FicWad

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own characters, everything belongs to Tolkien the genius and Roddenberry, the Great Bird of the Galaxy.

Chapter Nine: Captured

With barely a sound the group of elves and Starfleet moved through the forest toward the compound, trying to get there without being noticed so that they could determine their first plans of action. They had come across no patrols along the way and no sensor devices were detected by Dax's tricorder, which seemed odd to them since the Dominion was known for being rather thorough and defined in their security. Not even a sensor perimeter was found by the time they came within visual range of the compound.

"I'm getting Jem'Hadar life signs nearby but only a few seem to be registering in guard positions," Dax whispered to everyone about finding the presence of the Dominion's genetically engineered soldier race. "There's two nearby to us and the others seem to be closer to the other team's planned position on the other side of the compound."

"Is there a path around them we can take without being seen?" Worf asked.

"Possibly," she said, rechecking the diagram on her tricorder. "It is strange though how they don't have many around..."

"I'll go on ahead to see what I can find," Odo said as he changed form into his usual liquid state, disappearing into the bushes.

Worf knew Odo would bring back some valuable information from his vantage point so he wanted to wait on the Changeling before making too many decisions but also did not want to bring themselves to attention by creating a loud firefight with the guards when trying to sneak in discreetly. The elves had also declined taking phaser rifles, preferring to use their swords, archery skills, and various other weapons they had brought with them on their journey to Valinor. It was not much protection or even a defense against the weapons of the Jem'Hadar but it would have to do.

"There's an entrance not far from where the guards are standing," Dax determined from her scans. "We can go through there to reach the first power generators and possibly a schematic of the building so that we can determine where the others are being held."

"Dax and Glorfindel, come with me to take out the guards," Worf said as he began to formulate a plan. "Rúmil and Gildor will go with Odo, once he returns, and the rest of you will keep watch here in case of any developments. Odo should be able to tell us the best route through the compound and also help in case we run into any Jem'Hadar or another Changeling inside."

"Yes, sir," the Starfleet officers muttered quietly as they began to separate a little; however, they did not have much of a chance.

Several phaser blasts tore through their clearing, hitting a number of the security officers and knocking them to the ground. Before they could return fire, several Jem'Hadar disengaging their personal cloaking fields stepped forward, their weapons pointed menacingly at them.

"No!" Frodo said just under his breath as he crouched in the bushes nearby.

He watched as the team dropped their phasers and weapons, holding their hands up as the Jem'Hadar motioned for them all to follow them toward the compound. Frodo had not kept his word by staying at the shuttle because he felt a strange wave of power come over him again that seemed to tell him the team was in danger. Sneaking out of the shuttle with phaser in hand, he was able to follow the general direction they had traveled. Another bizarre feeling had come over him again as he came upon them, driving him to the ground on his knees. He realized then he had led them into a trap because whomever it was that he was feeling, knew he was there. To his horror, the Dominion soldiers appeared before Frodo could warn them. Luckily though he was able to avoid being found by the soldiers since it seemed the detection through his consciousness was only reliable enough to give certain vicinity directions and not a specific coordinate.

Once the soldiers were all gone and the team being led away into the entrance of the compound did Frodo crawl out of the bushes to where they had once been sitting. He watched as they disappeared into the building, frustration lining their features. The Jem'Hadar had collected their weaponry as well, leaving Frodo nothing but his hand-held phaser that was already large for a hobbit's hands.

"I wish Sam were here," Frodo whispered to himself, dismay and doubt clouding his thoughts. "He would know the right thing to do."

The little hobbit looked around him, feeling more alone than ever before. Hanging his head, he tried to think of the Shire and of Sam, who always knew how to cheer him up and give hope.

"I know..." Frodo began saying to himself, feeling a bit of courage build up inside him. "Sam would say, 'Come now, Mr. Frodo. Don't you lose your head about this! If we could sneak into Mordor all by ourselves you certainly could make it into a building with hardly a guard to be seen! We hobbits know a thing or two about being unnoticed by the tall people.'"

"Too bad he is not here to help us," Odo said, suddenly morphing back into his solid shape next to Frodo. "I guess I'll have to do for now."

*
Haldir peered through the tree branches, straining his eyesight to their full elvish capabilities as he looked over the compound. He and the other elves in his group had heard the distant sounds of phaser fire but were not able to discern much else. They had been unable to rouse the other team on the comm badges, which did not bode well for how the mission was going. Kira, knowing something had gone wrong after the elves mentioned the noises they heard, told them they should go back to the shuttle and alert Captain Sisko.

They did not have the time because the elves heard fast approaching footsteps from the compound. A fast-action plan was put into effect by the elves as they quickly lifted themselves into the treetops, pulling the Starfleet crew with them onto the branches as well. Many of the elves on Lord Elrond's ship had come from Lórien with their Lady or from Mirkwood, otherwise known as Eryn-Lasgalen, where climbing trees was in their nature. They were able to disappear unseen into the boughs above along with helping the crewmembers just as the first troops of Jem'Hadar began to fan out through the forest, obviously searching for something or someone.

The object of their search appeared not long after the soldiers had traversed through the foliage. Knowing that the Jem'Hadar were well enough out of sight and hearing range, Haldir and the others dropped from their hiding places.

"Frodo, what are you doing here?" Haldir questioned him.

"He snuck onboard the Defiant and then our shuttle to the planet," Odo said, standing next to the hobbit. "My team has also been captured and taken inside the compound."

"Do they know about our presence here?" Kira asked the constable.

"No, but I believe they are still searching for Frodo, here," the shape shifter commented. "It seems he might have unknowingly led the soldiers to the team."

"Then we should have him head back to the Defiant," Kira said skeptically. "He could give our position away as well then all would be lost."

"I have a better plan," Odo said with a smile.

*
The patrolling Jem'Hadar outside of the compound did not notice as the shadowed shape of a hobbit snuck out behind him from the forest and tiptoed toward an conduit access panel door on the outside of the building. Once the soldier was around a corner, Frodo quickly unlatched the panel door and slipped inside, closing it behind him. Crawling on his hands and knees he swiftly made his way through the conduit. No one else but a hobbit would be able to fit through the space that was even smaller than a Jefferies Tube that was made only for components and maintenance machines. After creeping through much further into the compound, Frodo thought he heard something similar to people talking.

"Stop here," Odo whispered, coming out of his form that had been a belt along Frodo's waist and turning into his gelatinous state onto the panel he was crawling on. "They might hear us so be quiet."

Frodo stayed still as the Changeling had instructed, only hearing the sounds of his breathing as he waited. The worries of being caught crept into him again but he closed his eyes, focusing on Sam, Uncle Bilbo and even his two other close hobbit friends, Merry and Pippin. All of them had been through so much during the War of the Ring, even Merry and Pippin had fought in battle. They had strength and courage to make it through from their hobbit roots; Frodo could do it himself too. He smiled to himself as he thought of Sam again, thinking back to what his good friend had told him when he went looking for Frodo in the tower of Barad-dúr. He could not help but think Sam was scared out of his wits yet kept going for his friend.

"I'll do this for you, Gandalf, just as Sam did for me," Frodo thought to himself.

"They are still in stasis and unconscious," a voice could be heard drifting in through a nearby grate.

Frodo shuffled closer to the grate, trying to be as quiet as could be. He peered through the small holes of the screen and noticed two people standing in the middle of the room. His breath hitched as he saw both Gandalf and Lady Galadriel strapped into upright tables, weird wires and patches attached to their foreheads. Both seemed to be asleep or knocked out, their bodies still and unmoving and their eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

"I want another guard on the outside of this door," the other person said, he had black hair and long, strange earlobes as well as purplish eyes. "The Founder doesn't want to take any chances of escape now that we discovered that team outside the compound. The patrols still have not been able to find the odd one the Founder has been sensing. As First, I expect you not to let us down in your duty here."

"Understood," the first voice said that came from a creature that reminded Frodo of an orc but was scaly like the dragons Bilbo told him stories about. He also resembled some of the evil soldiers who had boarded his ship then kidnapped Gandalf and Lady Galadriel. "My Second will be on guard with me as well."

"Good," the pale one replied as the sound of a door was heard opening. "I will check on you within the hour."

The door closed and no other noises could be heard. Both of the people Frodo had observed left the room leaving only the two they had been seeking alone.

"If we can wake up Gandalf we would have no trouble escaping here," Frodo whispered to Odo who was still nearby. "And Lady Galadriel will be able to help us find the others somewhere in here. She'll use her mind to find them."

"That sounds like a good idea," Odo said as he oozed through the small holes into the other room. "I'll believe you people on what you know about your friends since it seems everyone has some interesting... gifts."

Frodo watched as Odo came to his solid form again and began to unlatch the grate from inside the room. He opened it quietly, not letting it bang or smash against anything that would make the guards outside the room investigate. The hobbit climbed out of the wall and found himself looking at the strange contraptions that held his friends.

"How do we get them out and wake them?" Frodo asked.

"It shouldn't be too difficult," Odo whispered as he tapped some keys on a panel nearby.

After a few moments, a chirp from the machine was heard and the restraints snapped open just as a field dissipated that had been over the elf and wizard. Slowly they seemed to come out of their haze, looking around in confusion. Odo walked up to them, disconnecting and removing the wires that were reading their life signs and who knew what else.

"Gandalf!" Frodo exclaimed happily as the White Wizard finally laid his eyes upon him. "We came to rescue you!"

"As it seems you have," Gandalf said with a smile, though a touch of uncertainty as to where he was, lined his eyes. "We must go with haste, it is not safe here."

Frodo took Galadriel's hand and helped her from where she had been placed as they walked toward the door.

"This is Odo, he came with me to find you," Frodo introduced the Changeling to the others. "Don't worry, he is on our side."

"So he is," Gandalf nodded. "He does not share the thoughts or purpose of the others like him from what I can sense."

"I can assure you I do not," Odo said with a nod. "But as you said, we need to go quickly."

"This way," Gandalf said as he headed toward the door on the way to their escape.