March 9th 2401

Tremt Hunsen had been away from the USS Themis for far too long (well, it had only been for five days, but it felt like a lifetime). He missed the familiar hum of the ship’s engines and the familiar faces of his fellow crewmates. His shuttle, the Hathon, had been his ride back to the Themis. Now as he stepped off the lowered ramp and back onto the starship, he was greeted by the warm smile of Captain Cambil Bexa. 

“Welcome home, Tremt,” the captain said. “We’ve missed you around here.”

Hunsen felt a rush of gratitude towards his captain. Knowing he was appreciated and valued as her first officer was good. He smiled back at Captain Cambil and nodded his head in thanks.

“I’m glad to be back,” Hunsen said. “It’s been a long journey, but I’m ready to return to work.”

Captain Cambil nodded approvingly. “We have a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get to it,” she said. “You know the drill.”

Hunsen grinned. It felt good to be back in the thick of things

As they made their way through the ship, Hunsen felt a sense of comfort settle over him. This was where he belonged – on the USS Themis, exploring the far reaches of space and pushing the boundaries of what was possible. With Captain Cambil by his side, Hunsen knew that he could take on anything that came his way. Well, besides what he had left behind.

“So, how’s Louwanna doing?” Cambil asked as they approached the nearest turbolift. 

Hunsen nodded to confirm she was doing okay. “I think we’ve sorted out our issues, and we left it in a good place for now. In fact, I left her consuming a lot of chocolate, more than normal, but she also has a bizarre craving for Hasperat.”

Cambil chuckled at that news. “I’ll send her my father’s recipe.” Their turbolift soon arrived. “I’m glad though, you both have resolved things.”

As they stepped in and Cambil called for it to take them to the bridge, the doors closed immediately. Now within the private confines of the cart, Hunsen turned to his commanding officer. “So, seriously, how are things going on here?”

She sighed heavily. “I know it’s only been a fortnight, but I miss them so much,” Cambil said, referring to her husband and sons. “I’m still trying to suppress my anger over Starfleet’s orders to remove our entire civilian population.”

“Don’t worry, many on the Odyssey feel the same way,” Hunsen replied. “Louwanna said she’s been worried about those on the senior staff who have become dependable on their family as a source of strength being ripped from them.”

“It’s madness, I tell you,” Cambil stated. She crossed her arms. “The fact we are exploring the Black Cluster and patrolling the Kzinti border seems pointless to me.”

Hunsen agreed with her just as the turbolift arrived on the bridge. “At least it’s given the Triton something to do.” 

Cambil rolled her eyes as she led them off the lift and down the ramp towards the bridge’s centre. Her second officer, Lieutenant Commander T’Rani, sat comfortably in the centre chair. “Report, T’Rani.”

“No updates, ma’am. We continue to hold our current course, and besides detecting a class three comet, sensors have not picked up anything else.” The Vulcan woman replied.

“Starfleet does like chasing comets,” Cambil said dryly. She turned to her first officer, “With me, Number One. T’Rani, the bridge remains yours.” The Bajoran captain said as she gestured for the pregnant pilot to stay where she was while she took Hunsen into the private confines of her ready room on the edge of the bridge. 

Since the two of them had started to serve with each other again (at the beginning of the year), there were many times that Cambil would confide in Hunsen, more so since Starfleet had sent her husband off the ship.

“Hot chocolate?” Cambil offered as she headed towards the replicator.

Hunsen shook his head and hands, “No thanks. Though I love chocolate like any other Betazoid, I’ve seen too much of it while visiting Louwanna. Just a Deka tea, please.”

Laughing somewhat at that, Cambil ordered their drinks. “Two Dekta teas, hot.” The replicator created her request, and she picked them up. Then, gesturing with a nod for Hunsen to take a seat on the long curved corner sofa, she brought their drinks over and handed one over to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever known you to drink anything but hot chocolate.”

Taking the tea, the first officer inclined his head to agree. “I suppose you’re probably right,” Hunsen took a sip. “So what’s the latest with the Themis while I’ve been gone away?”

Leaning towards the small circular coffee table, Cambil picked up a PADD and passed it to him. “Not much, to be honest,” She said as she shared a status report. “Trev and Decter gave up trying to work out what the upgrades to our transporters have done to improve efficiency. But, unfortunately, the new coding doesn’t make our systems any more efficient than what we were told by those engineers on Starbase Thirty-Eight.”

Peering at the report, Hunsen pulled up the summary that their Tellarite chief engineer had created. The inner engineer in Hunsen wanted to see the system analysis himself, but he knew it would require him more time to read it all. “I suppose the fact that the Themis is still relatively new and her refit recently, then there wouldn’t be much difference. But, you want me to take a look at it.”

Cambil shook her head. “Leave it; Decter and Trev spent almost two days on it. I don’t want to waste any more time on it.”

“Talking of our chief operations manager and chief engineer, where are they and the others? I was expecting to see them on duty on the bridge,” Hunsen said, motioning his head towards the door that led back to the bridge.

“Oh, I’ve given them the day off to release some unnecessary tension on the holodeck,” Cambil said as she sipped her drink. “Let’s just say yesterday’s senior staff meeting got a bit tense.”

Hunsen was worried to hear that. “Problems in paradise?”

The captain shook her head as she put her mug in her lap. “I don’t think so. Well, Samris thinks it’s more to do with Starfleet ordering us to evacuate our entire civilian population before being ordered to the Black Cluster.”

“Cancelling our expeditionary in the Delta Quadrant still doesn’t make sense,” Hunsen agreed. “Have we heard any more about what we’re meant to do while on patrol?”

“Not a single word,” Cambil said, starting to sound frustrated herself.

“Have you taken time for yourself, Bexa?” Hunsen asked. She had permitted him to call her by her first name years ago, back on the Odyssey, and that same arrangement existed here on the Themis. “I mean, have you spoken to Naprem or the boys?”

She raised her drink, and before the mug reached her lips, she nodded a bit. The mention of her family did sting. “They’re home, safe on Olbari. Again.”

“That’s good to hear,” Hunsen offered. 

“I told Naprem I was considering putting in a transfer request, and he told me ‘no’ and that I needed to see this out,” Cambil said, motioning to the room around them with her free hand before drinking more. “I’m sure Starfleet wouldn’t approve it or use some stupid ruling that prevents me from leaving again.”

Sensing her mixed feelings of being frustrated and upset, Hunsen knew there weren’t any words he could use to comfort her. So instead, he placed a reassuring hand on her free hand that was now by her side. “Now tell me, what our valiant lot up to on the holodeck?”

Hearing that question made Cambil burst out into laughter. “Oh, Tremt, you will love what I’m about to tell you. But let’s just say it involves all wearing green tights, and Decter is playing some damsel in distress on top of a castle!”

Hunsen was undoubtedly intrigued by that comment and listened intently as he heard what his fellow crew were up to.  

Nottingham Forest was a vast expanse of lush greenery and towering trees that stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was a place of wonder and mystery, where tales of daring feats and heroic adventures were whispered by the wind that rustled through the leaves.

Tucked away in the heart of the forest was the secret hideout of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. It was a place of safety and security where the outlaws could gather together without fear of being caught by the Sheriff’s men. The hideout was hidden away in a dense thicket of trees and was accessible only by a narrow path that wound its way through the forest. Only specific individuals knew how to navigate it.

Once inside the hideout, visitors would find a bustling community of outlaws going about their daily business. Some were cooking food over open fires, while others were sharpening their swords or practising their archery skills. The atmosphere was one of camaraderie and brotherhood as the Merry Men banded together to protect the people of Nottingham and stand up against the tyranny of the Sheriff.

Despite the dangers that lurked in the forest, Robin and his band of outlaws continued to fight for what they believed in. They would often venture out into the surrounding area to rob from the rich and give to the poor, always staying one step ahead of the Sheriff’s men.

It wasn’t long before Robin’s exploits became the stuff of legend, and his name was known throughout the land. People would tell tales of his daring deeds and the bravery of the Merry Men, and children would dream of one day joining their ranks.

For many years, Nottingham Forest remained a place of mystery and adventure, and Robin Hood and his Merry Men continued to fight for justice and freedom. And though the forest may have changed over time, the legend of Robin Hood would live on forever, an example of the goodness and bravery that can be found even in the darkest of times.

“I look bloody ridiculous!” Samris complained again as he pulled on the tight-fitted leggings he wore. Alongside his almost revealing bottom wear, Samris yanked on the collar of his green tunic and proceeded to ruffle the brown belt around his hip. The Romulan counsellor was not best pleased with the attached hood that he wore too. “And don’t get me started about wearing all of this over a white shirt. How can we keep ourselves out of sight when this doesn’t match our surroundings?”

Abbej burst out in laughter from where she stood in the middle of their campsite. Playing the lead role of Robin Hood, she wore a similar attire to Samris, along with black leather boots, a quiver of arrows hanging over her left shoulder, and a pointed green hat with a feather. They all looked perfect to play a group of outlaws in the forest. “Come on, Samris, get into the spirit of things.”

“I know, but I think I’d prefer to be the bad guy. The Constable.” Samris stated as he finally sat on a log to stare down at the fire.

“The Sheriff,” She corrected before looking at the other two with them. “Are you both okay with your gear?”

“Yeah, but why are we playing this holonovel?” Lenjir asked as he put down the bow and arrow he had in his hands. 

“It’s escapism, Cline,” Forbes said, sounding a bit exasperated at hearing the same complaints again from both him and Samris. “I thought you both said you were up for an adventure?”

“Yeah, I was going for something a bit more modern,” Lenjir shared. “And comfortable.”

Forbes shook his head. The young doctor looked at what he was wearing.  His attire consisted of a forest green tunic that was both comfortable and durable, while a brown leather vest added an extra layer of protection. Like Abbej, he wore a feathered cap that adorned his head, which gave him a distinctive and charming appearance. He had even styled his beard to match the period’s style. His leather belt held up his dark brown leggings. Last but not least, his sturdy leather boots completed the outfit, providing him with the necessary grip and support to navigate the forest terrain. “I like what I got; maybe we could convince the captain to use these for away missions besides those awful leather field jackets.”

“Please don’t, Remi,” Samris begged.

“Guys, come on, take this seriously. We have a damsel in distress who needs rescuing,” Abbej explained.

“And just how are we meant to save her from this fortress of evil?” Lenjir asked, his tone of voice not sounding that excited about the prospect of actually playing the storyline out.

“It’s called Nottingham Castle,” Forbes corrected the taller, muscular Tiburonian security and tactical chief.

“Whatever,” Lenjir quipped back. “So, what is the plan?” He looked at Abbej.

The Boslic chief science officer was in the role of Robin Hood and went on to explain to them that her character had planned for weeks to rescue Maid Marion from the tall towers of Nottingham Castle. It wouldn’t be easy, but they were determined to save Robin Hood’s beloved. Gathering all his trusted men and the detailed plan would ensure success. “So the first thing we need to do is gather as much information as possible about the castle.”

“We don’t have intelligence about it already?” Samris whined. 

Forbes gently shoved Samris in the back with his knee, which resulted in Samris looking up at his comrade and seeing the expression he was showing. It was one of him telling him to stop complaining. Forbes then went on to make a suggestion. “Could we send out our spies to gather information about the guards, their movements, and the castle’s layout?” 

Abbej gave out a huge grin. “Exactly my thinking, my fellow merry man!” Once we have enough information, we will sneak into the castle disguised as merchants.” She continued explaining the plan to the others, and before they knew it, they were already beginning the rescue attempt.

Moving through the thick woodlands at night, Abbej (as Robin) led her men towards Nottingham Castle. It was hard to describe the grandeur of Nottingham Castle at night time without experiencing it firsthand. As the group walked up the winding path to the castle gates, the towering walls were illuminated by the soft glow of street lamps, casting long shadows on the cobblestone streets below. The air was crisp and cool, and they could hear the distant sound of music and laughter drifting on the breeze.

As they passed through the entrance gates, the group was immediately struck by the stunning view of the castle courtyard. The stone walls were bathed in warm, golden light, and the flagstones gleamed in the moonlight. The castle’s turrets loomed above us, casting long shadows on the ground.

The courtyard itself was a sight to behold. In the centre stood a magnificent fountain, its waters glistening in the moonlight. The statues surrounding it were illuminated from below, creating a haunting, almost ghostly atmosphere. The sound of rushing water filled their ears as they walked around the fountain, taking in the intricate details of each statue. Carefully they avoided bringing much attention to themselves. The crowds were preparing to go home for the evening or continue enjoying themselves at the local taverns. They faded among them.

Overall, Nottingham Castle at night appeared to be a magical experience, but dangers were indeed lying behind its walls for the band of outlaws. 

Robin Hood and her men made their way to the tower where Maid Marion was being held. They planned to use a rope ladder to climb up to the tower window. They would then use a grappling hook to break the window and enter the tower. Slowly and carefully, they were cautious not to make any noise to avoid alerting the guards that patrolled along the turrets and walls of the castle. Though Lenjir and Samris complained a bit about the equipment’s simplicity, both men eventually joined in with their ‘mission’. 

“Just think of this as an away mission set in a pre-warp culture,” Forbes had suggested as they climbed the ladder.

“Yeah, but we would have been able to use the transporter,” Samris had pointed out before he pulled on his tight leggings around his crotch area. “And I’d be in more comfortable clothing. If I can’t be a father again, you will have to deal with T’Rani’s wrath.”

Once they were inside, they needed to be quick and quiet. The tall tower was made of stone. It was old and had clearly been standing for many years. The walls were thick, and there were no windows, making it dark inside. They could hear the sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the walls and the occasional creaking of the wooden stairs that led up to the prison where Maid Marion was. The tower was a formidable obstacle.

As the group reached the floor where Marion was being kept, they overpowered the guards and approached the wooden door. Then, they opened the door using the keys stolen from the unconscious guards. Opening the door carefully and slowly, the group finally found the person they had come for.

Maid Marion was a vision of loveliness. Her beauty was undeniable and enchanting. Her delicate features captivated the heart, and her gentle voice was soothing to the soul. Her hair flowed like golden silk, and her eyes sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight. She was graceful and elegant, with a kind and caring nature that drew people to her. One couldn’t help but feel at ease and comforted in her presence. Maid Marion was truly a treasure, and anyone who knew her was indeed blessed. 

“I look bloody ridiculous!” complained Decter Jines from where he stood in the centre of the room he had been locked in since they had started this adventure. With his arms crossed against the outfit, he hated that he had been given the role of Maid Marion.

“Dec, you look gorgeous,” Forbes said with a smirk.

“Stunning, in fact,” added Lenjir as he tried to avoid chuckling to himself.

“The outfit suits you!” Samris stated before all three burst out into laughter.

Jines scowled at all three of his so call friends. He wore a gown that was made of the finest silk. The dress was a deep shade of green that perfectly complemented the red wig he wore. It had a fitted bodice that was adorned with intricate lace detailing and a flowing skirt that trailed gracefully behind. He also wore a small gold necklace that had a delicate pendant hanging from it. The outfit was completed with a pair of leather boots that reached up to Jines’ knees. 

“Don’t listen to them, Decter. You look beautiful!” Abbej said with a smile as she approached him.

“Next time we agreed to get the computer to randomise our character choices, I am not playing the damsel in distress! Is that clear?!” Jines insisted as he looked at her and the others. “You wouldn’t believe how many creepy guys I’ve had to push off me while in here.”

“Talking about creepy guys, where’s the Sheriff?” Forbes inquired.

“Probably down in the grand hall enjoying the feast,” Jines answered.

“Then why are we waiting around here? Let’s go!” Lenjir suggested.

The group snuck out of the castle through the secret tunnels they had discovered during their surveillance. Unfortunately, as they were making their escape, they were found by other guards. The guards surrounded the group and called for the Sherrif to arrive.

Moving through the castle at almost warp speed, the Sherrif of Nottingham appeared and approached his new prisoners. There standing almost out of place, was Themis’s chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Trev Brashlend. He was dressed in a striking outfit that demanded attention. He wore a deep blue velvet coat that was trimmed with gold and adorned with elaborate embroidery. His black trousers were neatly pressed, and his polished leather boots shone in the moonlight. A white ruffled shirt peeked out from beneath his coat, adding a touch of sophistication to his costume. Around his waist, he wore a thick leather belt that held a gleaming gold buckle, and a matching gold chain hung from his pocket. Overall, the outfit was both stylish and authoritative, befitting his position as an influential figure of Nottingham.

“Ah, Robin Hood, I see we meet again, and you won’t get away this time!” Trev declared, doing his best to be in his character.

“See, Trev gets the idea of the program!” Forbes said quietly to both Samris and Lenjir. 

Pulling out her sword and raising it, Abbej remained in character. “If you want me, Sheriff, fight me one on one!”

“A duel you seek?” Trev said. The Tellarite engineer was enjoying himself too much in playing the villain. “Then a duel you will get!”

Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham faced each other, holding their swords tightly. They had been enemies for a long time, and this was going to be their final showdown.

“Come on, Robin Hood. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” Trev said as the Sheriff said with a smirk.

I’m ready when you are,” Abbej replied, her eyes focused on her opponent.

The two charged at each other, their swords clashing in the air. They circled around each other, looking for an opening, a way to win.

“You can’t beat me, Robin. I’m the best swordsman in Nottingham!” Trev boasted. “And Maid Marion is to be my wife!”

“We’ll see about that,” Abbej retorted, thrusting her sword towards Trev.

Trev dodged the attack and counterattacked, but Abbej quickly blocked it. They continued to exchange blows, their swords ringing out in the open air.

“You’re good, Robin. But you’re not good enough,” the Trev taunted. He truly loved every moment of this battle.

Gritting her teeth, Abbej lunged at Trev with all her might. The Tellarite engineer dodged the attack and swung his sword, but once again, Abbej managed to deflect it.

“I’ll never give up, Sheriff. Not until Nottingham is free from your tyranny!” Abbej declared in between breaths.

Snorting like any Tellarite would when rolled up, Trev attacked again, but Abbej was ready for it. She dodged it and struck back, hitting the sword out of his hand.

“Looks like I win, Sheriff,” Abbej said, pointing her sword at her enemy.

Trev glared at her, but he knew he had been defeated. “You may have won this time, Robin Hood. But I’ll be back,” he said.

“Red alert! All hands to battle stations!” declared the captain’s voice over the intercom.

Hearing that news, the Starfleet officers stopped pretending to be the characters they were.

“Computer freeze program,” Forbes ordered immediately.

“I had you then, Trev!” Abbej said as she lowered her sword.

“You wish!” The Tellarite grunted back. “Computer end program.”

The holographic scenery fizzled out of existence, and the group marched quickly out towards the holodeck towards the nearest turbolift.

The bridge of the USS Themis was a flurry of activity as the crew prepared for battle. The red alert signal blared throughout the ship, signalling that they were facing an imminent threat from an enemy vessel. The atmosphere on the bridge was tense, with everyone focused on their tasks and ready to respond to any command given by the captain. The communication systems buzzed with activity as the crew exchanged information and updates while the helm officers plotted the best course to respond. The weapons team was on high alert, preparing to unleash a barrage of firepower against the possible enemy ship. Yet, despite the chaos and tension, the crew of the USS Themis remained calm and resolute, ready to defend their ship and their mission at all costs.

The doors to the turbolift opened, and the missing senior staff all entered, wearing their attire from the holodeck adventures. Cambil and Hunsen looked at them with a surprised reaction. T’Rani raised an eyebrow.

“An interesting styling choice,” The Vulcan pilot said from the helm. 

“Decter, you look gorgeous!” Cambil quipped at her operations officer, which helped calm the tension on the bridge.

Realising he was still in his Maid Marion outfit, Jines sighed heavily and just gave in and headed to his station without further delay. 

As Samris approached the inner circle of the bridge where the captain and first officer sat, he looked at the display on the main viewer. “Who’s sending out the distress call?”

“A Federation freighter, the Violet Serenade, which was on a supply run from Cait,” Hunsen answered.  

“Who would want to steal from the Cait? Is it the Kzinti?” Samris asked.

Cambil shook her head. “No, they’re too deep in Federation space. I can’t see why they would venture so far into our space to attack one of our freighters.”

“We’re approaching the freighter,” T’Rani announced.

Sitting straight in her captain’s chair, Cambil told the pilot to drop them out of warp and ordered Lenjir to ready all weapons.

“I’ve got our damsel in distress on sensors,” Abbej shared from the science station with a smirk. Those that knew what she was referring to shared a short giggle before turning the atmosphere back to a more serious one. She changed the main viewer to show the damaged freighter leaking plasma from both warp nacelles and indicating heavy damage across its hull. Scorch marks were everywhere.

“So Robin Hood, can we work out who stole from the poor to give to the rich?” Jines asked as he examined the sensor readings. 

The exchange made those who had access to the sensors work a bit harder. Why would a standard Federation freighter be attacked? They didn’t carry any cargo worth stealing, and most worlds in the region had access to plenty of food. It made no sense.

“Captain, you’re not going to believe it,” Lenjir stated, “but the weapon signature I’m detecting is Dominion!”

Hearing that news, Cambil stood up. “What? Are you sure you don’t mean the Breen?”

“No, I mean Dominion, ma’am. It is consistent with a Jem’Hadar phased polaron beam-based weapon.” Lenjir explained.

“How?” Hunsen asked; he now stood up beside the captain.

“I am not sure how sir, but we’ve got incoming!” T’Rani declared as she indicated at the three little purple dots accelerating towards them at an impressive speed. 

“Oh shit! Are those what I think they are?” Cambil questioned everyone on her bridge.

“They sure are, ma’am!” Trev responded from the engineering station. “Three Jem’Hadar attack ships are coming in hot and have locked weapons on us.”

“Then let’s do the same and show them we mean business,” Cambil said as she returned to her chair. 

“How the hell did they get here?” Hunsen asked as he rushed over to join Trev at the station behind him.

“We’ll worry about the how and why later, Tremt,” Cambil stated, ordering Lenjir to open fire immediately with everything they had. 

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Tremt Hunsen was a young and bright student at Cataria Boarding School for Boys on his beloved Betazed. He cherished the privilege of receiving an education there. He felt content with his life until, one day, a sudden siren blared during a routine swimming lesson, and he and his classmates were quickly evacuated to a safe location within the campus. 

As they huddled together, they received the news that the Dominion had invaded their planet. Tremt’s heart sank as he thought of his parents, prominent figures in Betazoid society. Throughout his teenage years, Tremt’s relationship with his parents was characterised by a degree of turbulence. His mother, who had struggled with infertility before his birth, doted on him tirelessly, often referring to him as her ‘little prince.’ While her intentions were pure and well-meaning, Tremt often found himself feeling stifled and suffocated by her constant attention. On the other hand, his father had high expectations for Tremt, hoping he would follow in their footsteps and work for the Betazoid government. Seeking refuge in attending a boarding school, he found solace in the distance it offered him from his parents’ expectations. Yet, they knew how to reach out to him when they ‘needed’ him to attend significant public events to promote some political agenda they were involved with or to show off their family to others. 

His mother was the Head of the Eleventh House of Betazed, holder of the Blessed Sceptre of Rixx, and heir to the Divine Regal Sword of Betazed. The sceptre was a broken golden ball, while the sword had several missing jewels and some rust covering it. In Tremt’s eyes, they didn’t appear important, but to his mother (and father), they were vital to their family and the Eleventh House of Betazed.  

And now the Dominion were here. While at school, he and his friends had kept up to date with the war developments. The latest victory for the Federation Alliance in retaking Deep Space Nine had raised morale across many worlds. Nobody had ever imagined Betazed would be seen as a critical and strategic location to take. 

He knew that the Jem’Hadar troops, who had come to conquer the planet after Starfleet’s defeat, were a formidable force, and they could do little to fight back against them. Backed by their Cardassian allies, Tremt had enjoyed his exo-history lessons, especially the topics around the Bajoran occupation. Now he feared that Betazed would undergo similar trauma as Bajor did. His people weren’t inherently an aggressive society. How would they survive and defend their homes?

Despite his fear and confusion, Tremt refused to give up hope. He knew his people were strong and resilient, but he was just a teenager with no power to fight against the Dominion. So as he watched them march through the streets of his beloved planet, he felt a sense of helplessness and despair. He felt sick, and for the first time in a long time, he worried for his parents. Their positions meant they were important, and if the Dominion had their intelligence service name key people within the Betazoid government, he knew his parents would be on that list. 

Tremt felt increasingly powerless. He could only hope and pray that his people would someday regain their freedom and independence. When his headmaster approached him and told him that he had altered Tremt’s records so he wasn’t listed as the Son of the Eleventh House, successor to the Blessed Sceptre of Rixx and second heir apparent to the Divine Regal Sword of Betazed. Instead, he was now listed as the brother of one of his friends from his shared dormitory. Though he appreciated the protection, after hearing his titles were removed from official records, it made him feel more distant from his parents. 

USS Themis (NCC-76554), en route to Divinum, Deneb Sector, Alpha Quadrant

Stardate: 78194.2

“Tremt?”

Nothing

“Tremt?” 

Shaking his head, he realised he was not paying attention; Commander Tremt Hunsen looked to his captain and apologised for his lack of initial response. “Sorry, Bexa.” He shook his head again. “My mind was wondering.”

They sat in her ready room, reading the latest intelligence about this ‘Lost Fleet’ while the ship was flying with the others towards the Divinum Four colony. She had replicated some tea for them and Hunsen’s favourite chocolate. “What’s that old human saying? You know, the one that Max used to say a lot..” Cambil asked before she remembered it. “A penny for your thoughts?” 

Hunsen sighed. “It’s just the whole return of the Dominion is bringing up some bad ghosts. Also, Divinum Four has a large Betazoid population.”

Cambil reached out and grabbed his hand for support and assurance. She knew where he was coming from. “I know this is tough for you. You’ve told me before about your experience of the Dominion’s occupation of Betazed. Hopefully, this is not the same, and the arrival of one of the toughest and coolest squadrons in the fleet will make sure those horrors are not repeated.”

Smiling in appreciation, Hunsen nodded at her words. “Thanks, Bexa. I know it doesn’t compare to what Bajor went through, but-”

“It’s still your home,” She finished. “I get it. The fact these Dominion ships are from the actual war makes what happened over twenty-five years ago seem even scarier.”

“Yeah, I just hope we don’t lose as many people as we did back then,” Hunsen said, giving a huge sigh. Recently he had been in a better mood, especially since he and Louwanna had rekindled their romance, and the focus on her pregnancy had brought them back together. 

Cambil knew precisely what he was referring to. She had known Hunsen long enough. “Your parents, along with many other Betazoids, stood up to the Dominion and did something so brave that their memories will never be forgotten. Their sacrifice was not in vain. You need to remember that, Tremt, and keep defending what they gave their lives for.”

He agreed with her with a nod. “I know, and I will. But, I mean, my unborn child inherits some rusty heirlooms and becomes the heir to the Eleventh House of Betazed.”

“Don’t they take on Louwanna’s position within the Fourth House?” Cambil checked as she picked her mug of tea up. 

Hunsen wobbled his head. “Sort of, but with Louwanna’s mother still alive, the whole line of succession is more complicated. Plus, it gets messy as her older brother and nephew are mixed within it. It’s also linked to who marries who into their family.”

“And I thought the Bajoran caste system was difficult to comprehend,” Cambil noted with a slight chuckle.

“Us Betazoids are just as bad as Klingons when it comes to Houses and family honour,” Hunsen said, sharing her sentiments. “We do love our traditions!”

“Bridge to Captain Cambil; we are ten minutes away from the Divinum system,” announced T’Rani over the intercom.

Cambil and Hunsen looked at each other, putting their PADDs and mugs down before heading out to the bridge to see what awaited them and the rest of the squadron.

Captain James Preston McCallister felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders as he stood on the bridge of the USS Avenger, a Defiant-class starship. He had always known that being in command of a ship was not easy, but he never thought he would face a situation like this. The Avenger was in the midst of a daring rescue mission. A Federation freighter, damaged and helpless, had accidentally drifted into Cardassian space. It had managed to restore some power, but not enough to go at full speed. Now, a Cardassian ship was on an intercept course, closing in fast.

Lieutenant Tremt Hunsen, his first officer and chief flight control officer, sat in front of him at the helm, his eyes fixed on the viewscreen. They were waiting for the freighter to cross over completely into Federation space before locking a tractor beam on it and pulling it to safety.

McCallister could feel his heart racing as the seconds ticked by. The Cardassian ship was getting closer and closer, its weapons charged and ready. He knew one wrong move could lead to a war between the Federation and the Cardassians.

Suddenly, the freighter began to pick up speed. It was now moving faster than the Cardassian ship, and it was clear that they would make it to safety. McCallister breathed a sigh of relief but knew they were not out of danger yet.

The Cardassian ship was still on its tail, and they needed to act fast. McCallister ordered to lock the tractor beam onto the freighter, and Hunsen quickly complied. The Avenger began to pull the freighter towards safety and extended its shields around it, but the Cardassian ship was preparing to fire its weapons.

“Tremt, what’s the status of the civilian freighter,” requested Captain McCallister in a calm yet assertive tone.

“Captain, the freighter is now secured within the tractor beam,” promptly reported Hunsen. 

“Good,” McCallister said as he sat back in his chair. “However, we must remain vigilant. Keep a watchful eye on the Cardassian vessel,” instructed McCallister, his voice unwavering.

“Aye, sir,” replied Hunsen, focusing solely on the task at hand.

The communication panel beeped as they continued their preparations to help the freighter. Hunsen announced it was the Cardassians hailing them. 

“Put them up,” McCallister ordered. 

A Cardassian Gul appeared on the main viewer. His voice boomed through the intercom. “This is Gul Jacet of the Cardassian Union. You have taken what belongs to us. Surrender the freighter and its crew, or face the consequences.” Gul Jacet was a tall, imposing figure with sharp features. His skin was a pale grey, typical of Cardassians, and his hair was jet black and slicked back into a severe style. He carried himself with an air of authority and confidence, making it clear that he would not be trifled with. Yet, despite his intimidating appearance, a certain elegance to his movements suggested a more refined nature lurking beneath the surface.

McCallister’s jaw tightened at the ultimatum. “I’m Captain James Preston McCallister of the U-S-S Avenger.” He sat up straighter. “I’m afraid that’s not an option, Gul Jacet. Our mission is to rescue those people, not hand them over to you.”

“You are making a grave mistake, Captain. You will regret this,” warned Jacet, his voice laced with a menacing undertone.

McCallister remained resolute. “I am willing to take that risk.”

“His targeting us and the freighter,” Hunsen announced.

“Charge phaser cannons and load a full spread of quantum torpedoes into the forward launchers. Then, lock target onto their warp core,” McCallister stated, staring at Jacet. 

The tension was palpable, and the crew on the bridge held their breath as the two ships faced off. Then, finally, Jacet spoke again. “This is not over, Captain. We will meet again.”

“I look forward to it,” replied McCallister, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He turned to his crew, his expression serious once more. “Well done, everyone. Let’s beam over the freighter’s crew and its passengers that need medical attention and ensure their safe return home.”

USS Themis (NCC-76554), Divinum System, Deneb Sector, Alpha Quadrant

Stardate: 78194.27

“Number and type of ships, Mister Lenjir?” Captain Cambil asked as she walked across the bridge of her ship. The Themis had just reconnected, and she was returning from the battle bridge. 

As she slid into her chair gracefully and elegantly, the Tiburonian chief security and tactical officer answered her. “Two Galor-class destroyers led by one Keldon-class cruiser.”

Commander Hunsen had moved back into his chair as he used the side console and turned to face him to see if what he was seeing was the same ship he had encountered fourteen years ago. Straight away, he recognised the power signature. “Captain, this is the same Gul Jacet that I encountered when Fleet Captain McCallister commanded the Avenger,” He whispered to Cambil.

Cambil nodded. She and many of the Odyssey’s senior staff knew about McCallister’s famed stand-off with a Cardassian warship during his brief tenure conducting intelligence gatherings of the Cardassian Union. It had only recently surfaced that while he had commanded the Avenger, McCallister had also saved his brother, the now captain of the Bellerophon. Was there some irony here that the same Cardassian commander was now here to render them help and support them in dealing with the Dominion Lost Fleet? Was destiny playing a cruel game? Either Cambil knew she wouldn’t be bothered by it, and she knew why James had sent her instead of dealing with Jacet himself. First, anyone who had read Admiral Jellico’s strategy guide in dealing with Cardassian knew you had to establish the upper hand. By sending the Themis, McCallister was sending a double-edged sword-style message to Gul Jacet.

On the one hand, he was expressing that he saw their arrival as essential to send the second largest ship in the squadron, while on the other hand, he was establishing his dominance in sending his deputy. Effectively he was telling Jacet he would have to wait to speak with him. Furthermore, sending Cambil, a Bajoran, was another blow to Jacet as McCallister ascertained his authority.  

Cambil disagreed with this pissing contest approach, but she understood that if Jacet were an old-guard sort of Gul, it would be wise for McCallister to show he was the dominant one. 

“The entire Justice Starfighter Wing has established a defence posture around us, captain,” T’Rani announced. 

“Tell them to follow us in, bring us within transporter range of the Cardassian ships, two-thirds impulse,” Cambil ordered.

The Vulcan pilot nodded and began inputting her commands; they were underway before long.

“Captain, just checking over the intelligence file of this Gul Jacet, he was one of a few surviving soldiers that were part of Legate Damar’s resistance movement during the War.” Counsellor Samris said to Cambil’s left. “He could be eager to settle some old scores. Maybe.”

“Maybe,” Cambil echoed though she wasn’t entirely sure, “Is there anything else we should know about him? Besides his run-in with our beloved squadron commander.”

Samris glanced back down at the intelligence file he had opened in front of him on his console. “Not much; he appears to have had a relatively quiet career since the war’s end. A recipient of the Legate’s Crest of Valour. He’s commanded the same ship, the Jorrene, since the war’s end. A capable commander. Beyond that, we know nothing else.”

“Interesting,” uttered Lieutenant Commander Trev Brashlend from the engineering station. The outlandish chief engineer was hunched over the engineering console on the starboard side of the bridge.

Cambil was intrigued to see what had caught her chief engineer’s eye, so she automatically asked him what it was. Unfortunately, Brashlend had no filter most of the time and would randomly say what he was thinking aloud. Though this time, she was glad he said something. “What is it you see, Trev?”

The Tellarite turned to his captain and smirked at his discovery before pushing the holographic display before him to appear before her in the centre of the bridge. The marvels of modern holography made such a thing so much easier. Trev was showing the latest scans of the Jorrene. “Though his ship has received some upgrades and updates to its systems, one thing still remains – Dominion-enhanced technology.”

“Come again?” Cambil asked.

Hunsen stood up to look at what the engineer was showing off. “By the four deities,” He gasped. “I had heard rumours of it but never had seen it in action.”

Trev nodded enthusiastically, “Starfleet Intelligence and the Corps of Engineers had wondered if such things had happened but believed that approached had been lost during the war.”

“For the rest of us non-engineers, can you share what you two find so fascinating, please?” Cambil said, looking between her first officer and chief engineer.

Hunsen gestured for Brashlend to explain, which he did automatically. “During the Dominion War, we know that the Dominion attempted to merge their technology with Cardassian technology. Though they were successful in some areas, there were some that they had difficulty with. It would appear that the Jorrene,” The engineer paused as he checked the scans on the other two ships, and he clapped his hooves together. “They’re exactly the same!”

“Again, more clarity, please,” Cambil insisted. 

Hunsen sat down and turned to her. “What Trev is trying to share is that these Cardassian ships are equipped with a lot of Dominion technology. From what we know, the Cardassians tried to augment Dominion technology into their fleets after the war but weren’t successful. However, there were rumours that some ships had been built from the ground up with the Dominion technology. So this is the first confirmation we have of this, here.” He pointed at the three ships they were approaching.

“So, should I be more worried?” Cambil asked cautiously, still unsure what they were getting excited about.

Hunsen shoulders deflated. “Not really, it’s just a fascinating feat of engineering.”

“You guys really need to get out more,” Cambil muttered with a smirk before telling Lenjir to open a channel. Once it was open, she looked straight forward. “I’m” Captain Cambil Bexa of the Federation starship Themis. Welcome to the Divinum system, Gul Jacet.”

Hunsen winced slightly at the image of the Cardassian Gul. He looked the same besides his hair being more faded with age. “Thank you, Captain Cambil; I assume you command this squadron of Federation ships?”

“No, but I am its deputy commander,” Cambil answered confidently. She wasn’t about to explain why McCallister wasn’t here. “We are currently responding to an emergency in the colony in this system. Can we be of assistance, Gul Jacet?”

Jacet sneered a bit. Apparently, he understood what was happening here. “We are from the forces of the Third Order sent to render aid to our Federation allies. We picked up the same distress call as you.”

“Well, we appreciate the support,” Cambil said sincerely. “Having the support from our allies in the Union means a lot to us.”

“Good, I am glad to hear it, but I must insist that I meet with you and your squadron commander, Captain Cambil,” Jacet said, attempting to reassert his dominance in the conversation.

“I can assure you, Gul Jacet, that I will relay anything that needs to be said properly to my squadron commander,” Cambil said. “What is it that you wish to say to us?”

Jacet considered Cambil for a moment. “What I must share must be shared privately.”

Cambil nodded at the Cardassian. “Very well, why don’t you and two of your aides beam aboard the Themis, and we can discuss this matter in person?”

“I won’t need any assistance, but your offer to host is agreeable,” Jacet said confidently. “I shall transport over in ten minutes.” He then proceeded to close the channel. 

Relaxing a bit, Cambil turned to her first officer. “Tremt, will you meet and escort Gul Jacet to the observation lounge? I’ll meet with him there.”

Hunsen lept into action automatically to head towards the nearest turbolift with Lenjir close behind him.

For a moment, Cambil remained in her seat as she glared at the three Cardassian ships on her main screen. The same design and style had remained in the Cardassian Union for over four decades. They mainly stayed the same (besides what was under their hulls). She was trying to stay positive and remember that relations with the Union were at their best presently. If their sudden involvement in dealing with the Lost Fleet was a sign of further cooperation between both powers, then she wondered if the Federation would push to expand the Khitomer Accords to include the Cardassian Union. Crazier things had happened. Getting up from her chair, she signalled for her yeoman to get the observation lounge ready for her guest while she placed T’Rani in command of the bridge and retreated to the privacy of her ready room.   

“Gul Jacet, please meet Captain Cambil Bexa,” Hunsen introduced their guest to his commanding officer when she entered the observation lounge.

Jacet, who had been seated at one end of the long table, rose to his feet and crossed the distance between the two of them and extended his hand towards her. 

Though a Human custom, Cambil nevertheless shook it as a gesture of goodwill on her part. “Gul Jacet, a pleasure,” She said as she took her customary position at the head of the table. She gestured for Hunsen to leave with a simple nod, and on his way out, he took the security guard as well. Once the door closed behind Hunsen, Cambil looked at her guest, who sat only a few seats away.  “So, you said you wanted to meet in private?”

Jacet looked around the room for a moment. “It is impressive how much your Starfleet has returned to familiar designs in your design starship construction in recent years. You’re almost Cardassian in your nostalgia.” He looked around the room one more time. “You’re almost Cardassian in how this room in design is functional and impressive.”

Realising that Jacet was playing a small game with her, Cambil remained calm as she went along with it. She wouldn’t allow him to assert the dominant position in the room. “Yes, returning to a former lineage has certainly worked for us,” She agreed. “Themis is fully functional and impressive.”

“Oh, that’s without a doubt,” Jacet complimented her. “A Ross-class, but in the grand scheme of things, she is a merger of your Galaxy and Sovereign classes. The best of both worlds, you could say?”

“Indeed,” Cambil agreed as she sat up straighter. “I suppose the same could be said about your vessel, the Jorrene; she still contains a mixture of Dominion systems with Cardassian ones. How’s that working out for you?”

“Marvellously,” Jacet answered. He appeared to realise that Cambil was playing him at his own game, so he mirrored her move and sat up straighter. “As the Ferengi would say, let’s get down to business.”

“Indeed,” Cambil said, relaxing a bit back into her chair. It tilted slightly backward for her. “You wanted to discuss something privately. Please do elaborate.” She gestured for him to share with her left hand. 

“How much do you know about the Teplan blight?” Jacet asked.

Cambil hadn’t heard of it. She shook her head initially before replying. “I’m afraid I don’t think I’ve heard of it. Why?”

“It was a disease introduced to the Teplan people in the Gamma Quadrant when they resisted Dominion control,” Jacet informed her. “It’s one of the many biological weapons they have, or had in their arsenal, and almost thirty years ago, a Starfleet doctor found a vaccination for it. As a result, almost an entire generation has not had to suffer, and their decedents will begin to benefit from his efforts.”

“That’s lovely,” Cambil said; she was still unsure where Jacet was going with this conversation. “What does it have to do with your presence here in the Divinium system?”

“Because Captain Cambil, I can tell you now that the Dominion were preparing to use similar biological weapons against the Federation during the war,” Jacet said with a heavy sigh at the end. “I know this information for several reasons.”

“Do tell,” Cambil said, encouraging him to share what he knew while remaining intrigued about what he hoped to get out of this discussion with her.

“During the war, I was transcripted as a low-ranking glinn in early twenty-three-seventy-five. Initially, I was a science and engineering student at the University of Culat; however, as Cardassia suffered heavy casualties, I was called up to serve,” Jacet told her. “I knew I would be, and I had no issue in serving my nation, and before the Breen Confederacy signed their alliance, my commanding officer, Gul Ramad, was responsible for attempting to facilitate the introduction of Dominion technology within the Cardassian fleet. One of those projects included the use of theta-band devices.” Jacet paused. “The Jorrene was the test bed for such systems; however, there were too many incompatibility issues. To attempt to make a workaround, Vorta engineers provided us with schematics of their vessels with specific designs that allowed for devices to be used. I was responsible for reviewing the material. I learnt from my research that an entire squadron of these specialist ships was part of the reinforcements meant to have arrived from the Gamma Quadrant. They were designed and built with certain technologies and crewed by specialist-trained Vorta and Jem’Hadar to operate them.”

“So thank the Prophets and the Emissary for their intervention,” Cambil noted. She then paused. “Wait, are you telling me what I think you’re saying?”

“Indeed,” Jacet confirmed. “I believe those ships are now here in the Deneb sector.”

“You’ll have to forgive me, Gul Jacet, but what does a theta-band device do?” Cambil asked.

“It’s not just about what they do; it’s what they carry,” Jacet shared. “Almost thirty-two years ago, we tricked your Starfleet into believing that we had created such devices to be able to carry a metagenic weapon. Unfortunately, we could never complete that work; however, the Dominion did.”

Cambil was starting to realise everything he was presenting to her. Starfleet captains were briefed on such powerful devices that could threaten life on a massive level. “You’ve got my attention, Gul Jacet. Do you believe the Dominion Lost Fleet has this weapon?”

He produced a Cardassian isolinear rod from his sleeve and placed it on the table. “Much more than that, captain. I also know that when the Breen joined the war, their technology was explored to see if it could support such devices. And they can, but it was never implemented.” He pushed the rod in her direction. “That is all the intelligence I have kept over the years about this information.”

Cambil pulled the rod closer to her; she turned back to Jacet. “I’m curious, Jacet. I thought the peace treaty required the Dominion, Breen and Cardassians to hand over such research to the Federation. So why are you giving this to me almost twenty-six years late?”

Jacet appeared not happy as his lips twitched at that question. “As it was research that was never successful in application, I never took it further. Plus, my world was in flames at the end of the war. I only received a field promotion to take over from Gul Ramad after he died during the final battle of the war. I was one of the commanding officers that broke ranks and forced our ships to switch sides after the Dominion reduced Lakarian City to dust. My world had to be rebuilt.”

Cambil knew of the Cardassian city that was the first mass Cardassian casualty in the concluding days of the war. But, as Jacet said, it was one of the most significant factors that pushed the Cardassian military to turn on their Dominion allies and for the civilian population to uprise. “Is there anything here that will help us locate this squadron?”

“The Death Task Force?” Jacet asked. He realised what he had just said and elaborated how he and the rest of his research team at the time had called the missing specialist squadron that designation once they started to review their technical information. “You should have everything in there, but captain, you do realise Starfleet Intelligence has this information on file?”

“They do?” Cambil asked, curious to know what he meant by that.

Jacet nodded. “In fact, one of the captains in your squadron stole a copy of my files over thirteen years from me, and I believe his brother, your squadron leader, aided his escape.”

Remaining calm, Cambil gave Jacet a curious look. “I’m sorry, Gul Jacet, but you’ll have to explain to me what you mean by that.”

He sneered slightly and smirked at her. “Do not worry, Captain Cambil. I have no ill intentions towards Fleet Captain James Preston Harvey McCallister or Captain Horatio Albie McCallister. Furthermore, the latter did me a service when he stole plans of the Breen shipyard during the war. He significantly delayed their efforts in building ships using the Dominion metagenic weapons.”

“Well, thank you for that,” Cambil said. “Now that you’ve given us this information, why do I feel there’s a price that comes with it?”

Jacet’s sneer got wider. “Of course it does.” His expression then turned serious. “I formally request that myself and the rest of my squadron join your squadron to hunt, track and destroy the Death Task Force.”

“Well, let me check with my superiors first. Dealing with what has happened here at Divninum is our priority right now.” Cambil said.

“That is understandable, and my other ships can support with that too.” Jacet offered.

“Other ships?”

“Yes, three other Galor-class ships were redirected to rescue a Federation freighter convoy from Dominion ships. Once they have escorted the convoy to Farpoint Station, they can be here to help us,” Jacet shared.

“Well, if there’s nothing else for us to discuss, Gul Jacet, I would like to discuss everything you’ve raised with the others in my squadron and get our response to you as soon as possible,” Cambil said as she stood up and offered her hand to him.

“Thank you, captain,” Jacet shook her hand. “I do mean it, captain, that if we can join your forces, I will do whatever it takes to remove this threat, and I hope that makes amends for my negligence in not sharing this information at the end of the war.”

For the first time since the start of their meeting, Cambil truly believed what he said. “Let’s take one step at a time,” She said before calling for Hunsen to return to take their guest off her ship. After he left, she returned to the bridge and had a message sent to the Odyssey straight away, she needed to speak to James at once, and it couldn’t wait.

The sickbay research lab had never appeared so busy since Cambil took command of the Themis. Having quite a few of the other doctors in the squadron assembled here to assist in developing the ‘antidote’ was quite a sight. It hadn’t taken them that long to create it. Most of it was there based on the evidence found on the colony on Divinium and traces of it on the Breen refrigeration suits. 

After they had presented their findings to Cambil, the captain had smiled in pride at how well they had all worked. She wasn’t surprised. None of them had rested over the night since they had left the Odyssey behind in the Divnium system. Slyvexs, who had led the efforts, as always, was exceptional. Her leadership and sharing of her knowledge and skills with the other doctors were invaluable.

Furthermore, witnessing her working with her former protégé, Doctor Remi Forbes, was also a nice flashback for her. The two of them had worked well together on the Odyssey. They were unstoppable, so seeing them back in action one more time, and collaborating on something they were passionate about, was perfect. Adding to that with the others from Triton and Bellerophon only made the four chief medical officers all seem invincible. Doctor Kamra Uknare from the Triton was almost like Slyvexs with experience, while Doctor Sarella Corben from the Bellerophon was like Remi. Her youthful enthusiasm increased the group’s desire to do a good job. The four made an excellent team, and Cambil was pleased their first collaboration went well. It boded well for the future. 

Now they were finished, they would prepare instructions for the rest of the squadron on how to create it and work with the team on the Triton to install the antidote to their new delivery system. Recognising they needed a break, Forbes had offered to take the four doctors to one of the coffee shops on the Themis’ promenade.  Though keen to socialise with her colleagues, Slyvexs politely declined and asked if she could be excused while she joined Cambil for a catch-up.

After leaving the lab, Cambil straight away congratulated Slyvexs. “Once again, the impressive talents of Slyvexs of Denobula save the day again!”

“I can’t take all of the credit, Bexa,” Slyvexs replied with an appreciative smile. “But thank you. Remi once again has proven to me he is an excellent physician. When is he due for a promotion?”

Cambil smirked. “Soon, actually, he has put a request in to undertake the bridge officer’s exam early.”

Slyvexs was impressed to hear that. “He’s a keeper for sure, Bexa.”

“Absolutely,” Cambil agreed. “And talking of promotions, when will you get that fourth pip?”

Chuckling at the absurdity of the idea, Slyvexs shook her head. “I’m happy where I am.”

“James could always make you Captain of Medicine on the Odyssey and for the squadron,” Cambil suggested as they turned down a corridor and headed towards the turbolift at the end. 

“Don’t give him any ideas; he has just made Max a captain,” Slyvexs replied. “I’m happy to defer to the more younger crew who want a career in command. Like Tomaz and Flemen to take on the bridge duty. That said, I’m surprised he hasn’t promoted Banfield either.”

“The science officer that took over from Karyn?” Cambil checked.

Slyvexs nodded. “Yep,” She popped the ‘p’ sound at the end of her response. “She’s just as good as Karyn. You know she was offered command of her own science vessel a few years ago but turned it down.”

Cambil called for the turbolift by touching the slim panel by the door. “She does appear to know her stuff; Abbej always speaks highly of her.”

“And with great reason, too,” Cambil confirmed as the door slid open. “Talking of command, how are you enjoying your own ship?”

“I love it,” Cambil answered. “Besides the fact we don’t have our families with us, the Themis is a great challenge.”

“She’s certainly spacious,” Slyvexs said as they entered the cart. 

“Promenade, section four, captain’s private lounge,” Cambil ordered the computer. “She may not be as big as the Odyssey, but I think I prefer the Ross-class more than I thought I would.”

Slyvexs shook her head. “Bexa, seriously, the Ross-class is Starfleet’s cheat way of combining the Galaxy and Sovereign classes together. That said, something about her makes me feel a bit nostalgic for the Venture.”

Cambil realised what Slyvexs was referring to. “Ah yes, you served on the Venture during the war.”

“The previous ship named Venture,” Slyvexs corrected her just as the turbolift came to a gradual and smooth halt. Its doors opened, and they were deposited onto the promenade. “That said, we never had a promenade on the Venture.”

“But the Odyssey does,” Cambil reminded her. 

“Yes, but James likes to call it the Boardwalk,” Slyvexs countered as she looked around where they were. She could see several recreation facilities with some crew in them. Their holographic servers taking orders. Cambil took her across from where the lift had put them towards a room that showed it was the captain’s private lounge. The computer recognised the captain, and instantly, the doors opened to reveal quite a relaxing space with several sofas, a couple of replicators and, on a sunken level, a circular table with chairs around it. Though this wasn’t the captain’s private dining room, it certainly could be another one.  Cambil walked over to the replicator while Slyvexs moved across the room to look out of the large floor-to-ceiling sloped windows.

“Impressive view,” She remarked after Cambil brought back a drink for her. 

Cambil agreed after she handed the drink over and started sipping her Deka tea. “I’m not one for using this space often, my predecessor preferred it more, but since Naprem and the boys were sent away, I’ve found myself coming down here to get away from everything else.”

“I get what you mean,” Slyvexs confirmed with a nod. “I’ve been the same since Mettex left; I found myself spending more time in the Auditorium.”

The door chime then went off, and Cambil sighed. “By the Prophet’s,” She exclaimed. “I swear I should disable the sensors in this room.” After telling their visitor to come in, she was surprised to see her first officer entering. “Number One, I thought you were covering in engineering?”

Tremt Hunsen stepped in and acted a bit sheepish in front of Slyvexs. He acknowledged her presence with a quick bow of his head before turning to his commanding officer. “I was until we got a message from your favourite new bestie.” He passed a PADD over to Cambil.

“Gul Jacet?” Slyvexs asked for clarity.

Hunsen nodded. “I’m pretty certain he likes Bexa a lot,” He then winked at Slyvexs as he insinuated something beyond the Cardassian’s intentions with his captain. “Basically, Jacet has said they believe they have found a Dominion ship from the Death Task Force. They’re heading there now; however, the Bellerophon is already on their way. Fleet Captain McCallister had issued a radio silence with the Bellerophon.”

“So the Cardassian may crash James and Horatio’s party?” Cambil asked.

“It looks that way,” Hunsen stated. “And by them moving out of formation from the rest of the squadron, they are leaving a decent portion of the detection grid inoperable.

Cambil sighed as she tapped her combadge and asked the bridge to get her Jacet at once. Several moments later, the large view screen on one wall came to life, and Jacet’s arrogant style filled Cambil’s ship up. 

“Captain Cambil, are you joining our chase?” Jacet asked.

“Not quite,” Cambil remarked. “In fact, I’m asking you and your ships to stand down as the Bellerophon is on their way to intercept the same target.”

Jacet sighed heavily. “Then our support will ensure victory for us, captain.”

“I don’t think Fleet Captain McCallister will see it that way,” Cambil said as she crossed her arms.

“Do you honestly want to annoy him and his brother with your entourage?” Slyvexs questioned. 

Jacet considered their words carefully. “Very well,” He nodded, “we will stand down, but I will place my ship nearby in case they need help.”

Smiling nicely at him, Cambil thanked the Cardassian for his restraint and closed the channel. Rubbing her nose ridges, Cambil shook her head once they were clear. “I swear he is more work than is needed.” She turned to Hunsen. “How far are we from the Bellerophon?”

“Not that far, just over an hour away,” Hunsen answered.

“Have T’Rani move us so we’re closer than Jacet is,” Cambil ordered.

Hunsen nodded before he said goodbye to his captain and their visitor. 

“Sorry about that, Slyvexs,” Cambil said straight after Hunsen had left the room. “I wasn’t expecting that call.”

“Don’t worry,” Slyvexs said as she smoothed her uniform before sitting on one of the sofas. “Jacet seems an interesting character.”

“That’s one way of saying it,” Cambil admitted as she sat beside Slyvexs. “I think I’ve missed our daily coffee and chats.”

 “Me too,” Slyvexs agreed as she tapped her mug against Cambil’s. “There’s nothing wrong in us doing it over subspace.”

“Good idea,” Cambil said before taking a sip. She turned to Slyvexs. “Do you think the antidote will work?”

“I hope so,” Slyvexs answered. “However, I hope we don’t have to use it, or that means more people will lose their lives.”

Cambil nodded. She hadn’t thought of it that way, and for a few brief seconds, she prayed to the Prophets, asking them to protect them and every other colony in the nearby vicinity. 

Banfield appreciated that it was Doctr Slyvexs who was now treating her. Since the Themis had arrived and started to beam the Bellerophon survivors over, she had been one of the last ones left. When they had been transported on board, she was pleased to see that Slyvexs had remained on the Themis to help those who needed treatment.  

“There you go, back to your normal self,” Slyvexs said after running the dermal regenerator over the cut on Banfield’s cheek.

“Thanks, doctor,” The chief science officer replied as she jumped off the bio-bed. 

At that moment, Lieutenant Commander Tomaz walked into the Themis’s sickbay. The tall, handsome Barzan man looked exhausted. During the attack on the Bellerophon, he returned to astrometrics to investigate how the Dominion battle cruiser had hidden from their sensors. As he walked over to the two women, his usual stylish but messy hair was almost flat. His confident demeanour wasn’t as expressive in his mannerism. The toll of this conflict was affecting so many, including Tomaz. His uniform had been torn to shreds after he had tried to rescue some of the Bellerophon crew from a fire. His jacket hung loose on his body. Dirt marks, bruises and a few cuts were apparent across his face, neck and part of his chest. He revealed where he had torn off his tunic and jacket. 

“Tomaz, you okay?” Slyvexs asked. “Here, sit down.”

Tomaz waved her kind gesture. “I’m fine,” He sighed. “I just need a shower and a clean uniform.” He turned to Banfield. “The captain wants us three on the bridge with him in about ten minutes.”

“How comes?” Banfield asked.

“Triton has discovered something about the battle cruiser that attacked us. Apparently, Captain Canção believes the colonists aren’t lost.” Tomaz shared.

“But we saw the evidence related to a metagenic weapon being used,” Slyvexs said with a surprised tone.

Tomaz shook his head. “We now think they may have used it in a limited capacity.”

“That changes everything, so how many colonists have they got?” Banfield said as she crossed her arms against her chest.

“Almost all of them,” Tomaz replied. He quickly summarised what Triton had found and that even the Odyssey had found further clues that, once put together, would confirm the theory that the Dominion had used a range of technologies to remove the colonists. It was a complicated but ingenious strategy to take Divinium Four. As he finished his briefing, he was approached by a former familiar face of the three Odyssey shipmates. 

Counsellor Samris smiled at them all before receiving a brief hug from Slyvexs. She was eager to give him a proper hug since she had boarded the Themis, but she hadn’t seen him since boarding the ship to work on the antidote. “It’s good to see you all,” Samris remarked. He turned to Tomaz. “Tomaz, if you want to use my quarters to grab a shower and a clean uniform, go for it.” He turned to Banfield. “Commander, I’ve organised for you to use guest quarters to freshen up in before you go to the bridge. They’re on deck three, twenty-one.” He turned to Slyvexs, “Doctor, I’ve organised quarters for you next to Commander Banfield until you all return to the Odyssey.”

“That’s very kind of you Samris,” Banfield replied before turning to the other two. “I suppose we should find out what’s going on then.”

“Let me see if Remi needs my help here; if not, I’ll meet you both on the bridge,” Slyvexs said to her colleagues before heading over to where Themis’ chief medical officer was operating on Bellerophon’s chief operations officer. 

Though the bridge colour scheme of the Themis was precisely the same as it was on the Odyssey, James Preston McCallister could see the difference (the obvious one being the size). For a moment, he was missing his ship. Standing behind the security and tactical console with his three other officers and his brother (who had also brought his two most senior officers), they listened intently with the rest of the Themis’ bridge crew to what Canção and the Triton had discovered. On the wide viewscreen before them was Canção, sitting on her bridge while the image of Gul Jacet doing the same thing was beside her. On the other side was Captain Duncan back on the Odyssey’s bridge. 

“Are we certain about the colonists being in their transporter buffers?” Cambil had asked the El-Aurian captain.

Canção nodded before speaking. “We’ve performed some intense sensor scans and can confirm. Gul Jacet has done the same thing.”

“And they know we are chasing after them; I’m surprised they’ve not done anything else,” Jacet commented.

“What do you mean, Gul Jacet?” Cambil asked. She had built a rapport with the Cardassian leader but still struggled to truly understand his intentions in all of this mess.

Jacet smirked. “They’ve not altered their course or their speed. Their defences still remain active though.” 

“They know they’re beaten,” Commander Hunsen commented from Cambil’s right. “And they are just waiting for us to slip up so they can kill the colonists.”

“Whatever the plan is, it needs to be done swiftly,” Lieutenant Commander Lenjir suggested from the tactical station. “We can’t allow them to do something to the transporter patterns of the colonists.”

“But what could be done?” Lieutenant Jarata asked. The Bellerophon’s pilot was clinching his jaw, though now in a new uniform and appearing cleaner than he had been. “If we attack them, which I would love for us to do to get revenge for Commander Jaz and Chief Bronden, and the others we lost from the Bellerophon, we can’t risk them snapping and pulling the plug on their transporter systems.”

Horatio McCallister placed a supporting arm around his new second officer. The death of Jaz had hit him and the rest of the survivors hard. Still, before they had reached the meeting on the Themis’ bridge, they had been told that Bronden had died from complications during his surgery. Doctor Corben, who had been on Themis, was with him when he took his last breath. Jirani had silently prayed to the Prophets after the intercom channel had closed. Jarata had just looked at Horatio with a shocked expression. Before the turbolift had delivered them to the bridge, Horatio had told them both they needed to keep it together as they had a job to complete. 

Canção smirked as she revealed her plan. After hearing it, everyone assembled on the bridge appeared surprised by how daring and risky it was. “We will need the Themis to help.” She added. “And if the Odyssey can wrap up things at the Divinium system, the extra set of hands will make a difference. Well, transporter buffers, that is.”

“What about the Bellerophon?” Horatio asked.

His brother automatically responded. “She’s out of the fighting for now, Horatio,” James’ response was quick but respectful. “We’ll have to completely abandon her.”

Surprised to hear that, Horatio protested. “She’s at drift but salvageable.”

“We can’t spare anyone else from the squadron when we need to rescue those colonists,” James countered. “I’m sorry, Horatio.”

“Then let me and my crew return to her for now. We can make repairs while you’re off saving them.” Horatio argued back.

Cambil then spoke up. “That’s pretty reckless, captain.” Her tone was formal and firm. “If something critical was to happen, there would be no one to rescue you all. Plus, many of your crew are still being treated in my sickbay.”

“Then let us have a skeleton crew remain behind until we can return to a shipyard.” Jarata pleaded to both Fleet Captain McCallister and Captain Cambil.

The two senior captains looked at one another, almost reading each other’s thoughts. James looked over to the viewscreen back at his first officer. “Max, how quickly could Odyssey be here to drop off our squadron of fighters and the Telemachus?”

“Less than thirty minutes, but we still have teams working on restoring the Divinium Station. I’d prefer not to leave the system completely defenceless.”  Duncan stated.

James considered his options quickly. “Then tell Counsellor Horin she has some babysitting duties to undertake; I want her and the Telemachus here in thirty minutes. Tell Commander Gray to take command of the repairs. Leave some runabouts and shuttles behind for those teams still working, and tell Commander Rosle she needs to remain behind too. She can protect his back.”

“Understood; where do you want Odyssey?”  Duncan asked.

“Once you’ve offloaded, join us and the others at your best speed,” James ordered.

“Aye, sir,” Duncan replied.

The squadron commander turned to Canção, “Rio, where is the Dominion ship heading?”

“Straight to Deneb if they remain on course,” Canção answered.

Tomaz spoke up. “Fourth Fleet Command issued orders for all available ships to fall back to Farpoint Station to help repel the last segment of the Lost Fleet.”

“Great,” James grumbled. “Tell the top brass that we’re coming in hot, Tomaz. Otherwise, everyone else follows Rio’s plan, and we take on that battle cruiser. Is that clear?” 

A series of ‘ayes’ and ‘yes sirs’ followed, and Fleet Captain McCallister ordered everyone to get on with the next stage of their mission. The channels with Canção, Duncan and Jacet all closed, and then he watched everyone go to their stations or leave the bridge. His eyes fell on his brother, whose sombre demeanour was evident. It was tough because he had just lost his ship and crew members. He felt for him. He had been there before, back when the Trinity had been lost. Losing his first command had been a horrible experience. Still, James knew Horatio would focus on getting the Bellerophon back from the grave. He wasn’t going to lose her, and James admired that.  

Cambil approached him and quietly spoke to him. “I take it you’re transferring your flag to the Themis?”

He nodded, still watching as his brother left the bridge. “For now, that okay?”

“No problem,” Cambil said with a smile. “It’d be nice to do something together again.”

James nodded at her. “Let’s just hope we succeed.”

“You think Rio’s plan will work?” Cambil questioned.

“I’ve not had to doubt her before.” 

“Very well,” Cambil said before turning around to the rest of her bridge crew and ordering them to return to red alert. She called over to T’Rani to lay in an intercept course for the Triton while telling Lenjir to arm all of their weapons. While she had Jines ensure the ship was ready and to have all available power allocated to the weapons array and shields, Commander Hunsen coordinated with their chief engineer to modify their transporter buffers as the Triton’s skipper had suggested. Trev’s usual mumbling soon started.

Banfield, Slvexs and Tomaz turned to McCallister.

“What do you want us to do, captain?” Banfield asked. 

“For now, make yourselves useful in coordinating Rio’s plan across the squadron,” McCallister answered.

“It is quite farfetched, sir,” Tomaz said quietly.

“Do you think it will work?” Slyvexs asked. 

McCallister smiled. “Yep, and it’s totally Rio’s thing.” He assured them all that he had confidence in the friend’s plan.

Cambil moved back to her chair, and once word had been received that the skeleton crew for the Bellerophon were back on board their ship, she stretched her shoulders back slightly. “T’Rani, engage at maximum warp.”

The Vulcan pilot nodded as she executed the command and span the massive Ross-class on its axis before it darted into warp to meet up with their sister ship.