"So THIS is what you've been stashing in the main shuttlebay!" exclaimed Commander Peterson speaking to Captain Grasmick.
Grasmick replied "You've been in there how many times and you've not seen this thing? Well, I present to you the S.S. Gary, NC774438, a civillian version of the Danube-class. I got her when I was still commanding the San Francisco Fleetyards."
"You'll have to give me a ride in it sometime." Peterson said.
"When we both have sometime off, sure. Commander Ryan is visiting her brother at Deep Space 5, and Mr. Tumok is on Vulcan, and I'm taking the Gary out for a spin, so all that will leave you in charge of the Sovereign. Can you handle it?" Grasmick said inquisitively.
"Yeah." Peterson replied.

Grasmick sat in the cockpit of his runabout. "Computer, initiate complete systems check." he ordered the computer.
The computer replied, "All systems functional."
Grasmick had to ask about another system that he had was able to get only because he was Starfleet, "Computer, does that include the phaser systems?"
The computer replied, "Affirmative."
"Peterson to Grasmick, your 'guests' are on their way to your little ship."
"Thanks," Grasmick said, "We'll be on our way shortly then." Grasmick was happy to be spending time with two of his Academy classmates.

Grasmick heard a knock on the hatch to the ship. "Computer," Grasmick said, "lock transporters on to the two human life signs standing near the port side hatch."
The computer replied, "Ready."
"Energize." Grasmick ordered the computer.

Grasmick's friends materialized on the transporter pad. "No, no, no! It won't work, I'm telling you! You have to re-wrap the whole thing. Oh, hi Brandon." Lieutenant CJ Watson was argueing with Lt. Commander 'Tac' Wilson.
"Hi CJ. Tac, I trust you turned off the coffee pot in your quarters." Grasmick said.
Tac replied, "Shut up, skipper. That was your fault and you know it." Not only was Tac Grasmick's tactical officer on the Sovereign, he was a friend of his from the Academy.

"So, CJ, did you ever find that guy you were looking for when..." Grasmick was interruped by the Gary's communications system.
"Sovereign to Gary, you are clear for departure. Oh, and Brandon?" Peterson said.
"Yes, Aaron?" Grasmick replied.
"Who is this CJ Watson? I heard some pretty hot rumor's about you and her during from back in our Academy days." Peterson said. Peterson was also an Academy classmate of Grasmick's.
"Aaron, can it. Christine and I were just friends. It was Tac who..." Grasmick was immediately interupted by Tac.
"HEY!"
Peterson said, "OHHHHHH, it was Tac! Naughty, naughty. Blowing up that guy's, Boothby I think his name is, flower garden at the NCC-1701 memorial. What happened? Did you use the wrong fertilizer or something?"
Grasmick spoke before Tac could start something, "None of this please. I need to drive this ship of mine with CJ and Tac argueing the whole time all the way to Earth."

"Well, now that that is over, will Tac please take the right-hand seat in the cockpit," Grasmick said, "Computer, begin automatic-launch sequence."
The computer replied, "Automatic-launch sequence initiated. All systems activated. USS Sovereign shuttlebay doors are now open. You have 5 seconds to cancel auto-pilot control of launch sequence."
"Cancel auto-pilot," Grasmick said, "Tac, I'm taking her out manually," Grasmick took over the flight controls, "departing Sovereign in about 5 seconds." 5 seconds later, the Gary left the Sovereign.

"CJ, how's the doctoring business these days?" Grasmick asked.
"Don't even ask. I just transferred to the Columbine, all we've done is hang around the front lines." CJ replied.
"Skipper, which way are we takeing to Earth?" Tac asked.
"Oh, I thought we might go by way of a small place called Velacine Prime."

Velacine Prime is by no means a small planet. It took Grasmick and company three more days to get there. "S.S. Gary to Velacine landing control, request permission to land." Grasmick had the conn and control of the radio. He repeated his call, "S.S. Gary to Velacine landing control, request permission to land."
Tac was in the co-pilot's seat, "No answer. I wonder what the hell is going on down there."
"Let's find out, " Grasmick flew toward the landing area, "Computer, begin active scans of the area."
The computer replied, "Acknowledged."

"Ok, here we are," Grasmick had the Gary hovering above the outpost, "Tac, scan for..."
Grasmick was interrupted when the Gary began taking weapons fire.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Grasmick screamed, "Shit, the maneauvering thrusters have been hit, I need to set this baby down." Grasmick managed to get the Gary to a cave 50 kilometers away.
Tac asked, "What the hell was that?"
"Computer, begin assessing battle damage," Grasmick said, "Tac, we both know who it has to be."
CJ asked, "I don't. Who was it?"
"The Jem'Hadar." Grasmick replied.

"Battle damage is not serious enough to prevent loss of vital systems." The computer reported.
CJ said, "That's good. So what do we do now?"
Grasmick said, "Well, first I fix the thrusters, then we..." Grasmick was interruped by somtehing banging on the portside hatch.
"Tac, scan it." Grasmick ordered.
"Whoever they are, there is 5 of them and they are humanoid. Sorry I can't be more specific, they are employing a dampening field."
Grasmick walked to the locker by the portside hatch, unlocked it, and pulled out three phasers before he closed and relocked it.
"Tac, CJ, I may have replicated these with the small industrial replicator I have back at my house on Earth, but don't brake them. These phasers are of..." Tac interrupted Grasmick.
"Are of the same design Captain Kirk and company had when they saved the Khitomir conference, your Dad told me the story when he showed me the original that you inherited when we were kids, remember?"
"Don't you dare bring my Dad into this in a negitive way or you will be on the recieving end of that phaser he showed us," Grasmick said, "Ok, here's what we'll do, I'll shut off the lights, and we'll find a place to hide in the back. Here are the phasers, go hide now!"
Grasmick looked forward at the cockpit, "Computer lights off, open port hatch on my command." He then went to hide. Twenty seconds later, he said, "Computer, open port hatch and secure all systems." The hatch opened and the systems turned off, only Grasmick or Tac could turn everything back on now.

Commander Thomas Nunez was tired. The Dominion had managed to cut communications when they invaded Velacine four days earlier, they weren't due to send a message to Starfleet for another two days, perfect to cover up an investigation. "Thompson, go check out the aft section, it may have been on auto-pilot." Nunez ordered.
"Aye sir." Thompson said.
"Smith, Richards, Padorin, help me turn the systems back on." Nunez said.
Thompson got to the back compartment, and was immediately knocked out cold by Grasmick. Grasmick was stunned to see a fellow Starfleet officer laying on the floor beside him. He signaled Tac and CJ to follow him up front.

"DAMNIT," Nunez yelled, "whoever programed this computer must know what the hell they are doing. Padorin, check the..."
Grasmick popped out by the port hatch, Tac and CJ by the starboard hatch. Grasmick yelled out, "FREEZE!"

Smith fired his phaser rifle towards Grasmick and missed. Tac and CJ fired their phasers at Padorin and Smith, Grasmick took out Nunez and Richards. With everybody stunned, Grasmick walked up to Nunez, who wasn't completely out, "Who are you?"
Nunez replied like any POW would, "Nunez, Commander, Starfleet, United Federation of Planets, serial number 99241-AA56."
Grasmick was actually amused and chuckled a little, "Oh come on, do I look like a Jem'Hadar to you? CJ, get the medkit."

An hour passed. "All we saw was your runabout trailing smoke heading for the caves. We didn't know what we'd find. When the Dominion took Outpost 25, they captured 2 runabouts. We shelled the place with photon mortors, but we didn't know if we destroyed the runabouts before they could use them." Nunez said.
"Then all that seems to have happened here is a misidentification." CJ said.
"I'm afraid so," Nunez said, "No hard feelings, Captain?"
Grasmick said, "None. But still, we took fire from the Jemmies when we were hovering over Hamburg Station."
"At least you crashed in our 'compound', otherwise we might not be having this conversation," Nunez replied, "What's left of our engineering staff has finished fixing your thrusters. You can leave at anytime."
Grasmick looked out of the compound towards where 300 people were all that stood between life and death for 500 other Starfleet personell and some of their families. "I don't think so. All 800 of you are comming with me."
CJ spoke first, "Oh come on Brandon, you may have served on the Enterprise, but the status of 'miracle worker' didn't rub off on you entirely. In case you didn't notice, the Gary can't even come close to holding that many people."
"I don't intend to take them out on the Gary." Grasmick said.
"Then what?" CJ asked.
"I asked the computer a simple question. It seems that your very own USS Columbine is in the area," Grasmick said, "I'll need backup."

Grasmick, Tac, and CJ were sitting in the cockpit of the Gary. "Grasmick to Nunez, we are about to get going. I'll lay down a phaser barrage on the Jemmie lines, take out any big artillary for you." Grasmick said.
Nunez replied, "Good luck Captain, and thank you."
"Alright Tac, CJ, it's up to us. Firing thrusters," Grasmick said, "We are now at 50 feet AGL. Moving foward toward the front lines."

It didn't take long until they were fired upon, "TAC, TAKE THE HELM, I'M ON THE PHASERS!" Grasmick said.
Tac said, "I CAN BARELY EVADE THE JEMMIE PHASER BLASTS, THERE IS TO MANY OF THEM FROM THAT WEAPONS PLATFORM!"
"NOT FOR LONG!" Grasmick said, "FIRING!" Gramick fired the phasers, vaporizing the Jem'Hadar weapons platform.
Grasmick said, "Now that that is over, I'll fly now."

They only got halfway between Velacine and it's moon. "Oh shit, where did they come from?" CJ said.
"There are 3 Jemmie bug fighters directly astern. There is no chance in hell we can get away." Tac said.
"Watch me." Grasmick said.
Grasmick evaded phaser blast, after blast, after blast, after blast, untill something happened.
"What the hell?" Tac excalimed, "They just blew up."
Grasmick looked out the window at Velacine's moon. He saw something that he was more then happy to see.
"Do you all see that shadow on the moon?" Grasmick asked, "There is a Galaxy-class starship behind us."

"Columbine to Gary, do you require further assistance?" Someone on the Columbine inquired.
"This is Captain Brandon Grasmick of the USS Sovereign and S.S. Gary. We don't, but some people on Velacine need a ride. Request clearence to land in your main shuttlebay."

"Well, Captain Grasmick, we will reandeavouz with the Sovereign in three days. Please make your stay here onboard the Columbine as comfortable as need be, Nunez and his crew already are. Also, can our chief engieer have a look at your runabout? He's never seen the civilian version before." Captain Marcus C. Jones said.
Grasmick replied, "Thank you, Captain Jones, and yes your chief engineer can look over the Gary as long as he doesn't break it. I also have a few things more to say."
Tac said in an audible tone, "Oh God, here he goes again."
"Shut up, Tac," Grasmick said, "I only would like to say two things. One, I hope the fall of Velacine to the Dominion sends a message to Starfleet Command, a message that kicks them in the pants and tells them to go on the offensive again. Second, CJ, I've known you for a long time. This is the only official act I intend to carry out aboard the Columbine. Christine Jane Watson, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. This is based on your actions treating Commander Nunez and his men on the Gary, as well as your previous service record."
"Ummm, thanks. Do they still call you Crazy Boy?" CJ asked.
"Let us leave that discussion for another time."

Grasmick was alone in his guest quarters on the Columbine. He opened communications with Admiral Bennett.
"We lost Velacine. The Jemmies just managed to take over the WHOLE DAMN PLANET before we even knew about it." Grasmick said.
Bennett replied, "Don't worry. You'll get your chance at the front lines again. I promise you that."