The Romulan Prize
A deadly Romulan Warbird leads the Starship Enterprise into a web of treachery!

The Romulan Prize is a Pocket TNG novel – #26 in the numbered series – written by Simon Hawke. Published by Pocket Books, it was first released in .

Summary 
From the book jacket
Hermeticus 2 – a planet so shrouded in secrecy that few in the Federation even know of its existence. When a Romulan spy learns of the world, it becomes the centerpiece for a far-reaching Romulan plot.

On routine patrol near the border of the Neutral Zone, the Starship  discovers an advanced Romulan Warbird prototype drifting lifeless in space. Investigating the vessel, Captain Picard is drawn into a plot that threatens the very foundation of the Federation. Now, with time running out, Captain Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise must stop the Romulans before the deadly secret of Hermeticus 2 overwhelms them all.

Memorable quotes 
"The syrinx makes for an excellent analogy. I am smarter than the syrinx, and I can arm myself with weapons, while the syrinx cannot. Yet if I were to assume that these advantages would give me an easy victory over the syrinx, then at best I would have a disappointing hunt. At worst, I would not survive it."
 - Commander Valak, explaining why Humans are adversaries worthy of respect and study

"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
 - Commander Valak, quoting Mark Twain

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
 - Commander Valak, quoting 

"Have you no pithy Romulan sayings to quote?"
 - Jean-Luc Picard to Commander Valak

Background information 
 The cover of the novel depicts the Enterprise facing off with a  warbird, even though the Romulan ship encountered is stated to be of a new, different design.

Characters 
Jean-Luc Picard
William T. Riker
Data
Worf
Deanna Troi
Beverly Crusher
Ro Laren
Alexander
Miles O'Brien
Keiko O'Brien

Chang  A member of the team that went EVA to get weapons from the Independence

  Romulan Commander of the Syrinx, who studies and respects Humans

Korak  Valak's first officer, who is continually bested in hand-to-hand combat with Riker

Lord Kazanak  Son of an influential Romulan politician, the designer and namesake of the D'Kazanak-class of warbirds

Llwellyn  First officer aboard the USS Independence

References 
  Federation  starship, presumed destroyed over three decades ago

Hermeticus 2  An interstellar ark masquerading as a planet, home of the Ambimorphs

Hermeticus class  A planetary designation, used decades ago to signify a quarantined planet

Selok  Romulan sub-commander who gained classified information on Hermeticus 2

  The first of a new class of the Romulan D'Kazanak warbirds

  A new class of Romulan warbirds, designed to be a match for the  ships of the Federation and as a replacement for the D'Deridex-class.

External links 
 
 

Romulan Prize, The

cs:The Romulan Prize
de:Die Beute der Romulaner