The Enterprise had finally gotten away from the other Klingon vessel, but they were still being jammed by the signal from the depot. "Why don't we take an away team down there and disable it?" Uhura asked.

"With Klingons down there?" Scotty asked.

"Sir, there's a ship leaving the depot," Sulu said. "It's a Federation ship."

"Then it's not the Klingons. Who's leaving? Hail that ship."

Uhura did just that, but it was a minute before they got a reply. Dokachin appeared on the view screen. "What's going on down there?" Scotty asked angrily. "What have you done to our captain?!"

"The Klingons have them down on the planet," Dokachin said. "I didn't have a choice. They had my wife!"

"Now, they have my husband!" Carol informed him.

"How did all this happen?" Scotty asked.

"I don't know," Dokachin replied. "The Klingons informed me that Captain Kirk would be arriving and I was to trap him."

"What is jamming us? We can't contact them nor Starfleet!"

"It's a jamming system on the depot. It's down at the central controls."

"How do we shut it off?"

"I don't know."

"Don't give me that! Now, tell us! Are there more Klingons on the depot?!"

"Yes. At least twelve, and there are at least six down on the planet after your friends."

"Starfleet is going to hear about this! You can count on that! You can't hide!"

Scotty ended the transmission. "What do we do?" he asked.

"We should go down to the depot and try to disable that jamming system," Uhura said.

"But there are Klingons down there. How do we get through them?"

"We fight."

"Twelve Klingons?"

"We've fought them before. You just have to put your fear aside and do what you have to do."

"I'll go," Carol said.

"So will I," Uhura replied. "But Carol, I don't think you should go."

"I've fought Klingons before. I was there on Lemma Two."

"But you didn't have a child then, and you're barely back on your feet."

Carol knew that was true. She was definitely not back to her old self yet, but she did not like being left out. "You take a team to fight them and keep them occupied while I take a team to find the jamming system."

"That could work," Sulu said. "I'll go with you."

"I'll go too," John McCoy said.

"The both of you can't go," Scotty replied. "We have to have someone who can pilot this ship. Mister Sulu, you have to stay."

"We have to get a plan together," Uhura said. "They're going to see us coming. We can't get there without going on a ship."

"How you're going to get past a Klingon warbird is beyond me," Scotty declared.

"That's where the Enterprise comes in."

"I just don't see how this is going to work."

"It has to. The Klingons are trying to take this place over, and we have to stop them. Who knows how many more may be on their way here?"

"I know what you're saying, but this is going to be dangerous."

"We're used to danger. The captain would do something to help us."

Scotty could not deny that. "Just be careful," he said. "We don't have the captain's approval for this."

"The captain isn't here, and he would rather die himself than for any of us to be in danger, but we're not going to let that happen if we can help it."

Jim, Spock, Bones, and Solan were circling around and they hid when they heard the Klingons coming through the forest. Even though they were not in the same path, they did not want to take the chance of being seen. They could see the Klingons through the mist, although it was mostly silhouettes.

"Jim, there are eight of them," Bones whispered. "Why don't we steal their ship and get out of here?"

"You really think they would leave it so we can do that?" Jim asked.

"It was a thought."

"It would be a good one if I didn't think the Klingons would rig it to explode before they would let us escape."

"You're right about that," Solan said.

When they knew the Klingons were moving on through the forest, they hurried on their own path. Spock was using his tri-corder. "I believe the ship is this way, Captain," he said. "It is not far from where we…landed."

"Yeah, crashed is more like it," Bones grumbled.

"Ugh, don't talk about it," Solan said. "Makes my stomach want to turn over just mentioning it."

"Let's not go there right now," Jim said. "Let's focus on what we're doing. They could have guards back there. Be ready to fight."

Solan drew his blaster. "I'm always ready."

They neared the area where the Klingon ship had landed and hid to watch what was going on around the ship. Then they saw two Klingon guards. "Well, we have to get through them to get weapons," Jim whispered.

"So who's going?" Bones asked.

"We all will eventually. Spock, I want you and Solan to go around to the sides, and I'm gonna go right out in the open."

"Captain, do you think that is wise?" Spock asked. "What if they simply shoot you?"

"I don't think they will, Spock. Just do like I say."

"Yes, Captain."

Spock and Solan went around to the sides of the ship, staying in the forest out of sight. Jim took a deep breath and blew it out. He looked at Bones, and then walked out into the clearing where the ship was. "Hey!" he yelled.

The two Klingons were slightly startled but they whirled around toward Jim with their weapons trained on him. Jim raised his hands. The Klingons moved toward him. Jim swallowed hard, but then Spock and Solan made their move. Spock grabbed one of the Klingons in a Vulcan pinch. Solan grabbed the other and slammed his head into the side of the ship. However, that was not enough. He aimed his weapon at Solan, but Spock grabbed his hand causing the weapon to fire into the air. Then he used the Vulcan pinch again.

Jim relaxed then. "That was close," he said.

"Close but still worked," Solan replied and drew his blaster. They looked into the ship, but there was no one else in there. Bones joined them, and they soon found where the Klingons kept their weapons in the ship.

"I think we hit the jackpot," Bones said.

"Let's just get everything we can carry and get out of here," Jim said. He grabbed a bat'leth and other Klingon weapons, and the others did as well.

"Jim, I'm a doctor, not a warrior," Bones declared.

"I'm not a warrior either, but today, I have to be." Jim helped Bones fasten his armor in the back. "At least we'll have something for protection." He looked at Bones. "Are you alright?"

Bones frowned. "Don't ask me that again."

"I'm your captain, and besides that, I'm your friend. If there's something wrong, you're supposed to tell me. Especially in a situation like this."

"I don't want to tell you right now."

"So there is something wrong. Bones…"

"Jim, I don't want to talk about this."

Bones turned and walked outside where Spock and Solan were. Jim just stood there a moment. He knew Bones did not look like he felt well, and some of the time his face looked flushed. He supposed he could not force him to tell him…but he would when they were back aboard the Enterprise.

Jim walked outside to where the others were. "Alright," he said. "Now, we're the hunters. It's them or us."

"Lead the way, Captain," Solan replied.

Uhura had her team together and Carol did as well. John McCoy was going along with Carol. "Let us land and we'll get their attention, and then you come out a few minutes later," Uhura said.

"We have a schematic of the depot," Carol replied. "We're lucky it's a Federation outpost." She pointed to the pad she held. "He said the jamming system is located somewhere here around the main control system."

"Are you sure you can recognize what you're looking for?"

"We'll have to figure it out."

"Just be careful. It's likely that you'll run into some resistance too."

"We'll expect the worst."

Carol made sure her weapons were ready, as did the others on her team. They would all be on the same ship but they had a plan that could work, but she also knew that plans got messed up at times.

John McCoy got into the pilot's seat. He knew this was a dangerous mission, but they had to try. They could not get help for the captain and the others with that jamming system operational, and they did not want to leave to contact someone. And it was too late now for that option because it would take others too long to get there. He fired up the engines of the ship, which was another one that they had confiscated during their time in space.

They were soon on their way to the surplus depot. They would attempt to go in and land far from where the Klingons had entered. There was still another warbird in orbit, but they did not know where it was now. It had not pursued the Enterprise to the planet.

"Any sign of any ships?" Uhura asked.

"Not yet," McCoy answered.

They were surprised that they managed to get to the depot without any incident. "They're waiting for something," Uhura said.

The others looked at her. "Like what?" Carol asked.

"We have to hurry."

Uhura and the others had brought Klingon weapons that they had captured before, as well as blasters and swords. "Everyone ready?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," McCoy answered.

Uhura could see the determination on his face. "Let's go."

They opened the hatch and went out slowly, but they did not see anyone…at first. There were a lot of crates in the hangar they were in, and they were glad because five Klingons came into the hangar. "Spread out!" Uhura commanded.

John McCoy was extremely nervous. He had never actually been in a battle with Klingons, although he had been on Lemma II when they were in that battle. He had wanted to get in it but the captain had not allowed him to at the time. Now, he was in the middle of it.

They all spread out to meet the Klingons. They fired their blasters at them first, but the Klingons advanced, and then it was hand to hand combat…

Carol was watching the battle, and as soon as they had the Klingons in hand to hand combat, she led her team from the ship, and they headed for the corridors that led to the center command. "We must be cautious," she said. "There are more Klingons somewhere."

The others with her knew more about electronics than fighting, but they assured her that they were ready for a battle. They moved down the first corridor, which was also incredibly dark. Carol had never seen such a dark place. They came to the fork in the corridor, and she looked at the schematic again. "This way," she whispered, pointing to the right.

They moved down that corridor, and soon came to a hatch that had to be opened in order to go down into the center core of the station. Carol and some of the others kept watch while two others opened the hatch. She wished it had not made such a loud squeaking sound, but they had to go this way…

Jim and the others were going around through the forest in another path besides the one they came back on or that the Klingons were on. They finally squatted behind some boulders they came upon. "You guys stay behind and cover me," Jim whispered.

"Where are you going, Captain?" Spock asked.

"I'm gonna try to take out one of them in the back."

"You can't do that!" Solan declared. "They won't fall for that."

"You got a better idea?"

"I do," Spock said. "I will take out the one in the back with a Vulcan pinch."

"Let's go then. We'll cover you."

They all moved around the rocky outcropping so that they could get behind the Klingons. There was always one in a group who lagged behind the rest…even with the Klingons. They waited until the Klingons went by, and then Spock moved over into the trail, and quietly sneaked up behind the last one. He grabbed him in a Vulcan pinch. The Klingon grunted but he could not resist the pinch and fell to the ground. Jim and the others came out and they dragged the Klingon out of the trail.

"Too bad we're not as tall as Klingons or one of us could go along with them," Jim whispered as he was taking the Klingon's weapons.

"I believe it will not be long before they will discover that he is missing," Spock said. "We must be ready."

"I agree."

Just then, they heard a yell, "Ayish!" Then, they heard a lot of Klingon talk.

"They know something happened," Solan said. He listened a moment. "They're splitting up." He looked at Jim. "They're coming."

"Let's move then," Jim replied.

They hurried back along the trail that the Klingons had just passed through. It was full of Klingon footprints now, so theirs would not be so definite. "I thought we were going to attack them," Bones whispered. "Why are we running?"

"Because we're outnumbered," Jim said. "They're splitting up, so we have to get into a better position."

"I don't know of any good position when there are Klingons involved."

They were now on the trail they had been on first, and they soon came to a bog. "Oh, I knew we were gonna have to get wet," Bones said.

"We're already wet," Jim replied. "Let's go."

"What if there are…creatures in there?" Solan asked. "And they like to eat people."

"Yeah, what he said," Bones added.

"Would you rather stand here and let the Klingons come up on us?" Jim asked.

"I would rather fight Klingons than be eaten."

Solan nodded. "Yeah, I agree with that."

"Guys, this is no time to argue," Jim said. "You have a sword and knives. Use them."

"What if it has teeth?"

"Get in the water. That's an order."

Spock raised an eyebrow at that, and looked at Solan and the doctor. He could understand their concerns. He followed the captain into the bog, and then Bones and Solan followed as well. They were soon in water that was so deep, they had to swim, but they were hidden by the mist. Bones was starting to hope they got out of there soon because he was starting to feel lightheaded again. "How much further is it?" he asked.

"I can't see the end yet," Jim whispered. "Just keep swimming."

Before they got to the other side of the bog, they heard the Klingons on the shore behind them. "They suspect we came in here," Solan whispered. "Their armor is too heavy to swim in."

"Good," Jim replied. "Maybe they'll have to take it off to come after us."

"These weapons are heavy enough," Bones said.

"I think I see the bank."

They could still hear the Klingons talking. "Some of them are coming after us," Solan said. "They believe we entered the water. The others are going to find a way around the bog."

They soon came out on the shore of the bog, and went over a slight hill, but what was a slight hill from the bog was a deep gorge on the other side. Jim almost fell off the edge, except Spock grabbed his arm. "We're trapped," Bones said.

"No, we must find another way," Spock replied.

"It can't all be this way," Jim declared.

They looked both ways and did not see a way, but they went to the right to circle the bog and finally came to an area where there was ground, although it was marshy. As they were running across this, Bones fell. He tried to get up, but he could not. He was panting. "Bones!" Jim exclaimed. He and Solan knelt beside him.

Bones was trembling with weakness. "You were right, Jim," he said. "I'm sick. I'm dying."

Jim was stunned now. He looked at Spock. "Captain, we must move ahead," Spock said. "They will catch up with us if we remain here."

"Let's get him up," Jim replied.

They got Bones up between them and started moving. "Jim, you should leave me," he said. "You're just slowing yourselves down!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Jim asked. "Just be quiet! You and I are going to have a long talk when we get out of this."

Solan was keeping watch behind them as they moved while Jim and Spock helped Doctor McCoy. They heard a Klingon yelling something. Solan listened. "He's talking to you, Jim," he said. "He says he will enjoy this hunt, and that at the end of it, he will…eat your heart and display your head for a trophy."

"That is disgusting," Bones said.

"I'd just as soon avoid that," Jim said.

They finally came to some more rocks. "This is as good a place as any," Jim said.

They got Bones over into the middle of the rocks. "I have an injection in the medical kit," he said.

Spock opened the medical kit and Bones showed him what to give him in the hypospray. "Bones, I want to know what's wrong," Jim said as he squatted beside him. "What do you mean, you're dying?"

Spock and Solan waited to hear his explanation as well. "I have a rare blood disease," Bones said.

"What?! When were you going to tell me this? Or were you just going to die suddenly and we don't know a thing about it?"

"I'm telling you now."

"How long have you known about this?"

"For about four months."

Jim frowned. "Why didn't you tell me? Do you need medical treatment?"

"As far as I know, there is no cure for it. I've been giving myself injections to help, but they don't last long anymore."

"No. There has to be something we can do. What does it do to you?"

Just then, they heard the Klingon yell again, and he was much closer this time. "Jim, you don't have time for this," Bones declared. "You have to do something about him."

Jim moved over to the edge of the rocks where Solan was. "They're out that way," Solan whispered, pointing to their right. "He knows I'm with you, and he intends to take us both for trophies."

Jim was not sure what to do, but he knew they would have to meet up with those Klingons soon…and it would be hand to hand like always.

Uhura and her team were making progress against the Klingons, but they had lost two already. However, they had killed two Klingons as well. She had gotten a cut across her arm, but she just tied a bandage around it and kept on fighting. She was definitely not accustomed to swinging a bat'leth, but she was learning. She was tired of their insults. Her team was doing well with their combat.

Carol and her team had made it down to the lower levels of the station which was even darker. They had not met any Klingons yet, but she was sure they would before they got to the command center…and she was right. As they rounded the next corner, there were two Klingons.

"Hold it!" Carol exclaimed, but the Klingons did anything but stop.

The Klingons charged at them, but Carol and her team fired at them. The Klingons managed to avoid the laser shots, and soon, there were two more Klingons. Carol grabbed the sword she had with her and moved around the side of the combat area which was the round center of the command center. She met up with a Klingon who yelled something at her in his own language.

"The same to you!" she replied and charged at him with the sword.

The sword met up with the blade of the Klingon's bat'leth. However, Carol also had a long-bladed knife and she plunged it into the Klingon's side. He backed up a few steps and she jerked the knife out. Then she took the sword she had and relieved him of his head. While the others were dealing with the rest of the Klingons, Carol ran over to the controls.

Carol had definitely never seen controls like the ones there, but at least the words were in English, not Klingon. There was one thing about the Federation, they labeled everything, so she found the jamming device. However, it was locked into the on position, and she would have to have a code to unlock it. She asked herself what Jim would do…and she remembered what he had told her about jumping onto that platform…she took out her blaster, but before she could fire it, another Klingon came after her.

Uhura and the others were making their way down the corridors now, but they were still being pursued by more Klingons. John McCoy had gotten his upper arm sliced open by a bat'leth, but he had managed to survive, and he was running along with Uhura, carrying his own bat'leth now. They thought Carol and the others must have run into some trouble since they had not deactivated the jamming device yet.

Jim waited until he could see one of the Klingons in the mist, and he fired at him, hitting him right in his face armor. He saw the other Klingons which were barely in view scatter. "They're going to surround us!" he said.

Spock and Bones got over to the other side of the rocky structure they were in. They heard a Klingon yell something. "He's talking to you," Solan said. "He says 'come out, coward, and fight like a warrior'."

Jim frowned at that. "If I come out, you and your warriors would murder me!" Jim yelled back.

Solan listened to the Klingon's reply. "He says they're not murderers, and it would be a one on one battle with you. He says his name is Totrak, and he is the captain that you dishonored."

"You would have killed me!"

"He says you talked of trying to make peace, but you did not keep your word, but he will keep his word and fight with honor." Solan looked at Jim. "You can't go out there."

"What about when we are done? Then your warriors will kill me and my friends!"

"He says they will not. If you are victorious…they will leave this planet." Solan shook his head.

"I do not trust them, Captain," Spock said. "They intend to take over the depot. I do not believe they will leave."

"I don't either," Jim replied. "But if I fight him, it might give the Enterprise more time to get us out of here."

"Jim, you can't do that!" Bones said.

Jim looked out toward the Klingons which he could not see now. "I don't believe you!" he yelled.

They listened to the Klingon's reply. "He says you're a coward, and we will all die," Solan said.

"Why don't you come and get us then?!" Jim yelled. "Stop trying to talk us to death!"

Spock shook his head. "You have quite a way with words, Captain."

"I think he's just trying to rile them now," Bones said.

Everything was silent then. "They must be coming," Solan whispered.

They heard running footsteps, and could not tell which side they were on, but they stayed still and silent. Jim heard rustling in the forest, and it had to be the Klingons. They had not seen any animal life on this dismal world…and he thought that was odd. There was usually something that lived everywhere. They would simply wait until the Klingons attacked.