Doctor Corben entered through sickbay at a brisk pace, flanked by two of her nurses and a medic guiding the anti-grav lifts. Chambers lay pale and battered on one, while Jonarom, though upright with assistance, looked exhausted and unsteady on the one behind. Corben snapped an order to steady his arm before turning toward the main console.

“Computer, activate Emergency Medical Hologram.”

Corben knew that, though her small team was experienced in dealing with such traumas, having their holographic member join them would ensure both officers received the urgent care they needed.

The moment the Laodamia docked with the Bellerophon, Chambers and Jonarom were met by Corben and her medical staff. After seeing the state they were in, she immediately ordered that they be ushered straight to sickbay. Fortunately for the Bellerophon, her engagement with the larger Kazon carrier had met no other injured souls – just their two missing crewmembers that they had just saved.

The EMH shimmered into existence, his familiar crisp Starfleet uniform forming with him. “Please state the nature of the medical emergency.”

Corben had preferred the original greeting protocol the EMH used when it was created by Doctor Zimmerman over thirty years ago. The other greetings that had been installed over the decades seemed almost fake to her. Though the Mark VII version of the EMH was far more advanced than the original Mark I, that opening phrase was still original.

“Doctor, we’ve got two critical patients I need your help with,” Corben said, already reaching for a tray of instruments and bringing them over to her patients. “Lieutenant Jonarom is suffering from blunt trauma, dehydration, and possible rib fractures. Lieutenant Chambers has severe plasma burns across the chest and shoulder, plus multiple contusions as well as internal bleeding. I’ll need you fully engaged with triage and stabilisation first on Jonarom. I’ll take point on surgery with Chambers.”

The EMH gave a curt nod as he swung into action. “Understood, Doctor.”

Carefully, the holographic doctor, with the other nurses, helped Jonarom to lie down on the nearest biobed. Jonarom winced as one of the nurses helped him raise his legs. He eased himself down carefully, forcing a faint, tired smile. His face was pale, his clothing torn in places, but he tried to manage a weak smile as the doctor moved to scan him.

“I’m fine,” Jonarom muttered, though his eyes betrayed exhaustion.

“Of course you are,” The EMH replied dryly. “You’re just lying on the biobed for fun.” He adjusted the scanner above him. “What happened to you, lieutenant?”

“Oh, just some friendly Kazon hospitality,” Jonarom answered back faintly. “Torture,” He added. “They tortured us, doctor.”

The holographic doctor appeared shocked to hear that and then changed his expression of sympathy within a nanosecond as he continued to assess Jonaorm.

Beside them, two more medics eased Chambers onto the adjacent biobed. He gave a grunt of pain as his weight settled back, the scorched fabric of his garment peeling slightly away from his skin.

“Don’t you dare fall asleep before me,” Jonarom said, turning his head toward him.

Chambers smirked faintly, though it cost him. “You’re just jealous I look good even half-dead.”

“Good?” Jonarom retorted, eyes flicking to his friend’s chest despite the burns. “You’ve got abs carved like starship hull plating. It’s disgusting.”

Chambers chuckled, then winced. “Careful, you’ll make me blush. Don’t forget the Kazon saw you naked, too. Your package left quite the impression on the Kazon.”

“Chambers!” Jonarom groaned loudly, covering his face with his hand as Corben rolled her eyes.

“Ignore them,” she told the EMH. “They’ll keep each other conscious just by bickering.”

Before either man could reply, the sickbay doors opened again. Captain Reyas entered, flanked by Commander Jirani. Both officers moved quickly to the bedsides, relief evident in their faces.

“How are they, Sarella?” Reyas breathed, her shoulders easing as she watched her chief medical officer care for their wounded officers.

Corben, who was now tendering Chambers, looked over at the captain to answer. “Safe that they’re back home.” She continued to treat Chambers, preparing for his surgery. “Ryan has internal bleeding that I need to operate on; besides that, both of them are lucky to be alive from the amount of torture they’ve gone through.”

“Torture?” Jirani repeated as she flashed a look at Jonarom.

The young science officer nodded as the EMH administered a hypospray containing pain relief. “Yeah, Maje Kerra wanted access to the Laedomia’s computer systems after we had locked them.”

Chambers gave a weak smile. “We didn’t give in, ma’am.”

Reyas smiled with pride at how brave her men had been.

Chambers turned his head slightly toward his superiors. “Maje Kerra won’t be harassing anyone anymore, will he?”

Reyas and Jirani exchanged a quick smirk.

Jonarom managed a tired grin when he realised what their answer would be. “You blew Kerra’s ship apart, didn’t you?”

Chambers lifted an eyebrow after the silent acknowledgement from their superiors. “Shame. I’ll miss his inspiring speeches.”

Jirani crossed her arms. “Don’t celebrate too loudly. The Kazon are like weeds; one Maje falls, another grows in his place. Others will follow. We’re currently at high warp getting away from Kerra’s backup.”

Chambers glanced at her. “Speaking of weeds, did you pull the Vaadwaur sleeper agent out by the roots?”

“We did,” Jirani confirmed. “Kurath is debriefing him now. Once we are satisfied with his answers, we’ll be turning him over to the Rakosan Security Agency. They think he may be the last one among the Kazons to deal with.”

“Good,” Chambers muttered, closing his eyes briefly. “At least it wasn’t all for nothing.”

Before anyone could say more, Reyas’s combadge chirped. “Mai to Captain Reyas. The Themis and Constitution are fast approaching us. Captain Cambil is hailing and asking to speak with you.”

Reyas exchanged a quick look with Jirani, then leaned in toward Jonarom and Chambers. “We’ll be back soon.

Rest, both of you. No arguments.” She told Mai they would be back on the bridge shortly.

Jirani gave them a parting nod. “Seriously glad you’re both back and out of harm’s way.” Then the two women departed together, the sickbay doors whispering closed behind them.

Corben finished her scans, stepping back. “You’ll both live. But neither of you is setting foot on duty for several days. Your bodies need time to recover, and frankly, so does your sanity. You’ve been through quite the ordeal.”

“I’ll second that,” the EMH added with a sniff.

“I’ll speak with Krizon about scheduling some counselling for you both,” Corben said with a reassuring smile. “I’m sure you need to come to terms with what you’ve experienced these last few days. He can help you.”

Jonarom turned his head towards his friend beside him and slowly reached out with his hand. Chambers, gritting against the pain, lifted his arm enough to clasp it.

A weak laugh escaped Jonarom. “We’re home.”

“Damn right,” Chambers replied.

“Right, Mister Chambers, I need to get you into the surgical bay,” Corben ordered as she helped him get up and onto his feet.

As Chambers rose, he faced Jonarom, who was now sitting up. Without hesitation, he leaned over and pulled his friend into a tight, grateful hug.

“Feels good to be back,” Chambers whispered.

“Best damn feeling in the galaxy,” Jonarom replied hoarsely, managing a squeeze before Corben placed her hand on the back of Chamber’s shoulders and encouraged him to get moving.

“Come on, lieutenant. Let’s get you fixed before you try hugging anyone else,” Corben insisted.

“Don’t you dare let a little internal bleeding get the better of you,” Jonarom murmured across sickbay.

Looking over his shoulder back at his friend, Chambers’ grin flickered once more. “Not a chance. I’ve got too many jokes left to make about your package.”

Jonarom gave out a huge sigh as he rolled his eyes, before allowing the EMH to continue with his treatment.
He was just glad to be back on the ship, safe and away from any Kazons.

A few days later, the soft hum of calming music surrounded Jonarom as he reclined on one of the loungers by the poolside. The air smelled faintly of recycled freshness, and shafts of simulated sunlight streamed down from the overhead holographic emitters. Dressed in longer swimming shorts, he stretched out comfortably, a book propped open in his hands. His bare chest bore no sign of the ordeal he had endured; the bruises and burns were gone, replaced by smooth, healed skin, but there was still a lingering heaviness in his body, a reminder that recovery took more than just medicine.

He took Doctor Corben’s orders seriously, and already he and Chambers had met with Counsellor Hilgan more than once to discuss their ordeal. Talking about their torture and what had happened was helping somewhat. Jonarom just wanted to forget it and sit by the pool; reading was good enough for him.

He turned another page of The Many, the One. Spock’s words about being “the outlier who still belonged” resonated far more now than when he had first picked the book up years ago as a young, eager cadet back at Starfleet Academy on Earth.

A familiar voice broke his concentration. “Hey, bookworm. Still at it?”

Jonarom looked up just as Chambers walked in, his Starfleet gym vest plastered to his body with sweat, his hair damp from the workout. He carried himself with the smug energy of someone who had pushed themselves hard and felt good for it.

“How was the workout?” Jonarom asked, closing his book with one hand and sliding his thumb inside to keep his place.

“Incredible,” Chambers said with a grin. “You should have come with me.” He tugged the moist vest over his head and tossed it onto the lounger beside Jonarom. “I swear, the ship’s gym has got better while we were away. Anyway, you coming for a swim?” He asked while gesturing with his head towards the pool behind him. He glanced down at Jonarom’s attire and raised a brow. “Though I’ve gotta say, those shorts are a lot longer than your usual swim trunks. Did you wear them especially for me?”

Jonarom gave him a look, refusing to rise to the bait. He set the book down carefully on the side table. “If you keep making comments like that,” he said dryly, “people are going to think we’re in a relationship.”

Chambers put a hand to his bare, sweaty chest in mock offence. “And what’s wrong with that? Am I not good enough for you?”

Jonarom rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips as he stood up. “You know what? You’re unbearable sometimes, Ry!”

“Unbearable? You offend me, sir! I’m meant to be your bestie!” Chambers stepped closer, his grin softening. “I know we’ve been through a lot together, Jonny, but I meant what I said before, you know. I’m just glad we’ve got this. This bromance thing.” His tone lowered, sincerity slipping through the humour and a cheeky wink. “I wouldn’t have made it off that Kazon ship without you, Jon.”

Jonarom met his eyes, equally earnest now. “The same goes for me, Ry. You kept me alive in more ways than one.”

For a beat, silence hung between them, not awkward but heavy with mutual understanding. Chambers moved forward towards his friend to hug him, but then Jonarom’s mischievous side finally surfaced. He leaned forward suddenly, planted his hands against Chambers’ damp chest, and shoved him hard.

“Wha—?!” Chambers screamed back in surprise before he hit the water’s surface.

The splash echoed through the pool deck as Chambers fell in, arms flailing, before he disappeared beneath the surface. Jonarom burst out laughing, shaking his head in disbelief that his quick thinking worked. He finally got one up on his friend.

“Ry, my friend, I love you like a brother, but I am not hugging you when you’re sweaty and smelly!” Jonarom shouted above the commotion of Chambers’ splashes.

Chambers emerged, slick hair plastered to his forehead, sputtering but grinning. “Oh, that’s how it is? I smell, and you push me in! I am not having that!”

Before Jonarom could move away, Chambers lunged forward, grabbed his wrist, and yanked. With a yelp, Jonarom toppled off the side and into the pool close by Chambers.

He surfaced with a gasp and a laugh, splashing water toward his friend. Chambers retaliated, and soon both of them were thrashing and laughing like children, their laughter echoing against the deck.

For the first time in days, the sound wasn’t tinged with pain or a Kazon Maje demanding they give them codes.

“So they’re both okay?” Commodore McCallister asked.

Reyas nodded slightly as she put her coffee down on her ready room’s desk before looking back at her husband. He was far away from her on the Odyssey, speaking to her via subspace. “Sarella said they’re physically fit, but Krizon is concerned they need a bit more time to process the trauma they endured.”

“That’s understandable,” McCallister remarked with a nod. “Bexa and Horatio mentioned your Vadwaur guest had something of interest on him.”

“He did,” Reyas confirmed, her expression sharpening as she shifted into scientist mode. “Do you remember reading about the Briori?”

“Of course,” McCallister replied without hesitation. “The civilisation that abducted humans in the early twentieth century. Amelia Earhart and a few dozen others. Voyager found them.”

Pleased by his quick recall, Reyas leaned forward. “Our Vaadwaur friend had a subdermal implant hidden under his skin. When we cracked the encryption, it contained detailed surveys of numerous civilisations in this quadrant. The Briori was among them and had the highest amount of data on them.”

Intrigued, McCallister raised a brow. “Why would the Briori be of any interest to the Vaadwaur? Did their civilisations ever meet?”

“I’m not sure, but those questions and several others, I think, need to be answered,” Reyas explained. She hesitated, then added with a spark of curiosity in her eyes. “There was also a name buried in the Briori data. It was a reference to something called the Mirror of Continuum. From what I can tell, it’s not a location or a person. More likely an artefact.”

McCallister tilted his head. “Never heard of it. Should we know about it?”

“I don’t think so,” Reyas admitted. “But James, when we looked at the cross-references to it, the data suggest it’s something that may have belonged or was used by Briori tied to interdimensional research. It may even be interdimensional access. If the Vaadwaur think the Briori either possess it or know where it is, then they’re looking for a way to manipulate something far bigger than just stasis pods.”

McCallister scratched the back of his head, his tone edging toward concern. “If they’re chasing interdimensional technology, that’s a complication no one needs. But is it real, or just another ghost story?”

“That’s what I want to find out,” Reyas said firmly. “And if the Vaadwaur have someone embedded on the Briori’s human settlement, we owe it to them to warn them. We’ve not had contact since Voyager’s brief visit. If the Vaadwaur are circling them for this, then we can’t ignore it.”

McCallister sighed, the weight of his responsibilities clear in his pause. “We’ve got a lot going on with the squadron. Bellerophon gone for weeks at high warp is a stretch. Horatio is taking the Constitution to Skaris for a summit, and I’d really like Odyssey to follow up on the Ocampa, especially while we have the Astra docked with us. The Orion and Triton will be going to study a sentient nebula, while the Themis is undertaking a mapping mission. Can this wait until we can send more than just your ship?”

Reyas shook her head decisively. “I don’t think it can, James. If the Vaadwaur are pursuing it, we don’t know what kind of trouble the humans on that settlement might already be in. Whatever it is, the longer we wait, the more ground they gain.”

He rubbed his chin, considering her words. Finally, with a quiet exhale, he nodded, giving in to his wife’s request.

“It’s a couple of weeks at high warp,” Reyas pressed, her tone softening but insistent. “So is that a yes?”

McCallister smiled faintly, conceding. “It’s a yes, Captain.”