RENEGADE

Captains log supplemental. The enterprise has been travelling at high warp for the past two days and yet we seem to be going nowhere. Mr. Data assures me otherwise however. I don't know why but I always imagined tramluar 111 to be a little closer than this. Odd. Starfleet puts a lot of importance on this Mission, yet I can't seem to shake this gut feeling that… "Computer pause log." Picard rubbed his eyes wearily and looked at the screen. It looked back at him with a methodic flash of its coloured lights. He got up and with his trade mark pull of his jacket, walked over to the window. The stars streaked past and as he observed this, a thought occurred to him. At first nothing much, but it grew exponentially until he focused his eyes. "Computer." he waited for the response that was usual to him. It came and went. " Save log and flag it for later." The computer replied with its little tune of acceptance, and the room became quiet once more.

"Bridge to Captain Picard." The perked up tone of Lieutenant Commander Worf awoke Picard from his daydream. He slapped the badge with a reflex that he had had years to perfect. "Picard here, go ahead Mr. Worf." Sounding slightly dazed, he walked back to his desk and sat down, facing the screen. "Sir. We are detecting a distress call on a Starfleet frequency." Picard looked up, eyes widening ever so slightly "I'm on my way."

Captain Jean-Luc Picard strode onto the bridge and scanned the area for Worf. He walked briskly over to him and stopped inches from the console. "Report."

"We are detecting a distress call emanating from the Poseidon System. It's a standard priority 1 signal. Sir." The 'Sir' was put in as an after thought, but Picard took little notice. Instead he turned in the general direction of the helm.

"Ensign, plot a course for the Poseidon System, Maximum Warp."

"Aye Sir." The Ensigns' hands flew over the console as he slowed the ship to impulse and typed in the new co-ordinates. "Course plotted Sir."

"Engage" Picard didn't bother with his custom hand wave, instead he looked unblinkingly at the shock waved bleep on Worfs' screen.

Riker was standing behind the Captain during the fast paced conversation, and not once had the Captain looked in his direction. "What do y' think Captain?" Picard flinched ever so slightly and looked up into Rikers eyes.

"I don't know number 1." Picard glanced back down at the screen before looking once again at Riker. "The Poseidon System isn't a place where ships have trouble, and even more, what could attack a federation ship within our borders with enough force to send out a Priority 1?" Picard looked a little worried as he pressed the intercom button. " All Senior Officers to the Briefing room." He took his finger off it and walked straight-backed into the Briefing room, followed by Riker, Worf and Data.

3 Minutes later and the senior staff had assembled around the curved oak table. Beverly was first on the mark "Can you tell us who's sending the distress call?"

They turned and looked at Worf, who, noticing the spotlight was on him, got up and headed to the main screen. He tapped a few buttons gently, and, after a few seconds, a ship schematic blinked into view and started rotating. "The USS Tauron. NCC 786 892. Akira Class. She was on her way to Starbase 12 when the station lost contact with her. The station sensors did not pick up any other vessel in the area." Worf looked at the members of staff with a querying eyebrow, waiting for someone to ask the next reasonable question. Geordi picked up on this.

"Who's her commander?"

Worf turned once again to the screen and called up a Starfleet personnel file. It flashed to life and useful information scrolled down the page, followed by a Profile picture "Captain Alex Murray, Commander of the Tauron for just over two years. Before that she was the Captain of the USS Asus, which was de-commissioned 3 years ago. Her psychological profile states that she is an able commander who is levelheaded and open minded. Zero tolerance for laziness though." Worf put the last part of the sentence in with just a bit too much zest, and the senior staff looked at him quizzically.

"Bridge to Captain Picard." The young Ensigns voice was shaky over the intercom, but he made himself calm down just enough to answer Picard.

"Picard here."

"Sir we have just entered the Poseidon system."

"Slow to impulse power, I'm on my way." The Captain gazed at each individual for a second before getting up. "Let's get to it. Beverly prepare the sick bay for casualties."

I hope you liked reading this, as I loved writing it. Please submit a review because I would really like feedback. Thanks. Sorry to anyone if I have taken their title, just e-mail me and I'll change it, as I haven't read all of your fics.

Erm I was told to write a disclaimer so ………All characters and names are trademarks of the respective owners. Ta da.