War Relics

"So much for a dull, boring camping trip," Mariner grumbled as the Jem'Hadar swiftly relieved the four ensigns of their phasers, tricorders and combadges before forcing them to kneel on the ground. "Ow! Hey, watch the merchandise!"

"Quiet," The leader of the Jem'Hadar warned fixing her with a look. Six of the soldiers watched the prisoners while the rest secured and inspected the shuttlecraft. "How many other Federation troops are on this planet?"

None of the ensigns answered. The lead Jem'Hadar stared directly at Rutherford. "Speak."

"Uh, I would, but you previously said for us to be quiet…" Rutherford gulped as the Jem'Hadar leader smoothly pointed his rifle at his head. "But if you insist…"

"There are no other Starfleet personnel on the planet," Boimler quickly spoke up. "There's just the four of us and Lieutenant Commander Stevens."

"Oh my gosh! I've been shot!" Stevens wailed sprawled on the ground clutching his side having also been relieved of his equipment. "Somebody help me! I'm bleeding! Oh, the pain! The pain!"

"Uh, can I please treat Commander Stevens' wound?" Tendi asked timidly. "He's probably dying."

"My ears certainly are," Mariner muttered under her breath.

"He will live. For the moment," The Jem'Hadar leader said coldly as a trio of Jem'Hadar emerged from the shuttlecraft.

"No other crew," One of them reported. "Unknown class of Starfleet shuttlecraft similar to the Type 8. No armaments, though it is equipped with some kind of blast shield along with minor modifications to the shield generators. Cargo consists of basic ration packs, portable shelters, various scanning equipment and a case of alcohol-based beverages."

"Huh?" Tendi, Boimler and Rutherford turned and stared at Mariner in surprise.

"What, you really think I'd go on a three-day overnight without packing proper supplies?" Mariner shrugged. "C'mon, stop looking at me like that. I was going to share it with you. Well, some of it anyway…"

"Oh geeze," Boimler moaned. "I should have known."

The Jem'Hadar leader quietly absorbed the information before regarding the ensigns again. "How many Federation ships are in orbit?"

"None," Rutherford replied. "But the Cerritos will be back to pick us up in a few days."

"Dude, shut up!" Mariner hissed. "Quit giving information to the enemy!"

"We're not enemies," Boimler pointed out. "At least not anymore."

"Will somebody please help me?!" Stevens howled in agony. "I can't feel my legs! I'm going into shock!"

"Enough," The Jem'Hadar leader stared at Tendi. "You are a scientific or medical officer?"

"Um, yes," Tendi gulped nervously.

"You may treat your commander. Keep him quiet," The Jem'Hadar leader glanced at one of his subordinates. "Retrieve a medical kit from the shuttlecraft. Watch the human closely."

"I'm Orion, actually," Tendi corrected getting up and moving towards Stevens. "Never had anyone make that mistake before."

The Jem'Hadar leader looked surprised for a moment before stepping away and activating a communicator on his wrist. "This is First Lipura'klan of Squad Two. We have captured five Starfleet officers and one unarmed Starfleet shuttlecraft while on routine patrol. They claim there are no Federation starships currently in orbit, but expect one to return within the next few days."

"Return the prisoners to base," A rich, no-nonsense voice ordered. "Squad Three will be diverted to guard the shuttlecraft and undertake intelligence retrieval operations."

"Understood," First Lipura'klan tapped his communicator before turning towards Tendi. "Is your commander stable?"

"Yes," Tendi nodded as she finished treating Stevens. "I've managed to stop the hemorrhaging and counteract the lingering anti-coagulant in his system. There isn't much more I can do with a medkit. What he really needs is to be treated in a hospital or a starship's Sickbay."

"Your efforts will suffice," Lipura'klan gestured to his men. "Secure the prisoners and move out."

"Wait! Commander Stevens shouldn't be moved!" Tendi protested as one the Jem'Hadar seized the medkit. "There's no major internal damage, but he suffered a lot of residual tissue disruption to his nervous system and he's in a lot of pain…"

"Oh, the pain! The pain!" Stevens cried. "We're talking major pain here, people! Even open chest surgery with someone manually pumping my heart wasn't this bad!"

"Quiet," Lipura'klan ordered leveling his rifle. "Conquer the pain. Or I will end your suffering now."

"There's no need for that," Tendi intervened quickly. "I can give Commander Stevens a sedative that will render him unconscious."

"Make sure it's a lot of sedative," Mariner rolled her eyes. "I swear the kids in the Cerritos' daycare don't whine nearly as much as Stevens. And they're way less annoying too."

"Speak for yourself," Boimler groaned.

"Enough talking," Lipura'klan said coldly as Tendi was handed back the medkit and mercifully allowed to empty a full hypospray of sedative into Stevens' neck. "Move out. Now!"

Later…

"Whew, are we there yet?" Tendi asked quietly wiping beads of sweat from her forehead.

"How the heck should I know?" Mariner grumbled irritably as she and Boimler trudged along while carrying Stevens' limp form. "It feels like we've been hiking for hours."

"More like thirty-five minutes," Rutherford whispered consulting his implant's display. The Jem'Hadar had been forcing them to move up into the mountain range at a fairly brisk pace. "We've covered about four point two kilometers."

"Feels more like four hundred kilometers carrying the commander," Boimler panted sagging under Stevens' weight. "He really needs to go on a diet when we get back to the ship. If we get back…"

"Less talking. More walking," One of the Jem'Hadar stonily nudged Boimler's side with his rifle.

"Wow," Tendi blinked as they were led into a long, dark cavern. The round, grooved walls gently curved as they descended deeper into the mountainside. "Looks like we're inside an old lava tube."

"Lava?" Rutherford gulped nervously.

"We must be at the base of a volcano," Tendi added as a sparse string of artificial lights automatically turned on. She lightly ran her fingers over the walls. "Looks like the lava tube is streaked with significant kelbonite deposits. The volcano is in all likelihood extinct. I think…"

"You think?" Boimler gasped.

"Eh, who cares?" Mariner waved. "You've seen one rocky underground passage, you've seen 'em all. The passages could be on sixteen different planets yet all be staged the same. Ever notice that?"

"Quiet," Lipura'klan ordered as they approached a crude doorway carved into one of the walls. Lipura'klan exchanged recognition codes with a trio of Jem'Hadar guards standing outside the doorway before leading the group on.

"Oh boy," Rutherford goggled at the transition from dark, dank cave to sleek, utilitarian gray walls. "This is not looking good."

"You're just realizing this now?" Mariner muttered quietly. "Geeze, talk about a slow uptake."

The ensigns were led through a series of corridors before arriving at a large room containing a trio of circular areas outlined on the floor. The Jem'Hadar herded Tendi and Rutherford into one circle and the other officers into another. "Inside."

"Gladly," Boimler gasped dropping Stevens like a sack of potatoes. He slowly struggled to straighten up. "Ohhh, my back."

"Well, this is one brig I'm not happy to be in," Mariner grumbled as the circular containment areas were each enveloped by a force field. "No bunk, no privacy, no waste extraction unit. Still, I've been detained in worse."

"Good to hear. Nice to know the Dominion continues to maintains its superiority in all areas, including internment facilities."

"Huh?" The four ensigns turned as a wispy female Vorta entered the room. She wore a loose closed-necked jumpsuit, had crystal blue eyes and a crown of curly black hair above her curved scalloped ears. Lipura'klan and his men smoothly assumed guard positions. "Who are you?"

"I am Valiawen," The Vorta gave a charming smile. "Welcome to our isolated abode. I assure you you will all be granted the full rights and protections of prisoners of war."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Boimler blinked, confused. "The Federation and the Dominion aren't at war."

"At least not with each other," Tendi added. "Not anymore."

"Excuse me?" Valiawen blinked, caught off guard.

"The Dominion War ended five years ago," Mariner explained. "Didn't you get the memo?"

"Oh, so the Federation and its allies finally surrendered," Valiawen smiled. "Excellent. How wonderful to hear you all finally accepted to be ruled by the benevolent wisdom of the Founders."

"No, you misunderstand," Rutherford shook his head. "The Federation, Klingons and Romulans didn't surrender. The Dominion, Breen and Cardassians did."

"What was left of the Cardassians anyway," Tendi added sadly. "After they switched sides."

"Preposterous," Valiawen waved dismissively. "The Dominion has never surrendered much less lost a war since its founding ten thousand years ago."

"Eh, there's a first time for everything," Mariner quipped.

"You're lying," Valiawen frowned while Lipura'klan and his men remained stone-faced.

"It's true," Boimler insisted. "The articles of surrender were broadcast over every subspace channel for weeks. You must have received them."

"All our long-range communication systems and subspace antennas were destroyed during a sudden, violent earthquake five years ago," Valiawen said studying the four ensigns carefully. "We have not been in contact with any other Dominion forces since."

"That is classified information," Lipura'klan warned. "Tell them nothing."

"I am the one questioning the prisoners here, First," Valiawen snapped. "Behave and you may conduct your own interrogation later. Besides, these four young officers aren't going anywhere. Unless you doubt your and your men's ability to keep them from escaping?" Lipura'klan glowered, but stayed silent. "I thought so."

"Nice inspirational command style you got there," Mariner drawled sarcastically. "Bet guys just jump at the chance to serve and impress you."

"Obedience brings Victory," Valiawen stated firmly. "And Victory is life."

"Victory is life!" Every Jem'Hadar in the room declared in unison.

"O-kay," Rutherford gulped, intimidated. "Though living and Engineering are life too. Just saying."

"Oooo, and Medical," Tendi chirped managing a smile. "Along with, of course, Science."

"Enough with the 'meaning of life' debate," Mariner rolled her eyes before addressing Valiawen once again. "Look, from the sounds of things you were all stranded on this lush ball o' rock sometime during the war. And like it or not, the Dominion War is over. You lost. Deal with it. If you don't believe us, just take us back to our shuttle and we'll call anyone you want to confirm it."

"And give you a chance to send out a distress signal? I think not," Valiawen declined. "Instead, we'll use your shuttlecraft to reestablish communications with the Dominion. That is a much better plan."

"Uh, actually that won't work," Rutherford spoke up. "There's too much interference from all the radiation in the nebula for long-range communications. Not to mention all the high energy plasma emissions in the planet's ionized atmosphere. A ship would have to be in low orbit like ours was to receive any kind of communication signal."

"Hmmm, that explains why our own makeshift communication efforts have gone unanswered," Valiawen thought for a moment. "No matter. The Dominion will come for us. It is only a matter of time.

"I wouldn't count on it, lady," Mariner scoffed. "But you're welcome to sit around inside your dinky little clubhouse and wait."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find something to occupy ourselves in the interim," Valiawen smiled ominously.

"Um, excuse me?" Tendi held up her hand. "I need to know something. How are you still alive after all this time? The Jem'Hadar I mean. Shouldn't they have run out of ketracel-white years ago? I know Vorta don't consume ketracel-white. Do you?"

"No, the Founders blessed the Vorta with more…traditional tastes," Valiawen said diplomatically. "As for the white, let's just say we've had ample stocks and leave it at that."

"Oooo, does that mean you have a ketracel-white distillery around here?" Mariner perked up. "I don't suppose you've distilled any more intoxicating kinds of beverages…"

"Seriously?" Boimler gave her a look.

"What? I'm just asking," Mariner held up her hands. "A gal's gotta have priorities."

"I must agree," Valiawen's demeanor grew serious. "And my priorities are to collect all information about current Federation ships, weapons, technology, tactics and supply capabilities possessed by captured Starfleet officers. Even officers as delicate and low-ranked as you."

"Hey, we're not delicate," Boimler protested. "Well, okay Lieutenant Commander Stevens is, but he's much higher ranked…"

"For the last time, the war is over!" Mariner yelled in exasperation. "The Federation and the Dominion are at peace! You don't need to interrogate us!"

"Oh, I think I do," Valiawen's smile was both beautiful and terrifying. "Now, how shall we begin?"