Chapter 14

This was familiar territory for Kostopoulos. Sitting in a shuttlepod, fully armed, waiting to land for deployment into a battle zone. She couldn't count how many such drops she'd made during the Romulan War and various other conflicts.

She checked over her phase-rifle as the 'pod made its descent through the moon's thick atmosphere. Ensign Sethlan was in the pilot's chair, with her at his right elbow. The rear compartment held the security team, including Crewman Threv, and in the other co-pilot's seat next to her sat Excalibur's youthful medical officer, Lt. Traze, checking his medkit.

Although Human, Dr. Traze's face was covered in ceremonial blue and yellow face paint, for he hailed from the Terra Nova colony. The original Novan colonists had been forced underground by environmental disaster, eventually developing a primitive, yet prosperous, culture of their own. The present-day descendants of those colonists had only regained a limited contact with Earth in the past ten years, most of them preferring to keep to themselves. But some, like Traze, had wanted to explore the stars.

Traze, although young, had received high praise from other Starfleet doctors, and was noteworthy for his natural remedies, learned from generations of subterranean living, utilising herbs and minerals from the earth.

Kostopoulos saw him reviewing what looked to her like jars of dirt. "That stuff really work?" she asked, trying to conceal her doubts.

Traze smiled. "Don't worry, Captain, I don't use anything not approved by Starfleet Medical. And I'm not afraid to mix conventional with traditional. Whatever works best."

Kostopoulos nodded. "Good. Commodore North might need treatment right away. If so, get him stable enough for transport. You can treat him further back on the ship."

Sethlan interrupted. "Coming in to land now, sir."

Through the front viewport, Kostopoulos could see what looked like a tower in the middle of the fog as they approached. Nearby, there was a mid-sized, manta-shaped craft resting on the ground.

Kostopoulos turned to the rear of the shuttlepod. "Listen up, people. We'll hit the ground running. Standard search pattern. Air's toxic, so keep your oxygen masks on. Threv, you and I will take point. Carter, you stay on the doctor. We grab the Commodore, make sure he's okay, and get out.

"Remember, Xindi-Reptilians can resist a stun shot… so set weapons to kill."

When the shuttle touched down, the security team poured out almost immediately, since they had surely been spotted. Threv took the lead, making for the entrance to the tower, taking a knee after a few meters so that Kostopoulos could overtake him before he overtook her in turn.

As the thick mist cleared near the tower, a couple of Reptilians exited, brandishing their own deadly-looking rifles. They opened fire straight away, giving the rescue party no choice but to shoot to kill.

Threv took out one, Kostopoulos the other, reddish energy beams lancing into the enemy troops. As he continued into the tower, Threv realised that he had felt nothing upon killing the Reptilian. Was this part of his development into an efficient soldier, or a more troubling symptom of his withdrawal from others? A withdrawal caused by his complete lack of reaction to impending parenthood? Either way, he put it aside for now to focus on the mission.

Inside the tower, he and the other members of the security team stopped to look around in amazement.

"It looks exactly like the base," Kostopoulos said, bewildered.

It was true; they were standing in a room that was a perfect facsimile of the starbase's entrance lobby, albeit a little worse for wear.

"What the hell is going on?" said Crewman Varona, bringing up the rear.

There was no time for speculation, however, as another two Reptilians arrived, one through each internal doorway, both aiming rifles at them.

"Drop your weapons!" Kostopoulos shouted, but they opened fire.

Threv took down another one of them, still with no reaction, and led the team through the left door. Standard clockwise search pattern in unfamiliar terrain. Although this wasn't that unfamiliar, as more of the base was recreated throughout this facility, for purposes unknown.

North and the Arboreal – whose name, he'd learned, was Borr – had to take things slowly to avoid discovery, and because North was still badly hurt. But thankfully, the Reptilians seemed preoccupied.

"This way to the entrance," Borr huffed and puffed, still carrying North by the arm.

"Can't… go outside…" North said, still wheezing in pain.

"I know, but if your crew are coming to rescue you, that's where they'll arrive."

"They'll come," said North, confident.

As they worked their way down a corridor, they heard heavy footsteps coming towards them.

"Back, back," North hissed.

"There's nowhere to go!" Borr said, panicking. There were no nooks or doorways along this hall in which to hide.

The footsteps grew closer, and North braced himself for the worst…

So he was quite relieved to see Captain Kostopoulos round the corner with a security team behind her. Then they levelled their rifles at Borr.

"Let him go!" Kostopoulos ordered.

North held up a weak hand. "It's okay, he's with me. Saved me."

Kostopoulos nodded and signalled to lower weapons. "Commodore, good to see you. We're getting you out of here."

"Glad… to hear it… Captain," North said, forcing a grin onto his bloody lips.

"Doctor Traze, check him out," Kostopoulos said. "Threv, Carter…" She gestured for the two security personnel to take position behind North and Borr, watching the other end of the corridor.

A young man whose face was painted in yellow and blue approached North and scanned him. "Multiple contusions, lacerations, fractures," said the painted man, Traze. "He needs the base infirmary."

"Get him ready to move out," Kostopoulos said.

Traze pulled a hypospray out his medkit and injected North. "This should help with the pain…" He then produced some kind of root from a sterile container. "And chew on this, to improve your muscles."

North frowned, but Kostopoulos shrugged. "He says it works, sir."

His pain already easing, North was in no position to argue. He chewed on the root with some difficulty. Even his teeth felt bruised.

Traze then helped Borr to carry North by taking the Commodore's other arm.

"Okay, people," said Kostopoulos, raising her rifle again. "Let's get back to Excalibur."

With a grunt, Zarah awoke to see Maxeus kneeling over her. The back of her head ached. "What…?"

Maxeus held up the heavy cannister used to store the neural parasites. It was dented.

"Borr!" she growled. "That traitor!"

"He and the Human have escaped," said Maxeus, an arrogant sneer on his face. "The others are taking them back to their vessel."

Zarah roared in rage as she got to her feet. "Then we will pursue them! Tell everyone to report to the ship and prepare it for take-off!

"North is mine!"