"Computer, lock the ready room doors," Allensworth said as the doors had slid shut. The computer beeped to acknowledge the command. Jermaine sat at his desk and looked at the screen of his desk terminal. "Override all computer lockouts, authorization Allensworth eight-four-echo-gamma. Establish communication link with Starfleet Command."
"UNABLE TO COMPLY!"
Jermaine looked a bit confused. "What? Which part?"
"UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION LINK TO STARFLEET COMMAND!"
"Reason?"
"SUBSPACE INTERFERENCE!"
Allensworth massaged the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. His nose didn't need a massage but it was a habit to show annoyance and he was really annoyed.
First day as captain and I'm already breaking protocol.
He stood up and walked out of his ready room just as a series of beeps caught his attention from Ops. "What is it, Alex?"
"Sensors have just detected multiple warp signatures entering the system."
"Who is it? Can you tell from here?"
Alex stared at his display for a few moments waiting for the data to gather. All he could determine at this point was that one was a warship and the other was a smaller support craft. Finally the computer gave him his answer.
"The Breen."
"What are they doing here?" Allensworth asked. "Their space is a good distance away from the wormhole, not to mention in the Alpha Quadrant."
Alex figured the question was rhetorical but he still thought about answering it however he didn't have any real answer to give. If the Breen were attempting to expand the Confederacy, why not do it closer to their own territory. Two ships didn't constitute an invasion force.
"Last interaction with the Breen was the Dominion War," Alex said. "After the war, they retreated to their own territory and kept quiet."
"And now, five years later, they suddenly appear in the Gamma Quadrant of all places," Allensworth said.
After all of the encounters with them, we still having nothing to go on when it comes to them other than they can get hostile with outsiders," Zofchak said. "They aren't as reclusive as the Tholians but at least we know what a Tholian looks like."
"And we even know this area of space even less," Allensworth said.
"Except for something screwed with our sensors and showed us an Omega," Fulks said.
"I'm also curious as to why that happened," Allensworth said.
"A mysterious enemy and a mysterious Omega," Sparhawk said.
"What do we know about this area?" Allensworth asked.
Merriell pressed more buttons. "A five planet system with the third planet being M-class."
"The computer locked us out when we scanned the anomaly," Sparhawk said.
"I didn't even get a full reading before that happened," Merriell said.
"Scan it again," Allensworth said. "You'll be able to get a full reading this time without being locked out."
Merriell's attention was on his console as his fingers dashed across it. Allensworth saw a look of disarray fall across the second officer's face.
"There is too much interference coming from the anomaly. We may have to get closer," Alex suggested. "I am picking up strange readings from the surface of the planet. I'm also picking up a structure where the source of the readings are located. I'm not detecting in lifesigns in the structure or anywhere near it. It appears to be abandoned."
"Then I suppose we'll start there," Allensworth said.
"Jason," Allensworth said turning around. "I want you to take an away team down to the surface and investigate. If someone down there is creating an Omega molecule down there then we have to destroy it."
Sparhawk rose from his seat and headed for the turbolift, pointing to Zofchak to join them. Fulks and Merriell left their stations without being told, knowing that it was standard procedure for the second officer and security chief to join the away team.
"Doctor Plumley, meet us in transporter room two," Sparhawk said.
Mirai Three was nothing like Commander Sparhawk had imagined. Upon hearing their beam-down location to be on the northern continent, thoughts of a desolate, frigid glacier crossed his mind.
He was mildly surprised when a crisp, cool breeze rushed across the rocky terrain and greeted his skin. The terrain was more of a desert than anything else. A few disconsolate trees dotted the terrain amidst a field of untamed brown and yellow grasses, but for the most part, they walked upon nothing but sheer dirt and rock along the edge of a small ridge. The sky was filled with melancholy clouds that seemed to meander endlessly through the atmosphere. The few breaks in the overcast conditions revealed a drab blue firmament hiding behind them.
"Nice place." Sparhawk mused as he started surveying the area with his tricorder.
The building they were looking for was right in front of them. They cautiously approached the door, what was left of it.
Zofchak held his tricorder out in front of him as he slowly moved it through the air. "I'm picking up traces of an explosion related to an omega molecule, which would explain the state this place is in."
"If this has any relation to that omega symbol we saw on the consoles then we must be dealing with something big," Merriell said.
"I just wish I knew more about this omega that has the captain worried," Sparhawk said.
The five of them entered the building and just as they predicted, the insides was also in ruins. Breen bodies were strewn around the room, some in better shape than others but still dead.
"It looks like whatever they were working on blew up in their faces," Zofchak said.
"Sir," Fulks said. "We could use this time to study Breen physiology and actually see what they look like."
"I would expect that suggestion to come from the doctor," Sparhawk said.
"To be honest, sir, I was hoping to catch a glimpse at what they look like and I was using that as an excuse and maybe get her to go with it as well."
"Good plan, but no," Jason said. "We are to investigate what happened here and report back. There are two Breen ships headed our way so we don't have much time."
"Sir," Merriell said. "I've just picked up several Breen lifesigns nearby?"
"Survivors?"
"No, they beamed down."
"That means the ships are in orbit. Where are they?"
"They're outside the compound to the southeast."
"We should get out of here before they show up. Who knows what they'll do if they find us here and all of these bodies," Jason said. He tapped his combadge to signal the ship but the he didn't hear the usual chirp after he tapped it. "Sparhawk to Alexandria." He knew something was up.
"Maybe there is a dampening field in the building," Fulks said.
"I'd imagine it would have been destroyed in the explosion," Sparhawk said. "I bet those Breen know we're in here so they're jamming our signal. We have to get out of here. Let's go."
A disruptor blast hit the ground near the away team as they came out of the structure. The officers ducked for cover around the Alexandria. Plumley ducked back through the entry hatch while the other four took cover behind large rocks and panels sticking out of the ship. They looked up to the top of the cliff where they had first arrived to see seven Breen standing there with weapons aimed at them. The Starfleet away team drew their own phasers. Sparhawk slightly looked over the edge of the rock and fired. The blast of fiery orange energy sailed toward the Breen's position, but to Sparhawk's dismay, the target stepped aside before being hit. Once the blast had passed him, the target returned the favor, blasting off a small chunk of the rock in front of Sparhawk.
Breen ships coming about," Perim reported from the helm. "Bearing one-one-eight, mark four."
"Red alert," Allensworth snapped. He turned to the Trill as the red alert klaxon began to sound. "What about the away team?"
She hastily accessed sensors. "I'm picking up seven Breen lifesigns on the surface near they away team. They seem to have set up some sort of dampening field. We can't get a lock on them"
Allensworth frowned and turned his attention back to the view screen. Both Breen ships were rapidly approaching, looking like a duo straight from hell. It was a sight that sent chills down Allensworth's spine.
"They're locking weapons," Perim said.
"Evasive maneuvers, Ensign."
The Trill hastily complied, and the Alexandria swerved out of the way just as the Breen's energy weapon hurtled at the ship. They experienced only a minor rumbling as the pulse skimmed their shields, but neither vessel was deterred. The smaller of the two hastily stormed past the Alexandria while the larger warship came to a dramatic halt directly in front of them.
"They're hailing us," Perim reported.
"Took them long enough," Allensworth muttered. He quickly inspected his uniform for any aberrations before bringing himself to his feet. "On screen."
Moments later, the mysterious image of a Breen thot appeared on the view screen. Unable to see beneath the refrigeration unit, Allensworth had no idea what the Breen was about to say or do, and so, he simply placed a diplomatic smile upon his face.
"This is Captain Jermaine Allensworth of the Federation Starship Alexandria. You have stranded five of my officers, threatened my ship and are way outside your territory. Why?"
The Breen seemed to stare back at him for several moments, as if the questions were so stupid they did not require an answer. But finally, the Thot barked out a series of cryptic, nearly incomprehensible bleeps that were the Breen language.
Allensworth sighed. "Thot Lor," he said patiently. "We're not leaving without our people."
The Breen provided yet another series of remarks, this time they were louder, and sounded more clipped.
"Your actions warrant a war with the Federation. Is that what you want?"
The Breen chirped out one simple blurb.
"I didn't think so. Perhaps if you return our crewmen and tell me what it is you're looking for, we can reach a peaceful end to this situation," Allensworth proposed.
Lor's eyepiece fluttered with green light. He emitted a series of stern, strident bleeps before slamming his fist on the console before him, effectively ending the communication.