The away team was walking through the heavy, dense jungle. Sorvath and Sophia were behind Tom, who had the lead. Naomi, Emily were behind them and K’tharon brought up the rear. Sorvath and Tom walked side by side, Sorvath looking down at his tricorder as Tom scanned the immediate area as the away team moved forward. The alien sun was well past its high point and the local sunset was fast approaching. Sophia called for the away team to stop and rest. She asked Sorvath how much further they had to go.

“Only five hundred meters to go sir,” Sorvath replied. “I’m detecting a complex cave system ahead. That is the source of the energy signal.”

“Everyone take a break for fifteen minutes,” Sophia ordered as she sat down on a log, breathing heavily. “I dislike jungles.”

The away team sat and rested. Sorvath tried to do more detailed intense scans with his tricorder, shaking his head.

“What is it, Sorvath,” Tom asked.

“I can not penetrate the distortion field,” Sorvath replied.

“We will continue to proceed with caution. Tom, scout ahead for us. I’d like to sneak up on whatever is ahead,” Sophia said.

Tom nodded and moved out. K’tharon stayed with the away team, his warrior senses alert. Emily gave Sophia a report that there was nothing salvageable from the crashed runabout. About fifteen minutes later, Sophia’s commbadge chirped.

“Rodriguez here. Go ahead Tom.”

“The way is clear all the way to the mouth of the cave. I’ll hold a position here until you get here.”

“Understood Commander, Rodriguez out.” Sophia tapped her commbadge again and looked at the remaining team. “Let’s move out everyone.”

Everyone stood up and followed Sophia as they moved forward. They managed to arrive at Tom’s location quickly and without incident. When the away team caught up, Tom briefed Sophia that this cave entrance is the only entry point to the cave system in the area.

“I don’t like the feeling of this,” Sophia said, pulling her phaser out and setting it to heavy stun. “Red Alert everyone. Phasers on heavy stun. Tom you lead, K’tharon you bring up the rear. Fire only on my order. We don’t know what is in these caves. Move out.”

Tom slowly moved towards and then into the cave. The rest of the away team followed, single file. The cave was wide and tall, as if it was tunneled out by machines. Sorvath continued to scan, pointing the away team in the right direction. They approached a wide cavern. Suddenly, two ripplely figures moved towards the away team. Two Jem Hadar soldiers appeared in front of the away team, weapons raised and aimed at them, but held their fire. The away team froze in place. Sophia slowly stood up, with her phaser pointed at the ground, looking at the Jem Hadar.

“Hold your fire! We are on a rescue mission.”

Zhra’gha and Kael’ryn glance at each other for a second, a silent message between them. Zhra’gha stepped forward, stopping in Sophia’s face. Sophia did a quick look over both Jem Hadar soldiers and noticed an important thing…neither had a tube in their neck feeding them the ketracel-white.

“Why did you come here, human,” Zhra’gha sneered at Sophia.

Sophia maintained her composure, replying.

“I am Captain Sophia Rodriguez, the First Officer of the Federation starship USS Carlsbad. We came here to search and rescue two of our missing officers, who crashed on this moon.”

“Sophia! Is that you,” yelled a female voice

The source of that voice came from deeper in the caves. Sophia recognized it immediately, calling back out.

“Cat! Where are you?”

Zhra’gha shoved his weapon in Sophia’s face, which caused Tom to put his phaser to Zhra’gha’s head. Kael’ryn reacted by aiming at Tom. The rest of the away team picked a target. All this took two seconds. The tension was thicker than dilithium crystals. Sophia, staying still, noticed the increased tension.

“Everyone, stand down now!”

Several seconds go by and the first to move was Tom, by lowering his phaser and nodding to the rest of the away team. Everyone in the away team lowered their phaser slowly. Both Jem Hader soldiers, seeing that, lowered their weapons as well. Kael’ryn stepped up next to Zhra’gha.

“Captain, I am Kael’ryn, the First. We crashed here during the war and have been stranded here since. We found your two officers from a crashed Federation runabout a few kilometers away from here. They were injured, however we tended to their wounds the best we could. I will permit you to see them…in exchange for taking us off this forsaken jungle moon.”

Sophia stood there, looked at Kael’ryn for a few seconds, then nodded.

“I’ll need to see our people first. I can talk to my commanding officer about giving you two a ride somewhere. It won’t be easy to convince him but I can let you speak to him,” Sophia said plainly.

Kael’ryn looked at Zhra’gha, then nodded. Both Jem Hader soldiers handed their plasma rifles over to Sophia.

“We will surrender ourselves to you, if that will help. We have been stranded in this jungle for twenty six years,” Kael’ryn said.

Sophia gently took both rifles from the Jem Hader. She handed them to Tom, then gave the away team instructions.

“Tom, you and Naomi go see Aramis and Catersha. Sorvath and Emily, see if there is anything here to salvage. K’tharon, watch our prisoners please.”

Tom and Naomi walked forward to where Aramis and Catersha were held. Sorvath and Emily pulled out their tricorders and were scanning the cave. Sophia stood in front of the Jem Hader, thinking things over. A minute later, Tom comes back out and stands in front of Sophia.

“Sir, both Aramis and Catersha are banged up good. Naomi has stabilized them but will need to beam them up immediately,” Tom reported.

Sophia nodded to Tom, tapping her commbadge.

“Rodriguez to Carlsbad.”

“Carlsbad, Skyrunner here. Report Number One.”

“Captain, we have found them. They are hurt pretty badly, but stable. Request a full medical team to meet them in the transporter room. Also, we encountered two Jem Hader soldiers here that were stranded since the war. Need a full security team as well. The Jem Hader wish to speak with you, Captain.” There was only silence for many seconds before Sophia broke it. “Captain?”

“I’m here Number One,” Skyrunner replied, his stern voice coming from her commbadge. “I’ll have a full security detail standing by. We are ready to transport up the injured at your signal. Skyrunner out.”

Sophia looked at Tom, who nodded and went to tell Naomi to prepare for transport. Seconds later, Naomi beamed up with Aramis and Catersha, where a medical team awaited them. Emily and Sorvath came back with a Jem Hader computer core element. Sophia smiled, recognizing what they have.

“Emily, you and Sorvath beam up now,” Sophia ordered.

Seconds later, Emily and Sorvath beam up with the Dominion computer core element. She looked at the Jem Hader.

“Stand by to transport up to our ship. No sudden movements, understand?”

Kael’ryn looked at Zhra’gha, then both of them nodded to Sophia…a silent understanding. She taps her commbadge.

“Rodriguez to Carlsbad. Ready to transport.”

Seconds later, the rest of the away team was transported from the cave to the ship. As they materialized on the transporter, they were greeted with Captain Kirok Skyrunner and five security guards, all with phasers drawn. Sophia stepped down and stood next to Kirok.

“They have surrendered to me in exchange for passage,” Sophia reported to Kirok. Kirok snapped his head to look at her. “I’ll explain later.”

Kirok simply nodded acknowledgement, then looked at the Jem Hader soldiers.

“Tom, take our visitors to guest quarters and station guards. If they resist at all…if they twitch, you are authorized to shoot to kill.”

Kirok then glared into the eyes of both Jem Hader.

“Am I understood?”

Kael’ryn looked at Zhra’gha, then both looked at Kirok.

“Understood, Captain,” Kael’ryn and Zhra’gha replied.

“Good. As long as you are on my ship, I am the First,” Kirok ordered, then glanced at Tom, nodding.

Tom gestured for the Jem Hader soldiers to follow him. They both turned and followed Tom, the other four security guards brought up the rear. Kirok looked at Sophia and tilted his head to the door, indicating to her that he wants her to follow him. Sophia followed Kirok into the turbolift.

“Bridge,” Kirok said, in a low growl.

Sophia recognized that tone of voice and visibly gulped. The turbolift started to move. Both Kirok and Sophia stood in silence during the ride. The turbolift stopped at the Bridge and the doors opened up. Kirok exited the lift and walked into his ready room. Sophia followed her, bracing herself for the butt chewing that was coming. When the ready room doors closed, Kirok spun around on his heel and stepped up to Sophia’s face, and barked at her.

“What the hell are Jem Hader soldiers doing on my ship?!”

Sophia, visibly recoiled from the fierceness of his comment. She recovered a second later, and replied.

“We found them in a cave they set up as a base. They have been stranded there since the Dominion War and are not the normal Jem Hader soldiers. They are not addicted to the white as the regular Jem Hader soldiers. They surrendered to me as a sign of trust when I offered a deal with them….they let me check out Aramis and Catersha in exchange for passage off this jungle moon. They could have killed us, since they managed to ambush us,” Sophia replied, confident in her decision, despite Kirok being upset.

Kirok glared into her eyes. Sophia can see he was thinking things over…calculating the risks and rewards of this new problem they have. Two Jem Hader soldiers on his ship was a serious security issue, but Kirok was trying to figure out why they would surrender? After several seconds, his facial expression softened and he stepped back a couple steps.

“I trust your judgement, Number One. I always have,” Kirok said softly, as he looked at the floor, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

Sophia felt for her husband and she stepped up and hugged him. Kirok instinctively hugged her back.

“I’m sorry baby. I should have talked to you first, but I made a command decision,” Sophia whispered in his ear.

Kirok looked up into her eyes.

“It is ok, my love. I would have done the same if our roles were reversed,” Kirok said. “Having two combat experienced Jem Hader soldiers, who don’t need the white, could be a big asset to us…especially when we explore this new region of space. I’m going to talk with them shortly. First, I’m going to talk with Aramis and Catersha. Can you go take command and get us on our way to the transwarp conduit.”

Sophia smiled and nodded. She turned around and exited the ready room. Kirok took a minute to compose himself, then he exited the ready room and walked into the turbolift.

“Helm, set course for the Vadia system, warp 7,” Sophia said, smiling at Kirok as he waited for the turbolift, as she sat in the Captain’s chair.

“Aye, sir,” the helm officer replied, tapping in commands.

The USS Carlsbad banked to its new course and the stars stretched to streaks as the ship accelerated to warp 7.