File #4
#4 of Star Trek: Warrior - Atlantis
The Adventures of the U.S.S. Warrior
File #4
Space was silent...
The Eranus system was a perfect example of this, a rather benign and unremarkable system inside the Neutral Zone, an area of space that intersected both Federation and Romulan territory.
Originally, the Neutral Zone was established by treaty in 2160, following the humiliating defeat of the Romulans in the Battle of Cheron, at the apex of the Earth-Romulan War. A large area of neutral space was declared and entry into it by either power constituted as an act of war.
There had, of course, been some exceptions over the hundreds of years the Neutral Zone had been established by both sides but the border had helped bring a long era of peace between the two powers.
With the destruction of Romulus in 2387, the crippled Romulan Star Empire had become engulfed in internal conflict and therefore Romulan security along the border had not been what it was in the past and maintaining the border had become much less of a priority.
The Eranus system was almost completely desolate, the first two planets in the system were nothing more then balls of rock and the third remained a heavily dense Class-J gas giant which again, was fairly unremarkable, if not for its alluring purple and blue clouds of methane which could only be described as breathtaking.
On the far edge of the system, the U.S.S. Warrior dropped out of warp, cutting silently through the dark like a sleek silver knife.
Onboard, the entire crew was on edge. Entry into the Neutral Zone in this manner, could still be interpreted as an act of aggression from the Romulans and nobody aboard wanted a repeat of their recent experience with the Star Empire. It felt as if they were sneaking through a graveyard at midnight....
With any luck, they could escape Romulan encounters all together...
"Captain..." replied Lieutenant Commander Kakriko, looking down at the science station while everyone on the bridge was concerning themselves with the possible presence of Romulans in this system.
There could be a cloaked Warbird on top of them right now... or ten for that matter...
"The signal is emanating from the third planet in this system..." replied Yusa, he felt his hand tremble slightly as her worked the control panel. The ship was at Yellow Alert, prepared for anything they might encounter but that always made him nervous. Even for a highly advanced lifeform such as him... he could still die.
"Awesome Yusa..." replied Captain Greyfell in his usual, more casual tone. Especially more casual then what his First Officer would have liked who was sat in the chair next to him, checking over the crew evaluation reports he had completed with Counselor Mewsin, just before they had arrived back at Starbase 248.
Commander Tempest piped up as he performed his profession flawlessly. "Helm, adjust course two one nine five... mark eight one two..."
"Aye sir" replied Lieutenant Commander Nova Storm, who was now serving as Chief of Operations and now the Warrior's principle helmsman. This had come as a surprise to him as he had not be keen on the idea at first but the promotion had granted him certain benefits and acknowledged his seniority on the ship in a way that he had dreamed about since he joined Starfleet.
The new Chief Tactical Officer had recently transferred from the U.S.S. Starfalcon, within 12th Expeditionary Fleet. It was a young officer of a species that nobody on the Warrior had ever encountered before, Lieutenant Strato Reyner.
"No signs of any Romulan ships in the sector..." hissed Strato, his claws easily navigating the glossy control panel at the back of the bridge.
"That could change in a hurry..." muttered Captain Greyfell under his breath. The existence of the Romulan Cloaking Device that could render a Romulan Warbird almost completely invisible to sensors filled him with concern.
The Romulans were masters of deception.
Greyfell looked over to Counselor Mewsin as he sat in the center chair of the bridge. She shook her head to him, indicating that she could not sense anything nearby, a skill that may not locate a Warbird but may serve as an early warning system should one arrive.
The Romulans could be anywhere in the system... waiting...