On the Jaxartes Bridge Lieutenant Stuart sat in the Captain’s chair with Harris at the helm and C’Rren behind her at his science station, the other two seats where currently unoccupied.  Technically a new day was just starting on the planet but with the barest minimum of light penetrated through the cloud, it was hard to tell what time of day or night it was.  On the ship itself it was mid-afternoon.

Torf’s original estimate on repairing the transporter had been part way between optimistic and pessimistic.  The three hours had already gone plus another two after that, but he and Lyambo had reassured everyone that it would take no more than another hour to complete the task.  The two of them along with Tholakath having basically rebuild a section of the console from scratch.

Harris was the first to react to the alert but only a fraction of a second before his colleagues. “Jem’Hadar fighter coming in fast!”  Lyanna leapt out of the captain’s chair and dove for tactical, but the fast moving enemy vessel was upon them before she had any chance of opening fire.  The fighter itself didn’t fire either, instead; unknown by them, electing to use its transporters and beam down troops.

            _____

On the scout ship three Jem’Hadar warriors appeared, the light of their transporter beams however gave them away and the Federation crew had time to react firing their phasers the moment the warriors became solid.  Two dropped where they stood, the third however had time to swing his Kar’takin.  At least that had been the original intention; though as his eyes met those of the doctors he hesitated.  That was all the time Devron needed to add this particular warrior to the dead.

“Everyone ok?” He asked; to which everyone gave an affirmative, though Phoebe was clearly shaken by her close call. Tapping his badge. “Any chance of a warning?”  His tone was understandably terse.

“Sorry sir.” Came Stuarts answer. “They were on us in seconds…Coming round again!” 

This time the Jem’Hadar Fighter opened fire on the Jaxartes, but Lieutenant Stuart was ready to return fire.  Both vessels score hits on their opponents’ shields as the one flew over the other.  Eight warriors appeared, but outside the scout rather than on it.

“How the heck are they beaming right through our shields like that?” Lyanna yelled in frustration.  External scanners picked up the movement of the Jem’Hadar, two of which leaved their rifles at the Jaxartes before firing.  A window on deck 2 disintegrated and an emergency force field sprung up a moment later. “I can’t even shoot back at them!”

One of the other Jem’Hadar squatted beside one of the dead warriors to examine the body.  He was the ‘third’ and in charge of this small squad; though in fact he’d only just attained that rank upon the death of his immediate superior who’d beamed on to the scout ship before him.  It moved, but not in the way anyone would expect a body to move, not that the dead where normal expected to move at all.

            _____ 

< They were not of this world; not strictly of any world. Genetically engineered in a laboratory, their creators had brought them here to conduct field tests.  They had no real knowledge or understanding of what it meant to be alive.  All they knew was to eat grow and reproduce; keeping the life cycle going.  Everything that was put before them they ate.  It didn’t matter what it was; animal, mineral or planet life; food was food.  But their creators had made them too good.  The teeth of their larval form could cut through anything, even the reinforced clear wall of the test tanks they were kept in.  But it was a tiny error by a tired assistant late at night that had finally set them free. A winged adult had managed to sting this particular individual on his thumb; the paralysis had set in quick and the tank dropped, setting dozens of the creatures free.  Each winged adult headed off in search of a suitable food source with which to leave the next generation.  Oh, and how wonderful everything had tasted beyond the confines of the tank, with so much available they quickly grew in both size and number. Each one of them could inject two hundred or more microscopic larvae into whatever they felt would provide the biggest benefit to their young.  Their creators had proved to be one such wonderful food source and as well as delivering the young, their hornet like stings paralysed; leaving a living body slowly eaten from the inside out.     

But this wonderful feast had run out, billions of their kind had died as the food had dwindled to nothing across the planet.  But some had slept and waited, waited so long, and once again food had come their way, at least it had for one lucky group. >

            _____

The Jem’Hadar Third looked down with a puzzled and slightly disgusted look on his face as a winged creature about the size of his thumb squeezed its way out of the dead warriors’ nose.  How dare such a disgusting thing defile the body of one of his own!  He snatched the insect up and crushed it in his powerful fist.  Even in death though the creature performed its final task and with its sting injected both poison and offspring into the hand that killed it.  The Third felt the sting and the numbness of his hand that followed moments later, a numbness that spread rapidly.  He fought it and stood once more signalling his men to advance as other insects from other bodies took to the air.  They came at the warrior’s first singularly then in groups, all with one purpose.  Not one warrior reached the rear hatch of the downed craft standing.  The Third himself crawled half way across the threshold of the hatch before his muscles totally failed him.  The Jem’Hadar had tasted and inflicted death in many forms, but this death brought no glory or honour, this was agonisingly slow, pointless.

Ensign Tyson had been the first to spot the swarm of insects around the Jem’Hadar at the hatch and realised these things must be immensely dangerous.  A phaser on stun couldn’t bring these relentless warriors to their knees, but these creatures had somehow managed it. “Run!”  Was all he had to say ushering his captain and Ensign Lightwood back through the door into the cockpit area, before closing the door; panting.

            **********

Vorta Geris watched from on board the fighter as the life signs of the eight Jem’Hadar warriors faded slowly.  Not swift and in a matter of seconds like the first three he’d ordered down to the planet.  ‘How could the Federation have done it?’  He asked himself.  ‘What had they done; was this some new secret weapon they were testing out on this barren planet?  Was that why he’d received that brief coded message from the enemy ship?’

Amat’Etat the Jem’Hadar First slammed his fist down angrily. “Why don’t we just wipe them out?” He roared.  “We have the tactile advantage and superior weaponry.”

“There is a Founder down there.  I will not take undue risks to their safety.” Geris shouted back.

The Jem’Hadar warrior turned towards his superior and glared. “You talk of safety as if they are mortal.”

“Send another squad down.  That is an order.” Was the Vorta’s reply.

“No!” Amat’Etat answered back.”  It would be a waste of time.”

“Are you disobeying my orders?” The Vorta enquired squaring up to the warrior.

The First stepped closer. “Do not mistake caution for cowardice.”

 “Are you threatening me?” Geris asked. “You serve the Founders through me, remember that.”  He felt the short dagger plunge into his chest and twist almost 90 degrees clockwise. The Vorta’s eyes wide and filled with shock looked across at other Jem’Hadar, questioning pleading even.  Amat’Etat leaned even closer and whispered in Geris’s ear.  “I am dead, only through victory may I live.  You are dead, because you are an obstacle to that victory.”

 None of the other warriors spoke or made a move as the lifeless body of their Vorta leader sank slowly to the deck.  The First looked around at them.  “Bring use around for another attack.  Weapons at full power.” He commanded.  “Let use destroyer these Federation vermin.”

 “Victory is life.”  The bridge crew shouting in unison.  Before setting about bringing the fighter around for another attack. 

 ‘May the Founders forgive me for my actions and understand I do it to show my unwavering loyalty to them;’ thought Amat’Etat to himself.  ‘I will prove myself in battle as I have always done.’

            **********

 On the bridge of the Jaxartes the crew had witnessed the Jem’Hadar warriors on the ground being attacked by the insects.  Seen them try to carry out their task and fail. Watched as the flailed, staggered, fell, crawled and stopped.  It was a horrible and surreal sight to witness; even if they were the enemy.

 “Captain are you ok?” Lyanna shouted. “Anyone respond!”

 It was a few moment before she got her reply. “You sound worried number one.” Came Devron’s voice.

“Only because of all the paper work if you went and got yourself killed sir.”

“Your concern is duly noted.”

“Brace yourself, their coming in for another attack.”

Lieutenant Stuart now wished she’d ordered Tholakath to stay on the bridge once he was back on board rather than send him off to help the engineers with rebuilding the transporter console; but she still wondered what was taking him so long to get back up to the bridge now they were under attack.  It should be him at the tactile station dealing with the enemy; it was his job after all.  She had combat training; bridge crew especially on a small ship like this had to be ready to jump in and take over another crewmembers roll in an emergency. But the Cardassian would still have been far better at it.

With the Fighters phased polaron beams now firing at 100% the shields of the small Raven were decimated at the first pass.  Warnings flashed everywhere, and the ships computer politely informed the young Orion. “Shield failure imminent.” 

“Oh shut you stupid woman!” Lyanna yelled. “Don’t you think I know that?”

 Just then Tholakath raced on to the bridge, half sliding half skidding and he reached the tactical station.

 “Were the hell have you been?” She asked the Cardassian as he pulled her out of the seat. “We’ve been under attack for the last five minutes!”

 “Securing the prisoner.” He answered, checking through the systems to see if anything had been damaged.

 “He’s asleep, where is he going to run off to?” But she did understand what he meant.  If the Jem’Hadar could beam through the shield before; with them down they may try to beam the Vorta off.

 She never got an answer to that question as Tholakath was targeting the fighter and opening fire.  Jem’Hadar vessels were tough; they could take a huge amount of punishment and still keep fighting.  At the beginning of the Dominion War they’d almost seemed indestructible.  But a lot had been learned about them since then; tactics had changed weapons improved. 

 Most people at this point would have targeted the weapons or main propulsion, but those where the areas with the strongest shields and armour and Tholakath knew very well he didn’t have the time to damage those sufficiently before the Jaxartes was wrecked.  There was one key thing that had to be remembered; these craft had never been designed for atmospheric flight and what during a space battle was a minor inconvenience to loose suddenly became a vital component. 

 The Jaxartes shock as two beams ripped through the hull, but the Jem’Hadar had lost her manoeuvring thrusts down the port side.  It no longer had the power to pull out of the dive it was in and slammed into the sand a few kilometres away. The whole vessel did a half spin half cartwheel landing on its back sending sand high up into the air to join the cloud created by the initial impact!

 The young Cardassians’ head slumped into his hands.  “I’m sorry” He murmured.    

“You did great.” Lyanna had both her hands on his shoulders.  “You did bloody great.”

 The little corvette was damaged, how badly they would soon discover. Would she fly again and could they save the Captain and the rest of the crew trapped on the scout ship from those deadly insects.  Was the Dominion behind these creatures and lost control of their creation; or had other forces been at work here.  What secrets did the sleeping Vorta hold and would they ever find out?

Time was ticking……