Star Trek: The Next Generation
"A Final Unity"

Author Note: Given that the game has multiple paths and dialogue branches, I am novelizing my own play-through of the game
I will also include some off screen moments which are not shown in the game itself but is a part of the story such as the attack on Mertens Orbital Station

Prologue
"Captain's Log – Stardate 47111.1
A Federation Listening Post has detected an unidentified vessel heading for Federation Space, the Enterprise is moving to intercept"
Things were calm and professional on the Enterprise as it raced for the border at high warp, The Unknown Vessel could be friend or foe and the crew knew this and maintained their renowned demeanour
The obvious exception to this was Lieutenant Commander Data who being an android simply accepted the situation with the passive emotionless he was known for, turning from the Ops console he reported "Based on current heading and velocity, the Vessel will enter Federation Space in approximately 47.3 seconds" The fact that Data's estimate was so precise made the Captain of the Enterprise wonder if Data genuinely was approximating, had the android been human Picard would have thought he was trying to avoid showing off but now was not the time to dwell on such things
he had a ship to command and a crew to protect "Go to Yellow Alert" this command brought the Enterprise's shields online but not its weapons, if anything Yellow Alert was for a Captain hedging his bets on an approaching situation
Before Picard could follow up, the gruff voice of the Enterprise's tactical officer Lieutenant Worf sounded behind "We have the Vessel on sensors" the Enterprise's viewscreen then switched from star streaked space to that a small craft with flickering running lights, a common indicator of power troubles, the craft strongly resembled a Romulan Vessel to Picard but before he could even voice the thought his number one Commander Riker looking at the sensor readings said to him "Ship is a Garidian Scoutship, they are driving their engines too hard, their warp core is critical" The Garidians was a name not often heard by Federation Officers, their name usually only being used in some essay or debate about the larger Romulan Star Empire, as knowledgable as he was even Captain Picard couldn't claim to know much of the Garidians only of their links to the Romulans
"The Garidians? What is the status of their relationship with the Romulan Empire?" Riker merely shrugged as he said "They are on friendly terms and may share technology" any further discussion on this point was cut off by Worf announcing "We are being hailed Captain" Picard's only thought was that it was time to get some answers "On Screen" The Viewscreen switched much more but this time to a screen of pure static, whatever visual equipment was on the scoutship was either damaged or destroyed... not a good sign either way...
A female voice sounded out through the static "Help us Static Crackle We are fleeing political persecution, we seek asylum! We are being...Static Crackle" The transmission then cut off as the Scoutship's running lights dimmed to a very low level, so much so Picard and the others might have said they were off completely if sensors hadn't showed otherwise, but for Picard the situation had just gotten more complicated as the Scoutship's crew had uttered the magic word – Asylum
turning to Riker for advice as on the viewscreen the Scoutship began to slowly grind to a halt
"What do you make of this number one?" Riker looked sceptical "It could be a trick?" Picard had to consider that possibility anyone connected to a star empire than ran on shadows, stealth and deception as much as the Empire did could very well have set this whole thing up
However that fear was very much allayed by Lieutenant Worf's declaration of "The Garidians have earned their reputation as honourable warriors Captain, they do not ordinarily resort to trickery" high praise indeed coming from a Klingon Picard thought, the final end to this race to the border came as Data announced "The Garidians warp drive is failing, they are dropping to sublight speed inside Federation Space" Picard absorbed that fact, no matter what now the Garidians had succeeded and crossed the line leaving Picard little options "Slow to Impulse" The Enterprise decelerated from Warp speed and took up a position directly in front of the Scoutship, it wasn't as if the ship would be able to go any farther but Picard was making sure...
He was shaken from his thoughts by lieutenant Worf's loud announcement "Warbid Decloaking directly ahead!" everyone thought the same thing Romulans but as the large Warbird appeared out of thin air behind the Scoutship it was decorated in the colours of the Garidians...
"The Warbird is also Garidian Captain, they are hailing us" before Picard could say anything a white haired woman appeared on the viewscreen "This is an internal Garidian Matter you will withdraw at once!" Picard couldn't believe it, this was either astounding arrogance or something far deeper, keeping his cool he replied "You are violating federation sp-" The Viewscreen went back to the two ships as Worf said "They have cut the transmission"
As if to punctuate that point a light blue beam emitted from the Warbird and locked on to the scoutship "The Warbird has locked a tractor beam onto the scoutship" It was this act that left Picard with no choice
"Go to Red Alert"