The Alexandria away team stood in total shock at the sight of the downed NX class starship. Because they were in the Gamma Quadrant, more questions arose such as why was it here and could the Dominion be involved.

"Well, let's get down there to investigate the wreckage." Sparhawk said.

"I wonder if any of them survived." Plumley said.

"If they did, they'd be dead now. Although, they might have descendants." Fulks said.

Merriell lifted his tricorder and scanned the nearby area. "I'm not picking up any settlements. But I am picking up seven life signs."

"Where?" Sparhawk asked.

"A few miles to the east from here. Nothing to worry about I'd say."

"What kind of life signs?"

Merriell checked his instrument again. "Breen."

Sparhawk's eyebrow raised. "I wonder what they'd be doing here? Well, as long as they don't come this way we'll be all right. Let's get down there and see what we can find out."

The away team started down the cliff towards the Columbia.

"Report," Allensworth said coming out of his Ready Room.

Nycz glanced briefly at Allensworth while waiting for Perim's analysis. The Captain was still concentrating on the view screen, his eyes locked on the brilliant sphere.

"Two Breen vessels have just entered the system," Perim announced. "A warship and a smaller support vessel of unknown design."

"Hmm," Nycz said curiously. "A science vessel?"

Allensworth looked back this time. "Maybe." He took in a deep sigh. "Maybe not. Hail them."

They waited patiently for several moments for the Breen to respond. But with each passing second, Nycz's faith in the Breen answering the hail diminished, until he became certain they wouldn't respond. Apparently, Allensworth reached that point soon thereafter. He turned to the aft bridge with a look of morbid discontent.

"No response," Perim confirmed.

Allensworth nodded disappointedly. "Keep trying."

At that moment, Sparhawk's voice came over the intercom. "Sparhawk to Alexandria."

"Go ahead, Commander."

"I believe we've found the source of the distress call."

"Which is?"

"The Columbia."

"The Columbia? The NX-02?"

"The same."

"What is it doing here in the Gamma Quadrant?"

"That's what we looking to find out."

"Keep me posted. Allensworth out."

Sparhawk and his team entered the ship through an entry hatch on the side of the ship. The ship was dark and the sounds of creatures filled the small corridors of the second warp five vessel. The away team clicked on their wrist mounted lights and surveyed the area as they walked. Sparhawk looked to Merriell who had his tricorder out in front of him. Alex noticed his commander's look and knew what he was about to ask.

"There are no humanoid life signs, sir."

Sparhawk wasn't at all surprised by this fact but he figured he'd ask anyway.

"Dustin, I want you to get down to Engineering and see what you can get any power to the systems. Alex go with him. Plumley head to sickbay. Fulks and I are heading to the bridge."

The other three nodded before heading off in their seperate directions. Moments later, Zofchak and Merriell entered the small Engineering room.

"Man, I don't know how they worked like this." Merriell said. "They seem like they'd be working shoulder to shoulder."

"Yeah it seems a bit cramped in here." Zofchak said as he inspected the power systems at the main generator.

The two lieutenant commanders did what they could to get the ship's systems online. Even though they tried to get the computer online, Zofchak figured that it wouldn't work being that the ship was over two hundred years old and with the amount of time it had been sitting here, he had further doubt that any life would come to the ship's computer. Merriell thought along the same lines.

Sparhawk and Fulks reached the bridge via ladder in the turboshaft. Lucky for them, the turbolife door was blown open. Probably caused from when the ship crashed. The security chief and first officer stepped carefully around the old ship. They walked through the bridge as if it was going to break apart at any moment. Sparhawk stepped over to the navigation station and pressed a few buttons. Nothing. Fulks pressed a few at the communications area and got the same result. Sparhawk tapped his combadge.

"Sparhawk to Zofchak. Dustin, how it coming down there?"

"Sir, I'd have a better shot at beating a Klingon one on one with a bat'leth than getting the computer up and running."

"Understood. Go ahead and head for the exit. Sparhawk out."

He tapped it again only this time he was calling for the person in sickbay.

"Sparhawk to Doctor Plumley. How are you faring?"

"Sickbay is completly empty. It's a mess but it looks as if it's been raided." the dark haired doctor replied.

"Understood, meet us at the exit. Sparhawk out."

The first officer tapped his badge to end the transmission. He looked over at Fulks who was trying his hand at the controls to which the lieutenant noticed and shook his head. Sparhawk understood the expression.

"Let's go."

At that moment, the ship shook as if it were in battle. Sparhawk looked to Fulks with complete confusion. They left the bridge and headed for the exit.

Breen ships coming about," Perim reported from the helm. "Bearing one-one-eight, mark seven."

"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. "The Breen were firing interfereametric pulses at the surface," she said. "We won't be beam them up until the residual energy signatures clear up."

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.

"Better late than never," 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—effective ending the communication.

Allensworth sighed. "'Guests of the Breen Confederacy,'" he mocked quietly. "How generous of them."