Star Trek Online: Tales from the Fleet

by Wilson.Liam2

A collection of short stories from the combined alliance fleet (Star Trek Online's playable factions) detailing the lives, events, and adventures of various officers from their humble beginnings to their greatest achievements and beyond. (38 stories total with planned uploads/releases of new chapters/short stories as they are finished)

2. Changes

Changes

ONE

Crowds of aliens of every size, shape, and color walked the wide open passageways of Earth Spacedock. With them, the noise of thousands of feet, claws, and boots clambered about while thousands of voices spoke on millions of topics from recreation, to sports, to strategy. The voices and sounds were so numerous Remata'Klan couldn't make out even a dozen of them while sitting at a replimat near the stations inner docking ring. Across from the replimat on the opposite side of the large walkway was a window of transparent aluminum giving replimat guests a view of the interior docking area of the station. The view from the window showed several ships docked along the interior walls as well as several docked at gantries suspended from the top of the interior. One ship stood out of place among the federation starships. A lone Dominion attack fighter sat just to the right of the window.

Remata'Klan returned his attention to his table. He eyed the plate of food in front of him. It was a plate of something called poutine. It looked like something excreted from an animal but the taste wasn't bad. At least not from what Remata'Klan could tell with his species limited taste buds. Eko'Eklan, his Second, sat across from him inspecting a canned beverage that he had selected from the replicators. The two had spent the last two hours on the station sampling the food and beverages that the alpha quadrant had to offer. As Jem'Hadar they normally didn't require much food or water, but since the founder Odo had ordered the Jem'Hadar under his command to be cured of their dependency on the drug Ketracel-White, they were quickly finding themselves feeling a need to sleep and eat much like how they were in their youth.

Remata'Klan scooped up more of the potatoes and gravy that made up the majority of his dish with the clumsiness of a person unaccustomed to eating with a fork. Just before he could get the contents of the fork into his mouth a chime came over his comm device. It was tied into his tricorder holstered at his right arm along his bicep. Remata'Klan dropped his fork onto his plate and pulled his tricorder from its holster. He pressed a button on the device and spoke.

"This is First Remata'Klan, who am I speaking with?" Remata'Klan asked. He was annoyed by the interruption of his meal. His Second also seemed bothered by the interruption. Remata'Klan's Second, Eko'Eklan, was a wise and practical Jem'Hadar clearly next in line to succeed his superior. His lack of ambition and strong loyalty to his fellow soldiers kept him in his current position. Eko'Eklan opened the canned beverage in his hands and swallowed the entire contents in one gulp.

"This is the secretary of Admiral Thomas Bhatt speaking," a strange female voice said. "I am Ensign Kriss M'Rarris. I was told to contact you and inform you that you are to report to the admiral's office for assignment." The voice became more confident as the woman spoke. Remata'Klan could tell the voice was not that of a human or any species with similar mouth parts. He couldn't identify the species.

Eko'Eklan gripped his stomach with a pained and worried expression on his face.

"We are on our way," Remata'Klan told the secretary. Remata'Klan closed the comm channel and quickly logged in his tricorder to the station's information net and sent a query for the map location of Admiral Thomas Bhatt's office. The device quickly gave him the information. He shut off the device and placed it back in its holster as he stood up from the table. Eko'Eklan suddenly belched. The sound was loud and drew the attention of the other guests.

Eko'Eklan met the eyes of the other guests and shrank in his seat. Remata'Klan recalled hearing words from other species that seemed to fit the situation. "I apologize for my Second's… outburst," Remata'Klan said in a loud tone. Eko'Eklan stood to follow the actions of his First. He echoed his First's apology nervously. The two Jem'Hadar were unaccustomed to the snickers and smiles from the replimat guests all around them.

Remata'Klan walked out of the replimat at a quick pace leaving what was left of his meal untouched. His Second moved to a position behind and to the right of him. Both headed to a nearby turbolift. The two soldiers entered the turbolift with three Starfleet officers. The three officers hugged the walls once the two Jem'Hadar entered the turbolift. Remata'Klan and his Second had not been permitted to carry any of their weapons while on Earth Spacedock. Remata'Klan couldn't help but feel naked without all of his gear but the reactions of the station's personnel at his presence reassured him they weren't needed. The turbolift's occupants remained quiet for the entire ride to the station offices.

The two Jem'Hadar entered Admiral Bhatt's office to find the immediate room in front of them was a small reception area. A desk sat to the right corner of the room with a door at the wall on the left. Remata'Klan saw a figure to the right in his peripheral vision. He turned immediately to see it was a tall and slender creature. She was covered in fur at every area not covered by her uniform. Her tail was long with a bushy tuft of hair at the end. She was holding a pot of coffee and staring at the two Jem'Hadar that had entered her reception area.

"Welcome and come on in. I'm taking coffee to the admiral, you can accompany me," the furry officer said. Her ears twitched with an audible jingle from earrings adorning both ears and her tail swayed slightly in a cautious manner. When the woman smiled it looked more like a predator baring its teeth. The overall look on her face could be read as nervous however.

"Are you the secretary I spoke with," asked Remata'Klan.

"I am." The woman started for the door in the back of the room.

"What species are you?" Remata'Klan had never seen many of the Federation species despite fighting alongside Starfleet when the Hurq had invaded. He was genuinely curious as the secretary's body clearly looked like that of a warrior race. If he had time he would enjoy a chance to spar with her or any member of her species. It was clear to Remata'Klan that her species had to endure harsh living conditions early in their evolutionary history. The secretary stopped halfway to the admiral's door and turned to look at the two Jem'Hadar.

"I am a Caitian. My people have been a part of the Federation since the twenty-two seventies but some of us have served in Starfleet since the twenty-two fifties. Still, not too many join Starfleet so, it's not a surprise you haven't seen any of us before." The Secretary turned back around and continued for the door. "Come along you two."

Remata'Klan and his Second followed Ensign M'Rarris into the Admiral's office. The office was about the size of a standard ready room on most Federation starships Remata'Klan had visited. It had a desk at the back of the room where the Admiral sat. In front of the desk were two chairs and a couch against the wall behind the chairs. The office was decorated with paintings of varied sizes taking up space on most of the walls. The overall theme seemed to be battles throughout history. A viewscreen took up most of the wall to the Admiral's right. As Remata'Klan approached the Admiral's desk he noticed it had several family photos in frames sitting along either side. The Admiral's attention was split between his computer screen and a PADD in his hands.

"Sir, I brought you the coffee you requested," M'Rarris said. She poured the coffee into a waiting cup on the Admiral's desk with practiced ease. The Admiral looked up at her and the Jem'Hadar that had entered behind her. "The captain of Dominion Vessel one-six-one-tack-four-five, Gamma one-one-two-three-seven-six-four-Sierra Remata'Klan is here to see you sir," M'Rarris spoke as if to answer a question the Admiral had neglected to ask. M'Rarris performed an about face to address the Jem'Hadar. She moved her left arm to direct the pair to the chairs in front of the desk. "May I introduce Rear Admiral Thomas Bhatt of Starfleet Security, Tactical Operations Section 2, Antipiracy Operations," said M'Rarris. She spoke with the pomp and form of a Vorta or so Remata'Klan thought. Still her predator-like appearance would put any Vorta to shame.

Remata'Klan sat down, as did his Second, after a brief moment. Secretary M'Rarris left the office with quick, silent steps. Remata'Klan stared at Admiral Bhatt for a moment as the man continued to work. The Admiral had dark amber skin and a heavy amount of short black hair. His eyebrows were thick, intensifying the man's scowl as he moved from his computer to a PADD. The Admiral finally looked up at the two Jem'Hadar as he laid the PADD on the desk.

"First Remata'Klan, I was informed by the top brass that Founder Odo wants his Dominion troops to assist Starfleet in our day-to-day operations until our fleets are back at full strength." Admiral Bhatt paused for a second. Remata'Klan wasn't sure if he was supposed to talk or not until the Admiral continued. "I don't see Jem'Hadar being of much help to most of our day-to-day operations but command saw fit to send you to me so we will see if you can at least fill an antipiracy role," Admiral Bhatt said while staring into Remata'Klan's eyes.

"I have lost a number of my crew. I was told that I would not be receiving replacements but my men and I are prepared for whatever assignments you wish to give us, for victory is life," Remata'Klan said. If all Starfleet had to offer was antipiracy duties than at least they wouldn't be bored but Remata'Klan preferred a challenge. He continued to stare at Admiral Bhatt. The admiral had shifted his gaze back to the PADD in his hand.

"About your crew shortage, I have taken the liberty of filling positions on your ship with Starfleet personnel. You only need view the list and approve the transfers." Admiral Bhatt said as he handed his PADD to Remata'Klan. Remata'Klan looked over the files on the PADD as Admiral Bhatt continued to speak. "I am assigning two engineers, a science officer, and a tactical specialist."

Remata'Klan selected one of the files for review. It was a female science officer, human. She had short pink hair and pale skin. The file had a list of commendations and reprimands with the list of reprimands extending onto a second page. He then called up a couple more of the files. It didn't take him long to notice a pattern.

"These people all have reprimands in their files. Some of them are quite serious." Remata'Klan looked up from the PADD at the admiral. The admiral stared back as though waiting for a question. "Are you intentionally giving me undisciplined officers?" Remata'Klan asked.

"I certainly am, although not for the reasons you may be thinking, First," said Admiral Bhatt. The admiral stood up and walked to the back wall. He seemed to stare at the pictures on the wall, examining them. "Starfleet is short on ships and personnel right now. The officers I'm giving you normally would have been drummed out in the past but now we need everyone we can hold on to. " The admiral turned to face the two Jem'Hadar. "I need you to take these officers under your command for a while. I think they will thrive under the command of a warrior of your caliber," Bhatt said.

Remata'Klan couldn't help but look at the admiral dumbfounded. "Do you need these officers to be trained?" Remata'Klan asked in confusion.

"Not really," the admiral replied. "We just need them to gain the experience of working with a commander that won't tolerate insubordination." The admiral returned to his seat and pulled another PADD from a drawer in his desk. He handed it to Eko'Eklan then pulled a third. "Let's get started on the mission briefing folks," Admiral Bhatt said with a falsely warm smile.

TWO

Remata'Klan stepped foot on the bridge of D.V. 161-45. His second, Eko'Eklan, followed behind him. The ship was only a year old but already it had needed a refit. While in Earth Spacedock the ship was fitted with additional facilities like Sick Bay which replaced the old VIP quarters as well as upgrades to waste extraction and replicators to supply food. Ketracel-White would keep Remata'Klan's crew alive and battle ready for any mission but Odo had mandated that all the Jem'Hadar under his authority make an effort to avoid using the White now that they were no longer dependent.

Remata'Klan moved over to the command area in the center of the bridge. He picked up a headset from the center console and placed it on his head. The headset allowed Remata'Klan to mirror the information of the different bridge consoles as well as give him a view of both internal and external visual sensors. He handed a second headset to Eko'Eklan. Remata'Klan activated the headset and cycled the viewer through several internal sensors.

Remata'Klan's Jem'Hadar were present throughout the ship. They appeared restless and bored. It was doubtful any of them had actually left the ship except to visit the holodeck for training. Remata'Klan and his crew had spent two weeks training in a federation holodeck. Simulations ranged from combat to diplomacy and mixtures of the two. The purpose of course was to get him and his crew up to speed with how the Federation and Starfleet operate. Naturally Remata'Klan and his crew didn't fair too well in the diplomatic simulations. Jem'Hadar were made for war, not to negotiate peace. Nevertheless Remata'Klan felt compelled to carry out the orders of the Founder, Odo.

Remata'Klan and his bridge officers all stood at their posts on the bridge of DV 161-45, the rest of the crew were milling about in the passageways or sparring in the main cargo hold. Remata'Klan turned his attention to his Second, "have any of our newly assigned crew arrived yet?" Remata'Klan asked. Eko'Eklan checked the console nearest to him for any logs showing the arrival of crew members. An odd gesture given that Eko'Eklan could have used his headset. The logs by the officer of the deck only showed the coming and going of maintenance personnel from Earth Spacedock. "Negative First," Eko'Eklan said.

Remata'Klan's headset began to chirp, a notification that the ship was being hailed. He tapped a control on the right side of the headset, opening the communication channel. A young Bolian woman appeared in his visor. She seemed distant and distracted by something off screen. "Attention to announcement, effective immediately, new personnel assigned to Dee Vee one six one tack four five are to report aboard via transporter. First Remata'Klan, please report to your main transporter for new personnel reception," The Bolian woman said in a plain and even tone. She promptly closed the channel before Remata'Klan could say anything.

Remata'Klan turned to his Second a bit confused by the announcement. Eko'Eklan had mirrored the transmission on his own headset. He had a similar confused look. "I guess I better go see to the new personnel. Eko'Eklan, you have the bridge," said Remata'Klan as he turned and walked off the bridge.

Remata'Klan walked over to the main transporter. It was located one deck down aft of the main bridge. As he approached Remata'Klan noticed four other Jem'Hadar entering the transporter room. They were likely alerted to the new personnel arriving by the soldier assigned to the transporter. Remata'Klan stepped inside the transporter room. The soldier at the console announced his arrival by stiffening to attention; the four other soldiers did the same.

"First, a transporter operator on the station has signaled they are ready to transport," the soldier at the console said. "Notify them that permission is granted," replied Remata'Klan. The soldier typed a few commands into the console. A second later the transporter powered on and cycled their new personnel through the pattern buffers and onto the pad with the crackle of molecules coalescing in brilliant blue light. Four individuals in Starfleet uniforms materialized on the pad.

Remata'Klan quickly looked them over. The four personnel were all different from each other. The two in front, facing Remata'Klan were females of the same species despite not quite looking the same. Remata'Klan had read their files; they were a species called Hera-su. The Hera-su ranged in height from 60 to 121 centimeters. The two standing in front of him where supposed to be soldiers with one being a combat engineer. The two officers in the back of the transporter pad were much larger than the officers in front. One was a Human female with pink hair and the other, a male Podian. The Podian male was built like a tank. He had long and muscular arms which extended to the ground and short muscular legs. He stood on all four limbs.

The tactical officer in the group stepped off the pad first. The small Hera-su woman approached Remata'Klan with a military bearing he hadn't seen in most Starfleet personnel. "Commander Deep Seeker, Starfleet Tactical Operations command reporting for duty," the Hera-su said. "Allow me to introduce my fellow officers," Seeker said as she raised her little arm to point at each officer. "Lieutenant Seatrain, your new combat engineer,"-she point to the other Hera-su first then pointed to the large Podian in the back, "Lieutenant Commander Ropoli Ghastin, your new chief engineer," – she then pointed up to the pink haired woman, "Ensign Marylyn Corradini Winnifred, your new medical officer,"- her hand returned to her side as she stared at Remata'Klan for a moment.

The transporter room was full of confused faces among Remata'Klan's observing crew. "I of course will be your new 2nd officer, I suppose that makes my rank under your command, Third," she said in a quizzical tone. The soldiers in the transporter room were starting to whisper to each other. It sounded like they were not happy with the look of their new crewmates. Remata'Klan had approved the transfers without fully reading the personnel files. He was starting to think that it was a mistake to accept the assignment to aid the Federation.

"I understand the reason behind the doctor and the engineers," Remata'Klan said. He had requested an engineer deliberately because his ship normally operated without them. Starfleet's engineers allowed for ships to stay out and away from base far longer than Dominion vessels. Most small ships like 161-45 carried no engineers or used combat engineers for minor repairs. Remata'Klan didn't request the doctor but given new found freedom from the white, it was prudent to have someone with medical training onboard beyond someone to patch up wounds. "What was I given such small ground personnel for?" Remata'Klan asked no one in particular.

"Sir, I can assure you I am one of the best operators you'll ever have under your command." Seeker said. One of the observing soldiers, Sala'Itan, opened his mouth first. "I will not take orders from a female child!" Sala'Itan shouted in anger. Remata'Klan was about to speak when the pink haired science officer interrupted. "How 'bout one of you soldiers has a go at the wee child then?" Winnifred asked. The soldier that had shouted before drew a large knife from its sheath at the small of his back.

"Wait!" Remata'Klan shouted for the room's occupants to hear. Remata'Klan keyed his communicator to a ship wide channel. "Helm, get this ship out of space dock. All personnel not on watch, report to the main cargo bay at once. We are testing our new Third." Remata'Klan closed the channel. "All of you follow me," he said.

The occupants of the transporter room marched to the main cargo bay single file, Remata'Klan leading the way. Commander Seeker was leading the Starfleet personnel. Her antennae were hanging low and she was marching with a stern look on her face. Remata'Klan was in no doubt that Sala'Itan would kill her quick. He was hoping that he could come up with an adequate reason for her death. Ghastin spoke up as they neared the cargo bay. "First Remata'Klan, please, this is insane. You can't expect us to fight like this." The Podian pleaded. Remata'Klan slowed and pushed the others ahead of him until he reached Ghastin. "I can't protect all of you the entire time you're here. As an engineer the crew won't question or challenge you but that lady,"-Remata'Klan pointed to Seeker-"won't be respected or trusted until she proves herself," Remata'Klan said.

The group entered the main cargo bay to find most of the crew was already waiting. Most had crowded around a center circle but others had sat on crates or climbed shelves to get a better view. Remata'Klan made his way to the center of the cargo bay to address the crew. "Today, we come together to watch an untested Starfleet soldier prove herself in singular combat with one of our own. For the Jem'Hadar our soldier Sala'Itan will be testing Commander Deep Seeker," Remata'Klan shouted. Remata'Klan turned to see the two combatants move to the center of the cargo bay. Sala'Itan still had his knife at the ready but Remata'Klan didn't see any weapon on Seeker. "You may begin," said Remata'Klan.

Seeker turned her back to the soldier she was to fight. She then pulled her tunic loose and reached to her back underneath her uniform. Sala'Itan hesitated for only a moment before charging forward. The Hera-su woman, no more the height of her opponent's knee tumbled backward toward the Jem'Hadar. She passed between his legs unscathed. Before the soldier could turn around, Seeker pulled something from her uniform and tossed it up to the man's back. Everyone watched in surprise as the object fanned out into a strange arachnid like creature with a long tail. It landed on Sala'Itan's back and began climbing up to his shoulder. The soldier panicked and tried grabbing it. The creature seem to squish through his grip and cut into the soft tissues between his shoulder bone and collar bone on his right side before forcing its way into the man's body. Sala'Itan collapsed screaming in intense pain. He began flailing about on the deck and hitting parts of his abdomen as the creature moved about inside him.

"Did I win?" Seeker asked as the Jem'Hadar continued to scream. The amassed crowd was silent and in shock over what they were witnessing. Remata'Klan stepped forward. He turned to the Starfleet Ensign, Winnifred. "Can you treat him?" He asked. The human science officer shook her head in the negative while looking on in horror. "I have no idea what that is," she muttered. Remata'Klan looked at the tiny commander. She had an amused look to her as though she was enjoying the site of the struggling Jem'Hadar.

"Kill me!" Sala'Itan screamed as he continued to flail about madly on the deck. Blood was smearing the deck as it billowed from his shoulder wound. One of the spectating soldiers pulled his holstered pistol and shot Sala'Itan in the chest. The rest of the Jem'Hadar drew their weapons and pointed them at the Starfleet crew. They were awaiting the order from their First.

"Everyone stand down!" Remata'Klan shouted. The Jem'Hadar lowered their weapons as they were told but looked to their First in confusion. "All of you wanted bloodshed. Just because it was our blood doesn't mean we can change the rules of the game. These people are our allies. Now go back to your duties." The crowd began to disperse as the Starfleet officers approached Remata'Klan.

"What was that creature?" Remata'Klan asked. Seeker looked up and smiled. "It is my daughter, First. She will serve as a new soldier to make up for the one she is eating, if you will allow it." Remata'Klan turned to look at the dead Jem'Hadar lying motionless on the ground. He was completely motionless though Remata'Klan could see that the belly moved around slightly indicating the creature inside was still alive.

"Explain," Remata'Klan said.

"My species reproduces through budding. We start out as larvae like what you saw enter him and we quickly mature to the point of the woman that stands before you," Seeker said.

"So you are pregnant, were pregnant?" Remata'Klan asked. He didn't understand why she would be serving in a combat role given most sentient species tend to avoid danger while carrying children.

"No, we grow buds on our bodies without control. When they are ready to separate from us they become larvae. We grow them while food and water are plentiful," Seeker said.

Remata'Klan couldn't help but think of the officer's children as parasites rather than a child. "You don't care for your larvae as other species care for their children?" Remata'Klan asked.

"There is no reason to. We have genetic memory and we are over populated. I still have two buds on me right now and another three will develop before our mission is over if I'm not careful," Seeker said, looking bored. "If you want the details of my species, my personnel file and the Starfleet library can give it to you," she continued.

"Did you really need to kill that soldier like that Commander?" Ghastin asked. Seeker turned to him. "I suspected that First Remata'Klan or his subordinates were going to attempt to test us like this. I needed to get the point across quickly," Seeker said. Ghastin still looked confused. "His crew needed to know that it would be foolish to see us as weak or incompetent." Seeker added. The Podian nodded in acceptance if not understanding.

"Consider your worthiness to serve among my crew to be established," Remata'Klan said. He looked at all four of his new officers before turning to exit the Cargo Bay. Remata'Klan keyed the ship's intercom through his visor. "Meta'Klan, assign quarters to our new officers. Commander Seeker, Clean the cargo bay and dispose of the body. Ghastin, report to engineering, assemble a team of combat engineers to assist you down there. Ensign Winnifred, you will use the Vorta's private quarters, it is the ship's sick bay." Remata'Klan shutdown the link to the intercom and continued to walk back to the bridge.

Remata'Klan was a young Jem'Hadar he had only been alive for about two years. Even so, he could tell that the lives of his crew were changing far too quickly for their comfort. DV 161-45 was a fighter, most of the changes made to the ship were improvements intended to allow for longer mission assignments. Still, it felt strange to assign combat engineers to take orders from a foreign officer. Modifying the VIP quarters onboard his ship was a bit unsettling. The large compartment was intended for Vorta or founders to have a place to rest and plan away from the soldiers. To change the compartment completely only reminded him that he would no longer have a Founder or Vorta serve aboard his ship again.

THREE

Two weeks of transit time had done the crew of DV 161-45 some good. Remata'Klan had received several complaints from the crew about the new members the first few days. Being reminded of who was in charge was enough for the complaining soldiers to rethink their complaints. It was a temporary fix at best but training exercises in route to their assigned mission area seemed to ease tensions. The addition of a food replicator also helped keep his soldiers occupied, although the multiple reports from Winnifred of digestive issues and vomiting among the crew gave Remata'Klan the feeling that many of his soldiers didn't know how to eat in moderation.

Remata'Klan had spent most of his time reading the files on his new crew members in depth. He even tapped the Starfleet library on the Hera-su and the Podians. The Podians were a fairly mundane species with their main impressive feature being their extreme strength. Hera-su on the other hand had Remata'Klan confused. According to the library records, the Hera-su were not capable of controlling their reproductive processes to the point that they intentionally took on dangerous assignments in order to keep their population in check. Their naming conventions were also odd. They willingly adopted names, titles, and words from other languages. It certainly explained the names of his two Hera-su crew members. The library records on the Hera-su also explained why his two officers looked so different. They only shared their short stature, pointy ears, and antenna. Seatrain looked like a human child and Seeker had mottled patches of brown fur all over her body.

Remata'Klan was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a pair of small footsteps entering the bridge. He turned to the passageway and saw two Hera-su. One was clearly Seeker but the other one was unfamiliar. She was slightly smaller than Seeker and had grey skin like a Jem'Hadar. Her skin even seemed to have the scale patterns of the Jem'Hadar.

"First Remata'Klan, I'd like to introduce you to your new soldier," Seeker said with a smile. The Hera-su next to Seeker looked up at Remata'Klan. She had no innocence in her face. Her eyes had the same cold intensity that Seeker did. "I am ready to take my station as the replacement soldier for the Jem'Hadar my mother killed," the new woman said.

"I'll allow it, but what is your name?" Remata'Klan asked. He had read that the species had genetic memory like Seeker had said. The young offspring should be no different than Seeker given what he had read. They did seem to have different personalities. The new officer seemed more reserved.

"You may call me Stinger," the new Hera-su said. She had hesitated as though she had made it up on the spot.

Remata'Klan dipped his head in a sign of acknowledgement and activated his headset's communications feature. "Eko'Eklan, report to the bridge at once. I need you to assign duties to a new soldier," Remata'Klan said before closing the channel. Remata'Klan switched the visuals on his visor to view the outside star field. They were still a few hours out from their patrol route. In what little time Remata'Klan had spent with the Hera-su, he had developed the thought that they had some shared elements with the Jem'Hadar.

Eko'Eklan approached the bridge to collect the two Hera-su officers. He motioned for them to follow him, nodded to Remata'Klan and followed after them. Remata'Klan deactivated his headset and turned to his helmsman. "Virak'Maijor, you have the bridge. Inform me when we arrive at the first system on our patrol. Use the intercom," Remata'Klan said as he walked off the bridge.

Remata'Klan walked the passageways of DV 161-45 until he reached one of the smaller supply rooms. The space was dedicated to repair parts for the ship's computer terminals. It also had a desk with terminal to catalogue and issue parts. Remata'Klan liked to use the space as a ready room. In the past he wouldn't have expected to need a ready room. There were no reports to file for the Dominion. Such duties were the responsibility of a Vorta. Most he was expected to do was give oral reports to his superiors. Working with Starfleet required the terminal's use for record keeping.

Remata'Klan sat behind the desk for a moment. Lost in thought Remata'Klan reclined in the chair bringing it up off two of its legs. The new mission gave too much time to think for Remata'Klan and his crew. The Jem'Hadar under Odo had been given a new found freedom that they didn't know what to do with. His crew was taking it rather well but it left Remata'Klan uneasy. How far was too far in pursuing their wants and needs.

Eko'Eklan entered the supply room. He held a standard issue polaron rifle in each arm. He approached the desk as Remata'Klan sat forward. "Something wrong, Second?" Remata'Klan asked. The Jem'Hadar extended one arm out offering a rifle to Remata'Klan. "Are you expecting a battle my friend?" Remata'Klan asked. He took the rifle and inspected it. He cycled the weapon and placed it back on safe before slinging it on his back. He had to sit on the edge of the chair after.

"We are just a few minutes out from the patrol route. Rem'Savrem started issuing weapons to all personnel," Eko'Eklan said. He slung his own rifle behind him and pulled a pistol from his left cargo pocket. He handed it to Remata'Klan by the grip. Remata'Klan took the pistol and cycled it like he did the rifle before. The pistol was polaron based just like the rifle. Remata'Klan placed the pistol in the empty holster on his belt.

"I didn't give any orders for the issue of weapons," Remata'Klan said. He was curious rather than angry.

Eko'Eklan looked away and shuffled his feet slightly. He was unsure what his First's reaction would be. "The troops are used to us having weapons at the ready upon mission start. I figured it couldn't hurt," Eko'Eklan said.

"What of the Starfleet personnel?" Remata'Klan asked.

"They are all carrying hand phasers," Eko'Eklan said. Eko'Eklan stood with confidence once more, seemingly at ease.

"Many things are changing these days, Second. It couldn't hurt to gear up if it lets our people know that some things will never change." Remata'Klan stood and walked to the door. "Let's make sure everyone is geared up," Remata'Klan said. The two Jem'Hadar walked out of the makeshift ready room.

Remata'Klan and his Second marched side by side to the armory. They talked about food they had tried and about the new soldier Seeker had birthed. Eko'Eklan occasionally slowed and got into step behind his First any time they encountered Jem'Hadar needing to pass by. All of the Jem'Hadar they encountered in the passageway were already geared up. For the last leg of their short journey Remata'Klan and his Second took a turbolift.

Remata'Klan stepped into the armory. The space was one of the largest aboard the ship. It carried a full complement of weapons ranging from knives and pole arms to pistols, rifles, and heavy weapons. Eko'Eklan moved over to the aft wall and removed a modified mining laser from a rack on the wall. He loosened the harness on the weapon and slung it over his shoulder. Remata'Klan watched his soldiers for a moment. They were all grabbing weapons and checking them before placing them in holsters or slinging them over their backs.

All the soldiers present carried out their preparations as professionally as they ever had before. Remata'Klan noticed that a few of the soldiers seemed uncomfortable. One Jem'Hadar caught his eye for a noticeable issue. He was having trouble holstering his sidearm. The soldier had a layer of fat bulging out at the sides of his abdomen. The bulges placed the pistol at an odd angle making the weapon difficult to holster.

"Everyone, stop what you are doing for a moment," Remata'Klan said. The soldiers immediately stopped their preparations and moved to the center of the armory. "Something has happened to a few of you and I want to know what it is," Remata'Klan shouted to the group. Most of the soldiers looked confused but the singular Jem'Hadar he had been looking at earlier was looking down at the deck in shame. "Meta'Klan, would you care to explain this?" Remata'Klan grabbed the side of Meta'Klan's abdomen shaking the fat on the soldier.

"I have been sampling the food replicator in my down time, First," Meta'Klan said looking at his commanding officer with embarrassment. Another Jem'Hadar chose to speak up in defense of his colleague. "We have all been sampling the replicator. There is a large amount of food to try, it is all very enjoyable," the soldier said. Remata'Klan looked around the room. Many of the soldiers in the room had packed on flabby mass since they left Spacedock.

"I think we will all need to reduce our use of the replicator from now on," Remata'Klan said. He managed to grab a hand full of flabby tissue on his own belly to emphasize the idea that they were all guilty. "I will schedule more training for the time being," Remata'Klan said. He turned and moved out of the armory. As he walked away from the armory he heard the soldiers go back to their preparations.

FOUR

Remata'Klan sat across from Seatrain at a wooden table that Ghastin had replicated in the main cargo bay. The industrial replicator onboard was generally used for replicating parts and equipment for the soldiers and crew. He hadn't seen anybody use it to create furniture until the Starfleet personnel came on board. Seatrain moved a small plastic piece made in the shape of a horse in an "L" shape to a space closer to one of Remata'Klan's pieces, a Pawn. It was a blocking maneuver to keep him from moving the piece forward. The two were playing the Earth game of Chess. The game along with Checkers, Go, and Shogi were all replicated for the Starfleet members to have something to do in their down time.

Remata'Klan spent the last two and a half hours learning how to play and had yet to beat Seatrain in a single game. Seatrain studied the board as Remata'Klan moved another pawn into position to capture the knight. Seatrain reached for her queen when a tactical alert activated. "Get to your post in engineering," Remata'Klan shouted as he pushed himself out of the chair and away from the table. He was running for the bridge before Seatrain had time to stand.

Remata'Klan made it to the bridge in two minutes with the turbolift doing little to improve the time. As he stepped onto the bridge Eko'Eklan turned to face him. He handed Remata'Klan a headset which the Jem'Hadar activated as he placed it on his head. "First, we received a distress signal from a freighter. They said that they were under attack by a large spherical vessel," Eko'Eklan said. He was speaking fast to relay the information as quickly as possible. His tone was tinged with excitement. "Judging from the sensor data I'd say it's the Borg."

Jem'Hadar loved to test themselves in battle against any new enemy. The idea of fighting an enemy as powerful as the Borg was a dream come true. "What is the ETA to arrival?" Remata'Klan asked. Stinger was at the helm. She sat on a stepping stool device to allow her to reach the controls. Her hands danced over the controls. "We are ten minutes out until intercept," Stinger said.

Seeker stepped onto the bridge and approached Remata'Klan. "As important as it is to mount a rescue of the freighter crew, we may want to find out where the Borg came from. If they established another transwarp conduit in the area, the Federation could find itself fighting on a new front in the war with the Borg," she said. Remata'Klan nodded in acknowledgement to his Third as he opened a ship wide channel. "All personnel make your way to the armory and retrieve frequency remodulators for your weapons. Grab knives or pole arms while you are there," Remata'Klan said. If they were going to gather Intel then boarding action was required. "Once we penetrate their defenses we will beam over teams to the sphere to gather as much intelligence as possible before beaming back," Remata'Klan said before closing the channel.

As DV 161-45 grew closer to the Borg ship Remata'Klan noticed that something was off. He called up an active scan of the area with his headset. The freighter was gone and the sphere was operating on low power and had come to a full stop. As they grew closer it became apparent through visual sensors that the ship had suffered considerable damage. From the information sent to Remata'Klan's headset it appeared the damage was caused by an interior explosion likely the detonation of a matter/antimatter reactor.

"First, we are dropping out of warp," Stinger said as she continued to work the controls at the helm. Remata'Klan felt the jolt in the ship's inertial dampeners as they worked to match the change in velocity. "First, enemy vessel is dormant, without power," said Tolak'Tolan at the operations console. Seeker had been watching the monitors on Tolak'Tolan's console. She turned to Remata'Klan. "Looks like the freighter crew might have attempted to take out the sphere with a desperate act," Seeker said. She was simply giving voice to Remata'Klan's thoughts. "They are likely regenerating. I suggest we board the ship now. We won't get another chance without a fight."

Remata'Klan told everyone on the bridge about what he had seen on sensors. He then opened a channel to the whole ship and informed them of their mission. He assembled four teams of four and ordered them to assemble in the transporter room. Eko'Eklan was assigned as the leader of the first team comprised of all Jem'Hadar. Rela'Tolan, Gorlak'Eklan, and Meta'Tolan were all veteran soldiers that Remata'Klan would trust to get any job done. His second team was led by Seeker. She would take Seatrain, Winnifred, and Meta'Klan. His other two teams were made up of relatively untested Jem'Hadar. The leader of one was Virak'Maijor and the other was led by Rem'Savrem.

Remata'Klan didn't like the idea of throwing new blood at an enemy as powerful as the Borg but he wasn't much older than most of the Jem'Hadar he was sending. He would have preferred to beam aboard the vessel himself but in the event the Borg sphere reactivated before the mission was completed he would be needed on the bridge. Remata'Klan listened as the teams beamed over and began to report back what they were seeing. A direct feed from Eko'Eklan's headset allowed Remata'Klan to see what the teams were navigating through. It didn't take long for the teams to run into the Borg.

Eko'Eklan's feed showed hundreds of Borg standing lifeless in alcoves along the bulkheads. The four teams continued to move through the sphere in search of access terminals. An hour after beam in Seeker broke the silence. "First, we should try to find the ship's vinculum. It's the quickest way we are going to find the information we want," Seeker said.

"Very well," Remata'Klan said on the general channel. "Tolak'Tolan, scan the ship for the vinculum and upload the location to the teams," Remata'Klan said.

Tolak'Tolan worked his consoles controls for almost a full minute before speaking. "I don't see anything on sensors that could be identified as a vinculum but there is a large shielded space deeper in the sphere near the core."

"That is the likely space soldier," Remata'Klan said, clasping the Jem'Hadar's right shoulder with his left hand.

"Seeker, we are uploading the vinculum's location soon, standby," Remata'Klan said. Tolak'Tolan nodded his head at Remata'Klan as he uploaded the information they needed. Stinger broke her silence at the helm, "First, the sphere is powering up. Sensors indicate they are raising shields and powering weapons".

Remata'Klan looked to the tactical console. A Jem'Hadar soldier named Genta'Ilan was already powering up DV 161-45's weapons and shields. "All hands, get to your tactical positions, prepare for boarders," Remata'Klan shouted into his headset's communication link. At the words of all hands his voice was transmitted throughout the ship. Alarms throughout the ship sounded and soldiers ran to assigned positions in key areas of the ship.

The sphere opened fire on DV161-45. The energy projectiles were designed to drain shields. The first struck the ship dead center. The second missed as Stinger moved the ship to avoid the blast. The sphere didn't bother to move. Instead, it activated all weapons nodes. It fired tractor beams and cutting lasers in all directions while continuing to fire energy draining projectiles.

Stinger's hands danced around the helm as she fought to dodge every weapon she could. Remata'Klan studied the attack with his headset. Under normal conditions a Borg sphere could easily destroy his ship. DV 161-45 was built for speed, agility, and fire power its shields and armor were light. A pattern started to reveal itself as the sphere continued its assault. The ship was lashing out where they had been and where it thought they were going to be. The Borg were having problems with their targeting sensors. They were firing manually but they couldn't cover every option with their weapons.

"Genta'Ilan, target the sphere's tractor emitters and fire!" Remata'Klan shouted. The soldier at tactical put in a series of commands and executed them without delay. Remata'Klan watched through his headset as six beams of violet polaron energy lashed out at the sphere. Tiny explosions were barely visible from the visual feed Remata'Klan was viewing. He quickly switched the headset's feed to view the damage with more detail. DV 161-45's polaron weapons were still foreign to the Borg. Some of the energy from the weapons had penetrated the Borg's shields. The attack would have done little to the sphere itself but at least they had a chance to disarm the Borg.

"Genta'Ilan, continue to target all weapons nodes," Remata'Klan began. "Let me know when you're finished." Remata'Klan continued to watch the enemy ship. It was losing the battle yet made no attempt to run. "Tolak'Tolan, what can you tell me about our teams?" Remata'Klan asked. He needed to know if they were going to have a chance at recovering their teams or if they should leave before the Borg decided to run them down.

"All weapons nodes are offline or destroyed but they are starting to regenerate the weapons nodes on the far side of the sphere," Genta'Ilan interrupted. His attention remained on his console. "Stinger, keep the ship away from the far side. Genta'Ilan, target the shields around the damaged areas. See if you can make a hole," Remata'Klan said.

Tolak'Tolan turned to his First and raised his voice. "Sir, the teams are still moving. I can't speak to them but all life signs are good," Tolak'Tolan said. It was clear he had been waiting to report the away team's status until the right time. Tolak'Tolan turned back to his console, "We have a hole in the shields. Do you want me to beam the teams out sir?"

Remata'Klan studied the readings on his headset. Only two of the teams were identified by the ship's transporter. It was the two less experienced teams he sent. "Lock on to the soldiers you can and beam them up. I'll get the rest myself," Remata'Klan shouted as he stepped over to the helm. "Stinger, move us in closer." The Hera-su soldier quickly adjusted the ship's controls to move them closer to the sphere.

"Genta'Ilan, keep hammering their shields. I'm heading to the transporter soon," Remata'Klan said as he turned toward the exit to the bridge. "Tolak'Tolan, you have the bridge. Once I'm aboard get the ship to minimum safe distance and await my signal." He didn't wait for the soldier's response before he was down the passageway and in the turbolift.

"Ghastin, report to the bridge, you'll be manning the operations console," Remata'Klan said over the general channel while stepping off the turbolift. He ran straight to the armory dodging soldiers standing at the ready for boarding action. Once in the armory Remata'Klan grabbed two belts of throwing knives, a pole axe and a frequency remodulator for his rifle. He then grabbed a metallic pack and filled it with grenades, anti-personnel mines, and timed explosives. Remata'Klan attached the remodulator onto his rifle and began cycling it.

As the rifle cycled to a new frequency Remata'Klan noticed something odd on the nearby pedestal. It was a case of Ketracel-White. The case was unopened. Remata'Klan realized then that none of his away teams took their White before the mission began. Remata'Klan opened the case and withdrew three vials. He placed each vile into the holding receptacle attached near his collar bone at his uniform's chest area. He didn't fully seat the vials. He wasn't ready for the dose yet. It had been months since he had last taken it.

Remata'Klan quickly closed the case and mounted it at the bottom of his pack with magnetic clamps. He ran out of the armory and straight into the turbolift. Ghastin came running up behind him. The Podian male was running on all four powerful limbs. "Heading to the bridge sir," Ghastin said with no hint of heavy breathing.

The pair rode the turbolift to the main deck in silence. Once the door opened Ghastin tore out of the turbolift like a feral animal using all four limbs to carry him to the bridge faster than Remata'Klan had ever seen anyone run before. Remata'Klan felt a shutter shifting his focus back to the task at hand. Remata'Klan moved quickly to the transporter room. A soldier was waiting to transport him over. "Teams three and four are back aboard First. Do you want me to speak the ritual?" The soldier at the console asked looking at the container of Ketracel-White.

A violent shutter traveled through the ship. An auxiliary console on the opposite side of the door exploded out spraying sparks and debris as a voice crackled over the ship's intercom. "First, if you are beaming over you need to do it now. The ship is regenerating its weapons faster than we can handle. Their shields are adapting to our weapons."

"I will speak the ritual to myself, beam me over now!" Remata'Klan shouted to the operator. The soldier did his job well. His hands had been dancing around the controls before Remata'Klan had finished speaking. Remata'Klan felt the confinement beam constrict around his form as his body broke down into smaller particles and were absorbed into the pattern buffers. The process took a few seconds but to Remata'Klan it was instantaneous. A flash of light and the feeling of the confinement beam dissipating were the first signs Remata'Klan had that the transport was complete.

Remata'Klan found himself standing on a catwalk. Lining the right side were rows of empty alcoves. On his left were railings and supports. The left side was mostly open to a void likely used to store and assimilate starships. In the distance Remata'Klan could see dozens of catwalks and passageways similar to the one he was standing on. Borg moved about on many levels working on damaged systems. The interior was more alive than the time his teams had beamed in but none of the Borg appeared to be aware of his presence.

Remata'Klan activated his headset's communications features and selected the channel his teams were using. "Remata'Klan to team two, can you read me?" Remata'Klan asked. He suddenly heard static and then a high pitched squeal. Remata'Klan switched to a general channel and tried to reach his teams again, "Team one, team two, can any of you hear me?"

The response was a low hum of what sounded like millions of uninterested voices speaking in unison, "Intrusions still present in sections six and eight. Intrusion detected in section two identified as species nine-five-one-three-six, Jem'Hadar." The voices were replaced once again with static. It was clear the Borg were jamming communications channels inside the sphere and they were aware of his presence even if they weren't interested in attacking him.

Remata'Klan tapped controls on his headset. He quickly brought up the locator signals for the two remaining teams and set NAV points on the device's heads up display. He was fortunate enough that the Borg hadn't jammed those too. Remata'Klan started jogging down the catwalk with his rifle raised in his right hand and his left hand clutching the vials of Ketracel-White he had yet to fully seat into the tubes leading to his neck. Remata'Klan managed to get about 20 meters closer to his teams before the Borg began to react to his presence. A drone had been standing near the entrance to the deeper recesses of the ship when Remata'Klan approached. As he closed the distance the drone stopped working, turned toward him and raised its arms. Remata'Klan fired one shot from his rifle hitting the drone straight in the chest. It collapsed as alarms sounded around him.

Remata'Klan picked up the pace as he ran down a passageway going deeper into the sphere. "As of this moment, I First Remata'Klan am already dead…." Remata'Klan squeezed the three vials of White until they fully seated into the device that pumped the drug into his neck. "…I go into battle to reclaim my life and the lives of my brothers…" The Ketracel-White rushed into his veins. "…This I do gladly, for I am Jem'Hadar…" The drug felt like ice water in his veins. As it traveled to his head and chest the sensation changed to pleasant warmth. "…Victory is Life!" Remata'Klan spoke the ritual out loud while the Ketracel-White went into full effect.

Remata'Klan's vision sharpened, his lungs expanded with each breath he took and his legs pumped faster and faster with each step. Remata'Klan was running in a full sprint, rifle shouldered at the ready in perfect focus. Borg were already starting to cluster around Remata'Klan's position. As he neared a four way intersection six Borg moved toward him with their arms raised to attack. Remata'Klan aimed his rifle down range without slowing down. Each polaron burst he fired tore into their intended targets spraying blood and sparks as the six Borg fell and convulsed on the deck.

Remata'Klan stepped over the Borg and moved into the passageway on his left. He continued to run following the closest NAV point on his headset. The decks in the area were becoming more complex as Remata'Klan got closer to his first target. The Passageways were crowded with consoles, pipes, and machinery Remata'Klan couldn't identify. He was forced to slow down to avoid an ambush.

Remata'Klan entered a chamber, rifle at the ready. The chamber had a small group of three Borg working on repairs to machinery at the center. Several ramps and ladderwells leading to decks above and below were spread out within the chamber. Passageways trailing off in multiple directions lined the bulkheads allowing the Borg to move freely to other parts of the ship. Remata'Klan realized too late that he was entering a central choke point.

The Borg present in the chamber made no attempt to attack. Remata'Klan began to approach the center of the chamber slowly, his weapon ready to open up should the Borg change their minds. The sphere was alive with the sounds of saws, welders, and other noises Remata'Klan couldn't identify. He didn't immediately notice when multiple Borg began to pour into the chamber marching toward him in unison. Dozens more began to emerge from the ladderways by the time Remata'Klan realized he had stepped into a trap.

Remata'Klan turned to the nearest Borg, the three workers, and fired multiple bursts from his rifle. The Three Borg fell in a shower of sparks. The other Borg continued their advance undaunted. Remata'Klan pulled his pole axe and started swinging at the closest Borg. Two Borg fell to the bladed weapon as Remata'Klan continued to fire his rifle at surrounding Borg.

Remata'Klan decided to alter his strategy. He slung his pole axe back to its resting place on his back and charged with his rifle raised toward the first NAV point. Remata'Klan dropped four Borg blocking the entrance to a passageway while running. He quickly moved drawing his pistol with his left hand while continuing to fire his rifle from the hip using his right hand. He was shooting the Borg directly in his path as well as the ones that moved to intercept him. Borg continued to advance on him despite their casualties. Remata'Klan continued his charge across the deck. His feet made contact with several dead Borg as he ran.

Once in the passageway Remata'Klan collided with several Borg as he charged. One managed to wrench his pistol away as he flung several Borg aside slamming into them left shoulder first. The Borg failed to slow his pace as he continued running. While continuing his charge through the passageway he noticed that several of the Borg he shot had shimmered in a green field. It was a sign they had adapted to the frequency he was using for his weapon.

Remata'Klan slapped the button on his frequency remodulator. The device began cycling through random frequencies, a process that would take a few seconds. Seconds Remata'Klan didn't have. A cluster of Borg advanced on him from a connecting passageway as he continued his charge. Remata'Klan thrust his rifle's barrel into the chest of the closest Borg, knocking it back. The Borg lost balance and fell over.

Remata'Klan wasted no time. He quickly brought the rifle down on top of the head of a Borg that had approached on his right shattering its skull in a shower of sparks. He shoved another Borg against a bulkhead and pulled the tubes out of the head of another causing it to crash to the deck convulsing. His weapon chimed indicating that the weapon was done cycling. Remata'Klan raised his weapon and fired at the remaining Borg in his way clearing the path into the next passageway.

The first NAV point was just a few meters away when Remata'Klan noticed that the Borg he was encountering were headed in the same direction he was. They were turning toward him as he approached but it was clear they were after one of his teams. Remata'Klan had to remodulate his rifle two more times while running the passageway. The Borg were adapting quickly to the Polaron rifle. It was only a matter of time before the weapon was rendered useless.

Remata'Klan turned a corner in the passageway putting him 30 meters from one of his teams. He could here energy weapon discharges nearby. The Borg in front of him were densely packed in the passageway. They were shuffling toward his team eager to get to them. The passageway with the Borg was open on the left side. It was similar to the catwalks where Remata'Klan had transported in. The open space was much smaller, exposed areas of other decks were visible. Some of the decks looked accessible from where Remata'Klan stood.

One Borg in the back of the pack turned to face Remata'Klan. Several others quickly turned to face him as well. Remata'Klan ran at them in a full sprint. He switched the selector on his rifle to three-round burst and pulled the trigger. The bolts of polaron energy lashed out at the crowded Borg. Bodies crashed to the deck, sparks flew, blood sprayed the one bulkhead and the Borg kept advancing.

Green shimmers began to appear on the advancing Borg. Remata'Klan activated the remodulating device and grabbed his pole axe from behind him. As the Borg advanced to melee range Remata'Klan thrust the pole into the chest of one Borg and kicked at another forcing it back. He then braced his legs and forced the impaled Borg over the railing on the exposed side of the passageway. The Borg slid off the pole and plummeted into the abyss below.

The rifle slung under Remata'Klan's right arm chimed again. He gripped the rifle in his right hand and fired from the hip peppering the advancing Borg with violet orbs of polaron energy. More Borg fell as before, others stepped over them or on them continuing their advance. Remata'Klan continued his assault. His pole axe severed limbs, crushed faces, and impaled chests as he fired his rifle into the crowd.

The Borg once again adapted to the rifle's new frequency. Instead of programming the frequency remodulator to find a new frequency Remata'Klan began using the rifle as a bludgeon. The Borg continued to fall under Remata'Klan as he neared the space housing his team. He was now ten meters away. As he cut, stabbed, and battered his way through the Borg he could occasionally see the bright blue beam of a modified mining laser cutting its way through Borg still advancing into the room containing his team.

Remata'Klan's rifle didn't last long as a bludgeon. The housing near the trigger guard cracked and a metal component slipped out flying well over the catwalk. One Borg managed to grab onto both of Remata'Klan's weapons with its claw and free hand. Another Borg quickly moved in and thrust its humanoid hand toward Remata'Klan's face. Before tubules could deploy, Remata'Klan jumped back and withdrew his knife. The Borg holding his weapons threw both over the catwalk and began advancing toward him. A familiar head became visible behind the crowd of Borg. Remata'Klan noticed the look on Eko'Eklan's face. There would be no other warning. Remata'Klan threw himself on the deck and exhaled hoping to flatten his body enough to avoid what was about to happen.

Bright blue brilliance filled the space just over Remata'Klan's body. He could hear the sound of searing heat cooking the air over him as well as the Borg. He smelled the burning wires and flesh as the beam continued its assault on everything in its path. The beam continued to burn for almost a full minute before finally dying down. Remata'Klan pushed up from the deck with his hands and feet and found his Second staring right at him while holding the modified mining laser. The barrel was smoking and glowing red from overuse.

"First, I didn't see you there until after I squeezed the trigger," Eko'Eklan said in an apologetic tone. He lowered the still overheated mining laser and held out his hand to greet his First. The other three members of the team poured into the catwalk to greet the First with relieved expressions. "What has you on board First?" Eko'Eklan asked in confusion.

"The Borg sphere managed to regenerate enough to raise shields. It also blocked communications. I decided to beam all of you back but I was only able to get teams three and four on board. Now that we are together we need to get Seeker's team, disable the shields and call dee vee one-six-one-tack-four-five for beam out," Remata'Klan said. He looked at his team. They looked exhausted and two of his soldiers were missing their rifles. Eko'Eklan spoke up, "I'm not sure I'm up for this kind of fighting First".

"Of course you are Second, you are Jem'Hadar," Remata'Klan said reaching for the case of Ketracel-White attached to his backpack. He held it out for all to see. He quickly toggled the switch to open the case and began handing out vials to each member of the team. The team took the vials immediately but hesitated to attach them. Eko'Eklan stared at Remata'Klan in confusion.

"You want us to take the White now that we no longer need it?" Eko'Eklan asked.

"I do," Remata'Klan said softly. "We are Jem'Hadar. That will not change. We obey the Founders and we fight." Remata'Klan looked at his team a moment longer before speaking again. "Take the White. You will need it for the fight ahead," he said as he pulled back the flap on his uniform exposing the vials now seated and pouring Ketracel-White into his veins. "Remember, victory is life!"

"VICTORY IS LIFE!" The team shouted in unison, attaching their vials and allowing the White to flow throughout their bodies.

FIVE

Remata'Klan and his team of veterans sprinted across the deck trying to make up for lost time. Rela'Tolan and Gorlak'Eklan lead the charge. Only Rela'Tolan had his rifle. Gorlak'Eklan was armed with a pistol. Remata'Klan kept pace behind them armed with his combat knife in his right hand. The rear was being covered by Eko'Eklan who had switched to his rifle and Meta'Tolan armed with a knife and pistol.

The team approached another main thoroughfare within the sphere. It had multiple passageways and ladderwells heading in different directions. There were Borg alcoves sitting empty along the walls but no Borg appeared to be in the area. The team moved to a nearby ladderwell and began to climb it one at a time. The two Jem'Hadar at the front moved to the deck above. They took positions to cover the passageways while the rest of the team ascended.

Remata'Klan was half way up the ladderwell when a Borg drone dropped down from an opening in the ceiling. Remata'Klan rolled backward with the drone on top of him. He pulled his legs in under the Borg and plunged his knife into its neck as they fell. Once his back hit the steps he launched the drone into the air forcing its back against the overhead in a shower of sparks. Eko'Eklan and Meta'Tolan both opened fire on the Borg before he slammed down on Remata'Klan hard.

Eko'Eklan helped pull the Borg off Remata'Klan while pointing his rifle at the opening in the ceiling. Remata'Klan rolled backward onto his feet and kicked the drone corpse lying on the deck. He had a fat lip and a cut on his cheek from the Borg falling on him. Remata'Klan motioned for Eko'Eklan to head up the ladderwell. Remata'Klan took a kneeling position near the base of the ladderwell and pulled three throwing knives from one of his belts, nestling them between the fingers of his left hand while holding his knife in his right.

Eko'Eklan moved slowly up the ladderwell watching the ceiling the whole time. Meta'Tolan went up behind him watching for more Borg. Before Remata'Klan could stand and move to the ladderwell he heard firing from the deck above. As he moved up the ladderwell another Borg dropped from the opening in the ceiling. Remata'Klan grabbed the drone's legs and jumped backwards done the ladderwell. His knives dug into the Borg's legs like the claws of a vicious animal. The Borg bashed its head on one of the steps and convulsed on the way down the ladderwell.

Another Borg dropped from the ceiling and landed on the ladderwell steps. Remata'Klan used his throwing knives letting them fly from his left hand with a finesse not generally seen in most soldiers of the Gamma Quadrant. All three plunged into the drones face, penetrating to the hilt. One knife had plunged deep into the soft tissues of the drone's one organic eye. The drone stepped down from the ladderwell. It swung its mechanical arm toward Remata'Klan. The Jem'Hadar First jumped back avoiding the attack then charged forward thrusting his knife through the drone's neck. Dark blood splashed the deck as the Borg fell to the floor.

Remata'Klan raced up to the deck above. His team was engaged with a large force of Borg that only continued to grow. The four soldiers were making every shot count. The piling bodies were making the job of the Borg more difficult. A drone that had dropped from the ceiling behind Remata'Klan moved up the ladderwell to grab him. He quickly shoved the drone down the ladderwell with his foot. Remata'Klan pulled three more throwing knives and charged in the direction of the second NAV point.

No order was given. The team understood what needed to be done. They abandoned the defense of the ladderwell and followed their First, clearing a path for him as they moved. Remata'Klan stumbled over fallen Borg until he reached the end of the passageway. The next space the team entered was vast. Alcoves lined the bulkheads three decks high. Most were empty.

Remata'Klan noticed a computer terminal connected to the wall near one rack of alcoves. He moved over to the console and began typing commands. The terminal used a collection of geometric shapes to represent various functions. Most of the terminal's features appeared to be locked. Eko'Eklan moved up to the console as Remata'Klan called up a schematic from the terminal.

"First, Seeker's team is moving," Eko'Eklan said. He had been watching the NAV point distance and seemed noticeably surprised. Remata'Klan studied the schematic a bit more before looking up at his Second. "They have been on the move since I beamed aboard. The schematic on the terminal shows the location of the shielded area we identified as the vinculum that Seeker was talking about earlier. I think she is still trying to reach it!" Remata'Klan's voice was filled with amazement. To think that a team like hers could cover so much ground in so little time- "Come, we have more ground to cover," Remata'Klan said. He immediately ran for the nearest passageway leading to the NAV point for Seeker's team.

SIX

Remata'Klan's team raced through the sphere once again at a full sprint. The maze of passageways and ladderwells did little to slow them down. The number of drones they were encountering was smaller than they expected. Shoot-outs were becoming less common and the team was starting to see dead Borg lining some of the passageways. Signs of battle were becoming more and more frequent.

The team was within a few meters of the NAV point marker when they found the reason for the diminished Borg presence. The space they were in was a large room with computer terminals and small chambers. Remata'Klan could hear the wailing cries of infants in the chambers. On the opposite wall was a massive set of doors. They had been sealed with an energy weapon.

Thirty Borg were hard at work attempting to open the sealed doors. Several Borg were pulling the doors in opposite directions while four used cutting torches mounted one their equipment arms. Several more were at nearby terminals typing commands to force the door open. Despite their organized attempt the Borg seemed oddly panicked. The bulk of the Borg contingent waited just behind the four cutters. The equipment grafted to their arms indicated they were drones designed for combat.

Remata'Klan looked to his team. He gave them several hand signals to quietly instruct them on how to attack. Eko'Eklan threw his rifle to Remata'Klan and pulled his modified mining laser over his shoulder. The team fanned out as Remata'Klan checked over the rifle and fastened a sling on it before letting the weapon rest against his chest. Remata'Klan signaled for the attack to begin on his signal.

Remata'Klan drew his remaining six throwing knives. He threw them simultaneously at the waiting Borg. Two Borg dropped immediately convulsing from something vital having been punctured. The rest turned to face their new threat. Eko'Eklan fired his laser on a full charge. The beam burned with an intense azure brightness burning through the first 12 Borg to be exposed to it. The remaining Borg were able to attune their personal shields to the mining laser's frequency absorbing the beams power.

The remaining Borg began to charge their attackers. Remata'Klan and his team opened fire with their weapons dispatching the rest of the Borg before they could adapt. Eko'Eklan used the continuous beam of his mining laser to cut a circular pattern into the sealed door after his initial sweep of the Borg. Remata'Klan stepped up to the circular cut and kicked the door as hard as he could. The circular slab of metal that had been a sizable portion of the door fell away and slammed onto the deck within the next room.

Remata'Klan ran through the opening with his rifle raised. He quickly took in the site of the room. It was massive, similar to the maturation chamber in size but had none of the previous chamber's features. Toward the back of the room was a large brightly lit object. The object was rectangular with triangular parts on each end that glowed with a strong green light. The object was suspended just above the deck with metal supports that were suspended from the ceiling.

Remata'Klan panned his rifle just right of the object when he saw movement. The movement was of a remarkably short individual in an armored suit. Remata'Klan lowered his weapon and approached the figure while the rest of the team entered. The suited figure approached with a small weapon Remata'Klan hadn't seen before. The figure pulled their helmet off confirming Remata'Klan's suspicions. The figure was Seeker, evidently wearing non-Starfleet gear. Remata'Klan remembered he hadn't actually seen any of the Starfleet personnel gear up once the mission had started. He did notice the rifle on Seeker's back was federation. It was long enough to almost touch the floor while strapped to the Hera-su's back.

"Welcome aboard, First," Seeker said nonchalantly. "Access to the vinculum is locked up. Seatrain said something about a security code and something about recursive algorithms. Meta'Klan is assisting her in getting us access. " Seeker was calm and level headed despite looking exhausted.

"How much time do they need? We're bugging out and I need the shields down before I can call in an EVAC," Remata'Klan said with a bit of irritation. Seeker turned toward the back of the room. "Seatrain, how much longer?" Seeker shouted the question louder than Remata'Klan had expected.

Seatrain was lying on her back with most of her body buried deep within a console attached to the back wall. Meta'Klan was standing over her dividing his attention between his tricorder and the computer screen. "Almost have it, maybe a few more minutes," Seatrain shouted from the bowels of the terminal. Meta'Klan quickly turned toward Seeker and Remata'Klan and flashed his five fingers three times before returning his attention back to his task. Seeker ejected something from her weapon and replaced it with a similar item and turned to Remata'Klan.

"As much as I appreciate you coming to pull us out, you just made the job harder by giving the Borg a way in," Seeker said. Remata'Klan looked at the door Eko'Eklan had made with the mining laser. His team had all poured into the room and spread out to check for threats. Eko'Eklan approached Seeker and his First. "What's the plan First?" Eko'Eklan asked.

Remata'Klan shifted his body to face his Second. "We are holding this position until we get the Intel we need from the vinculum," Remata'Klan said. Seeker grabbed the trouser fabric at Remata'Klan's thigh and pulled. "What's in the bag sir?" Seeker asked with a smile. Remata'Klan suddenly remembered he had loaded grenades and explosives in his pack.

Winnifred suddenly dropped down from one of the supports and walked over to where her three superiors were standing. "We have incoming. They are beaming into the passageway outside the maturation chamber. At least 80 before I disconnected the tricorder from the distribution node," Winnifred said. She helped remove Remata'Klan's pack as the group quickly laid out a plan.

Remata'Klan's teams worked quickly. Gorlak'Eklan and Meta'Tolan stood at the entrance to the vinculum room with rifles raised. Gorlak'Eklan had been given Seatrain's phaser rifle and Meta'Tolan had been given Meta'Klan's polaron rifle. Eko'Eklan programmed the anti-personnel mines Remata'Klan had packed to drift into the maturation chamber and float until their targets arrived. The mines, once activated would phase in and out of subspace until they detected a target. Remata'Klan watched the mines drift into the doorway before phasing into subspace.

Rela'Tolan stood behind the two Jem'Hadar covering the door with a bag full of grenades. The rest of the team stood a few feet in front of the vinculum with weapons drawn. Aside from the vinculum there was no other cover in the large space. Once Seatrain and Meta'Klan were finished downloading any relevant data from the vinculum Remata'Klan would detonate the device with explosives he had placed all around its outer casing.

When the teams finished preparing for the coming attack, Winnifred again perched herself above the vinculum, tapping into the distribution node to get more information about the gathering force. "I count over four hundred Borg just outside the Maturation chamber," shouted Winnifred. "Why don't they just beam into this chamber on masse?" Remata'Klan asked. Seeker turned to Remata'Klan while keeping her submachine gun pointed down range. "The maturation and vinculum chambers are shielded from scans, remember? The shielding can prevent enemy vessels from beaming in troops or explosives. It's separate from the rest of the ship's systems and built directly into the bulkheads and decks," Seeker said.

"They're coming in!" Winnifred shouted. Remata'Klan could hear her disconnecting her tricorder. Winnifred dropped to the deck below as a few explosions rang out in the nearby chamber. She pulled a Starfleet standard issue type-two phaser from a holster at her hip and moved over next to Seeker. Meta'Tolan quickly stuck his head in and out of the door hole to survey the damage. "They noticed the mines. They are moving around them," shouted Meta'Tolan.

Borg had entered the maturation chamber with a singular purpose. Once the first mines went off the surviving Borg had started to cycle through their optical implants' visual spectrums to identify the threat. The dead and damaged were left on the deck as more Borg entered the chamber. They looked around checking for safe routes to navigate. The maturation chamber was filled quickly with Borg intent on completing their task, to neutralize the intruders.

"Forget the mines. Rela'Tolan, start throwing the grenades," Remata'Klan commanded. The two Jem'Hadar at the doors began firing blindly through the hole to give their comrade cover while he primed two grenades and threw them at the approaching Borg. The explosions from the grenades were quickly followed by secondary explosions from some of the mines. The three Jem'Hadar waited for the maturation chamber to fill with more Borg before repeating the process.

The second and third grenade attacks were just as effective as the first. Meta'Tolan again peered through the hole to assess the damage. He held up his hand to signal for the next attack. The Borg continued to fill the chamber unfazed by the carnage of severed limbs and chewed corpses lying about all over the deck. Rela'Tolan approached with two primed grenades as before and threw them.

The two small objects quickly flew back through the hole. The first detonated right in front of Rela'Tolan throwing his body backward. The Jem'Hadar landed on his back. He began to convulse, his body chewed up and burned by the grenade. The second grenade detonated just within the opening but the two Jem'Hadar that had been braced alongside it had jumped aside and flattened to the deck after they saw the first grenade fly by.

Remata'Klan, Winnifred, and Eko'Eklan laid down covering fire as Seeker ran to Rela'Tolan and checked him over. He had stopped convulsing and was lying in a pool of Blood. "Winnifred, get down here," Seeker shouted. Winnifred quickly moved to Seeker's side and took out her med kit and medical tricorder. Seeker grabbed the bag of grenades Rela'Tolan had dropped and looked inside. There were only two grenades left in the bag.

Seeker grabbed the grenades and primed them. She intentionally kept her fingers away from the safety switch. She ran over to Gorlak'Eklan and Meta'Tolan. The two Jem'Hadar were bleeding in spots but they were conscious and moving. "Those grenades are live fool, what are you doing?" Gorlak'Eklan exclaimed.

Seeker put a grenade in front of her lips and shushed him before standing. Her comrades stopped shooting as she entered their field of fire. Seeker quickly threw the grenades and dived for the deck near Meta'Tolan. The grenades exploded immediately after going through the hole spraying most of the heat and shrapnel at the approaching Borg. Seeker didn't bother to check the damage. She quickly grabbed the two Jem'Hadar near her and began pulling at their uniform collars.

Realizing what the Hera-su was attempting to do Gorlak'Eklan got to his feet, spun around, and scooped her up like a father lifting his child. The two Jem'Hadar ran to Remata'Klan's position in front of the vinculum. The three past Winnifred, a look of concern and hopelessness was present on her face. "Rela'Tolan won't make it without sickbay," she shouted to anyone that could hear her. Remata'Klan lifted his rifle and fired a single shot. The shot struck Rela'Tolan in the top of the head. Winnifred looked at him in shock. "Victory is life," was his only response.

"We have the data!" Seatrain shouted, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the team. Seeker motioned for Gorlak'Eklan to put her down. Remata'Klan watched the Hera-su get dropped onto her feet as he pulled the detonator off his belt. "When I give the signal we make a dash for the exit. I will lead the way," Remata'Klan said holding the detonator in his hand.

Remata'Klan's team ran toward the hole in the door. It was their only exit despite being covered by hundreds of Borg drones. His team was already providing cover fire through the door hole when he toggled the detonator. The explosives shattered the vinculum into millions of pieces. Most of the fragments dug into the deck and overhead. A few pieces managed to pepper the team as they ran directly into the waiting Borg.

The vinculum was used to filter and process data for the collective on any given ship, most notably the suppression of individual thought and the dissemination of relevant data to the collective on board. Destruction of the vinculum left the Borg disoriented. Some drones began looking around unsure what to do. Others stood still lost in thought. The veteran Jem'Hadar on Remata'Klan's team missed no step in following him into the chaos. The rest of the team followed in surprise.

Remata'Klan used the distraction to its full advantage. He plowed right into a group of Borg at the center of the maturation chamber. He shot two of them, shoved a third with his rifle, and shoulder checked a fourth. All four dropped as he continued his charge. The veteran Jem'Hadar behind him were shooting and running while the rest of the team followed shooting sporadically at Borg that occasionally drifted toward them.

Remata'Klan got clear of the shielded chambers and used his headset to open a communication frequency to DV 161-45. "Remata'Klan to one-six-one-tack-four-five, can you hear me?" Remata'Klan asked. Remata'Klan could hear only static in the headset's speaker. A second later he could hear what sounded like a voice saying something. "Tolak'Tolan, can you hear me, we need beam out!" Remata'Klan continued to shoot and run, his team was keeping pace behind him. The Borg hadn't yet recovered from the destruction of the vinculum but they were starting to defend themselves. Some even seemed to be following the last commands they were given.

"Remata'Klan, this is Tolak'Tolan," chirped Remata'Klan's headset. "We are just outside of transporter range, the sphere has dropped out of warp and the shields are down. Proceed to the outer shell of the vessel as fast as you can and we'll beam you out." Tolak'Tolan's voice was remarkably calm despite the fact that a well-placed shot from the Borg could destroy 161-45. "I read you loud and clear. We will proceed to the damaged section as before," Remata'Klan said before closing the channel.

SEVEN

The team had been running through the Borg sphere for the last 10 minutes. They had to slow down considerably to accommodate the weaker species. Seatrain and Seeker seemed unaffected by the prolonged running but their short legs and reduced stature kept them from matching the Jem'Hadar in speed. The human, Winnifred, was having trouble keeping up. She had stripped off most of her uniform and all of her equipment except her med kit, phaser, and tricorder in order to keep up but it was clear that if they didn't slow down to a walk she was going to collapse.

Remata'Klan reestablished contact with 161-45. "Tolak'Tolan, target the weapons nodes within range of your current position and fire," Remata'Klan said as he continued to jog. "Once you're finished move the ship as close as you can. I need you to beam us off as soon as possible." Tolak'Tolan's reply was cut when Remata'Klan cut the channel again. He raised his arm upward signaling that they slow down again. The team slowed to match Remata'Klan's walking speed.

Remata'Klan could hear Winnifred wheezing in the back of their group. He looked down at Seeker, she had moved to his right side. "Continue forward, I'll grab Winnifred," He said with a disappointed tone. Seeker grabbed her submachine gun in her left hand and grabbed her phaser rifle from her back with her right. She continued to move toward their objective. The rest of the team followed her.

Remata'Klan stepped over to Winnifred and lowered his head to speak more privately with the exhausted officer. "If you were a Jem'Hadar I would have killed you for failing to keep up," he said with restrained anger. Winnifred continued to catch her breath. "We need to continue. Can you make it or not?" Remata'Klan checked his headset. The Borg were moving around in a more organized manner. They were already starting to adapt to the missing vinculum. It was only a matter of time before they renewed their efforts to destroy or assimilate Remata'Klan and his team.

"I could have saved Rela'Tolan. Someone could have carried him; I could have kept him alive until we got back to the ship!" Winnifred's voice went from an even tone to a scream. She had been more negatively impacted by Rela'Tolan's death than Remata'Klan would have expected. He knew that humans were weak, prone to strong emotional outbursts, requiring food, water and sleep to function. They were also too easily damaged psychologically or physically. "Yet they defeated the Dominion?" Remata'Klan pondered.

"I am not accustomed to having a doctor on my ship. He would have slowed us down anyway. As it is we may not make the rendezvous before the Borg regain control of their own ship." Remata'Klan stared at his medical officer for a moment. She finally looked back at him. "Leave me here, then. I will find my own way!" Winnifred shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Remata'Klan continued to look at her. She had cared for his crew during their short time together. She had treated his soldiers for all sorts of issues tied to their new found taste for food and she had attempted to save a soldier that upon second thought may have been saved under her care. She was an asset even if she couldn't keep up. She was worth saving.

Remata'Klan scooped up his medical officer and began running after the others to catch up. Winnifred had started to squirm and protest until she realized he was helping her. Winnifred leveled her phaser in an odd stance. Remata'Klan realized than that she intended to fight for them both if it allowed them to make up for lost time. It wasn't long before they caught up to the rest of the team.

Once the team was together again Remata'Klan ordered his Jem'Hadar to pick up and carry the two Hera-su officers. With the slower officers being carried the group broke out into a sprint across the catwalks toward were Remata'Klan had first beamed in. Remata'Klan made his way to the front of the group. In the remaining distance to the last catwalk the two Hera-su officers had climbed onto the shoulders of the Jem'Hadar carrying them. Seeker sat on Eko'Eklan's shoulders while holding both her weapons on either side of his head.

"Remata'Klan to one-six-one-tack-four-five, we are in position for transport," Remata'Klan said. His voice carried to the ship by the headset on his head. "We are in position for beam out, standby," said Tolak'Tolan. Remata'Klan placed Winnifred on the catwalk. Eko'Eklan and Meta'Klan placed the two officers they carried onto the deck as well. A quick examination of the area had Remata'Klan noticing the lack of cover. It shouldn't have been a problem but the transporter had yet to lock-on to them despite Tolak'Tolan telling them to standby.

Remata'Klan turned to his Second and Commander Seeker. Before he could form the words to order his team take up defensive positions he felt the familiar sensation of the annular confinement from the transporter envelop him. He yelped in pain and fell to one knee as the confinement beam strengthened around the whole away team. Something had struck Remata'Klan in the back of the knee. It was now wedged in between his thigh and calf muscle.

Seeker reacted quicker than he could. She leveled her submachine gun at the unseen attacker and emptied her weapons ammunition into the target. Remata'Klan pivoted on his shredded knee as he felt the curious sensation of his whole body breaking down into its constituent atoms. His vision was quickly overcome with brilliant blue light enveloping his team before his own vision went black. Remata'Klan's vision quickly returned in the same blue brilliance that had swept over him and his team a second ago.

Winnifred was the first to speak. "Eko'Eklan, get to the bridge. Remata'Klan needs to be treated before returning to duty. Meta'Klan. Gorlak'Eklan. I'll need your help getting Remata'Klan to the sick bay." Winnifred spoke with an authority Remata'Klan hadn't heard her use before.

Winnifred walked backward down the passageway. She was followed by Remata'Klan. He was upright but the two Jem'Hadar that had been ordered to carry him were assisting his travel allowing him to stay off his shredded knee. Winnifred waved a scanner over Remata'Klan's injury while looking at a tricorder. She put the tricorder and scanner away as they made it into the turbolift.

Winnifred toggled something on the controls allowing the turbolift to take them to the VIP quarters, the new sick bay. As they exited the turbolift Winnifred took a hypospray from her belt and pressed it to his neck administering something into his blood stream. The lights in the new sick bay flickered and the ship shuttered slightly. "I needa ta geth…. bridge," Remata'Klan managed to say slurring his speech. Meta'Klan and Gorlak'Eklan lifted Remata'Klan off his feet. By Winnifred's direction, they placed him belly down on the center bio bed.

"First, the blade that was fired at you has released nanites into your blood stream. I gave you a sedative that is already taking effect. You aren't going anywhere. You have a good crew, don't worry," Winnifred said with a calm and collected voice. Remata'Klan could feel the blade being removed from his leg as darkness enveloped him. The last thing he heard as he lost consciousness was the shuttering of the ship's hull and the whispers of a million voices declaring in unison, "Resistance is futile…"

EIGHT

Remata'Klan awoke with a start. In one quick moment he jumped from the bio bed reaching for his pistol. The pain in his leg was beginning to radiate up his body as he continued to put weight on it. Remata'Klan took a moment to get his bearings. His weapons were gone and he had been stripped of his uniform. He stood in the center of sick bay wearing only his dermaplastic undergarment. It was a one piece article of clothing that extended from mid-thigh to the chest and secured by straps that went over the shoulders. It was designed to keep his important parts more or less intact in combat and was easy to put on and take off.

Winnifred stood up from a console in the corner of the room. Remata'Klan hadn't noticed her presence. A clear sign he was still under the influence of drugs. "Relax First, you are going to make a full recovery. Provided you stay off the leg for a few more hours," Winnifred said. Her tone had started sympathetic and turned dismissive. "What happened?" Remata'Klan asked.

"I was able to remove the blade from your knee but I had to eradicate the Borg nanites before I could repair the damage. I isolated a few of the little suckers and managed to reprogram them to act as an antiviral agent. In effect, they assimilated the other nanites and then I shut them all down. Repairing your knee with a dermal regenerator and some replicated tissue was the easy part," Winnifred said, rather proud of her accomplishment.

"I meant, what happened with the Borg sphere?" Remata'Klan asked with a little irritation coloring his voice.

"Oh, not sure. Seems we got away. The ship stopped shaking at least," Winnifred replied in a whimsical tone. She walked over to him and pressed a hypospray into his shoulder before he could react. "Get on the bed First, Otherwise I'll be replacing your leg," Winnifred guided him back onto the bio bed with a bit of force.

"You drugged me again," Remata'Klan said in an accusatory tone.

"It's not a sedative. Just a pain killer," Winnifred said. She pulled a blanket from a cabinet and covered him with it. Winnifred turned and moved back to her console without another word.

The door to sick bay hissed open revealing Eko'Eklan. He was still wearing his tattered uniform from the mission but he no longer had his weapons or equipment pack. The Jem'Hadar Second walked over to the bio bed to stand with his First. "How are you feeling my friend?" Eko'Eklan asked with a soft tone.

"I will be fine. Winnifred told me I just need time to recover," Remata'Klan said. His voice was slightly colored with irritation. "What happened to the Sphere?" Remata'Klan asked.

"We managed to escape with a few scratches to the hull and damage to the starboard Nacelle. Ghastin is supervising the repairs now…" Eko'Eklan spoke of Ghastin with respect. A clear sign the Podian had earned his place among the crew. "I positioned the ship within the magnetic pole of a gas giant in the nearest star system and Seeker has Seatrain and Meta'Klan deciphering the vinculum data as we speak."

Remata'Klan nodded to his Second in thanks for the report. Eko'Eklan remained for a few seconds before turning and walking out.

NINE

It had been about four hours since Remata'Klan had been released from sick bay. His knee still ached slightly each time he took a step. After getting briefed on the bridge by his officers Remata'Klan had moved into his ready room. The storeroom was cramped but comfortable to the First. He sat in the chair near the supply computer and focused his thoughts.

Eko'Eklan had contacted Admiral Bhatt of Starfleet and Loriss of the Dominion. The signal sent to both was taking time to reach them as Remata'Klan was not given access to priority one channels. Subspace transmitters were still likely carrying the signal. It worked in Remata'Klan's favor. It gave his crew time to analyze the data from the vinculum into actionable Intel.

The intercom system in the storeroom/ready room crackled for a second before Seeker's voice filled the room. "First, you have an emergency communique coming in for you from Admiral Bhatt's office," Seeker said with an almost robotic tone. "Send it over to the supply computer Third," Remata'Klan said. He didn't notice his use of the Jem'Hadar rank for his Starfleet officer.

An icon popped up on the console as the monitor woke to its new temporary assignment. Remata'Klan pressed the button to open the communication link. Admiral Bhatt filled most of the screen seated behind his desk but much to Remata'Klan's surprise Loriss was also present. She was standing behind the admiral and a step or two to the man's right shoulder. Admiral Bhatt's stone face contrasted with Loriss's warm smile.

"I thought you were staying on Deep Space 9?" Remata'Klan asked.

"Some important matters required I move to Earth," Loriss said. Her smile was still present but it didn't match the tone of her voice.

The admiral cleared his throat and sat up in his chair. "First, my people are reviewing the data that was sent over in the message. Once we have more information we will get back to you. For now continue your patrol duties." The admiral seemed preoccupied by something else.

"Wait sir, my officers have deciphered the data we sent. It gives the location of a new transwarp conduit near the Nimbus sector. They are amassing a large force to open a new front." Remata'Klan spoke in an almost pleading tone. It wasn't out of fear or panic. Remata'Klan wanted to be a part of the action.

"I will assemble a task force to destroy the conduit. In the meantime, continue your patrol assignment," Admiral Bhatt said.

"I would like to join the task force. We can recon the region while wait…"

"I said you will continue your patrol as ordered! Your ship doesn't have the weight to engage the Borg!" The admiral's face had turned red from the short outburst of emotion. His yelling had made the Vorta standing next to him jump. "If you encounter any Borg ships during your patrol you are to notify command here before you engage the threat. Is that understood?" The admiral stared at him intently.

"I understand sir," Remata'Klan said.

Loriss bent down to the admiral's ear and whispered something. "I could use a coffee anyway," Admiral Bhatt said. He got to his feet and stepped out of the way of the viewscreen. Loriss moved to the admiral's chair and took a seat. "I wanted to speak to you before we closed the channel," Loriss said.

"What is it?"

"Nothing serious," Loriss said with a smile. She shifted in the chair and breathed a sigh of relief before continuing. "The Founder, Odo has tasked me with monitoring how the Jem'Hadar are acclimating to the joint operations and the end of the Jem'Hadar's dependency on Ketracel-White." Loriss seem to watch something off screen. She smiled and nodded to somebody before looking back at the screen.

"How has the crew been since you left Spacedock?" Loriss asked.

"The crew is good. We have been trying food. I'm still not sure what the big deal is with all the variety," Remata'Klan said. "Some of it is quite flavorful," He said thinking of the poutine he had eaten on Earth Spacedock.

"It is good to hear," Loriss said with a warm smile. Her expression seemed more genuine than before. "Odo told me to tell you and others to try something called raktajino."

"I will have the crew try it at once, Loriss."

"No, no, Odo wanted everyone to try it on their own. It isn't an order."

Remata'Klan was confused. A founder wanted his soldiers to do something as a suggestion and not an order? "I will try to make it clear that they can try the raktajino," Remata'Klan said slowly.

Loriss giggled and leaned forward in the admiral's chair. "So how did your new crew perform?" Loriss asked in a lower volume.

Remata'Klan leaned back in his chair. "They performed better than I expected. Their fighting ability isn't on par with that of my Jem'Hadar but they are skilled in ways that will prove useful in coming conflicts." Remata'Klan spoke with a level of pride for his new officers. They weren't Jem'Hadar but they didn't need to be.

Remata'Klan and Loriss continued their conversation for about twenty minutes. Admiral Bhatt returned to his desk a few minutes before they cut the connection to upload data on the ships in the new task force in case Remata'Klan and his crew needed to contact them. The communication channel closed, Remata'Klan stood and stretched. Life was not as Remata'Klan thought it would be. He couldn't help but feel that he wasn't programmed for what lie ahead, that he was facing something bigger than the threat of the Borg. What would a Jem'Hadar do if given the choice to do anything? Stick to what he knows or take a leap toward the unknown?

Remata'Klan stepped out of his ready room. He headed to the bridge, his mind still full of ideas. Some of those ideas were not needed to do his job, to serve the founders. Eko'Eklan turned to Remata'Klan as he entered the bridge. "Good to see you on the bridge First," Eko'Eklan said. His voice seemed relieved.

"I have spoken to Loriss and Admiral Bhatt. We have our orders," Remata'Klan said as he approached the helm.

"Are we going after the sphere?" Eko'Eklan asked.

Remata'Klan turned to his Second and smiled. "We are continuing our patrol," Remata'Klan said. He turned back to the helm. One of his Jem'Hadar stood at the console punching in commands. "Helm, resume our patrol course and engage at warp four." Remata'Klan moved to the center of the bridge. His Second continued to stare at him with a confused look on his face.

"Eko'Eklan, you stand relieved." Remata'Klan watched his Second begin to leave. "While you're off duty you should try a beverage called raktajino. I was told it was a good beverage…"