Commander Aramis Lionel and Lieutenant Commander Catersha were both unconscious and unresponsive on the debris littered floor of the destroyed runabout. Aramis stirred first. He groaned as he moved his banged up body. He winced loudly as his right shoulder stung with sharp pain. He tried to move it around and he couldn’t.

He carefully moved around and got to his knees. He slowly looked around the interior of the runabout. Every computer console was blown out and destroyed. The viewports were shattered, as the floor was covered with big pieces of shattered transparent aluminum. There was part of a tree that crashed through the port viewport. Aramis looked up and saw it inches above his head.

“I’m lucky I got knocked from my chair,” Aramis said to himself.

He slowly crawled from under the tree, over to where Catersha was lying, still unconscious. He started calling out to her.

“Catersha?”

He stopped next to her and started shaking her, trying to wake her up. Catersha did not move. Aramis started to get worried. He grabbed the emergency med kit under the main console. He pulled out the tricorder and started scanning Catersha. As he scanned her vital signs, he frowned.

“Damn it! A mild concussion…,” he said to himself as he continued to scan Catersha’s body.

He cursed in Klingon as he scanned her lower legs and found one of them broken. She started to stir. When she moved her leg, she cried out.

“Easy baby, your lower left leg is broken and you have a mild concussion,” Aramis said softly.

Catersha growled, “great…just great.”

Aramis gave her some medication to deal with the pain. When the meds kicked in, she asked Aramis what happened.

“We crash landed on a jungle moon from what I can tell. The runabout is destroyed. Nothing is salvageable. I do remember seeing on the sensors a subspace energy signature,” Aramis gave her a situation report. He starts scanning the area for the subspace signature and locks onto it. “I found the energy signature. It is on a bearing of 183, distance is just over five kilometers.”

“Five kilometers!” Catersha shouted. “My leg is broken babe. How the hell am I going to walk five feet, let alone five kilometers?!”

Aramis slightly recoiled at her burst of anger. He stayed still, looking at her. She saw his facial expression and realized she startled him. Her facial expression softens, as did her tone of voice.

“Baby, I’m sorry for snapping at you,” she said softly, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Aramis saw the tears slowly falling from her eyes. He gently wiped them away with his thumb as he caressed her cheek.

“It’s ok baby. My standing order is that everyone is allowed to cry.” Aramis looked at Catersha. “Well, that subspace energy signature is five kilometers away. To get there is walking over rough terrain. Walking for you means dealing with this leg. So…we will have to go old fashioned and make a splint.”

Aramis looked around the inside of the cabin of the runabout and found two sturdy pieces of duranium steel. He placed one bar of the steel on each side of the broken leg. Then he ripped off one.of his uniform sleeves, then ripped it into thin strips.

“Baby, behave yourself, this will probably hurt. I’m going to set the bone and immobilize it with this splint I’m making,” Aramis said empathetically. “Let me know when you are ready.”

Catersha looked into his eyes, then looked down, steeling herself for the coming pain. She looked back up at him, nodding. Aramis gave her a warm smile.

“Ok baby. On three, I’m going to set the bone. One…two…three!”

He set her broken leg. The pain she felt was sharp and she cried out for a second, then it subsided. Then he used the strips to tie around the bars, to immobilize her leg.

“There, all done,” he said to her, “how does that feel?”

“The pain is almost gone. It feels ok. Help me get up please.”

Catersha offered her hands to him and Aramis stood up and grabbed her hands. She started to stand up as he pulled, wincing as his shoulder was screaming. She stands up, leaning against a broken console and favoring her broken leg. Aramis grabbed his shoulder, still wincing.

“Sweetheart, your shoulder…,” she said softly.

Through gritted teeth, he replied, “I know. I think it’s dislocated.”

“Come here,” she said, pointing to the spot in front of her.

Aramis walked over to the spot she was pointing at in front of where she was sitting. She told him to kneel down. She gently grabbed his arm and started to pull it straight out in front of him. Next, she began to palpate his dislocated shoulder. He winced several times as she did that. Then she thrusted his shoulder back into place. He shouted out in pain.

“Can you hand me the med kit please and we will need a sling for your shoulder,” Catersha said softly.

Aramis carefully reached with his uninjured arm and grabbed the med kit. He handed it to her and she injected him with something to help with the pain. Catersha helped him take off his uniform shirt. She used the plasma torch from the tool kit to cut up the uniform to make a sling. Several minutes later, she ties the makeshift sling on him for his shoulder. He watched her put it on and saw the tatter remains of his uniform.

“Seriously, you had to tear up my shirt,” he asked her.

She only gave him a mischievous smile and a wink. He slightly laughed and shook his head. He stood up and grabbed the emergency kit and opened it up. He grabbed two ration bars, handing one to Cat.

“It looks like it’s going to be dark soon. I think we should rest for the night and head out at dawn,” Catersha suggested.

“Yes ma’am,” Aramis said, giving her a warm smile.

They settled down for the night. Aramis managed to grab some cushions from the broken chairs to use as pillows. Catersha grabbed a portable heater, turning it on. She handed out an emergency blanket to Aramis and kept one for herself. They tried to get as comfortable as possible and went to sleep, the night sounds of the alien jungle moon coming in from the busted viewport.

***

Zhra’gha and Kael’ryn, two rogue Jem’Hadar soldiers, were standing guard on a rocky outcropping, scanning the horizon for any signs of detection. They had been living on this desolate jungle moon for cycles, ever since their ship had crashed during the Dominion War. They had abandoned their duties, fleeing the Dominion’s rigid control and the endless battles that seemed to have no purpose beyond the Founders’ whims.

The crash had been a blessing in disguise which allowed them to escape the war and forge a new path. They were also the very few Jem Hadar who have their genetic makeup to where they are not having to depend on the White. Unfortunately, survival on this unforgiving jungle moon was a daily struggle. They scavenged what they could from the wreckage, using their skills to adapt and improvise.

Suddenly, a brilliant light streaked across the sky, illuminating the jungle moon’s dense foliage. The ship’s engines screamed in protest as it plummeted towards the surface, leaving a trail of fire and smoke in its wake. When the ship crashed, the shockwaves from the impact could have been felt for miles. The impact was tremendous, causing the ground to shudder beneath their feet. A plume of smoke and debris rose into the air, casting a dark silhouette against the fading light of the suns.

“Looks like a ship crashed,” Zhra’gha said, checking his plasma rifle.

“Let’s go check it out,” Kael’ryn suggested.

They started to descend from their rocky perch, their strong legs carrying them towards the crash site with a mixture of curiosity and caution. The jungle moon’s unique soundscape, a cacophony of insectoid chirps and rustling leaves, filled the air as they approached the wreckage, their senses on high alert for any signs of danger. It was near sunset when the two former soldiers spotted the ship falling through the atmosphere.

***

It was sunrise, local time, when Aramis stirred and slowly woke up. He groaned in pain from his shoulder, but it was not major pain. He carefully got up and looked out the front viewport. Alien flying creatures were chirping their morning songs, which sounded soothing to a human’s ear. Aramis smiled slightly as he listened to the chirping. He heard Catersha stirring and he looked down at her. When he saw her eyes open, he smiled at her.

“Morning gorgeous. This is day one of our romantic honeymoon,” Aramis said. Catersha glared at his attempt to be humorous given their situation. Aramis’s smile faulted a bit as she kept glaring at him. “I’m sorry, honey. How do you feel?”

Catersha’s facial features softened and she started to stretch out.

“I feel sore, but I think that is mostly from the crash,” she said. “I’m alive though. How are you sweetheart?”

Aramis sat down in a broken chair next to her.

“I’m ok, just sore and beat up. We should eat something and then start heading out to that energy signature.”

Aramis grabbed the emergency kit and grabbed two ration bars and handed them to Catersha, who opened them both and handed one back to Aramis. They both are their bars in silence. Catersha then got an idea.

“If I’m going to have to walk, I’m going to need a crutch,” she said as she started looking around, spotting a sturdy looking support beam. “Grab that support beam for me please.”

Catersha gave him a list of instructions on what to do with that support beam and turn it into a crutch. After Aramis was finished, he handed it to Catersha. She slowly stood up from the chair she was sitting in and tested it out. She found that it could easily support her weight. She nodded approvingly to Aramis.

“I’m proud of you sweetie. You would make a fair engineer,” she said sweetly.

Aramis looked at her, raising an eyebrow at her, “only fair?”

She laughed, “alright, pretty good. There, you happy now?”

Aramis smiled at her, replying, “yes I am. Now, I’m going to pack up the emergency and med kits and carry them in this pack. We will need phasers and tricorders. Babe, can you see if you can do a focused short range scan of the area and create a terrain map so we can navigate this jungle.”

Aramis opened a locker and grabbed two tricorders and two Type II hand phasers, handing one each to Catersha. She opened the tricorder and started scanning while Aramis started packing the emergency tools and supplies into its kit and put the medkit inside the emergency kit. Then he slung the emergency kit on his back like a backpack. He looked at Catersha, who nodded.

“I got a map created. The range is good all the way out to the source of the signature. However, while I was scanning, I picked up an unusual interference pattern,” she said. Aramis, with curiosity and concern in his voice, asked for clarification. “Unfortunately, I get more details at this range. It is just some kind of interference pattern.”

“Interesting, an interference field around the subspace energy signature on a remote jungle moon with supposedly no humanoid life on it, according to Starfleet records. This should be fun. Are you ready to go hike to the energy signature?”

Catersha carefully stood up and gave him her best confident look, though in her eyes, he could see his wife was in pain.

“Let’s go before we lose more daylight,” she said.

Aramis nodded and opened the hatch and cleared away some of the vines and branches so Catersha could get through. Thankfully, the area they crashed in was light in regards to not many vines and trees. The F-type star, a brilliant blue-white gem in the sky, beat down relentlessly upon the jungle, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. The air was thick with heat and humidity, making every breath feel like a warm, damp hug. The sounds of the jungle were a cacophony of insect chirps, bird calls, and the rustling of leaves as unseen creatures scurried through the underbrush. They started making their way through the not too dense jungle and managed to cover one kilometer by noon.

Aramis and Catersha, their skin glistening with sweat, trudged through the dense foliage. Catersha struggled with using her crutch in the jungle foliage. The air was heavy with the scent of blooming flowers and decaying vegetation, a potent mix that filled their nostrils. As they walked, the heat seemed to grow more oppressive, sucking the energy from their bodies.

Seeking refuge from the intense heat, they stopped beneath a tall, crooked tree, its gnarled branches twisted and tangled in a way that seemed almost otherworldly. The tree’s canopy provided a patch of shade, a welcome respite from the direct sunlight that had been beating down on them. The coolness was relative, but it was enough to make them feel slightly more comfortable. Catersha leaned against the tree’s trunk, her eyes closed as she let out a slow breath, feeling the shade envelop her like a cool blanket. Aramis stood beside her, his gaze scanning their surroundings, his senses on high alert for any signs of danger. The jungle was full of hidden perils, and he was ever vigilant, his instincts honed from years of exploring similar unforgiving environments. Aramis helped Catersha sit on a tree root.

“We are in serious trouble if we can’t find shelter from this sun,” Aramis said, wiping away a lot of sweat from his forehead. “This star is hotter than Earth’s sun, though this star is about the same distance away.”

Catersha gingerly sat on a fallen tree log, breathing heavy. She wiped her forehead off as well.

“Yea, I fully agree with you babe. This heat and humidity is no joke,” she said, grabbing her tricorder, scanning the area. “There is a cave only two hundred meters away. I suggest we go there and rest for the day.”

Aramis thought it over. He looked in her eyes, seeing the pain in her eyes. He nodded.

“Ok. Let’s go to the cave and rest the night there. You must be in a lot of pain,” he asked her softly. She only nodded at him. He pulled out the medkit and scanned her leg, he cursed to himself. “There are signs of an infection now. I don’t have the medical knowledge to treat this Catersha.”

She saw the fear in his eyes when he said that. She grabbed his hand and held it tight.

“Baby, with you by my side, I’m not afraid to die,” she said to him

She looked into his eyes and pulled him closer. He knelt in front of her and she kissed him deeply. When they broke their kiss, he looked in her eyes, his heart was pounding in his chest.

“I don’t know what I would do if I lost you,” he whispered to her.

She smiled and kissed him back. She felt the same thing. She stood up using her crutch.

“We better get moving and try to reach that cave before it gets any hotter,” she said.

Aramis stood with her.

“Yes ma’am.”

They continued to push forward and got to the cave a couple hours later. Aramis helped Catersha walk inside the cave. Her leg was hurting badly now. He helped her several meters inside the cave. The cave slightly curved to the right as they entered the cave. Past the curve was an open space big enough for them to stretch out and rest for the night. Aramis helped her to the ground. She sat back against a large boulder.

“I’ll scout ahead and see if there is anything edible around. You rest up here,” Aramis said, dropping the kits off and headed back out into the jungle.

Aramis was gone about an hour or so before he came back in the cave, carrying an armful of various fruits and berries he managed to find.

“I found some various fruits and berries we can safely eat,” he said.

Catersha looked over the fruits and grabbed a big orange looking one, taking a big bite. Fruit juice squirted over her face and dropped down her face. She chewed on the bite of fruit. Her eyes opened wide as she enjoyed the fruit.

“Delicious. Tastes like a grapefruit but is a bit more tangy. You should try it.”

She offered the half eaten fruit to Aramis, who sniffed it first. Then he took a small bite. He chewed that and then devoured the rest.

“That was very delicious. Want to try some of these berries,” he asked.

Catersha nodded, looking over the berries and grabbing three purplish looking ones. She ate one and chewed it.

“That is sweet and sour,” she said.

Aramis sat down next to Catersha and they enjoyed each other’s company and enjoyed the fresh alien fruits and berries. They settled in for the evening and rested. They both, full from the fruits and berries and exhausted from the hiking through the jungle, dozed off.