Concentrating on his driving, Lieutenant Commander Lenjir every so often kept on referring to his sensor feedback from the Oakhanger and Invicta, which were flying above him higher up in the sky. After detecting fires that they believed were being created by the Hunters of D’Ghor, it had been decided to launch a combined sky and ground assault. Next to him in the passenger seat was Ensign Thoraq, the Bolian weapon specialist that served in Odyssey’s hazard team.

“Sir, I think we should consider moving along the riverbank.” Thoraq suggested, pointing to the map that was displayed on the screen in the centre of the dashboard.

The Oakhanger’s ground truck (or rover as they referred to it) was like every other standard Starfleet all-terrain vehicle. It was quick, nimble and armed with a forward and aft phaser cannon. Since their first use in the late 2370s, they had been upgraded to include shields to help protect their occupiers. The one on the Oakhanger had become a special project for the hazard team along with Lieutenant Commander Lenjir. He had spent the last year or so making improvements, including adding further gadgets to it and making sure it was not like every other one in use across the fleet. He had hated the fact it had no proper body like every other ground based vehicle. So with the help from Commander Hunsen, they had added further body armour and windows to it.

Agreeing with the Bolian’s suggestion, Lenjir drove towards the river they could see and followed its course. Approaching, what they believed was the D’Ghor base camp, brought them into the evening on the moon. The Haydorian sun was in the far distance as it set and the huge gas giant that it orbited, Haydorian IX, could be seen peeking through the atmosphere.

Before Lenjir could react in time the rover was hit by two green bolts of energy coming from a hilltop position. Spinning the wheel to his left, he noticed that their targets were ahead as more fire was directed towards them. “Lenjir to all ships, targets spotted ahead of us.” He said after activating the communications channel. He then looked to Thoraq, “Arm the phaser cannon and return fire!”

“Aye sir.” Thoraq said as he pressed several buttons and the forward phaser cannon popped out of the centre of the rover’s hood. He started firing back at where the disruptor fire was coming from.

While they engaged the Hunters, Lenjir attempted to avoid the fire being rained on them as he pushed the rover to its limits through an impressive amount of skids. The force against the ground created dust clouds, causing issues for the Hunters to fire at them.

One direct fire from the rover’s cannon took out one target while the other continued with their fire. At that point a Klingon shuttle started to rise from behind a ridge. Its forward lights came on and illuminated the rover and it started to open fire too.

“Shields down to forty-seven percent!” Thoraq announced as they took several hits from the shuttle and the other assailant.

Above them the Invicta and Oakhanger came in and opened fire on the shuttle with their phasers. Scoring multiple hits, it forced the shuttle to crash land back where it had lifted off from. This was followed by the Invicta firing a spread of photonic missiles at the last remaining D’Ghor who had fired upon the rover first. Once the dust was settled, the remains of the battle scene were apparent.

Moments later, both support craft had landed and were searching for any survivors for the crash.

Lieutenant Commander Lukiz Jen, with a phaser rifle in one hand and a tricorder in the other, was searching through the remains with his team when Lenjir called out for him.

“Lukiz, over here!” The Tiburon security chief said.

Approaching his friend, he found him pushing up some hull pieces that had landed on a Klingon woman in full D’Ghor battlegear. Her armour was pierced and her blood was everywhere. She was finding it difficult to breath but had energy in her to give her enemies a disgusted look.

Kneeling by her while he scanned her, Jen saw that she was close to death. They could get her back to the Aquarius but it was likely she may die before they got her to their sickbay in time. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Lukiz Jen of the U-S-S Odyssey. The ship that your comrades rammed after you fled. Your foolish attempts to hide in the Haydorian system has come to an end, your use of veridum patches has let you down.”

“I am Commander Shaniath, daughter of Jorpemk, sister of Captain Kargarth and first mate of the Druvanna,” she spat out as blood came from her mouth as she coughed. “We damaged your mighty ship…our foolish attempts to hide were not as foolish as you think Trill.” More coughing as she tried to grab on to much needed air. “We lit the way for our brothers and sisters to find what is here with our patches…” She coughed once more and then started to lose her fight against survival in front of the Starfleet team. Her final words were muttered with her last breath, “The House of D’Ghor will rise…”

USS Odyssey

Slowly but surely he opened his eyes and squinted at the bright light above him. Several more flutters of his eyelids and soon he realised where he was. Sickbay. Breathing in once, twice and then for the third time, he felt the energy to his muscles start to return. Pushing up carefully and gradually, he looked around and was pleased to see a familiar face approach him.

Walking across her sickbay, Doctor Slyvexs smiled as she approached her patient. Pleased to see an unexpected recovery, she took out her medical tricorder and greeted them.

“Welcome back captain.”

James Preston McCallister, sat up and felt numerous aches and pains across his body. Ignoring them all he simply asked one word towards his chief medical officer. “Report?”

Slyvexs went on to inform her captain what he had missed.