Picard storms out of his ready room and takes his seat on the bridge
"We'll try reasoning first before they attack. Open hailing frequencies."
"They are online sir. There is no response from the Romulans." Data reports immediately.
"Romulan vessel! This is Captain Picard. You are far too deep into federation space. You are violating..."
"Captain! Their photon torpedoes are armed and firing!" the helmsman yells.
"We won't have enough time to maneuver around the blast! At this range—" I exclaim hurriedly.
"Take evasive action!" Riker warns. Everyone barely has enough time to grab onto something before five torpedoes fire at the Enterprise, point blank, to be compared.
The impact is harsh: several people are flung around. I fly across the room and into Riker, knocking us both out of his chair and onto the ground. Picard is thrown forward a few feet. Data stays put by grabbing the station. "Return fire!" Riker screams and shields me with his arms.
"Firing phasers." Data says with a raised but calm voice. Phasers fire and destroy the war bird instantly. Everyone, except Data, expresses shock, who merely raises his eyebrows.
"What the hell!?" Riker says his voice barely audible. He helps me to my feet.
"Damage report." Picard pants.
"Minor casualties among the crew." Data says.
"Captain! The shields are almost blown!" Geordi calls from engineering.
"Can you repair them?"
"'Fraid without a spacedock, we're sitting ducks until we reach the Starbase!"
"We are a day away, sir." Data says his voice back to the usual volume.
"Acknowledged. Mr. Data, keep the long range scanners online in case there's another Romulan ship nearby until we get to Starbase 613," says Picard, adjusting his jacket.
"Aye, sir."
Picard has Data and Geordi run an analysis of the War Bird pieces that were left behind in the destruction and any traces that may have not been picked up first hand by the scanners.
"Those phaser blasts were only supposed to weaken their shields, not completely vaporize it." Geordi says.
"I am detecting that the ship had no shields at all." says Data as he types on his tricorder. He sets it down and stares at the floor for a moment. "I have hypothesized that the Romulan vessel was a replica."
"Possibly." Geordi thinks aloud. He isn't really listening to Data.
"I have also considered that, if they had shields, they were simply not even functioning. It is a very frustrating dilemma." Data says, his voice sounding irritated and tired. Geordi stops looking at his PADD and slowly turns to look at the android
"You're frustrated...?" he asks cautiously. Data cocks his head slightly and looks at his friend.
"Yes." Geordi slowly turns back around in awe.
Eventually, they confirm that it indeed is a Romulan model of a War Bird and not even sporting a functioning warp drive. It was floating in dead space. Geordi calls Captain Picard down and explains the bizarre situation.
"Think of it as a remote control toy. It has the likeliness of body armor but the inside has simple mechanics that would only require navigation and weapon systems." He says. Picard follows along slowly.
Soon after, Picard has Geordi and Jadzia rebuild the outer casing of the model in the holodeck.
"So what motive would they have in doing this? The Romulans don't have contentions all the way out here. They recently had problems with us out at DS9, but nothing related to this!"
"I have no idea. Let's focus on how they could've made this thing. The inner workings are next." Geordi sighs. Jadzia nods. They've got their work cut out for them.
The next day, the Enterprise reaches Starbase 613 above the planet Krowmeat in the S'rehtorb system.
"Interesting. I've never had the opportunity to explore a Starbase in my travelling. Might we beam down?" Lore asks Data. But then again it's not like I ever would have been allowed inside. I'm not the best at sneaking around. He thinks to himself bitterly. Lore can allow so many positive thoughts through his changing brain at this time.
Of course, Worf and Riker disagree with his request.
"With all due respect, sir—"
"My mind is made up, Number One." Picard doesn't even give Riker a chance to counteract. With that, he taps his badge.
"Mr. Data, meet me and Lieutenant Blayk in transporter room three when you're ready with Lore."
"Aye, sir."
Picard and I go with the brothers to transporter room three to see them off.
"We'll meet you down there." Picard tells Data. He nods and looks at O'Brien.
"Energize." Data says. O'Brien starts the sequence and the forms of the androids begin to dematerialize.
Suddenly, the console starts beeping madly. Adrenaline races into the room. O'Brien pushes buttons frantically.
"Sir, I'm losing their patterns! Compensating!" I keep shifting between O'Brien's fingers and the brothers, my heart pounding.
O'Brien frantically but professionally works to reestablish the patterns. The console stops beeping suddenly. He shakes his head and looks at the captain. "I'm not one-hundred percent sure if they made it, sir." Picard furrows his brow in rushing frustration. I don't even know what to think.
Picard gets a sudden notification on his commbadge.
"Captain Picard, we have received the androids. I repeat we have received the androids." My heart nearly stops at this news that an officer from the surface of Starbase 613. I feel my legs start to give way but I hold still.
On the Starbase, both brothers are on their backs facing the ceiling. They sit up simultaneously and look around, clearly confused.
"What just happened…?" Lore asks.
"I am afraid I do not know." Data says with one eyebrow raised. They stand up at the same time.
Back on Enterprise, O'Brien nods. Riker flies in, having seen the warning message in the transporter room from the bridge.
"The only explanation I have is that the blast from the Romulan ship nicked one of the pattern buffers when they fired. It was a pretty powerful blast, sir."
"Then it's a damn good thing we're at a Starbase..." says Riker.
"We'd better take shuttles to be on the safe side." The captain suggests.
"That would before the best, sir. There's no telling what else is damaged at this point." O'Brien shrugs.
"Data to Picard."
"Mr. Data, it's good to hear your voice!" Picard replies.
"My brother and I have safely made it into the Starbase transporter room. Inform Lieutenant Blayk that I am okay." Data says. His voice seems to be slightly quieter at the mention of my name. I smile in response. It's time for the rest of us to beam down and stretch our legs now that we're sitting in the safety of space dock.
Lore paces patiently at the entrance while Data stands with his hands behind his back. Both have been waiting in the transporter room for a long time, probably waiting for clearance.
They're taking their sweet time about it all… Lore thinks.
"May I ask you a question?" Data asks curiously. Lore stops to look at his brother.
"Go ahead." He says and starts pacing again.
"Why have you not attempted to trick me or any of the crew? Or have you done so already and are waiting to strike at the right moment?" Data says with a level voice. Data is expecting a sarcastic reply but felt the question was necessary. Lore stops again but does not turn around.
Can't blame his curiosity, but sometimes he's slower than the humans. He thinks again.
"I'm turning over a new leaf, brother. I'd prefer if we leave it at that for now." Lore asks earnestly. Data raises his eyebrows and shrugs them lightly.
We sit at the Starbase for two weeks, which pass normally with no incident. It's good for the ship. As Geordi said, the shields wouldn't have lasted very long if we weren't so close.
Captain Picard, Commander Riker, Captain Sisko, and Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax wander around the base with Admiral Whilord whose been stationed at Starbase 613 for a month now.
"You're certain it was the Romulans?" The admiral asks concerning the replica ship.
"Yes. No one has prints on how to construct these vessels but the Romulans. Especially this type of War Bird," says Jadzia. The admiral doesn't pay any attention to her as he spies Lore and Data walking across the hall.
"So what of Lore? It seems he's trying to 'turn over a new leaf'?"
"We aren't entirely sure, sir. He hasn't done anything suspicious that we know of." Riker says. He doesn't sound too proud about that.
"As a matter of fact, that alone seems suspicious." Jadzia says to Riker.
"You all must keep an eye on that android." Whilord says and he stops walking and looks after Lore.
"We plan to, sir. Commander Data has already kept tabs on him and will continue to do so." Says Sisko.
"What if he has corrupted Data, Captain? What then?" Whilord rounds on Sisko.
"The only thing that is different about Mr. Data is that he has had subtle emotional additions. Our resident android expert, Lieutenant Tylin Blayk, is our number one go-to for his behaviors. It's her choice of prerogative." Picard interjects. He hates it when people go on the offense of one of his top junior officers.
"As far as you know, Captain Picard, she hasn't already been changed herself. Who knows what Lore might have gone through to convince you all that he's the good guy?"