Lt. Commander Verity Jones, CAG of the USS Hood's Rascal Squadron, finished strapping herself in. Flight techs finished assisting her passenger, Captain Merry Limerick. They were flying to Magna Roma in Jones' Lightning-class fighter.

With the balance of power shifted to the clones' favour, they had blockaded the planet. No traffic, other than that in support of their cause, was allowed in proximity of Magna Roma. It was Limerick's plan to slip past their sentries in the fighter. What remained in doubt was whether or not the Cardassians would intervene.

Although they were wearing airtight helmets, Jones still turned around to address her Captain, "All set, sir?"

Limerick's humour laced voice came back over the comm link, "All set, Commander. Take `er out when you're ready."

"Aye, sir." Jones then addressed the Flight Controller. Hangar Bay 1 was depressurised. Jones activated the fighter's antigravs. Blast shields rose behind the craft. Jones turned on the tractor beam, anchoring her to her position.

She throttled the impulse engines to maximum. She received launch clearance from the Controller and she released the tractor beam. Rascal Lead and her passenger rocketed out of the hangar into open space.

Jones turned in a wide arc. Limerick was able to see the full splendour of his Galaxy-class command. He beamed as they sailed past.

"Thank you for that, Verity." Limerick gratefully said.

"No problem, Captain." Jones lightly replied, "Better get ready. The fun's about to begin."

Limerick was seated in the Weapons Officer station. He activated the sensors. Two Eagle-class escorts were interdicting the nimble little fighter. Jones handled communications with them. Limerick could hear her part of it and it didn't sound good.

"Hang on, sir!" Jones suggested as she threw the fighter into an 8g evasive turn. Fortunately, the inertial damper and the artificial gravity blunted most of the force. Phaser blasts surrounded their fighter as Jones went into a random set of jukes and jinks trying to avoid getting hit. Nevertheless, despite all her skill, they were still getting hammered as other escorts joined in.

Limerick's screen scrambled. "What happened?" he asked.

"Cardassian ECM. They've got the latest generation jammers. Our countermeasures should be burning a hole in their jamming field but it's not working." Jones explained, "We're going in on manual guidance. Wish me luck."

Limerick wished her the best of it. Inwardly he cursed the Meirkus Conglomeration and the Orion Syndicate. Between the two of them, they'd equipped Cardassia with ECM gear capable of spoofing Federation issue equipment. Starfleet R&D needed to achieve a breakthrough and fast.

They were entering Magna Roma's atmosphere and the concentrated firepower directed at them limited their movements. Limerick grimly watched as the shields died. A Cardassian disruptor took out their primary engines and the fighter went down in flames.


"Justinian V!" Marcus CLXII cried as he entered the room. Justinian V, Octavius XII, and Dal Marl Haffet had been finalising their plans for the march on Peking.

"A Federation craft attempted to run the blockade." Marcus CLXII reported, "Jagul Litol intervened and the Starfleet ship has been shot down."

Justinian V turned to Haffet, "Thank the Jagul for us." Focusing on Marcus CLXII he asked, "Where is the craft headed for?"

"The Britannic Channel." Marcus CLXII answered.

"Deploy Aquinus CDLIV. The crew may yet safely eject and land in Nova Roma, Espana, or Italia."

"It will be done." Marcus CLXII saluted.

"If I may," Haffet spoke, "I'd like to send a squad in support of yours. It will be our first concrete test of our joint tactics."

Justinian V smiled, "Excellent. Summon your men."


"I've got us partially stabilised." Jones informed Limerick, "If we punch out now we'll end up in Northern Italy."

"Sounds like a plan." Limerick replied, "Let's do it."

"Brace yourself." Jones warned and then she pulled the yellow handle. The cockpit blasted off and then their seats ejected.


"Where did they go down?" Alaric grimly asked.

"Their ship landed in the Britannic Channel." Gaius reported, "However, a patrol sighted the parachutes of the crew going down in the foothills of the Italian Alps."

"Deploy a patrol to recover them." Alaric commanded.

"Already done, Caesar." Gaius proudly admitted.


Jones unclipped herself from her parachute and fell the last metre to the ground. Letting herself fall into the soft grass, she expended most of her inertia and avoided injury. She shrugged out of her harness and began to examine the contents of her survival duffel.

Unclipping the bag from her harness' tether, she opened it and found the shoulder strap and fixed it into place. Then she removed her helmet and cast it aside. Next, she retrieved her phaser and tricorder. Also inside were two months worth of combat rations, a portable heater, a tent, palm and wrist lamps, glowrods, a medical tricorder, and an emergency med kit.

Most precious of all, the duffel contained an emergency subspace locator beacon. She activated it and it immediately began transmitting her coordinates into space for Starfleet to hear.

She tapped her comm badge, "Jones to Captain Limerick." Silence met her and she tried again. Worried, she pulled out her tricorder and got a fix on his comm badge. He was 1.3 kilometres away. Settling her equipment she set out on a nice, measured march.

Jones had been hiking for over an hour now. Every fifteen minutes she called her captain again. Finally, he responded.

"Yes, Commander, I'm here." Limerick's dry tones came across the circuit.

Relief flooded Jones' being but she could hear in his voice something was wrong, "Sir, are you all right. You sound…off."

"My ankle's broken." Limerick revealed, "I can't get to my survival duffel. It's hung up on the same tree as I was."

"Never fear." Jones insisted, "If this planet's solar day is as long as I estimate then I should reach you before dark."

"Take your time, Commander." Limerick jested, "I have a flock of sheep for company. Maybe there'll be a shepherdess that'll happen along the way."

Jones snorted, "You wish. Hang on, sir. I'm coming."

"I know." He reassured her, "I'll be here. See you when you get here."


When Jones arrived she found Limerick on the ground backed up against the tree he'd been tangled up with. His duffel hung a mere six centimetres above his reach, even on one leg. She met him and plopped down onto her knees.

She unslung her duffel and rooted out her medical tricorder and her med kit. She thoroughly examined Limerick's offending ankle. When she'd finished she frowned.

"I have a mixed bag of news." She warned, "The good news is that the bone can be regenerated. The bad news is that I'm going to have to set it. That's going to hurt like Hell."

"It can't be any worse than breaking it." Limerick hoped.

"I wouldn't take that bet, sir." Jones replied.

"All right," Limerick protested, "enough of this 'sir' nonsense. We essentially serve the same function. I command a starship; you command a fighter wing. We should, and will meet as equals."

"Just like that?" Jones smirked.

"Yes." Limerick was adamant, "Just like that."

"Fine." Jones held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Verity."

"What are you doing?" Limerick wondered, "I know who you are."

"I'm meeting you as an equal." She replied and bobbed her hand in front of him.

He took it with a smile, "Hello, I'm Merry."

"Well, Merry, I'm going to hurt you bad." Jones reiterated.

"Just do it and get it over with." Limerick requested.

Jones set out to work. She laid out the makings of a splint and the regenerator. Next she cradled his ankle in her hands. Taking hold, she adjusted it.

Limerick screamed. Jones was unrelenting. She double checked her work with the tricorder. Then she used the regenerator. When she'd finished with that, she rechecked her work. Finally she applied the splint.

A sweating, panting Limerick asked, "Why the splint?"

"The bones regenerated but it still isn't stable. Naturally, it would take an Elvin four weeks to heal such an injury. This way I've accomplished the same thing in four minutes." Jones explained, "The fresh bone needs time to settle and harden. If you were to go without the splint you'd rebreak your ankle."

"Good to know." Limerick replied and then asked, "How do you know so much about field medicine?"

Jones smiled, "All us pilots do. If you have to ditch your craft on some backwater M-class planet and have to spend a few weeks alone, you'd better know the basics."

"Well, Verity, I for one am grateful that you know the basics." Limerick returned her smile.

A sharp whining sound pierced the air. Off in the distance they could see blazing lights.

Jones turned to Limerick, "That's an airfan engine. The Romans use that type of craft."

"So do the Free Legionnaires." Limerick reminded her.

"Good point." Jones opined, "I'll scout it out."

"Verity, we're not here to fight a war, at least not yet." Limerick informed her, "We may as well sit here and wait to see who it is. We're forced to surrender to whoever it is anyway."

"But they fired on us." Jones argued, "Doesn't that make us combatants?"

"No." Limerick shook his head, "We violated a legal blockade. Technically we're provoking them."

"I hate this stuff." Jones confessed, "I want back in my cockpit."

"So do I." Limerick admitted.

"So, what do we do now?" Jones asked.

"We sit down and tell each other about our version of a perfect day." Limerick suggested.

"Okay." Jones agreed, "We can try that."

Just as the first Nova Roman Legionnaire appeared, Limerick laughingly scolded Jones, "You are an action junkie."

"And me being a fighter pilot, go figure." She laughed.

The Roman squad approached, "You there! Stand and be recognised."

Jones stood and assisted Limerick to his feet, "You need to go on a diet."

"Try and tell that to our CMO." Limerick dared her.

The Romans interrupted the repartee, "Are you the Starfleet Captain?"

"I am." Limerick declared.

"The Emperor has dispatched us to escort you to Nova Roma." The group leader announced.

"We'd be happy to…" phaser and disruptor whines cut Limerick off. The four Legionnaires fell where they stood. The Starfleet duo turned to see Free Legionnaires and Cardassians emerging from the trees.

Aquinus CDLIV approached them with the working end of his phase pistol pointed at the ground, "Captain Limerick, I presume."

"You presume correctly." Limerick replied, "Was it necessary to kill these men?"

"They aren't dead." Aquinus CDLIV replied, "Despite our allies' proclivities we merely stunned them. They can report to the Emperor that we have you."

"And why do you need me?" Limerick asked, "We're not a part of your war."

"But you could be." Aquinus CDLIV said, "We need you. Alaric will listen to you."

"And what do you want me to say to him?" Limerick wondered.

"We desire a peace conference." Aquinus CDLIV answered, "There has been little bloodshed up until now. When the subject nations become involved, that will change."

Limerick's face twisted in a wry expression, "I see your point."

"Good." Aquinus CDLIV smiled, "Then you'll accompany us."

"Now wait a minute…" Limerick began to protest.

His words were cut off by, "Dalin Dan to Letrog, eighteen to transport."

With that, Limerick and Jones' world faded away.