“People are dying down here because they are being left in the mud.” Dasranika was barely keeping her voice even as her eyes burrowed divots in the Envoy’s golden-skinned skull on the PADD.

He looked back from the small device with the signature smugness that had already boiled her blood, even before witnessing the makeshift mortuary of the Zhelicar. The rows of shroud-clad bodies lay behind her in what felt like an endless row. She had no idea if the Concord would feel anything from their weighty presence, but it couldn’t do any harm.

“Those are casualties of a terrible accident. We are saddened by their loss,” the Envoy replied. If he was sad, someone needed to inform his face, which continued to play host to their seemingly perpetual lifting of the lips.

“Why?” Dasranika could feel her tongue sharpening to a blade; she’d never missed a chance to bring egos down a peg or two, and it wouldn’t stop now because she was a hundred meters beneath solid rock.. “Why are you saddened?”

The Envoy’s wings twitched minutely behind him as his golden eye sockets narrowed slightly, his luminous orbs flaring a few microns.

“I do not understand your question; their loss is obviously a blow to us.”

“Because…”

“Because they were useful workers.”

When she began her line of questioning, Dasranika thought she would’ve cried aloud when she successfully got proof of the Concord’s lack of compassion. Instead, a cold chill raced over her body. Nysstiss was right, the Zhelicar were nothing more than tools to their golden masters.

“We could provide aid down here,” Dasranika offered coolly. “Ensure the retention of more assets.”

The words felt like poison on her tongue, but if it got the Envoy to accept some aid for the Zhelicar, it was worth the distasteful bile.

The Envoy’s smile slid back into place with infuriating ease.

“There is no need; we have deemed them beyond saving. It is a shame, but there are risks to all projects.” For a moment, he seemed genuinely sorry, but it was clear the pity was for himself more than anyone who lived within the moon. His task was to end the rebellion, and the Starfleet presence there delayed any possible success.

“They are suffering unnecessarily.” Dasranika wasn’t above pleading, though the idea of begging seemed a mote too far.

The Envoy caught a glimpse of something off-screen, his glowing eyes slipping minutely as if to stare over Dasranika’s shoulder. All at once, his smug face gave way to a sudden seriousness. His skin, which moments earlier had held a bright warmth, turned cool and even more metallic as his cheekbones became honed to atomically sharp edges.

“Your visit is over, Captain. We advise you to return to your ship immediately before we commence our operation.” His golden lips trembled; something or someone had clearly had enough.

“At least let us help stabilise-” Dasranika began, but found her proposal cut short but the man’s curt tone.

“-You have been instructed to remove yourself from our territory. You will do so, or we cannot be held responsible for the outcome.”

Dasranika’s brain scrabbled for a reply but came up short. Would he really risk injuring Starfleet officers? She had thought the Concord would also have an interest in keeping the Federation on good terms, but the presence of the Empire and now the Republic had made that less likely.

“Leave. Now.” The Envoy’s cold visage disappeared from the screen, and Dasranika blinked quickly at the sudden loss of light in the dark cavern.

“T’Sunik says the Concord vessels are adjusting their position,” Dane announced breathlessly as he appeared at the mouth of the small carved doorway to her makeshift office.

“Deploying troops?” Dasranika slipped the padd back into the small backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

“No,” Dane’s face was pale. “It looks like an orbital bombardment.”

Dasranika’s heart skipped several beats.

“They’ll destroy the mine,” she murmured as Dane bundled her out of the small storage space and towards a waiting Dynem.

“Hart says they are powering up their weapons,” Dynem shouted as he cupped the commbadge closer to his small ears. “They’ll be in position in a few moments.”

“But bombing the moon seems too much, surely they’d try-”

“-They will burn the ground before they consider discussion,” Nystiss announced as he sent the last nurse rushing from the chamber. “We will retreat to the deeper tunnels. You should leave.”

As she turned to face the giant being, the ground shuddered as a hundred metres above them, great plumes of orange and green flame struck against dark stone, turning them to molten glass.

The wall screamed in agony as the blasts continued, striking out a rhythmic beat against the moon’s surface. Each hammer blow landed against the rocky surface like an angry god, gouging horrific scars into its rocky skin.

Dane dodged a falling rock as he pushed Dasranika into the mouth of the cave.

“Dane to Hart, Energise.”

“Nysstiss, we’ll be back!” Dasranika cried as the white light began to cloud her eyes.

At the far end of the cavern, the giant form of the Zhelicar smiled wearily.

“That may be so, Captain, but we won’t be here.” He raised a long claw to his temple, drawing it down the length of his jaw to the tip of his foremost tooth. “Remember us, Starfleet, remember Syrris.”

The white fireflies swept across Dasranika’s eyes, and she froze, her thoughts snatched away on quantum winds.

———

Dasranika clutched her heaving chest as her thoughts flooded back into her body, the last of the transporter beam’s effects finally releasing her heart and mind to resume function.

“Bridge, get me the Envoy!” she shouted as she stumbled down the short steps from the still glowing transporter pad.

“They are not responding to hails,” T’Sunik replied with a pang of panic. “Captain…”

“Dane, get onto Command. We can’t allow…” Dasranika began as she slung her dusty backpack onto a nearby prep table onto to stop in her tracks as she surveyed the room, her heart frozen mid-beat.

Save for the panicked-looking ensign at the controls, she was alone.

The young Bolian worked furiously at the controls, his hand reaching across the wide console with desperation.

“I’m trying, Captain,” He announced frantically to her unspoken question.

“Where is he?” Her heart was still stuck, clamped tight by a truth she dared not admit.

“Interference from the weapons fire, I can’t…” The Bolian officer stopped still, his hands falling from the interface to his side. “I can’t find them.”

“Dane,” She gasped, desperately trying to catch a breath that had been left behind on the surface with her husband. “Dane…”