Harris blinked as the bright light of the transporter faded, and the dust-filled world of the Dozaria colony rose ahead of them in the distance.  He glanced to his chief of security, “What do we see?”

Kondo De La Fontaine had his tricorder tuned to look for security concerns and had just finished sweeping it around them, “Nothing unusual, but the dust and distance aren’t helping.”

The science officer next to him grumbled, her tricorder finding similarly.  “The atmosphere won’t kill us, and the sand isn’t toxic.  Beyond that, we’re going to have to feel our way step by step,” Ensign Alanna Menzie groused as she looked around, her eyes squinting in the glaring sun.

The commander turned to the Assitant Chief Medical Officer, who shook his head in the glaring sun, “The sun’s rays are not good for us to stay in longer than thirty minutes or so – we’ll need to innoculate when we return to the Edinburgh for a few other things.”  Ensign ACMO Muramoto Yoshiyuk was a practical man.  It was his first away team mission, and he wasn’t about to mess about.  He was responsible for the crew and the first officer.

Ambrose nodded and started walking towards where they had been told the Gul of the colony would be waiting.  They walked for fifteen minutes before arriving at a cavernous and worn tent with a bulky wood table that had been scratched and stained over the years.  In the seat opposite them sat a tall and slender Cardassian, Aviator sunglasses perched on his nose as he looked over each of them as they arrived.  He stood lithely and bowed to each of them, his deep voice thumping in his chest, “Gul Hasara of the Cardassian Union and what you would call the governor of Dozaria Prime.  Welcome to our corner of hell.”  He gestured to the seats in the shade of the wind-whipped tent, “Please, sit.  We have water on offer.  Our replicator system is on…as you humans would say, the fritz.”

Harris took a seat, as did the rest of his away team  Hasara was tall and thinly built – the commander wondered if that was by choice or necessity living out beyond the reaches of the Cardassian Union.  “We’d be willing to assist in any way we can, Gul Hasara.”

The Cardassian eyed him carefully as he tapped his fingers to an internal beat on the table for a moment before answering, “I shall take that under advisement.  The Union and the Federation have had a…complicated past and present…not to mention the future, Commander.  Your communication said you were looking for information.”

Harris chuckled, “You make a fair point, Gul.  We’re looking for information about this transport group.”  He slid a PADD across the table, “They came out of Cardassian space.  First impressions weren’t great on either end…but we noticed some…interesting things.  You’ll see them…”

Gul Hasara read through the details, images, and conclusions before shaking his head, “Why is it the Federation goes where…what is the expression…goes where angels fear to tread?”  He scrolled back through the report, “The meaning is that as powerful as the angels of your Earth God were, there were places they would not even go for fear of destruction at the hands of the darkness that was older than them.”  He slid the PADD back to Harris, “There are things out here older than both of us, Commander.  We keep to ourselves here on Dozaria Prime and trade with who we must out of necessity.”

Ambrose accepted the PADD, “I get the reference, Gul.  You’re a student of Human history?”

The Cardassian shrugged as much as a Cardassian could, “When you live this far from home for as long as we have – you seek out the knowledge of those beyond our borders in the chance they ever darken my doorstep.”  He smiled wryly, “The Federation seems to end up at our door more often than others.  Make of that what you will.”

Harris returned the smile, “I see your point, Gul.  I take it that whoever these transporters are…they’ve been here longer.”

Hasara leaned back in his chair, “They are like the dinosaurs of your Earth, Commander.  Hard to kill and dangerous at all hours.  They survive because that is their nature…their instinct.  Even when your beasts were wiped out in a cataclysm, they survived in your crocodiles and the like.”

The first officer leaned forward, “If they’ve been here longer…it would suggest they have their nests…or even places to rest while away from home.”

The Gul gave a slight nod, “It is a complex ecosystem out there, Commander.  Many species fight each other and cooperate at the same time.”  He pulled himself out of his chair and stood, “Would you like a tour of our colony?  I think your help with our replicators would be most beneficial.  Your officers may explore as well with an escort.” Harris caught his security chief’s eyes but waved him off.  His gut was telling him to trust the Gul.  Kondo, the assistant chief medical officer, and the science officer walked one way while the Gul and Harris took another path.

They walked through the streets silently, Harris observing the state of the home and buildings.  They managed well enough, it seemed.  They neared the end of a street, and Gul Hasara led him around a corner and into an open area just outside of the colony limits.  He turned to Harris, “You are taking on a very dangerous enemy, Commander.  My walls have ears…and this far away, they cannot hear or see.”  His posture fell away, and he found an outcropping of rocks to sit against.  Ambrose joined him.

“You’re trapped.”

The Gul gave Harris a grim look, “Between this syndicate and The Union…it is an impossible place.  We’ve remained out of their minds for the most part…but recently, the activity has begun to accelerate.  As if something is forcing them to action.” He grumbled, “We don’t have the means to find out what that ‘something’ is or if it’s more…or less than that.  All I know is they are increasing their activity with us and beyond.”  He turned his eyes to the Federation officer, “It is an odd situation to be in, asking for your help without really asking for your help, Commander.”

Harris chuckled dryly, “Strange bedfellows these times make us, Gul.”  He met the gaze of the Cardassian, “I’ll take it to my captain, and I’ll do everything in my power to find a way to bring peace to your lives.”

Hasara stood, and Harris did the same.  “I know you cannot make promises or guarantees, Commander.  It is the same with us.  I cannot promise you we won’t meet in battle in our shared future…but for this moment, we may find cooperation as a way to reconcile or even prevent that possible future.”

“The greatest possibilities exist within these kinds of moments, Gul.”  Hasara’s stature straightened, and he led Harris back to the colony where the Starfleet officers regrouped.  An engineering team had come down in the meantime to assist with the replicator repairs and resupply.  Harris watched with hope as the transporter beams lit up his vision.

The future was possible.