Things to Do

"Captain, I'm picking up a message on a secure channel." Lieutenant Reegan Riggins announced. "It's the Hellcat."

"Open the channel." Aki ordered.

[USS Hellcat to USS Taurus.] Chu announced.

"Commander Barker, what is your status ?" The Captain replied.

[We have dropped off our passengers on Mirisam V.] Chu reported. [But the Jem'Hadar arrived earlier than we expected. We know that they launched at least three shuttles and that one shuttle was destroyed upon entering the atmosphere. The other two were damaged, but probably survived.]

"Probably survived !" Aki enquired.

[As soon as the rogue vessel launched, they broke orbit and headed out of the system.] Chu continued. [We've discovered an encrypted signal which was received just before they left. We're working on deciphering the message now. We believe that we have however discovered a possible location for their base.]

"Where ?" Aki asked.

[The Regial Seven system, an abandoned custom base hidden in one of the asteroids. Vasquez is sending you all her data as we speak.] Chu repelled.

Aki looked down at her chair console and pressed a few buttons. "We have the data Commander. We'll pick up the away team and meet you at Regial Seven."

Suddenly the Bridge crew heard a voice in the background. [Commander, I've managed to read the message.]

[What does it say ?] Chu asked.

[Return to base immediately.] Vasquez announced. [Base has be compromised by a Dominion spy in our midst's. Target eliminated, but forces are being mobilised to our location.]

[Did you get all that Captain ?] Chu asked.

"Confirmed." Aki replied. "Looks like the away team are on their own for now. We'll rendezvous with you at Regial Seven in three days, but keep me informed if the situation changed."

[Understood. Hellcat out.] Chu replied.

The image of the Commander left the screen and returned to the image of the space outside.

"Helm what's our current position ?" Aki asked.

"We're twenty six hours from Mirisam V." The helm officer replied.

"How long will it take us to reach the Regial Seven system from our current position ?" The Captain continued.

"About fifty hours, provided the engines hold out." The helm officer reported. "I don't like the readings we're getting from Engineering."

"Ops, put the local area on screen." Aki ordered.

"The viewscreen changed once more, to show the Taurus current course, marked in blue.

"Add Regial Seven." Aki asked.

Another blue dot appeared on the screen.

"Now add the Bajorian wormhole." Aki continued.

Another dot, this one red appeared on the edge of the screen.

"Plot an intercept course for a vessel leaving the wormhole at 09:00 tomorrow morning, travelling at warp nine point two." Aki requested.

A red line from the wormhole towards the Taurus appeared on the screen, whilst a second blue line travelled towards the wormhole.

"Where and when will we intercept ?" Aki enquired.

"06:00 hour, two days from now, twenty one hours after the vessel emerges from the wormhole." Riggins reported. "That's fifty hours from now."

"How long from the intercept point to Regial Seven." Aki asked.

"At top speed, twenty one hours." Reegan stated.

"That will give us just one hour to transfer the reinforcements." Aki said to herself. "Helm alter course for the Bajorian wormhole."

"Yes Captain." The Helm officer replied.

[Engineering to Bridge.]

"Ensign Luwall, what's the status of the engines ?" Aki enquired.

[Not good Captain.] Rachel replied. [We're running them very hot, I don't know how long they will last.]

"Keep them running as best you can for the next fifty hours and you can give them an hours rest." Aki stated.

[Fifty hours, I'll see what I can do.] Luwall replied. [Engineering out.]

Aki rose from her chair and stretched.

"Lieutenant Cutal, you have the Bridge, I'll be in my ready room." She announced.

The Tactical Officer moved from his position at his console and took the command seat, whilst the Captain headed across the Bridge and entered her room.

An hour passed before the Captain emerged from her ready room. She didn't look happy.

"Lieutenant Riggins, I've just lost the link to the Bajorian relay station. I can't open a channel to DS9." Aki stated. "Check the sub-space transceiver."

There was silence as Lieutenant Riggins attempted to connect with the wormhole relay.

"The transceiver is working properly and I'm getting a carrier signal from the nearest sub-space relay." Reegan reported. "Captain, I can't get a signal from the relay station at the wormhole. That's why we've lost the signal, it looks like it's off-line."

"Off-line, are you sure." Aki asked.

"I'm sure, I can't establish a sub-space link with the relay station at all." Reegan stated. "Local sub-space transmission is OK, because other relay stations compensate, but the wormhole station is our only link to the Alpha quadrant."

"Damn." Aki cursed under her breath. "We'll have to try and contact the reinforcements when the come through the wormhole at 09:00 tomorrow. Riggins, keep trying to get a signal. Helm remain on course."