The Alexandria flew at high warp heading to the runabout's location to save their comrades.
"Sir," Kell Perim said. "We have an incoming vessel. It's an Akira class."
Allensworth looked to his first officer.
"The ship that attacked the Tigris was an Akira class." Sparhawk said.
Allensworth turned his attention back to Perim. "What ship is it?"
"NCC-63293. ISS Rabin. It's Mirror, sir."
"Shields up. Arm phasers, quantum and photon torpedoes. All hands battlestations."
"Shields up, weapons armed, sir." Fulks said.
"They've probably seen us by now. Drop out of warp and prepare to engage them."
The ship dropped out of warp as well as the Rabin.
"Mister Fulks, fire." Allensworth said.
Alex struggled with the controls trying to bring life support back online. Everyone could tell he was getting a bit frustrated but he knew that if he lost his cool then they all would die. They had about 40 minutes left of air and it was freezing. McKenzie paced the room rubbing her arms to keep warm.
"Lieutenant, use your MACO knife and cut this off me." Dustin said. "It can't hurt as much as it did last time."
"The last time we did that we almost lost you." Hoshi said.
"Sir, we tried to get it off you back on the planet." McKenzie said.
FLASHBACK
Dustin lied against a few boulders while McKenzie stood next to him. She drew her hand phaser.
"Ready, sir?"
Dustin nodded.
"Here we go."
McKenzie put the tip of the phaser against the bug creature and fired. The phaser beam sliced through the creature and Dustin screamed.
END FLASHBACK
"All we did was hurt you more. It just heals itself."
"It seems to feed on your strength." Hoshi said.
"Can we kill it?" Dustin asked.
"I don't think so." McKenzie said.
"I want a second opinion. Get Doctor Plumley on the com."
The Alexandria just flew through the debris of what was left of the ISS Rabin. Once it was clear, it shot back into warp.
"Sir, the Tigris is requesting to speak with Doctor Plumley." Perim said.
"Patch it in through to sickbay. Doctor Plumley, you have an incoming call from the Tigris." Allensworth said into the air.
Doctor Plumley walked over to a control panel and pressed a few buttons. Her medical staff was still ready for their arrival. They had returned to sickbay now that the situation had become more serious. They were waiting for the runabout to land in the shuttle bay but since the shuttle is crippled they might as well as beam the crew directly to sickbay.
"This is Plumley, go ahead."
"This is McKenzie. Commander Zofchak is conscious but the creature is still latched onto him."
"How do you feel about house calls, doc?" Zofchak said.
"We're on our way, Dustin. I'm told you have something of a cling on."
Plumley wanted to kick herself after the pun she made.
"Funny." Dustin said. "It's like the ugliest damn tick you've ever seen."
"How did it attach itself?" Plumley asked.
"Well, we were on our way back to the runabout."
FLASHBACK
The crew ran up a small hill and over an embankment.
"Tell Stull to get ready for take off. I'll cover you." Dustin said aiming his rifle.
"What about you?" Alex asked.
"I'll be there in a minute. Go."
The others ran off. Dustin waited for the mirror forces to show up. He scanned the area with his rifle aiming where he was looking. Then the mirror troops appeared. Dustin opened fire as soon as he saw them. He hit one as the other troops dove out of the way and returned fire. Dustin got up and took off into the woods. He ducked and dodged through the trees. He hid behind a tree before firing again.
He took off from his hiding spot as he fired his phaser. He looked in front of him one last time before he turned and fired again. He fired more as he ran, not knowing that he was going to run into a spider like creature that was hanging between two trees.
END FLASHBACK
"Can you describe it to me?" Plumley asked.
"Yes, sir." McKenzie said. "It's about a meter in length including the tail that's wrapped under his arm. It has two teeth like things that are sticking into his carotid artery. There are four legs wrapped around his throat. I can't see any eyes. It has a hard shell and a soft spot underneath."
"Commander, what are your physical symptoms?" Plumley asked.
"At first it felt like a knife in the eye. I've lost all feeling in my extremities. I can't move."
"So it incapacitates with pain and paralysis." Plumley said.
"I need to be able to get up and help Alex with the repairs. We're all dead if I don't." Zofchak said.
"What have you tried?" Plumley asked.
"I've tried to cut it off, burn it off, I've even tried to shoot if off. Phaser set to its highest setting without killing the commander." McKenzie said.
"It's healed itself every time we did something to it, sapping strength from Commander Zofchak." Hoshi said.
"Listen, Doctor, the commander is getting worse. We gotta do something right now." McKenzie said.
"You said it had a soft spot underneath like a leach." Plumley said.
"I tried to cut into it. It practically strangled the commander to death."
"You don't cut leaches off, you pour salt on it."
After a few minutes of searching the dark runabout, Hoshi and McKenzie returned with a few items.
"Have you found anything?" Plumley asked.
"Just a few spare bioneural gel packs and a portable defibulator." Hoshi said.
"Well, don't use the defibulator. Those jolts would kill the commander."
"I'm going to try and pour the gel pack onto the soft spot of the creature." McKenzie said.
McKenzie opened the pack and poured the blue gel onto the creature. The creature tightened its grip around Zofchak's throat and caused more pain for Zofchak as he screamed in agony.
