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Content Warning: This chapter contains scenes of violence as our beloved crew works to help defend this sector from a Cardassian advancement.
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"Sir, another ship has dropped out of warp," Worf advised from the Tactical position. "It appears to be another Keldon class ship. Shields are at eighty-three percent and holding."
The Enterprise had engaged a contingent of Keldon class ships approximately two hours earlier.
It was nearly 13:00 hours and the ship had been hopping across the sector in pursuit of the Cardassian fleet for almost a day.
"It's like they don't know what they want to do," Riker said.
Indeed, it did seem to appear there was confusion or disagreement in the Cardassian chain of command.
When they had first encountered the fleet, it had been sizable. There was a mix of larger Cardassian Galor class cruisers and Keldon class warships.
However, once they had engaged the fleet, it seemed many of the Galor class ships had turned back for the Cardassian border.
Whether this was due the individual Gul's decided it wasn't worth the fight, or orders from Cardassia Prime – they didn't know.
Either way, there were a handful of Keldon ships that remained and were intensely holding their own against Starfleet's meagre show of force.
In addition to the Enterprise, Admiral Walsh's ship the USS Shepard had joined them along with the Farragut, Lexington, Repulse, and Sutherland.
They'd been dancing across the sector as they chased the Cardassians back toward their own territory.
They'd been hitting the Cardassians with enough force to damage their ships, but the Keldon class ships were no match for the Enterprise and the Shepard.
As Galaxy-class cruisers they could have made quick work of the smaller Cardassian vessels now that the heavy Galor cruisers had retreated.
"I grow weary of playing chase," Worf said.
"I won't escalate this conflict," Picard replied.
Data turned around in his chair at Operations.
"Perhaps that is what they are counting on, sir," Data theorised aloud. "A strategy designed to draw us into conflict - not with the goal of defeat, but rather, intended to keep us occupied."
Captain Picard and Commander Riker exchanged a glance.
"A distraction?" Picard questioned as he tapped his chin.
"For what purpose?" Riker asked.
"Unknown at this time," Data replied. "One possibility could be to draw us closer to the Cardassian border. Another could be to pull us further from Federation population centres. Cardassian war strategy relies heavily on the capture of prisoners and populated areas."
Captain Picard leaned forward in his chair as he considered Data's hypothesis.
"Cardassians take hostages in the expectation that the Federation will capitulate to their demands to avoid any loss of life," Data explained. "It is a tactic they have employed successfully with Fregnauot II, Tesnia, and various battles along the Delta Sector border."
Data had first grown suspicious during their last jump. It seemed the Cardassian fleet was decreasing in size each time, while maintaining enough ships to keep up the illusion of a fight.
"Did we confirm the Galor class cruisers returned to Cardassian space?" Captain Picard questioned.
Data and Worf set to work at their stations.
"No, sir," Data replied after a few seconds.
"Federation sensors stopped tracking the Galor ships after the first jump," Worf advised. "It is possible they are waiting to draw us into a trap."
"Theorise, Data," Picard ordered.
"Sir, do I have your permission to use the stellar cartography lab?" Data inquired.
"Make it so," Picard ordered.
Fifteen minutes later, the Cardassian forces had forced the Enterprise to make another jump at warp to pursue them. They were edging ever closer to the border with Cardassian-held space and by all indications, the Cardassians were about to make another jump attempt.
"Mr Data," Picard said as he tapped his combadge. "We believe the Cardassians are about to jump again. Do you have anything?"
Down in the Stellar Cartography lab, Data had been fast at work as he plotted possible locations for the Galor class ships.
"Yes Captain," Data replied. "Even if the current fleet of Starfleet vessels were to warp into a trap by the Cardassian fleet, we would be capable of holding our own against the Cardassian forces long enough to ensure the USS Venture and sufficient reinforcements from the Actium sector arrived in time."
Captain Picard listened patiently.
"Furthermore, any Galor class ship travelling at warp would leave a tachyon signature. Based on their schematics, I have calculated only one possible course back to Cardassian space. Utilising Federation long-range satellite sensors, I've triangulated the area between Juhrya, Velo, and Octra IV and have found no trace of this signature," Data explained.
Captain Picard's lips thinned. He was grateful for Data's extensive and detailed work. However, at times, it was a bit much.
"It leaves only one possible conclusion," Data said.
"Yes, Mr Data," Picard replied impatiently.
Sometimes, Data hated being right.
"The Cardassian Galor class cruisers are headed for Federation population centres where they will take hostages," Data said mechanically, attempting to hide his anxiety. "And where they will violently and swiftly kill any resistance."
A wave of apprehension swept over the Bridge. Some of them had served in the Border War before being reassigned to the Enterprise. Those that hadn't, had heard the stories.
Cardassian prison camps were notorious for their gruelling conditions and cruel treatment. Disease, starvation, beatings, and mental trauma were all tactics used by the Cardassians to ensure compliance.
The Enterprise had largely avoided the Border War up to this point, but Captain Picard was not about to let any Federation citizens become Cardassian hostages.
"Data, can you predict their trajectory?" Picard questioned.
"Yes, sir," Data responded.
He tapped the stellar cartography map of the sector and zoomed in on several places he had highlighted earlier.
"Based on the speed and capabilities of the Galor class vessels combined with the population, resources, and strategic locations of each populated world in this sector I have identified several possible targets," Data explained.
"Data!" Picard snapped.
Data understood the Captain was asking for more than just a scientific response.
He wanted Data's honest assessment of the situation.
"The most likely target is Starbase 118, sir," Data advised. "It is a strategic position if the Cardassians were looking to expand into this sector and has a population of 184,277 persons."
184,278. The voice in his head said, reminding him Tasha was now also one of those people.
Data turned off the holographic star chart and sat back in his chair.
If Tasha was on Starbase 118, Data knew that she wasn't going to stand by and let Cardassian forces roll in.
Worst of all, he knew they were at least a day away from reaching them at maximum warp.
Back on the Bridge, Captain Picard turned to Commander Riker.
"Number one?" Picard asked.
"If it were me, sir, I'd destroy the Cardassian vessels," Riker said. "Leave the Lexington here to monitor the situation and head for Starbase 118 at maximum warp."
The turbolift doors slid open and Data resumed his position at Operations.
"Mr Worf, hail the Shepard," Picard ordered. "I want to speak with Admiral Walsh."
The Shepard took its sweet time patching through the communication.
When they finally reached Admiral Walsh, he'd had the call patched through to his ready room.
"What is it, Picard?" Walsh demanded, acting as if he had been interrupted in the middle of something.
"Admiral, we have reason to believe the Galor class Cardassian ships that fled earlier were, in fact, headed for Starbase 118," Picard advised.
"Impossible," Walsh replied shortly. "My advisors, who are considered expert level, are in agreement that they have returned to Cardassian space."
"Admiral, we have evidence that indicates otherwise," Picard replied sincerely.
He wasn't attempting to argue with an Admiral, but Picard knew he had a duty to present the evidence.
Picard also knew that any Starfleet officer was expected to welcome evidence and approach decision-making with an open mind.
To his astonishment, Admiral Walsh refused to hear it.
Without hesitation, Data stepped in.
"Admiral, Galor-class ships leave a specific tachyon signature when travelling at warp. I've triangulated the trajectory they would have to travel in order to return to Cardassian space," Data said. "There is no signature indicating the presence of those ships in the last sixteen hours."
Admiral Walsh looked as if he'd touched something unpleasant.
"Commander Data's analysis of-" Jean-Luc started to say, but Admiral Walsh cut him off.
"It may be capable of punching numbers faster than a human, but your supercomputer lacks the human intelligence necessary for strategic planning and tactical analysis," Admiral Walsh hissed.
Both Captain Picard and Commander Riker felt a flash of anger at Admiral Walsh's words.
But it was Worf that found his voice first.
"Commander Data's expertise is-" Worf began to reply but, once again, Walsh silenced any opposition.
"And just what would a Klingon possibly know about Starfleet's tactical strategy?" Walsh said angrily.
Captain Picard was irritated. Admiral Walsh's treatment of his crew was not just abrasive, it was completely uncalled for.
However, before Captain Picard could respond, both ships received the same message.
"Sir, it's an emergency subspace communication from Starbase 118," Worf advised as he read the incoming transmission. "They are under siege from Cardassian forces."
"Casualties?" Picard asked urgently.
"The Triumph has been destroyed," Worf advised. "The Cardassians are beaming down landing parties. The message ends simply that this will likely be their last communication as they anticipate the Cardassian forces will cut all transmission capabilities."
"Lay in a course for Starbase 118. Maximum Warp," Picard ordered without a moment's consideration. "You can court martial me after we rescue those people, Admiral."
The entire base was nearly devoid of life. Many of the civilians and traders had fled at the news of the Cardassians moving into the sector.
But for the Starfleet personnel, their families, and those unwilling or unable to afford passage out of the area – they were stuck.
Tasha had been in the legal counsel office with Commander Elliot when the Cardassian disruptor blasts had begun to shake the base.
She'd been summoned by Commander Elliot who thought they could use the time to review her testimony before the hearing resumed.
Now – trapped without so much as her phaser – Tasha felt completely useless.
A base-wide announcement shortly after the attack began had encouraged individuals to shelter in place.
Tasha knew what was coming.
"They're going to start bringing in ground troops for hostages," she advised. "We should barricade the office as best we can and look for somewhere to hide."
Elliot wasn't about to argue with the Security Chief. He trusted that she knew her stuff and the lone security Ensign stationed at the counsel's office agreed with her.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" Bradbury said as he stepped off the lift from the second floor of the office.
Captains Crozier and Bradbury, and Counsellor T'Pyxis, along with Commander Cole and a handful of personnel stepped off the lift and into the main entrance hall.
Thus far Tasha, Commander Elliot, his assistant counsel, and the lone security Ensign had managed to disable the main doors and were in the process of barricading them with any of the heavy furniture they could find.
"Sir, we need to secure this office," Tasha said firmly. "The Cardassians will send search parties looking for survivors."
"Your commission has been provisionally revoked," Bradbury reminded her.
"And she hasn't given any orders," Elliot added defensively.
All of a sudden, there was a loud pounding on the door.
Someone was trying to get inside.
The security ensign looked terrified as he raised his phaser and aimed it at the door.
"Not giving an order," Tasha said as she put her hands up. "But if you want my recommendation, get on the opposite side of the door against the wall. We'll catch them off guard."
Tasha pressed her back against the wall by the door and the young Ensign followed her lead.
"Go," Tasha whispered as she waved Elliot and the rest of the team off. "Hide."
The pounding on the door increased. This was the one door they had yet to secure, and Tasha knew the lock wouldn't hold them long.
She looked around frantically for anything she could use to defend herself.
There wasn't much to work with. The office mainly featured decorative paintings, heavy furniture, and potted plants.
The nearest control box was down the corridor and there was no guarantee it would have the same kind of metallic piping as aboard the starship.
Tasha took a deep breath as she heard the door burst open.
Instinctively, she lunged at the first body through the door. If she could manage to finagle a Cardassian disruptor from one of their ground troops, it would give her an advantage – perhaps even buy enough time for Elliot and the others to get away.
Using her body weight, Tasha brought her victim to the ground.
She raised her fist and was about to strike when she stopped.
"Tasha?" a deep voice asked.
"Lee?" Tasha asked as looked at the familiar brown eyes blinking back up at her.
Tasha got up and offered her hand to help him to his feet.
"I apologise for this Captain Davies," Captain Bradbury said as he came out from the corridor as he shot a disapproving look at Tasha.
"You two know one another?" Commander Elliot asked.
"One of my oldest friends. Lieutenant Yar was my helmsman on the USS Dunkirk," Captain Davies explained. "And the best second officer I ever had."
Commander Elliot bit back a smile, hopeful that the praise would earn some points with the panellists.
Captain Lee Davies was the commanding officer of Starbase 118 and was certainly held in high regard by everyone at the JAG office.
"Speaking of which, we could really use your help," Captain Davies stated.
"What's the situation, Captain?" Tasha asked.
Captain Davies explained the Cardassians had jammed their communications. They'd managed to get one final message out before they were cut off. But there was no telling how long before the fleet would reach them.
"We've lost decks nine through fourteen. I've got people stranded all over the base," Davies explained. "My first officer is barricaded in the Operations Centre but its only a matter of time before they break through."
Captain Davies went on to describe how his team had encountered heavy resistance while attempting to secure the armoury. They were now cut off from the Operations Centre.
Tasha could see the small force he had with him were all carrying numerous phaser rifles, stun grenades, and explosive charges.
"Since we can't get through, I decided we would work to find as many survivors as we could. Hoping to find anyone that can help us break through to the Operations Centre," he said as he looked at Tasha. "And hiding anyone considered a senior official or high-risk capture."
Lee Davies turned to the panellists.
"Hate to break it to you, but the three of you are definitely a high-risk capture," Davies informed them.
Davies tossed one of the phaser rifles he'd been carrying on his back to Tasha.
"We need to get these people to safety," Davies said.
"I'm sorry, sir," Tasha said hesitantly. "I can't."
She held her arm out, handing the rifle back.
"But I can scout ahead or create a distraction so you can slip away," Tasha suggested as she bent down and pulled her Ka-bar combat knife from the holster hidden in her boot.
Starfleet may have stripped her rank temporarily, but there was nothing restricting her from carrying her own melee weapon – a skill she'd honed on Turkana and certainly never lost.
"Lieutenant Yar's commission has been provisionally revoked," Bradbury stated.
"Until it has been determined that we can trust her judgement," Commander Cole added.
Lee Davies looked from the smug Commander Cole back to Tasha.
"Sir, if the Cardassian ground troops are following their typical sweep pattern, I can lead the alpha group for a chase in the opposite of whatever direction you're headed," Tasha offered.
Suddenly, one of Lee's men dropped back against the wall.
"Two patrols, moving fast," he whispered.
"Consider yourself hired as the temporary acting civilian tactical advisor for Starbase 118," Captain Davies said quietly as he handed Tasha the phaser rifle.
Fortunately, the two patrols were only a handful of Cardassians. Lee and Tasha surmised it was, in fact, a scout party rather than a patrol.
"We need to move," Tasha warned. "The minute they fail a radio check-in they'll know someone's in this area."
Captain Davies explained that they had made their way through two decks thus far and had yet to encounter any survivors.
The JAG office itself was located on one of the 'arms' of the base. It was several turns off the main promenade – an area they were keen to avoid as it afforded little cover and would likely be swarming with Cardassian troops.
Captain Davies believed some of his personnel had taken refuge in a registrar office near the promenade. It was a significant risk, but they would need numbers to fend off any attack.
"I'll take point," Captain Davies advised. "Ensign Ke, cover our six. Tasha, can you scout?"
"Yes, sir," Tasha said as she set out ahead of the group.
It was slow-going.
Without the use of their communicator badges, they were forced to rely on hand signals.
As frustrated as he was about Tasha's situation, Lee was incredibly grateful to have stumbled upon her still on the base.
He was certain she'd departed with the Enterprise. Captain Davies was grateful to have an old friend, especially one experienced in Cardassian tactics, present.
They had made it about the equivalent of about 100 metres when they reached their first hangup.
Captain Davies was crouched along the edge of Starfleet compliance office with the rest of the group.
Tasha was across the promenade and two buildings up.
She raised her fist and Davies whispered for the group to freeze.
Silently, Tasha fell back to the building directly across from the group.
Wordlessly, she informed Davies that there was a platoon of Cardassian troops approximately 200 metres ahead.
Davies signalled that he understood and turned back to the group.
They were outnumbered, but they had the element of surprise.
"Sir," Commander Elliot whispered as pointed across the way to Tasha.
Tasha signalled 'more.'
"Thank you," Davies whispered to Elliot.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Commander Cole asked he watched Tasha and Davies continue to signal to one another.
Elliot recognised some of the signals – sniper, hostage, disruptor cannon.
Tasha was trying to convey a message about the hostages, but Davies didn't fully understand.
Taking a glance around the corner, Tasha crept quickly across the gap and crouched low next to Davies.
"I'd estimate forty, maybe sixty hostages, sir," Tasha advised. "They're trapped in that building."
"And they've got two snipers," Davies sighed.
"They're trapped like Andorian eels in a pod, sir," Tasha replied.
It was a large group of hostages – mostly civilians from the promenade – trapped inside one of the businesses.
"We need to get out of here," Bradbury ordered as he crawled over and tugged on Captain Davies's uniform sleeve.
Captain Davies turned back to Tasha.
"It would be just like Alpha 441," Tasha said. "We can get the first sniper before they even know what's hit 'em. I can get up that sign and plant the charges. While they're distracted by the explosion, we can lay down cover fire to get one of your men in the building to knock out the second sniper."
"I'll cover you," Lee said as he handed Tasha two of the charges.
Sneaking along the shadow of the buildings, Tasha reached her target. Using her climbing skills, she managed to shimmy up a large, vertical sign advertising a popular nightclub on the corner of the main promenade.
Davies watched through the scope of his rifle as she planted the charges. She began to slide back down, when two Cardassian soldiers came around the corner.
"See 'em, see 'em," he whispered pleadingly in hopes that she would stop.
Fortunately, Tasha spotted them and froze, hanging in place on the sign. They glanced around to check out the area before moving along.
Tasha waited until they were a safe distance away and then dropped off the end and back to the ground.
As quiet as a vole, she snuck into a dark corner and signalled Lee it was time.
Davies and two of his officers advanced. The young security Ensign from the JAG office stayed behind to guard the others and Lee had given Ensign Ke a high-powered, heavy-barrel phaser gun to lay down cover fire for the group.
As soon as they were in position, Lee blew the charges and the top of the nightclub exploded sending debris flying.
Across the promenade, the hostages began screaming as the Cardassians took up a defensive stance.
Tasha, Davies, and the other two officers rushed forward in the confusion.
As soon as Ensign Ke began to lay down rapid phaser fire, the Cardassians dove for cover and returned disruptor fire.
One of Davies's Lieutenants rushed the building with the sniper and quickly dispatched that threat in the confusion.
They inched their way forward along the concrete and duranium construction of the various shop windows and entryways, pushing the Cardassians back from the hostages.
On opposite sides of the promenade street, Tasha and Davies took up their positions.
"Get these people out of here!" Davies ordered.
His second crewman climbed through the window of the business and began to escort people through it.
"Go, go. Head for the compliance office," he ordered as hostages began to pour out of the building.
"They're powering the disruptor cannon," Tasha advised as she saw two Cardassians make a break for the weapon.
She managed to pick off one of them, but he was quickly replaced by another soldier.
They could hear the weapon begin to draw energy as it powered up as Tasha tried to get a clean shot on the Cardassian that was operating it.
Suddenly, he dropped to the ground as Tasha heard a flash of phaser fire discharge close behind her.
Turning around, she saw the mysterious petite woman from before wielding what appeared to be an after-market enhanced phaser rifle.
"Guinan?" Tasha asked.
"About time Starfleet showed up," Guinan replied as she picked off another of the Cardassian troops.
Tasha turned back to the fight, thankful to have another gun at their side.
"I have so many questions," Tasha confessed aloud as they fought to hold their ground.
Guinan flashed her a warm smile.
It took nearly fifteen minutes to get all of the hostages out from the business and down the street. They knew more Cardassian troops were likely on their way.
In the rear, Commander Elliot and the security Ensign were directing the hostages out of the main promenade area and into one of the storage lockers.
"Fall back," Davies ordered as a second platoon of Cardassian troops began to flood the street.
In accordance with their plan, Captain Davies, Tasha, and Ensign Ke drew the Cardassian troops in the opposite direction of the hostages.
It took nearly ninety minutes of fighting and running for the three-person team to draw them to another deserted part of the base and lay down enough cover fire to draw a significant portion of the Cardassians away.
They planted a series of charges along the route in an effort to maximise the damage as several Cardassian platoons encircled their location.
After blowing the charges, they abandoned the heavy-barrel phaser gun and retreated through the ventilation system.
On their way back to the main group, they passed the port side space dock.
They hid in one of the loading rooms while a Cardassian patrol passed, and Captain Davies noticed it seemed the area wasn't under heavy patrol.
"This was probably one of the first areas they cleared," Lee commented as he stared out at the docked runabouts. "It's a shame we can't use them to hide our people."
"Maybe we can," Tasha said as she was struck by an idea.
When Tasha, Davies, and Ensign Ke reached the storage locker, they found it abandoned.
"Do you think they've been captured?" Ensign Ke asked.
"Sir!" a voice called out from across the room. "Over here."
It was one of his ensign's poking their head out from the Jefferies tubes.
They followed the young Ensign into tubes, and he filled them in on the situation.
The Cardassian patrols had made several passes through the area. Using the space around them, they were hiding the survivors in various smaller groups throughout the area. Some were hidden in one of the storage containers, some across the corridor in an Engineering circuit access room.
Another party had been locked away in one of the canteen kitchens nearby and two more groups in the Jefferies tubes junctions.
They crawled along one of the tubes to where Captain Bradbury and the bulk of the JAG officers were hiding. To Tasha's delight, Guinan was with them.
She couldn't explain it, but there was something about Guinan that set her at ease.
"Well, what now?" Captain Bradbury asked. "We can't hide here forever."
Captain Davies nodded in understanding.
"About that," he said. "We think we've got a plan to get you out of here."
"Absolutely not," Commander Cole said after listening to the plan. "The Cardassians have no doubt formed a blockade around the base. They'll destroy any vessel attempting to leave."
"You got a better plan?" Guinan asked.
Tasha bit back a grin.
"We have a solution to get around that. But it's going to take some time," Tasha explained.
Captain Davies and Tasha set about explaining their plan to the team. Cardassian Galor class ship sensors operated by scanning for specific frequencies. Runabouts could be modified to temporarily disguise themselves.
"It requires precisely tuning the deflector shield grid and remodulating the field buffers. It will look like nothing more than debris on their scanners and buy you six, maybe eight minutes of time to get away," Tasha explained.
"It will take approximately two to three hours to make the necessary modifications to two of the runabouts," Davies added.
"That's not going to fool that Cardassian blockade," Crozier said sceptically.
"You're right, sir," Tasha agreed. "That's where the other part of our plan comes into play."
Tasha explained that runabouts were basically capable of piloting themselves. They would launch a third runabout first – loaded with as much heavy metal explosive material they could find. Once launched, the Cardassians would likely destroy it in an effort to stop any escape attempt.
However, if the Cardassians didn't, they would be capable of triggering a self-destruct at a certain time limit.
The use of the heavy metal explosives would cause enough interference to temporarily block the launch of the other vessels from sensors. It would buy them enough time to reach a safe distance and jump to Warp 5.
"Your plan is bold, but I am concerned you have not taken into account how heavily armed the blockade will be," Counsellor T'Pyxis stated. "If the Cardassians have several Galor ships, they will detect the Warp signature and send a ship after us."
"Correct," Davies replied in agreement.
"Which is why we're going to draw away some of their blockade beforehand," Tasha said.
It was tactic she and Worf had developed in case they ever ran into a situation where they were heavily outnumbered. They had developed a way to make outgoing communications appear to be incoming subspace transmissions.
Tasha walked the group through how they would issue a series of messages, timed to go off, and looking like incoming Starfleet messages detailing ships en route to the rendezvous at a secret location. They would direct the Cardassian fleet to an uninhabited portion of the sector where the imaginary fleet was due to arrive and meet up before heading to Starbase 118.
"They won't be able to resist catching all those ships off guard," Davies explained. "We think we can entice them to send most of the blockade force in that direction. They won't risk the grid to chase after two runabouts."
"We'll plant the fake messages and they'll be so worried about Starfleet calling in its big guns, they won't be able to resist going after them," Tasha added.
"Based on our understanding of Cardassian military strategy, the plan is logical," Counsellor T'Pyxis said in endorsement of their idea.
Tasha and Captain Davies shared a smile.
"The only problem is in securing enough heavy metal explosive material to create the proper level of interference," Davies said.
"Excuse me," Guinan said from across the junction.
"Even if you scour every scrap of lead styphnate from the old refuse storage, that won't be nearly enough," one of the ensigns commented.
"Excuse me," Guinan repeated a little louder.
Everyone turned to look at the woman in the corner.
"I think I can help," she said.
Back aboard the Enterprise, Data and Geordi had their hands full as they worked to oversee repairs to the ship.
Communications were still offline at Starbase 118, and Starfleet long-range satellite sensors had confirmed the presence of the Cardassian blockade.
Starfleet was scrambling every available ship in the area. There were two Nebula class ships en route along with several smaller Excelsior class vessels. They would be joined by a semi-retired Constellation class cruiser with a minimal crew and a series of the faster, Cheyenne class vessels.
They were predominately used for transporting personnel or materials when high-speed missions were a priority. They weren't especially designed for battle. But given the size of the Cardassian force, they were the only other ships capable of reaching Starbase 118 in time.
Even at maximum warp, they were still going to be heavily outgunned by the time the Enterprise and the Shepard reached their target.
"Forget about the piping on the residential levels," Geordi ordered. "We need that damaged coolant system on deck thirty-eight reworked yesterday. That reroute isn't going to hold forever."
It was an all-hands-on deck situation as Geordi had four crews working on repairs while Data had taken down the nacelle repair and coolant area to try and head off blowing any more coolant cores.
They'd run on Warp 9 the whole way to the initial rendezvous point and were now heading back at the same speed. The ship wasn't meant to be run that hard for such a long span of time. They were really pushing the engines and it was a miracle they hadn't blown more of their coolant system.
"How's it coming, Data?" Geordi asked as he tapped his combadge.
Data halted his repair with a sonic driver on one of the power couplings to respond.
"We have successfully reinforced two of the main coolant flows at sections nine and seventeen," Data advised. "But we are anticipating channel delta between sections thirty-one and thirty-eight will rupture before we can reach it."
"Alright, I'm sending Frankel and Warnock down," Geordi responded.
"Acknowledged," Data said as he tapped his combadge.
There was a brief pause.
"Data," Geordi said tentatively. "You alright?"
"I am sixty-four percent of the way through completion on the power coupling," Data replied methodically. "Once completed, I shall see to the coils in the engineering subcommand console on the deck below."
Geordi sighed.
"Data, I mean about Tasha," Geordi clarified.
Data had understood that much from Geordi's first request but had hoped to avoid answering the question.
"I am…attempting to perform my duties without being distracted," Data confessed.
"I am sure she's doing everything she can," Geordi said reassuringly.
"That is what frightens me," Data replied honestly.
Data had no doubt that Tasha had likely already found some way to make herself useful against the Cardassians.
But having been stripped of her rank and likely completely unwilling to put a toe out of line, she was probably engaged in something risky and doing so without the support of Starfleet.
"Lieutenant Yar is an adept and resourceful warrior," Worf said as he slid out from underneath the console.
Data had almost forgotten Worf was there working to reduce the launch time on the aft torpedoes.
"She has survived many situations with far less resources at her disposal," Worf reminded him.
Tasha pulled off her uniform dress shirt in favour of the shorter top she had on underneath.
Captain Davies's tugged at the collar of his jumpsuit as perspiration began to accumulate on his brow.
"The Cardassians are playing with the environmental controls," Davies said as he shook his head.
"It's going to get darker and hotter," Tasha added.
Cardassians preferred climates with a lower light level and higher temperature than most humanoid species were comfortable with. In fact, the ideal Cardassian ambient temperature was nearly thirty-three degrees.
"If we're going to get the material for this bomb, we need to do it soon," Davies said.
With Guinan's help, Captain Davies took a small two-person team to carefully carry a shipment of Andorian spirits to the runabout they were planning to rig. In eight subsequent trips, they managed to haul enough iron onto the ship to cause significant interference.
The Andorian spirits were highly flammable and would help disperse the material further. It would aid in making up for the lack of heavy metals.
The team made one last run to pull some steel reinforced materials that lined one of the storage containers. It contained manganese and would increase the explosive power of the detonation.
Meanwhile, Tasha had taken one of officers with her to aid in modifying the runabouts. It was tedious work, but Tasha was familiar with the steps necessary.
Runabouts weren't all that different from the Turkanan bow riders she'd worked on in her youth. The principles of disguising their sensor signatures were nearly identical.
They had just completed work on the second runabout when an announcement came across the base's communication channel.
"Attention Starbase 118," a sharp voice said. "This is Gul Morag, and I am speaking directly to the survivors of this base. There is nothing to be gained by hiding. We will seek you out. We will find you. And there will be consequences for any resistance to our occupation. But any of you that come forward in the next twenty minutes shall be treated fairly. If you wish to comply, present yourself to the main promenade where I assure you no harm shall come to you."
"They're going to start locking down the supplies soon," Davies advised as he stepped onto the runabout where Tasha was just reattaching the console panel cover.
Tasha nodded in agreement.
"We should make a final supply sweep before they block any access to water, medical supplies, and food," Tasha thought aloud. "Who knows how long we're going to be here."
Typically, Cardassian forces would customarily pull back their forces. It allowed their troops a chance to rest before closing in to hunt down any remaining holdouts.
"Eighteen minutes and I want everyone back at camp," Davies ordered. "Not a minute more."
Davies sent them off individually, it was safer that way to move about.
He also sent them with a warning that if they were captured, the Cardassians would do anything they could to extract information about other survivors.
Davies himself set out to grab the mobile communications relay necessary to enact the third part of their plan. There were several of them housed throughout the base. The closest was at a medical checkpoint two decks up.
Davies knew it would be a haul to get up through the Jefferies tube in time, but he had to take the risk if there were going get these survivors to safety.
As Captain of the Starbase, he felt morally obligated to ensure their safe departure.
Nearly out of breath and feeling the full weight of the increased temperature, Captain Davies dropped back into the Jefferies tube junction they had fondly coined 'base camp.'
Guinan and his other officers had returned on time with a haul of water and rations. It wasn't much – and the heat meant they were expending additional water – but it would be enough for the next day.
Guinan had maintained a business on Starbase 118 for the last three years. She'd arrived mysteriously one afternoon with a chest of latinum and glowing recommendation from the Risian government requesting to purchase a pub.
She'd proven to be a reliable resource for information and, in time, a trusted source of advice for Captain Davies.
He'd suspected there was more to the El-Aurian than she let on – she was full of hidden talents.
Today, of all days, he was thankful she knew her way around a phaser rifle and seemed unflappable in the face of the Cardassian threat.
Noticeably absent, however, was Tasha Yar.
"She hasn't returned yet, sir," Ensign Ke informed him.
"We should consider moving," Captain Bradbury suggested. "She's probably been captured and has already given away our position."
"Tasha Yar would die before giving up our location," Captain Davies replied sharply.
Lee Davies had no doubt of his comrade's strength of character.
However, with each passing moment he grew increasingly concerned that she had been captured upon her return.
The third part of their scheme was contingent on her ability to rework the remote communicator in order to plant the false subspace communications necessary to break the blockade.
If she'd been captured, they would have to rethink the entire operation.
When another fifteen minutes went by without her arrival, Captain Davies sent two of his crewmen out to scout for an alternative hiding space.
They would need to move somewhere deeper into the heart of the station. Somewhere the Cardassians felt was safe and wouldn't be looking.
As if on cue, Lee's ears perked up as he heard Tasha's voice in the Jefferies tube.
"That's it. Hang on tight," he heard her say. "Mind your head. We're almost there."
Davies looked overhead to tube sixty-four C where he saw Tasha emerge.
Clutched tightly around her neck were the arms of a small child that she carried on her back.
Oh, Tasha. Davies thought to himself.
The child held on tightly as Tasha crawled down the ladder to the floor of the junction.
When she turned around, Davies noticed she was carrying an additional guest.
Bound tightly, he recognised a Bajoran baby sling.
He stepped over to Tasha and pulled back the wrap.
"She's a wee thing," Tasha said with a smile. "Quiet as lamb."
Lee could see she was exhausted.
"And what's your name?" Lee said as he reached up and pulled down a small boy.
The little boy said nothing in response as he stared wide-eyed at the Captain.
Davies surmised he couldn't be more than three, perhaps four, years old. He could tell he was Bajoran.
Tasha dropped a duffle bag on the ground next to her.
"Good work, Yar," Davies said as he smiled at the bag of supplies.
Captain Bradbury stood up abruptly.
His face was red as he stared at the children.
"You brought a baby back here?" he hissed. "You should have left them where you found them."
Tasha raised an eyebrow to the irate Captain.
"Sir, I couldn't-" Tasha tried to say but Bradbury wasn't hearing it.
"They've survived this long on their own," Bradbury spat. "You've endangered all of us!"
"Please, Captain," Davies said. "Lower your voice."
They may have been in a Jefferies tube junction, metres from the closest corridor, but Bradbury's raised voice was sure to draw attention to their position.
"Lower my voice?" he said in a shouting whisper. "The minute that baby starts crying we're done for."
In addition to risking exposure of their position, Bradbury's attitude was starting to frighten the toddler in Captain Davies's arms.
"That's alright," Tasha said calmly. "I'll set the false messages and then take the children down to the lower tubes near the engineering backup."
She smiled at the little boy reassuringly.
"It's gonna be alright," she said as she stroked his hair. "We can use the noise from the power cell to stay nice and safe."
"That's eighteen decks down," Guinan commented.
"Did you get the relay?" Tasha asked, ignoring Guinan's obvious protest.
"Get these children out of here before we're all captured!" Bradbury ordered.
The little boy was reaching for Tasha now.
She suspected he could sense Captain Bradbury's anger was directed toward him. Children were perceptive in that way.
Tasha nodded to him, signalling it was fine for him to climb back onto her.
"Sir, I'll take the children somewhere else as soon as the messages are sent. I promise," Tasha assured the Captain. "But, please. You're scaring him."
Tasha rocked the toddler back and forth as the boy cried against her shoulder.
"Shhh, you're alright," Tasha soothed as she rubbed his back.
"That's an order," Bradbury barked.
"I am the Captain of this Starbase," Captain Davies said. "And by your own hand, Tasha Yar's Starfleet Commission has been provisionally revoked. You have no authority to give her an order."
Captain Bradbury looked as if his brain had blown a fuse. The vein in his forehead had popped out as he seethed at Captain Davies.
"Prescott," Counsellor T'Pyxis said in a soothing voice. "Surely we would not abandon these children. Nor would we turn our back on any survivor."
"And part of our mission is to seek out new life," Captain Crozier said as he wiggled his thumb at the baby before adding in a baby-voice. "Yes. Yes, it is."
The team on the Enterprise had now been awake for nearly thirty-six hours. They were still about fourteen hours from reaching Starbase 118.
On the advice of Deanna, Captain Picard had ordered the Alpha shift and senior officers to mandatory rest.
"Sir, I would like to request to remain on the Bridge," Data said. "As I do not require rest I believe-"
"Mandatory rest, Mr Data," Picard ordered.
Data left the Bridge feeling confused. As he stepped onto the turbolift, it was as if his body was moving on autopilot as his feet carried him to his quarters.
Although thoughts of Tasha had overwhelmed his neural net, he was having a hard time thinking about anything other than being on duty. Every moment he wasn't doing something to help reach her, he felt like he was letting her down.
What if they didn't arrive in time?
What if she had already been captured?
Data took a seat at his workstation and ordered the computer to begin musical playback.
Six minutes and thirteen seconds into a blend of Haydn, Offenbach, and Stravinsky, Data knew he couldn't sit still.
"Computer cease playback," he ordered.
The music stopped and instantly Data felt a wave of relief.
He closed his eyes and allowed the silence and emptiness of his quarters to envelope him as he theorised about what Tasha was doing at the moment.
Suddenly, his eyes flew open, and he cocked his head to the side.
Without a second thought, he exited his room in haste as he made his way to the nearest turbolift.
When Data first stepped into her quarters, he briefly considered the possibility that it was an invasion of privacy. After all, the space belonged to Tasha.
However, he speculated that under the circumstances she would not mind.
Right away he was struck by the familiar scent of her lavender soap and the candles she used when she meditated. Notes of mahogany, fir, and sage intermingled with the softer scent of the honeysuckle and vanilla moisturiser she used.
Data grabbed the pillow from the end of her sofa and clutched it close to his chest. He laid down on his back and stared out the window at the stars.
It was familiar.
In a way it made Data's metaphorical heart ache as a reminder of her absence.
And yet, in a way the intimacy of her quarters made him feel one step closer to her – even if she was on the other side of the sector.
Slowly, Data began to shut down his processes as he allowed himself to take comfort in the memory engrams of the moments he treasured.
It had been on this very sofa that Data had first confessed to Tasha that she was special to him.
As nice as his own quarters were, Data had always found he appreciated the window in Tasha's.
Is this envy? He mused to himself.
Many a night they had sat together in this very spot – sometimes Data stretched out, laying his head in her lap as she read to him. Other times, they'd face the window and Tasha would rest her head on his shoulder while he pointed out each constellation, system, and planet in the vast, inky blackness that surrounded their ever-changing position in the galaxy.
The Enterprise was rarely in the same place for long.
But it was home.
And without Tasha, it felt like something was missing.
"Here, let me help you with that," Guinan said as she stepped over to Tasha.
Captain Davies had unpacked and set up the remote communications array. Tasha was working quickly to try and reconfigure it to begin building the false messages they were hoping to use to break the Cardassian blockade.
Tasha had been struggling to balance both of the children and work on the array.
"Hi there," Guinan said as she pulled the toddler off of Tasha's back.
"Thanks," Tasha replied.
Without having to balance two kids, she suddenly had a much greater use of her arms.
Guinan unwrapped one of the ration bars they'd recovered and broke it off into bite-size chunks for the wee boy.
"Where'd you find them?" Guinan inquired.
"I was searching through one of the residential levels. I ducked into a home to hide from a passing scout patrol and this cabinet on the wall caught my eye," Tasha shrugged. "The place was pretty ransacked, but it looked like most of the supplies hadn't been touched."
It had been entirely an accident.
"I opened the doors looking for supplies when I spotted this guy," Tasha said as she turned to the boy and wiggled his nose.
He smiled back at her.
"I picked him and started to search again, and then he got real fussy," Tasha explained. "Finally, I figured there was something back in that cabinet he wanted. Like a toy or a blankie."
Tasha looked down at the wee bairn in the sling.
"And this one was tucked inside a basket, quiet as a mouse," Tasha said softly. "Never would have even seen her had it not been for him."
The tiny girl reached her hands up and Tasha let her grasp her finger for a few moments.
"You've really got a way with kids," Guinan observed. "They feel comfortable around you."
"I could say the same for you," Tasha replied nonchalantly. "Hell, I feel more comfortable around you."
As the little boy nibbled at the pieces of his protein bar, Tasha continued to type away at the remote communications array.
"What are you going to do about this one?" Guinan inquired. "I don't see any formula in the rations you brought back."
Guinan knew most Bajorans breastfed their young as resources were incredibly scare.
"I've got a plan," Tasha said in a hushed voice. "Could you do me a favour and reach into the back of the sling?"
Tasha knew she shouldn't feel ashamed.
She was feeding a baby.
But there was something about the whole thing that was too close to her own childhood to feel comfortable drawing attention to it.
When she had first entered Starfleet, so many people had seen her as little more than a half-feral child with no sense of etiquette.
It had culminated in a hyper-awareness about her presence and physical presentation. Tasha knew how to code-switch when navigating between social groups and was mindful about how much of her skillset to reveal.
Curious, Guinan felt along the back of the baby sling until she found a small pouch.
"Peas?" Guinan asked as she looked at a vacuum sealed package of peas.
"Thanks," Tasha replied as she ripped open the package and set it down on the top of the communicator.
Guinan watched carefully as Tasha took a few of the cooked peas into her hand and dropped them in her mouth. Once she had pre chewed them to a sufficient pulp she took a glance over to ensure no one was looking before carefully feeding them to the infant.
"Tasha, why am I sensing you're embarrassed?" Guinan asked.
Tasha stopped chewing and looked at Guinan.
"Plenty of cultures, including Bajorans, feed their infants this way," Guinan said.
Tasha looked around to ensure the others were still occupied.
"Plenty of cultures full of famine, disease, and war," Tasha replied as she let the infant suck on her finger. "Bajor, Mindel, Opticor VII, yeah I know exactly how those planets are looked upon in Starfleet."
All three of those planets – and Turkana – had a reputation that wasn't considered favourable.
Bajorans were seen as destitute refugees and religious fanatics prone to violent extremism.
In the eyes of the Federation, Mindelians were nothing more than slave-trading savages and pirates plagued by years of civil war.
The people of Opticor VII were assumed to be intellectually inferior backwater barbarians – a myth further perpetuated by their unwillingness to incorporate modern technology.
And as a child of Turkana, Tasha knew only too well that Turkanans that managed to escape were either mercenaries, sex workers, or black market traders.
"You know there's no shame in where someone's from," Guinan said wisely. "We can't choose where we are born. We can only choose what to do with ourselves after that."
As she rocked the baby back and forth, Tasha considered Guinan's words.
"Besides, I'm not sure anyone else in this room would have thought to grab infant-safe food," Guinan added. "Let alone, be willing to crawl through a Cardassian-occupied base with two kids."
Tasha hadn't been much older than that wee boy sitting on Guinan's lap when she'd watched her own mother die in childbirth. Her father had been killed not long afterwards.
If it wasn't for the kindness of their neighbours, the Yar sisters would never have survived.
"From what I've seen, you've got a lot of skills that have proven quite useful in saving everyone here," Guinan said.
Guinan used a flannel to wipe the boy's face clean and smiled at him.
"Especially these two," Guinan finished. "That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I guess their parents must have thought hiding them was safer. I just couldn't leave them," Tasha softly as she watched the baby eat another finger of mashed peas.
Guinan felt a strange sensation as she watched Picard's Security Chief. For a role that required the vigour and presence of a warrior, she was certainly well-equipped. Guinan had been impressed with her quick-thinking skills and courageous determination.
But there was more.
Guinan thought back to Captain Picard's request for help.
The universe has a funny way of working out.
"I'm just going to take him over here for a bit," Guinan said as she got up. "I'll leave you to it."
Guinan got up from the corner and walked over to where Counsellor T'Pyxis was sitting down next to Captain Bradbury.
"How is it coming?" Captain Bradbury asked impatiently.
"You know, I'm really struck by the notion that someone who grew up on a bleak, gods forsaken hellhole like Turkana IV managed to retain such a sense of compassion," Guinan said as she watched Tasha type away at the communications array.
Guinan didn't need her abilities to know how impactful her words were on the Vulcan Counsellor.
"I'd never heard of a Turkanan in Starfleet before Lieutenant Yar," Guinan said.
That was, in fact, the truth.
"Typically you only hear about Turkanan mercenaries," Guinan went on, driving home her point. "Amazing that with all those skills, she chose to join Starfleet when she could have made a fortune working for the Ferengi or the Orion."
"It is an unusual career path for a Turkanan," the Counsellor replied as she studied Tasha.
"Really goes to show the character of someone, don't you think?" Guinan asked.
"Data!" Geordi said as he knelt down next to his friend. "Data wake up!"
Data's eyes snapped open.
It took him 0.017 seconds to establish he was in Tasha's quarters, and she was at Starbase 118.
Data sat upright and turned to look at Geordi.
"I figured I'd find you here after you weren't in your own quarters," Geordi said sheepishly.
Data's chronometer indicated he had been engaged in his sleep programme for five hours and seventeen minutes.
"Data, we got a subspace communication that you're going to want to see," Geordi explained.
He handed Data his tablet and Data scanned the contents of the message.
It was a message that appeared to be from Starfleet Command ordering the USS Yamato – a Galaxy class ship – to an undisclosed location.
They were ordered to take off immediately at Warp 9 toward Tesnia with more instructions to follow.
"There are twenty-seven of these," Geordi went on as he tapped to go to the next page of communications.
Data read through the list of ships and was perplexed.
"Geordi, many of these ships are not in strategic locations to reach the Delta Sector in time," Data advised. "And several of these vessels have been decommissioned or destroyed."
For example, he knew the USS Yamato was presently stationed six weeks away at Delos VI.
"I know," Geordi said. "It gets better."
He tapped the screen again and Data blinked several times as he read the secondary message.
It was instructions for where the ships were to rendezvous before heading to Starbase 118 to engage the Cardassian blockade.
"Geordi, I do not believe this message is real," Data analysed aloud.
"It's not," Geordi said brightly as he slapped Data on the back.
Data cocked his head to the side, bewildered by Geordi's excitement.
"Data! This is Tasha and Worf's programme," Geordi said, barely able to contain his giddiness. "Down to the list of ships!"
Data's eyes grew wide.
"May I?" Data asked as he reached for the tablet.
Flipping back to the list he scanned for the specific name he was looking for.
There, halfway through the list was the USS Dunkirk.
It was a ship Tasha had served on years prior and had recently been decommissioned.
Data scanned the list of ships again, starting with the Yamato and analysed the pattern.
They weren't listed in order of class, armament capabilities, or alphabetical order.
"Geordi, it's not just a sign," Data said as his breath hitched. "It's a message."
Data tapped the screen to highlight the first letter of each ship.
"See?" he said as he held it up for Geordi.
"Yes survivors break blockade," Geordi read.
His eyes lit up as he read the last two ships on the list – the USS Titan and the USS Yeoman.
"T. Y.," Geordi said as he inhaled sharply.
Data and Geordi exchanged a glance.
"She's alive, Data," Geordi said as he gripped his best friend's shoulder.
For the first time in forever, Data felt hopeful.