<<Romulan Warbird D'Narien>>

Subcommander Thalissa gesticulated madly, but she never had an opportunity to get a word in on the tirade of Senator Deravar. The Romulan Senators face was deep green with rage.

=*=...Your actions have compromised my position on the Imperial Senate! I am not even certain I have enough leverage to keep your commission from being revoked! Our deep space relays have received the distress call of the Federation Science Vessel as well as intercepting encrypted subspace messages from a Federation Starship of unknown designation! You were under the strictest orders....=*=

Thalissa's rage finally exploded. "Damn you, Deravar! I had...."

=*=You will address me as SENATOR Deravar or....=*=

"No!, Dog!", she cut him off again. "If it were not for your weaknesses and petty fears you would not be the suckling whelp of the Senate. Romulan pride DEMANDS war with the Federation. Since that accursed Vulcan Spock came to Romulus, our resolve has been transformed to pacifism. I did you all a favor by ordering this strike."

Actually, she hadn't ordered the strike. Sarvid had taken it upon himself to act against the Federation. It was the first time that she had considered Sarvid worthy of the Romulan blood that flowed in his veins. She proudly wished him great fortune in his effort. And she envied him his decisiveness and commitment to Romulan Purity. And she stood behind him. Even before the threat of the Imperial Senate.

=*=You have done nothing less than created the probability of war. The Senate has convened to deliberate on the decision to declare you renegades...=*=

=^=Subcommander Thalissa. =^=, came the call from the Bridge. =^= The R'Larn has raised shields and powered disruptors! =^=

"Go to Battle Alert!", Thalissa ordered, a look of total rage contorting her face as she once again faced the communicator. Senator Deravar smile was ugly and triumphant.

=*=It seems the decision has already been made, Subcommander. If you surrender to the R'Larn, your crew will be punished for their participation in this Act of War. However, their lives will be spared. =*=

Thalissa's sneer was dripping with revulsion. "You cowards! You're afraid of the Federation! Well, I am not! You can go to Hell!!" She closed the channel with a gauntlet fist thrust through the screen. She roared her rage and stormed out onto the Bridge.

"Engineering!", Thalissa screamed. "I want the shield modulation changed and I want this vessel cloaked! Now!"

"The R'Larn is firing disruptors!", Tactical reported with alarm. "Why are they doing this?"

"Return fire!", she growled as she dropped into the command chair. "Helm! Set a course for the T'saloset and get us out of here!"

"Acknowledged.", the Helm officer responded gladly.

"Shields are holding.", Tactical reported. "We cannot cloak while they are firing upon us."

"Get us out of here, Gericon!", she shouted at the Helm officer.

<<Romulan Warbird D'Narien- One hour later>> "The R'Larn is no longer pursuing.", Tactical reported. "They have set a course for Remus."

"Engineering! Report!", she barked, the frustration obvious.

=^= There is minimal damage to the quantum singularity drive. Efficiency is reduced 20%. Maximum warp is 7.2 until repairs can be affected. =^=

Thalissa nodded to herself. Not so bad. "I want us cloaked. Now."

=^=Acknowledged. =^=, Engineering responded.

"So, we're renegades.", Belasco almost laughed as he entered the Bridge. Thalissa turned to her second-in-command. She almost smiled, too. Belasco was of a like mind as her. He would rather be a true Romulan, even if it meant being cast out of the society that he also felt was spiraling toward decadence.

"Yes, Belasco. We are."

"Where shall we go, my love?", he asked as he stood before her as she stared up at him from the command chair.

"We will rendezvous with the T'saloset. We will formulate our strategy once we...."

"We are receiving a distress call from the T'saloset!", Tactical called out. "They have been boarded!"

Thalissa stood abruptly and she and Belasco botched faced the Tac officer. "How long before we rendezvous with them?", she demanded of the officer, who immediately looked to Gericon at the Helm.

Gericon looked at all the eyes that looked at him and then worked his console, a moment later he reported. "With our warp drive at it's current state, coupled with the limitations imposed while travelling cloaked..."

"How long?!", Belasco demanded, his irritation obvious.

Gericon swallowed hard. "Eighteen hours."

Thalissa looked at Belasco. And in each others eyes, they both saw the T'saloset doom. Belasco said nothing. Thalissa said, "Maintain course, Helm. Tell the T'saloset that we will arrive as soon as we are able."

Thalissa sat and opened a channel shipwide. "To the crew of the D'Narien. We have been condemned by the Romulan Senate for our courageous acts against the Federation. All senior staff officers will report to the Conference Room immediately for a briefing."

She closed the channel and looked at the rest of the Bridge crew. She expected to be met with open hostility and condemnation. But what she saw in their eyes was completely different. She saw vicious pride and indomitable courage. They were warriors. And they were with her.

She just hoped the rest of the crew was also.