The Enterprise bridge was now on Red Alert and Worf was standing at tactical, muscles coiled, hungry for action.
"No response to our hails." he said.
Geordi was hard at work at the Science station with Riker standing over him.
"His cloak is perfect... no tachyon emissions, no residual antiprotons." Geordi said frustrated.
"Keep at it, Geordi. Find a way in. If you need help we have Wesley back."
Beverly arrived on the bridge, urgent. She carried a medical padd.
"Will, I need to talk to you." she said.
Picard stood in his cell on the Scimitar brig, peering at the edges of the security force field, trying to spot any weakness.
Then the B-9 entered the brig holding a Reman disruptor weapon.
"I am to take the prisoner to the Praetor." B-9 said to Reman guard.
The Reman Guard deactivated the force field.
"If you resist, I will incapacitate you." B-9 said then led Picard out.
The B-9 lead him through the dark corridors, holding the disruptor on him steadily. All the Remans they pass glare at Picard with undisguised loathing.
The Viceroy approached and stopped before them.
"Where are you taking him?" he said to B-9.
"Praetor Shinzon wants him on the bridge."
The Viceroy turned his malevolent gaze on Picard.
"So, human... you've met your better self!"
"What are you doing to Counselor Troi?" Picard asked.
"I'm preparing her for Shinzon... To sooth him as she soothes you. To stand at his side as she does at yours."
"That will never happen."
"Listen to him, android. Such a small and weak creature. Yet he roars so valiantly..." he raised one taloned claw and puts a sharp fingernail on Picard's chest. "It would take me but an instant to tear that valiant heart from your chest."
"There'll be another after me. And another after that. You'll find we're a resilient species."
"I look forward to the sport." he said to the B-9, harshly. "Take him."
The B-9 prods Picard's back roughly with the disruptor and Picard grimaces in pain
"Move." B-9 said.
The Viceroy continued away down the corridor while he B-9 lead Picard along.
"Be careful of over-playing your part, Commander!" Picard whispered.
"Sorry, sir. I thought it added a touch of reality to the performance." Data said.
They were silent as they pass a few Reman guards.
"My mission was a success, sir. I have discovered the source of the Thalaron radiation." Data continued.
"Good work. The download?"
"He believes he has our communications protocols. But they will give him inaccurate locations for all Starfleet vessels."
Data assumed the B-9's posture again as they passed some Reman Warriors.
"Move, puny human animal." he said while they passed the Warriors.
"A bit less florid, Data." Picard said.
"Aye, sir. This way." he said and lead him down the corridor.
Data lead Picard into a chamber that soared up like a cathedral.
The whole, cavernous chamber pulses with glowing green light.
"This entire ship is, essentially, a flying Thalaron generator." Data said while he pointed up. "All its power relays lead to that device."
High above them, at the very top of the chamber, is a gigantic version of the spider-weapon we saw kill all the Romulan Senators before. It was breathtaking.
"A weapon." Picard said.
"It would appear so."
Data rotated his left hand and then slides it forward, exposing a hidden compartment in his wrist. He removes a small, silver disc. This is a cool new piece of Federation technology called an ETU.
"Geordi equipped me with the prototype for the Emergency Transport Unit. I recommend you use it to return to the Enterprise." he said.
"It'll only work for one of us."
"Yes, sir."
"We'll find a way off together. Recommendations?"
"There is a shuttle bay 948 meters from our current location."
Data inserted the ETU back into his wrist and they left the chamber.
The Viceroy arrived on the bridge and stopped.
"Where's Picard?" he asked.
Shinzon looked at him, confused.
Security alert klaxons suddenly began to howl and harsh Reman commands are broadcast through the corridors.
"This way, sir!" Data said.
They sprinted down the twisting, dark corridors. Reman warriors suddenly appeared before them. Data fired the disruptor as Picard launches himself into them.
Picard used a series of Starfleet hand-to-hand maneuvers, he dramatically subdues the Remans.
More Reman warriors appear down the corridor. Picard grabs a disruptor.
And instantly spun to fire a blazing disruptor. A battle breaks out in the corridor, the energy beams and explosions illuminating the violent fire fight in strobe-like bursts.
They ran to another corridor and finally arrive at the shuttle bay door but didn't open.
Data looked at the door security panel.
"It seems to have an encrypted security system." he said.
Reman warriors were closing in on them.
Data tossed his disruptor to Picard and Picard caught it and instantly spun and fired using both disruptors to fire down both ends of the corridor like a Western sheriff keeping the Remans at bay as Data used both hands to punch numbers into the shuttle bay door security panel at an amazing rate.
"Alacrity would be appreciated, Commander." Picard said.
"They are trying to override the access codes. Reman is really a most complex language with pictographs representing certain verb roots and-" Data said.
"While I find that fascinating, Data, we really need that Goddamned door open!"
Then the shuttle bay door slid open.
Picard laid down a blistering barrage of cover fire as he and Data duck into the shuttle bay.
When the door closed behind them, Picard turned and fired a disruptor blast, sealing the door mechanism.
Then they turned to face a fleet of very small shuttles.
"According to the ship's manifest they are Scorpion-class attack fliers." Data said as they moved toward one of them.
They quickly climb a Scorpion.
The cockpit of the Scorpion was cramped. Picard climbed into the pilot's position while Data assumed the gunner's position.
They saw disruptor fire trying to burn through the door to the shuttle bay.
"What do you imagine this is?" Picard said trying to figure out the controls while he powers it up.
"Port thrusters, sir. Would you like me to drive?" Data said.
Picard shot him a look and pressed some controls. The Scorpion lifts off and hovered a few feet over the deck. Picard elegantly swung it around toward the large shuttle bay external doors.
"Can you open the shuttle bay doors?" he asked.
"Affirmative, sir. Negative, sir. They have instigated security overrides and erected a force field around the external portals." Data said working the controls.
"Well then... only one way to go."
Then he swung the Scorpion around again so it was facing the doors they came through, the doors back into the ship.
Data was dubious.
"Do you think this is a wise course of action?" he asked.
"We're about to find out. Power up disruptors and fire on my mark."
"Ready, Captain."
"Fire!" he said then the Scorpion's forward disruptors fire and the doors to the ship exploded.
Then Picard powered forward.
In the Scimitar's corridors the Scorpion shot into the corridor, past the stunned Remans. Picard banks sharply, careens off the far side of the corridor but keeps control.
The Scorpion went down the corridor.
Picard was concentrating intensely at the Scorpion cockpit.
In the Scimitar corridor the Scorpion banked around a corner, it went through the ship at breakneck speed.
The Scimitar doors to the observation lounge exploded in.
The Scorpion shot into the room and up.
A disruptor blast shattered the etched glass dome at the topbof the room -
And the Scorpion zoomed triumphantly into space.
The Scorpion seemed to appear from nowhere, slicing through the cloak of invisibility around the Scimitar.