The Fog of War
Five
"They're on to us, sir." Yar looked over the aft rail to Picard. "Warbird headed this way."
Picard tapped his comm. badge. "Picard to Riker. What's the status, Commander? We're out of time."
Riker turned from the emergency transport padd in shuttle bay two and stalked over to the control panel. "We have one more transport sir. Apparently they're the most critical casualties."
Picard raised an eyebrow. "We don't have time Will. As much as I loathe the prospect, we've got to end this mission – now."
"I understand sir, but," Riker paused.
A new voice piped in over the comm. line, and despite himself Picard smiled. "It's Jack here, Johnny. We've got to get them up – our head of medical is down there, and she refuses to leave them behind. Trust me, it's worth the time." Will shook his head and returned to the transporter control padd.
"If you say so, Commander." On the bridge, Picard chuckled and turned to Yar. The scrappy blonde was hunched over the aft panel, furiously studying schematics. "You heard the man, Tasha. What can you give us?"
She looked up at the Captain, her blue eyes misty with concentration. She smirked and exchanged a brief glance with Lieutenant Commander Data. "We've still got a couple tricks up our sleeve, Captain."
"Then I would suggest you use them, Lieutenant." Picard turned and walked to forward opps, resting a hand on Data's shoulder, intent on the view screen and the field of stars. The Romulans were out there, and closing fast.
From the back Yar barked out orders to conn and opps. "Data, on my mark, I want you to lay down a small tachyon field in the coordinates I'm sending you. She turned Lieutenant Worf at her side. "I need you to begin massive particle accumulation in the bussard collectors immediately. Release them to these coordinates on my mark. If this works, the Romulans will think we're in the wrong place – long enough for one more transport."
Tasha returned to the study of her schematics. She tapped at her panel and opened a channel to engineering. "Geordi, I'm downloading something to you now. I need engineering to be ready. I'm maintaining an open channel."
LaForge responded, his voice skeptical. "I've got it Lieutenant. It'll be tough, but I think we can deliver."
Picard piped in. "You'd better, Mr. LaForge. I think I know what Lieutenant Yar is planning, and the timing is critical."
"You got it Captain. We'll do our best." Even over the comm. you could see Geordi's smile.
Tasha finally spoke to the conn. "Ensign Gateman, I'm feeding you a set of coordinates. I need you to be ready for my signal." Her tone was commanding but reassuring. The young woman glanced back over her shoulder and nodded – clearly nervous but clearly resolute. "Aye sir."
The doors to the aft turbo lift slid open, and Will Riker and Jack Crusher strolled on to the bridge. Jack walked forward and grabbed Picard, engulfing him in a quick but firm hug. "Good to see you, Johnny."
Picard smiled, nodded, and pulled sharply at his uniform top. "Commander Crusher." His wide smile belied his formal nature.
"So how you gonna get us out of this jam, Captain?" Jack smiled and glanced over Data's shoulder at opps.
"Lieutenant Yar has come up with something quite unconventional. I'm anxious to see how it turns out." He glanced back to his busy Security Chief. She looked up and gave him a terse smile in response. She glanced briefly at Crusher, who gave her a sly wink.
Riker smiled and shook his head. "Some things never change." He ambled over to his command chair and took a seat, indicating for Crusher to sit opposite at Picard's left.
"Perhaps we should all take a seat. I think we're in for a bumpy ride." Picard sat in the center chair, perched on the edge, waiting for Yar to give the signal.
"Data, Worf, Gateman, you ready?" Yar leaned forward, still punching at her panel. Both nodded distractedly, intent on their own work. "Data, I want the tachyon field distributed in 20 seconds, as soon as we're in visual range of the Warbird. Worf, I want you to discharge the matter/anti matter particles from the collector simultaneously. Gateman, as soon as the transport's complete, I want you to engage coordinates at warp 5, no more than 1 second after Data and Worf complete their orders. Stay course for 30 seconds, and then immediately engage the evasive maneuver sequence I've sent you at warp 4." Yar finished her calculations and began her countdown. "In ten, nine, eight….."
Picard rose as the warbird approached. Their cloak was holding, but it seemed a weak cover. The Romulans would be looking for them. Tasha's plan was a good one. The Romulans would misread their coordinates, at least temporarily mistaking the particles as residual matter from their warp core, weakly illuminated by the tachyon field. It would give them a tactical advantage and a head start on their way back to safer Federation territory.
"Four, three, two, one. Now!"
"We have coordinates for the Enterprise, Commander" The young Romulan at opps leaned eagerly forward. Finding them had been easier than she'd anticipated.
"Set course and ready weapons systems."
"Aye sir."
The Warbird moved through space, closing on what they believed to be the cloaked Enterprise. "Almost there sir, 10 seconds."
Moments passed as they stalked their prey.
Suddenly, the conn. officer piped up. "Sir, the Enterprise is de-cloaking in another location!"
R'nau snarled. "Lock systems and fire."
The young officer, now perspiring, responded. "They're out of range sir. Changing course now."
The Warbird turned and readied phasers.
"Sir, they've re-cloaked!"
R'Nau lounged in the command chair, her legs crossed. She knew that Picard had evaded them, sensed instinctually that this window of opportunity had passed. She tapped her fingers on her console. "Fool! Resume standard orbit of the planet. Aeron V is ours. Begin searching what's left of the Federation encampment for anything useful." She turned to her sub-commander. "Send a communiqué to the homeworld and advise them of our mission status. Have them re-divert the incoming troops elsewhere. We have no need of them now."
