Reunion (Part One of Two)

Captain Taybar was sat in the command chair on the Battle Bridge of the USS Leviathan-B. They were still travelling in the quantum slipstream towards Bopak III and she watched the ever-changing slipstream on the main view screen. The Bridge was not fully manned, partly due to the fact that it wasn't necessary to have a fully staff, but also due to the fact that more than half the crew were elsewhere.

"Helm. What's our ETA at Bopak III ?" The Captain enquired.

"About ten minutes." Lieutenant Barker reported back. "We're currently at T-Warp thirteen point two."

"Let me know when we reach the outer system." Aki suggested. "I'll be in the briefing room, you have the Bridge."

Aki rose from her seat and headed off to her right and into the briefing room. There she found Lieutenant McQueen already waiting there, along with Commander Rashad.

"Captain." They all acknowledged, as Aki took her seat.

"I've asked you here to discuss our next move against the rogue Jem'Hadar." Aki stated. "We already know that we don't have the fire-power to take them on alone, but bringing more Federation vessels would take time and the Dominion are still blockading the Bajorian wormhole. There are times when I wish we'd been able to keep Talon squadron onboard."

"Captain !" Logan exclaimed. "I may have an idea."

"Go on." Aki stated, looking across at her Chief of Security."

"We may not have a squadron of fighters, but we do have several well armed shuttles, including the Hellcat." Logan stated.

"We also have the Jem'Hadar shuttles." Rashad added. "They may not be well armed, but they are both well armoured and agile vessels."

"Which would leave us with just one problem ?" Aki stated. "Finding the pilots to fly them. It would take time to familiarise enough officers with the controls on the Jem'Hadar vessels."

"Maybe not." Logan stated. "Not if the pilots we used were already familiar with the controls."

"You mean using Jem'Hadar !." Rashad questioned.

"I'm sure we could find enough Jem'Hadar from Goran'Agar's group to pilot their own shuttles." Logan stated.

"It's an idea." Aki stated. "Work together and see if you can come up with a battle plan which might work."

"Understood Captain." Both officers confirmed.

Just then the Captain's comm badge beeped and she tapped it.

[Captain, we're about to leave the slipstream.] Lieutenant Barker announced.

"We'll be on the Bridge in a moment." Aki confirmed.

All three officers stood up and headed out of the room and back onto the Bridge. Aki re-took the command chair, whilst Rashad and McQueen took up their positions.

"Leaving the stream in five…four… three…. two… one." Lily announced.

On the viewscreen, the quantum slipstream opened up and the ship quickly dropped back into normal space.

"Report." Aki requested.

"We've dropped out of the stream about thirty light minutes from Bopak III." Lily announced. "All scans show normal."

"Plot a course for Bopak III and engage at warp one." Aki ordered.

"Should we contact the Saucer section ?" Rashad asked.

"No. We'll maintain radio silence until we're in orbit." Aki stated.

"Captain !" Logan suddenly announced. "Long-range sensors have picked up a vessel travelling at high warp heading in our direction."

"Any idea on it's identity ?" Aki enquired.

"No, it's too far away to get an accurate reading, but it's travelling at nearly warp nine point nine six." Logan continued. "No Dominion vessel can reach that sort of speed, which would suggest that it's the rogue vessel."

"What's it's ETA ?" Aki asked.

"If it maintains its current speed and course, I'd say about twenty six hours." Logan reported.

"Then we have just over a day to prepare for battle." Aki stated.

It took the Engineering section of the Leviathan just over half an hour to reach Bopak III and establish orbit.

"Contact the Saucer section." Aki ordered.

[Lieutenant Rahel Kafhre to Captain Taybar.] The voice of the Leviathan's Chief medical officer announced moments later.

"Lieutenant. What's the situation on the surface." Aki asked. "Where's Lieutenant Commander J'Ross."

[She's currently off-planet Captain.] Rahel replied.

"Off-planet !" Aki exclaimed.

[It's hard to explain Captain, but we've found a device deep within the planet's surface which appears to be a link between this planet and another.] Rahel continued. [We've set up a base camp on the planet and so far our investigations have proved interesting.]

"What have you found ?" Aki enquired.

[The planet is protected be some kind of energy shield which extends over an area of the planet. The two devices we've found appear to be either Iconian or Protector in origin and we've found the remains of an alien race in both the cavern here and on the planet.] Rahel stated. [We're expecting the majority of the survey team back soon.]

"As soon as they're back, I want the Saucer section back up here." Aki ordered. "We've picked up what we believe is the rogue Jem'Hadar vessel and it will be here in just over a day's time. I'd also like to speak to Goran'Agar and have him bring the best ten pilots in his group."

[I'll pass on your request.] Rahel confirmed. [Most of the Jem'Hadar are on the planet, assisting with the construction of the base camp. We've also got about a hundred Jem'Hadar prisoners under guard at an old Dominion base.]

"Transfer them to the ship and we'll secure them with the others once we've docked." Aki stated. "Leviathan out."

[Leviathan out.] Rahel confirmed.