Chapter Eight.

Mc Sorley was moving around between d'Amatsu, and Colimo. Kausler was just waiting, she felt next to useless with no rifle.

'When do we know to move out?' asked Mico.

'That's Devereaux's call,' and I wish he'd hurry up and make it. She tapped her combadge. 'Mc Sorley to Devereaux.'

There was only a pause of a few seconds. 'Devereaux here, what is it?'

'Permission to move the perimeter into the corridor. The shooting from the block would indicate that the enemy is at least distracted momentarily. There may be no better time to get Commander Shirer and his squad back to safety.'

A longer pause. 'Okay Mc Sorley, take your people as far as Shirer's position, stay in the corridor if you can and start ferrying the rest to us. I'll have a medical team at your position waiting. I'll notify Shirer that you're on your way.

Good luck.'

'You heard the man,' she tapped d'Amatsu's shoulder. 'Stay on this side, I'll take the point and Colimo can go to my right.' She stood up, still keeping a watchful eye into the gloom. 'Wait till you hear my order.'

With that she was gone, thirty seconds passed before Mico heard her.

'Move in.'

He rose from his keeling position, made a small groan as the muscles that had been tensed as he knelt protested at the unasked for activity. He started to walk tentatively into the corridor.

Mc Sorley was in the middle and a meter ahead of the others. She kept her rifle directed in front and scanned the limits of her vision.

It was Colimo who saw the enemy first. He was a third of the way to the entrance of the block where Shirer waited. He was keeping his advantage slow so he could maintain a steady hand and kept his scope on the debris that filled the further reaches of the corridor on his left side, the side that Mico was walking directly toward. He saw a glint. It had not been there before, it was not a trick of the light, and it was not something he intended to study until it became clear as to its origins and intent. He fired two bursts of phaser at it.

It moved.

Mc Sorley saw it and fired too.

Mico was looking at the other wall. He saw the flash as a weapon was fired at him. He dived as the searing blast impacted on the debris to his left. It had been close enough to burn his shoulder. He was up and firing, instinct took over. He quickened his pace and fired continuously. It would have been impossible for him to say if he had hit anything. He just moved forward seeking the shelter that he hoped would appear.

Colimo was moving even faster. He saw Mico stumble, then he fired at whoever fired at d'Amatsu. He jumped a small obstacle of fallen wall. Then he saw another movement in the line of debris, he fired at it. It twisted and fell. It had been a soldier, now it was a soldier with some of his face burnt off.

The entrance to the block was just ahead. He fired again, this time blindly.

Mc Sorley had slowed to aim at the attackers. It occurred to her that the sound of firing was more extensive than accounted by the meager firearms that her group processed. From the corner of her eye she saw the muzzle flashes of hand-held phasers, they were coming from the block. Shirer and his people had joined in the battle.

Commander Shirer had his people on alert since he had been told that someone was on their way. He had heard the blasts of the spaceships and concluded that a party was entering, or trying to, via the rear of the block he was in. But, then the shooting had commenced behind him.

It had taken a minute or so to organize some support for the advance into the corridor. He did not dare move the two men from securing the block and their rear. He did send two others, and himself to add to the firepower. The two with him were both numbered among the walking wounded, and while only providing a limited strength he felt that it might be enough. The Jem'Hadar might not be in a position to take on a three-fronted assault.

He saw a shadow amid the debris and he fired. There was a noise, he spun around to face it.

'Good evening Commander.'

'Good evening Lieutenant-Commander.'

Mc Sorley was beside him. Mico was lying behind some rubble, he fired at something then scanned for another target.

Colimo was past them, he kept to their side of the corridor but took up position three meters ahead of them. He aimed into the dimness. The shooting in the corridor stopped, although it sounded like the shooting in the next block was intensifying.

'I think they're busy,' said Shirer.

She put any concerns she may have for her colleagues in the continuing firefight out of her mind. 'Can you start evacuation now Lieutenant?'

'Yes,' he turned toward his section. 'Sovacs, help Yun and Ecclesson.' He tapped his combadge. 'Everyone make for the stairway and evacuation. Jaedener?'

'Yes sir.'

'You and I have the rear, move back slow and easy I'll be waiting. Tell me when you're descending.'

Jaedener waited after he had received the message. He relaxed and did yet another scan of the interior. He adjusted the illumination levels and scanned again. He could see the blur where the cooling corpse of Ensign Domenski lay. He moved the sight.

He swept past the central pillar. He rose and followed the stairs. He was past the console before he paused. The console? Where was the console?'

He swept back and stopped. The console had been lit, faintly but lit, the lighting only noticeable in the top level of illumination scope. It was a heat signature but one he had passed countless times when he swept the block for the enemy. Why was it gone?

He adjusted the scope so that it took in less light but focused. He read the range as the scope made the adjustment. He centered it on where he believed the console lights had been and then he waited.

Shirer had moved Baker and her section to the ground floor, the four from the upper level was here already. 'Take up a rearguard position until Lieutenant Jaedener gets here,' he told a small woman in the uniform of security. She walked to their right and took up a position facing where they believed the enemy was. She favoured her right side as she had a small but painful piece of shrapnel in her side.

Seven had already departed, including most of the wounded. Four remained, Shirer, the young security guard Baker, and Jaedener. Shirer tapped the combadge again with Jaedener's code. What was keeping him?

He heard the taps but didn't move. He fought to keep the strain from closing his eyes. The console was there, he was certain, and he didn't believe it could have cooled so quickly. He licked his lips. A glass of spring cool water would be a treat at this moment, he thought. Then he saw the reddish glow of the console. His aim had been out by nearly a meter. He swung the center of the scope to the glow, he searched for the dark edge and found it. This was what was obscuring the console, a Dominion sniper was readying for a shot. He started to squeeze his trigger.

The Jem'Hadar who had painfully and methodically crawled into a vantage point five meters above and fifteen in front of Lieutenant Jaedener fired too. He had aimed at the unmoving figure until it had flinched. Jaedener's movement to get a shot at the enemy had left him open.

'What was that?' Shirer was moving back to cover. Mc Sorley was kneeling beside him. They were responding to the double blast that came from the interior.

'One disruptor and a phaser,' pointed out Mc Sorley, 'call your man again.'

The attack on the eight that had entered via the rear of the kitchen block was swift and intense. Sia and Brisset had almost reached the room when the firing started. One Jem'Hadar emerged from the room and was all but cut in half as Sia and Brisset both fired and hit him. A second ran out before they had recovered from the first shook and he fired before Brisset felled him with a clean shot to the chest.

Ohlson was temporarily blinded by a cascade of sparks and a blast of heat as he ran forward. He lost his footing and fell heavily. Barret got two shots off before she was forced to dive to cover. Smith was behind he bent to help his commander.

Coles was standing wondering what to do. Two Jem'Hadar soldiers hit him almost at the same time, he crumpled lifeless to the ground.

Barret twisted until she could see from under the large metallic table she had taken shelter under. She saw Smith lift the commander. He had his face covered with his right hand but she saw a trickle of blood seep through his fingers. Smith turned and hurried to the room where Sia and Brisset had run. Barret saw the Jem'Hadar duo racing down the middle of the block, their firing was heavy but poorly aimed. They were the ones who had killed Coles.

Pulses flashed around the two men still without cover. Barret aimed and fired, she missed, and fired again. One of the soldiers swerved as he realized he had been targeted, the other kept firing.

Out of the corner of her eye, and in what seemed to be slow motion, Barret caught the disruptor blast from the running soldier hit Smith. He released as both men tumbled to the ground.

'No!' she hadn't even realized that she was yelling. She did realize that she was firing. Her fourth shot, and the fifth slammed the runner to the block's floor.

She was out of breath and could feel her heart thumping in her breast. She could see the bodies of Coles, and Smith. The injured was in no-man's land, and she had no idea what had became of either Sia or the Belgian, but she did think they had walked into a blast of rifle fire.

She ran her hand down her face. She wondered what she should do now.

Sia was wondering the same.

He looked about them. The room was a storeroom. Cabinets and boxes lined the walls. From the smell he guessed grain had been the main ingredient of the boxes. Some of which had been scattered and busted by the violence. Other than himself, Brisset, the stores and the dead Jem'Hadar the room was empty.

He glanced at Brisset. She was holding her left leg where the disruptor had cut a slice from above her knee. It wasn't bleeding, the disruptor would have cauterized the wound as it made it. But she knew that when she walked it would open the unhealed wound and then she would bleed. And it was a long cut, bleeding might well endanger her life at this point.

'I'm fine, just get me to a medic inside ten minutes and I'm sure I'll be back playing tennis in no time.'

'Tennis?'

'Yes, what's wrong with tennis?'

He was scanning the block. 'Nothing, but I thought you'd be better suited to mountaineering and sub aqua sports, not 'tennis'.'

She pondered on whether or not he was insulting her.

Sia spotted the Vorta, he was moving stealthily across from the middle pillar of the block, then he saw the second walking only a couple of meters behind the first. Sia took aim, being careful to move slowly and not let the rifle's muzzle go into the main block where someone further along his side could see it poking out. He centered the sight, then he trained it to the second figure, back to the first and then he fired. The rifle moved rapidly and then he fired again, and a third time. Then he was seating with his back to the wall and looking at the injured Brisset. 'I used to play tennis at the academy, I'll play you sometime.'

Brisset looked pleasantly surprised at the offer. She looked at the leg, she'd take him up, if she managed not to bleed to death in the next half and hour.

Jaedener couldn't move.

He was lying face down, his arm was numb, so were his legs.

The rifle was lying a few centimeters from his fingers. He couldn't muster enough strength to get his hands to lift the weapon.

He didn't need to see if he had hit the soldier he had been aiming at, he knew that he had gotten a good sight and he had enough confidence in his abilities to believe that his shot had been true. One more soldier of the Dominion was going to miss his bedtime story. He groaned as a spasm of pain shot down his right side.

He knew in what direction the shot that hit him had came from, he even could praise the professionalism of the sniper, but it still hurt.

And it was getting worse.

'Jaedener?'

The voice...

'Lieutenant?'

'I'm here,' he called to the voice behind him. He heard the shoes scuffle nearer.

'Lieutenant Jaedener?'

'Yes Commander?'

Shirer bent down and scanned the injured man with a tricorder. He grimaced as he read the conclusions.

'I have spinal injuries and have lost some blood, my chances are slim, and the sniper who did this is still out there...'

There was a loud report.

'No he's not.' Mc Sorley's voice came from the level below.

From where he lay Jaedener could make out the shadow of the first officer as she moved to a position under the injured man.

'Good shot Lieutenant-Commander.'

'We'll have to lift you lieutenant,' said Shirer.

'I know.'

'I can give you some painkiller, but it was not intended for injuries as severe as these, it probably will only dull the pain a little.'

Jaedener tried to nod and failed. He could move his head a little but the way he was laying prevented the movement. 'I understand.

I'm ready when you are.'

He had bearly time to get that statement out when he was pulled away from the parapet of the gangway and up and on to the shoulders of Commander Shirer. A stifled moan escaped from him.

Mc Sorley's eyes moved around the area to the front of them. She could still see the place where the sniper had hid. She had watched like this earlier when Shirer had walked up the steps and made such a show of finding Jaedener. That was what had brought out the sniper, it had taken Mc Sorley only a few seconds to find him and fire. A few seconds that had cost another Dominion trooper his life. She noticed that the shooting from the adjacent block had ceased she couldn't remember when that had happened. She walked cautiously backward. She hoped the lull meant that and the others were making their way back to the rest.

Barret had thought she was going to have a coronary when the shooting started again. It was so close, and then she realized that it was from the room where Lieutenant Singh and Brisset had gone. It had been a phase rifle so that meant that Singh was still alive. She felt relief at finding out she was not alone.

She twisted until she could look over in the direction of the shooting. 'Lieutenant Singh?'

'Yes.'

'Any suggestions?'

In the room the Indian found himself smiling. The ensign hid her fears well, better than she probably thought that she did. He glanced at where the two Vorta had been. There was nothing to be seen of the enemy. They were probably in as bad a shape as the Starfleet team. 'One, but first do a head count.'

'But, they've been-'

'Never mind what you think you know ensign, find out.'

She shrugged. She tried to remember Coles' rank, she wasn't sure whether he had been an ensign or a lieutenant. It hardly matters, she thought, now. 'Lieutenant Coles?'

No reply. 'Lieutenant Coles.'

Nothing.

Sia didn't bother correcting the rank that she had attributed to Coles, it didn't really matter in the circumstances.

'Lieutenant Smith.'

She was about to shout again, when she thought she heard a moan.

'Lieutenant Smith?'

'Here.' It was low and mostly said to the floor, but it was his voice.

Barret smiled with relief.

'Commander?'

'Still breathing ensign, still here.' He blinked and a few of the numerous black spots that decorated his vision left. It would be a few more blinks until he made an impression on the multitude of dots that vied to confuse his vision.

The next call was made with more hope. 'Lieutenant Singh?'

'Here.'

'Lieutenant Brissy?'

'That's Briss-ay, ensign, B.R.I.S.S.E.T. and I'm here.'

'Can you two move at all?' Sia aimed the question at Smith and. He was unsure as to the extent of any injuries that they might have.

'My vision is returning,' moved his hand to poke at Smith. 'How about you?'

'Fine, if people would not poke me where the uniform is welded to my back.'

Barret stifled a laugh.

'I have some wounds, I don't know the extent. The backpack took the brunt of the blast, I may have an odd broken rib... But other than that I'm lying here because it seemed the wisest course of action.'

'What do you want us to do now Commander?' Sia was scanning the inside of the block as he spoke.

'Can everyone else walk and run?'

'Walk quickly, perhaps,' answered Brisset.

'We will have to continue as planned. I doubt if it'll be necessary to delay for Shirer. I haven't heard anything outside of our position except for the odd shot. So it's rapidly as we can.'

Sia took another swept with the rifle.

'We go in the same order that we entered this place, do you all understand?'

'Yes sir,' answered Sia.

'Yes commander,' Brisset pulled herself up using the wall as support until she was standing.

Barret pulled her legs up until she was squatting. 'Yes.'

They heard a muffled 'yes' from Smith.

'Then, after three...

One...

Two...'

Sia was standing, he looked at Brisset. She had her rifle held steadily at waist level.

Barret leant forward. She was watching to see more. If they followed the same order then she and the commander where taking up the rear.

'Three!'

Sia was running out of the room. He jumped over a fallen piece of machinery. He dodged a wire conduit casing that dangled from one of the upper level walks. He had his rifle at shoulder level and he was scanning as quickly as he could in the small field of vision that enabled him to run with safety and look for the eight or thereabouts enemy that still inhabited the block.

Brisset was falling behind. She kept up as far as the hanging conduit. It wasn't that her leg was painful, it wasn't. It was weak, she knew if she went faster then she would fall. She ignored the weakness and turned the rifle's muzzle to her right and then to her left, her eyes sought out a clue that would indicate a Dominion soldier hiding.

Marcus Ohlson scrambled to his feet. He saw Sia make the machinery. He saw Brisset limp after him. Smith was up, it was obvious that movement was causing him pain in his back, but the lieutenant only glanced at the commander prior to running after the others.

As Smith moved ahead of him, he saw the lieutenant's back. The disruptor had shredded the rucksack, the straps and a blackened tatter of cloth was all that remained. Ohlson bet that the medical pack and equipment that had been in the bag had taken the force away from the blast and while he had been burnt, they had saved his life.

Ohlson hoped the lieutenant's suit was still usable, they would need it if they reached where they were going. He spied the small figure rise from the cover it had found and then Barret was a meter behind him.

'Run.'

He heeded her and ran. Before he had reached the swinging wires he heard the sounds of phasers and disruptors, they were from the direction that they were going.

Mc Sorley set the injured Jaedener down. Samantha Lockhead was over and supervising his care as she stood and turned her attention back to the corridor. The lieutenant was in some pain.

Lockhead administered some painkiller and started scanning him with the tricorder.

The sounds of firing came from the direction of the corridor. Mc Sorley was looking in that direction.

Shirer, who had been over talking to Devereaux since they had managed to get everyone back near the lifts, returned. A young-faced ensign who had not been one of his original squad was with him. 'He'll let five go.'

'Five?'

'I'd take it that would be, you and your three. Ensign Hollis,' he indicated the man alongside, 'and I will go too.'

'I'll be better.'

Shirer looked at the speaker.

Gretchen Kausler walked into the group. 'I have more experience and would be the better choice.' She held out her hand to Hollis for the phaser he was carrying.

The youngster looked at Shirer.

'Okay Yeoman, if Commander Mc Sorley agrees...'

'I do.'

'Okay Hollis, give the yeoman the weapon and return to Captain Devereaux.'

Hollis hesitated then handed the weapon to Kausler. He didn't seem sure of how to interpret the events.

'Thank you ensign,' she looked at him, 'they are my friends I appreciate that you were willing to go, but it should be me.'

He smiled tentatively and appeared mollified by her words. 'Good luck.'

She accepted his comment with a nod.

He turned and walked away.

'What is Devereaux doing with the others?'

Shirer glanced back and held back any comment on the pace of the changes that had occurred in his absence. 'Commodore Nilis is under arrest.

She was caught trying to add a signal to some information that was being sent, a flag of some kind, probably telling them they had been found out.' Shirer sounded disappointed. 'He has Lieutenant O'Halloran, one of our engineers, feeding semi-corrupted fragments of misinformation down the communications link. But I don't think he believes it'll be long before they tumble on Nilis' removal.

He's starting to evacuate the rest to the docking pylon.' He seemed apologetic at the next part. 'He's given command of the ship you called the Caesar, to me. It'll be the main evacuation vessel.' He paused. 'It also seems that your Commander has moved the Augustus.

Which, Devereaux thought was going to be his ship.'

'Moved?'

'Anyway, he's assembling everyone at the Caesar and the Gaunt until we get word from Commander Ohlson.' He smiled. 'He understands that the commander doesn't fully trust us, and he is - it seems - giving him a lot of room to do whatever it is he has planned.

I hope he knows what he's doing?'

'He does,' piped in Mc Sorley. Or at least I hope he does. 'Then let's go.' Mc Sorley signaled to d'Amatsu and Colimo. 'We're going in to get the commander.'

Sia had run over half the length of the block. He had seen no sign of the enemy. He was intent on reaching the opening to the corridor and then turning to assist the others. He heard the shots.

Brisset was gasping as she maneuvered around the obstacles, who'd have known the amount of debris and rubble that would have fallen. The blast from the torpedo had been relatively far away. She could only assume that some structural damage had emanated from the hub's room and spread into this block. She twisted to get over a metal grill that had originated two floors up. She swung her leg as the disruptor's beam hit the grill where her foot was to be.

Smith saw where the blast came from he fired from the waist. The pulse jabbed a meter or so from the target, but it did have the effect of making the shooting cease - momentarily.

Barret and Ohlson, both saw and heard the shooting, Barret slowed so as not to leave Ohlson behind. He was having difficulty avoiding the obstacles.

His knee tipped off a sheet of metal plating that lay across their path, he stumbled. Hope had his elbow and steadied him. They were running again.

A Jem'Hadar soldier spied the runners, he was at the entrance to the block. He had been one of those who had been firing on Mc Sorley and the others. Now he turned his attention to the Starfleet persons that were heading directly toward him. He nestled himself into a corner of the first floor gangway. He settled his disruptor into his shoulder. The shooting was getting near. He aimed at where he suspected they, the runners, would emerge. He waited.

Another blast, this time the sniper didn't withdraw into cover. The third shot sent Smith spiraling for cover. He ended up under a one-time kitchen table.

Sia was nearing the front of the block, none of the shots had been aimed at him. He felt a little guilty in suspecting that was because his run was the factor that was awakening the enemy to the group's approach. He halted and took up a position by the wall, there was the minimal of cover but he was more concerned that he was able to assist the rest. He scanned the vicinity, one bob of a head, twenty to twenty-five meters away, showed that someone was trying to cut out in front of the advancing people. Sia aimed at the spot where he had last seen the head move. He waited.

Brisset was having great difficulty, the firing was awkward, the enemy were a threat, but it didn't help that a few moments ago she had tried to leapfrog over a small something or other and on landing she had opened her leg wound. The next turn had resulted in her slipping in her own blood. Now, she lay behind another indeterminate object and tried to use the strap of the Jem'Hadar rifle as a tourniquet. It seemed to be slowing the blood flow but not stopping it. A crash of a disruptor blast hitting the 'something' she was hiding behind did nothing to add to her sense of optimism.

Barret fired into the darkened opening that was a doorway into a room, she sprayed the area, and had the satisfaction of hearing a 'umpt' and a crash of a falling body.

Marcus had most of his sight back. He was sweeping the area on the other side of the block. He saw nothing of note. 'Come on!'

The two of them started running again, this time they stopped when the reached a small clearing in the rubble. They stopped when a pulse glanced off Ohlson's backpack and sent him spinning downward. He landed awkwardly but nothing - he hoped - had been broken.

Barret was blasting away in the general direction of the shooter. Then a second joined in. She dived out of the line of fire. They were just over halfway down the block.

Ohlson moaned as he aggravated some bruises he had received further down the block.

'Hello Commander.'

He looked up. A meter to his right was the sitting figure of Alex Smith.

'Kinda rough out there, isn't it?'

'Kinda,' Ohlson agreed.

Another figure had joined the one that Sia was aiming at, if they didn't disappear quickly, he thought he would be able to get both of them. One looked to be a Vorta.

The Jem'Hadar had Sia, it had not been easy to move the few centimeters out so that he could get a perfect aim on the target. He had centered the sight on the top of the target's neck, it would be a killing shot The Starfleet intruder was looking into the block, the sniper was above him and ten meters away. It was an easy shot. He gently started to pull the trigger.

Mc Sorley fired at almost the same time as Colimo.

The sniper's finger still pulled the trigger but the relaxed grip that came with instant death sent the pulse into the wall. Sia still fired his rifle. Then he dived sideward.

'We can't stay here, so let's get out.' Ohlson rose and fired. Smith copied him and then Barret made the three pulses of phaser fire dance in a dangerous arc before them as they ran further down the block.

'Lieutenant Singh?'

Sia lowered his gun.

'Lieutenant, I'd appreciate it if you weren't to shot me.'

'Lieutenant-Commander Mc Sorley?'

'Yes, and we're coming in.'

'We?'

Colimo ran to one side, T'sella had the other. Kausler ran further into the block took up a firing position and started to fire at something that Sia couldn't see.

Commander Shirer appeared. 'Do you know where the rest are?'

He looked at Mc Sorley, and then answered. 'Coles is dead, Brisset is injured, and the Commander took some damage to his eyes,' in answer to Mc Sorley's unspoken question he continued, 'I have no idea of how bad that is.

The rest,' he added, ' are down there somewhere.'

'Here they come.' Kausler was firing savagely into the gloom. Colimo and T'sella followed suit. The blanketing of both sides of the block pushed the Dominion troops away temporarily.

'Anyone we know?' Smith was past the clearing, the shooting was louder and getting nearer, but it was phasers not disruptors.

'Is it the cavalry?' Barret was still firing to her left. She stopped.

Ohlson was negotiating a turn in the path of the least obstacles when he saw the environment suit. 'Brisset?'

He ran to her side, knelt down and touched her face. She was cool. The puddle of spreading blood around her leg explained why.

'I'm out.' Barret looked at the phaser's power indicator, then she saw Brisset.

'More are coming out.' T'sella was watching the middle of the block. She was the first to see the environment suits.

'How many?' Mc Sorley was waiting for Shirer, the commander had gone to the first floor to scan for the lost people.

'Three... No it's four.'

Smith and Ohlson carried Brisset between them, Barret had Smith's rifle and was walking backward just behind the rest watching for a rear attack.

She was not required to fire the rifle on their way out. For whatever the reason the Dominion troops resisted the urge to attack.

Ohlson's team left the corridor first. They passed d'Amatsu who had been at the entrance to the middle block. He nodded a greeting as they passed.

Colimo and T'sella joined d'Amatsu to cover their journey past the adjacent wing, Mc Sorley, Kausler and Shirer were the last to leave the block.

By the time Mc Sorley reached the open area in front of the lifts a medic was seeing to the wounded officer. 'How is she?'

Singh shrugged. 'On a starship, or a base, she'd be fine, here...'

'She's lost a lot of blood, and there isn't the facilities here to fix her.' Ohlson was rubbing his face. 'She'll have to get to a ship or base soon, or she'll bleed to death.'

The medic, Sam Lockhead, was scanning the others with her tricorder. 'I've done all I can, the bleeding has been halted, but unless it's replaced soon.' She left the rest unsaid.

Sia waited patiently as she scanned him.

'You're fine,' smiled the medic. She seemed genuinely pleased to see him again. Then to Ohlson she added. 'Unlike you, you have to rest your eyes, you received minor lesions on your retinas...'

Marcus held up his hand. 'I'll rest tomorrow ensign. How is Lieutenant Smith?'

Smith was standing looking embarrassed.

'Fine, he'll have a suntan on his back for a while, but other than that.'

'Thank you.' Ohlson looked about the lift area. There were only twenty people there including the Augustus' crew, Brisset, Lockhead and Shirer. 'Where is everyone?'

Ensign Hollis appeared. 'Captain Devereaux and the others are on the Gaunt and the Caesar, they're awaiting your return.' He singled Kausler out. 'Glad you could make it.'

Kausler smiled at him.

'Let's not keep the captain waiting then.' Ohlson started walking to the lifts. The others followed. Smith and Colimo carried Brisset between them, Lockhead stayed with her.

Ten got into the lift, Lieutenant Overend remained to conclude the evacuation of the last ten. Three left at level four, they were Brisset, Colimo, Smith and Lockhead. The rest traveled the distance to the airlock of level five, and the Gaunt.

In under a minute they were on the bridge of the Gaunt.

'Kindly unlock us Chief.'

Sia nodded and went to the console to comply with Devereaux's request.

'So you've decided not to stick rigidly to your stated plan Commander?'

'That's correct, ' he replied unflapped by the tone of the question, 'flexibility is what is called for.' Before Devereaux could continue he added. 'Where is Commodore Nilis?'

A pause during which Devereaux considered whether or not to continue and attempt to chastise Ohlson. 'He's in a storage cabinet, and drugged.'

The commander gave a nod. 'Then here's the rest of the plan.'

Devereaux started to say something about the fact that he had been under the impression that he had already known the plan. He stopped before he had started. Ohlson then told him the real plan.

Colimo and Smith joined the others shortly after started to outline the escape plan.

Five minutes later and the plan was being set in motion. Of the one hundred and twenty people who had made it thus far, twenty were on the Gaunt, which was to be captained by Devereaux. Shirer was on the Caesar, as was the most of the remainder of the Hawaii's crew, ninety in total.

The Augustus' crew was in the open area near the airlock to the Shoeman. six of the eight wore environment suits, including the one taken from Brisset, which was worn by Kausler. They had checked them prior to this moment. Smith's suit had been compromised in the attack, and Cole's body still wore one.

Smith and Colimo were to remain in the open area of the lifts until two suits could be brought to them.

Ohlson was giving the crew time to say a temporary farewell to the two staying behind. Mc Sorley strolled over to him.

'Do you really think it'll work?' asked Mc Sorley out of hearing from the others.

Ohlson smiled. 'Maybe.'

Kausler was standing up from where she had been working near the airlock door. 'Ready!'

On hearing that Alex Smith shouldered the rifle, patted Colimo's back and moved to the lift door. They all took the lift to the Gaunt. The airlock was still open. Hollis and Overend stood guard.

'We'll be quicker that lightening,' Barret felt silly after saying it.

Smith smiled. 'Then go, and hurry back.'

The airlock doors whooshed closed. Ohlson and his people stayed in the Gaunt's airlock, Hollis and Overend moved into the main body of the ship.

When the doors closed, Colimo moved over to the lifts. He opened their doors and jammed the mechanisms. 'Now,' he said, 'if we are going to be disturbed it will be from that direction.' He pointed to the access door leading to the laddered service way.

Smith walked over and took up a position near the opening of the way down, but he didn't look take a look to see if anything was there. He listened. The duo settled to await developments.

The ship moved with a small judder. The locking clamps opened and the Gaunt was moving away from the pylon. Then it dipped and settled.

'Okay Commander,' the voice was Devereaux's, 'we're on the surface.

Good luck.'

Sia took the nod from the commander. He tapped the panel near the door. It was difficult, the six people made the airlock cramped and uncomfortable. He listened as he heard the satisfying sound of the door to the surface of the prison moon open.

Kausler was the first out, Mc Sorley was at her heels. Behind them came Singh, Barret, then d'Amatsu and Ohlson.

They had been let out at the base of the pylon, only meters from the side of the Shoeman. Kausler stopped and started to work on one of the sides of the ship, Mc Sorley covered her.

The rest hurried around the Shoeman and to the familiar shape of the Augustus. Ohhson had some concern that the radio silence would throw up a nasty surprise or two, his worse fear was they would reach this far and find the Augustus gone. It wasn't.

Sia reached the door of their ship just before Hope Barret he was tapping an agreed access code in as she arrived.

The door opened. Sia and Hope walked in. Barret had only entered when Mico and the commander entered.

They didn't wait for the others. Sia was equalizing the pressure and impatiently waiting for the signal that would indicate that he could open the door to the ship. The light blinked, he tapped the panel and the whoosh was hardly started when he was on board the Augustus.

He stopped. He found himself staring into the muzzle of a phaser.

'Welcome back Lieutenant Singh.' T'sella lowered her weapon.

Sia glanced towards the bridge. Ben was returning to her seat, she too had a weapon and was only now standing it down.

Barret and the others followed.

Ohlson removed his helmet. 'Take Mico's and mine, they're about the right sizes.' He was already taking off the environment suit.

Mico commenced to take his off too.

It took a couple of minutes, the suits were built to withstand temperatures and atmospheric pollutants, but ease of removal was low down the suit designers' priorities.

Sia was holding Ohlson's and Barret awaited d'Amatsu.

'Here,' he handed it over.

'Be as fast as you can,' turned and walked to the bridge.

The doors closed and Mico wondered where he should be.

'Take engineering,' called Ohlson, 'check us for departure Mister d'Amatsu.'

They were back on the moon's surface. Sia took point Hope remained a meter or so behind. She gave up trying to maintain her grip on the rifle, the suit was too bulky. She concentrated on rounding the Shoeman. She wondered at the conditions inside, they could not be pleasant after the pounding they had received.

She spied Kausler and Mc Sorley. The yeoman was packing the rucksack away.

Sia was almost at the Gaunt.

They had debated whether to use the Gaunt or the Augustus to return to the pylon. It was decided that it would be unnecessarily awkward to move the Augustus over and past the Shoeman and the Gaunt, and that it was easier to park the Gaunt and then dock again.

That was part of the plan.

She was in the airlock, Sia closed the door. He opened his helmet as soon as the pressure equalized. 'Singh and Barret, we're back and ready.'

'Very good Mister Singh.'

Devereaux's acknowledgment was followed rapidly by the hum of the thrusters, and then they were leaving the moon's surface. Barret felt the minor turns and twists as whoever the pilot was moved them back into range of the docking clamps.

Sia was at the door panel, there was a hiss as the pressure altered, and then the doors started to part.

Sia was taking a step, Barret was behind. A blast thumped into the side panel of the door. The Indian didn't pause he dived out of the lift. Barret watched as his large suit encased body vanished out of her line of sight.

She crouched and ran as fast as she could. She heard another shot.

'Report, Lieutenant Tambecki.'

Ben was back at the helm. 'We've had no communications and no one has attempted to contact us. Transporters are off-line, weapons are at optimal, and we have restored communications.'

T'sella was opening consoles in preparation to the other's arrival. 'Should I return to the engine room now Commander?'

'Not yet T'sella, wait until the lieutenant-commander and the yeoman are here. Until then take up your defensive position at the airlock.' He spoke to Tambecki. 'Open a link to the lieutenant-commander.'

'It's open.'

'Mc Sorley this is, what is your status?'

'Mc Sorley here, we are outside the airlock. The gaunt has returned to the docking pylon, but I think they've encountered some trouble.'

'Put me through to Captain Devereaux.'

Ben did as she had been instructed.

'Gaunt this is the Augustus.'

'We're disengaging from the pylon commander. Your people are inside the structure, but there was weapons' fire. We have no idea of their status.

Oh,' he added, 'Commodore Nilis has escaped.'

'Escaped?'

'Lieutenant Overend is missing too.' Devereaux sounded like he wasn't enjoying telling the news. 'Two officers were guarding Nilis, Overend told them I'd sent him to relieve them. He sent them away on a fool's errand while he helped Nilis.

They were last seen near the transporters, or at least Overend and another person who carried a crate on one shoulder and obscured any direct look at his or her face.

I have no idea of where they could be, but they will be trying to stop us.

Two phasers are missing too.

They may be the ones attacking your people.'

Ben glanced around at Ohlson, he was white-faced with anger 'Very good Gaunt, we'll get back to you.'

'Sir,' T'sella's voice came through the combadge.

'What is it Ensign?'

'I'm picking up a transmission, it's coming from the Shoeman.'

'Can you read it?'

'No, it's in a cipher the computer doesn't recognize.'

'I guess,' said Tambecki, 'that means we've lost the element of surprise.'

Ohlson's mind was racing. 'Get Devereaux back.'

'Move the Gaunt and the Caesar away from the pylon, only a few meters, but give the Shoeman room to escape.'

Devereaux's face on the screen showed none of the doubt he must have been feeling.

'Captain Devereaux, this will work, but it will need the Shoeman to leave the pylon first.'

He nodded. 'What will the Augustus be doing?'

'Well we have to collect our people first, then...'

Colimo and Smith had thought they would have ten or so minutes until someone returned with environment suits for them. Then they would be using one of Gretchen's bombs to open the airlock. They would be concealed in the lifts and would escape the damage the instant depressurization would cause. Then they would all leave via the ruptured airlock and rendezvous with the Augustus. Well, that had been the plan.

He, Colimo, had been moving the weight from his right leg to his left to prevent cramp when he heard the noise. He froze.

From the corner of his eye he noted that Smith was standing very still. Then the lieutenant's head nodded at the Bolian.

Colimo pointed to the ladder. Smith was over beside him, his rifle was at the ready.

They heard it again. It definitely came from the level below them. Someone was moving about. Colimo flexed his shoulder and felt the side of the rifle press reassuredly against him.

'Hello!'

Both men froze again.

'Hello, is anyone there?'

Colimo stared in disbelief at Smith. The voice was non-threatening, and... he wondered had he heard it before. It sounded young. Smith took a step back but shook his head at the chief indicating that he was not to respond.

'Hello, is anyone there. This is Lieutenant Paul Overend, is anyone there? I can't get the lifts to work.'

Colimo shrugged at Smith, had they left Overend behind in their haste to vacate the prison?

Smith was wondering the same thing.

Both men were confused at the turn events seemed to have taken. Colimo was frowning, he was trying to work out where Overend could have been to be overlooked. He had not been in the corridor, he'd - as far as Colimo could remember - stayed with Devereaux's team.

The sounds of the man climbing the ladder increased.

Smith took up a position near the door and kept his rifle ready. He scanned the lifts, the airlock, he was wondering did he have any reason for this edginess.

Overend's head came over the parapet. 'Oh, eh, he seemed confused himself. 'What's the matter?' He pulled himself the rest of the way over the ledge. 'Why didn't any of you answer?'

'Where were you?' Smith appeared to have decided to remain cautious.

The chief took his lead from the lieutenant. He lifted the muzzle of his rifle until it was aiming at around the young lieutenant's legs.

'What's the matter? Don't you recognize me?' His eyes lowered, and he inched away from the rim. 'I was checking the corridor opposite the one where you people were posted, then no one came for me I went to look.' He took another step nearer.

Smith saw no phaser.

'Has everyone else left, are you two the rearguard?'

He should have a phaser, thought Alex, if he was sent to scout out a part of the base, then Devereaux would have sent him armed.

'Why are you looking at me like that?' He took another step.

Colimo's rifle rose until it was aiming at the man's midriff.

'Why...'

He was turning ever so slightly towards the chief. Something was hidden at the back of his uniform it looked like a phaser.

Why would he conceal a weapon when he said he didn't know who was up here? Smith lifted his rifle until it held the lieutenant in the center of its aim. 'Stay where you are lieutenant, don't move.'

'What? What is the meaning...' he was turning.

Colimo saw the movement, it was slight, a blur, a hand had appeared over the edge of the parapet. It held a phaser and it fired.

Overend made a grab for his own weapon as he dived to Smith's right.

Alex fired from his waist, he pulled the rifle in an arc to follow the lieutenant.

Colimo fell.

The phaser moved towards Smith, he fired in the direction of the hand and moved backwards. The blast hit the wall behind where he had been standing.

Alex felt the wall behind him, he had misjudged, he had thought he was backing out of the doorway. He couldn't risk looking to see where the door was, he was following the hand.

There was another blast. Colimo was firing.

The hand was persistent. The line of deadly pulses made a tattoo on the bulkhead close to the chief, he scrambled to the door and out.

Alex was about to fire again, when something fell a meter from him. He looked at the small metallic orb. He wondered what it was, and where it had came.

Colimo's hands reached over and tugged Alex through the door with a roughness that had Smith sliding across the floor and stopping near the inner wall.

He was about to ask why when there was an explosion. It wasn't a large one, but the walls cushioned it, and the sound was disabling. Smith felt his head throb and his eyes shut as he tried to clear the fog.

Colimo was quicker to recover, quick enough to see the figure of Commodore Nilis emerge from the ladder, and quick enough to avoid the shot that was aimed at him.

Nilis was attempting to gain control of the area, but the presence of Colimo and Smith was preventing this. He moved to the doorway as Colimo fired. He dodged back, then came straight to the fore firing wildly, Overend was with him, but was obviously injured, badly injured going by the way he was holding a bloody portion of his tunic.

The fire was intense and threatening to allow the two to overrun the access area to the docking bay.

That was when Singh and Barret arrived.

Sia dived across the floor skidding as he went. His hand aimed his weapon as best it could. He saw Colimo, instantly recognizable by the blue skin, he saw a blue-uniformed figure on the ground, and he saw Nilis.

He fired at the Commodore.

Barret was right behind, if a little less graceful. She was firing at Nilis as the tall woman gave up the frontal assault and retreated to the room containing the ladder. She fired as she went making the two newly arrived move to avoid being hit.

She slammed the door shut behind her.

Sia was up and over to Colimo.

Barret was ready to pursue the Vulcan.

'Leave her,' ordered Singh, 'we've a job to do, so let's stop delaying and do it.'

Barret hesitated for only a moment, then she rushed to the prone figure of Alex Smith.

'What is it,' he grumbled, rising painfully from the ground, 'have I got a big target painted on my back?'

Colimo assisted getting him to his feet. He was more dazed that damaged.

'What about you?' Smith looked worriedly at Colimo, 'I saw you fall.'

The Bolian looked embarrassed. 'I tripped, the only casualty was my ego.'

'Could you please hurry and get those suits on?' Sia was kneeling and watching the now closed door. 'I doubt whether Commodore Nilis wishes to remain here alone.'

'He isn't alone,' Colimo was pulling his legs into the suit that Barret had handed him, 'Overend was with him.'

'Overend? The lieutenant from the Hawaii?' Barret moved to the airlock and positioned herself to cover the side of the doorway away from Singh.

'Yeah,' Smith was pulling the tunic over his head. 'They both came in shooting.'

'We can't use the service shaft now.'

Sia had come to the same conclusion too. 'And if we are still planning on blowing the airlock will need to find some cover, and if not the service shaft then we may have to consider the lifts.'

'That will be tricky,' Smith was dressed, 'if the blast damages the mechanism of the lift while we are inside then we'll have no way of getting out.'

'If we blow it while we stay here,' asked Colimo, 'what are the chances of getting out in one piece?'

'Remote.' Smith rubbed his ears, the pressure from the blast hadn't been enough to deafen but it had left a ringing sound echoing in his ears. 'We would have to survive a blast in a confined space, and then stay in one piece as the place depressurizes around us.'

'He's right, we won't be able to exit using the bomb.' Barret was moving over to the large windows. 'We either have to use the airlocks, which are at the other side of the building, or someone has to come and get us.' She was looking into the dusky landscape outside. 'And I think that is the plan.'

'What is it Ensign?' Sia stood, still keeping a wary eye on the door where Nilis was last seen.

'The Augustus, it's moving toward us.'

The edge of the window showed the dust being disturbed by a moving vehicle, a large vehicle. It wasn't visible. 'What makes you think it's the Augustus?' Sia scanned for a clue but found none.

'The Shoeman,' said Barret,' is there.' She pointed to the right of the pylon and below them. 'The dust clouds are too far away to be it. So, by a process of elimination, it's the Augustus.' She smiled as she made her announcement.

'If Nilis works that out too, she will attack, she won't have much choice.' Colimo checked his rifle. 'I've nearly emptied the power pack.'

'Me too,' Smith was still wincing, but he had moved to the door.

'What's that?' Singh's head swung around to face the lifts.

'What?' Barret had heard nothing.

Colimo moved back so he was able to see the door and the lifts.

There was a small clang.

'That!' Singh was over to the lifts and looking in them. The noise seemed to originate from...

A large blast rocked the vicinity of the pylon. Singh fell backward, Barret held on to the wall for support. Smith moaned as he collided with the floor again. Colimo stayed where he was, watching.

'Singh rolled over. 'What was...'

The lift doors were buckling. The sounds of metallic stress filled the room. The doors had been kept open, now they were being forced to close. Sia was trying, unsuccessfully to understand what he was seeing. Then the lift on the right fell. The shiny interior of the lift disappeared to be replaced by the more functional gray of the tube into which it had been set.

It was Colimo who understood first. 'Get ready, they'll be coming down the tube.'

He had hardly finished talking when the first Jem'Hadar fell into the space vacated by the falling lift. He was attached to a rope and he was firing his disruptor.

Devereaux had backed the Gaunt away from the pylon and waited.

'Report.'

He had appointed Commander Schellinger his first officer and it was to him that he addressed the question.

'We have company. A shuttle has come into sensor range, three kilometers to our starboard.'

'What are the fighters doing?'

'Nothing as yet, but they have taken up a static defense position.'

'Where is the Augustus?'

'Approaching the docking bay, it'll be there in a minute or so.'

'Sir,' Hollis had the tactical station.

'What is it Ensign?' asked Devereaux.

'I'm detecting an explosion in the pylon... No, it's two explosions.

Now there is weapons' fire.'

'Dock us as quickly as you can, Ensigns d'Amatsu, and T'sella join me at the airlock bring weapons.' He looked at Kausler. 'Gretchen, you too.' He stood up. 'Deborah you have the bridge.

Mc Sorley choice not to push the point that it was policy that the captain stays away from danger as much as possible. By the time she had completed the argument the docking would be done. She'd pull him later, if there were a later.

'The Shoeman has powered its engines.' The message was delivered almost simultaneously to Ohlson and Devereaux.

'Ignore them,' said Mc Sorley'.

Devereaux wasn't so sure.

'What is their status?'

'As far as we can tell they have suffered severe damage, they have lost warp, and their weapons appear to be off-line too.'

'What about transporters?'

'No. They have no transporters that the sensors can determine.'

He wondered should he pursue or even attack the renegade vessel.

'What's happening?'

Shirer watched the drama unfold from the Caesar's position ten meters to the pylon's starboard. He was as much in the dark as Lieutenant O'Halloran. He debated whether or not to announce something to the crew, but what would he say, better, he decided, to wait until he had some concrete news to give them than add to the speculation that such desperate data would generate.

Tambecki urged the craft into the docking clamps, they locked. The ship settled. She cut the thrusters. 'We've docked.'

From their position inside the airlock, had already opened the outer door. He was the first out, d'Amatsu ran to his right, Kausler to his left. She was firing at something he was not able to see. T'sella stayed at the Augustus.

The first thing that saw was two Jem'Hadar, one dead, the other firing while hanging down the lift shaft. A blast struck him on the chest and he slumped sideward. There was more firing, this time from the direction of the service way. Blasts were pouring through the open doorway with a ferocity that was making a return of fire impossible.

d'Amatsu was with Barret. She was trying to tell him something. He nodded and she ran over to the Augustus.

'Power's gone,' was all she said as she passed.

Colimo and Smith had been caught on the wrong side of the room. The blistering fire from the unknown shooter was pinning with one the wrong side of the room.

Sia and Kausler were creeping towards the door. Gretchen was retrieving something from her rucksack as she went.

There was another blur of movement at the lift. A soldier swung down and into the room in one fluid movement. His weapon was leveled at Ohlson.

Marcus froze he was standing in the open he had been facing the others, which made it that his back was to the lift. He thought he was dead, he heard the blast of a weapon.

He felt his heartbeat, he started to breathe again, he had not been hit, and then was no further shots from the man behind. He glanced at where he had believed his death was to come. The rope was swinging, but of the would-be killer there was no sign. He looked at the Augustus.

T'sella was moving her position, her weapon no longer aimed at the lift but at the door to the ladder.

Ohlson rallied himself and moved into a less vulnerable position.

Kausler caught his attention. She pointed at a small round object that she had removed from the bag. It was one of the Dominion mines they had found. She was now pointing at the source of the weapons' fire.

The commander nodded, and then indicated to d'Amatsu to get back to the ship. He moved himself back too. And left it that he was going to be able to shift all his body behind the airlock bulkhead if he had too. He then gave Kausler and Singh the okay sign.

She tapped the panel of the bomb, then, satisfied, she rose and ran near the still murderous fire, she swung her arm and tossed the bomb into the gap between the door and the wall, and then she dived backward.

Singh flattened himself to the floor. Colimo and Smith were already folded and under some kind of cover.

Marcus looked at the lifts, a rope was coming down from the left hand one. He started to raise his rifle.

He saw the legs, then the body.

The soldier was pulling his rifle around.

In the right hand lift another pair of legs were dropping into view.

Ohlson took aim at the moving figures.

The bomb exploded.

He had been expecting a loud bang, and a shake of the foundations, and perhaps the moment of disorientation.

What he got was much worse.

He was concentrating on the two, soon to be three, attackers. The blast seemed to slow things, and then they were gone.

The blast seemed to have the effect of closing the door, it actually sucked it shut, and then it blew it apart.

A piece scoured the window, it started a microfracture. The hiss of escaping air grew louder and louder as the polymer that comprised the window screamed to stay in place.

The atmosphere changed from a settled one with the smells of phaser and disruptor fire to one with no smell and screaming winds.

Ohlson felt the tug even where he was sited, it was pulling him into the station.

Colimo and Smith were starting to scramble to the Augustus, but were having a lot of difficulty.

Marcus tried to shout to them, but couldn't even hear himself so he gave up.

Sia was in the greatest of difficulties. It looked like he was unconscious. The suction was more intense at the lifts and it was dragging him along the floor towards them.

Gretchen Kausler had moved two to three meters nearer the ship in the jump she had done after throwing the bomb, now she was crawling to grab Sia's tunic and pull him away.

Smith pulled himself around the airlock and into the shelter of the Augustus, Ohlson saw the minor cuts and bruises that decorated the lieutenant's face as he passed.

Colimo had been behind Smith and had seen what was happening to Singh. He grabbed the other side from Kausler and together they pulled the hapless Indian mercilessly away from danger.

They were racing into the airlock and then there was only Ohlson and T'sella.

'Let's close the hatch.' Ohlson tried to right himself to get into the Augustus, but the suction from outside was growing at an enormous rate. He started to stagger back, and banged his head of the bulkhead, then two hands had his tunic and he was safe. He heard the whoosh of the hatch close and then a second or two as the minute change in atmospheric pressure was compensated for. The inner door opened and they were inside.

Sia was on his feet and shaking the fuzziness away.

'Thanks,' Ohlson patted T'sella's back as she headed to the engine room. He felt warmth on his forehead. He wiped it and came away with blood.

The rest of the crew was automatically resuming their stations.

Ohlson strode to the captain's chair. 'Hail the Gaunt, and get us away from the pylon.'

Devereaux had been told of the explosion. 'What happened?'

'Unsure, probably created a few microfractures than started the whole structure depressurizing. That was what it felt like at any rate.

Commodore Nilis was near the epicenter of the blast.'

'Sir?' Smith was at his console.

'Yes Lieutenant?'

'Lieutenant Overend was with him, they both attacked us.'

Ohlson faced Devereaux. 'Sorry to report such news sir.'

The captain made no comment about the fate of the two people, one of whom had been a trusted crewmember of the Hawaii. 'What injuries have your people sustained?'

Ohlson fought back the subconscious urge to wipe at his wound. 'None, at least serious, all are at their stations and ready to proceed, are you?'

Devereaux raised an eyebrow. 'Waiting for you Commander.'

'Where's the Shoeman?'

'Traveling on minimal thrusters, heading for the nearest fighter.'

'All right, follow him, and keep close. Prepare to initiate the beacon on my count.'

The screen went back to showing the moon, but instead of the pylon they were facing away and the two other ships were visible in front. Benko was moving slowly but surely away from the prison.

'Hail Commander Shirer.'