Chapter 8

"What have we got?" Captain Eva Caldwell's voice filled the bridge as she strode out of the turbolift. She moved behind the Ops console and jogged down the two steps to the command level. It was the middle of the night, ship's time, and well into Gamma shift. After more than three days of patrolling the area of space on the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone, she had almost started to think that the deterrent part of their mission was working. They had not registered so much as a blip on their sensors since they had arrived. Apparently, whoever was responsible for the raids was attempting to employ a new strategy.

"Sensors picked up activity along the sensor net fifteen minutes ago. We're already moving into place to investigate," the Lieutenant who happened to be the Gamma-watch officer that evening reported. He moved away from the command chair to take position at the tactical console, where he was normally stationed. "I'm detecting three Peregrine-class vessels. Their warp trails have a Federation signature."

"Helm, time to intercept?" Caldwell stepped up alongside the helm console and peered at the controls from over the Ensign's shoulder.

"Ninety seconds, Captain. The ships appear to be on course to the Romulan colony on Delnak," the helm officer reported.

"They have to know we're here." Eva frowned. "Why didn't they turn around and make a run back toward the border?"

"Or maybe there's something on Delnak that's worth getting caught for," Commander Rodgers stated. He had made it to the bridge just moments before. He moved to the center command console and turned it toward him as he settled in his chair. "Voyager will be here in three minutes."

"A couple of Peregrine-class fighters against two Starships?" Eva shook her head. "It must be damned important." She tapped her fingers against the back of the helmsman's chair. "Alright, Ensign. Put us between those ships and Delnak." She turned and walked toward the center of the bridge. "Lieutenant Kamara, open a frequency." The Captain turned, hands on her hips. "Unidentified ships, this is the Federation Starship Cerberus. You have illegally entered Romulan Space. Cut your engines, drop your shields, and prepare to be beamed aboard." She waited, and when there was no response, Caldwell turned her head toward Tactical, brows lifted in askance.

"They're receiving us, Captain." Kamara's hands moved across his console. He shook his head. "The ships are moving into a standard attack formation. The lead vessel is powering weapons." He sounded as incredulous about it as the Captain looked.

"Do we have any idea who is on board?" The Captain asked.

"Life signs indicate crews of three on each vessel," Kamara reported, "four Romulan, two human…" he trailed off as he read the readout. "Three Cardassian."

Eva's head whipped toward them. "What the hell are three Cardassians doing in Romulan space?"

The Peregrine-class ship was a small, four-person vessel, originally designed as a shuttle by Starfleet. The Maquis had appropriated several of the ships at the height of the conflict with the Cardassians. Their shields and weapons had been upgraded so they could be used as attack vessels. In much larger groups than Cerberus was seeing, the ships could swarm a vessel and cause enough damage to disable a starship. The Maquis had often used that tactic to steal cargo and weapons from Cardassian and Starfleet vessels alike. It was during the Dominion War that the Federation had chosen to use a similar tactic, employing the Peregrine-class fighters as support vessels in close combat or atmospheric engagements where a starship couldn't easily follow.

Two or three of the small ships, however, against a single starship was a completely futile action. The fighters would be disabled within minutes. To attempt an engagement with two starships was an idea that bordered on the ludicrous.

"Shields up, red alert." Caldwell walked the three steps to the command chair and lowered herself into it. She exchanged a look with her first officer when the lead fighter fired on them. The Peregrine-class ships had phasers and torpedos, but without the strength of the much larger starships. Cerberus's systems barely noted the phaser blast that encountered its shields. "Helm, bring us about heading 192-mark-4. Mr. Kamara, return fire, controlled burst. Aim for their engines. I'd like to disable them with as little damage as possible."

"You've got to be kidding me." Commander Rodgers shook his head when the three vessels broke off and attempted a swarm formation. "Well, they certainly want to be persistent, don't they?"

"Annoying is more like it." Eva cast a look at the tactical station. "Report, Lieutenant."

"Shields are holding at 97 percent, Captain." The Lieutenant shook his head. "The controlled bursts we're firing are having an effect, but they're evading. If we use any more power we risk seriously damaging or destroying those ships."

"We could try a modified EM Pulse," the Commander suggested. "If we use a modulated pulse, we can disrupt their shields and their impulse engines."

"Ensign Adams," Eva looked toward the Ops station. "How long would it take to modify that pulse?"

"Two minutes, Captain," the ensign's hands were already moving across the console as she attempted to do just that.

"Voyager will be here by then," Caldwell pointed out. "Do it anyway. Helm," a smirk tugged at her lips, "evasive maneuvers, lets give our little friends a harder target to swarm."

"Yes ma'am," the pilot grinned widely. The ship rolled to starboard and the fighters had to scatter to avoid being caught in the larger vessel's impulse wake.

Eva turned her attention to the command console. "Ensign Joff, I had an enlightening conversation with Commander Paris a few days ago. He seems to be under the impression that the flight patterns he developed in the Delta Quadrant could not be completed with as much ease by a larger ship. Perhaps we should put that theory to the test. Evasive pattern Delta-Tau-259 seems to have been a particular favorite. What do you think, Ensign?"

"I wouldn't mind testing that theory, Captain." The ensign cast a look back at her.

"At least if they're busy chasing us," Caldwell explained when her First Officer cast a questioning look at her, "they aren't proceeding to Delnak. We just need to keep them busy, without destroying them, until Voyager arrives. Then we can divide and conquer, and find out who we're dealing with."

"Voyager is hailing us, Captain." Lieutenant Kamara reported.

"On screen." The Captain leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. A small smirk curved her lips when the view screen lit up with an image of Voyager's bridge. "Captain, it would seem that the friends we've been waiting for finally decided to reveal themselves. I don't suppose you would be interested in helping us round them up?"

"And let you have all the fun, Captain?" Chakotay shook his head. "We should be arriving in less than a minute. Have they returned hails at all?"

"No," her lips thinned. "They seem rather more interested in buzzing around like flies. We're going to try shutting down their shields and engines with a modified EM Pulse. We'll send you the frequency so you can adjust your shields accordingly."

"That pulse will be ready in just under two minutes," Ops reported.

On his bridge, Chakotay cast a look over his shoulder at the tactical station. "Harry, match the frequency that Cerberus is sending us. In the meantime, fire a few warning shots. Let's see if having two starships to contend with gives them a reason to answer our hails."

From his chair, Tom watched on his tactical display as Cerberus made another hard, complicated turn and rolled away from the swarming fighters. His jaw dropped slightly and he cast a surprised look at the view screen. "Did you just…"

Eva's eyes sparkled with amusement at his response. "I believe that was maneuver Delta-Tau-48. We thought we would try a few tricks the Alpha Quadrant hasn't seen before. Mr. Joff?"

"Number 46, actually, Captain." He quirked a small grin. "I can understand why those headings might be difficult in an older ship, but our engines are a little more advanced."

"Older?" Chakotay's brows rose. In spite of the serious nature of the situation, the smaller Peregrine-class ships did not pose a comparable threat to either vessel. "Ensign Matthews, bring is in around Cerberus. Mr. Kim, while Captain Caldwell and her crew attempt to remember that experience is more valuable than youth let's see if we can disable those ships. Captain," he addressed the bronze complected beauty on his screen, "try not to run us over. Voyager out." The moment the view screen was dark his gaze fell to the young pilot at the helm. "Ensign, I don't suppose you've studied any of Mr. Paris's playbook?"

"Captain," the young man cast a small smile at him. "The Commander quizzes the entire flight crew on it regularly. Our shift assignments are determined by how well we score."

Chakotay's brow arched. Gamma-shift might not be a good indication of the pilot's skill if that was the case, although somehow he wasn't surprised that Tom was using that tactic in determining who from the very young crop of helmsmen on their ship would get the most opportunity for flight time. He would have to make sure that meant the others were getting more training time. If he knew Tom, that was exactly the case. "What about you, Ensign. When was the last time you sat one of Mr. Paris's quizzes?"

Matthews grin. "I traded shifts with Ensign Bak, Captain. He normally sits gamma-shift, but he wanted to join the Alpha-shift training rotation with Lieutenant Bieh." He turned back to the helm and his fingers danced across it as he easily maneuvered Voyager on a parallel heading with the larger Akira-class Cerberus.

"The Ensign normally takes up the Beta-shift helm assignment," Paris explained. He shrugged at the Captain. "You told me to stop breaking them. I decided it was time to get them all up to speed instead."

"We might have to let the Ensign rotate through Alpha-shift a few times from what I'm seeing." Chakotay strode back to his chair and sat. "Ensign, I seem to remember there were a few items early in that playbook that Cerberus's helm officer might have overlooked. Let's see if they can keep up with us."

"Aye Captain," the pilot grinned.

The two ships began their dance and between them the smaller vessels lost their more coordinated swarm tactics. With two starships to keep up with, they began concentrating on avoiding the phaser fire of both vessels. Or so it appeared. As the larger Cerberus prepared to emit its EM Pulse, the lead fighter dropped a series of EM mines in both ship's path. The detonation lit both vessels' shields in an almost blinding array of light.

As the lights on the Cerberus's bridge flickered, and then went dark, Captain Caldwell stood from her chair. "Status, Lieutenant."

"Shields down to forty-five percent. The forward phaser array has lost power. The auxiliary systems will be online momentarily. If we take another EM hit like that, we'll lose shields."

"And engines," the helm reported. "The impulse engines are at half capacity."

"Looks like they had the same idea we had," Rodgers stated. He cast an irritated look at his Captain. "The question is, what is their plan?"

"I intend to find out." Eva ground her teeth together. "Okay people, our friends don't want to play anymore. Lieutenant Kamara, focus on the lead ship. Take out their engines, full phaser spread."

Rodgers' fingers moved across his command console. "Voyager is in slightly better shape than we are, our shields took the brunt of it. They're coming around to flank our position. They've drawn the fire of the third fighter."

"Captain," Kamara reported, "That second fighter is breaking off. It's making a run toward Delnak."

"Cut it off Ensign Joff. I want all three of those ships in my shuttle bay, and their inhabitants in my brig."

"Voyager has disabled the third ship," Kamara reported. "They're moving to intercept now. The lead ship's shields are down to thirty-nine percent."

"Fire your EM pulse, Lieutenant. Let's take them both out." Her hands found her hips again. She watched on the view screen as the lead fighter's shields lit, and then its systems appeared to go dark. "Status?"

"Their shields are down and they've lost engines," Kamara reported.

"Captain, I'm reading a massive energy build-up in the fighter's aft weapons array," the officer at Ops announced. "They're overloading their systems."

"Lock on to the ship's crew, beam them out of there," Caldwell ordered. "Hit it with another pulse, see if you can knock out those systems before it blows the ship." She cast a look at her first officer. "Why do I think there's something on that ship they didn't want us to see?"

"Get a tractor beam on the second fighter," Rodgers added. "Beam both crews directly to the brig."

"The pulse was ineffective, Captain. She's going to blow," Kamara told her.

"Back us off, helm. Ensign Adams, get every scan of that ship and its interior that you can think of before it blows," Eva told them.

"Both crews have been beamed to our brig," Kamara reported. "Voyager is reporting that they have the crew of the third vessel secured."

"Commander, I think it's time we found out who we're dealing with." Caldwell turned toward the turbolift. "Stand down red alert. Have a medical team meet us in the brig in case they sustained any injuries. Lieutenant Kamara, you have the bridge. I want damage and injury reports from all departments. Scan both remaining fighters, and if they check out, let's tow them into the shuttle bay for further investigation. Relay our status to Voyager, and let them know we'll be ready to brief in an hour."

"Aye, Captain." Kamara nodded, he was already putting her orders into motion. "Ensign Joff, bring us around alongside Voyager, all stop while we survey the fighters…"

The doors to the turbolift closed as the Lieutenant began relaying his own orders. Eva looked at her First Officer, eyes dark. "There was something a little desperate in that run, and I want to know why. What the hell is going on out here, and what are they doing with Peregrine-class fighters?"

"What were the Maquis doing with them?" Rodgers shrugged. "Stolen or salvaged originally, would be my bet. I'm guessing those ships were a contribution of the Cardassians that are with them. When we run their registry numbers I'm sure we'll find they were abandoned or reported destroyed. The truth is, they were probably captured and sold to anyone willing to pay the right price."

"The plot thickens." Eva folded her arms across her chest. "I suppose it's a good thing I like a good mystery, but I'd rather not deal with the odd plot-twist or surprise ending."

Rodger's mouth twisted into a wry grin. "Isn't that what makes it a good mystery, Captain?"

"Not when I'm sitting in Romulan territory and the full cast hasn't been revealed yet, Bryan." She shook her head. "Unfortunately, I think the Romulans might be full of odd plot-twists." When the turbolift doors opened she stepped through them. She strode toward the brig at the end of the corridor and nodded to the security officer that was posted outside its doors.

Inside the brig the lights around the four cells were lit, indicating the force fields were engaged. Their guests had been separated, two to a cell. Of the two crews they had beamed aboard, they had picked up three of the Romulans, two Cardassians, and a single human female. The Romulans looked unaffected by their change in circumstances, while the two Cardassians were glaring darkly at the Starfleet officers.

Eva moved in front of the cells and let her gaze sweep over them. "Welcome board Cerberus, I'm Captain Eva Caldwell. Would any of you like to tell me what you were doing in those ships, on this side of the Neutral Zone?" When there was no response, she folded her arms across her chest. "Why don't we try an easier one, hm?" She focused on the Romulan prisoner in the center cell. "Who are you?" He stared stonily back at her, so she let her gaze move to the others. "No one?"

"What about you?" Rodgers stepped nearer the force field of the cell that held the human prisoner. "Or maybe a few months at the penal colony in Auckland will remind you how to answer a simple question."

The woman clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head. Her eyes moved to the Cardassian that was sharing the cell with her.

"We have nothing to say to Starfleet," he replied. He moved to the single bench in the cell and sat. He placed his hands on his knees and stared imperiously back at them, eyes dark against his gray complexion.

Rodgers' eyes narrowed as he studied the man. Tall, broad shouldered, but older than his other compatriots. The Cardassian's hair was streaked with gray, and there were lines around his eyes. "Using a Federation ship to violate the Neutral Zone, firing on Starfleet vessels, that comes with a hefty penalty. I wonder what the Cardassian Union would think of its citizens violating the treaty?" Cardassia and its colonies had only just started their rebuilding efforts. The government was still largely provisional, and dependent upon Federation and Bajoran aid.

In the farthest most cell, one of the Romulan prisoners stepped close to the force field. "You are holding Romulan citizens, and their guests, against their will within our own space. We are not required to answer your questions, Captain."

The doors to the brig opened again, this time to admit the medical team, flanked by a full security escort. "Scan them for injuries," Caldwell ordered. "Then let's see if we have a record of their identities in our database. In the meantime," she looked at Rodgers, "we'll check with Voyager and see if Captain Chakotay has garnered any more information than we have." She shrugged. "We're here at the Romulans' request, perhaps they will know who we are dealing with. Let us know what you find out," she told the medic.

"That went about as I expected it to," Rodgers stated, once they were back in the corridor.

"It would ruin the mystery if they told us everything we wanted to know right away," Eva reminded him. "I have a feeling we'll find out more than we probably want to know soon enough. If nothing else, it proves we needed to be here. The Admiral was correct, other powers are making a play to try and destabilize our efforts, if for no other reason than to keep the Federation and the Romulan Empire from forming an alliance of some kind." She waved a hand through the air as she spoke, "Let's see if those ships have made it on board yet. We might find another clue there. Have an engineering crew go over every inch. I'm going to get an update on the ship's status."

"Captain." Rodgers nodded and the pair went their separate ways.

As she made her way back to the bridge, Eva considered the circumstances they found themselves in. Admiral Janeway had never said it wouldn't be interesting. Upon reaching the bridge, the Captain crossed it on her way to the ready room. "Lieutenant Kamara, contact Voyager and let Captain Chakotay know that I'd like to speak with him as soon as he is available. Have status reports started arriving yet?"

"Aye, Captain. I'll have them transmitted to your ready room," The lieutenant reported.

Eva stepped into the quiet space that was all her own and sighed. She reached up to run a hand over her face. It was going to be a long day and she'd had too short a night. She retrieved a cup of tea from the replicator before settling herself behind her desk. She had only just started her review of the first status report when her combadge chirped. "Captain, I have Captain Chakotay for you."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Patch him through." Eva turned her attention to the computer terminal on her desk. "You've been holding out on me," she drawled in greeting. "I don't remember any of those maneuvers being in Voyager's system report from the Delta Quadrant."

"Weren't they?" Chakotay flashed a dimpled grin at her. "Don't worry, Captain. Your ship didn't do too badly, for a clunky adolescent beast."

"Says the man commanding the old explorer," she teased. Eva leaned toward the computer. "I assume by now you've spoken to the guests in your brig?"

"A Romulan, a human, and a Cardassian, oh my." Chakotay shook his head, smile fading, "they aren't talking, but I didn't expect them to say much. I've got Lieutenant Kim scanning the debris from the destroyed fighter. We'll pick up as much of it as we can salvage. What I'd really like to know is what was so important on Delnak."

"You're not the only one," she told him. "I've got a medical team checking our prisoners over now. When I get the doctor's report, I'll transmit a copy. Their identities might be in our database."

"One or two of them at least," Chakotay nodded. "I've got my CMO doing the same thing. Unless the Cardassians or the Romulans have ever been guests of the Federation before, it's unlikely we'll find anything, but the Romulan government may have something to compare their scans to. The humans, on the other hand…"

"Might have been officers or former Maquis," Eva nodded. "If they ever served, or were interred at one of the penal colonies, we'll be able to identify them. Yes, I thought so too. When we finish gathering information here, I'd like to make a side trip to Delnak and check it out."

Chakotay nodded. "We should consolidate our guests to a single location."

"We'll get the secondary brig ready for them. I'll let you know when you can bring them over," she smirked. "We can talk again in an hour, when we have something more concrete to give Captain Grant."

"An hour then," Chakotay agreed. He leaned back in his chair and his dimples appeared again. "What makes you think I am going to be the one playing courier?"

"Your curiosity isn't going to let you sit there. I'll be seeing you soon. Cerberus out." She closed the link before he could respond and sat back with a grin. Eva leaned her head against the backrest of her seat and turned her gaze toward the viewport near her desk. The other Captain was proving to be a suitable diversion from the more tedious aspects of their patrolling duties.

Yes, this little trip to Romulan territory was proving to be very interesting.

-TBC-