"What is our ETA, Mr. Lindholm," CAPT T.E. Lawrence asked as she made her way across the Bridge from her Ready Room.

"We should be making orbit within the next ten minutes, Captain," Swede reported

'Excellent."

T.E. settled into her chair and did a visual of her Bridge Crew. Some new faces joined the old as routine transfers had recently been effected. She looked forward to getting to know them.

"LT Starbuck, how are you coming with that latest sensor sweep?"

When only silence greeted her remarks, T.E. swiveled around in her chair and looked over toward the Science station.

"Sorry, sir," Gina said with a worried look. "I was just getting some final information on that. I don't think you're going to like this."

She didn't already. T.E. stood and joined the young Onli at her station.

"Where's the dilithium?"

"Good question, sir," Gina said. "This is the third scan I've run since starting my shift a little over an hour ago. Each time the readings are different."

"Have you run a diagnostic on the ship's sensors?"

"Immediately after the first discrepancy, sir. Nothing is wrong."

"Why is it that whenever we get a routine assignment it never turns out that way," T.E. lamented as she returned to her chair. "Just once I'd like things to go the way they're supposed to."

"Who are you kidding, sir," CDR Soen Mon'Teith said in a low voice. "Ordinary bores you to death."

"True, true," T.E. had to agree with a laugh. "It looks like the landing party will have their work cut out for them investigating this one."

She struggled to refrain from rubbing her hands together with glee. Who wouldn't be excited over the prospect of being the first to set foot on an unexplored planet? Of course, T.J. had not been pleased with her decision to lead the landing party. However, he was going to have to get used to it. She was the Commanding Officer of the Excalibur after all!

"Captain, we've achieved orbit," Swede called out.

"Shall we take a look?"

Moments later the small Class K planet filled the view screen in front of them. It was quite small as planets went but breathtakingly beautiful. From this perspective, the swirling oranges and deep purples belied the fact that the planet was totally inhabitable for most humanoid species.

"This is Captain Lawrence. The landing party will assemble in Transporter Room 4 in full Environmental Suit gear at 1800. Lawrence out. CDR Randolph, you have the Bridge," she said as she rose to leave.

The highly proclaimed improvements had done little to make the wearing of the ES gear any more palatable. The landing party had been moving slowly about the designated search parameters for quite some time now and their initial excitement over their inclusion on the team was wearing thin.

"Be aware of the gapping terrain several meters off to our left," T.E. warned. She still couldn't get used to the tinny sound of her own voice on the comm. in these damn suits.

Several affirmatives came back to her as she continued moving forward. So far they hadn't picked up any traces of the dilithium deposits that supposedly existed in unlimited quantities on S329. Of course, the reading coming through on her tricorder could mean they were about to discover something about this planet. She moved toward what appeared to be a rather large dip on the left of her. Suddenly, she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. It was gone before she could train her tricorder in that direction. Of course, they were informed of several species that called S329 home. Oddly enough, they had yet to see any signs of them. Next time she would try to be quicker on the draw with her tricorder.

"Look sharp, people." As they approached the odd configuration her tricorder picked up. "Let's spread out a bit before we continue moving forward."

Within minutes the team of six were in position and then the earthquake happened, no one had time to react. Suddenly the ground began to collapse beneath their feet and several crewmembers appeared to be virtually swallowed up whole. Only the sound of their strangled cries echoing inside the remaining crew's ES's offered proof that they had been there at all.

"Lawrence to Engineering!"

"ENS Crille here, sir."

"Six to beam up immediately, Crille."

"Negative on that sir. I'm only able to lock on two."

"Dammit, Crille, six crew members landed and six crew members are going to be returning."

"Working on it, sir," came the tense reply. After what seemed like an eternity, "Okay, Captain, I've picked up two more. I'll…"

His words were cut off when she suddenly felt the ground shift beneath her own feet. T.E. tried to dive toward more solid ground but her efforts were in vain. She found herself tumbling down what appeared to be a narrow shaft. She cried out several times as she bounced off the hard, dirt packed walls. Finally she shot out of the tube like structure and crashed down into what appeared to be a small tunnel. She felt the bones in her right leg shatter upon impact and one jagged edge sliced clear through her ES suit. Her agonized scream was joined by those other crewmembers that had disappeared beneath the surface.

"It's got me!"

"Help me, please somebody help mel"

"It's coming back. Oh God, it's coming back!"

There was a furious round of phaser fire and silence. The last thing CAPT T.E. Lawrence heard was the frantic recitation of an old childhood mantra as she drifted toward oblivion. "There's no such thing as a bogeyman, there's no such thing as a bogeyman, there's no such…"

Then all was silent.

"Captain, I have a Priority One message from Third Fleet Headquarters," CDR M'Reia relayed.

"Patch it through to my office, M'Reia." Captain Donaree headed for the bridge tubolift. "Commander Brannon, you have the Con."

"Aye, Aye sir."

She felt one of her headaches coming on and she just wanted the day to end. Everything was going wrong today. Problems in Engineering, officers sick from some unknown bug and now this. She sat down at her desk and switched on the monitor. The Third Fleet Logo appeared and soon she was looking into the face of Admiral Kenneth Brannon himself.

"Captain Donaree, good to see you again," came the gruff voice that she once found very attractive.

"You too, sir. What's the problem Admiral?"

His face turned very serious; "There's a situation with the Excalibur that needs immediate attention. The Saratoga is the closest ship in the vicinity. The Excalibur was sent to survey a planet, S329, in the Third Quadrant. There are indications that S329 has massive dilithium deposits. While on planet an earthquake caused some of her crew to fall into underground cervices. When the ground opened up it was discovered that an alien species lives underground and I'm sorry to say have killed some of the crew. The officers and Blue Devils are so busy fighting these creatures that they can't rescue their people caught underground." The Admiral paused a moment. "Kit, TE is down. You are to proceed to S329 immediately and take charge of the operation. Bring them home, Kit."

"I'll do my best, sir. Captain out." Donaree hit the comm. button on her desk. " Lieutenant Brannon."

"Yes sir?

"Plot a course to planet S329, Third Quadrant. I want us there ASAP."

"Yes sir.

"Colonel Floss."

"Yes, Captain Donaree."

"Better get the Red Dragons ready for engagement. Looks like we have a battle on our hands."

"Brannon, what's our ETA?"

"Forty-five minutes sir.

No one expected what they found on planet S329. The creatures were everywhere. Captain Donaree located the Excalibur officers' planetside and informed them that the Dragons would be making some flyovers to even out the odds. She also let them know that she would be taking charge of the operation until Lawrence was rescued.

"Okay folks. Suit up and meet me at Transporter Room 2 in fifteen minutes. Be careful down there." Captain out.