Chapter One

They were one week out from Starbase 283, and it was only now that they were being briefed.

The admiral stood beside the screen. It showed a three-dimensional picture of an unspecified region of space. In one corner it contained several star systems, and a dust nebula, there was little else.

The room was dark and filled with twelve men and women, the admiral and two others were on a dais, the other nine sat around the large conference table and faced the projection.

'The nebula has not been named by us, but the Cardassians called it 'The Gokija Expanse'. Gokija is a place in Cardassian legend where demons and ogres live. The Expanse is a dangerous place, little of worth has been discovered there, and the area is filled with active ion storms, large particle clouds and geologically unstable planetoids. The Cardassians left it pretty much alone.'

The picture zoomed into a cloudy section of the nebula; it was filled with reds and whites.

'In the section being magnified,' Admiral Slaney paused to allow the presentation of go to full magnification, 'there is a planet, Class 'Y'.

'A Demon class planet, they're rare,' whispered Deborah Mc Sorley. She leant forward expecting to hear more about that rare phenomenon.

Beside her around the conference table Marcus Ohlson ignored her comment and brought his attention back to the admiral and the briefing.

'Yes, as some of you have already remarked,' said the admiral, 'it is a Demon class, the most inhospitable class known.

This planet has five satellites, three are no larger than big boulders, one of the others is the site of an old tracking station, now a penal colony.' He paused. The clouds on the holograph were magnified again until a yellow-green planet could be seen, the image magnified again to highlight a small moon. 'Starfleet Intelligence believes that upwards of one hundred personnel are currently being held on this colony. Some are the survivors from the U.S.S. Hawaii.'

He named a vessel that had been lost in action two weeks previously while on a mapping survey. 'There were three hundred and fifty-eight officers and crew on the Hawaii.

We have reason to believe that Commodore Nilis and Captain Devereaux are among the prisoners.'

How would they know that, wondered Ohlson?

'We intercepted a message that spoke of the two men being held at this site prior to being transferred.'

Question answered, Marcus shifted in his seat to make himself more comfortable.

It is your mission to raid this prison and free our people.' He paused again. 'The operation will be under the command of Captain Jackman, and she will fill in the details.' The admiral turned to take a seat as the thin figure of Captain Claudine Jackman walked to the front of the stage.

'The attack is scheduled for 1400 hours, and when the Osprey,' she named the Galaxy class starship they were sitting on now, 'arrives at its predestined coordinates you will move out in four specially designed shuttlecraft. The Shoeman, under Captain Lu; the Gaunt, under Captain Shay; the Cicero, under Commander Fessler; and the Augustus, under Commander Ohlson.' She had the attention of everyone in the room.

'The Shoeman and the Gaunt will attack the penal colony while the Cicero takes out the planetary communications and defense satellites, the Augustus will remain in reserve in case the Jem'Hadar arrive. We expect to encounter only two, or at the most three, patrol vessels guarding the establishment. It is a temporary base, up until three months ago it was abandoned, and we want it out of commission before it becomes a permanent feature.'

She paused before continuing. 'We are aware of the complaints that some of you have voiced over the new crews not being tested together, and of the use being made of experimental craft on so important a mission.

You have all taken part in the attack simulations and the crew training has been the best we can manage.

As for the ships, we have nothing else that we can spare, so make the most with what you've been given.'

Ohlson pulled a face; he had been one of the complainers. The simulations had been rushed and covered very few of the many possibilities that could occur. The supplies that had came with the new ship were incomplete and in some cases the wrong parts altogether.

Captain Jackman was still speaking. 'Captain Lu will lead the raid, each of you will be under his command once your vessels leave the Osprey.

We will be mounting a diversionary raid on a known trade route half a parsec from the colony, we hope that will occupy any patrolling enemy ships in the vicinity long enough to allow you to get in and get out with the minimum of risk.

The rendezvous will be with the Osprey at a prearranged time. I will give you over to Captain Lu now.

Good luck.' She sat down as the stout figure of Soo Han Lu stood up and strode purposively the short distance to the front of the dais. He tugged at his jacket as if it needed fixing. Then, he bowed in the direction of the admiral, she nodded in return, and then he spoke in his short clipped manner.

'The operation is of the utmost importance. We have planned this to cover all the possibilities that we can foresee. We still expect to suffer some casualties.

But, our people need us, they must believe that we will not forget them, and will do all in our power to get them home. It is time we removed the cancer from this sector of space.' He paused, then added. 'I know you can do this that is why you are here. Return to your vessels, dismissed.'

The assembled troops stood and walked from the briefing room on the Osprey's third deck and made their way to the turbolifts and then to the cargo decks.

Marcus felt unsatisfied with the briefing, like he had been rushed. He put it down to Lu's summary style of giving orders.

The turbolift doors opened.

Mc Sorley and Ohlson emerged into cargo bay three, where the Cicero and the Augustus stood side by side. 'I'd heard he was one for brevity.'

'Some say he is rude, and arrogant.' Ohlson was smiling. 'But, all say he's one of Starfleet's finest captains.' They neared the ship. 'Probably only a toenail away from being admiral.'

'Still, a few kind words wouldn't have gone astray.'

Ohlson tried to imagine Lu giving kind words. He failed. He had never met the man prior to being posted to the Augustus, and he did not believe that Lu thought highly of him or his crew either.

Ohlson turned his attention to the Augustus.

He eyed his vessel. It was slightly larger that the Danube class runabout from which it was based. But, the Roman class assault vessels were new and as yet untested in combat. Which might explain why the Augustus and the Cicero were backing the more known Explorer class Shoeman and Gaunt.

The Roman was a ten-man ship, and very heavily armed - carrying twenty torpedoes and four banks of phasers - and armoured for its size. A mini starship was what one designer had told Ohlson when he introduced the ship to its new commander. One of the new breed of Starfleet ships designed with combat in mind over exploration, small and deadly.

Mc Sorley was the first to enter the ship, Ohlson was right behind.

As the first officer and the captain, Mc Sorley and Ohlson had been the only representatives at the briefing. They entered the ship from the port side near the Bridge.

The Bridge of the Augustus had the obligatory viewscreen at one end, the usual captain's chair in the center, the helm and navigator positions in front of that, and three seats along each side for the other departments.

'Try the gauge again.' The speaker was a tall black woman wearing a red and black uniform; she was seated at the tactical post, to the left and behind the captain's chair. She was Lieutenant Benko Tambecki, young but tested. As an ensign she had seen service and earned a commendation on the U.S.S. Hurricane, at Wolf 359. She was the ship's helmsman.

'Yes, it's working now.' The voice came from behind a console panel. It was the Augustus' Science Officer, a Bolian, Petty Officer Colimo; he was replacing the panel when he saw the arrivals. 'I hope we have a little more time before we go, the timing of the fuel injectors is still not synchronized correctly.'

'Well, you have three hours to fix them, then we go.' commented Deborah Mc Sorley.

Mc Sorley was regarded by some as pushy. Some put that down to the colour of her hair. The redheaded Lieutenant Commander, originally of Starfleet Intelligence, and the U.S.S. Hood, now first officer of the Augustus, sat down and commenced a series of diagnostic checks.

Ohlson knew that she was more than capable of doing the work without his presence so he walked from the command section past the exit to the restroom - and, when required, briefing room of the vessel. Inside the room were: Ensign T'sella, the Vulcan Communications Officer, and part of the engineering team, small for a Vulcan at one meter sixty, but technically brilliant at her job; Yeoman 2nd class Gretchen Kausler, forty-one years old, Tactical Officer, a weapons expert with experience as an engineer. She was a short-haired brunette, renown for her silences, she only spoke when she thought it important, and that was seldom; and the newly promoted Lieutenant Alex Smith, medic, stout and balding, at thirty he was a late recruit to Starfleet. Ohlson knew he had ambitions to become a science officer on a starship and was a little discomforted among the small crew complement.

They were relaxing, and they deserved it as the ship's crew and conditioning had been foisted on them only in the last week. There had been a lot of work to get the Augustus up to par in the time allowed.

Of the trio, only Kausler had battle experience, she had survived the disaster of Wolf 359, even if her vessel the Saratoga had not. Ohlson had never heard her speak of those days.

'Where are the others?' asked Ohlson.

'Lieutenant Singh is out trying to scrounge up another phaser bank to replace the one that doesn't fit.' Kausler referred to one of the annoying problems that had came to light once they had examined the ship. One of the collection of bullet shaped phaser banks had been found to be for ground-based batteries and not for space vessels. Lieutenant Sia Singh, the oldest of the crew at forty-three, was the Chief Engineer and the one whose responsibility it was to correct that mistake.

'Ensign Barret and Lieutenant d'Amatsu are outside examining the hull.'

Ohlson nodded. The ship had bumped heavily when it had been delivered. A minor hull breech had been repaired, but they maintained a check, the ship had not been flown since the bad landing so they were impatient to fly it and see if the repairs held. Lu himself in front of half the population of the temporary docking bay had chewed out the engineer that had flown the ship and damaged it. Ohlson had disapproved but could say nothing.

He continued down the length of the ship and entered the area assigned as crew quarters. Beyond these were the lifts to the engine room and escape pods below. Marcus Ohlson entered his cabin, small compared to a starship's it was still roomy, he sat at the desk and tapped his console.

It jumped to life.

'Computer, put me through to the Osprey's Chief Engineer.'

In a few seconds the voice of Helen Tsokova was heard. 'Yes, Commander what can I do for you?'

'Hello Helen, I was wondering had you seen Sia about and has he got us a replacement for the phaser bank.'

She laughed. 'Yes, he's just left us, it seems the Cicero had the same problem. But all sorted now. Was there anything else?'

'Not unless you can get the synchronization of the fuel injectors fixed for us.'

'Don't worry, I was talking to Ben,' which was what Benko's friends called her, 'she appears to be on top of that glitch. If she doesn't fix it in ten minutes get back to me.'

'Will do, thanks Helen.' Ohlson had worked with the engineer since arriving on the Osprey and had found her to be friendly and skilled. He liked her.

'You can owe me a synthale.'

He wondered had she sounded concerned. The link was ended. Commander Ohlson stood and checked his cabin. Certain that all was in order he returned to the bridge.

Sia Singh was back and carrying a phaser bank. He walked past Ohlson with a nod and headed to Engineering to install the weapon.

'Captain, all systems are now checked and ready,' announced Mc Sorley.

Ohlson glanced towards Tambecki and Colimo; both were in their proper chairs. He guessed that the Osprey's Chief Engineer would not be getting another message from Ben. 'Very good, get everyone to the bridge for a briefing.'

Five minutes later the ten personnel attached to the Augustus were on the bridge and listening to their captain. ' So that's the mission, have you any questions?'

'How long do we expect to be away from the Osprey?' asked Mico d'Amatsu. Mico was a squat and sturdy assistant engineer. His ethnic roots gave him his mother's blue eyes and his father's oriental skin. He always appeared rushed and busy, and that was because he was always finding something to do. Sia had informed Ohlson that he'd discovered Mico stripping and reassembling the control console just to fend off boredom.

'In all it should take us two hours to reach the planet and then it's one hour to attack and three hours to get away.'

'That means we're quite close to it now.' The point was made by Colimo.

'Yes, but we'll be leaving the Osprey at wrap nine point two, so while we are in occupied space we are not near the penal colony's detection screen. '

'What was the Hawaii's mission?' Tambecki had been puzzled about something that was not clear to her captain.

'I don't know other than it was a routine patrol mapping the region.'

'In the Expanse?'

Ohlson shrugged. 'If it was on another mission then it hasn't been explained to us.'

'Why was Commodore Nilis on board?'

Ah, so that was what was puzzling her. Marcus gave another small shrug. 'I am not certain. It is unusual for a commodore to be so near the enemy front line without having a squadron of ships with him. But, he could have been on a fact finding mission, or even part of any overt operation that the Hawaii was part of, I just don't know.'

'How does Starfleet intelligence know so much about who and the number that are in this penal colony?' Barret was in puzzled mode too.

'Can't help you there either. Starfleet Intelligence sources are not open to every captain and commander, certainly not to me. Anything else?'

'Just what will we do at this Demon class planet?' asked Benko.

'Sit on the surface and listen for any calls for assistance,' answered Mc Sorley. She sounded like the mission was less than her idea of ideal.

Ohlson knew that being the reserve force was not her idea of being in action. He also knew that she had protested the brief to Captain Lu himself, but to no avail. Still, it did prove that the first officer had courage, it must have been years since a subordinate gave out to the mighty Captain Lu. Ohlson had heard of the exchange, Mc Sorley complaining vigorously and Lu curt and terse, from Helen one afternoon when they dined together.

He pushed aside the reminisces and held his hands up. 'Listen, I know this mission is not what most of you would wish it to be. But it is important, our people must know that we will not give up on them, and someone has to be the reserve. No one will thank us if the operation goes according to plan, but if it doesn't then it's us they will be depending on.' He paused, and then he decided to give the team speech now instead of later.

'You all come here from a multitude of posts, starship, Starbase, and HQ, but this is what the brass has assembled from all the personnel documentation, we fit the bill.

There is a lot of experience on board this ship, and the person alongside you, probably can do what you can't do, or understand.

I am sorry that we have no experience together on operations, but today we will get some.' he paused as Ensign Hope Barret raised her arm. 'What is it Ensign?'

'What happens to us after this mission?' she glanced at the others nervously, as a newly commissioned ensign just out of the academy, she couldn't help but feel that she was the must junior of all present.

He looked to Mc Sorley. 'The word is that we will be assigned new posts, and the vessels, the Cicero and Augustus, will be returned to Utopia Planetia for assessment. Shoeman and Gaunt are border patrol vessels so they will return to their normal duties.'

'Oh.'

Ohlson couldn't tell whether the news had pleased or saddened the girl. Being fresh from the academy she was no doubt seeking to see and serve with a regular crew for longer than one mission. Aren't we all, thought Ohlson? He wondered where he was destined to go, probably waste control duty on New Berlin, he thought. Then he dismissed the speculation. What he couldn't dismiss was the notion that command of the Augustus was not a promotion. He had been a science officer on Starbase Addison until the shortage of ranking manpower had made reassignment a certainty. This was his first combat command, and he wasn't sure how he was going to handle it.

There were no further questions.

'Then get to your posts,' ordered Mc Sorley, 'and prepare for departure.'

Ohlson took his seat, a raised chair just to the rear of the helm and navigation controls. Lieutenant-Commander Mc Sorley was at navigation, which was akin to the co-pilot's seat. Lt. Benko Tambecki sat at the helm.

To Ohlson's right sat the tactical station, Kausler's. Behind her sat Smith, he fidgeted. To the captain's left sat Colimo and Barret. d'Amatsu, Singh and T'sella were in Engineering. 'Is everyone in position?'

'Yes sir,' answered Mc Sorley.

They had timed it perfectly.

'Incoming message from the Shoeman,' said Colimo.

'On screen.'

The face of Captain Lu appeared, as was his style he got straight to business. 'The Osprey has reached her coordinates. We depart when ready. You will take up the rear after the Cicero.'

The screen went blank.

'Short and sweet,' said the first officer.

'Get ready to follow the Cicero,' ordered Ohlson.

Three minutes later the ship was ten kilometers off the Osprey's port bow. The bridge crew watched. The screen showed the large and graceful ship bank to starboard and then enter wrap.

'Not even a good luck?' Ensign Barret muttered.

'You don't waste subspace messages in the vicinity of Captain Lu, Ensign.' Marcus looked straight ahead at the Cicero.

She returned to her console uncertain whether or not she had been chastised.

'We've been instructed to follow the Cicero at wrap nine point two.'

'Then do so Commander,' suggested Ohlson.

On the viewscreen the three small shapes of the attack squad disappeared as each entered warp space. The Augustus zoomed after them.

The next message arrived minutes after they came within sensor range of the Demon class planet.

'Message from the Shoeman,' said Barret.

'On screen,' said Ohlson.

'Commander,' it was the face of Captain Lu, 'we will be commencing operations in one minute. Stay at the coordinates that you have been given until you hear from us.'

'Yes sir,' before he could wish him good luck, Lu was gone.

'Okay people let's go to where he wants us.'

One minute later and the three ships in front of the Augustus moved over the northern pole of the planet, and then they were out of sight. The crew knew that the penal colony was located directly above the equator, on the far side of the planet.

Mc Sorley tapped the navigation controls. Tambecki noted the readouts and touched her console, the ship moved to the coordinates that they had been supplied.

'We have been sent to the Southern Hemisphere.' Mc Sorley sounded puzzled.

'What's your concern Commander?'

She seemed reluctant to voice whatever it was that was troubling her, then she decided. 'It's just that close to a class 'Y' planet, and that far removed from the action, there is a possibility that we won't hear any communications that may be sent.'

'Certainly, our sensors will be next to useless too,' added Benko looking at Ohlson. 'There's a hell of a lot of ionic interference from the spot we've been sent to.'

He thought a moment. The planet was looming large in the viewscreen. Mister Colimo, do we have a probe that we can keep above the planet that could relay sensor data to us?'

The tall Bolian thought for a second. 'Yes, a class five, it could act as a relay, and booster.'

'Put one above our position as fast as you can.'

The Petty Officer tapped his console and before the Augustus had bumped to a landing on the planet's surface they had heard the small whoosh as the probe launched into a stationary orbit above them.

'It'll be set to operate in... Thirty-five seconds.'

They settled to wait.

Ohlson looked around the Bridge at his crew. All were intent on their jobs. Ensign Barret was scanning the communications channels, Tambecki was watching the sensor readouts, as they were in constant flux due to the turmoil of the wind and gases on the planet outside.

At the science station Smith checked the environment. The average wind speed was twenty kilometers per hour on the surface, but he detected gusts of up to seventy. A person might just be able to walk on the surface - might.

It was one hundred and thirty degrees Celsius below zero, and raining, the rain was an oily organic soup comprised of several acids. Lovely, he thought. He decided to run a geological scan.

Ohlson looked out of the viewscreen. It was just about zero visibility. They called it correct whoever named these Demon class planets, he thought.

'The probe is broadcasting,' announced Colimo.

'What does it see?' asked Ohlson.

The Bolian scanned his console. 'It's unclear, the others are probably still maintaining radio silence.' He grimaced.

The first officer caught the grimace. 'What is it?' asked Mc Sorley.

'There is something, interference. Perhaps shadows from ionic radiation.'

'From what, the colony?'

Colimo shook his head in response to the Captain's question. 'I'm not sure. There is what might be signal traffic, I just can't isolate it.'

'Is it a manufactured jamming signal, or the planet?'

'Eh, I...' he was changing the channels of the sensors seeking clarification.

'How could it be jamming?' asked Barret. 'This is a surprise attack.'

Ohlson was sitting forward in his chair. 'Can we contact the Shoeman?'

'Not a chance,' answered the Bolian, 'if it wasn't for the probe we'd have no chance of receiving any incoming messages. Whoever picked this spot didn't do a very good job, there'd have to be torpedoes exploding outside the door for us to realize that something was wrong.'

Mc Sorley looked at the Bolian. 'Wouldn't Lu have known that before he sent us here?'

Colimo shrugged. 'Perhaps they never got good enough sensor data from here, it is said to be off the beaten track.'

'I thought the Hawaii was mapping this place?' Barret momentarily lifted her head from the controls.

'Apparently that data was not returned to Starfleet,' murmured Ohlson.

Colimo worked at the controls again. 'The signal, it isn't coming from the penal colony. It's the oddest interference I've ever seen, it's like...'

'What?'

'I have an idea.' The Bolian hit the console controls again. 'I could send the probe a little further out from the planet, I may get a scan of the surface from there. I may even be able to get us a visual.'

'Do it and put it on screen.'

The screen showed the yellow and brown swirls of the planet's dense clouds, they couldn't even see themselves.

'It's coming from the planet, its moving and becoming more localized.' Colimo sounded puzzled.

'What kind of interference does that?' asked Barret.

The screen was now filled with the edge of the planet's Northern Hemisphere. The dull gray envelope of the atmosphere seemed to ripple over the pole region.

'That kind,' was Mc Sorley's reply.

The screen had been adjusted to show the polar area in detail. Behind the swirl of organic mist was the diffuse glow of the system's sun, a yellow dwarf, it illuminated the clouds between the probe and itself. Mc Sorley was increasing the magnification each time, until...

Center screen, the yellow dwarf glowing behind, was the distinctive silhouette of three, then four Jem'Hadar warships as they came over the horizon. They were flying inside the planet's atmosphere but high enough to show shadows against the swirls of yellow cloud.

'It's a patrol,' said Barret.

'That patrol is headed towards our position,' said Colimo.

'This is their space, why would they hide? Why would a patrol shelter there?' Ohlson voiced his thoughts aloud. 'It's no patrol,' he turned to Colimo. 'Can you get through to anyone?'

'No, there IS a jamming signal too, its subtle and disguised as planetary in origin, but effective. There must be a very large transmitter in the area.

The patrol has altered its course... it is heading directly towards us.'

'Can they see the probe?'

Colimo shrugged. 'If they were looking for it, yes, but if they weren't expecting anything, then their sensors being, I hope, something like ours, they'll see little to nothing of the probe or us. We can see them because we caught them between sun and probe.'

'Then if they are heading in our direction how do they know our position?' asked Smith.

'Damn good question.' Ohlson sat forward again. 'We'll worry about that later. Red alert, full power to shields and weapons, we've walked into a trap, and I want us out of it before the trap is sprung.

Lieutenant Singh, I hope you're following these events?'

He had been. In Engineering they had listened over the open communication link from the bridge.

'Yes, Captain, we've got full power to the engines, they'll do whatever it is that you ask of them.'

'Good,' answered Ohlson.

All around him the crew had swung into action. He could feel the tension increase as each crewmember realized they had just started the preparations for combat, and not as the reserves.

'Phasers ready, torpedoes ready,' said Kausler.

'Shields at maximum,' said Tambecki.. 'All systems in optimal condition.'

'Get us to the estimated position of the Cicero, half-impulse. If the Jem'Hadar have come for us then there's every reason to believe the others are in danger too.'

'Sir,' Mc Sorley sounded uncertain as whether or not she should speak.

'What is it?'

'What if you're wrong?'

Ohlson thought for a moment. 'The worse that happens is the word 'jumpy' is added to my service record.'

'If it's any consolation I'll let Lu put jumpy down on mine too, just after troublesome. ' She smiled and then turned back to her console.

'Done,' announced Tambecki as she moved the ship off the surface and along the terrain. 'I'm keeping us as shielded from the Jem'Hadar for as long as I can. This route should take us to within two hundred thousand kilometers of where the Cicero is supposed to be, and on the planet's surface for as long as possible, that should stop our movement being detected.'

'We'll lose the probe's data when we move out of range.' The Petty Officer was attempting to coax more information from the probe before he lost the link.

As he finished speaking, the screen showed lines, then blurring, then they could see only the acidic soup outside.

'Okay Lieutenant Tambecki, show us how well you can handle this ship.' Ohlson resisted the urge to bite his lip.

She didn't answer, she just concentrated on her console and controls.

The sensors were sending her the minimum of data but she guided the ship over the inhospitable terrain with surprising gentleness.

'Two minutes, or thereabouts, then we stop going straight, and go up instead.' She didn't take her eyes from the swirling clouds on the viewscreen.

What can she see? wondered Barret. Does she see the terrain at all?

They waited.

'We're almost there,' was the only warning she gave them, then the Augustus banked to the left and rose rapidly.

The crew felt the change in direction and then the inertial dampeners took over.

'Ready on weapons?' Ohlson's voice betrayed the tension they were all feeling.

'Ready,' responded Kausler.

The clouds thinned. They had circumnavigated the planet.

'The sensors are back on-line,' announced the Bolian. 'Three... no four craft ahead.

One Starfleet, three... Jem'Hadar.'

The viewscreen showed three of the vessels.

'Looks like 'jumpy' won't be added to the files after all,' remarked Mc Sorley.

The Cicero was in trouble, two Jem'Hadar ships were pounding the vessel with disruptors. The Augustus was coming away from the planet and behind the attackers.

'Any signs of life?'

'The Cicero's shields are at less than fifty percent, they have lost engines...'

'What of the Jem'Hadar?' interrupted Ohlson.

'No damage,' Colimo was tapping his console. 'No sign of the Shoeman or the Gaunt.'

'Attack pattern alpha three, get those Jem'Hadar away from the Cicero.'

Tambecki swung the ship towards the nearer of the two Dominion vessels. They were aware of the Augustus' arrival but at the range they found themselves at they had little room for maneuver. They lacked the agility of the Roman and could only turn sluggishly.

Mc Sorley watched the power readouts, all was well. She checked the hull integrity by habit and smiled to find out that the site of the breech was undetectable, she brought her mind back to ops control and navigation.

As the Augustus bore down on the lead attacker, Tambecki turned the ship on its side. The Jem'Hadar took up half the viewscreen.

'Fire phasers!'

Twin streaks of energy tore along the enemy ship's body, one beam ripped into one of its nacelle's as it tried to dodge the onslaught.

The Augustus banked hard so as not to lose sight of the second Jem'Hadar.

'Fire two torpedoes when you target the second one.'

Kausler did as she was instructed. The second ship had broken off attacking the Cicero and was rounding on its new enemy. The two torpedoes darted towards the insect-like vessel as it turned face on, the first torpedo exploded on its starboard side, the second connected with the bridge. The explosions shredded the ship.

'The first ship has lost forward shields and is damaged... I'm not sure how badly,' reported Barret.

The Augustus had turned back towards the first Jem'Hadar. It was slower, and what looked like plasma was leaking from the engines.

'Phaser fire only Yeoman,' ordered Ohlson.

Kausler fired three bursts at the wounded ship, all hit their target, the third ignited the plasma and disintegrated the vessel.

'Can you raise the Cicero?'

'I'm trying,' Ben was concentrating on the task.

'Try and find the Shoeman and Gaunt?'

'I'm reading that the Cicero is losing the integrity of their warp core,' said Colimo.

'I have them.' Barret was working feverishly to strengthen the signal from their sister ship.

'On screen.'

There was a blur and the close pattern of interference broke up the scene from the Cicero's bridge. Commander Gerhardt Fessler was seated, and speaking to the screen.

'We... the Shoem... satellites were ready... Lu wasn't...

understa...'

'Can you clear that audio?'

Ohlson's question was answered with the disappearance of the lines and the steadying of Fessler's picture.

'Can you hear me Commander?'

'Commander Ohlson, yes we can, but I don't know for how long.'

'Do you wish to commence evacuations?'

He shook his head, but glanced around the bridge. Several figures could be seen moving between stations. 'No, I haven't lost a vessel yet, and I don't intend to start now.'

'What happened?'

'Oh, er, I'm not certain, but the satellites we went to disable were not defense satellites, the intelligence was wrong, they were mines and exploded taking out most of our shields, the Jem'Hadar were waiting. They came from the planet. We have four dead and some of the ship's systems are off-line...'

Benko interrupted the commanders. 'Two Jem'Hadar vessels heading this way from the planet... they are powering their weapons.'

To his crew Ohlson said. 'Ready weapons,' to Fessler he said.

'What of the Shoeman and the Gaunt?'

Fessler looked shocked. 'Don't you know? I thought you were listening to us.'

'Our sensors were jammed...'

'They've fired.' Colimo's voice dragged Ohlson back to more immediate matters.

Kausler was already firing phasers in response.

'ON SCREEN!' yelled Ohlson as the Augustus rocked from the impacts.

'Shields are holding,' Colimo was holding on to his chair and trying to read the ever-moving gauges and indicators.

'The second has fired.'

On the viewscreen Ohlson saw the energy discharges leave the insectile ship and head towards them.

From the Augustus came three pulses, the first missed, then Ohlson lost his view as the bridge shuddered badly. When he looked back on the screen the Jem'Hadar was twisting out of control. Kausler's shot had ruptured the underside and the ship was sparking as ship-wide systems failed.

'Shields at sixty percent,' announced Colimo.

'Where's the other one?'

'It flew straight past us, it's attacking the Cicero,' Mc Sorley was already moving the viewscreen to show the fight.

It was one-sided, the Cicero was taking a vicious pounding.

'Get us within attacking range, and fire when you can.' He hoped the attack was not as bad as it appeared.

It was.

'Commander Fessler is sending a message,' said Barret.

'On screen, and hit that Jem'Hadar with everything when we reach it.'

The scene on the Cicero' Bridge had altered. Smoke filled one side and sparks were cascading from where an engineer should have sat.

Fessler was leaning against his chair, he looked to be in pain.

'Get out of here Ohlson, while you can. There's only two of us left...'

'We can start to evacuate at once...'

'No we can't,' interrupted the Bolian, 'that last attack took down our transporters.' He looked resigned and more deflated than ever Ohlson had seen him before. They had shared some service time as junior lieutenants, they were friends.

'Look's like its only you getting back Marcus,' Fessler was smiling sadly as he spoke. 'You must get back, and warn them.'

'Warn them?'

Fessler looked puzzled. 'My God that's right, you don't know.' He looked pale.

'Five more Jem'Hadar are approaching from the Demon class,' warned Ben.

'What is it?' Ohlson urged Fessler.

Fessler grimaced as a wave of pain swept his body.

'Fire in the path of those ships, give us time.' I only hope we have some, thought Ohlson.

Kausler obeyed, two torpedoes left the ship in the general direction of the incoming enemy.

'The Gaunt is destroyed,' said Fessler, 'three Jem'Hadar hit it as it rounded the horizon.'

'The Shoeman?'

Blast waves rocked the Augustus.

'Those torpedoes have damaged one,' reported Tambecki.

'They've fired... brace for impact...' Mc Sorley leaned to her console.

'The Shoeman,' answered Fessler, 'it...'

The blasts came in series, two large and two smaller, each knocked the Augustus.

'Shields at forty-two percent,' Colimo tapped his console searching for any reserve power he could send to the shields.

Fessler's face faded and the audio started to come in snatches.

'The mission... ' Fessler was still talking, 'can't believ... Lu must ... the trap... Hawa... entice us in...'

The screen faded even more.

'Can't you clear that picture?'

'Sorry sir,' answered Barret, 'it's not our end, the Cicero is breaking up.'

'...battleship...'

That was the last word that they heard from Fessler and the Cicero.

The screen showed the Jem'Hadar and the Cicero. The Starfleet vessel was moving, it was heading towards the planet and it was being strafed as it descended.

Kausler fired at the closest enemy to the Augustus and another Dominion ship exploded.

The swarm turned their attention to them as they seemed to decide that the Cicero posed no threat to them.

'Quantum torpedoes in a Delta one pattern on my mark.' Ohlson waited.

The ships came in a line, they seemed to be trying to swing around to the Augustus' port side.

'Fire!'

Three specks of energy screamed from the ship and raced into the Jem'Hadar.

'Fire phasers in an arc from one side to the other.'

She didn't question the order. The phasers hit the enemy ship to the port side of the Augustus and then swept on to the next and the next and then it played on the ship to the extreme starboard.

Then the torpedoes struck.

The blasts knocked one ship directly into the path of its neighbour. If the phaser fire hadn't distracted them they might have been able to avoid the collision.

The impact tore the port nacelle off one and it spun in a slow motion arc once before exploding. The ship it had hit spun away, it was falling lazily towards the planet.

One of the torpedoes had scored a direct hit, the third had missed.

'Its forward shields are down to thirty percent, the other...'

Ben's report was cut short as the undamaged vessel reached the Augustus and fired.

Kausler was returning the fire and the enemy's shields illuminated under the impact.

The Augustus shuddered again, the paneling behind Smith sprang away from the main body and a shower of sparks decorated the interior.

'We've lost aft shielding.'

'I'm rerouting power from auxiliary life support.' Mc Sorley rapidly completed the procedure.

Colimo watched his gauges. 'We have twenty-five percent aft shields.' I hope it's enough, thought the Bolian.

Kausler was still alert, she caught the aggressor as it tried to turn for another pass. The shields failed under the onslaught and then the phasers struck the hull. A flash of white was all that remained to show where a ship had been.

The last Jem'Hadar was out of sight.

'Where's the other one?' Ohlson was searching the viewscreen.

'It's returned to the Cicero.' Colimo had found it. 'The Cicero has entered the atmosphere... it's fired two torpedoes at the Jem'Hadar.'

'Get after them.'

Tambecki had banked the ship and was racing towards the two small dots on the viewscreen. They were traveling at full impulse, warp would be too fast this close to the planet. 'We won't make it.'

She was right. The flashes of the torpedoes exploding were followed by a smaller energy discharge.

'I've lost them,' said Colimo.

'The torpedoes... I think they got the Jem'Hadar...' Ben's voice betrayed the lack of certainty that she felt.

'What condition was the Cicero in when she entered the atmosphere?' He addressed the question to Benko.

She shrugged. 'Best guess, would be critical. We have no idea of what damage that last attack did to an already badly damaged ship.'

'Why did Commander Fessler head to the planet?'

The question came from Ensign Barret.

'Could be to disrupt their sensors?' suggested Smith.

'Or suicide?'

Mc Sorley looked at Kausler. 'Why suicide, why not an attempt to lure the Jem'Hadar ship into an area where it's sensors would be useless?'

'The state of the Cicero was at least worst than the state it was in before that last attack, and even then it would not survive for a minute on the surface of s class 'Y'.

No, the Cicero was never coming away from the planet once it headed towards it.'

'Enough speculation about the Cicero,' snapped Ohlson, 'what's our position, and give me a damage report.'

The instructions brought the crew back to their consoles as each read the sensors.

'No casualties. One hull breach that has a force field erected, nothing else we can do about that. We have half forward shields and twenty-five percent aft shields, and all weapons, although warp power and the transporter is off-line, for the next ten minutes, for the warp, and the next half an hour for the transporters, says Lieutenant Singh,' reported Mc Sorley.

'I can't find any Starfleet signals, and I think that squadron of Jem'Hadar that had been on the planet looking for us is moving into the atmosphere,' Colimo's eyes scanned his readouts for enlightenment.

'Do they know we're here?'

'No, they might be aware of some energy discharges above the planet from all the weapons, but I don't believe they could tell exactly what was happening. I can detect traces of them only because of their numbers. Large numbers close together are amplifying the energy signatures.'

Ohlson thought for a moment. 'Okay, we aren't going far until we get warp back.

When will the Jem'Hadar detect us?'

'One minute at worst, two minutes at best,' Mc Sorley was looking directly at him. She wondered if he had a plan, he looked and sounded like someone with a plan.

Ohlson nodded. 'The penal colony, where is it to our current position?'

'Just under the horizon, and three thousand kilometers away, but we have no sensor information, that reckoning is from the original intelligence reports for this mission.' Mc Sorley was watching the commander carefully.

'Let's go and find out what happened to the others, let's start with the Cicero, full impulse Commander Mc Sorley.'

'Aye aye sir,' answered the redhead.

The Augustus swung towards the horizon and away from the oncoming enemy.

Ohlson watched the crew settle again. They had performed well under fire, they still had to get more efficient, and they had yet to get the fluidity of teamwork, but that would come in time, he thought. I hope we have that time.

'We'll beat the Jem'Hadar to the surface, they shouldn't be able to detect us,' announced the Bolian. 'Any engine residue will be confused by the weapons residue.'

'What if there are more ahead?' said Barret.

Ohlson ignored the question. 'As we near the horizon drop us to the planet's surface, get a scan of what's ahead before we lose our sensors.

Get as near to the estimated position of the Cicero as you can.'

'Do we hide on the Demon?' asked Benko.

'Yes, until we get warp back at least.'

'It'll be a tight maneuver,' Mc Sorley added. 'But, if we release another probe, a class three is all but undetectable at the best of times, ahead of us and have it transmit for half a minute or thereabouts before it drops to the planet, we might get more information. It should, if observed, for its size and composition, be mistaken for debris.'

'Debris,' Barret sounded doubtful, 'do we want them to see anything of us?'

'They might not know it's us, but they will certainly know they have lost a few ships and the Cicero once they clear the Demon's atmosphere.' Mc Sorley added in a quieter voice, 'from what Commander Fessler said they knew we were coming, so they will want to see something of the Augustus or they may look closer than we would wish.'

'Prepare two class three probes Colimo, keep them a kilometer apart as they clear the horizon.'

The Bolian had already relayed the order to Engineering.

'We've fifteen seconds,' warned Colimo.

'Bridge!'

'What is it Sia?' asked Ohlson.

'One class three probe is all we have here, it's ready for launch.'

One, thought the Commander, he made a mental note to question that point later. 'Fire the probe and get us down. Use long-range sensors and get as much as you can.'

The Augustus' viewscreen showed the small probe move ahead of the main vessel, then the screen showed the trails of gases and atmospheric pollutants of the Demon class, then the stars were no longer visible through the whirling mists of the clouds.

'We've lost sensors,' reported Barret. Moments later, she added. 'The probe is entering the atmosphere. It has ceased transmitting.'

'One hundred kilometers to the surface,' read Mc Sorley from her console.

'Ninety one...

eighty five...'

'Half reverse thrusters,' ordered Ohlson.

'I've stabilized the descent, but we're still going in blind,' she thought about what she had said for a moment, 'or short-sighted at best. She glanced at Ben, the pilot, she was concentrating on her console.

'Fifty kilometers.

Forty...

Thirty-two...

Twenty-four...

Twenty...

Eighteen...

Fifteen, thrusters on maximum, we're approaching a level landing site,' she hoped the surface was solid, although it would be all but impossible to find a liquid surface at the temperatures she was reading from her console.

'Five...' There was a bump. 'We're down,' she scanned her post, 'no new damage.

'Well done Lieutenant, I am impressed.'

'Me too,' replied Benko with a grin.

'Can we last here indefinitely?'

'Yes, Captain,' answered Smith, 'atmospheric gases and liquids will eventually corrode the hull, but we're talking days of exposure for it to happen. The surface is solid methane, and the gases are a variety of mostly organic chemicals, there are no life signs detectable, and I'd doubt even the Jem'Hadar have a barracks nearby.'

'Cut engines.'

The engine sounds ceased.

After a few seconds Ohlson spoke. 'What did we collect from the sensors? What's out there, where our ships are supposed to be?'

'I'm reading it now.' Colimo paused as he digested what the probe and the Augustus' sensors had discovered. 'There is an establishment of some kind out there, where the penal colony was supposed to be. But it isn't the way it was explained to us.

I can detect no satellite defense system.'

'No satellites?' asked Mc Sorley.

'None, but then it wouldn't need any. Commander Fessler described mines not satellites.

There are twelve Jem'Hadar vessels in close formation near the prison, and one of them is massive.'

'Fessler did mention a battleship,' Mc Sorley reminded them.

'And,' added Colimo, 'that may be the source of the jamming signal.'

'I've heard they had ships twice the size of a Galaxy class starship.' Ben looked embarrassed for having spoken, she returned her attention to her console.

'Go on,' said Ohlson. 'What else was there?'

'There was one other signature.'

He looked directly at the commander. 'The Shoeman is docked alongside the prison.'

'Docked?' Mc Sorley sounded like that scenario made no sense to her.

Ohlson had a bad feeling about what the rest of Colimo's report would say.

'I can find no trace of weapons' fire or damage, whatever happened the Shoeman fell with the minimum of struggle.'

'Anything else?'

'Yes, I can detect life signs on all but the Jem'Hadar battleship. It has its shields up.

Their smaller ships are all fully manned, and the prison contains around two hundred and fifty persons, most are human, but there are other life signs detectable, Vulcan, Bolian, Betazed, and Dominion troops with Vorta. It is consistent with guards and about half the complement of the Hawaii.'

'Can you tell how many of each?' Smith addressed the Bolian directly.

'No, not from the prison, not with what we collected, they are all in too small an area to make differentiation of the life signs possible. It's easier in an enclosed space away from the prison's energy sources, like a ship, to tell who or what is on board.

Oh,' he looked back at the captain. 'The other data that was gathered tells us something else about the Shoeman.

The probe detected nine life signs, two Vorta, five Jem'Hadar, and two humans.'

There was a moment's silence before Ohlson spoke.

'I can understand the Dominion presence, but why would two humans still be on the ship?'' He looked up at the Bolian. 'Can you identify any of the life signs that you did detect?'

'No, the determination of races is not even a certainty, its all about probabilities on the information that is collected. But, they have no shields up, all except the big ship. It seems to have been on high alert.

Even the prison wasn't shielded.

It looks like they are expecting no one that isn't a new prisoner.'

'How many ships were on the planet?'

Colimo was shaking his head. 'We have no way of determining that, the sensors showed large numbers, and they were grouped together, but other than saying that the number was upwards of thirty...' he shrugged.

'Thirty?' Alex Smith looked surprised.

Colimo nodded. 'We detected three groups, the energy profile, for us to even see a trace through the interference would require at least ten ships per group.

That makes an awful lot of ships to find around what is nothing more than a minor prison facility.'

The bridge crew sat silent as they pondered the news.

'That's a whole lota ships even to counter our attack,' agreed Benko, 'so what do we do now?'

Marcus addressed Smith. 'Can the hull of a Jem'Hadar ship withstand this atmosphere any better than ours?'

The science officer thought a moment. 'I couldn't be certain, but the reports on the composites that comprise their hulls would suggest they probably could remain exposed to this without sustaining any, or little, damage.'

Ohlson stood up. 'Lieutenant Smith, you have the bridge, Commander Mc Sorley, Chief Colimo, Yeoman Kausler and Lieutenant Tambecki join me in the briefing room.' He turned to Ensign Barret. 'Inform Lieutenant Singh, and Ensign T'sella to meet us there.'

He strode from the bridge, behind him those named followed. Ensign Barret informed Engineering of his instructions, and Smith took his position in the captain's chair.

When they had left, Smith turned to Barret. 'Okay Ensign, there's little use for your skills back there come up and take the helm.'

Barret licked her lips, but rose and walked to the station.

'Keep an eye on the sensors Ensign, let's not be surprised by any roving Jem'Hadar.'

Smith tapped the console alongside the captain's chair, he rerouted the data he had collected from the earlier geological scan. He studied it. The surface composition of this planet was very interesting indeed, he studied it some more.

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