Since the attack by the ISS Leviathan, there had been no trace of the vessel. The Hellcat had been searching for nearly two weeks with no results, closing in on the Romulans 'eastern' border.

Every lead that they followed seemed to have gone cold before they arrived, as if the crew of the mirror vessel knew exactly where the Hellcat was and was sending them as far off in the other direction as they could.

Even the Romulans had all but given up and a Romulan frigate was all that had remained with the Hellcat. The Ch'R Naxil was not the most modern of vessels and had been unable to exceed warp six, which had slowed the search group down. The frigate was too large to enter the slipstream vortex that the Hellcat created, so the routine of sending the Hellcat ahead to check things out and then waiting for the Naxil to catch up had become the norm.

"Commander." Ensign Oakenshield announced from the tactical console. "The Naxil has altered course, she's no longer heading in our direction."

"Any ideas what may have happened ?" Lieutenant Commander Chu announced.

"No." Julia replied. "They appear to be heading to their 'northern' border."

"Commander, we're receiving a recorded message from Starfleet. It's from Admiral Devore." ASHER announced.

"On screen." Chu announced.

The holographic viewscreen started up and the familiar image of the Leviathan's former Captain appeared on the screen.

[Commander Barker, crew of the Hellcat. As of immediate effect, you are to cease your search for the ISS Leviathan and return to Earth. Owning to the situation between the Mulluran and the G'Kar, and the possibility of a military conflict with the Federation, the Romulans have closed their borders and started regular patrols. Our latest information is that they are concentrating their patrols along the Romulan-Mulluran border for the moment, but we expect them to start patrolling their side of the neutral zone within a few days.] The message announced. [Your best hope of reaching Federation space is to travel via the Klingon border. As further communications may be monitored, try to maintain radio silence until you are securely in Federation space. Good luck Commander and see you back on Earth.]
"That would explain the change in course of the Naxil." Ensign Oakenshield announced. "Their new course does take them towards the Mulluran border."

"I wonder why Admiral Devore has ordered us back to Earth, rather than straight back to the Leviathan." ASHER enquired.

"I don't know." Chu replied. "Mister Shale, How long will it take us to reach the Leviathan ?"

"About six days at maximum slipstream velocity." Shale replied.

"And to reach the Klingon border ?" Chu continued.

"About three days." Shale replied, "Plus another three to reach Earth. From there it would take us another seven days to reach the Leviathan."

"But crossing the Romulan-Klingon border might be easier than the neutral zone." Oakenshield announced. "If the Romulans are stepping up their patrols along the Mulluran and Federation borders, then they are going to have to pull vessels from elsewhere. The Klingon border would be the obvious choice, seen as it's the furthest away from possible conflict. Relations between the Klingons and the Romulan's have not been this good since the Dominion war, I doubt the Klingon's would make any attempt to enter Romulan space."

"So the Klingon border it is." Chu remarked. "Mister Shale set course for the Klingon border, maximum velocity."

"Course entered." Shale replied.

"Enter the stream." Chu ordered.

With that order, a slipstream vortex opened ahead of the Hellcat and the vessel sped off towards the Klingon border. Unseen by the crew or the Hellcat's sensors, a small probe followed them, as it had been doing for over a week now.