With full impulse, the Gemini had been traveling for the last few days under the blackout conditions. Slowly, they were approaching the last known location of the USS Horsehead. A ship that is renowned for its reliable asset within the task force. It has been days that the crew of the Gemini had been able to hear anything from Starfleet as communications were dead, subspace was unreliable, and warp travel was impaired. It were by the books not ideal and perhaps should be avoided. But they had no choice, their comrades needed their help, if they were still alive.

“What if they are no longer around?” A young officer said from his console to a co-worker next to him.

“Shhh, we don’t know that” She whispers back, but the idea that they were hunting a ghost didn’t sit well with her either. What if the Horsehead was no-more, this travel would be for nothing.

Taking a deep breath, “But would this not be a waste of resources?” He replied with some confusion and frustration in his voice.

“Waste of resources?” Ko looked over her shoulder at the two officers direction, “Death or alive, it is our obligated duty to assist our people. If they require help, we shall provide it, Ensign” Ko was perhaps somewhat direct, but the history she carried with her of Tokyo was still fresh.

The ensign nodded, “Yes, Commander. Sorry, Commander” He apologized immediately.

Shaking slowly her head, Keeyiro wonder what kind of green horns these ensigns were? Starting rumors on the bridge is a fatal mistake with senior staff present. Taking another look at the information that both Drata and herself were searching. Keeyiro does give them credits in one part, it was looking for a needle in a haystack as the Horsehead was nowhere to be found, nor communications worked.

Suto taps on her console to increase the scanners for long scanners to be adaptive to the blackout conditions, “The statistical facts drops by the amount of days we have not heard from the Horsehead. They might be, as you already presumed, death.” Suto continues to work on her parameters, not knowing what she just said had of a moral impact.

A soft facepalm came from Ko, who looks at the main screen, shaking her head. This was not something the crew needed to hear right now. She wanted to interject and say something about it until alerts came from Drata console that made her turn to look at his direction, “Report?”

Drata was already investigating the information “Ensign Cho, check the information on wide signals, convert them in the sensor echoes” He orders his, by now, reliable assistance as his eyes darted over the console.

“Echoes are faint, but they are definitely a Federation warp signature” Keeyiro announced looking at the information provided by Drata “We might have found our missing ship, Commander” She was cautious in her declaration, but seeing Drata nodding behind his console, give her that confidence to claim it.

A tap on the badge, Ko spoke up, “Yoon-Jung to Captain Ruslanovna, we might have a trail. You are required on the bridge” With that said, she stood up and walked to her seat next to the Captain’s chair as she saw Silina entering the bridge from her ready room “Operations confirmed finding a faint warp signature”.

“We have even more” Drata looked up “We got an object that is moving strangely”

Silina sat down in her chair, “Lieutenant Padgok, lock and intercept on that location. Lieutenant Miki keep yourself on guard, we don’t know what we are going to enter” The bridge crew moved on the direction of their Captain. The Gemini moved forward to their new designation, and before they knew it, they got a visual view “On screen”.

The Nebula-class ship appears damaged, leaking plasma from a defect warp nacelle. Miki was already scanning the ship “Hull breaches, nacelle ripped apart, various hull hits…tracing weapons residue for anything we know” Miki let the computer do its magic as he looked at the ships damage “She took a beating for sure” He confirmed as he saw the data come in “They got hit by a polaron weapon”.

“Cross-reference with any species that uses such weapons” Silina didn’t look away from the screen, “Ensign Cho hail them?”

“No response so far” Keeyiro was already trying to hail them, the atmospheric lighting on the Horsehead flickers “Got a contact, putting through now”

The signal was weak, but the heavy damaged bridge of the Horsehead was shown. In the middle a wounded Captain looked at the screen “Captain Munro here, it’s good to see some friendly faces after such a long time”.

“Captain Ruslanovna of the USS Gemini, we were sent out to investigate your disappearance. What happened to your ship captain?” Silina was curious as what could have done such amount of damage that it was moving on half impulse.

“We were baited, we responded to a civilian trade vessel distress signal. Before we knew it, they were all around us and took a good pounding to our ship shields and weapon systems. They knew quite well where to hit us and how to get us to kneel.” Jefferson shrugs as the screen shows some disruptions, “The Vaadwaur have attacked us, boarded us and just left us behind in this crippled state”.

Looking confused, Miki taps the console, “Vaadwaur? They are fossils of the past, an empire that got wiped out by an alliance. This was long in the past” Miki started to pull up information on the Vaadwaur and a slowly a shrug came from him “Captain, the weapon damage… it matches that of what we know from Vaadwaur. This doesn’t make any sense”.

It was only then that Ko noticed something, the bridge…it was more empty, “Captain, if I might be so direct. Where is your bridge crew?”

Silina looked at her side to Ko, then back at the screen now noticing it as well. The bridge crew should be stationed at most locations, but there were only five people on there.

“Quite observed first officer you have there, Captain.” Jefferson was bitter in that reply, as if it was a painful reminder of his failures “They boarded us, they abducted those that were worthy of service to their new empire, killed those that resisted them. I can ensure you, the Vaadwaur is back, and they kicked our ass” Slowly fury came in his voice “We will get them back”.

Narrowing her eyes slowly, Silina could understand the feelings of the Captain, but he was running this ship on guilt. Emotions shouldn’t guide the ship in any typical mission. Silina looked around the bridge, she had to admit that she would do the same. Her eyes stopped at the screen, “Do you know where you’re going?”

Taking a deep breath, “We received a transmission from the Vaadwaur, with an offer to return those that were captured.” He raised his hand before Silina could respond, “It is a bait, we know. But there are lives at stake, and it is my duty as a Captain to bring them home safely” He knew it was foolish, but feeling powerless was another stab in his career as a Captain.

“Give us a brief moment” Silina raised her hand as the signal cuts’ audio. She looked at her side to Ko, “We need to do something about this”.

“Agreed” Ko immediately responded, crossing her arms, “The Captain is running on emotions, which can be deadly. I speak out of experience” The Tokyo had endured a lot during the awakening of the Borg, and it shows to her as a life experience. “Perhaps we take the bait, Captain Munro is not going to let go until his crew is safe, so we take it over and get his crew back”

The bridge became quiet as some looked at each other and others shows some internal struggles “We provided medical aid to those that need it” Silina added “Then we send them back to the Horsehead and they go back. I agree, but the problem is…”

“The Vaadwaur” Miki added as both command officers looked at Miki “They are unpredictable in how they behave now, if this true, we might be up for a challenge that is above our heads”

Taking a deep breath as Silina waves her hand to resume the communication, “Captain Munro, we are sorry for what you have experienced, it is a heavy burden to carry. But this burden should not fall on your shoulders, you are going towards this bait will give Vaadwaur the pleasure of finishing what they started. Your ship is crippled, the crew you have is wounded, and you are in no condition to fly into this”.

Silina saw a protest on Jefferson face, “We will take this burden from you, we will head to this location and get your crew back. Transfer your wounded to the Gemini, and we will take care of them as I transfer my engineers to you to fix your engines. Then you fly back to Deep Space 17.” She gave him a reassurance smile, “I will get them, Captain”.

An emotionally compromised and physically weakened, Jefferson slowly looked around his bridge and nods only to reluctantly agree with Silina statement “Bring them home Captain, I beg of you”

“I will” The screen cuts off and returns to the damaged Horsehead view, “Begin the transport, alert engineering and medical of their assignments. Everyone else, get ready for our bait” Silina orders as the bridge crew gets into motion to perform their duties.

4 hours later

After some rushing hours, the Horsehead was repaired where needed and returned the crew that were patched up as much as possible. The nebula-class slowly turns direction, heading back in the direction of Deep Space 17. As the USS Gemini took off towards the bait that was laid for the USS Horsehead. It took a few hours, but eventually the ship arrived in a system that was occupied by Vaadwaur ships.

“We have arrived” Drata stated looking at the screen seeing the large Vaadwaur ships in orbit of a planet “They are not responding to us, not showing any resistance to our arrival?” Drata was confused, what he did read up on the Vaadwaur was that they always fought the enemy head on.

A beep came in “We got an incoming transmission” Keeyiro announced looking at Silina.

“On screen” Silina briefly orders looking at the screen while pulling her uniform straight.

The screen flickers as a Vaadwaur commander stood there, lean, pale, his rigid armor polished but worn by the edges. His voice was rather smooth and calm, the kind that holds venom. “Captain Ruslanovna. Famed Gemini Captain, I was already hoping to have someone be sent so compassionate for the weak-minded Captain of the Horsehead”.

Keeping her posture calm, not taking the bait, “Pleasure, it seems you know already about us. But who do I have the honor of speaking”.

A grin came on his face as he did a half bow, “Commander Vekiron, of the supremacy military forces. We know quite a bit of you, we saw your arrival from long range and your data is quite useful” He continued “Your ship holds a certain value, a skill that I need right now. Your ship’s medical profile precedes you. The Gemini is known for their medical and humanitarian missions, quite impressive”.

Vekiron narrows his eyes, holding his hands behind his back, “Which is quite fortunate for us, you know.  Because I am dealing with a crisis, if you will”.

The bridge was quiet, Silina slightly narrows her eyes, “What kind of crisis?” She needed to play these cards well, the Horsehead crew was at stake.

He tilts his head slightly, like a curious predator waiting for his prey to take the bait, “The civilians on the planet surface are… deteriorating.” Vekiron thought for a moment and then claps his hands “A sickness, yes that is the issue. Hard work of laboring in the mines is, well, shall we say unsanitary work. But with you here, your help is welcome” He raised a finger “Actually, we insist”.

Ko leans in to Silina “This is a bait, is not even hiding it” as she whispers.

His cold sharp eyes locked on Silina as Vekiron continues, “There are also wounded among my people, that need some patching up. Soldiers, yes, but still living beings that are useful for our campaign” He smirks a bit “Of course there are our guests. Federation officers. We found them actually by accident. It would be a shame for anything to happen to them, out of neglecting for their care”.

Remaining calm, the taunts were obvious, but Silina stayed steady in her voice, not letting it raise. “So, if I get this right, you are asking us to treat your wounded in exchange for our people lives?”

The smile on Vekiron face widens, “Oh Captain, I’m not asking. I’m merely offering an opportunity. Come down to the surface. Do what you are know best for, heal the wounded and sick” His facial expression gets darker and his eyes colder “If you refuse, well….the executions resume at dawn” The screen cuts black and returns to that of the Vaadwaur fleet in orbit of the planet.

The bridge remained in silence, until “That bastard is using psychological warfare against us. He is using our compassion as a weapon.” Drata clinch his fist in frustration.

Slowly exhaling, Silina turns to Ko, “Get the medical teams ready and prepped for landing. We need to get down there to assess the situation. No one else will go down there, until we know what we are walking into” This was a dire situation that was working against her.

Already moving, Ko nodded, “And if it’s a trap?”

Looking back at the screen, Silina replies quietly to Ko”We make damn sure that we spring it carefully…and we don’t bleed out because of it” This was supposed to be an investigation on a Vaadwaur ship that abducted the Horsehead crew, but it blew out to something much bigger.