still appeared confident; he wouldn’t act hastily. Not unless something changed.
Something like the powering up of the Enterprise’s warp engines.
“Got ’em going,” said Geordi over the intercom. “But we’d better move quickly—I don’t know how long they’ll last.”
A split second later, the Romulan received the news. His brow furrowed as he saw the possibility of his prey slipping through his net. He whirled to address his weapons officer—
And the viewscreen reverted to an exterior view of the Romulan vessel. The enemy had made the communications blackout mutual.
“Engage,” shouted Riker, bringing his hand down for emphasis.
Wesley carried out the order.
The first officer steeled himself against the jolt of the Romulans’ barrage. A second ticked off. Another…
No impact. That could mean only one thing…
“Proceeding at warp one,” Wesley announced. He made no effort to disguise the mixture of relief and uncertainty in his voice. “At least, that’s what the engines are—”
Before he could finish, there was an abrupt surge in speed. They could hardly help but notice it. And the starstreaks on the viewscreen began darting by with frenetic intensity.
“Commander—the Romulans are giving pursuit,” the man at tactical reported.
Riker nodded. Now, if there was any justice at all in the universe…
“What’s their speed?” he asked.
The Tactical officer was prompt. “Nine point nine five, sir. The same as ours.”
“Commander?” It was Geordi.
“It worked,” Riker told him. “We’re back in the slipstream. And so are they.”
“Which is just the way you wanted it.”
Geordi had caught on. And judging from the look on Dr. Crusher’s face—a mixture of admiration and relief—Geordi wasn’t the only one.
“That was the plan,” the first officer agreed.
Of course, he’d taken a big chance. They were still sitting ducks if the warbirds decided to fire. But by now the Romulans were no doubt discovering they had more important matters to worry about.
“How’s the warp drive?” he asked Geordi.
A pause. “Better than I figured it would be.”
“Have we got enough juice to try your shield maneuver again?”
Another pause. “Not yet. Can you give me an hour?”
Riker said just what the captain would have said. “Take a half.”
Geordi said he’d see what he could do.
The first officer returned his attention to the forward viewscreen. After all, his work wasn’t over.
“Raise the Romulan commander,” he told the Tactical officer.
Seconds later, his adversary’s face filled the screen again. But this time that air of confidence had been replaced with suspicion.
“What have you done?” the Romulan asked angrily.
“I have lured you into a trap,” Riker explained. “The same one that forced us into Romulan space. Of course, we’ve since discovered a way out of it—which we’ll be employing shortly.”
The commander’s eyes narrowed. “Do not taunt me, human. I still have my weapons trained on you. And your shields are at low power.”
“True,” the first officer conceded. “But we’re your only hope of escape. If you destroy us, you’ll never see your homes again.” He smiled affably. “Sometime prior to our departure from subspace, we’ll give you the data you need to follow us.”
The Romulan looked incredulous. “What kind of fool do you take me for? If you truly know a way out, why would you share it with us?”
“Because we have no reason to do otherwise. It will take you some time to decipher the information—and by the time you do, we’ll be safely out of Romulan territory.”
The commander mulled the matter over. “There is a way to insure that you do not leave us here. We could take hostages.”
Riker shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Any attempt to board us will force us to try to escape prematurely. If we succeed or fail, you will be left here alone—without the information you need. And if we fail—we will be destroyed,” he lied. “Again, leaving you here alone, with no inkling of how to extricate yourself.