The room they were moved to was still frigid by Federation standards, but it was an improvement over the cell. A small fire crackled in the centre of the stone floor, casting flickering light across the ice-carved walls. Thick furs had been provided for bedding, and while the heat didn’t quite reach the room’s edges, it was enough to stave off the worst of the cold.

Tomaz sat on one of the giant thick blankets they had been given with his back against the wall, staring at the flames, trying to ignore the persistent chill. Flemen, sitting across from him, also wrapped up in a huge blanket, rubbed his hands together before holding them over the fire.

“I’d kill for a decent meal right about now,” Flemen mused, attempting to lift the mood. “Maybe a Bolian soufflé to start, followed by some Vulcan plomeek soup. What about you, Tomaz?”

Tomaz offered a half-hearted chuckle but didn’t look up. His thoughts were elsewhere, lost in worry. His mind kept wandering back to his son, S’Tem. Was he alright? Was he worried about his father? Now, Tomaz was anxious about much bigger things.

“I think I’d prefer just to be back on Odyssey in the warmth and knowing S’Tem is okay,” Tomaz answered. 

Sensing his friend’s unease, Flemen leaned forward, smiling warmly. “Tomaz, S’Tem is in good hands. Our crew looks after their own. Hell, I bet both Alfie and Jordan have probably been pulling double shifts just to keep him entertained.”

That finally earned a proper smile from Tomaz. “They’re good kids. S’Tem likes them a lot. Maybe too much. I might have to give them extra credits for all the babysitting. However, I’m not sure there’s a section in Starfleet training manuals about looking after a superior’s infant.”

Flemen laughed. “You probably will find some clause about it somewhere. And don’t forget Slyvexs. If anyone knows how to wrangle the young ones, it’s our good doctor.”

Tomaz chuckled again, his spirits lifting slightly. The thought of his crew—a crew that had become like family—helped ease some of the burden. Still, he couldn’t shake the sense of anxiety gnawing at him. “I just… I hate being stuck here, not knowing what’s happening back on the Odyssey. S’Tem’s already been through so much with losing his birth parents. I don’t want him to go through that again.”

Flemen’s expression softened, and he nodded. “We’ll get back, Tomaz. We always do. And when we do, we’ll throw the biggest feast the Odyssey has ever seen. You’ll be back with S’Tem, and we’ll be stuffing ourselves with every dish you can think of.”

Tomaz smiled at that, leaning his head back against the wall. “Alright, what’s on the menu, then?”

Flemen’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, where do I start? Rigellian sausage for breakfast, Andorian flatcakes with a side of Earth-style bacon. Then, for lunch, how about some Tellarite stew? Thick, hearty, and perfect for cold days like this.”

Tomaz raised an eyebrow. “You’re making me hungry already.”

“And for dinner,” Flemen continued, his hands gesturing enthusiastically, “we could have a traditional Klingon feast. If we’re feeling brave, Gagh, rokeg blood pie, and maybe a roasted targ.”

Tomaz laughed, the sound warm against the icy atmosphere. “I’ll pass on the gagh, thanks. But I could go for some Bajoran hasperat. Maybe a glass or two of a Risian mai-tai.”

The cold seemed to retreat just a little as the conversation drifted from cuisine to old stories from their missions. They talked for what felt like hours, but eventually, the weight of their situation settled back over them. Nightfall was approaching, and there was no sign of the Glaciarian leader and they couldn’t open their door from the inside. Debating on whether or not to attempt an escape, the two men gave their hosts the benefit of the doubt. They were both tired now. 

Flemen glanced toward the door, then back at Tomaz. “We might be waiting a while to hear anything.”

Tomaz sighed, feeling the cold settle into his bones once more. “Yeah. Might as well get some sleep while we can.”

Flemen nodded, stretching out on the furs. “I’ll take the first watch. You get some rest.”

Tomaz hesitated for a moment, then nodded gratefully. “Thanks, Craigen.” He lay down, wrapping the furs tightly around himself to block out the biting chill. Despite the cold, exhaustion quickly took over, and within minutes, Tomaz drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, Tomaz was back on the Odyssey. The warmth of the ship’s corridors was a welcome change from the freezing cave, and for the first time in days, he felt at ease. He walked down the familiar hallways, making his way to his quarters, where S’Tem was waiting for him.

The door slid open, and there was his son, a smile lighting up his face. “Dad! You’re back!”

Tomaz’s heart swelled with joy as he scooped S’Tem into his arms. “I’m back, buddy. I’m not going anywhere.”

But before he could say anything more, the ship rocked violently. The lights flickered, alarms blaring in the distance. A red alert was declared, followed by the order for everyone to go to battle stations. Tomaz put S’Tem down, his heart pounding. “Stay here,” he ordered, his voice tense with fear.

He rushed out of his quarters, sprinting toward the bridge, but he froze as he rounded the corner. The Odyssey was under attack, not by any known force but by the Glaciarians. He couldn’t work out why they were attacking the ship. Tomaz knew he and Flemen had just settled their differences with them. Why were they aggressive? How did they get on the ship? So many questions were racing in his mind that Tomaz couldn’t comprehend what was happening. All he knew was in the here and now, the Odyssey was being invaded. 

They poured through the corridors, their crystalline bodies shimmering as they moved with unnatural speed. Crew members were overwhelmed, their phaser fire bouncing uselessly off the Glaciarians’ icy forms.

Tomaz grabbed a fallen phaser rifle and joined the fight, but his shots barely slowed the invaders. He turned just in time to see a Glaciarian strike down Captain Duncan with a single blow. The captain’s body fell to the deck with a massive thud. Then, in quick succession, Doctor Slyvexs, Counsellor Horin and Commander Tierra were taken out. Ducking and diving to avoid being hit, Tomaz turned around and then saw both Cadets McCallister and Duncan-Court fall to the attackers, their bodies crumpling to the ground.

“No!” Tomaz shouted, his voice hoarse. He raced toward S’Tem’s quarters, his heart pounding in his chest.

But as he reached the door, he heard a scream. His son’s scream.

“S’Tem!” Tomaz’s voice broke as he slammed the door open. Inside, a Glaciarian was dragging S’Tem away. Tomaz lunged forward, but he felt a sharp pain in his side before he could reach him. He looked down to see a Glaciarian spear impaled through his body.

Flemen appeared beside him, his face twisted in horror, but before either of them could react, both were shot. Everything went dark.

“Tomaz! Tomaz, wake up!”

Tomaz jolted awake, gasping for air, his body covered in cold sweat. Flemen was kneeling beside him, shaking him gently. “It’s okay,” Flemen said softly. “You were having a bad dream.”

Tomaz sat up, wiping the sweat from his forehead and struggling to catch his breath. “It felt so real…”

“I know,” Flemen said, his voice calming. “But it was just a dream. You’re safe.”

Tomaz nodded, his chest still heaving from the vividness of the nightmare. He rubbed his face, trying to shake off the lingering dread. “Thanks, Craigen.”

Before they could say anything more, the door to their room slid open with a soft hiss. The Glaciarian leader stood there, his cold eyes watching them closely. “You are summoned,” he said simply.

Tomaz and Flemen exchanged a glance before rising to their feet. Flemen, always the diplomat, spoke first. “Have you made your decision?”

The leader’s crystalline form shimmered in the dim light. “We will allow you to visit the generator. You will see what must be done.”

They were escorted deep into the heart of the Glaciarian city. The temperature dropped further as they descended, and both men pulled their winter gear tighter around them. The journey was long and arduous, but eventually, they reached the generator chamber. A heavily armed room, guarded by numerous Glaciarians, stood before them. All of them stood around the far edge. None of them appeared comfortable in approaching the chamber. It was almost like the room was cursed. It was clear from their faces that the arrival of their visitors with their leader was surprising and concerning for them. They took their job seriously in protecting what was within the chamber. 

Inside, the generator itself was an impressive sight. Its core pulsed with unstable energy, casting an eerie light across the room. It was like walking into the Odyssey’s main engineering with the ship’s warp core in the middle. However, the cold, frozen walls were filled with consoles and displays that were unlike the other computer displays that Tomaz and Flemen had encountered in other parts of the Glaciarian settlements. It appeared alien, and neither of them recognised the text and symbols. 

Tomaz and Flemen immediately pulled out their tricorders and began scanning. Tomaz frowned as the readings came through. “It’s a tetryon reactor and not a very stable one.”

“Tetryon reactor?” Flemen repeated; his limited engineering knowledge didn’t help him understand it anymore, but he knew of them. “Aren’t they rare and expensive to make?”

Tomaz just nodded to his friend before returning his focus to his tricorder. “If this thing isn’t fixed soon, it’ll cause a massive subspace rift.”

Flemen glanced at him. “How bad are we talking?”

Tomaz’s expression darkened. “Bad enough to tear this entire sector apart. That’s why they’re so rare; they’re dangerous to build.”

“Can we fix it?” Flemen asked.

Tomaz shook his head. “No, we would need the Odyssey’s help.” He whispered that so only Flemen could hear it. Mentioning the ship might irritate their hosts, and Flemen understood why he had decided to avoid bringing that up. They had only started to gain the trust of the Glacerians; they didn’t want to lose it too quickly.

However, they had no other choice. Neither of them was a proper engineer, so the ship was the only thing that could help them. 

Flemen turned to the Glaciarian leader, his tone calm but urgent. “We can stabilise it. But we’ll need help from our ship.”

Seeing the diplomatic effort his friend was making, Tomaz joined in with the technical aspect of their reasoning. “A few well-timed graviton pulses from the Odyssey’s deflector dish could stop the destabilisation.”

The Glaciarian leader’s eyes narrowed, hesitant. “We do not allow communication with outsiders.”

Flemen took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “I understand your hesitation. But if this reactor blows, it’ll destroy everything—your world, your people, and everyone else in the sector. We don’t want to interfere with your culture. We just want to help. However, it’s not only you and your people who are at risk now. Others are, too. I’m sure your Provider did not mean to gift you something that could harm you and others.”

Tomaz nodded in agreement. “Once the reactor is stable, we can show you how to mask its energy signature. No one will be able to detect it. You’ll be invisible to the rest of the galaxy, just as you’ve always been.”

The Glaciarian leader was silent for a long moment, his crystalline form shimmering in thought. Finally, he reluctantly nodded, “Very well. You may contact your ship.” He pointed to one of the consoles outside the chamber and instructed a nearby guard to let their visitors use its subspace radio to talk to contact the Odyssey. 

Once the station was operational and a channel was open, Flemen nodded to Tomaz to make the call. “USS Odyssey, this is Commander Tomaz. Do you copy?”

There was a brief moment of static before Captain Duncan’s voice came through, filled with relief. “Tomaz! It’s good to hear your voice. Are you alright?”

A big smile spread across Tomaz’s face. “We’re alive, Captain. But we’ve got a situation…”