Title: "The Long Night"
Author: Lt. Commander K'Lara
Stadate: 2460252
Earthdate: April 2, 2383
Location: Xenon III

Lt. Commander K'Lara glared at Neklus, "You're lucky I'm not in any shape to make you pay for that."

She cried out as another wave of pain hit her. She closed her eyes and tried breathing like Dana showed her several weeks back. She was getting the hang of it, but she still found it strange.

"Keep breathing," Dana told her, ignoring her comment. She continued to scan her patient as K'Lara continued to breath.

"She's going to deliver," Nori announced. "It could take anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours. We need to get her inside now!"

Dana helped K'Lara to her feet and moved her quickly into a near by hut. She lied the half-Klingon down on a mat that was already prepared. She then ordered Neklus to keep anyone other than Stephen or Jon out of the hut.

"She doesn't need an audience," Nori told them as she returned to her patient.

"Is there anything I can do?" Stephen asked concerned.

"Yes, you can get Jon in here now. He needs to be with her when he awakes."

Stephen nodded and went to drag Lataro into the hut. He could already tell that it was going to be a long night.
 

Title: "Hallowed Ground"
Author: First Lieutenant Johnny Chee
Stardate: 2460252
Earthdate: April 2, 2383
Location: Xenon III: Mountain pass north of main Borial encampment

*What most people fail to recognize about warfare,* Johnny reflected to himself, *is that it's a damned boring business!*

Four hours after leaving the main encampment, Johnny's cavalry column had pushed into a mountain pass which he had been informed led into Horde territory. One point, according to the Borials, had been a major trade route, but had not been used in many years.

Johnny had fallen back to monitor the patrol's readiness. It was important that his troops knew he was paying attention to them. Some, like the Ferengi privates, enjoyed the temperate rainforest environment and were in their natural element. Others, like Sergeant Zimasa and the three former Bajoran resistance fighters in his unit,
could easily adapt to unusual conditions. But most of the patrol consisted of Humans who had spent most of their lives in cities or in space and found the outdoors a bit unsettling ordinarily. To say nothing of the outdoors
on alien mounts with Bronze Age weaponry in a potential combat situation against a largely unknown enemy!

Suddenly the column stopped as Zimasa raised his hand. ~Back to the head of the column~, Johnny directed his glap'ta mount. While at least as intelligent as any horse Johnny had ridden, the added bonus of telepathy was almost a liability to the glap'ta. The first hour of the patrol had largely been spent teaching the beasts to respond only to the commands of their individual riders; most of the second had been spent teaching the animals, ordinarily draft animals or post mounts, the niceties of cavalry formation.

For all their size, the glap'ta moved very quietly, if somewhat less stable than a horse or even a camel. *Now I understand why we weren't given bows! It'd be impossible to aim from the back of one of these,* Johnny remarked to himself. In under a minute, his mount moved from the tail position of the column all 150 meters to the point position.

"What is it?" Johnny asked Zimasa quietly.

"The space ahead of us doesn't look quite right compared to the rest of the forest. Also, I see something about fifty meters ahead which may or may not be metallic." Sergeant Zimasa, like all Andorians, could see partially into the near-infrared spectrum, but describing what he saw to others not possessed of such a faculty was often
difficult. Especially without the universal translators they had all come to rely so much upon!

"Sergeant, hold the column here. Private Zog and I will go forward to investigate. If we do not return within thirty minutes, return to base camp and report directly to Captain Maruu. Private, you're with me!"

The tall Human officer and the diminutive Ferengi private dismounted and moved forward toward the area pointed out by Zimasa.
_________________________________________________

After having been mounted for over four hours, walking was a strange sensation for the two men. It probably took them about half as long as normal to reach the small clearing, and the metal object contained therein.

It was definitely metal, though badly corroded; a shape recognized by all personnel of every military organization throughout three quadrants. A Klingon bat'leth.

But no self-respecting Klingon would have left his most prized possession in such disorder. He had to have parted with it unwillingly...or unknowingly...

Private Zog looked around the clearing, hoping to find other weapons or other evidence of what may have happened in the clearing. He found it.

"Lieutenant, sir, I think you should see this," Zog whispered, pointing at the rotting stump of a long-dead tree.

Johnny approached. Behind the tree were the skeletal remains of a Klingon warrior, complete in the rusted and tarnished remnants of his battle armor. A large arrow, almost as long as Zog was tall, protruded from the fallen warrior's rib cage. Farther away, in less sophisticated but equally decayed armor, was the skeleton of another
warrior, more reptilian in aspect. At least one arm was missing and a Klingon dk'tagh dagger was firmly wedged beneath the alien warrior's breastplate. Johnny regarded the Klingon again. *Sto'Vo'Kor claimed this warrior in honorable combat, then,* he thought as he picked up the rusted bat'leth.
_________________________________________________

The two returned to the rest of the column. Sergeant Zimasa reported to Johnny.

"Sir, there's movement in a 180 degree arc about 200 meters ahead of us. It looks like maybe eight to ten riders with mounts!" Zimasa told Johnny.

"Sir, I'm hearing them now!" Zog confirmed. *They had to be moving awfully quietly to escape Ferengi hearing before 200 meters!* Johnny thought with alarm.

Suddenly a huge arrow flew through the woods and slammed straight into Corporal Farouk's chest. He fell with an agonizing scream.

"Okay, pony ride's over! First squad, deploy as skirmishers and engage the enemy!!!"
 

Title: "Blessings"
Author: Lt. Commander Dana Nori
Stardate: 2460252-60255
Earthdate: April 2-3, 2360
Place: Xenon III

Stephen and Nori went to their hut to prepare for their dinner that they had been invited to at Neklus's hut that coming evening. In the hut, Stephen looked over at Nori as she stood their staring into a reflective surface resembling a mirror that was there and noticed that she was a little blushed.

Stephen looked at her and said, "Dana, are you feeling okay?"

Dana turned towards Stephen and put a smile across her face. "Yes, Stephen. What would make you ask me that kind of a question?" Dana was puzzled at his question.

Stephen walked towards Dana. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it is the reddish color that is all over your cheeks that isn't normally there. Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Oh!" Dana blushed a deeper red and snickered. "No." She dug into the dirt with the toe of her boot. "It's just that the light clothing we are wearing, um, I mean that us women are wearing. I mean, around the crew I feel almost completely naked. That's all."

"Are you serious?" He let out a laugh. "I've been to the gym with you, Dana. The clothing that you wear there is a lot more revealing if I may say so myself."

"Yeah. But no, Stephen!!!" She stomped her foot down. "Come on now. Be serious."

"I thought I was."

"This is different, and it is all of the time. Well I have to admit I like it. After all it is a lot cooler than those Starfleet uniforms. I know I could get use to it, but just right now I feel out of place. Every time I walk past the male crew members of the *Virgo*, I can sense that they stop what they are doing and stare at me as I walk past."

Stephen let out a little chuckle. "Dana, I don't know if you have noticed it, but you are a very beautiful woman. And I have heard a lot of the crewmembers say a lot of nice things about you. Even some of them saying, 'If the captain didn't have his hooks into her I know I would go out of my way to be with her.'"

Dana blushed again, and Stephen felt the smile race across his face. He reached out and pulled her close to him and gave her a long passionate kiss. "Now come on. Do what you have to and let's get a move on. We wouldn't want to keep our hosts waiting now would we?"

"Hmm," she said, joking as she tapped her finger on the temple of her head. "I guess not." She smiled.

Stephen and Nori stepped outside of their hut the same time as did K'Lara and Jonathan. They all met in the middle and walked over to Neklus tent. It was the largest one in the camp. They were welcomed and offered a cup of wine. They took it and sat down and talked until the feast had been prepared and ready for consumption. Then they moved out and all sat around the big fire. This went on for a long time late into the evening.

"Excuse me," K'Lara said to the crowd. "It's been a long day and I need sleep. I'm sleeping for two now." She said as a small smile crept across her face.

Jonathan looked into K'Lara's eyes. "Are you all right, dear?"

She stared at him for a moment, confused. "I'm fine, Jon," she finally answered. "I'm just a little tired is all. I think I'm going to bed."

K'Lara got up and walked away. Then Jonathan turned towards everyone and smiled. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think that I am going to turn in as well. After all, we have a long day a head of us." He stood up and brushed bits of dirt and sand from his clothing.

"Okay, Jon. Meet me over at Neklus's hut at daybreak," said Stephen.

"No problem cap...Stephen." Jonathan said with a smile. Then turned and left the campfire.

Gori had started telling his jokes and amusing stories at the campfire. Stephen, Nori, Neklus and his wife were laughing. They all became surprised as they saw Jonathan running back to the campfire. All of a sudden he tripped on a log and landed face first into the dirt. Neklus and Gori saw that and burst into roaring laughter.

"Captain!!! Doctor!!!" Jonathan tried to say as he blew dirt from his mouth and gasped for air.

"Jon, that is Stephen and..."
 
"K'Lara is having the baby!" Jonathan screamed.
 
"What?!" Dana said, jumping up.
 
"Come on," Lataro said as he got up and grabbed Dana's arm and pulled her along. He ran quickly with Dana in tow followed closely by Neklus, his wife and Stephen. When they got there K'Lara laid there moaning breathing heavily. "Dana please do something for her!!! She is in pain!!! Come on!!! Do something please!!! Her screaming!!! Make it stop!!!"
 
Jonathan's mouth was running a mile a minute. He was panicking. Immediately Dana kneeled along side K'Lara to help her and see what she could do.
 
"Dana, is she going to be all right?!".
 
"Jon. Quiet!" Dana looked over at Stephen who was smiling. He had never seen his First Officer in such a state, and it was quite amusing.
 
"Stephen," began Neklus, "is this Jon's first child?"
 
"Yes."
 
"Oh." Neklus walked over to Jonathan who was hopping around from side to side making Dana extremely nervous. Neklus approached Jon and smiled; Jon returned the smile. Suddenly Jonathan felt a sharp pain as the small log broke against his head. Jonathan was knocked unconscious, and Neklus now held one half of the broken log. He turned to Stephen. "This, my friend, is what we do for all first time fathers." On the ground, Jonathan was out cold.

K'Lara glared at Neklus, "You're lucky I'm not in any shape to make you pay for that."

She cried out as another wave of pain hit her. She closed her eyes and tried breathing like Dana showed her several weeks back. She was getting the hang of it, but she still found it strange.

"Keep breathing," Dana told her, ignoring her comment. She continued to scan her patient as K'Lara continued to breath.

"She's going to deliver," Dana announced. "It could take anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours. We need to get her inside now!"

Dana helped K'Lara to her feet and moved her quickly into a near by hut. She lied the half-Klingon down on a mat that was already prepared. She then ordered Neklus to keep anyone other than Stephen or Jon out of the hut.

"She doesn't need an audience," Nori told them as she returned to her patient.

"Is there anything I can do?" Stephen asked concerned.

"Yes, you can get Jon in here now. He needs to be with her when he awakes."

Stephen nodded and went to drag Lataro into the hut. He could already tell that it was going to be a long night.

Dana gave as much comfort to K'Lara as she could. Without the *Virgo* or a sickbay there was very little she could do. Everything was up to K'Lara now. Labor pains came and went. After a few hours, the time came. It was already April 3, 2383. The baby was coming and nothing was going to stop him. Just then, Jonathan started to stir with a few moans here and there.

"Jonathan, quick come over here," demanded Dana.

Jonathan walked over to Dana and K'Lara. "How is she doing?"

Dana put a smile on her face. "They are both doing fine."

Jonathan could see that Nori was nervous about something but didn't say anything; he just watched and did what was asked of him. He put his hand on the back of his head and wrenched in pain. "Damn! Did anyone at least get the number of that starship that used my head like a landing pad?"

Dana let out a giggle. "I want to see that once we are done here."

"No problem, Doctor."

Dana could see the baby's head. It was coming out slowly. "He crowning." Dana paused. "Okay, K'Lara, you are working against the labor pains. They are there to help you deliver the baby. Next time you get the pains I want you to push as hard as you can. Okay?"

K'Lara nodded her head.

"Then, when they stop, I want you to relax."

The next pang of labor came. K'Lara started to push with all she was worth.

"Okay, come on, K'Lara. Push... Push... Push... Push..."

K'Lara stopped; the baby was half the way out.

"Okay, K'Lara, this is it. One more time and you can hold your baby.

The pains started again, and K'Lara squeezed Jonathan's hand as tight as she could and started pushing.

"Come on, K'Lara. Push... Push... Push... Push..."

K'Lara laid back exhausted, but relieved.

"What is it? What is it? Doctor, what is it?" demanded Jonathan.

Dana smiled at Jonathan. "Come here, I'll let you cut the cord." Jonathan used a hot knife one of Neklus's assistants had been heating over a fire. He cut the cord that linked the baby to its mother. He had a smile from ear to ear. He walked over to K'Lara with the baby and handed the baby to K'Lara.

Nori sat back, exhausted. She closed her eyes, "Oh, Prophets, thank you for letting everything go okay. With the baby being sixth months premature, anything could have gone wrong."

Suddenly, Jonathan yelled, "DANA!!! COME QUICK SOMETHING IS WRONG!!!"

Nori's eyes flew open and a very cold feeling raced through her body. The same feeling that went through her body when death's icy cold hands took her mother. She jumped to her feet and ran over to K'Lara's side. "No, please no, K'Lara." She turned to the tent flap. "STEPHEN!!! I NEED YOU IN HERE RIGHT NOW!!!"

With goosebumps racing all around his body, Stephen said, "What? What's wrong?"

"K'Lara's hemorrhaging and has lost a lot of blood. I am losing her." Just then K'Lara passed out. "Put the baby on the bed and take Jonathan out of here! I cannot do K'Lara any good with him like that! He is making me to nervous!"

Stephen dragged Jonathan outside of the hut. "Come on, everything is going to be okay. K'Lara is in good hands."

"DANA!!!" yelled Jonathan.

Dana ignored him and started to operate on K'Lara. Three hours into the operation, while Nori was sewing K'Lara back up, the baby started to cry. Dana thought that it must be feeding time, then she realized that it was a pain cry. Nori raced over to where the baby was laying on the bed. She unwrapped the covers from the baby and searched all over the baby for a rat or a bug bite but found none. Then she noticed that the baby was having a hard time breathing. Now Nori started to panic because their wasn't anything she really could do until the baby would stop breathing. Then she could perform CPR, but that wouldn't fix the problem of the underdeveloped lungs and it wouldn't be long before it happened again. K'Lara started to convulse again. Tears started to fall from Dana's eyes. In her mind she was screaming, *No, please, no! Please, K'Lara, help me. Please don't die!"

Nori heard the baby stopped crying. "NO!" she screamed as she ran to the baby, but it was too late. The baby was gone and so was K'Lara. In the space between where the baby was laying and where K'Lara was laying Nori dropped to her knees. "Oh great Prophets, please hear my prayer. I never asked for anything for me ever. This is the only thing I pray and I hope you feel I am pure enough at heart to accept my prayer."

In walked Kaltanthop, the old priest.

"Please, with all of my heart I am asking that you please let K'Lara and her baby live. I will give you my life in exchange for theirs."

Kaltanthop calmly asked her. "You realize what you just offered? Your life for theirs?"

Dana didn't recognize Kaltanthop's voice and thought it was the Prophets speaking to her, never opening her eyes not once. "Oh great Prophet's, yes, yes I know I offered my life in exchange for theirs. K'Lara is the best friend that I have. She is a very special person to me and to others. And the baby, given a chance, would have been a great friend as well. They deserve a chance to live together and to get to know each other.

Kaltanthop approached Dana. "What if it was you laying in that bed. Do you think K'Lara would offer her life in exchange for yours?"

"Yes, I do, but even if she didn't have, I wouldn't be mad with her. I would understand, and I would still love her. It don't matter, in my mind. It is my life, and I should be allowed to do with it as I please."

Kaltanthop moved towards K'Lara then to the baby, and he noticed that they were both still alive but barely, and that they were both in a coma. He smiled that Dana overlooked the fact that they were alive because of the state of mind she had come into, even though he knew she had nothing more to offer them.

Kaltanthop said a few words raised his hands into the air. A bunch of crystal-like colors formed in midair and started to twirl around. They split into two groups and descended down onto the motionless K'Lara and the baby. With that, Kaltanthop walked out of the hut.

Dana opened her eyes and stood up. She moved towards the baby with tears streaming down her face. When Nori got to the bedside and saw the baby laying their alive, healthy, and smiling, she froze. Then she heard K'Lara start to stir. Nori turned completely around and looked at K'Lara. Then she saw her sit up in the bed and ask Dana for her baby. Nori's eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out.

<< Respond K'Lara >>
<< Respond Jonathan >>
<< Respond Stephen >>
 

Title: "Life According To Richard"
Author: Lieutenant JG Richard Wallace
Stardate: 2460255
Earthdate: April 3, 2383
Location: Xenon III

Richard tried to sleep but he couldn't. He kept having dreams of Jem'Hadar soldiers attacking him and old friends long dead. He saw himself fighting them with his bare hands and using knives to cut their throats. It was the first time he thought of those horrid times about eight years before years or more. He turned over onto his back and saw the stars, and it made him want to be back to his home amongst the stars.

Richard sat up and looked around the camp. He saw some people were asleep, and some where sitting around the camp fire talking, joking, and laughing. Richard knew deep down that half of these people would
more than likely die, and that there was nothing he could do about it either.

He stood up and walked over to an area by a little creek. He made a cup with his hand and took it and had a drink.

"Excuse me, Richard of Virgo, but I am to give you your equipment."

Richard turned to see a Borial handing him a sword in a sheath and a dagger sheathed.

He took them and said, "Thank you."

The sword was a broadsword in a leather sheath and had a handle of wood and leather. The sheath had a belt that went over the wearer's shoulder, and the sword was carried in the back. The dagger was nine inches long and three inches wide. The handle was bone and leather wrapped.

Richard stuck the dagger into his belt and threw the sword over his left shoulder. He felt a little better armed but still had sense of guilt. He walked around camp thinking hard about what was going to happen to him when this whole thing is through.

He then herd a lot of screaming coming from a hut. Richard shut his eyes and saw himself back on AR-558. He saw women and men being wounded and then having their throats cut by the Jem'Hadar. Richard opened his eyes up and saw he was back on Xenon III. He saw and felt he was sweating a lot and knew why.

"Well, Richard, looks like there's another Virgo around. Thanks to the Prophets it went a lot easier than it could of."

Richard turned around and saw it was the captain.

Stephen knew that something was wrong with Richard because he was sweating and it was cooler then it was earlier but not hot enough to sweat the way Richard was. "You all right?" Stephen asked.

Richard gave a head shake of disbelief. "Hell no, sir. We are about to revert some two thousand years and fight some damn war for someone we don't know shit about. Now, now we have a mother and child to worry about. And to top it off I am unable to sleep, and come morning: no coffee."

Stephen scratched his head and said, "Well, Richard, put your faith in the hands of the Prophets?"

"Shit. I don't believe in that stuff anymore, sir."

"Richard don't say that or you'll be truly lost."

"I was lost the moment the *Saratoga* entered Wolf 359. Excuse me." Richard walked off.

Stephen just shook his head in disbelief. *Please, Prophets, help him find the light.*
 

Title: "Ambush!"
Author: First Lieutenant Johnny Chee
Stardate: 2460255
Earthdate: April 3, 2383
Location: Xenon III: Trail leading north from main Borial encampment

~Forward to the nearest attacker,~ Johnny commanded his glap'ta as he swung his battle axe into attack position. The glap'ta lurched forward, charging at full tilt straight ahead.

Another scream sounded to Johnny's right. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sergeant Zimasa engaged with one of the Horde skirmishers, bronze battle axe against what appeared to be a steel sword. *Oh, shit!* Johnny thought. *Hopefully these Borial axes can hold up to the punishment they're going to get!*

His thoughts were interrupted as another Horde rider swung another steel sword toward Johnny's head. Almost reflexively Johnny raised the axe above his head to parry, then grabbed the Horde rider's arm and attempted to jerk him off his saddle. The rider remained solidly planted on his mount.

*What the hell?* Johnny thought as he struggled to keep a grip on the rider's arm. The Horde rider turned with his free arm and smashed Johnny across the face with a bare fist. A veteran of many bar fights, Johnny shrugged off the crudely swung fist as he took advantage of the rider's shift in the saddle to twist his sword arm around behind his back as Johnny's glap'ta flanked the Horde rider's. The two beasts, sensing their riders' antipathy, snapped at each other passing, the Horde glap'ta narrowly missing Johnny's legs. Johnny's glap'ta bit down on the Horde glap'ta's tail. The Horde rider was thrown as his mount thrashed in pain!

Johnny, still hanging on to the Horde rider, was thrown with him to the ground. Both warriors had lost their weaponry and their glap'ta mounts were fighting furiously amongst themselves. It was hand-to-hand combat.

The Horde rider swing blindly at Johnny with balled fists. Johnny, schooled in Starfleet martial arts training as well as bar fights in half a quadrant's starbases, caught one of the rider's fists, turned his hip into the rider's body, and threw him over his shoulder in a classic judo throw. The Horde rider began to get up, but Johnny knew
better than that. Johnny delivered a roundhouse kick to the rider's head, rendering him unconscious.

Johnny's mount had been almost as successful. The Horde glap'ta lay dying, deep purple blood oozing from several mortal wounds. The mount on which Johnny had come, however, was badly wounded itself. There was
no way it would survive the trip back. With regret, Johnny retrieved his axe and brought it down on the poor beast's neck.

The sounds of fighting had died down. *Let's see how we came out,* Johnny thought. "First squad, report!"

Five of seven names called back. Farouk was not among them, of course; the Ferengi Krag was missing as well.

"Second squad, report!"

Six of seven names called back. Zimasa was missing.

"Fall in, people!"

The remaining eleven Marines assembled before Johnny. Lance Corporal Barek Nim, a former Bajoran resistance fighter, somehow much older than his rank suggested, formed up what was left of the platoon.

"Report, Corporal."

"We've routed the enemy. No survivors save the unconscious one you took down. Sergeant Zimasa, Corporal Farouk, and Private Krag are dead (may the Prophets embrace them) and we've four wounded as well, mostly
superficial. Four of our mounts are dead but we were able to capture six from the enemy."

"Very good," Johnny responded. *Actually, not very good: three of the best people I've served with aren't coming home because of a fight that we have no business being involved in!* "Corporal Barek, you're acting sergeant; Zog, I'll need a corporal. Make whatever squad realignments you need. When we get back I'll recommend permanent promotions for you.

"Now let's secure this area and move out! Get our dead and wounded packed onto mounts. Get the remains of our Klingon friend up in the clearing as well. Also, strip the enemy dead for weapons, supplies: anything we can use to learn more about them."

"What about the enemy dead, sir? They look a lot like Dweezle, the bartender back on the *Virgo*!" brevet Corporal Zog replied.

Johnny thought for a moment. The alien he fought *did* look almost exactly like the ship's bartender. But Dweezle was loyal to Starfleet and hadn't just tried to bury a sword in Johnny's skull or kill his friends and fellow Marines. "Leave them to rot. They didn't show any consideration for that Klingon they killed, and it's very likely
they'd have left us to rot in the woods as well. Besides, we've already got a prisoner," Johnny replied, gesturing toward the Horde rider who was just now rousing from his involuntary nap. "Corporal, secure the prisoner!"

The remaining Marines rounded up the Horde riders' gear as Zog none too gently tied up the surviving Horde rider. They all carried an assortment of swords, axes, and polearms forged from steel as opposed to the bronze the Borials used. The Horde's bows were double-curved, like ancient Mongol or Japanese bows, and fired arrows well over a meter long with barbed steel heads. The ration bags on the saddles (which had stirrups for greater leverage, Johnny noted) were nearly full with fresh bread and meat. *Their main encampment can't be far, and they've got a decided technological advantage over our Borial friends. The captain needs to know these things!*

"Okay, let's mount up and return to camp: double time!"