Star Trek: Augustus

by DavidMc

Set in the Star Trek universe, amid the Dominion wars, Star Fleet is still reeling from the invasion from the Delta Quadrant and the influx of Jem'Hadar soldiers. The U.S.S Augustus is a newly commissioned ship on its first mission under the command of Commander Marcus Ohlson

7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The attack was not two-pronged as Ohlson had speculated, it was three-pronged.

The first attack was on Commander Shirer's expedition; the second and third was on the main corridor where the majority of the Starfleet personnel were sited. One of the prongs came from the wings adjacent to the wind Shirer was searching, the other was through the airlocks.

Shirer had been halfway up the length of the wing. It had been long, and dark, the only light was the light that they had brought with them. The wing was tall, and comprised of three floors each served with a gangway reached by one of the three stairways along the length of the wing. One of Shirer's groups was on the uppermost levels, one on the middle and one on the bottom. The fourth group had been utilized differently.

As they had entered the wing, Shirer kept the groups spread some meters apart, but each visible to the other. It had been at this point that he had spread them out and upward.

The idea that each was visible to the other was hitting a problem. The problem was one of limited illumination. But they had came half the length, and had searched all the rooms - communal cells, by the look of them - along each of the sides and found nothing.

He had been growing concerned at this lack of substance to report but had called back twice to notify the captain that they were still in one piece.

To those that did not know him, Shirer may have sounded confident and cocky, but he was very able, and very aware of the lack of military training in the teams with him. He was no gung-ho novice, nor a lackey seeking to suck up to his superiors by taking unnecessary risks.

He had been expecting some resistance before they reached the end of the wing, he knew that there were Jem'Hadar here. For just such an eventuality he had split up one of the groups and sent the four excluding himself in various directions to reconnoiter as well as cover any attack.

One of those he had sent was an Ensign Domenski. She had been assigned to the bridge of the Hawaii as a helmsman, now she was supposed to be ten to twenty meters ahead of them on the ground level, but she wasn't answering his communications signal. He had arranged that each of the five had a code comprising, a dot (one tap) or a dash (a momentary held combadge), Domenski's was 'dash-dot.' When he inputted his code and asked for 'dash-dash-dot' she was to ignore the final signal and return her own if all was well. She was not responding and her commander was getting worried.

'Shall we continue?' Lieutenant Gary Trainer was looking back from the group that Shirer had halted.

'No, not yet.' He tapped in a dot and a dash, for Lieutenant Hans Jaedener, who should be on level one above where Domenski was supposed to be. Perhaps he knew what had happened to her.

He did.

Jaedener heard the code and waited. He was scanning the first level from a position fifteen meters ahead of the main group. He saw nothing of note, then he scanned the level above, then the one below.

He almost missed the movement it was so subtle. But no matter how subtle it was it was betrayed by the glint of the phaser. The phaser was on the ground. Jaedener felt his blood go cold. The phaser was still in the hand of Ensign Domenski, above her something moved. The figure was still well shaded but the cooling body of Ensign Domenski lying at its feet betrayed its presence. He concentrated on the shadow, he increased the level of illumination that his scope used. It had the effect of increasing what he saw but adversely decreased the definition. But definition did not matter, he was now clearly able to see the figure of a Jem'Hadar soldier and that soldier was aiming a rifle at where Commander Shirer's group would be.

A better trained soldier than Jaedener would have waited and reported. That soldier's delay would have cost an unknown number of lives.

Jaedener fired.

The Jem'Hadar soldier that had slit the throat of Ensign Valerie Domenski died as the energy pulse fried his chest. The twenty other Jem'Hadar and Vorta that were readying for their part in the retaking of the prison responded.

The Starfleet personnel on the upper levels were hit from three sites, they lost two before they had taken cover.

The five, plus two scouts, on the second level were firing at the various shadows that was the only sign of the enemy who was not fully in position, before the Dominion troops got to return the fire.

Jaedener's actions caused only the most minor of pauses before Shirer had his five behind the second set of stairs and returning fire.

'Shirer to Devereaux, we have encountered the enemy, and we have taken casualties.' With that he turned and aimed his phaser into the depths of the dark prison wing and concentrated. A pulse of disruptor left close to where the center of his vision was, it slammed somewhere to his left. He moved his aim.

Another blast from the disruptor, Shirer fired at the shooter.

Mc Sorley heard the shooting as she spied the approaching figures of Tambecki and T'sella. She reacted immediately. 'Leave the box, take up positions on either side of the corridor leading to where Shirer went.'

Tambecki was over and kneeling at the place where Kausler had shot the infiltrator earlier. T'sella took up a position to the right and behind the kneeling d'Amatsu.

Mc Sorley turned to glance in the direction of Devereaux as Shirer made his report. The shooting was having an unsettling effect on these near the lifts. The volume of the murmurs was increasing and there were a couple of them walking part of the way towards the corridor. Someone walked into the right of Mc Sorley's view, it was a tall person. She didn't think much about it for a moment, then she frowned and looked back at the group.

The light was bad, she couldn't be certain who the arrival had been. She glanced at where the figure had came. They had either walked from the darkened corner of the lift area - where Mc Sorley could see no one at this time - or, her head turned a little more, they came from the service ladder.

'Mc Sorley to Ohlson, come in.'

They had given up any chance of bypassing the controls to gain entrance to the Shoeman. Lu's command codes would be more than adequate at locking everyone else out short of blowing a hole through the door. That notion had occurred to Ohlson, but would take too long and involve bringing Devereaux and Nilis into the equation. 'Back to the lift, Sia you and Barret take the level were the Augustus is, Smith and Colimo take level two, I'll stay here...'

'What's that?' Colimo's head was tilted ever so slightly as he strained to listen.

They all heard it.

'Shooting, the attack's started.' Smith looked anxiously at Ohlson.

'It's too far away to be the airlock, must be Shirer's people.' Marcus looked back at the doors to the Shoeman, he was calculating how much of a danger Lu and the ensign would pose as they now had control of a ship. A ship with damaged propulsion, all its weapons and transporters.

'Sia can we disable its transporters?'

'They aren't usable with all the force fields generated by the ships' shields over this section of the prison.'

'I know that, but can we disable them anyway?'

The engineer though for a moment. 'Not from here, but the Augustus could target its power grid from close range,' he pointed upwards, close range meant the thirty or so meters that separated the two docked vessels, 'with phasers.

It might damage the Augustus and the docking pylon too.'

'Okay I'll take Ensign Barret, and do it.' He turned to the other two. 'You can't stay here, so go with Sia give them cover.'

Then Mc Sorley's message came through.

'Someone has just came out of the service area, do you know anything about it?'

'No, did you recognize who it was?'

'Yes, I think I do know who was up there. Do you have any idea of what they were doing?' They were speaking over the secure link. Mc Sorley was keeping her back to Devereaux's position she didn't want him to she her talking and he not being able to hear her.

There was a sigh and then Ohlson answered. 'That explains how Lu and his friend are free.'

'Free?'

'Yes, they have control of the Shoeman.'

'Shoeman? But I thought they were on the Augustus?'

'I moved them.'

'To the Shoeman?'

'Whoever came this way checked the Gaunt and the Augustus, they even managed to gain entrance to the Augustus.

My belief is that they suspected Lu was there and then tried the Gaunt, finally realizing that the Shoeman would be the ideal hiding place, unless you had insider information.'

'What do you mean?'

'It's obvious, it was no Jem'Hadar who came up and freed Lu. It was Nilis wasn't it?'

Mc Sorley looked around, Devereaux was moving the others back to the lifts. 'Yes,' she answered Ohlson's question, 'I'd put money on it that the figure was hers, but why?'

Before he could reply, Ohlson's combadge bleeped to report that someone else was trying to get through. He tapped it. 'Ohlson here.'

'Devereaux here Ohlson, I'm having trouble getting much information from Commander Shirer, I do know they have suffered some casualties but seem to be holding their positions. Take your squad from the lifts and go and reinforce the commander. Keep me informed.'

Mc Sorley had been listening. 'We have the area in front of where Shirer went covered.' It was all she could say in support.

Ohlson turned to Singh, Smith and Colimo. 'You two go straight to Mc Sorley and get instructs, I'll go to the Augustus.

If anyone asks tell them we are taking up the rear, which is true.'

The three men nodded.

The trio headed for the lifts. The doors had only closed behind them when an explosion rocked everything.

Mc Sorley had been checking what her four where doing when she wondered what had became of Yeoman Kausler. She looked in the direction of the room that led to the airlock.. Then d'Amatsu opened fire.

Mico had been scanning the region in front of where Shirer had went, he was nervous about shooting in case he hit someone that was fleeing the Dominion attack. That was the reason he delayed firing at the silhouetted figure that inched in his direction. What are you? he thought. Then he saw what it was, it was one... No two... Then he saw the tiny motion among the shadows... There was a lot of them, and they were all Jem'Hadar. He aimed at the center of the shadow of the one he had seen first, then he pulled the trigger.

Tambecki had seen what was coming too. Inside three seconds she and T'sella added to the multitude of pulses that beat into the approaching troops. It was next to impossible to make out what damage the shots were doing, not yet, not until they would be able to walk up and count the bodies. If they would survive the encounter. A section of the wall to Ben's right sparked and a small piece of the console tore a line across her left hand. She didn't feel it, she didn't even feel the rivulet of blood that trickled to her wrist. She fired again... And again.

Kausler was backing out the door, she was almost there when the airlock opened. There was a hiss as the pressure equalized then a large and well-armed figure emerged from the airlock. It was a Jem'Hadar soldier, with a disruptor. He hadn't seen Kausler dive behind the crate nearest the door leading to the corridor.

The door was still open, sounds of fighting were coming from it. The soldier looked pleased and turned to beckon the next soldier into the room.

The airlock could accommodate two at a time, Kausler had no time to lose and no options. She rose from her position and dived through the door. A disruptor blast flashed centimeters from her leg.

She rose as quickly as she could and used her right hand to slap the control panel to close the door. It started to close, another blast came from the duo of soldiers inside the room. One of the blasts slammed into the toughened metal of the door, it wouldn't even leave a scratch. The second of the blasts hit the corner of the door, the beam split and careered in several directions, one of them hit Kausler. She felt the blow, it was like being hit by a fast moving steel door, and then she was meters away.

She rose painfully.

She had been lucky, but her phaser rifle had not. The weapon was useless, part of the blast had hit the main body of the rifle and crushed the mechanism.

Kausler threw the rifle to one side. She felt weak, a hand reached for her arm and pulled her upright, it was Mc Sorley's.

The lieutenant-commander looked worried. 'Are you all right?'

'Bruised and dented, but apart from unarmed I'm fine.'

'What happened?'

'They are coming through the airlock, they have environment suits. They will be from the battleship.'

Mc Sorley looked at the door, behind the two women the fire from the other Augustus' crew was loud and regular. 'How long until they get through?'

'They won't.'

'How can you say that?'

Kausler looked unworried. 'They'll be dead in a couple of minutes.'

'The ones who are in the room?'

She nodded.

'How?'

'There's a bomb timed to go off in,' she glanced at her watch, 'two and a half minutes.' She glanced at the door. 'Actually two bombs.'

'Two?'

'Yes, I couldn't get one of them connected to the airlock controls in time so I rigged a timer and threw it into the panel with the other one.'

Mc Sorley ducked as some disruptor fire came closer to the duo. She stayed beside Kausler as they mad e their way to cover. She noticed the yeoman took her time and was careful when she walked, but she didn't limp and there was no sign of bleeding.

They had reached the area behind Tambecki and settled down, Mc Sorley to fire into the coming shadows, and Kausler to look at her watch.

'Now!'

Gretchen's announcement came only a second before the explosion.

Mc Sorley knew it was an explosion, but it only sounded like a muffled crash. There was no smoke, no other noise... Nothing to indicate that anything had happened.

'We won't be able to use that room again,' was all that the bomber said.

Ohlson and Barret had arrived on level three and the Augustus without incident.

Barret was over opening the door. Ohlson wasted no time, he was beside her, there seemed little to gain from splitting up and giving each other security. There were only two of them, any attack would probably overwhelm them, and any blasts at the pylon might kill them... It didn't matter if they were at the airlock or kneeling with their rifles aimed at the time.

The door whooshed open.

They were back inside the Augustus. 'Take Tactical.'

Barret took the station as she had been told.

Ohlson was in the captain's chair. He moved the small panel that was attached to the chair's right arm so he could get a better look at the readouts, when they came. 'Computer, this is Commander Marcus Ohlson, gamma, gamma, zero, three nine, theta. Reinitialize weapons and sensors.

Set the viewscreen to show below us.'

The lights brightened slightly as the viewscreen turned itself on and the console glowed as they were activated.

In the viewscreen they could see the sleek lines of the U.S.S. Shoeman, on paper it was a better ship than the Augustus was. It had heavier armaments, more phasers, it was faster, and could carry more. The Augustus was smaller, thinner, more agile, and had the extra torpedoes. At this range torpedoes would be useless, they would destroy both ships and a godly section of the docking pylon.

Anyway, thought Ohlson, the ship's better qualities was only on paper. Here's where we find out for sure.'

He read the sensors. 'Three life signs on the Shoeman, one Vorta and two humans,.'

'So much for the prisoner dying in custody, it also explains the ease with which the locking codes were overcome.' Ohlson's fingers played a tune on the captain's armrest.

'They seem to be doing nothing but waiting. Their shields are up, eighty percent, the weapons array isn't active yet.'

'Target the sensors and shield generator, use phasers.'

'Ready!' Hope Barret had already aimed the weapons and powered them.

Ohlson watched as the readings from the Shoeman changed. 'They know we're here.'

'They are powering their weapons.'

'Fire when ready.'

Barret did. The twin pulses of concentrated phaser fire slammed into the Shoeman only meters below the Augustus.

Ohlson held on as the buffeting subsided. He glanced at the console. 'Again.'

Barret fired again.

'Shields at fifty-five percent, weapons unaffected. Keep firing.'

The buffeting continued. The shudders threatened to unseat her but she gripped on with determination. It took a lot of concentration to aim while the ship juddered so violently. She released another pulse. It crashed into the heavily rocking ship below, she could see a shower of sparks come from the fuselage.

'Shields are almost gone, brace for incoming.'

'Incoming?'

The incoming was a blast of phasers into the Augustus' underbelly. Ohlson fell to the ground and banged his head into the seat he had been evicted from.

Barret could make out little from the viewscreen, the movements were merging into blurs. She fired again, and again.

Another blast hit the Augustus. Barret was thumped sideward into the console. She was momentarily winded. There was a pause. Behind her Ohlson was struggling into the chair.

He looked at the console. 'They've lost shields, weapons are still on-line. They must be dazed. Fire again, target the phasers. and propulsion.'

Hope adjusted the target settings as rapidly as she could then fired.

This time the shudder was a lot less than the previous one. 'Again.'

Another shot and then a calmness.

'They've lost weapons, it looks like there primary power has been disabled too. That'll put transporters off-line, good shooting ensign. Engines are down too, I'd guess they've lost thrusters.' Another check. 'They're still alive, but one is unconscious a human, nothing terminal. We'll leave them for a while.' He stood and moved his armrest console. then he saw Hope struggling out of the chair. 'Are you all right Ensign?'

'Fine sir, just winded.'

Marcus helped her from the chair and grabbed his tricorder. He scanned the protesting girl. 'A bit more than winded, you've a broken rib.' He removed his rucksack and rummaged around inside it for a while. He found what it was he was seeking and then emerged with a roll of tape and a hyposyringe. 'A binding and a painkiller is all I can offer for the time being.'

'Sounds good,' huffed the ensign.

It took him less than three minutes to remove her jacket and wrap the tape around the flinching Barret's service issue vest and then administer the drug.

'Why didn't you give the drug first?'

Ohlson smiled. 'It was either because I'm a sadist, or that I wanted you fully aware so that I didn't wrap the wrong rib.'

'Oh.' She lowered her arms.. The pain was receding. She put one arm into her jacket, it didn't hurt as much as she expected. The other arm went into its sleeve with even fewer twinges. 'I'm okay. Will you be telling Devereaux about the Vorta?'

'No, it wouldn't do any good, not yet.'

'Then, what do we do now?'

'Firstly, I'm going to see what damage we caused this ship.' He was tapping the instructions for the ship's damage estimation program. When he had received that he frowned, he tapped some more to verify what the estimation had told him.

'What's the news?'

'Mixed,' he said, 'all the primary functions are find, engine, shields and weapons...'

'I hear a 'but'.'

'Yes, we've burnt out the transporters., and all but internal communications.' He looked back at the ensign. 'Now we do the other thing.'

'What's that?' asked Barret.

Report to the others.' Ohlson was standing, he'd put the medical equipment away and was slinging the rucksack back over his shoulder. 'And try to avoid Devereaux.'

'Franklin.'

The lieutenant in question tapped his combadge. 'Here sir.'

'Report?'

'Two dead, one wounded - not seriously. I have reason to believe that P'feula,' he named the Vulcan who had been one of Shirer's two outriders on the top floor, 'is fine, he's firing at someone sporadically ahead of my position.' Franklin had already reported the other member of Shirer's team as missing.

We are stuck behind the central stairway's pillar, but I think the attack was blunted.

I've no idea of how many attacked, but we've hit three or four, over.'

'Good,' responded Shirer. Franklin's was the last report in from his people. In total out of the twenty who had entered the block, six were dead, eight injured, and three unaccounted for, including Domenski, of the three that were uninjured he was one of them. It did appear that they had repelled the assault. Now for the tricky part, getting everyone still alive back to the lifts without incurring further fatalities. He had already dismissed the notion of continuing along the block in search of communications posts or weapons. Jaedener had informed him that at least two of the attackers that survived were sited in front of them. 'Lieutenant Franklin, start evacuating your people to the end of the block, do not attempt to enter the corridor. You would only get hit in the crossfire. Remember to take the weapons from the dead.

The rest of us will give you as much cover as we can.'

'Very good sir.'

He tapped his combadge to get P'feula's attention. The Vulcan responded.

'Leave with Lieutenant Franklin.'

'Yes sir.' That was all.

Shirer looked around him. The firing had subsided. The enemy seemed to be in as bad, if not worse condition than the Starfleet people. He saw the body of Gary Trainer lying where it had fallen. Gary was the only confirmed death on this level, although Shirer suspected that all three of the missing were dead. One had gone from each of the levels, and they were all the scouts that Shirer had posted ahead.

'Shirer to Baker.'

'Baker here.' The speaker was a small blonde who was whispering into her combadge as she squinted into the darkness ahead on the first level. Her leg hurt, but then having it singed by a disruptor probably explained that.

'We'll stay in position until Franklin reports that he is at the entrance, then we'll cover your retreat.'

'Very good sir.' She thought she saw a shadow flicker, it could have been a trick of her eyes after all the flashes and thumps. She fired at it anyway.

Sia, Smith and Colimo had arrived at the base of the lifts without further incident. The tall Indian searched about him and saw that Devereaux only gave the group a cursory glance. He waited until the captain's attention was brought back to the discussion he was having with a medic - they seemed to be talking into a combadge to a third party - then Sia told the rest to move quickly to Mc Sorley.

They half ran and half walked into the dimmer section of the area, hoping that Devereaux, if he were to look, would be unable to determine how many were in the group.

They made it to Mc Sorley in under a minute.

Kausler was restless, she didn't feel the most useful after losing her rifle. And it wasn't as if she could just go and pick one up.

Mico was taking it steady. He fired only when he knew he could hit something, and that had been often enough to make him worry that his phaser was not too far from being depleted. He scanned ahead, there had been little movement for the last few minutes. 'They must know that Shirer is going to try to get back.'

T'sella was still a few centimeters behind him. 'That would be the logical time to attack. Shirer would in effect block us from defending his retreat.'

'Oh,' put in the engineer, 'remind me to tell you of my plan to get us out of here.'

T'sella probably raised an eyebrow, but if she did there was no one about to see it.

'Where would you like us to go?' Sia was kneeling alongside Mc Sorley.

'One of you go to d'Amatsu and T'sella, see if they need relief.

One, go and check the room with the airlock,' she turned to the restless Kausler,' you go too. Make me happy and tell me we're safe from attacks from that quarter.'

'And the last?' asked Sia.

'You can stay and keep me company.'

The Chief Engineer smiled then turned to the others. 'Lieutenant Smith, go with the Yeoman.'

Alex Smith was up and waiting for Gretchen to follow.

'Colimo, you see the others.'

The Bolian was away. He settled beside T'sella and whispered to her that he was there if anyone needed a break. No one did, but the Chief stayed where he was.

Sia moved further into the limited cover that was available.

'Where is he, or don't I want to know?'

'They went to cripple the Shoeman.'

Mc Sorley sighed. 'I knew that I didn't want to know.' She looked beyond Sia. Things were not looking better for it. Devereaux was approaching them.

Kausler and Smith were at the now closed door to the airlock. Smith listened, there was no sound.

'There will be nothing to hear,' pointed out Kausler.

'What exactly did you do?'

She gave a small shrug. 'Probably, fractured the airlock and opened the room to the outside, and the blast would have killed those inside the room as well as those entering. It may have shredded a few environment suits and would certainly have destroyed or damaged whatever was in those crates.' She seemed more thoughtful. 'The crates,' she was looking around them, 'where did they leave the container?'

The lift door opened. Ohlson took a look around before walking out with Ensign Barret. He could not see Devereaux. Then he caught the movement of the tall figure about ten meters away. She was kneeling beside two others, and they had what appeared to be a floor panel off.

He turned and headed in the direction he had last known Mc Sorley to be. Nilis went back to whatever she was doing at the open floor panel.

'Sir?'

Ohlson stopped as Mico d'Amatsu neared him. 'Aren't you supposed to be somewhere Lieutenant?'

'Yes sir, over there,' indicated his position, 'but T'sella suggested I tell you my plan as soon as I can?'

'Did she?'

'Yes sir.'

He glanced at the gathering around Devereaux, he wouldn't like to be kept waiting. 'Go ahead lieutenant tell me your plan.'

He arrived in time to hear Devereaux start his talk with Mc Sorley. The captain stopped as he saw the commander and ensign approach. 'Anything to report Commander?'

Ohlson knelt alongside Sia. Barret went to the other side of Devereaux. She pointed her rifle into the gloom

'All the vessels are in place and there is - as yet - no sign of the Jem'Hadar making a foothold in the pylon.'

The captain nodded. He seemed to be wondering whether or not to question Ohlson then he put it to one side. 'Shirer is coming out, I need for some people to get to the other side of the corridor and give them cover.

Before we work on that I have another announcement. We have a way to signal Starfleet, perhaps even initiate two-way communications.' He paused to let the import of that sink in. 'We have uncovered a conduit attached to the bases computer, and we've been able to tap into it. We can listen, and we can use it to send a message.

We only need time.'

'Excuse me sir.' Mc Sorley was the one who interrupted.

'What is it Commander?'

'If you were listening, didn't you get any messages concerning the attack?'

Devereaux shuffled a little. 'No, the messages we've been tapping seem to be about supplying this garrison, and with maneuverings of the two ships above us...'

'Two?'

Devereaux was now looking at Ohlson.

'There's three sir. We detected them prior to landing here. The two fighters would still be about, but the attempt to get in through the airlock tells us that the battleship is still out there too.' He paused. 'I think they know you're listening.

Whose idea was it to use the conduit?'

'Why would that matter?'

'Probably doesn't sir, I just wondered.'

Devereaux seemed to be annoyed but not wishing to show it. He was still thinking.

Mc Sorley shot Ohlson a look, it was obvious to him that she thought he had said too much.

'Shirer to Devereaux, come in.' The voice came from Devereaux's combadge. He tapped it once in answer.

'Devereaux here, what is it Lieutenant?'

Shirer's voice was low, Ohlson and Mc Sorley had to strain to hear what was being said. 'We are all at the entrance to this block, they do not appear to be following, but I am awaiting instructions.

I have six dead and eight injured, two seriously, six able-bodied.' He stopped.

Ohlson looked into the corridor that the lieutenant would have to bring the injured. 'I have an idea Captain.'

Shirer was sitting down beside an injured ensign, her arm was mangled by the look of it. He glanced back into the gloom. Nothing stirred, he hoped that meant they had given the Dominion troops a bloody enough nose to deter them. He checked his phaser, just in the eventuality that he was indulging in wishful thinking. Where was Devereaux?

'Devereaux to Shirer?'

'Here sir.'

'You'll have to wait a while longer lieutenant, but help is on its way.'

Smith had the container and between them Kausler and he had moved it into the midst of the main hall.

'Can you open it?'

Smith scratched his head. 'Titanium shielded tungsten carbon alloy, probably two or three centimeters thick, with a genetically coded lock. Made to withstand vacuum travel, heat of one thousand degrees Celsius, and indirect blast...' He checked his rifle, 'sure I can open it.' He aimed and fired a pulse of phaser into the locking mechanism.

There was a shower of sparks and a rattle as something whizzed away into the hall.

Kausler waved the smoke away and looked down. The lid was closed but the lock was in pieces. She bent and pulled at the lid. It was hot. She kicked the lid upward, it opened.

They looked down.

'How many of these crates did you say they had in that room?' asked Smith.

'I'd guess around a hundred.' She knelt and picked up a singed and smoking black and red Starfleet uniform. It had, she noticed, a regulation combadge attached.

'Can't say that I think of an innocuous reason for the Dominion to have a large supply of standard issue Starfleet uniforms.'

Gretchen nodded in agreement. 'Not counting that they have, or thought they had, the Shoeman and the Hawaii as well.'

Smith lifted the top uniform, there was another below it. It even had rank insignia, a junior lieutenant's in the case of the one he held. That's my rank, he thought.

'They are stuck in that block because the Dominion have the next two that look down this corridor and means they have to walk in the line of fire to get back here, We have eight environment suits, and the docking pylon. I suggest we send eight outside and around the back of the two blocks above the one Shirer is in, we go in and attack them from the rear.

That should allow Shirer to get his people out and even add to the firepower against the troops still at this end of the building.

By our intelligence there are eleven in the furthest block and fourteen in the middle, and that's not counting the few we've killed when they attacked.'

'What about the battleship and the landing parties?' Devereaux seemed interested if not enthusiastic.

'The longer we wait the more likely it is that they will reinforce the blocks, but we have the element of surprise.' He paused. It seemed that Devereaux was going to go along with his idea. 'There is more sir.'

'What would the more be?'

'One of my people has came up with a plan to escape.'

'Escape the prison?'

'No, to escape the Dominion blockade.'

That quieted him.

'Would you like to hear it sir?'

Devereaux nodded, so too, he noticed, did Sia and Mc Sorley.

'I suggest that during the operation that Commodore Nilis be kept in charge of monitoring the signal traffic and perhaps thinking up misinformation to supply.'

Devereaux kept his face straight. 'I think that could be arranged. How tell me about this plan?'

It took fifteen minutes to organize everyone. The eight environment suits had been donned by Ohlson, Singh, Smith, Barret, T'sella, Tambecki, and two of the Hawaii's old crew an ensign named Coles, and a lieutenant named Brisset. The Hawaii personnel were unarmed, and were to stay behind the others until that condition was remedied. Mc Sorley, d'Amatsu, Colimo and Kausler were to stay where they were to give some protection to Shirer if Ohlson's operation failed. And, although it was not said, to implement d'Amatsu's plan if the others perished or where captured.

Devereaux had already visited Nilis, and on his return had announced that the Commodore was working on a scheme to tap into the personal communications device of the troops in the blocks to see if Shirer could make a break for it.

'The commodore has been told that you are going out to sabotage the communications array that links the troops here to the ships above,' he shrugged, 'I suppose if you found the array and did notice that it was vulnerable then you could attack it. But that is not your prime objective.'

So, Ohlson thought, 'he has came down on the side of those who believe the commodore to be a spy, and he is telling them to go ahead. I wonder what he intends doing to Nilis if the second part of the plan gets started? 'Very good sir, we'll start now and maintain radio silence, when the shooting starts and we are able I will be in contact.

The captain nodded. 'Good luck Augustus.' With that he was gone.

'Good luck from us too.' Mc Sorley was looking the most nervous of all those present.

'See you soon.' He turned and led the others to the lifts. They're route to the moon's surface was via the ships that were docked there.

Mc Sorley disliked this part of any operation the most, the waiting. She settled down to make the most of it, she'd give him ten minutes then do the rounds and make sure the remainder of Augustus' crew were ready.

The eight had reached the lifts. They entered, Ohlson tapped the panel and the doors closed.

'Which ship will we go out by?' Sia was adjusting his rifle.

'Ours, oh and,' he turned to ensure that Coles and Brisset could not hear him, 'we will be taking the Augustus with us.'

Sia stared at his commander. The plan as he had heard it was to unlock the docking clamps and lower the ship to the surface and then disembark. The Augustus was got going with them. The Indian realized that Ohlson was still not prepared to tell everything to Captain John Devereaux.

'You don't seem surprised,' said Ohlson.

The chief engineer looked thoughtful. 'No, I don't suppose that I am.'

The lift doors opened, they had reached level three.

In the dormitory block, Shirer was trying to make himself comfortable, which was hard, he had sent two men into the block to find out what they could about the Dominion positions. He hoped they'd be all right, they couldn't really lose anymore people and not be overrun by a half-determined assault. He wondered what Devereaux was up to too.

They entered the bridge of the Augustus without incident.

Marcus had reopened the computer and then reinitialized the primary systems. They were all in place.

Ohlson sat in his chair, the environment suits were bulky but nobody was taking theirs off. Sia had gone to the engine room along with T'sella and Coles, an archeologist that had been assigned to the Hawaii. He had been grossly unused to combat but Devereaux had told Ohlson that Coles was very versatile. As for the other Hawaii crew member, Brisset, a twenty-five year old who hailed from Ostend in Belgium, she was an astrophysicist, tall, leggy and overflowing with confidence. She sat at Smith's station. Barret was at navigation, Tambecki had the helm, and Smith was in Tactical.

Ohlson opened an internal communications link. 'Now hear this, this is the captain speaking.

Everyone take your positions, ready for departure. Bring the weapons on-line.'

'Weapons are fully functional and ready,' reported Smith.

'Sia are the transporters salvageable?'

'Negative sir, we've lost that same coil we burnt out before. It'll be ages until we can replicate a new one.'

So no transporters, thought Ohlson, 'it'll make the job a little more difficult but... 'Are the sensors fully operational?'

'Yes sir,' Barret had been scanning the readouts as soon as she had the sensors working.

'Put the forward view on screen.'

The blank screen disappeared to be replaced by the looming and gray arm of the pylon, nothing else was visible.

'Okay Ensign, what's out there?'

The fighters are too far to be a problem, twenty-eight and twenty-nine thousand kilometers, there is no sign of the battleship. I am picking up residual ion tracks of three small vessels, probably shuttles, they are somewhere between three hundred and five hundred meters off our port bow.

There are upwards of twelve bodies in and around the nearest airlock...'

Nice one Gretchen, thought Ohlson.

'...There are no troops within fifty meters, although I am picking up ten life signs near the airlock of the block containing Commander Shirer and his people.'

'Don't they know we're here?' Brisset speak aloud.

'Yes, they do, but I think they expect us to go on foot from here.'

The Belgium looked unsure of herself.

'What's the state of affairs on the Shoeman?'

'Two life signs, the injured one is slightly improved from the last time, they still have no shields no power and no weapons, their life support is taking everything that they have.'

Ohlson seemed happy with that. 'Sia?'

'Yes sir.'

'Give us half thrusters, maintain the minimal of power and keep all you can in case the shields need it.

Power up the weapons, and take us out Lieutenant Tambecki.'

Ben turned on the thrusters, the ship shook a little as the engines sought for and reached equilibrium with the gravity and motion of the moon. Then she applied the slightest of power to the reverse engines, they moved a little then they met the resistance of the clamps, then they were free.

'Take us ninety degrees to port.'

Tambecki nudged the controls to comply.

The pylon moved from the viewscreen, they could now see the side of the prison, and the roofs of the other blocks in the distance.

'Ahead slow, look for those troops.'

Tambecki increased the thrust and the Augustus moved away from the pylon and around the side of the prison. Below them they could see the grayish soil of the moon's surface and several bodies that had been blew away from the airlock.

'The fighters are reacting, they're starting to move in this direction,' Barret was doing some rapid calculations, 'they should be within weapons' range in three minutes.'

'Time enough. Keep us on course for the rear of that block, find the Dominion soldiers.'

'Got them!' Smith had been narrowing the sensor search until he had struck gold. 'There are ten, no twenty troops at the rear of the building. It doesn't look like they're aware of our approach.'

'Let's keep it that way, fire wide-band phasers, and sweep that area clean of Dominion soldiery.'

Smith had already aimed the phasers. He fired two swift bursts, then another two and then another. He checked for damage. 'They are retreating, well what's left of them are retreating, I can count six moving to the nearest cover. None of the others are alive.'

'One more blast after them, then Ben take us into those hills as fast as you can, and Lieutenant Smith fire on any targets you see.' He indicated a small series of ridges several hundred meters to their starboard bow. 'Engage.'

Tambecki turned the ship in the desired direction and sent a surge of power to the thrusters. The Augustus leapt away from the prison.

'Two minutes until the fighters are within range.' Barret thought she sounded very calm, she wondered why she wasn't nervous.

Smith had his first glimpse of a Dominion shuttle in less than twenty seconds. As the Augustus flew towards the horizon, a small landing craft rose from behind a crater's ridge. It tried to move in the direction of the approaching fighters and safety.

Smith hit it before it was thirty meters off the ground. It was not a heavily armoured vehicle, nor was it highly agile. It was a sturdy and competent carrier of troops. It had no defense for the twin shafts of phasers than struck it repeatedly. It was a crashing wreck before the Augustus was past its position.

'I'm reading thirty life signs, or ex-life signs.'

Ohlson made no comment concerning Barret's report. 'Take us back Lieutenant.

Deposit us alongside the Shoeman then raise shields and wait.'

'Wait?' Tambecki wasn't certain she'd heard the captain correctly.

'Yes, you and Ensign T'sella are to stay on board and kept the ship operational and ready for instant action. Await my orders and on no account stray away from the Shoeman. It would probably be wise to maintain communication blackout with the prison, I'm not certain of just how good the Dominion are at eavesdropping.'

'Yes sir.'

'The rest of you get your suits sealed. Remember that we have no communications other than hand signals, so be careful and be alert.'

Tambecki had the ship settled a meter from the Shoeman when the rest had donned the suits and weapons. They had assembled near the exit ramp.

'The fighters are now one thousands kilometers and closing. They may arrive here before you can reach the block,' pointed out Tambecki.

'Then we had better hurry.' He sealed his helmet.

Ohlson tapped the door's control panel. There was a whish and then they were standing in the airlock, all six of them.

He waited as the pressure equalized, a red light on one wall blinked out. 'Go!' He tapped the inner door release and then they were on the moon's surface.

Sia was the first out, his long legs eating up the distance between prison and ship. Brisset was right behind him.

Smith, Coles and Barret left the ship together, each going as fast as their inexperience in environment suits and the low gravity would allow. Still, Ohlson noted as he took up the rear, they were moving at a rate of knots. He risked a look behind him at the pylon and the Augustus. He could make out the merest of silhouette of the Shoeman. Ben had put the Augustus down till it was almost touching the other ship. He looked back to his people. His rearward glance had meant the others could gain a few meters. He started to leap forward in as controlled a fashion as the low gravity would let him.

'Did you know that was his plan?'

T'sella shook her head. 'The commander does not confide in me as a rule.'

Me neither, thought Ben, and sometimes I wish he would. She started to initiate a number of diagnostical checks, she wasn't sure how long they would be here.

Sia was passing the bodies of those the ship's phasers had killed. He resisted the urge to stop he kept running for the rear of the block beyond.

Brisset did stop. She was only a meter or so behind the Indian when she spotted one of the dead soldiers. In his hands was a rifle. It looked to be in one piece. She swerved slightly to reach him and then she stopped and plucked the rifle from his dead hands. That's better, she thought, that's much better. She looked to see where Sia was, and then she recommenced the long loping strides she had been using to travel on this moon. She felt like she could contribute more to the mission now that she was armed.

Barret had been doing everything she could not to think of the two Jem'Hadar fighter hurdling in their direction. She passed the dead bodies and thought about the fact that the fighters would be trying to do to them, and her, what they had done to these troops. She shuddered and tried to put the dread away, she almost succeeded, almost.

Smith and Coles were only a meter or so behind Barret when she fell.

Coles swerved to avoid crashing, Smith was closest he grabbed the arm of the tumbling Barret and then they were running again.

Hope had not even been aware that she was falling until Smith stopped her. She tried to say thank you, but her breath was ragged. This moon walking was taking a lot of effort. She tried to remember when she had last eaten. It seemed so long ago. That couldn't be a good thing, she thought, could it?'

Ohlson was level with the trio. He had seen Smith's action and smiled in approval at how they stayed on course.

He looked ahead. They had rounded the first block and were in clear sight of the second, and their destination. Sia Singh was already there. He was working on the airlock mechanism.

The girl from the Hawaii had reached him. She had a rifle, and she was taking up position with Sia to enter the block.

As Ohlson looked the Indian and the leggy astrophysicist pushed into the small airlock, the door closed behind them and they were out of sight. He couldn't worry any further about them, he had the others and himself to get under cover before the fighters arrived. He hoped they would need at least one sweep past before they could formulate a plan. He was also hoping that whatever intelligence they were being fed from Nilis that they would be unsure of what was really happening.

A line of energy hit the ground a meter in front of him, then again, he thought, perhaps they'd have a good notion quite early. The pulse of disruptor fire cut worrying close between the figures of Smith and Barret.

Ohlson noticed then that the beam did not originate from a Jem'Hadar fighter as he had originally imagined, it had came from the right. He glanced in that direction, being careful not to bounce into any obstacles. There it was again, it danced under him. He raised his rifle and fired in the general direction.

His landing was rough and he stumbled, but it only slowed him. In seconds he was up and after the others.

They were almost at the wall of the block, he could make out the recess of the airlock door. Smith had reached it. He tapped the controls and the door opened. He entered it, the Hawaii's crewmember, Coles, walked in with him and then the door closed and they were gone.

Barret was facing the direction of the Dominion sniper. He could see her face. The face was concentrating, searching, then her eyes widened. He looked to where she was looking. A pinpoint in the sky, it was growing rapidly and there were streaks of orange red light coming from it, and heading towards them

The first of the enemy fighters had arrived.

Sia had tapped the controls of the airlock as quickly as the gloves that covered his hands allowed. He heard the noise of the environment suit of Brisset as she took up a position just behind him. The controls reacted to his presence sluggishly, then the outer door opened. He entered quickly and felt the tall figure move alongside.

The door closed and a dim red light came on.

He noted that she had acquired a rifle. He gripped his own and looked at her.

She nodded.

He tapped the small panel beside the next door. There was a small hiss and then it swung aside. The duo entered the rear of the kitchen/barracks section of the prison. Sia moved to the right, Brisset took the led form him and she moved into a crouch to the left.

The relative brightness of the moon's surface gave way to the dim interior of an anteroom. There were no furniture or other unnecessary additives present. There was just a bare room. Sia was walking to the door opposite where they had entered. the room's architecture was the same as the room beside the lifts. It had one purpose and that was to serve as an emergency exit in case of trouble.

Brisset moved to the other side of the doorway to where Sia had gone.

Sia tested the air. He was not expecting anything other than what he did find. The air was fine. He disengaged his internal environment settings and removed his helmet. He attached it to the rear backpack. Now he had more freedom to move, and he could hear.

Brisset was trying to control her own breathing. Sia indicated that she should do what he had. She removed her helmet.

There was a whoosh. Sia backed back. Smith and Coles entered the room in a similar fashion, although less elegant, as Singh and Brisset had.

Their helmets came off as soon as they saw the others.

Barret raised the rifle at the fighter. A blast hit the wall beside her. She was momentarily confused before she realized that the sniper was still in action.

Ohlson was facing the airlock. He believed the sniper was injured or else a lousy shot, but the fighter was getting too close. He shoved Barret back to the door. She resisted at first not comprehending what was happening. Then she understood. Ohlson pushed the petit Barret in front of him and into the open door. As he closed it he saw the disruptor fire head towards them.

He reached the 'open' panel a second after the outer door had shut. He touched it and then they were tumbling into the anteroom.

There was a thud and a shiver as the blasts struck the outer wall. they would not penetrate the reinforced shell of the prison, but they would certainly warn any who did not already know that intruders were close at hand.

Ohlson rose and helped Barret. They removed their helmets. 'Right let's go in.' He noted that Coles was still unarmed. 'Coles, stay back until we get you a weapon.'

The small archaeologist nodded and held back until the others had positioned themselves by the door. Sia and Smith stood to the right, Brisset, Barret and Coles were on the left.

'Ready?' asked.

They nodded or mumbled affirmatives.

'We go to our right, you to the left. If it moves its Dominion, so shoot it.' He tapped Sia's shoulder. 'Open the door.'

The Indian tapped the wall panel. The door slid aside. The main block was brighter than the anteroom. They ran into it, their weapons searching for movement and threat.

Shirer tapped his badge. There was no reply from Jaedener. He tapped it again.

'Jaedener here.'

He felt the relief sweep through him, he had been worried that Jaedener's silence was the first sign of a counterattack. 'What's your status?'

'Nothing new to report, there's the odd noise from pretty far into the block, but no signs of movement.'

'Keep me informed.'

'Sir?'

'What is it?'

'Is there any news of the others?'

He meant did Shirer know when the rescuers would arrive. 'No, but it's early yet.' He wondered did Jaedener believe it, he wasn't sure he believed it itself.

The block was a shambles, it had been badly damaged in the torpedo attack. Pieces of metal and debris littered as far as they could see. There was a lot of cover for Ohlson and his team, but there was lots of cover for the enemy too.

The 'rescuers' spread out as best they could. There had been little noise as they entered. Sia ran to a large doorway that opened to his right - it looked like a storeroom for foodstuffs. Brisset had the weapon aimed as she ran. Ohlson was behind her and heading deeper into the block, he had spied a consoled bulkhead.

Barret was the nearest to the door, she was scanning the interior as Smith dived behind an upturned hovercart, the type used to move heavy stores. He rose and pointed his rifle forward. Coles was diving in behind him when the shooting started.

It was Brisset who fired. She swept the interior, taking little time to memorize the layout - long room, some upturned machines, a lot of spilt bags from the hovercart, a movement... She had the movement isolated and targeted before her brain had even confirmed that what she had seen was a Jem'Hadar soldier turning. He was fifty meters away, far enough to have heard little of their approach considering he had been as close to the fighter's fire as they had. He was raising his disruptor. She pulled the trigger.

The pulse veered away from him, she corrected. She hit the wall of the kitchen the same time as she killed the soldier.

She had been concentrating on firing and had run headlong into the wall. She stumbled, but kept hold of her gun. Sia was turned and pulling her up.

Ohlson was firing.

Someone else was firing, and then she was inside the storeroom.

'Are you okay?'

She nodded in response to Sia's question. She was dazed, and felt not a little clumsy at running into the first obstacle that confronted her.

Sia was smiling. 'Well done.'

'What do you mean?'

'You hit a target while running, quite a nice piece of marksmanship.

As for the wall, I'd rather you'd hit it than ignored the threat to us all.'

She grinned. 'Still, it'd have been a lot more impressive without the wall.'

Ohlson was moving again. He had spied three, they had hit two including the one Brisset had felled. That left one more close and eleven somewhere near.

Smith fired.

'Where?' called Ohlson.

'Upstairs level one, I saw two move out of one of the rooms.'

Barret was scanning the stairs in front of them. 'Nothing close by, one is inside room four up to our right.'

'Is she okay?'

Sia looked at Brisset. She took the cue. 'Yes, she is.'

The commander couldn't help but smile. 'Then move up the block, and be careful, Alex and I will cover, I think they know we're here.'

She stood, Sia waited until she was ready and then they ran out and turned into the next open doorway.

Coles and Barret were right behind

'Was that firing?' Mc Sorley strained to hear. Perhaps it was something being moved.

'Yep!' answered d'Amatsu. 'It would seem that the commander has entered the building via the back door.'

'At least that meant all that shooting outside the place hasn't killed them all.' They had heard the strafing from both the Augustus and the Jem'Hadar fighters and had no idea of who or what were the targets as the communications were down.

She looked over to the lifts and the three people who remained around the open floor panel. I wonder what Nilis is doing now, she must have some notion that the game is up.

The sounds of shooting stopped. She wondered was that a good omen?

'They are still there, at least two of them.' Smith followed his scope as it probed the outer reaches of the large hall.

Sia had run to the dead soldier. 'Coles!'

The man looked to where the chief was.

'Come here.'

He ran to the engineer. The others were continually moving their weapons, seeking the next sign of the enemy.

Sia handed the man the dead Jem'Hadar's rifle.

'Great,' he seized it and checked it. The power level was at three-quarters, and it was ready to fire.

'Okay Lieutenant Smith, are you ready to move out?'

'Ready.'

Marcus started to run, Smith followed keeping a gap of a few meters between them. In no time at all they had reached the consoled pillar. The console itself was dead, the reason for the lack of power was not clear on close examination.

Ohlson caught Sia's eye and pointed to the next room on their right. The left side of the block was devoid of openings, but congested with piping and ventilator openings. Made sense, thought, this is the kitchen and stores, they would need more ventilation and service ducts.

He checked his people. All were apparently well enough to continue, and continue they had to. If they stopped or where repulsed then it would be only a matter of time until either a detachment from a shuttle came in behind them, or the Jem'Hadar in front picked them off.

They had paused long enough.

Ohlson held up his left hand and commenced a countdown using his five fingers. Sia rose as he held up two, when his last finger bent the two men were moving, weapons held out and ready, into the room.

That was when the Jem'Hadar attacked.