Hemikek IV’s lower districts stank of sweat, smoke, and spilt alcohol. It was dark and cold outside, so as the group made their way through, their heavy coats pushed along the street’s floor, pushing some of the dusty snow in their wake. Some stall holders were still operating, selling hot food, drink and a few clothing items. Various people walked in between them, moving from one establishment to another. It wasn’t busy, and most of the people kept to themselves.

In the centre of the district sat a bar. It had a few people drinking outside it. The group slowly approached it, and after being allowed in by the small guard on the door, they took themselves straight into the main area.

The bar was a pit with walls stained with grease, the air heavy with heat and noise. Drunken laughter crashed against the clatter of tankards and the occasional thud of a fight. Jirani, shoulders hunched in her leather coat that did little to hide her Bajoran ridges, threaded her way through the press of lowlifes with Kurath and Corben at her heels. None of them wore Starfleet uniforms. Tonight, they were ghosts in the crowd.

They had eyes only for their target. Every corner was crowded with smugglers, traders, drifters, but she was looking for one face in particular.

This mission had been the seventh of its kind for the Bellerophon team. They, along with other teams from the Odyssey Squadron, had been tracking down the remnants of the Vaadwaur sleeper agents instilled within various races across the Nacene Reach. Commodore McCallister wanted the Vaadwaur’s influence in this area to be removed entirely. In a number of coordinated missions, they had been successful in removing the undercover operatives before they had been able to do any more damage. Now, Operation: Endgame was in full swing. It was the final move to remove the Vaadwaur’s influence over the Kazon Collective. This was the trickiest of missions, as infiltrating any Kazon sect without making them aware of the Federation’s involvement wasn’t the easiest job to undertake.

Nevertheless, Jirani, who was experienced and highly trained in covert operations, was not going to let some galactic bullies scare her or her team away, especially as the end goal helped them.

Jirani continued to lead the way through the haze, her keen eyes sweeping the room with calculated precision. She knew the routine, and so did her team. Kurath would move away from them while she and Corben made their way to the bar.

Corben lingered half a step back, her Betazoid senses tuned sharply to the currents of thought running beneath the bar’s surface chatter.

They reached the counter. The bartender, a squat Talaxian with a scar cutting across his nose, scowled at Jirani.

“I’m looking for someone,” Jirani said smoothly, leaning on the bar. Her tone carried both casual charm and razor’s edge intent. “Word is, he passes through here when he wants to disappear. I’m sure you know who I mean.”

The Talaxian bartender shook his head. “Many come through here when they want to disappear, though with the amount of Kazon here, that’s not always easy.”

“Fair enough,” Jirani replied before she asked for a drink for herself and Corben.

After he had poured them something that resembled a poor man’s Aldebaran whiskey, the bartender moved over to another customer. It was a Kazon who was sitting at the far end of the bar.

Corben turned around to face Jirani. A slight smirk crossed her face. “Well, Edeena, here we are on another backwards world between the edges of Kazon and Vidiian space. You know how to spoil us!”

Taking a sip of her drink, Jirani was pleased they had all been given an anti-intoxicant to ensure anything they drank would not impair their ability to complete the mission. “I know, I do bring the fun!”

The bartender started to return towards them slowly.

“Another,” Jirani told him, lowering her voice. “And while you’re at it, perhaps you’ve had time to think about my request?”

The bartender stiffened, his hesitation betraying more than words ever could. Jirani caught it instantly. He started to pour a top-up on her drink.

Kurath, who had now seated himself at a nearby table with a hand resting on the concealed phaser under his cloak, shifted ever so slightly. He was ready but not drawing attention as he kept an eye on what the commander and doctor got up to a few meters away.

In the meantime, Corben played her role well, appearing disinterested as she swirled her drink around in her hands. She was using her telepathic abilities to ensure the bartender told them the truth while also using them at the same time to screen out any of the bar’s patrons. Both tasks were equally complex.

The bartender finally leaned closer and kept his voice low. It was hard for Jirani to hear him. “Depends who you’re looking for. Some friends are more dangerous than others.”

Jirani gave a small, knowing smile. “This one’s dangerous. But he doesn’t belong to you or the Kazon, though he looks like one.”

Slowly, the Talaxian motioned with his eyes down towards the Kazon at the other end of the bar—the one he had just served.

Corben closed her eyes briefly, carefully reaching out with her mind. Seconds later, she opened her eyes and nodded to Jirani in confirmation.

They found him.

The Vaadwaur sleeper agent wore a Kazon’s face. The ridged forehead and nose, the broad shoulders, and the large hair that knotted all over and down at the back. He had blended seamlessly. Wearing the robes that belonged to the Kazon-Hobbi sect.

Jirani straightened, her voice barely above a whisper. “Kurath, take the left flank. Sarella, with me. Nice and quiet.”

The team moved as one, melting into the crowd as if they were simply shifting for better seats. The low lights flickered as the figure at the end of the bar tried to slink out of view.

Jirani raised her hand in a silent signal. Kurath tensed, ready. The trap was about to spring, but their target bolted for the exit.

“Get him!” Jirani barked.

The bar erupted into chaos. Tables overturned, glass shattered, fists and blades were drawn as their target did a runner, calling on other Kazons to help him. Weapon fire flared, sizzling into the smoky air. The Starfleet team quickly took out their phasers and started to fight back as they chased after the man they were here to capture.

Patrons scattered in panic as the pursuit filled out into the filthy streets, neon signs buzzing overhead.

“Jirani to Laodamia,” Jirani shouted into her concealed combadge, ducking behind a pillar as disruptor bolts sizzled past. “We’ve got the target, stand by to beam him out!”

Corben was already using her tricorder to get his coordinates as Jirani and Kurath kept firing their weapons in his direction.

Laodamia (NCC-74705/01), low orbit of Hemikek IV

High above them, waiting within an ionised layer of the planet’s atmosphere, in the cockpit of the Bellerophon’s sleek aeroshuttle, Lieutenants Jonarom and Chambers sat side-by-side and instantly jumped into action when they got their orders from their superior. The Laodamia was hiding from other smaller craft. After entering the system behind a giant freighter and then using the planet’s northern polar region to conceal their approach, the away team’s getaway craft was ready to help.

Jonarom’s fingers danced over the transporter controls while Chambers kept their ship steady in low orbit.

“I’ve got him!” Jonarom declared, locking the signal.

But the beam-up cycle never completed as the Laodamia started to shake violently.

“Multiple ships dropping in fast,” Chambers cursed, hands flying over the helm. Red warning lights flared across the cockpit. “Kazon raiders, they’ve seen us!”

The Laodamia shuddered further as bright blue disruptor fire raked across its shields. The transporter cycle collapsed. Jonarom’s panel screamed with alarms.

“The second attempt failed. I’m re-routing power! I can try again—”

“Brace!” Chambers shouted, pulling hard on the controls as another volley slammed into them. The Laodamia pitched sideways, shields collapsing.

Explosions burst through the cockpit as smoke started to fill the room. Fires erupted behind the two lieutenants.

“I’ve lost helm control!” Chambers shouted over the commotion. “Main power is out, we’re running on emergency power.”

The communication system crackled into life. “Jirani to Laodamia, what’s happening up there, guys?”

“Commander, several Kazon raiders have just appeared out of nowhere. They’ve opened fire and we’re taking heavy damage! We’re trying to escape, but–” Jonarom couldn’t complete his sentence as the channel with the away team was cut short by another explosion.

“Comms are out!” Chambers replied as he pulled out his phaser. “The Kazon are closing in all around us.”

The first raider latched on with magnetic clamps. Then another.

“They’re boarding us,” Jonarom breathed, already keying in the lockout sequence. His voice was tight but steady. “Remember the captain’s orders; we can’t let them have the ship or its technology.”

“On it.” Chambers was right there with him, securing helm and tactical controls behind layer after layer of encryption. Quickly, Jonarom did the same with the other system.

The sound of the outer hatch being breached echoed through the hull.

The last command confirmed: Computer locked.

The doors blew open.

Kazon warriors poured in, weapons raised. Chambers swung to defend Jonarom but was slammed hard into the bulkhead. Jonarom fired his phaser and took out one of the Kazons. He tried to raise his hand phaser at another, only to have it ripped from him before a rifle butt smashed across his jaw. They were dragged down, wrists bound, the Laodamia groaning under Kazon control.

The Laodamia was theirs. But the heart of it was sealed away, untouchable.

And both Jonarom and Chambers paid the price.

Hemikek IV

Down on the planet, Kurath roared as he hurled himself at the Vaadwaur turned Kazon sleeper agent, his bulk crashing into the more petite figure with a force that sent both of them tumbling across the dusty street. The disguised Vaadwaur barely had a chance to draw his weapon before the Klingon’s fist connected with his jaw in a bone-rattling crack. The crowd scattered in alarm, shouts echoing through the narrow street.

The agent groaned once before falling limp beneath Kurath’s iron grip. Bellerophon’s chief security and tactical officer rose, panting heavily, and hoisted the unconscious body up by the collar like a trophy.

“Pathetic Vaadwaur, you are ours now!” Kurath declared with satisfaction, his voice deep and rough.

Jirani snapped her head around at the sound of approaching footsteps. “Great work, lieutenant, but we can’t stand around here for too long. We don’t know who any of his friends are,” she whispered, darting forward towards her subordinate. “Let’s get him off the main street before his pals return!”

Corben, holding her tricorder tightly in her hand, was frantically motioning to a shadowy alley between two crumbling walls. “This way, quickly!”

The three of them sprinted into the alley, their boots slapping against broken stone. Kurath half-dragged, half-carried the unconscious Kazon-looking figure, his weight hardly slowing the Klingon. The shadows swallowed them as they pressed themselves against the wall, listening for signs of pursuit.

Jirani leaned forward, catching her breath. “Kurath, put him down carefully. We need him alive.”

The Klingon lowered the body with a grunt but did not loosen his grip entirely. “He sleeps soundly enough. If he wakes, I will make sure he regrets it.”

Corben crouched beside the prisoner, scanning his face with suspicion. “If this one is truly a Vaadwaur agent, then he’ll know what happened to the Laodamia. He could be our only way off this planet.”

Jirani ran a hand across her ridged brow, her voice tightening. “And if you’re right, and the Laodamia has been taken, then we’re trapped on Hemikak Four with no support.” She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. “We can’t afford panic. Not now.”

Kurath gave a dark chuckle. “Trapped or not, we Klingons do not cower. Let them come. I will meet them blade to blade!”

Jirani shot him a sharp look. “We’re not here to start a war in the streets, lieutenant. One Klingon battle cry and this entire world will be on us for the wrong reasons.”

“Perhaps,” the Klingon conceded grudgingly, “but silence will not save us forever.”

Corben cut in, her tone brisk but tinged with unease. “Then what’s the plan, Edeena? We can’t run blind. The Kazon are everywhere, and now we’ve got an unconscious spy to drag with us. Even though Hemikak is a non-aligned world, that’s not to say those who run this place won’t turn a blind eye to any Kazons who think we’ve just kidnapped one of their own.”

Jirani looked down at their prisoner, then back to the others. “First, we get him somewhere safe and secure. A cellar, a ruin, anywhere off the streets. Then we find a way to contact the Bellerophon without picking up too much attention.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” Corben asked.

“Then we pump whatever we can out of this one,” Jirani gestured towards their prisoner. “He must have an escape route off this world we can use. I’m sure Kurath could convince him to help us.”

Kurath grinned, baring his teeth. “Finally, something worth doing.” He hauled the prisoner onto his shoulder as if he weighed nothing.

Corben glanced at Jirani, her expression tight. “And if he refuses to talk?”

The Bajoran’s eyes narrowed, her voice low but resolute. “Then we remind him that the Vaadwaur aren’t the only ones skilled at making people break.”

For a long moment, only the faint murmur of the city carried into the alley. Then, Jirani motioned them forward. “Come on. We move before anyone comes this way. And stay quiet. One wrong sound and we’ll have the whole damned quadrant crashing down on us.”

Together, they slipped deeper into the maze of alleys, the unconscious agent hanging from Kurath’s shoulder, their every step carefully thought out before they took it. They needed to get off Hemikek as soon as possible.

USS Bellerophon (NCC-74705), Kotati system, Nacene Reach, Delta Quadrant
Stardate: 79614.92 – Present Time

“Captain’s log, stardate seven-nine-six-one-four point nine-two. We’ve remained in the Kotati system after engaging with several Kazon-Hobbii ships since rescuing our infiltration team from Hemikek. Their older ships are no match for the Bellerophon; nevertheless, I wasn’t keen on trying to take on too many of their ships. We are keeping a low profile, we complete minor repairs and continue to look for our missing aeroshuttle and try to find the whereabouts of Lieutenants Jonarom and Chambers.”

Reyas sat in her ready room, the curved bay window framing the stars like frozen waves of light. The only sound was the quiet hum of the ship beneath her as she studied the PADD in her hands. She was trying to focus on a recent intelligence report they had received from the Destiny, but her thoughts kept drifting. Staring at a frame that sat nearby, it was of her son and his boyfriend. After finally having them both share with their parents, they were officially dating. Reyas had taken a picture of Alfie and Jordan after the dinner she had prepared. Seeing her son happy and safe with someone who adored him brought her joy. Even though she had kept up to date with what had happened on the Astra involving Alfie, Jordan and other cadets with some rogue Nacene technology they had discovered, Reyas knew her son was safe.

Unlike two members of her crew. It had been a few days now since the Kazon had captured the Laodamia. She could only imagine what torture they were putting the two young lieutenants through. Taking a deep breath, Reyas calmed herself down. She knew she had to keep it altogether for her crew.

The door chime broke her thoughts.

“Enter.” She ordered quietly.

Jirani stepped inside. Reyas’ loyal first officer was taking everything that had happened on Hemikek to heart. Her expression was tired, her shoulders heavy with the weight of days without progress. Ever since they had rescued them via a stolen Talaxian shuttle being pursued by several Kazon raiders, Jirani had not stopped working on trying to find their missing crewmembers. She was becoming almost obsessed by it, but Reyas couldn’t blame her.

“We’ve completed another long-range sweep,” she reported, her voice carrying the wear of frustration. “Still no sign of the Kazon ships that took the Laodamia. No trace of Chambers or Jonarom either. It’s as if the Kazon knew we were coming and were alerted by someone.”

Reyas set her PADD aside. “How are Kurath and Sarella doing with their interrogation? Any luck in getting anything out of that Vaadwaur sleeper agent?”

Jirani shook her head with a sigh. “Sadly, nothing new to report on that front. He’s not talking. It’s been days since we pulled him from Hemikek, and still, he has kept quiet. Sarella thinks that the Vaadwaur have some sort of training, like the Cardassians, to stop them from having their deepest thoughts read. She’s managed to get some bits, but not everything, and nothing of use. She’s even restored his appearance, hoping that might piss him off. I know it doesn’t sound ethical, but if we ever need to use him as a bargaining tool with the Kazon, at least we’ve got evidence he actually isn’t one of their own.” The Bajoran woman dropped into the sofa that Reyas gestured beside her. For a moment, she looked like a broken woman. Desperate to find answers. Desperate to turn back time and stop what happened from happening. “It’s my fault. I should’ve—”

“No.” Reyas’s voice was calm and firm, cutting through the guilt like a scalpel. She wasn’t going to have Jirani do this to herself. If she had to call Counsellor Hilgan in to remind her of what he had already said to the away team, she would. “It isn’t. The Kazon were ready. Waiting. The Laodamia was hidden in orbit. No one could have seen those raiders coming in, especially as they couldn’t see the Laodamia. The plan was perfect from our end. It would just seem our friend in the brig has some other friends, or the Kazon just got lucky this time.” Her words carried no judgment, only certainty. “You couldn’t have predicted this, Edeena. And you’re not alone in fixing it. We’ll find them. Both of them.”

Jirani gave out another long sigh before standing up again. “Jayshon said he would help Leanah and me in extending the range of the astrometric sensors. We’re going to tie them into the main deflector to boost their range. Maybe we’ll get lucky with picking up the Kazon-Hobbi’s warp trail or the Laodamia’s power signature or even their lifesigns. There has to be some clue where they went.”

Reyas nodded, showing she could see that Jirani’s excuse was a valid one. It kept her first officer busy. “I’ve got a call with the commodore shortly,” she shared. “I’m hoping that the Themis and Constitution can join us in our search.”

“The whole squadron would be helpful,” Jirani pointed out as she headed towards the door. “I’ll keep you apprised if we find anything.”

“Thank you, commander,” Reyas said as she watched the Bajoran woman depart, once again leaving her alone with her own thoughts.

How could she keep going, as well as keep her crew going, under such circumstances? Knowing she was about to speak to her husband reassured her. Hopefully, James had something helpful to say.

She hoped.