Welcome to Tarn Vedra

"Captain, we're approaching the Tarn Vedra system." Lily Barker announced from the Comm.

"Drop out of warp and proceed at maximum impulse." Aki ordered. "How long to reach Tarn Vedra Six ?"

"At maximum impulse, about ten minutes." Lily replied.

"Captain, I'm picking up interference on long range sensors." Lieutenant Borealiou announced. "It appears to be coming from the system itself."

"Targeting sensors are also down." Lieutenant Garrett Loh announced from the Tactical station. "If there's anything out there, they'll be on top of us before we can react, recommend raising shield and powering weapons."

"Raise shields, but keep all weapons on standby." Aki ordered. "Go to Yellow alert."

Just then, Amy Lloyd the Stellar Cartographer arrived on the Bridge and walked over to the Captain.

"Lieutenant !" Aki said. "Is there something I can do for you ?"

"You knew…." Amy exclaimed. "You knew about this system didn't you ?"

Aki was stone-faced. "Lieutenant, this is not the place to discuss this. My ready room now, J'ross you have the Bridge."

The two officers headed off the Bridge and into the Captain's ready room. Aki sat down behind her desk and asked Amy to take a seat. Amy resolutely refused to sit down until she had an answer to her question. "You knew about this system didn't you ?"

Aki took a deep breath before saying "Yes."

"You knew that this system was a former Dominion listening post." Amy started to say. "That the escaped Jem'Hadar would be heading here."

"Yes I did." Aki admitted. "What I would like to know is how did you find out ?"

Amy finally sat down, the strain of facing up to the Captain taking its toll. "It was in the data Lieutenant McQueen gave me. According to the data taken from the rogue Jem'Hadar station database, this was one of their bases, a small listening post abandoned by the Dominion after the war and the creation of the DMZ. The radiation emitted by the systems sun makes detection almost impossible unless you're very close. Sensors inputs are scrambled to such an extent that they are useless, the only reason the listening post works is because of the hidden relay stations on each planet."

"Well done." Aki said. "So what can you tell me about Tarn Vedra Six."

"The sixth planet of twelve, class M, a similar environment to Vulcan. Has a thick atmosphere of mainly nitrogen and carbon dioxide, but there is also about fifteen percent oxygen. Ten percent water, most of it in underground seas, the surface temperature is around sixty degrees C maximum daytime and minus six minimum at night." Amy recited.

"You have done your homework." Aki said. "Shall we go back outside and take a look at planet for real."

The both left the ready room and entered the Bridge once more. Whilst Captain Taybar took her seat in the centre of the Bridge, Amy walked to the back of the Bridge and activated the secondary science console and started to examine the data coming in from the sensors.

"Approaching Tarn Vedra." Lily Barker announced from the helm.

"Take us into a standard orbit." Aki ordered. "Scan the area for the Devastator."

Suddenly Garrett Loh announced. "I'm reading several vessel approaching the planet from the inner system. They appear to be small vessel, most likely shuttle, but they could be almost anything given the amount of interference we're getting from the sun."

"Lieutenant, try adjusting the forward sensors to compensate for the radiation." Amy suggested. "Use a tri-axelating algorithm to predict the interference waves."

Loh worked on his own console. "Thank, it appears to be working."

"That's OK." Amy replied.

*At least I'm helping.* She thought.

"Lieutenant ! What can you tell me ?" Aki asked.

"I'm reading at least a dozen small vessel, all on an intercept course with us." Loh reported. "I'm also now picking up two larger vessels."

"Any idea of their identity or purpose ?" Aki enquired.

"All the shuttles appear to be of Dominion design." Loh said. "The two larger vessels could be some kind of transports. They're too small to be Dominion battleships and too large for Battle-Bugs."

"Any sign of the Devastator ?" Aki asked.

"No." Loh admitted.

"I have it." Amy announced. "It's on the planet's surface, thirty three degrees north, eighteen degree west. They appear to be beside a small structure on the surface, which could be the Dominion listening post."

"Dominion listening post !" J'ross exclaimed from beside the Captain. "Shouldn't we go to red alert ?"

"Captain, we're picking up a signal from the surface." Lieutenant Borealiou announced. "It's from the Devastator."

"Onscreen." Aki ordered.

[Hello Captain.] The image of Ensign McQueen announced. [Welcome to Tarn Vedra Six.]

Everyone on the Bridge bar Captain Taybar and Lieutenant Commander J'ross were surprised at seeing the young Security Ensign appear on screen. It was as if they had expected to see her or one of her colleagues rather than what everyone else expected, the Jem'Hadar making demands.

"How did the plan go ?" Aki asked.

[Like clockwork.] Lana admitted. [We were surprised when the Jem'Hadar broke free and took us hostage. But we were even more surprised when we landed here and they set us free.]

"Is the base secure ?" Aki enquired.

[The base is secure Captain. We have all nine members of the rogue Jem'Hadar secure.] Lana announced. [They didn't put up much of a fight, it looks like when we destroyed their main base, all communications were lost. They've been cut off ever since and their supply of White was almost depleted.]

"We have a group of vessels heading our way, we need to get you and the Jem'Hadar back onboard the ship and away from here as soon as possible."

Just then the image of Goran'Agar, the leader of the escaped Jem'Hadar came into view as he interrupted the signal.

[Captain, please do not worry about the vessels approaching us.] He stated. [They are not going to attack. They are my people, my batch-mates.]

"Goran, I thought we agreed that you would not contact any of your group until we had the primary site secure." Aki replied, the sound of anger and disappointment clearly noticeable in her voice.

[Things have moved on more than I expected.] Goran admitted. [I've found records in the post's database, the Dominion were starting to close in on them. I had no choice but to tell them to leave their posts and head for the rendezvous point.]

"How many have responded ?" Aki enquired.

[So far we've heard from about fifty Jem'Hadar, mostly individuals, but we have two transports with over a dozen Jem'Hadar on each.] Goran responded. [There are about another dozen who are too far away to reach the rendezvous in time, they'll make their way directly to the primary site.]

"Goran, prepare to leave immediately." Aki ordered. "We'll discuss this face to face. Put Ensign McQueen back on."

Goran disappeared once more to be replaced by Ensign McQueen.

"Ensign, secure the prisoners and get back up here ASAP." Aki ordered.

[Already underway.] Lana reported. [We should be ready to take-off within thirty minutes.]

"Understood." Aki replied. "Leviathan out."

Aki turned to look at the Tactical and Operations stations.

"How long until the vessels reach us ?" She asked Lieutenant Borealiou.

"About an hour at present speed." Marco replied.

"Mister Loh, in your opinion do these ships present a threat to the ship ?" Aki enquired.

"The transports shouldn't cause any problems, they're usually lightly armed." Garratt replied. "The shuttles could be a problem, they're small, manoeuvrable and heavily shielded."

"How many shuttles could we take onboard ?" Aki asked.

"With a little shuffling in the shuttle bay, I'd say eight max." Marco announced.

"Make the arrangements." Aki ordered. "I guess we should prepare to more visitors."

Aki tapped her comm badge and called for Lieutenant McQueen.

"Lieutenant McQueen." The Captain said. "[We're approaching Tarn Vedra and we've got more than we bargained for."

[On my way Captain.] Logan replied.