They landed in hell.  The heat from the flames kicked the environmental suits into action as the cooling systems clicked on and additional shielding activated.  Captain Halsey glanced around.  Fires were all around.  He snapped open his tricorder, “We’ve got life signs North, East, and West. Alpha team – North, Beta team, East, and Gamma Team – West!  Move, Move!”  The teams scrambled while using portable fire control equipment to create a path for them.  The transporter’s whine continued unabated for several minutes as each medical, engineering, and security team got boots on the ground.  He pulled up his heavy-duty PADD and began to update as he walked toward the main building.  The runabouts finished the last of the transports and began to work on fire mitigation from the air.

Lieutenant Greer Moore walked up beside him. “Captain, we’re concerned about that main building and its structural integrity, never mind the mine.”  He followed her as she pointed from the schematics she had worked out on her PADD to the building itself. “The fires are burning through the metal at an accelerated rate—we’re going to need to start transporting people blind soon.”

He grimaced.  They were going to need help with that.  “Coordinate with the runabouts – any positive life signs – get them aboard the medical runabouts.”  She nodded and took off, tapping her badge.  His attention returned to the mine where half the miners had been reported.  The damage was extensive, but the fires burned out, giving them a chance.  He tapped at his arm unit, opening up a channel, “Delta and Epsilon – meet me at the mine entrance.”  Halsey tapped it again, “Greer, I need an engineering and security team with me.”  She confirmed, and a beacon was attached to him on the HUDs of the various teams, and they quickly moved to follow him.

On the station, an ensign at the communications coordination station said, “Lieutenant Atega, tactical, is reporting they’re picking up unknown signals headed on an intercept course for Rital II. The time to arrival is ten minutes. They’re moving pretty quickly.”

Presley tapped at her console, “Atega to Commander Thasaz, report.”

The tense voice of their Romulan Director of Security and Tactical Operations replied through the channel, “We’re not sure if they were cloaked or hiding…but they weren’t there before.  So far, it’s two ships, one small and one medium.  Running theory is Orion Syndicate.”  There was a pause, and Atega felt her brow furrow.  Thasaz had a long history with Federation and Starfleet Intelligence operations.  Rumor was that she had been recruited to the station based on her past experiences.  Her voice returned, “Lieutenant, we’re still calibrating and installing the final sensor stacks.  We’re refining our scans – but it looks like they’re coming in weapons hot.”

Atega closed the channel and opened another, “Montana Station to USS Dragonfly.  Estimated time to arrival at Rital II?”