The away team sat ready in the USS Drava, emergency departure procedures were in motion. The civilians in the back, that the away team manage to gather from the medical zone, were in the back, chaos was slowly raising onboard with the imminent leaving.

Silina looked at the surface, smoke in the distance, and shrugs seeing Viamame in distress “We did what we could…for those we could” She saw Viamame not respond to her statement, but her eyes express the answer of agreement letting her tend back to the wounded.

As Drava launches, the debris of smolders outside, the town they were stuck on, the black thick smoke from the mining operations. A visual reminder to each of them of what they will be leaving behind.

USS Gemini 

The red-alert lighting go in sync to the sound that was echoing throughout the tense bridge. The crew monitors closely the Vaadwaur fleet movement, the promised retaliation from Commander Vekiron was soon to happen at the dawn of light. The fleet was still irregular and potentially threatening, but something shift, ships were leaving slowly as if they were drawn to a different calling.

Padgok slides his fingers over the console, making sure the escape vectors were plotted. Keeyiro tried her best to mask the Drava’s launch under a solar flare that had been active within the system. Drata kept the area in check, keeping a close eye on the enemy forces.

Leaning forward, hands together as Ko took a deep breath, “Come on, Silina… get the hell out of there” She mutters mostly to herself.

“Vaadwaur are setting up a communication line, open channel to both us and the surface” Drata announced as he opens the one side signal.

A hologram broadcast appears, Vekiron appeared, calm and deadly. Vekiron smiled softly, looking forward as if he was looking right into Ko’s soul. “We thank the Gemini for playing their part, but I have to uphold a promise, a lesson that needs to be taught.”

USS Drava

A harsh slam onto the console as the away team witness a brutal execution that was portrayed in front of the remaining refugees. Silina face was blank, hands trembling, fury in her eyes. Miki and Viamame looked discomfortable at the sight, their silence was the price they paid for their decision.

The Drava climbs higher and into the view of the Gemini as the ship pushed full thrusters forward. Intercepting the Drava and using a brief sensor jamming burst to cloak their actions of grabbing the shuttle.

USS Gemini

“Drava is onboard!” Drata announced once again.

“Good!” Ko looked at his direction and back at Padgok “Hit it Lieutenant”.

“We got Vaadwaur ships on interception, their weapons are charging and finding a lock” Drata looked at the information that he received.

The Gemini started to move away, passing through the Vaadwaur as they opened fire and misses the Gemini. Padgok manages to get the ship further away and as he hits the emergency warp. Before he did, he glances a look at the final sensor logs as the Gemini jumps into warp.

A collective exhale came throughout the bridge, Padgok utters suddenly “They let us go…” a weight that made the bridge go quiet unable to answer the question.

Hecate Station (Weeks later)

Gemini had returned to the docks, damaged but still intact. Horseheads had reported back to Deep Space 17, now completed once again with the crew that were abducted only a few weeks ago. Recovery was a path that would take time, but this would take a long time for everyone.

Silina sat back in her chair, in her office at her house that she shared with her girlfriend, Sazra. She barely had any idea what Sazra had endured due to her absent, but that was the same the other way around. Looking at the after action report, she shrugs and erases the word Victory.

Meanwhile, Viamame tends to the rescue children that they took from the planet, her hands shakes when applying the dermal generator. The face of the child reminded her of what had happened, the weight of the memories, the pain of the sins she had to commit.

Walking past a memorial plague, Miki pauses and looked at the newly added names. While Ko is left alone in her quarters. She stares at the message that came from Starfleet Command who praised the Gemini restraint, and with a swipe she deleted the message.

Back in Silina and Sazra house, Silina looked out the window, listening to one of her personal logs, “Mercy is not a weakness. Mercy is a knife that can cut both ways. We have upheld our oath… even when it cost so much for us” She looked at the Grim Wall and a distance warp flash appears, she narrows her eyes and looked over her shoulder “Sazra!”