Paging Doctor Kahfre

Logan had just come from Marine Lieutenant Floten's office and was looking Doctor Kahfre. The computer had told him that Rahel was in holodeck one and Logan had thought that maybe she was running one of her combat programmes. Logan remembered the last time he'd walked in on her during one of those and he wasn't ready to do it again. But he also didn't want to interrupt her by contacting her over the Comm, so he was heading for the holodeck.

He reached the outer doors and checked the console. To his surprise, it wasn't running a combat programme at all, but the simulation of the temple ruins on Ferona II. Logan thought back to when he'd first walked into the simulation Rahel had created for their picnic.

*Was it only five days ago.* Logan thought to himself. *It seems so much longer.*

Feeling confident that he wasn't going to get injured, he opened the doors and saw Rahel with her back to him. The sound of the holodeck doors must have caught her attention because she began to turn around to see who had come in. Suddenly a large black cat pounced on top of Rahel, pinning her to the ground.

Logan instinctively tapped his comm badge and was about to call for back-up when the cat spoke.

"Got you !" It laughed. Logan suddenly recognised the voice and tapped his comm badge again, closing the channel.

With very little effort, Rahel managed to roll herself over, reversing the situation she had found herself in, the 'cat' now pinned to the floor. "Are you sure ?" She said.

"Now this is a cute sight." Logan interrupted, coming out from the shadow.

"Logan !" Rahel exclaimed, releasing her hold on the 'cat'.

Rahel looked happier that Logan had ever seen her, she was smiling and laughing. She stood up and brushed the hair away from her face. The 'cat' started to change shape as Ash 'shifted' back into his human-form and rose back to his feet.

"We were just having some fun." Rahel announced, feeling a little embarrassed at being found 'play-fighting' with her brother as if they were both children. Ash was much calmer about the situation.

"It's good to see you smile." Logan stated. "And it suits you."

"So you've been looking for me ?" Rahel announced reading Logan's thoughts. Logan was momentarily caught off guard.

"Yes." Logan replied. "We're about to set off to a Federation colony on Mirisam V, we have Intel that the rogue Jem'Hadar might be preparing to make a raid on it. It's going to take the Taurus at least three days to reach the planet, but the Captain has agreed to send an advanced party to Mirisam V on the Hellcat."

"Who's in the party ?" Rahel enquired.

"Floten and his Marines mainly." Logan replied. "But I'm going with them and Ensign Ellison has volunteered to come with me. We're hoping to prepare the colonists for evacuation and if there's time, to set-up an ambush for the Jem'Hadar. I'd feel much happier if we had some medical personnel on hand, preferably someone how can handle themselves if things get tough. We have no idea when the Jem'Hadar will strike and the Taurus may arrive too late to evacuate the colony. If that happens, then we maybe their only chance of survival."

"When you say medical personnel, you mean me ?" Rahel stated, the smile on her face slipping.

Ash also noticed the change in his sister's mood. In a matter of moments she'd gone from the happy, intelligent Starfleet Doctor that he knew and loved, into the more unsure person, the sister that had been plagued by her nightmares.

"Is it entirely necessary for Rahel to go ?" Ash enquired. "With the number of injured still in sickbay and the lack of staff, maybe it would be better if she concentrated on the Taurus and it's crew."

Rahel knew exactly what Ash was doing, trying to protect her once more. "Logan could you give us a minute." She asked.

"Sure, I'll wait outside." Logan replied, tuning to leave the holodeck.

"You're seriously considering going aren't you ?" Ash stated.

"Of course." Rahel said. "You know what I'm feeling. And it's like I said, sooner or later I'm going to have to face the truth. We're fighting the Jem'Hadar and I would be a coward to retreat from my responsibilities. You can't be my big brother every minutes of my life, you have your own life to lead."

"But the nightmares." Ash replied. "Are you ready for what might happen on Mirisam V ? From what I've just heard, Logan believes that we're in for a fight."

"If it's a fight these Jem'Hadar want, then a fight is what you'll get." Rahel stated. "I want to go Ash, maybe deep down I need to do this."

"I just wish you're weren't doing this alone." Ash started. "Lieutenant Rhee is working on something important and I doubt whether she'd allow me to go with you."

Rahel smiled at her brother. "I'm not doing this alone, there's all the Marines and Logan, plus the other crew members."

"OK. I give you permission to go." Ash stated with a smirk on his face.

"Thank you Ash." Rahel replied, suddenly pushing him down onto the floor once more and pinning him down with a full nelson hold. "But do you really think I need your permission." She joked.

She released her grip and after standing up again, pulled her brother to his feet.

"Computer, arch." Rahel stated, heading towards the door. "End programme."

Ash kissed his sister on the cheek, before heading off down the corridor.

"So when do we leave ?" Rahel asked Logan.

"In about forty minutes." Logan replied. "I'll see you at the shuttlebay."

Half an hour later, Rahel entered the shuttlebay and noticed all the activity going on in the almost full shuttlebay. The cause of the over-crowding was the large vessel that sat in the majority of the bay. She'd not taken the time to come down and have a look at the Hellcat until now, but realised that the ship was definitely something unique. She noticed all the equipment being loaded into the various cargo holds dotted over the ship, including the medical supplies she'd requested.

"Rahel, over here." She heard and looked around the corner of the ship, seeing Logan speaking with a Trill dressed in a science\medical uniform. She walked over to where Logan and the stranger were.

"Rahel, I'd like you to meet Lieutenant Commander Chu Barker." Logan stated. "Commander Barker, I'd like you to meet our CMO, Lieutenant Rahel Kahfre."

The Trill offered his hand to Rahel and she placed her own in his and felt something strange. Her face started to screw up as the feelings coming from the Commander started to overwhelm her, but she also felt him reading her.

"I'm half Betazoid." Chu remarked, having sensed Rahel's unease. "On my mother's side."

"Oh." Rahel remarked, releasing her grip on his hand. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Commander. It's quite a vessel you have here."

"It's basically a standard Danube class runabout, at least the sub-frame is." Chu explained. "But over the years she's had some major modifications, there's very little that's not been replaced since it's original construction."

"Are we ready to go ?" Rahel asked.

"In about ten minutes." Chu reported. "Would you like a quick tour ?"

"That would be good." Rahel replied.

"Then as your host for the next two days it would be my honour to show you around personally. If the Lieutenant has no objections."

"No." Logan replied. "I'll make sure the last of the supplies are loaded and then we can go."

Rahel and Chu stepped aboard the Hellcat and she got the tour. They started at the crew quarters and Chu showed her where she'd be bunking. Each cabin had a double bunk and was very much like the cabins on a Defiant class vessel.

"I'm afraid you'll have to share." Chu explained. "These quarters are being used by Ensign Vasquez, one of our security officers. She's an easy going person once you get to know her, if a little untidy at times."

Rahel hadn't shared a room since the Baltimore, but she knew that space was going to be tight and a shared bunkroom was better than nothing. They moved forward, passing the mess hall and the medical centre, which Rahel was very impressed with. Chu explained that the medical centre doubled as the science lab and there were three biobeds, normally stored in the walls. They then moved forward, passing the cargo lockers and ending up on the command deck, which was very different to the flight deck of a Danube class vessel.

The 'Bridge' was split into two levels, the upper level had a large command chair in the middle, with consoles set into each arm. To either side of the command chair were the engineering and security consoles, with science and auxiliary consoles behind them. The lower level looked out over the bow of the ship and there were three more consoles. The central console was the Helm, with Operations and Tactical consoles on either side. Only one person was on the Bridge, a Lieutenant in Command red. He was sat at the helm console plotting a course.

"Lieutenant Shale, this is the Taurus's CMO Rahel Kahfre." Chu announced.

Shale turned around and nodded his acknowledgement. "We'll be ready to leave in about five minutes. I've plotted our course and I think I can get us to Mirisam V in about thirty six hours."

"Excellent." Chu remarked. "Every hour counts."

The Bridge started to fill and Chu stopped a young Ensign in yellow, introducing her to Rahel.

"Ensign, this is Rahel Kahfre from the Taurus." Chu stated. "She's the one who'll be sharing your quarters for the trip."

"Pleasure to meet you Lieutenant." Tania stated, before stepping down to take over the Tactical console beside Shale.

Finally Logan stepped onto the Bridge, accompanied by Lieutenant M'eko and announced that everything was secure.

"So you just couldn't keep away." Chu remarked, noticing the Caitian looking at the Bridge. "Would you like to take the Engineering station ?"

M'eko couldn't sit down fast enough and quickly ran her hands over the console, checking that all the systems were online and ready to go.

"All propulsion systems are online." She announced. "We're ready to leave."

"Mister McQueen, would you like to take the security console." Chu suggested. "Lieutenant Kahfre, you can take the auxiliary console at the rear.

Chu sat in the centre chair and pressed a few controls on one of the consoles.

"Hellcat to Taurus." Chu stated. "We are ready to leave."

[Understood.] The voice of Captain Taybar announced over the comm channel. [You may leave when ready. And good luck.]

Ahead of them, the doors to the shuttlebay started to open.

"Mister Shale, take us out." Chu ordered. "Nice and slow, I don't want Captain Taybar sending us the bill for the redecoration of her shuttlebay."

Slowly and precisely Shale moved the large shuttle out of the bay. It had been a tight squeeze backing the Hellcat into the bay, but at least now they were travelling forward. The ship rocked slightly as the shields grazed the sides of the bay doors and finally they were out of the confines of the bay and into open space again.

"Lieutenant J'ross." Chu asked. "Is the slipstream drive online ?"

"The drive has reached full power." M'eko replied. "Main and auxiliary deflectors are online. We're ready to go."

"Mister Shale, set course for Mirisam V." Chu ordered. "Enter the stream when ready."

Moments later, the sight of the quantum vortex appeared ahead of the large shuttle, which was pulled in by the forces.

Back onboard the Taurus, the Bridge crew watched the vessel set off for Mirisam V.

"Helm." Aki ordered. "Set course and prepare to engage at transwarp speed."

"Course set for Mirisam V." The helm officer announced. "Transwarp coils are coming online, preparing to enter transwarp."

The Taurus increased her speed, chasing after the Hellcat. The crew could now only hope that they could reach Mirisam V before the Jem'Hadar attacked.