Surveing the colony worlds

"Captain... I'm receiving a transmission from the Polaris... Computer identifies it as a lasercomm signal reflected on the moon near us."

Kheren's facial eyes widened as his antennea perked up in surprise towards his chief counselor.

"Lasercomm? Why not tribal drums or smoke signals?" also wondered Elliago.

"Are they in trouble?" asked the captain, ignoring the dry humor of his CMO.

"They report being under attack by an unknown vessel. They sustained some damage, heading at maximum warp back to us... attacker overtaking them... requesting assistance."

"Red alert. Mister Snow, full impulse back to the source of that signal."

With a grace and swiftness astonishing for a ship this size, the Horizon swirved around the moon and headed outward, shields shimmering around her, torpedo ports opening and phaser strips heating up.

The Polaris and her pursuer appeared both on Aron'Son's tactical scanners the moment they left the blocking mass of the mysterious Eden IV. But merely a second later, they registered a brief exchange of weapons fire and all went blank on his readouts.

"I'm detecting a huge explosion ahead of us," Irksos reported. "I read methane under sudden combustion."

Kheren signaled Lyrya with a hand on hers and the blind Aenar nodded back to him.

"Polaris, this is Horizon. We are moving towards your position. Do you copy?"

***

Aboard the Polaris it was Ji'lan who detected the escort's mothership first.

"Captain, the Horizon Sir, dead ahead."

"On Screen"

Jureth wanted to see the Horizon not because he didn't believe Ji'lan, but because he needed to assure himself that their cavalry had indeed arrived.

"Mister Palos," Jureth ordered "Signal them again via lasercom. They are undoubtedly trying to hail us, and might send a security team aboard if we don't respond somehow."

"Aye Sir, signalling again, reporting all subspace frequencies being actively jammed."

It didn't take long for Lyrya in the Medical command chair manning the comm system to figure out what was going on.

"Captain, receiving another lasercomm transmission from the Polaris. There is a jamming field nearby that prevents any other generally broadcast transmissions... even radio waves."

"There is a vessel of unknown configuration nearby; it is the source of that interference," Irksos confirmed from her scans. "It seems to be adrift, low on power and sporting serious hull damage from methane burning and quantum discharges. Intermittent and weak life signs. The Polaris also shows traces of gravimetric impacts... something similar to Borg torpedo damage."

"That's like no Borg ship I ever saw before," Kheren commented as he detailed the strange multipointed dagger-like shape of the strange craft slowly drifting beyond the approaching shape of the Aquarius class escort.

"I'm reconverting the photon emissions to audio-video format," Lyrya announced.

The image on the screen wavered and then became that of the bridge of Oseno's ship.

"Commander; are you and your crew alright?"

Oseno stood as Kheren's face appeared on the viewer "Shaken not stirred Sir," he replied with a wry smile "We were tracking an emission trail we came across as we started our mapping mission. It turned out to be the emissions of our friends back there. They attacked us without so much as a hello."

The Horizon's engineer spoke up, as the data came into his console from the Polaris.

"Captain, sensor readings are coming in from the Polaris. Heavy damage to their internal systems, along with some carbon scoring, like they flew through a inferno. I suggest the ship come in for docking as soon as we determine it is safe. No significant sensor readings coming from the enemy ship. They have some sort of reflective armor. It doesn't seem active from what I can see. I suggest high caution, it might be a trap."

"Whatever material they use for their hull or minimal security energy field they still have, it is also able to scramble a transporter signal... enough to make beaming over highly unadvisable." added Irksos, eyes glued to her scanners.

"I agree with Mister Solius assessment of our damage," Oseno said with a nod "as far as their armor goes my science officer believes we may have battered it pretty badly with our little light show, the Polaris version of the Riker Maneuver. Our last sweep showed their systems mostly disabled, though I suppose they could be attempting to draw us in."

"Or they could be dying out there!" Doctor Nasaro-Myth objected vehemently. "Captain, they have attacked us, yes, but now, they are effectively neutralized.  From this moment on, it becomes our moral duty to help those in need, especially if we are responsible for their suffering."

"Easy for you to say doctor..." Oseno replied with a tone that was unmistakably hostile "They didn't almost kill you...I'd be perfectly happy firing another torpedo salvo at them, but the Polaris needs to dock for repairs."

Immediately after Oseno uttered his words he knew he probably shouldn't have, but his blood was still pumping from the heat of battle, his emotions running high fueled by endorphins and being Bajoran they ran high normally anyway. So, for him to hear the doctor insinuate that they were somehow obligated to do anything to assist whomever had nearly killed him and his crew nearly infuriated Jureth and the temper that he worked so hard to control reared itself.

"If you want it easy, Commander, may I suggest you apply for a transfer to flying a desk instead of a starship," the Deltan shot back.

Then he also immediately realized that he was speaking out of emotion, at least as much as from any humanitarian reason he had in mind. After his last experience on the Phoenix, he realized that he had become very sensitive to whatever they were doing out here. Living up to the lofty values of the Federation and the chivalric rules of Starfleet in a cold, uncaring and even hostile universe was no more easy for him than anyone else... That much was certain.

For his part, Redding just smiled at the Bajorans commit, Jureth had a taste for battle that Neil thought was in to short supply in this era's Starfleet.

"Then it's a good thing you know your duty Commander. Firing on a 'presumed' defenseless target would not look good on a resume."

Then he turned to Kheren.

"Shall I ready an away team, Captain?"

"Shuttle boarding seems to be the best viable option," the Andorian mused outloud for both him and his irrate CMO.

"I wouldn't recommend that, Sir," Jureth objected. "they attacked us without even a hail, sending a boarding party would surely be looked at as a hostile act. We can't hail them via subspace, but my people noted that they communicated via lasercom when they were attacking us. We may want to at least try sending a message before we send an away team onto an unknown ship." 

"Good point, Commander. Counselor, patch me through lasercomm to that ship."

"Quality will not be optimum, Sir, but you will have standard audiovid link with them," Lyrya answered after a few moments working her delicate white fingers on her console.

Kheren stood up.

"This is Captain Kheren of the starship Horizon, representing the United Federation of Planets. Are you able to receive and understand us?"

On the screen, the image of the dark, drifting unknown spacecraft remained like that of a silent metal-hued barracuda lurking between waves, only a few lights blinking. After a few more seconds, Kheren spoke again.

"Our mission is a mission of peace; but you have made an unprovoked attack on our patrolling vessel and forced her to retaliate. Now, there is no reason for hostility between us. We are ready and willing to offer assistance."

Again, only silence and stillness answered him. He was about to repeat his message when Lyrya finally reported what she was hearing in her specially adapted earcomm extension wrapped around one of her antennae.

"Sir? I am receiving a response to your first hail. It was transmitted in a compressed photonic package as a single blip instead of a direct connection."

"On both ships' screens, Lieutenant."

The image became grainy for a moment as the outside view dissolved into one that now showed what appeared like a tubular, equipement-filled compartment not unlike the jeffreys tubes of  starships of old; except that, instead of a ladder, there was some kind of padding lying on the lower part. On it reclined a singular humanoid. Dressed in what looked like a padded tight-fitting acceleration suit, the only visible part of it's anatomy were it's hands and it's head. Or rather, paws and a muzzle.

For all intent and purpose, the alien looked like a man with the slim but powerful limbs and the large, pointy-haired, furred, long snouted fanged head of a wolf.

And from the wolf head growled a powerful, angry voice.

"We are the Draxx. We are the Third Pride of the Prowler's Star. I am the Alpha and so I speak.  We know who you are, United Federation of Planets... and we know whom you serve. They will not enslave us."

Jureth was puzzled by the aliens response, but he'd already seen enough in Starfleet  not to be overly surprised by their appearance. He wonderd who the Draxx could possibly believe the Federation served unless...

"Could they mean the Undine Sir?" He speculated out loud "The Undine do have the technology to transcend a barrier like the one we crossed to get here, and they have been rather...generous to the Federation lately."

Oseno was thinking of course of the Undine rescue of Lotus Fleet's home starbase from the Romulans and Klingons not that long ago, but he couldn't quite connect how that would make these beings believed the Federation served Species 8472.

"Only one way to find out," replied Kheren as puzzled as his Chief Strategic Officer.

Straightening again, he looked at the screen when Nasaro-Myth whispered near his left ring-bearing antennae.

"Don't look him in the eye, Captain. If these ... Draxx are anything like they look to be, they will see this as a challenge. Wolves become agressive if you look straight at them. And speak with a higher tone so you do not sound like you,re growling at him."

Shifting his eyes high so as to comply with the suggestion without appearing submissive or evasive, Kheren then spoke with a soft, calm tone and lifted his tone a bit.

"We do not serve anyone; we are a collective of more than a hundred worlds working together to ensure mutual peace and prosperity to all. We come out here to meet new people to share knowledge with. We would welcome the friendship of the Draxx. As proof of this, we offer you our assistance in taking care of your wounded, to mend this misunderstanding between us."

There was a pause as the compressed photonic transmission was encoded and sent to the other ship. But the response was swift.

"Lies!" growled the canine humanoid, baring his fearsome theeth in a menacing snarl. "You are invaders! We will not lower our tails to puppets or let you touch our fur!  Your pupeteers will eat our brains no longer!"

Aron'Son watched and listened to the exchange between Captain Kheren and the canine like species. His fingers were moving though he said nothing as he pulled tactical data from the ship's sensors as well as from the datalink with the Polaris and began using the ship's computer to analyze the odd vessel in front of them. Clearly they were vulnerable to the methane gas the Polaris had used against them and the gravimetric damage to the escort vessel was interesting to him. Similar to borg torpedoes the gravimetric weapons hampered maneuverability though the Draxx were in no position to take on the Horizon the vigilant soldier wanted to see if he could adapt the Horizon's shields to counter the enemy projectiles. Aron'Son set the computer to begin analyzing the Polaris sensor data from their battle with the Draxx programmed it to look for a way to modulate their shields to counter the weaponry. Then he stepped over to where Lieutenant Solius was seated.

"Lieutenant, sensor data from the Polaris shows this species uses gravimetric weaponry, I am not aware of any way to mitigate the effects, are you?"

The engineer shook his head subtly.

"Not that I am aware of...their science is based on gravity itself. One cannot just turn off gravity...though if we could absorb the gravimetric waves generated...It would take too long though."

The engineer squinted his eyes as his mind worked. Any adjustment would require more time than was necessary in this situation, but it was something that clearly the dog people of this sector of space relied upon and he would need to find some sort of counter.

"We'll work on it once Captain Woof surrenders." S'Tan finished.

Aboard the Polaris Lt. Palos cut the microphone feed and turned to Oseno,

"I don't like where this is going Sir....perhaps we should raise our shields?"

"Easy, Lieutenant," Jureth replied. "We already fought them and nearly lost. We won't be the ones to start another fight by taking an agressive posture."

He thought about that statement for a moment, and then looked at his helmsman.

"Mister Hunter, back us off toward the Horizon and away from the Draxx vessel... slowly, one quarter impulse. Mister Kalaar, power down our weapons."

The small escort slowly retreated toward her mothership and away from the wounded Draxx ship, Oseno hoped that this gesture might work as it had with the Undine and placate the agressive species somewhat.

The maneuver was instantly noticed on the bridge of the Horizon.

"Polaris backing towards our position," voiced Aguk Snow, ever alert to starship movements.

Good thinking,Jureth, the Andorian captain thought with a sudden light in his silvery eyes.

"Open her docking bay, Mister Cheonghi. Mister Aron'Son; drop our aft shield only."

With a snap of his fingers, he signaled Lyrya for a new transmission.

"We do not lie. You are helpless. Invaders would already have destroyed you or boarded you to take you... and enslave you, as you say. Instead, we have ceased fire, opened communication and offered our help. We outnumbered you and yet, you can detect our combat ship moving back to dock within our main vessel instead of joining in for a kill. Consider all this; what does that tell you about us?"

This time, it took several minutes before a new series of flashing lights lighted from the disabled alien vessel. When the laser transmission was decoded and rendered once more in sound and vision on the main viewer, the voice was slightly less growling and fewer theeth were bared inside the frightening canine jaws.

"You are strange aliens we do not understand. We can only judge by what we observe. Your words speak the thruth of the facts, Captain Kheren of the USS Horizon. And you do not speak nor act like the slaves of the Puppeteers.  But you are of the same people who brought them back to haunt us. We recognize  the technology, and the uniforms, and the speech patterns used to ensnare our people once more. This must be a trick."

"Captain, I cannot imagine any race who would be able to bypass not only our space station guarding the anomaly entrance, but generate an entrance of their own..."

He paused for a moment to increase the seriousness of the situation he was about to suggest.

"...But what about the Terran Empire? In theory, they too could have had a Horizon Anomaly in their universe and too stabilized it in order to find new slaves..."

Aron'Son's head cocked slightly to one side, he had of course studied about this mirror universe at Starfleet Academy but it was the word puppeteers that stuck in his highly intelligent brain.

"Or perhaps, the Iconians...they have not been seen, but that does not mean they are not active, and they too have abilities that even the Dominion cannot comprehend."

"True, but I don't think one could confuse a humanoid Andorian for an Iconian. Aren't they supposed to have spikes on their bodies?" S'Tan mused.

"They just might; I would guess they never saw either of those before," Irksos pointed out.

"Only one good way to find out," Kheren said, shrugging before signaling Lyrya again.

He looked at Elliago for a moment, as if taking from him some inspiration. He thought for a moment and then he adressed again the now silent recorded image of the Draxx.

"It is pointless to lie to the prey you have between your jaws. Were we servants of these... Pupeteers of yours, you would already be in our power... or dead."

He made a pause before continuing.

"You say you know of us; but we are not of this universe. We came from the space anomaly a light year from here, from another universe it is connected to. We are the first to go through this passage, in the hope of discovering and building new lives out here, in peace and friendship. We neither serve nor enslave. We share and help. And we respect life and freedom above all. If this is claimed by your people as territory, we will ask you to share and offer what we have in return. If you do not wish it so, we will leave you in peace."

Again, there was a delay as the encoded light signal was transmitted, received and decoded. But this time, the delay was perceptibly longer.

"Guess you gave them something to think about," Doctor Nasaro-Myth commented with a smirk.

"One can not talk and bite at the same time, Doc," retorted the Andorian. "They might be as agressive as Klingons, but obviously they too are highly intelligent. Let us hope my words ring true to their ears. They attacked the Polaris without apparent provocation; even the stupidest animal always has a motive to attack, be it only fear or hunger. Something is going on here and we need to know what."

He did not look at anyone but he obviously spoke to everyone.

"I am still open to any hypothesis or recommendation at this point."

The turbolift door opened admitting Commander Oseno, returned from the freshly docked Polaris, onto the bridge. The Bajoran didn't look too much worse for the wear though he did appear to be a bit haggard from his ship's encounter with the Draxx.  He nodded at the officers nearest him before speaking

"Commander Oseno reporting Captain."

"Glad to have you back and in one piece, Commander," Kheren said in greeting, still standing before his command chair and looking at the fearsome image of the alien starship commander. "Anything you can tell us about those Draxx and what happened when you met them? At this point, every detail might prove important."

"I can't speak to their motivations, Sir, but they use gravimetric weapons and appear to have a limitless supply when they are at full power. Their armor is as tough as any starship I've ever encountered, but they also appear vulnerable to methane gas combustion. They have the ability to split their ship into separate craft and undamaged were able to maneuver fast enough to keep up with the Polaris and then some even in atmospheric flight.  Their propulsion also appears to be reliant on some type of gravimetric technology requiring them to use planetary atmospheres to propel themselves along at faster than impulse speeds. I"m sure you've figured that the jamming field is coming from their ship, and laser com line of sight appears to be their only method of communication though they never dropped their jamming long enough for us to try anything else. We also weren't able to punch through it no matter how much we boosted our signal."

"And that might just be their Achilles heel as well," proposed Valencia Irksos, looking at the chief engineer for confirmation. "The farther they are from a gravimetric source, like a planet or a star, the more they may have to rely on reserve power... which may dwindle fast if they use it for propulsion as well as tactical systems."

The flagship captain nodded, pensive.

"This emphasis on restricting communication this way, even among themselves, must be a clue to something,"

The engineer nodded, "I agree. Especially with the damage they've incurred. They are most likely going to have to take down some systems to compensate. Assuming each 'ship' has it's own energy core generating...or absorbing...gravitons, the section that was damaged will most likely be their weak point. Assuming their race does not disapprove of weakness and jettison it into space."

"They reattached that damaged part right there," helm chief officer Snow said, pointing at the darkened flank of the alien starship. "Either they care about their people or they need every part to be best operational... or they are weary about leaving anything behind, like scavengers or soemone low on ressources."

Solius mused over the situation for a moment, before continuing.

"I wonder if this is their only ship. As Commander Jureth stated, this ship seems to be generating that lovely field. You would think the one thing protecting your homeworld would be a station, or fleet of ships. Not just one. Something isn't adding up for me Captain...but I can't pin it down yet. I think it does involve our guests praying on the Observation Deck, however..."

"Do you think the Children somehow found their way here before we battled them?" Oseno mused. "If they did, they did so without Lotus Fleet noticing it because they were right on our front door for months."

"I would say it is unlikely, Commander," Irksos answered with a shake of her dark head. "The Artemis barely made it once and even a sturdy Klingon Neg'Vhar was severely incapacitated and left dead in the water when the Azimuth Horizon was still running wild in those days. The best ships ever commandeered by the Horizon Children were unlikely to have survived the attempt to pass through the plasma storm, the hail of neutronium boulders, the energy discharges or the perilous navigation of a subspace fracture... not to mention that their elite officers and crew, which alone could have had any hope to succeed, were on their lead ship when it was defeated during Operation Horizon."

"Except that... they were the ones to develop the prototype of the Sangliar Impulse Drive," Aguk Snow then reminded them all. "It is the engine of one of their shuttlecrafts captured by one of our junior officers that the starbase chief engineer polished to what we currently use. Now, if that shuttle was not the prototype..."

"They might have made it here," understood Kheren. 

That's when, suddenly, an alarm went off.

On Aron'son's tactical sensors, there were several signals moving away from the Horizon. 

Aron'Son immediately checked his readouts.

"Shuttlepods Captain...ours, six of them, moving away from us at the best speed they can achieve."

At the moment the Jem'Hadar was reporting the anomaly his combadge came to life "Security to Lieutenant Aron'Son."

"Yes, go ahead,"

"Sir, Lieutenant Celes here, our people have arrested one of the colonists caught in an unauthorized area."

"That wouldn't happen to be near our shuttlepod bays would it?"

"Yes Sir...how did-"

"I'll explain later Lieutenant" he replied cutting her off "bring the colonist to the main brig interrogation room immediately and erect security force fields around the colonists quarters. I do not want anymore of them roaming the ship."

"Aye Sir, Celes out."

"I read one life form in each pod," Irksos reported in turn. "Four are Humans, one is Bolian... and one is Bajoran."

The security chief looked again to Kheren.

"They must have launched while our shields were down, Sir, but I suspect our prisoner will shed some light on it for us."

"This isn't going to sit well with our friends out there..." Oseno remarked.

"That's why I want you up here in case of trouble, Lieutenant," Kheren said gravely to the Jem'Hadar. "Send Lieutenant Tyvya to interrogate the prisoner... and find me a way to get those people back. Transporters?"

Aron'Son looked over to Tyvya who nodded and headed for the turbolift.

"They fired up their engines only when they were beyond the forty thousand kilometers limit of transporter beams," Irksos explained. "And tractor beams are too powerful for those fragile crafts, especially while they are already under the planet's gravity well."

"We could try to chase them down in the Polaris Sir," Jureth said  "but I don't think her structural integrity field could stand another round of atmospheric flight or I could take the MACO team, and my tactical specialist Lieutenant Kalaar in a runabout and make them come back..."

"Commander Oseno," Irksos warned, "this planet has a negative energy field surrounding it. If you can not retrieve them before entering it yourself, you will loose all power from all sources of energy... which might include organic energy. You might as well all die with them."

"Try raise them," Kheren said to Lyrya, but she just shook her white-haired head, antennae drooping.

"I already tried, Sir; they are not responding."

The Andorian grumbled a vicious expletive in Graalek that the translator didn't pick up as he closed his callused fists as if about to strike someone. He didn't look up when he spoke with a low, angry tone.

"We have a duty, Commander... which is not relieved by acts of stupidity. Do as you think best to try and get them back."

"Lieutenant Irksos," Oseno asked "How much time do I have to catch them before they hit the field?"

"We're over four million kilometers away from Eden IV, Sir; at maximum speed, those workbees can make four thousand kilometers per second on full thrusters and they have already covered part of the distance; I would say less than ten minutes."

Oseno tapped his combage.

"Oseno to MacGregor, beam yourself to the main shuttlebay for an emergency launch, and bring your weapon," He received a slightly curious "Aye Sir" before he spoke to the comptuer "Computer, site to site transport, main shuttlebay authorization Oseno Bravo Juliet Six One."

The computer, bleeped, the transporter energized, and a moment later Jureth found himself in the main shuttlebay of the Horizon. Seconds later Major MacGregor beamed in with his full combat gear and looked at Jureth.

"What's the mission?"

"Retrieveal; several of the colonists are attempting to land on the planet."

"Ach...idiots."

"I agree. Let's go."

One of the hangar crew came running at them, "Over here Sir, I got a signal from the bridge and have a shuttle ready!"

***

S'Tan had been monitoring his systems, to make sure that there were no further intrusions. He was not sure how the cultists had been able to get into a high security area, but he made certain that no others were lingering in Engineering sections of the ship. He put the word out to all on-duty officers to keep an eye out for unwanted crew and to alert security immediately if they did.

"Good riddance to bad eggs..." He mumbled. "I might be able to extend our shields around the Commander's shuttle, We'd have to fly a bit closer to the planet than we are now...but the systems should be able to hold up to the strain of the gravity. I don't think the Draxx would approve of such an action, or the return of our combat vessel that we so proudly stated was returning to it's dock show a sign of peace... Or, I might be able to modify our deflector to emit a positron burst. It should disable the pods but not destroy them. But again, the Draxx are right there...But those are my only two options with ten minutes, Sir."

"Helm! position the Horizon to intercept any possible attack from the Draxx ship. Its possible they will consider this as some type of invasion force."

Redding knew this was in direct conflict with S'Tan's first option, but felt there wasn't enough time to discuss the situation with him. But He did add in "Captain?" with a questioning look.

The Andorian nodded approvingly to his executive officer, his eyes focused on the alien starship while his antennae listened to the orders Oseno was giving to his team aboard the launching shuttlecraft.

"Prepare both your options as alternatives in case we need them in a hurry, Chief," he then said to the Romulan. 

"Aye, Sir." The Romulan responded. He began modifying the power conduits to direct positrons into the array.

On the main viewer, the Draxx vessel still did not move, but several lights flashed rapidly on it's prow. Beeps followed at the same rythm on Counselor Lyrya's comm panel.

"They sure seem to have a few things to say about it," offered Elliago with a dry smile. "And it doesn't sound friendly."

And sure enough, the snarling countenance of the Draxx filled the screen with an angry show of bared teeth and flaring nostrils.

"You have launched crafts towards the fourth planet! That planet is forbidden!"

And as the decrypted message was received, they all could see the damaged vessel power up again.

Kheren almost swore again because of the infuriating slowness of their communication. But he took a deep breath to calm himself and answered promptly.

"This is an unauthorized launch. We have sent a shuttle to initiate a retrieval operation. We do not intend to land on the planet or let anyone of our people do so. Please allow us time to get those people back."

A series of light signals came back after a tense moment of waiting for their own transmission to reach them and be understood, then for their response to get to them. On the viewer, the wolfish alien's expression was still as fierce as his growling voice.

"You will fail."

The alien starship started moving towards the swarm of smaller crafts.

"They are moving Sir," Aron'Son stated "Phasers and quantum torpedoes are ready, Permission to fire?"

"Warning shot accross their bow," Kheren ordered. "Try to frighten them off."

The powerful starbase caliber phasers of the Horizon sheared space with long, luminous lines of energy right in front of the Draxx vessel. But, instead of veering off or stopping, it split up as if exploding into five distinct parts, all carried by their own momentum towards where Oseno's shuttle and the workbees were.

"Captain, they are pressing their attack..." They Jem'Hadar stated reporting what they could all see "the shuttle will not withstand any assault."

Kheren clenched his callused fists. Because of the peculiar delayed communication they had with the Draxx, there was no way to talk and dissuade them from their intent before they acted on it.

"I can extend the shields on your command, Captain, but the shuttle will lose transporter functions to anything outside the shields. The pod will be lost..." The engineer stated flatly. "I am reading no power coming from the last pod. It looks like Oseno is just missing that last one."

"Extend shields. Tractor beams..."

"Shields extended to the shuttle, Sir." The engineer reported.

"Not enough power at this range to counter their engine power output," Ops chief Cheonghi answered.

"Tactical, target the Draxx' engines and disable them."

The powerful energy beams of the Horizon this time struck directly the aft section of each of the five vessels. They all started to drift apart, their engine darkened, leaving only maneuvering thrusters. But the farthest one, the most damaged of the five parts, was already falling within the planet's gravity well in parallel trajectory to the last workbee. Because of it's larger mass and faster momentum, the Draxx attack section went past the tumbling workpod. And just as it did so, it turned end over end with a fiery display of it's thrusters and a rippling bieuish ray of energy shot from it's weapons ports to strike the Starfleet pod.

"They are firing... Wait... tractor beam, Sir!" Irksos instantly reported. " Amazingly modulated... They're... they're pushing the workbee back to us!"

And as they all watched the small craft being sent back in the wake of Oseno's shuttle, away from the planet, the segment of the alien ship that had repulsed it safely away suddenly turned dark as it fell within the negative energy field of the planet.

"Sir," Aron'Son reported "The workbee is powerless, likely due to the electrostatic burst emitted from the shuttle, except for two power sources... one environmental suit and what I believe to be a transport inhibitor. We cannot beam the occupants back, we or Commander Oseno will have to retrieve it manually."

"Commander Oseno will have to suit up and start extravehicular operations to do so, Captain. That would take him..."

Kheren didn't let his Chief of Ops finish. Tapping his combadge, he spoke with controled urgency in his voice.

"Flight control; Mister Moore are you there?"

"Aye, Captain; standing by in shuttlecraft..."

"Take a sphynx out and retrieve that workbee."

"Sir?"

"Now, Mister Moore."

"Aye, Sir."

Moore practically put his hands up in frustration. "A Sphynx? does he have any idea how long its been since i even got in one of those things? What did I do wrong to pull THIS duty?"

In truth he was worried more about his lack of familiarization with the work pods controls than piloting it, knowing that some ones life would be on the line didn't' help. "I'm a shuttle pilot, not a dock worker!" and set about his task.

The sphynx workpod was a larger, more versatile auxilliary craft than the standard workbee; it sported not only an engine capable of reaching a quarter impulse power but an added seating and more tools like grappling cables, a small tractor beam and a cargo section along with manipulator arms. Whatever condition the last workpod and it's pilot were, this was the best chance they had of retrieving them safely in the current conditions.

And then, there was that Draxx destroyer, now plummeting powerless towards the planet, sacrificing itself after saving the workbee from the same fate.

Having served with his captain for a long time, Aguk Snow knew what was going on in the Andorian's head. The way he looked at the ominious orb of the planet on the screen, his facial eyes darting to the inert alien vessels and his antenna pointing forward, there was no doubt that he was worrying about the heroic crew his own orders had sent to their doom. The helmsman of the Horizon then made a few calculations before turning towards his commanding officer.

"Captain; I have made some calculations about the Draxx speed and trajectory following their rescue maneuver of the workbee. If my calculations are right, they are angled for a powerless soft landing."

Kheren's face turned towards his science officer at the sensor station.

"What are their chances of survival?"

"Unknown, Sir," Irksos answered. "Their hull armor is apparently thicker than ours and made up of materials we have yet to analyse. We don't know either the internal conditions of their vessel nor their specific physiological make-up. Assuming they don't crash, like Mister Snow just told us, and that they go through it quickly enough, there is a possibility that they might survive going through that negative energy barrier. The USS Enterprise managed to do it the three times it went through the Galactic Great Barrier which this field ressembles."

"We could divert all power to the deflector and use it as a massive tractor beam. It could damage or destroy our array though, along with our EPS conduits. Possibly crippling us until someone can send a station to dock at for repairs...Your call Sir." S'Tan suggested, hoping the Captain would not want to try and save the Draxx. The risk was far too great in the engineers opinion.

Redding placed his right hand to his chin. "Captain, I think the Draxx know what their doing and any heroics on our part would just compromise whatever they have planned. I recommend we give them a chance to prove it."

But added "Although we might need to help them get back off the planet." 

Kheren thought for a moment.

"You have a point, Number One. Lieutenant Lyrya, do we still have that laser transmission channel active?"

"Aye, Captain."

Kheren once more looked up at the screen where the four remaining parts of the alien vessel were slowly moving on thrusters to rejoin.

"This is Captain Kheren of the Federation starship Horizon. We are grateful for your help in retrieving our last craft and for having saved the pilot inside. But this seems to have been done at the cost of some of your own people. In turn, we offer our help in attempting to rescue them. We have good reasons to beleive that some of them might have survived. Our escort ship and my best people are getting ready to help."

As usual, there was a delay between the time the encoded light emissions were transmitted, received and then answered. Almost a minute went by before the image of the wolfish humanoid reappeared on the screen and his growling voice heard once again.

"This planet is forbidden. Nothing is allowed to land on it. Nothing is allowed to leave it. And yet, Evil has returned with your kind. We are now powerless to defend ourselves, but you will not enslave us. We will hunt you down and again exterminate you and your masters."

As the message went on, Aron'Son's tactical sensors detected a small, fast moving object ejecting from each of the Draxx vessels and starting to fly at high warp, all in the same direction and out of the solar system. At the same time, there was a power up going on each of severed sections. And they were not moving closer anymore; now, they were spreading out and around the Horizon, backing her up against the planet and cutting off any route of escape.