The three Starfleet officers approached the airlock where Major Phanan and his Marines were waiting, fully suited up and ready to leave. The three of them had picked up phaser rifles from the armoury as they had passed. Although they were heading into a heavily damaged vessel and the sensors had shown no life-signs aboard, it was safer to be cautious.

"Who knows what defence systems the Ferengi had left behind." The Major had cautioned the Starfleet officers.

Although by no means as ruthless as the Cardassians had been during the Dominion war, the Ferengi often guarded vessel and their cargo heavily. The Cardassians on the other hand had often booby-trapped bases and vessels they were retreating from.

"I'll take the lead." Major Phanan announced. "Gibs, Wok'Tal you come out next. Commander, we'll secure the shuttlebay and let you know when it is safe to come out."

"Understood Major." Rashad replied.

The Major entered the Hellcat's airlock and it quickly cycled and he vanished from sight. Gibs entered next, followed by Wok'Tal.

[All clear.] The Major announced over Rashad's helmet comm.

"I'll go first, Oakenshield you follow, Barker you bring up the rear." The Commander ordered, entering the airlock.

As Lieutenant Commander Barker came onto the deck of the shuttlebay and stood beside his two colleagues, he noticed that the Marines were already working on the inner shuttlebay doors. He looked around what had been the vessels main shuttlebay. In one direction all he could see was the shattered remains of the shuttlebay doors and beyond that, open space and the asteroid field. In the other, damaged conduits, areas of missing hull plating and debris all over the floor. The Marines managed to open the doors and disappeared through them.

[Commander, the area is clear.] The Major announced.

The three officers walked across the bay and through the doors to join up with the Marines. Once inside the first thing that hit the away team was the near dark, the corridor they were stood in was very dimly lit by some kind of fluorescent device set into the walls.

"Where would you like to go." The Major asked.

"The Bridge would be the obvious choice." Lieutenant Commander Barker stated. "Best possible access to the ships computers. Engineering would be another choice, but the Bridge is the better choice."

The Major blinked his left eye twice, scrolling the computer system built into his helmet onto a schematic of the vessel. It wasn't accurate, few people had ever been aboard a Ferengi Marauder let alone been able to make a detailed and accurate diagram. He checked over the schematic map, blinking his right eye to scroll through the deck plans.

"Engineering is closer, it's only three decks above us." The Major announced. "The Bridge is another six decks up and forward two hundred metres."

"Let's get going." Commander Rashad announced. "Engineering first."

"Wok'Tal, take the rear." The Major ordered. "Gibs you're up front with me. This way."

The Major pointed forward to a set of steps that appeared to run vertically the length of the ship.

"At least we don't have to climb through any Jefferies tubes." Gibs remarked as he looked up.

The Major knew what his officer meant, he realised that the EVA suits would have been a problem where they aboard a Federation vessel, if not for the Marines, then most definitely the Starfleet suits.

"Let's get climbing." Phanan ordered. "Gibs, you first."

It took the away team over five minutes to all reach the Engineering deck. It would have been easier if they had been equipped with rocket boots, something that the Major made a mental note of for next time. But with no gravity, climbing the ladders with magnetic boots was hard.

The Major checked the map on his HUD system. "A hundred metres this way and to the right." He announced.

The away team got about twenty metres before they hit their first problem. A heavy blast door blocked their path.

"Gibs, Wok'Tal start working on this door." The Major ordered.

Commander Barker had his tricorder out and was scanning the door and beyond.

"Major I think opening the door would be pointless." Barker announced. "I'm reading open space beyond, nothing else. I think this is one of the areas we saw destroyed when we flew past."

The Major re-checked his map and thought about what they had seen, trying to create a 3D image in his head. *How could I have been so stupid.* He thought to himself, the darkness of the vessel and concentrating on getting the team to Engineering must have somehow disorientated him.

"Then I guess we start climbing again." He announced.