While the crew is enjoying some well-earned shoreleave an experimental ship of the Defiant class is stolen from Avalon Fleet Yards by a group of Maquis. To facilitate their escape the group has blown up one of the spacedocks as a diversion, resulting in a massive amount of casualties, so Starfleet is determined to apprehend the ones responsible.
The Maquis however escape without much of a fight and have set course for the Klingon border, the experimental ship being powered by an enhanced warp drive and fitted with gelpacks much like the Alicorn is halfway across the quadrant already when the subspace message from Starfleet arrives at Commodore Saeihr’s desk. From there the actual chase begins as the Alicorn sets out in a hurry to intercept the stolen ship.
