Firefight

Suddenly there came a loud shout of "Federation scum." followed by phaser fire.

"Get down." Buford ordered, suddenly noticing a Jem’Hadar with his rifle pointed at Ensign Ward. Instinctively he pushed the young medical officer out of the line of fire, but too late. The Jem’Hadar fired two shots, the first hitting Fedora square in the chest, the second catching the left leg of the Commander as he fell onto the body of the young medic. Buford screamed in agony at his wound before lapsing into unconsciousness. First the Marines and then the elite guard started firing back looking for some cover, as Logan dropped down to check on the fallen officers.

"Hold your fire." Sabá announced loudly above the phaser fire. "In the name of the Founders and the Elite guard."

The firing stopped and the planet was once more silent. Both the elite guard and the Marines waited in anticipation of the continuation of the firefight, but nothing happened. Then suddenly a single Jem’Hadar appeared from behind a large bunker-like structure, holding his rifle pointing up into the air.

"Can it be true, the elite guard and the Federation our former enemies working together ?" The Jem’Hadar asked.

"Identify yourself." Vorta Sabá ordered.

"I am Gat’Nokia Refex, third to the Tartan Genoa garrison." The Jem’Hadar replied. "But who are you ?"

"I am Vorta Sabá of the Dominion elite guard." Sabá replied. "We are working together with the Federation against a group of rogue Jem’Hadar. Our last sensor readings showed that they may have travelled here."

Logan was still checking over the Commander and Ensign Ward when he tapped his comm badge.

"Away team to Taurus." Logan announced. "Medical emergency, transport the Commander and Ensign Ward directly to sickbay. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, McQueen out."

The injured bodies of the two Federation officer disappeared from the ground where they had been.

"What happened here ?" McQueen asked, rising from the floor.

Gat’Nokia was silent, as if McQueen had not asked the question.

"Please answer the Lieutenant’s question." Sabá requested.

"Their ship appeared on our sensors from out of nowhere and before we knew what was happening, they came and attacked the base." The Jem’Hadar soldier replied. "They started to destroy the base, then they just left after stunning two of our garrison. The fleet gave chase, but we have not heard back from them."

"From what we’ve seen of this system, it looks like your attacker escaped." Logan announced. "We’ve seen the wreckage of several Dominion vessels in the system and in just over an hour, a battleship is going to crash into this planet killing everything."

"But what about the crew ?" Gat’Nokia enquired. "Why have they not taken the ship out of orbit ?"

"There’s no-one left alive to run the ship." Logan announced. "How many men do you have still alive ?. We need to get you off this planet before it’s destroyed."

Just then Logan’s comm badge beeped and he pressed it to receive the hail.

[Taurus to Lieutenant McQueen.]

"McQueen here." Logan replied.

[Just thought you’d like to know the status of the casualties. We’ve had to remove the Commander’s right leg, but apart from that, he’s OK. We’re keeping him sedated for the time being, he suffered a severe head injury.] The voice of Doctor Kahfre announced. [Unfortunately Ensign Ward didn’t fair so well, the phaser blast hit her too hard, and she had multiply injuries. There was no way we could repair all the damage.]

"Thank you Doctor." McQueen announced. "McQueen out."

"I am sorry for your loss." Vorta Sabá announced.

"What I’d like to know is why you attacked us." McQueen announced angrily.

"We thought you might have been the attacker come to finish off what you started." Gat’Nokia replied. "We detected Jem’Hadar life readings approaching and prepared an ambush."

"Just how many of your men are left ?" McQueen asked.

"We are but five Jem’Hadar." Gat’Nokia replied. "We were nearly a hundred before the attack."

"Then I guess you’ll be coming with us. Get your men together and as soon as we have the base’s computer core downloaded, we can leave." Logan announced. "Let’s just hope that the information can lead us to the rogue Jem’Hadar."

"I will help you get to the command centre." Gat’Nokia offered. "This way."

"Stay here." McQueen ordered the Marines. "Start having the Jem’Hadar transported back to the Taurus and follow once they are all aboard. I’ll return once we have the computer files."

Fifteen minutes later, McQueen was stood on the Bridge of the Taurus once more thinking. He was about to make an important decision, one that would effect the crew of the ship for some time.