Stardate 52037.7

     Cynthia had watched Enoz and Syxx part ways with the team with a feeling 
of apprehension.  Something about those two bothered her on a deep level.  She 
shoved it down knowing fully well that she had no right to voice her concerns. 
While she was thinking about her concerns she assessed the away team itself.  
Ming and the Chief were the obvious choices as well as Syxx and Enoz.  Her own
presence and that of Ensign White confused her.  The Captain had not seen her 
at her best, so why trust her?  The Ensign, like her, was not exactly imposing,
and if things got bad she didn't really trust the girl at her back.  She'd 
trust Ming and the Chief, but the Ensign bothered her.
     The sky grew darker as they trudged through the dense forests.  She 
touched Beeg's shoulder and nodded towards the sun, it was sinking fast.
     "I think we'd best make camp, Commander?"
     "I agree, Beeg and Calea you two get some wood and lets see if we can't 
get a fire going.  White you help me build a rough shelter, the temperature is
going to drop a bit."
     "Hurry up Calea you have your orders," Beeg snapped at her when she didn't
go with him instantly.  She glared but held her tongue.
     They gathered some stray branches but she couldn't shake her feeling of 
unease.  Her skin was covered in goose bumps and she looked at the shadows 
nervously.
     "Chief."
     "Yes, Lieutenant?"
     "Do you feel it?"
     "Feel what?"
     "Something's watching us.  I can feel it like a cold hand on the back of 
my neck.  I think something's hunting us."  She drew a small knife from her 
boot, it was a d'k tagh, a Klingon weapon, its blade shimmered in the night.
     "Could it be Reman or Chaz?", Beeg asked.
     "I don't think so, this is a predator, an animal."
     "You keep going I'll circle behind you and get it from the back when it 
moves in."
     "If you don't I'll come back and haunt you," Calea said.
     She kept moving but this time her footfalls were softer, barely audible. 
She'd fallen into the mode of a fighter, silent and swift.  She felt it move 
after her, she was the smaller of the two officers and therefore the logical 
target.  Beeg was right, it would come after her before it would him.  She had 
to trust her Chief to save her butt this time.  She was not used to trusting 
anyone but herself.  The night seemed to close in on her, pressing into her 
eyes, the sun was down now.
     She heard a rustle of dry leaves and tensed her body waiting for it.  The
rush came and she turned into it.  It was the size of an Earth wolf but it had
scales and long, razor sharp teeth.  Her knife flashed and cut into it as its 
teeth tried to rip her flesh from her bones.  She felt Beeg rushing towards 
her, but in a last move she shoved the dagger deep into its neck.  It lay still
on her and she felt the pain sear through her body, sharp and acute.  The thing
looked even more dangerous now that it was dead.
     The worst wound was across her abdomen.  It wasn't deep, but it was 
bleeding heavily.  She struggled to her feet and Beeg grabbed her arm, she held
back the cry of pain as he touched one of the wounds.  She felt her legs go out
and swore under her breath in Gaelic.  She hated needing help, especially when 
she was hurt.  He picked her up and she held back her protest.  She knew she 
couldn't walk with her injuries.  She could feel her vision go spotty as they
approached the camp.
     Ming met them at the edge of the trees, "What happened?"
     Beeg said, "The local wildlife decided to grab a midnight snack.  Calea 
seemed to be bite sized according to the beast."
     Ming nodded, examining the wounds.  She shook her head, they needed to get
back to the ship but they needed to find Chaz and Reman first, "White, stop 
staring and rip this into bandages.  Now!"
     She threw White her jacket leaving herself with only her tank top.  They 
bandaged the wounds and put Calea into one of the shelters.  Beeg and White 
wandered off to retrieve the firewood and Ming sat with her security officer.
     "How bad is it, Commander?  Don't lie to me."
     "If we can get you back to the ship soon you'll be fine, but you've lost 
a lot of blood."
     This entire mission has been a disaster and it bothered her a lot.  
Cynthia sat up with a look of pure determination in her eyes, "I can keep going
Commander, really.  I'll be fine."  She began to stand and Ming looked at her 
strangely.  She got to her feet and felt faintly sick, but she could stand.  
She walked a few steps to be sure of herself.  She was in pain but it was 
bearable, "We need to complete our mission then we can worry about little nicks
and scratches," she gave Ming a shaky smile.
     "Lieutenant, if you can't keep going then I will find a way to get you 
back to the ship.  Sit down and get some rest.  We break camp at first light."
She placed a hand on the shoulder of her security officer and then tried her 
communicator again.  It was still dead.  "White!"
     The other woman's head snapped in the direction of Calea and Ming, "Yes 
Commander?"  She trotted towards them and stood looking still a little green
from the amount of blood she had seen.
     "I want you to keep a close watch on Calea.  If she looks like she's going
to pass out or anything else you are to tell me immediately.  The Lt. doesn't 
strike me as someone who gives up easily so I'm counting on you to watch her."
     White's squeamishness had bothered her more than anything else about her, 
one of their officers had been badly injured and all White had been able to do 
was stare.