Rundown

Oseno and MacGregor were aboard the shuttle and Jureth put himself in the pilot's seat before the boarding hatch was even closed.

"You know how to operate a transporter, Mac?"

"Aye Sir, I can manage."

Jureth nodded and tapped the control console.

"Oseno to flight control; permission for emergency departure."

"Clearance granted, Commander."

Jureth fired the maneuvering thrusters on the shuttle, bringing them up to full quickly as the hangar doors were opening. They weren't quite clear of the bay when he fired the main impulse engine of the shuttle and swooped away from the Horizon. As they began closing on the smaller pods, he activated the shuttle's com system.

"This is Commander Oseno of the Horizon calling all shuttlepods. Power down immediately and hold your position. If you continue toward the planet, you will be disabled by the energy field surrounding it. I say again; stand down!"

As he finished the transmission, Jureth pushed the shuttle to full impulse and lined up on the closest shuttlepod. He wasn't the crack pilot that Shawn Hunter was, but he had the same training every other Starfleet officer had and could handle the craft capably.

His comm system came alive with a stern, authoritative feminine voice he recognized instantly.

"Commander Oseno, this is Governor Sufra. We know about the field and are ready to face it. I claim this planet in the name of the United Federation of Planets for the benefit of the Horizon Children. As duly mandated representative of the Federation Council in charge of this mission, I am exercising my full authority in leading this landing... and I order you to stand down!  You will turn back and return to the Horizon, where you will inform Captain Kheren that he is to prepare immediately for preliminary colonization operations. That, is a direct order, Commander!"

Oseno could only shake his head, this woman was going to get herself and all of her people killed.

"Sufra," he replied refusing to use her title "your authority, little as it was, was over the minute you stole those craft and violated so many Starfleet and Federation security and colonization procedures I can't even count them all. You, and all those with you are under arrest charged at the very least with theft of Starfleet property. You are coming back to the Horizon where you will answer to Captain Kheren and not the other way around, there will be no further discussion, Oseno out."

Jureth cut the communication and continued to close on the shuttlepods, and as they drew closer he looked back at Mac.

"Program the computer to lock onto them and start beaming them aboard as soon as we're in range. Cover them as soon as they materialize. If they have any weapons they will be neutralized by the transporter system per security protocols. We can lock them in the cargo compartment , but you have my authority to stun them with a wide beam dispersal pattern if they resist and I will answer to the captain for giving the order."

MacGregor adjusted the setting on his weapon and nodded "Aye Sir, don worry I suspect they'll not be giving too much trouble."

Oseno entered a code in the computer and a compartment near the pilot's chair opened deploying a type II phaser which Oseno picked up and checked the setting on before locking down the shuttle's command and control functions with his personal authorization. That would ensure that if for some reason the colonists attempted anything they could not take control of the shuttle. Another few seconds and MacGregor commented

"We should be just about in range.....computer is energizing."

The familiar sound of the transporter filled the compartment and the first of the colonists were met by the business end of Major MacGregor's phaser carbine. The stunned colonists looked at each other and then at the Marine holding a weapon on them.

"Don' move, ye are under arrest," MacGregor said as politely as Oseno had ever heard that phrase uttered. Jureth set the shuttle's auto-pilot to keep them in range of the workbees but not to enter the atmospheric field and turned in his chair "I would do as he says."

They looked incredulous still, but complied shuffling into the cargo compartment as the next round of transports began. In barely a minute, the colonists were safely beamed back in containement on the shuttle, two at a time. Oseno could see the emptied workbees continue for a moment on their course before starting to move erratically away from one another and, pilotless, slowly dragged by the closer gravity of the moons.

All except one.

"Ach, sorry Sir... I canna get a lock on the last one. Must be a transporter inhibitor on board."

That one was the one piloted by Governor Sufra. And already, it was closing fast towards the high orbit of the planet.

"Transport inhibitor.." Oseno muttered "What in the name of the Prophets is she thinking..."

"I dunno Sir," MacGregor commented

"Neither do I"

Oseno considered his options, he could disable the workbee with a low power phaser shot and then tow it back to the Horizon assuming he could get to before it hit the field...or an electro static discharge from the shuttle's multi-function emitter might work to the same effect and would short out the transporter inhibitor as well and they could then beam Sufra back aboard. Neither were really good options and they would come close to the field themselves, but Jureth realized, he had a duty to try to save Sufra...even if it was from herself. He took control of the shuttle back from the computer and dumped backup battery power into the impulse engines pushing them to 110% efficiency. 

"Wha' are ye plannin Sir?" MacGregor questioned

"I'm charging the shuttle's multiple purpose emitter for an electrostatic  burst. It will short out the workbee's equipment and we can try and beam them back. It's a long shot, but we have to try and I can't shoot at it because even at low power I might destroy it. As soon as it hits I'm going to do a fly by at an angle taking us away from the field. That is the only chance we'll have to recover them before they hit the atmosphere, Ready?"

"The others are locked up with a forcefield..Aye, I'm ready."

"Firing electrostatic burst in three-two-one."

The electrostatic beam fired true from the shuttle's emitter and Oseno began a swooping turn that would take them as close to the workbee as he dared get.

As the burst hit the workbee, it all turned dark, engines dying down, positioning lights blinking off. But then, as it started drifting further towards the planet on it's own momentum, MacGregor suddenly shouted a warning.

"Contact aft, closing in rapidly!"

Just turning to the side portview, Oseno could see the immense hull of the Horizon, haloed by the star shining beyond it... and, coming around her, a slim, elongated shape that for a moment was lost to view when several phaser beams tore space in front of it. And then, there were five smaller but even more dagger-like vessels, each one nevertheless massing as much as the Polaris, spreading out like flower petals.

And they were coming right at them.

Oseno now had choice, try to save Sufra and then make a run for the Horizon or abort his rescue attempt and hope the governor survived long enough for the ship to come back for her. It was not an easy one either, to abandon a being they stood even a small chance of rescuing, but if he didn't turn for the Horizon now the Draxx were going to start shooting and that wouldn't end well for anyone aboard the shuttle. He asked MacGregor one question

"Do you think we can get to the last one Mac, can you get a lock on them"?

"Working on it, Sir... but that transport inhibitor is still on. It runs on it's own portable power source, like the EVA suit the pilot is wearin', and it must have been put in an isolated section so that the EM burst did not touch it."

And judging by the speed with which the alien crafts approached, time was running out.

Oseno shook his head sadly "Then there's nothing we can do....I'm making a run for the Horizon, if she's wearing an EV suit maybe she'll survive long enough for us to come back for her, but if we don't go now, they'll get to us before Horizon can do anything about it."

Jureth pulled the shuttle out of the turn and pushed the small craft toward the Horizon, and activated the com system.

"Oseno to Horizon, Captain we're on our way back...we got most of them...but Sufra did everything she could possibly do to prevent us from retrieving her. On side note, some cover would be appreciated, Oseno out."

"Sir," MacGregor reported "Horizon is firin' on th' enemy ships and scorin' hits...all but one are disabled. It's...going for the workbee Sir."

"The governor?"

"Aye Sir, they...they're pushin it back toward us...and they're pow'r is failin Sir they're fallin toward th' planet themselves."

"How many aboard Mac, can we get to them?"

"I think we're too far away now Sir...they're falling at quite a rate o' speed."

Oseno nodded "Let's take the workbee under tow."

"Aye, I'll ready the tractor."

Oseno brought the shuttle about and the tractor beam latched on to the workbee. Then brought the craft about and continued back toward the Horizon.

"Oseno to Horizon, requesting docking permission, and you may want to have a security team meet me in the hangar."

The voice of Captain Kheren resounded in his speakers.

"Aknowledged, Commander. As soon as you dock, ready the Polaris for planetary rescue operation. Commander Redding will join you to lead the landing party."

"Aye Sir...." Oseno replied "Are we sure the Polaris can handle another round of atmospheric flight Sir? She was pretty beat up. And how are we going to compensate for the field?"

"Your crew reports that they just restored it's structural integrity field and repaired the worst of the hull damage already," Kheren answered. "Helmsman Hunter assures me he can take her into a proper planetary entry trajectory before you turn powerless and manage a soft landing like these Draxx seemed to have achieved. Lieutenant Irksos can give them the specs and Lieutenant Cheonghi the parts for a makeshift geothermal system to power your ship back, in case you find yourself totally powerless once down there. Not enough for things like weapons and shields or even sensors and communications, but at least enough for life support and to reach escape velocity in order for you to come back."

There was a pause before the voice of the Andorian came back up.

"This is going to be a very dangerous rescue operation, Commander... and that is, if the Draxx allow it. It is our duty to help anyone in need.... but also to respect their rights. If we do proceed, I will only ask for volunteers."