(Majel Barret's voice) =/\= "Last time on Star Trek: Grail...." =/\=

=/\= "This is the Thames," came Miranda's voice, crackling with static. "We've been damaged badly."

"How long can you hold out?" called Arda.

=/\= "I'm not sure."

"We're coming to beam you up." Arda closed the channel.**fade** "Cover it, they might try an emergency beam out." Athalya Anne ordered to Stone, who quickly complied by firing the main phasers. He missed, but the Warbird was forced to turn from the runabouts. Suddenly, the 'Bird's engine flared and the vessel disappeared in a flash of light.

"The Warbird has gone to warp," reported Parker, "the Runabouts were caught in the warp field and were severely rocked, no report on damage yet." His console beeped and he pressed a series of buttons.

"Sir! The Warbird has reappeared behind the Stardrive section!"=/\= ".....and now the conclusion." =/\=

Arda was fast, but not that fast. She hadn't counted on the 'Bird going into warp. Just as they were about to head for the Indiana to regroup for another attack, the Nile and the Orinoco were caught in the Warbird's wake as it disappeared into warp. She struggled to keep the small craft on course. The comm beeped and Striker answered it.

=/\= "We're having trouble pulling out of it!" yelled Dietric. Arda could hear the strain in his voice.

"I'm not sure if I can either," she said, "but we have to."

"Lt," called Ens Strauss, having come aboard with Miranda, "the Warbird has dropped out of warp behind the stardrive!"

"Pull out, Dietric!" called Arda. She furiously punched at controls, the engines whining in the effort. Things began to overload.

"I've lost the Primary Power Coupling!" called Miranda. "I'm rerouting!"

The panel next to Strauss sparked.

"Damn!"

Arda pushed the shuttle. If she could just tweak a little more out of her.........

"We're free of the wake!" yelled Striker.

"Nile, do you read?" Arda called into the comm.

=/\= "Nile here, Lt."

"Are you stable?"

=/\= "We're picking up the pieces now."

"Can you go for another run?" she asked, "to protect the stardrive?"

=/\= "You bet!"

"Let's go! Attack pattern Gamma!"

The two craft swung around and followed the saucer section in. The saucer section looked, from the uneducated eye, like it was about to keel over and die.

The Rommies were too interested saucer section now to pay any more attention to the stardrive section of the ship. They fired their worst at the saucer, but to no avail. DeMontigny did his job well. They didn't take any hits until they were within breathing distance.

Arda had a hard time keeping up, the Orinoco having taken a beating from that wake. Yet, the small craft seemed determined to do its job and, with the Nile on her heels, the Orinoco followed behind ready to burst out at the right moment and take the Rommies by surprise.

The starboard section was taking advantage of the distraction and was firing on the 'birdie.

They came in close. Arda could just about see the Warbird on the other side of the giant disc in front of her. She had a feeling that the saucer was charging, an intimidation tactic, pulling up at the last possible second. She waited. If she saw it soon enough, she could pull the runabout in the opposite direction and hammer the Warbird from the opposite side. If she didn't...... Well, she would.

"Dietric, I want you to mimic what I do. That saucer going to bank any minute. I'm going the opposite way. I want you to follow and we'll get the Warbird between us and the saucer."

=/\= "Right on, Lt," he said and closed the channel.

Just then, the saucer took a 90 degree turn to the left. The two runabouts took a 90 degree turn to the right three seconds later. The saucer rained phaser fire from her side, the runabouts from theirs. The Orinoco's sensors picked up a transport from the saucer to the 'Bird. Miranda's terminal beeped.

"Lt, the Romulans have no shields, and their main computer core appears to be destroyed."

"What'd they do?" she asked almost silently. Striker looked at her. "They beamed something over." He shrugged.

"You've got me."Jessica-Lynne Sullivan

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