c h a p t e r 2
E I D O L O N
The crew flees from Deep Space 9 to Koralis, an unclaimed system near Regulon, their ultimate destination. The Ferengi liquidator Ruhl offers to negotiate a freight contract between SS Fawkes and Prograde Services, a struggling mining company headquarteron Koralis III. While some of the crew interacts with the miners, the others work to restore the freighter to proper order.
DAY ONE STARDATE 65387.14
At 1430, with no disaster eminent, Eidelwel explains to the bridge crew that they are bound for a small Bajor System planet called Koralis III, where Ruhl intends to arrange a carrier contract for them with a local mining concern. She asks Haskins and McGee to look into the shield system, which is offline, and the disruptor batteries in the aft section. Zanaz is dispatched to the records room to find materials relating to Kristiana Petrova, while Eidelwel takes Sherlock and Ysil down to the wardroom to discuss the container recovery with Berek and Olmquist. Berek agrees to find the container with Ysil and Sherlock, while Olmquist asks for permission to prepare Sickbay for Creon's visit, although he does not explain her pregnancy.
Warner, McGee, Haskins and Ecbe remain on the bridge for a while. They discover that the small bridge food replicator doesn't work. Ecbe and McGee elect to go down the galley for lunch, with the latter offering to meet Haskins at the quarterdeck at 1630 to check out the ship's tactical systems.
Zanaz heads down to the L-504, the records room. It is a mess, and while she makes some sense of the filing system, it becomes clear that a great deal of information is missing, including the personnel files. She eventually finds an insurance form that offers a limited amount of information about Kristiana Petrova, but nothing relevant to her personal possessions. She gives up and heads for the commissary to eat, taking the form and Ysil's binder with her.
At 1510 Eidelwel arrives in the passenger commissary to speak with Ruhl, Flaxen and Creon. Ruhl reveals that his destination on Regulon is a man-made island called Aumarot, and that there he must meet with a man named Traniborus Protophylarchus, leader of the Syphogranti (Regulon's governing council) to discuss a finance deal. He also explains that Prograde Services, the mysterious mining company on Koralis III, is willing to send a shipment of pergium to the Syphogranti, though not why neither party in the deal is eager to avoid federal oversight. Flaxen reveals that Kronig is in league with the smugglers, but Ruhl pretends to overlook any mention of the smuggled weapons.
Berek, Keren and Sherlock head down to Deck 5 to begin the recovery effort. Keren tries to coax more information out of Berek, especially concerning Gamin Reshk's interest in the container, but she is shut down. They find the compartment beneath W-410 that they must use to remove the container from the drainage tank, but they don't have the proper equipment. They go in search of the tool rooms on the lower decks to find what they need.
Afterwards Eidelwel invites Creon to come to Sickbay. They cross the bowline, where they bump into McGee going in the opposite direction. McGee passes himself off as the Fawkes XO, but drops the fact that he is going to Deck 7 to have lunch.
Creon is examined by Olmquist. She and her baby are revealed to be fundamentally Vulcanoid. Olmquist offers to arrange the use of crew water showers for her, as well as a vitamin regimen.
At 1545 Eidelwel heads back to engineering control to check up on Behr, who claims to be uninterested in money. He also predicts that the ship could run for about a month without catastrophic problems. Eidelwel mentions Bambatte, but contacting him means using Federation channels, which runs them the risk of exposure.
After escorting Creon back to the passenger area, Olmquist heads to the wardroom for a wine-fueled lunch and there encounters Zanaz, now busy studying the Droz case summary. They have a tense exchange, and Zanaz is led to believe that she and McGee will be ejected from Fawkes at the earliest opportunity.
Creon discovers McGee hanging out in the small observation area where he and Zanaz once found evidence of an old crew member's arrest. They speak pleasantly for a little while; then she attacks and murders him.
Olmquist goes up to the bridge to give Warner his lunch. They discuss the possibility that Warner will be given command of Fawkes while Eidelwel finishes out her Starfleet contract, and where they will go if that happens. Warner is willing to sell the weapons to help fund the business, but Olmquist thinks they could use the weapons to expose fleet corruption and thereby end the pursuit. Olmquist volunteers to help Warner with piloting duties.
Haskins goes to meet McGee at 1630 but doesn't find him. Tracking down Eidelwel and Behr to a fuel compartment instead, he is told to check with Flaxen for any sign of McGee in the passenger area. Before she leaves Behr, Eidelwel agrees to send Sherlock and Ecbe back for some basic engineering lessons.
Meanwhile, back on DS9, Hiram has been arrested and taken to a security center interrogation room, just as he was warned he would be. Caton arrives to speak with him, in the company of a telepathic Haliian agent named Kadesh Duma. Caton explains that a transport bound for Kobliad may have taken Keren, Zanaz, Rellon, and the container with it, and that SS has sent a ship to interdict; also that a small SS unit lead by Lieutenant Molok will travel to Regulon to make certain that Fawkes isn't still involved in the plot. Hiram's apprehensions about Creon are alluded to. He is soon convinced by Caton to travel to Regulon with Molok's party.
On her way back from engineering, Eidelwel encounters Ecbe charging up the utility trucks on the Deck 6 bowline access. They call up Sherlock on the intercom and tell him to meet them at the lift so they can go to the bridge together and discuss the night watch order.
USS Borus Casmer, a UFP transport carrying Mersiel and Soodyani Bambatte, approaches Aldebaran Command, near the quadrant meridian. They are about three days travel from Lya Station Alpha, their ultimate destination.
Haskins speaks briefly with Flaxen and Creon about McGee's absence, but learns nothing. He goes to the bridge, where Eidelwel, Ecbe, Warner, Sherlock and Olmquist have gathered to discuss the agenda for the evening. Warner expresses worry about where McGee could be, but Eidelwel is not yet convinced that he is in trouble. She tells Haskins to collect Flaxen and go in search of the missing stowaway. She tells Ecbe and Sherlock that Behr would like to give them a lesson in engineering management before retiring for the night.
At 1740 Eidelwel goes down to the wardroom and finds Zanaz still there. Zanaz shows her Petrova's insurance form, but does not tell her what the case summary has to say about the old Fawkes boatswain. Eidelwel asks her if she has seen McGee lately. Zanaz claims to not know where he went after his brief visit to the galley with Ecbe a couple of hours earlier.
Meanwhile Ecbe, Sherlock and Haskins make their way through the confusing layout, trying to get back to Engineering. Both Ecbe and Haskins decide they will not trust Creon. When they find Behr, Haskins leaves them to collect Flaxen and renew the search for McGee. Ecbe and Sherlock stay and receive a basic engineering lesson from Behr so that he can safely get some rest during their journey to Koralis.
Keren and Berek venture down to Deck 9 to find equipment they can use to rescue the container from Deck 5. Nothing has been kept in order, but they do find some tools.
Back on DS9, Hiram and his SS escort head down to the docks to report for transport to Regulon aboard USS Archon, a Sabre-class frigate. He is met by Lt. Molok, leader of the SS unit assigned to determine whether or not SS Fawkes is fleeing to Regulon. Molok tells Hiram that a Kobliad Security transport was detained en route to Kobliad, but that Keren was not their prisoner. Hiram assumes it was Sask Rellon being transported to Kobliad instead, and that SS has been duped by DS9 station security into chasing the wrong ship. He criticizes the military's ability to control local security, Kobliad Security, and to mount an effective false flag operation linking Second Wave terrorists to the bomb aboard SS Fawkes. Molok says that Hiram's job is to provide combat support and to advise them on handling Keren, not to ask questions. They are informed that Archon will reach Regulon within 30 hours.
At 1815 Creon is summoned to Ruhl's chambers. He presses her for more information on the weapons cache and Kronig's involvement with the Central Bank, but she resists incriminating the procurer. Ruhl informs her that Petrova is still in prison and will not be eligible for parole for at least another year. She continues to assert her story, however, and he lets it go.
By 1900 Ecbe and Sherlock have finished their engineering lesson and head back to the bow. In the galley they discuss Creon's desire to use the showers. Zanaz approaches them, saying that Petrova is still imprisoned and that Creon is a spy of some kind. She enlists their help in trying to determine exactly who Creon is working for. Sherlock agrees to try establishing trust between himself and Creon.
Working off Zanaz's tip, Flaxen and Haskins come to the wrong engineering deck and discover McGee's body entangled in one of the turbines that help generate mooring fields. They manage to extricate most of his body, and note that he appears to have broken his neck. They decide to transport the remains to Sickbay so Olmquist can examine it.
Sherlock arrives to escort Creon to the water showers in the forward section. He is somewhat put off by her un-Vulcan manner, but they get along all right, and he helps her with the water system.
Three hours later, Eidelwel, Warner and Haskins head down to Deck 5 to see how Keren and Berek have progressed with the cache retrieval. Haskins tells them that he and Flaxen found McGee's body. They arrive to find the crate in Berek's possession. He opens it. Rather than containing weapons traceable to Section 31, as they supposed it would, the crate contains two pieces of foreign technology and a thumb drive of unknown value. Berek and Warner suggest getting rid of the crate immediately. Keren wants to look at the drive first to see what the technology is for. Eidelwel decides to put off the decision until she has had a time to think about the potential consequences.
Once they've returned to the bridge, Eidelwel tells Keren and Olmquist that McGee is dead. She asks Olmquist to help her determine whether or not it was an accident, and together they head down to Sickbay, where he examines the remains. Because rigor mortis has set in, however, Olmquist can not definitively determine the cause of McGee's neck injury. He suggests that chemicals might be available on Koralis that would help him find the answer, and that he will put McGee in cold storage until then.
On Koralis III, a Prograde Services medical staff member named Harper Drake is awakened by an alarm sounding in the Operations Complex at Western Deep Site 4, the mining company's planetary headquarters. An accident on Slope 9, the mine's lowest level, has prompted a site-wide emergency response. Drake goes down to the rally point with a couple of other staff members. They join up with the rest of the response team, led by Quodde, the Tellarite site foreman in charge of mine operations.
Once down on Slope 9, the lowest operational area of Deep Site 4, Quodde's responders begin sorting through the rubble of a partial wall collapse that has buried a crane and most of a mining team. While the majority of the group sets out to search for victims, Drake is directed to treat the team supervisor and one other worker who survived the accident. They are in shock, and the supervisor alludes to a vague warning he gave about the possibility of an accident. Drake is directed by Quodde to return the two to the infirmary in the operations complex above.
DAY TWO STARDATE 65390.86
By 0315, four surviving miners from the Slope 9 accident are being treated in the Operations Complex infirmary. Three others are confirmed dead. Others are still missing. Drake leaves to get some rest, but she is confronted in the corridor by Personnel Director Vacanjera, who is already planning to call for a resupply transport from Regulon with replacement contract workers, and needs to know whether the survivors will be fit for duty or require transfer out. Drake expresses dissatisfaction with the accident rate. Vacanjera offers to arrange a meeting for her with Dr. Mosring, the head of Koralis operations. Drake agrees.
At 0800, Zanaz approaches Ecbe and Sherlock again in the galley. They discuss Sherlock's meeting with Creon. Zanaz is pleased, and tells Sherlock to stay as close to Creon as possible, since she might try recruiting him, in which case they will be able to use Sherlock as a double agent. The rest of the crew begins to gather in the wardroom for breakfast, so they hastily break off the meeting.
At breakfast Eidelwel tells the group that McGee is dead and that the ship will arrive at Koralis III later that afternoon. Fawkes can not travel over Warp 4.6 for the time being. They debate what to do with McGee's body, and who should go down to Koralis with Ruhl. Haskins volunteers. Zanaz and Keren say they will wait and see what the situation is like there before deciding whether or not to leave. Berek volunteers to help the engineering team. Eidelwel agrees to this, but no one is sure if it's a good idea. Keren offers to help set up a payment system. Behr offers to forgo his salary, but Eidelwel rejects it, since they would get in trouble with the Merchant Marine. Keren warns them that their assets could be frozen if Starfleet suspects them of being a national security risk. Zanaz volunteers to look for Petrova's belongings, mostly to avoid having Creon in the same section as her and Ysil.
After the meeting Zanaz pulls Keren aside to discuss the implications of McGee's death. They try to establish a list of possible suspects, but come to no clear agreement on what to do. Zanaz asks if the cache was found, but Keren evades the truth, instead asking her if she has ever come across a PADD. Zanaz claims to have one in her cabin. Keren asks for and receives permission to use it.
On their way up to the bridge Warner and Haskins try to get to know each other better. They find Olmquist manning the controls. Warner speculates that Keren or Flaxen could have murdered McGee. Haskins and Olmquist are not so sure. They discuss whether or not to pursue a definite cause of death for McGee, since Starfleet interrogators will be able to use empathy to determine their knowledge of it. Warner suggests getting rid of all non-crew members as soon as possible, including Keren.
At 0945 Eidelwel takes Haskins, Olmquist, Ecbe and Flaxen to the aft section. On the way she asks Flaxen whether he is loyal to Ruhl or to her, since he gave up information about the smugglers in Ruhl's presence. Flaxen says he works for Ruhl at least until they get to Regulon. Eidelwel tells Ruhl that from now on Flaxen will be staying in the aft section, even if there aren't enough cabins for each of them. Ruhl reluctantly accepts this. He warns them that Koralis has an orbital tether and they will not be able to land directly on the surface. Olmquist gives Creon her prenatal vitamin supplement.
Once they are gone, Ruhl gives Flaxen a hard time for failing to win the confidence of the Fawkes crew. Flaxen recalls everything he has learned so far about the crew and their circumstances, including the death of McGee. Flaxen suggests that Keren might be bribed to help them offload the crate into FCA hands once they reach Regulon. Creon offers to try and use Sherlock to lure Keren to the passenger area for this purpose once they all return from Koralis.
Meanwhile Berek volunteers to help Behr as he gives Sherlock another lesson in basic engineering. Behr gives Berek his basic assessment of the ship's condition. Berek insists that previous Fawkes crews have abused the ship almost beyond recognition. He more or less directs Behr to put together a cleaning program for the engines, as he would an assistant.
By 1000 Eidelwel, Haskins, Olmquist and Ecbe are on their way down to the turbine compartment where McGee was discovered. They examine the area so Olmquist can better understand the cause of McGee's injuries. It is clear that McGee probably died very soon before entering the turbine, possibly from the fall. When they look upstairs on Deck 7, they find the observation area where he was eating lunch, but no sign of violence. They suspect that he was killed, but are not yet able to prove it. Olmquist repeats his desire to procure chemical supplies from Koralis, if possible.
At 1130 Eidelwel and Sherlock have lunch in the records office while they try to sort through Sherlock's employment paperwork. Sherlock briefly explains how he managed to escape from his temporal colony.
Meanwhile Keren goes to Zanaz's cabin to examine the contents of the thumb drive, which she has secretly removed from the crate. Using the PADD, she tries to access the drive, but is confronted with a 30-second password login she is unable to crack. Rather than let the countdown get to zero, she removes the drive and return it to the crate, having learned nothing.
Eidelwel heads back to the bridge at 1735, after assembling crude personnel files for Sherlock, Behr, Aïbe and Warner. She reckons she can afford to pay the four of them for three months on normal union salaries. Warner brings the ship out of warp and into the Koralis system, then to the planet itself. Eidelwel and Keren talk to Ruhl about making contact with Prograde Services. Then Keren and Sherlock go to man the cargo bay doors for the shuttle's exit.
By 1810 Warner has brought Fawkes into orbit over Koralis III and Ruhl has established contact with Prograde Services, the mining company that constitutes the planet's sole form of settlement. Eidelwel and Haskins head down to Cargo Bay 20 to join Olmquist and the FCA group as they load the shuttle. After a brief discussion about weapons Eidelwel leaves them to finish their launch preparations.
Within fifteen minutes the shuttle group is loaded in and prepared to leave. They are informed by Eidelwel that Fawkes is about 2,000 kilometers off the target in geosynchronous orbit. They are reassigned the call sign Alfa 340. Keren opens the cargo bay doors and Olmquist pilots the craft out and to the large orbital tether rising from Koralis III's upper atmosphere. They can see that the ship is drifting along with the planet's rotation at 11 kilometers per hour, and that one Koralis day would last on the order of 170 standard days. Six minutes' travel is required to reach the tether.
Once they reach the tether, Olmquist makes contact with the radio control station on Koralis. He is directed to land inside of the large mag-lev cargo carriage at the top end of the tether. They are forced to wait for its operation from the ground. Creon notices that the tether has a relatively modern and distinctly Romulan look to it. They are drawn into the carriage by a tow field and told to expect a forty-seven minute trip to the surface.
Eidelwel, Keren and Warner man the bridge. Eidelwel suggests that Warner handle the negotiations with the mining company in her place; he agrees. Keren tells them that the Ferengi Mining Consortium was responsible for the original operations on Koralis in the 2340s, information she gathered from the ship library. Warner suggests that Fawkes must have operated in this sector in the past. Keren suggests finding out what Berek's business offer is before telling Ruhl about the crate. She also fingers Gamin Reshk for involvement in Droz's plot to smuggle the crate over the Cardassian Union border. Behr arrives and tells them an EVA operation will be necessary to repair a couple of thrusters. He asks if auxiliary reactor batteries can be acquired from Koralis. He also offers to invest 600,000 credits of his own money into the ship, but Keren warns them again that their assets should be moved out of credit unions before the government freezes everything. Eidelwel suggests that they try to determine their legal status as soon as possible, and that she is willing to go wherever they need to in order to secure the crew's assets. Warner suggests they use the Ferengi as a go-between, but Keren warns them that Ferengi banking terms are unfavorable. Eidelwel reveals that her money is all in ASRS. Keren tells her she will almost certainly lose it.
Zanaz, while looking sniffing around for the crate on Deck 5, encounters Berek. She had intended to sell her knowledge of the cache to Creon, but can't find it. Berek reveals that the crate has indeed been recovered, and that this information has been hidden from most of the crew. He suggests that Keren has murdered McGee in order to nullify their initial partnership, and that certain Starfleet personnel did not remove the crate following the interdiction because they were working with Afsanjoori all the time. He blames the interdiction on 'other criminal elements.' He offers Zanaz the chance to receive false identification documents in exchange for helping convince the humans to give the crate to his allies. She accepts his offer.
At 1940 the mag-lev carriage reaches Koralis III's lower atmosphere. In the remaining ten minutes' journey Ruhl reminds them of the need to appear uncritical in public but watchful for any useful information about the facility. He also warns them to keep a look out for electronic surveillance. Finally they reach the landing terminal. They are greeted by Personnel Director Vacanjera, who welcomes them and offers to lead the way to the conference center, where the Director of Operations is waiting to meet them. Ruhl gives his full title: His Esteemed Eminence, Ruhl Gwimbagi Beggon-Zum ba Um, 34th Liquidator of the Almighty Ferengi Commerce Authority.
Vacanjera leads them to the operations complex, and they all get a brief look at the facility. It is built in a combination of styles, rather like the freighter, but there is a tension visible in some of the employees they pass along the route. In the conference room the FCA delegation is introduced to Tailus Mosring, head of the Koralis operation since 2385. Olmquist asks for help with medical supplies. Vacanjera offers to arrange a meeting between him and a staff member in the morning. They sit down to have dinner. Mosring reveals that his partners on Regulon have urged him to seek an angel investment from the FCA. He introduces them briefly to Dr. Kim, a site geologist who will be giving Ruhl a tour of the mine the next morning. Flaxen and Agoh are both surprised to see that Kim closely resembles Dria Freeman, the chef who was killed on Deep Space 9. Mosring accepts Ruhl's offer to subcontract Fawkes for a pergium shipment to Regulon, but warns them that the Second Wave terrorist group has stepped up its attacks on civilian freighters in the system.
Up on the ship, the crew has gathered for dinner in the commissary. Eidelwel asks them all how they wound up in the Bajor Sector. Berek refuses to answer, which unsettles Ecbe. Behr claims to have recently ended a contract with the Katsu firm, working on ships in the Vega colony. It was not good work. He mentions again that he was interested in buying Fawkes himself if the opportunity arose. Selah mentions that she was in the same prison as Droz, Ghorbanifar, and McGee, but never had the chance to meet them. The question of why Berek wanted Droz's shipment comes up, but Zanaz changes the subject, claiming they belonged to Goteborg, and that Tharissen made the deal. She maintains that SS is the real threat, not the smugglers, since they would be afraid of a government investigation. Eidelwel asks Ecbe, Sherlock and Zanaz to clear out at least one of the cargo bays in the morning, in advance of s Prograde Services cargo contract.
After dinner Haskins and Olmquist are shown to their guest quarters. Olmquist reveals that McGee did not choke to death, and that his chances of being murdered are around 80 percent. Haskins suggests that Mosring or Vacanjera might be able to tell them if Flaxen or Creon are shielding their responsibility for the murder from Betazoid telepathy. Olmquist worries about whether Dr. Drake will be able to guess what their medical supply request is for, and whether that could compromise Eidelwel's deal with Prograde Services.
At 1945 Sherlock and Behr are still working in engineering, while Berek works on the warp core. The two embark on a short trip out of the airlock on the surface of the ship to work on an aft thruster. The two successfully realign a couple of bearings, although the journey is rather perilous for Sherlock, who has never been in an EVA suit before.
Eidelwel pulls Warner aside after their own dinner to talk to Berek about his plans for the crate. Berek reveals that he and Reshk are agents for a group of Cardassian political reformers, and that the crate was intended for them. He also admits that the crate was expected to hold weapons, not mysterious technology. He falsely insists that the Federation supported Droz's attempt to move the shipment but that the Afsanjoori gang apparently found out about it and convinced corrupt officials to interdict Fawkes before it could happen. He also insists that Starfleet will not have the ability to stop them from turning over the technology to his Cardassian contacts, and once the evidence is gone, no conviction of the Fawkes crew will be possible. Eidelwel is afraid to make a commitment, and puts off the decision until they know more about the SS situation awaiting them at Regulon.
Ruhl, Agoh, Flaxen and Creon are shown to their guest quarters. Flaxen reveals that Dr. Kim reminded him of Dria Freeman, and Agoh speaks up in agreement. Creon is not convinced. Ruhl is unsure, but warns them to be on guard against the possibility that the CBL faked Freeman's death to drive the FCA away from DS9, and that the CBL may now be in league with Prograde Services.
Eidelwel goes to take a shower before turning in and finds Keren also in the washroom. Keren asserts that Reshk was responsible for setting up the deal with Droz through Tharissen and Afsanjoori, as Zanaz believed. Keren tells her that a series of Starfleet officers were assigned to Fawkes to monitor Droz's business dealings, and that Starfleet was aware of Reshk being a foreign agent. Thus, it is likely that Starfleet knew about the Droz shipment. Keren claims she had no choice in getting involved in the affair, and contradicts Zanaz by asserting that SS is less likely to be at Regulon than agents of Afsanjoori and Tharissen. She warns Eidelwel to be wary of Berek and his cause.
Several sectors away, the Bambatte family waits for the transport that will bring them from Aldebaran III to Lya Station Alpha. This will be the final leg of their expected journey, and will require four and a half days' travel, through the Taurus and Betazoid sectors. They learn that the Kzinti-UFP conflict is already drawing to an end with the success of Operation Beachhead.
DAY THREE STARDATE 65394.20
Much of the crew meets very early on in the commissary to discuss handing off the crate to Berek's Cardassian allies on Regulon III. Keren suggests that McGee was probably killed by someone attached to the FCA. Warner thinks it is better to give the crate back to the Federation, but Eidelwel is still curious about the Droz affair and suggests that they leave the sector, perhaps to hand over the crate to SFALDCOM or some other more neutral party. Ysil cautions against trusting Berek. Behr cautions against working with the Ferengi.
After breakfast Eidelwel briefly consults with Keren and Behr about supplies they might request from Prograde. Behr wants a C-series auxiliary process battery. Keren offers to help fix the engineering replicator if he can not get it working. Behr tells them that Berek has actually been helpful. They agree that bringing a transporter team aboard would be good.
At 0600 Selah meets Sherlock and Ecbe at the entrance to the cargo section. They find a broken cargo sled in the narthex which Ecbe resolves to fix at some point. They go to the cargo control office, look around, and decide finally that Bay 27 on Deck 9 is a good candidate for cleaning out. Ecbe figures out how to unsecure the hatch.
At about the same time Harper Drake is getting ready for her shift when Vacanjera approaches her about handling the request for medical supplies. Drake is told to get a handle on the crew, since their ship is not transponding. She is authorized to travel up to SS Fawkes to meet its leadership under the guise of inspecting their medical facilities. Then they go to meet Olmquist and Haskins, and Drake explains the situation. Haskins asks to contact Eidelwel about her request to come aboard.
After passing a bad night on Koralis, Ruhl and company are led by Vacanjera to meet Mosring for their tour of the Prograde mines. Ruhl asks if their carrier partner on Regulon is registered with the ISTA, but Vacanjera can't comment on the matter. In the conference center Mosring introduces them to Quodde, who will be leading the tour instead of Kim, who was called away at the last moment to another site to inspect the sudden discovery of berkelium. Flaxen and Ruhl are suspicious, but they sit down to eat.
Drake takes Olmquist up to the infirmary. He examines their supplies and finds what he needs but Drake insists that the medicine can only be given after she has approved their ship's medical facilities. Olmquist intuits that she is being sent up to spy on the ship and the crew but he is in no position to argue.
At 0645 Haskins calls Eidelwel to report on the party's progress. He is given permission to bring Drake up to the ship.
Once they are fortified, Quodde takes Mosring and the tourists down to the hoist house to start the tour. Mosring explains some of the history of the planet as well as the various attempts made to exploit its mineral resources, including that by GIG (Gil’hasneu Ibolus Getra’Poreq). Mosring offers to recommend Flaxen to the Defense Services Captain at Amaurot for a job in the Regulon armed forces. Creon reveals that she has worked for many sides, and may have contacts within the Second Wave. They take a lift down into the mine. Mosring claims that Prograde is a subsidiary of a larger company based on Klaestron. Quodde talks about pergium. Ruhl requests a meeting with Kim to discuss the other sites.
On Slope 2 Quodde commandeers a vehicle, and they set off to see the operations. Mosring talks more about the deposits and mining them. Ruhl asks about what kind of shipment they want to lay with Fawkes. Mosring claims that 14 intermodal containers ought to do it. The containers are 12 meters long with a 30,000 kg capacity. He also reveals that Prograde was forced to do a couple of deals with the Second Wave before the security deal with Regulon was arranged.
At 0800 Ecbe, Sherlock and Zanaz go down to Deck 9 to check out Bay 27. They discuss Berek, a perennial topic of crew conversation, before discovering a blast door leading into the loading area outside Division B that won't open properly, as well as a load lifter lying on the trolley track about ten meters down the bowline and a toppled-over utility truck. They finally go into the portside Bay 27 and uncover Cletus Beau's restored truck under a tarp.
Mosring continues the tour. The layout of the mines is explained, including monkey shafts and fan houses. They take a ramp down to Slope 4, where some mining is going on. A foreman shows them a 10 kg, 2000-carat bar of golden beryl, which Mosring promptly offers to Creon as a gift. Ruhl asks whether Prograde would be willing to do business with the Second Wave if they had to.
Haskins is shown back to the loading area and introduced to Lucreavus Gali, a maintenance worker who agrees to take him up to the infirmary to find Olmquist. They talk a little along the way.
In the infirmary they meet up with Olmquist and Drake. Drake is told she will have permission to go with them back to SS Fawkes.
An hour later Ecbe goes up to the bridge to report on their progress. She shows them the keys for the truck and tells them about the tools. They decide it might be worth selling the truck since they have no use for it. Selah arrives and tells Eidelwel about Berek's offer to secure her false ID in exchange for help in convincing them to give their crate to the Cardassians on Regulon. She also reveals that Berek implicated Keren in McGee's death, and asks to stay on the bridge until Olmquist returns. Warner offers to help fix the broken blast door. Ecbe claims that Bay 28 shows signs of fire damage and that Bay 26, 29 and 30 would be suitable for storing cargo.
The tour pauses at the Slope 4 lifts for refreshment. Ruhl asks whether the CBL has made any offers, then asks if Kim could be approached by Flaxen and Creon. Mosring is incredulous, but agrees to arrange for Kim to be summoned back to Site 4 for a meeting.
At 1000 Eidelwel is studying the ship's radio equipment when Selah sticks her head in. Eidelwel tells her that the team is on their way back from Koralis and she should probably pack her things if she wants to leave the ship for good. She asks Selah to consider trying to find out whether Regulon is a dangerous place for them to go. Selah is reluctant.
Ecbe and Warner go down to the storage compartment on Deck 7 to meet back up with Sherlock. They find a monkey and a guitar. Then they go to Deck 9 so Ecbe can show Warner the broken blast door, which he and Sherlock stay to fix.
Ecbe goes to the engineering section at 1030 to meet Behr about the EPS job he wants to do. She is hostile to Berek, who is working in the control room, and tells Behr that she is not necessarily qualified for the work he wants to do. They discuss things that are fixed and things that appear to still be malfunctioning. Berek insists that his cause is necessary but Ecbe is unconvinced.
Eidelwel asks Keren to come up to the radio room. Keren expects to be confronted about the tracking device, but instead she is told about Selah's plan to leave and about Berek's underhandedness. Eidelwel explains about the Cardassian group on Regulon and asks Keren if she has an alternative plan. Keren claims to have contacts on Regulon but no easy way to reach them.
Haskins, Olmquist and Drake go to the loading bay and prep the shuttle for their return to Fawkes. Drake and Haskins talk a little about their backgrounds while Olmquist concentrates on their flight plan.
At 1130 Mosring brings Ruhl and company back to the conference center. He is irritated to learn that Vacanjera has sent Drake up to Fawkes on her own initiative. He leaves briefly. Ruhl suggests that if Kim turns out to be innocent, they could try arranging a deal to sell the Fawkes container to the Second Wave via Mosring's smuggler contacts. Flaxen and Creon are skeptical, but Ruhl is pleased with his own idea.
Kim arrives at headquarters by noon. Vacanjera takes Flaxen and Creon down to the loading area to meet her. They stop long enough to get Creon a cheap Type-2 phaser knock-off. Flaxen articulates the suspicion that he and the crew still hold towards her, but Creon thinks he is unwise to apprise Ruhl of everything he knows about the ship and weapons. They confront Kim, but she turns out to look slightly different from Dria Freeman, frustrating Flaxen. He angers her by his sharp accusations before Vacanjera separates them.
Olmquist pilots Alfa 340 back to SS Fawkes. They are directed to land in Bay 16, close to the lifts, to keep Drake from being able to get a good look at the ship. They land at about 1210. Eidelwel goes down to meet them. Olmquist wants Haskins to check the cold storage compartment to make sure McGee's body is well hidden, since Drake has to examine their medical area.
At 1340 Vacanjera pulls Gali aside in the loading area, along with Bernie Hendricks and Khafi Tamm, two men from the transport department. She asks him about Haskins, then tells them they are being dispatched to Fawkes to help get her transporter systems up and running for cargo transfer. She also tells them that Mosring is curious about the ship and to keep their eyes open for any sign of a serious problem that might jeopardize the contract.
At 1430, with no disaster eminent, Eidelwel explains to the bridge crew that they are bound for a small Bajor System planet called Koralis III, where Ruhl intends to arrange a carrier contract for them with a local mining concern. She asks Haskins and McGee to look into the shield system, which is offline, and the disruptor batteries in the aft section. Zanaz is dispatched to the records room to find materials relating to Kristiana Petrova, while Eidelwel takes Sherlock and Ysil down to the wardroom to discuss the container recovery with Berek and Olmquist. Berek agrees to find the container with Ysil and Sherlock, while Olmquist asks for permission to prepare Sickbay for Creon's visit, although he does not explain her pregnancy.
Warner, McGee, Haskins and Ecbe remain on the bridge for a while. They discover that the small bridge food replicator doesn't work. Ecbe and McGee elect to go down the galley for lunch, with the latter offering to meet Haskins at the quarterdeck at 1630 to check out the ship's tactical systems.
Zanaz heads down to the L-504, the records room. It is a mess, and while she makes some sense of the filing system, it becomes clear that a great deal of information is missing, including the personnel files. She eventually finds an insurance form that offers a limited amount of information about Kristiana Petrova, but nothing relevant to her personal possessions. She gives up and heads for the commissary to eat, taking the form and Ysil's binder with her.
At 1510 Eidelwel arrives in the passenger commissary to speak with Ruhl, Flaxen and Creon. Ruhl reveals that his destination on Regulon is a man-made island called Aumarot, and that there he must meet with a man named Traniborus Protophylarchus, leader of the Syphogranti (Regulon's governing council) to discuss a finance deal. He also explains that Prograde Services, the mysterious mining company on Koralis III, is willing to send a shipment of pergium to the Syphogranti, though not why neither party in the deal is eager to avoid federal oversight. Flaxen reveals that Kronig is in league with the smugglers, but Ruhl pretends to overlook any mention of the smuggled weapons.
Berek, Keren and Sherlock head down to Deck 5 to begin the recovery effort. Keren tries to coax more information out of Berek, especially concerning Gamin Reshk's interest in the container, but she is shut down. They find the compartment beneath W-410 that they must use to remove the container from the drainage tank, but they don't have the proper equipment. They go in search of the tool rooms on the lower decks to find what they need.
Afterwards Eidelwel invites Creon to come to Sickbay. They cross the bowline, where they bump into McGee going in the opposite direction. McGee passes himself off as the Fawkes XO, but drops the fact that he is going to Deck 7 to have lunch.
Creon is examined by Olmquist. She and her baby are revealed to be fundamentally Vulcanoid. Olmquist offers to arrange the use of crew water showers for her, as well as a vitamin regimen.
At 1545 Eidelwel heads back to engineering control to check up on Behr, who claims to be uninterested in money. He also predicts that the ship could run for about a month without catastrophic problems. Eidelwel mentions Bambatte, but contacting him means using Federation channels, which runs them the risk of exposure.
After escorting Creon back to the passenger area, Olmquist heads to the wardroom for a wine-fueled lunch and there encounters Zanaz, now busy studying the Droz case summary. They have a tense exchange, and Zanaz is led to believe that she and McGee will be ejected from Fawkes at the earliest opportunity.
Creon discovers McGee hanging out in the small observation area where he and Zanaz once found evidence of an old crew member's arrest. They speak pleasantly for a little while; then she attacks and murders him.
Olmquist goes up to the bridge to give Warner his lunch. They discuss the possibility that Warner will be given command of Fawkes while Eidelwel finishes out her Starfleet contract, and where they will go if that happens. Warner is willing to sell the weapons to help fund the business, but Olmquist thinks they could use the weapons to expose fleet corruption and thereby end the pursuit. Olmquist volunteers to help Warner with piloting duties.
Haskins goes to meet McGee at 1630 but doesn't find him. Tracking down Eidelwel and Behr to a fuel compartment instead, he is told to check with Flaxen for any sign of McGee in the passenger area. Before she leaves Behr, Eidelwel agrees to send Sherlock and Ecbe back for some basic engineering lessons.
Meanwhile, back on DS9, Hiram has been arrested and taken to a security center interrogation room, just as he was warned he would be. Caton arrives to speak with him, in the company of a telepathic Haliian agent named Kadesh Duma. Caton explains that a transport bound for Kobliad may have taken Keren, Zanaz, Rellon, and the container with it, and that SS has sent a ship to interdict; also that a small SS unit lead by Lieutenant Molok will travel to Regulon to make certain that Fawkes isn't still involved in the plot. Hiram's apprehensions about Creon are alluded to. He is soon convinced by Caton to travel to Regulon with Molok's party.
On her way back from engineering, Eidelwel encounters Ecbe charging up the utility trucks on the Deck 6 bowline access. They call up Sherlock on the intercom and tell him to meet them at the lift so they can go to the bridge together and discuss the night watch order.
USS Borus Casmer, a UFP transport carrying Mersiel and Soodyani Bambatte, approaches Aldebaran Command, near the quadrant meridian. They are about three days travel from Lya Station Alpha, their ultimate destination.
Haskins speaks briefly with Flaxen and Creon about McGee's absence, but learns nothing. He goes to the bridge, where Eidelwel, Ecbe, Warner, Sherlock and Olmquist have gathered to discuss the agenda for the evening. Warner expresses worry about where McGee could be, but Eidelwel is not yet convinced that he is in trouble. She tells Haskins to collect Flaxen and go in search of the missing stowaway. She tells Ecbe and Sherlock that Behr would like to give them a lesson in engineering management before retiring for the night.
At 1740 Eidelwel goes down to the wardroom and finds Zanaz still there. Zanaz shows her Petrova's insurance form, but does not tell her what the case summary has to say about the old Fawkes boatswain. Eidelwel asks her if she has seen McGee lately. Zanaz claims to not know where he went after his brief visit to the galley with Ecbe a couple of hours earlier.
Meanwhile Ecbe, Sherlock and Haskins make their way through the confusing layout, trying to get back to Engineering. Both Ecbe and Haskins decide they will not trust Creon. When they find Behr, Haskins leaves them to collect Flaxen and renew the search for McGee. Ecbe and Sherlock stay and receive a basic engineering lesson from Behr so that he can safely get some rest during their journey to Koralis.
Keren and Berek venture down to Deck 9 to find equipment they can use to rescue the container from Deck 5. Nothing has been kept in order, but they do find some tools.
Back on DS9, Hiram and his SS escort head down to the docks to report for transport to Regulon aboard USS Archon, a Sabre-class frigate. He is met by Lt. Molok, leader of the SS unit assigned to determine whether or not SS Fawkes is fleeing to Regulon. Molok tells Hiram that a Kobliad Security transport was detained en route to Kobliad, but that Keren was not their prisoner. Hiram assumes it was Sask Rellon being transported to Kobliad instead, and that SS has been duped by DS9 station security into chasing the wrong ship. He criticizes the military's ability to control local security, Kobliad Security, and to mount an effective false flag operation linking Second Wave terrorists to the bomb aboard SS Fawkes. Molok says that Hiram's job is to provide combat support and to advise them on handling Keren, not to ask questions. They are informed that Archon will reach Regulon within 30 hours.
At 1815 Creon is summoned to Ruhl's chambers. He presses her for more information on the weapons cache and Kronig's involvement with the Central Bank, but she resists incriminating the procurer. Ruhl informs her that Petrova is still in prison and will not be eligible for parole for at least another year. She continues to assert her story, however, and he lets it go.
By 1900 Ecbe and Sherlock have finished their engineering lesson and head back to the bow. In the galley they discuss Creon's desire to use the showers. Zanaz approaches them, saying that Petrova is still imprisoned and that Creon is a spy of some kind. She enlists their help in trying to determine exactly who Creon is working for. Sherlock agrees to try establishing trust between himself and Creon.
Working off Zanaz's tip, Flaxen and Haskins come to the wrong engineering deck and discover McGee's body entangled in one of the turbines that help generate mooring fields. They manage to extricate most of his body, and note that he appears to have broken his neck. They decide to transport the remains to Sickbay so Olmquist can examine it.
Sherlock arrives to escort Creon to the water showers in the forward section. He is somewhat put off by her un-Vulcan manner, but they get along all right, and he helps her with the water system.
Three hours later, Eidelwel, Warner and Haskins head down to Deck 5 to see how Keren and Berek have progressed with the cache retrieval. Haskins tells them that he and Flaxen found McGee's body. They arrive to find the crate in Berek's possession. He opens it. Rather than containing weapons traceable to Section 31, as they supposed it would, the crate contains two pieces of foreign technology and a thumb drive of unknown value. Berek and Warner suggest getting rid of the crate immediately. Keren wants to look at the drive first to see what the technology is for. Eidelwel decides to put off the decision until she has had a time to think about the potential consequences.
Once they've returned to the bridge, Eidelwel tells Keren and Olmquist that McGee is dead. She asks Olmquist to help her determine whether or not it was an accident, and together they head down to Sickbay, where he examines the remains. Because rigor mortis has set in, however, Olmquist can not definitively determine the cause of McGee's neck injury. He suggests that chemicals might be available on Koralis that would help him find the answer, and that he will put McGee in cold storage until then.
On Koralis III, a Prograde Services medical staff member named Harper Drake is awakened by an alarm sounding in the Operations Complex at Western Deep Site 4, the mining company's planetary headquarters. An accident on Slope 9, the mine's lowest level, has prompted a site-wide emergency response. Drake goes down to the rally point with a couple of other staff members. They join up with the rest of the response team, led by Quodde, the Tellarite site foreman in charge of mine operations.
Once down on Slope 9, the lowest operational area of Deep Site 4, Quodde's responders begin sorting through the rubble of a partial wall collapse that has buried a crane and most of a mining team. While the majority of the group sets out to search for victims, Drake is directed to treat the team supervisor and one other worker who survived the accident. They are in shock, and the supervisor alludes to a vague warning he gave about the possibility of an accident. Drake is directed by Quodde to return the two to the infirmary in the operations complex above.
DAY TWO STARDATE 65390.86
By 0315, four surviving miners from the Slope 9 accident are being treated in the Operations Complex infirmary. Three others are confirmed dead. Others are still missing. Drake leaves to get some rest, but she is confronted in the corridor by Personnel Director Vacanjera, who is already planning to call for a resupply transport from Regulon with replacement contract workers, and needs to know whether the survivors will be fit for duty or require transfer out. Drake expresses dissatisfaction with the accident rate. Vacanjera offers to arrange a meeting for her with Dr. Mosring, the head of Koralis operations. Drake agrees.
At 0800, Zanaz approaches Ecbe and Sherlock again in the galley. They discuss Sherlock's meeting with Creon. Zanaz is pleased, and tells Sherlock to stay as close to Creon as possible, since she might try recruiting him, in which case they will be able to use Sherlock as a double agent. The rest of the crew begins to gather in the wardroom for breakfast, so they hastily break off the meeting.
At breakfast Eidelwel tells the group that McGee is dead and that the ship will arrive at Koralis III later that afternoon. Fawkes can not travel over Warp 4.6 for the time being. They debate what to do with McGee's body, and who should go down to Koralis with Ruhl. Haskins volunteers. Zanaz and Keren say they will wait and see what the situation is like there before deciding whether or not to leave. Berek volunteers to help the engineering team. Eidelwel agrees to this, but no one is sure if it's a good idea. Keren offers to help set up a payment system. Behr offers to forgo his salary, but Eidelwel rejects it, since they would get in trouble with the Merchant Marine. Keren warns them that their assets could be frozen if Starfleet suspects them of being a national security risk. Zanaz volunteers to look for Petrova's belongings, mostly to avoid having Creon in the same section as her and Ysil.
After the meeting Zanaz pulls Keren aside to discuss the implications of McGee's death. They try to establish a list of possible suspects, but come to no clear agreement on what to do. Zanaz asks if the cache was found, but Keren evades the truth, instead asking her if she has ever come across a PADD. Zanaz claims to have one in her cabin. Keren asks for and receives permission to use it.
On their way up to the bridge Warner and Haskins try to get to know each other better. They find Olmquist manning the controls. Warner speculates that Keren or Flaxen could have murdered McGee. Haskins and Olmquist are not so sure. They discuss whether or not to pursue a definite cause of death for McGee, since Starfleet interrogators will be able to use empathy to determine their knowledge of it. Warner suggests getting rid of all non-crew members as soon as possible, including Keren.
At 0945 Eidelwel takes Haskins, Olmquist, Ecbe and Flaxen to the aft section. On the way she asks Flaxen whether he is loyal to Ruhl or to her, since he gave up information about the smugglers in Ruhl's presence. Flaxen says he works for Ruhl at least until they get to Regulon. Eidelwel tells Ruhl that from now on Flaxen will be staying in the aft section, even if there aren't enough cabins for each of them. Ruhl reluctantly accepts this. He warns them that Koralis has an orbital tether and they will not be able to land directly on the surface. Olmquist gives Creon her prenatal vitamin supplement.
Once they are gone, Ruhl gives Flaxen a hard time for failing to win the confidence of the Fawkes crew. Flaxen recalls everything he has learned so far about the crew and their circumstances, including the death of McGee. Flaxen suggests that Keren might be bribed to help them offload the crate into FCA hands once they reach Regulon. Creon offers to try and use Sherlock to lure Keren to the passenger area for this purpose once they all return from Koralis.
Meanwhile Berek volunteers to help Behr as he gives Sherlock another lesson in basic engineering. Behr gives Berek his basic assessment of the ship's condition. Berek insists that previous Fawkes crews have abused the ship almost beyond recognition. He more or less directs Behr to put together a cleaning program for the engines, as he would an assistant.
By 1000 Eidelwel, Haskins, Olmquist and Ecbe are on their way down to the turbine compartment where McGee was discovered. They examine the area so Olmquist can better understand the cause of McGee's injuries. It is clear that McGee probably died very soon before entering the turbine, possibly from the fall. When they look upstairs on Deck 7, they find the observation area where he was eating lunch, but no sign of violence. They suspect that he was killed, but are not yet able to prove it. Olmquist repeats his desire to procure chemical supplies from Koralis, if possible.
At 1130 Eidelwel and Sherlock have lunch in the records office while they try to sort through Sherlock's employment paperwork. Sherlock briefly explains how he managed to escape from his temporal colony.
Meanwhile Keren goes to Zanaz's cabin to examine the contents of the thumb drive, which she has secretly removed from the crate. Using the PADD, she tries to access the drive, but is confronted with a 30-second password login she is unable to crack. Rather than let the countdown get to zero, she removes the drive and return it to the crate, having learned nothing.
Eidelwel heads back to the bridge at 1735, after assembling crude personnel files for Sherlock, Behr, Aïbe and Warner. She reckons she can afford to pay the four of them for three months on normal union salaries. Warner brings the ship out of warp and into the Koralis system, then to the planet itself. Eidelwel and Keren talk to Ruhl about making contact with Prograde Services. Then Keren and Sherlock go to man the cargo bay doors for the shuttle's exit.
By 1810 Warner has brought Fawkes into orbit over Koralis III and Ruhl has established contact with Prograde Services, the mining company that constitutes the planet's sole form of settlement. Eidelwel and Haskins head down to Cargo Bay 20 to join Olmquist and the FCA group as they load the shuttle. After a brief discussion about weapons Eidelwel leaves them to finish their launch preparations.
Within fifteen minutes the shuttle group is loaded in and prepared to leave. They are informed by Eidelwel that Fawkes is about 2,000 kilometers off the target in geosynchronous orbit. They are reassigned the call sign Alfa 340. Keren opens the cargo bay doors and Olmquist pilots the craft out and to the large orbital tether rising from Koralis III's upper atmosphere. They can see that the ship is drifting along with the planet's rotation at 11 kilometers per hour, and that one Koralis day would last on the order of 170 standard days. Six minutes' travel is required to reach the tether.
Once they reach the tether, Olmquist makes contact with the radio control station on Koralis. He is directed to land inside of the large mag-lev cargo carriage at the top end of the tether. They are forced to wait for its operation from the ground. Creon notices that the tether has a relatively modern and distinctly Romulan look to it. They are drawn into the carriage by a tow field and told to expect a forty-seven minute trip to the surface.
Eidelwel, Keren and Warner man the bridge. Eidelwel suggests that Warner handle the negotiations with the mining company in her place; he agrees. Keren tells them that the Ferengi Mining Consortium was responsible for the original operations on Koralis in the 2340s, information she gathered from the ship library. Warner suggests that Fawkes must have operated in this sector in the past. Keren suggests finding out what Berek's business offer is before telling Ruhl about the crate. She also fingers Gamin Reshk for involvement in Droz's plot to smuggle the crate over the Cardassian Union border. Behr arrives and tells them an EVA operation will be necessary to repair a couple of thrusters. He asks if auxiliary reactor batteries can be acquired from Koralis. He also offers to invest 600,000 credits of his own money into the ship, but Keren warns them again that their assets should be moved out of credit unions before the government freezes everything. Eidelwel suggests that they try to determine their legal status as soon as possible, and that she is willing to go wherever they need to in order to secure the crew's assets. Warner suggests they use the Ferengi as a go-between, but Keren warns them that Ferengi banking terms are unfavorable. Eidelwel reveals that her money is all in ASRS. Keren tells her she will almost certainly lose it.
Zanaz, while looking sniffing around for the crate on Deck 5, encounters Berek. She had intended to sell her knowledge of the cache to Creon, but can't find it. Berek reveals that the crate has indeed been recovered, and that this information has been hidden from most of the crew. He suggests that Keren has murdered McGee in order to nullify their initial partnership, and that certain Starfleet personnel did not remove the crate following the interdiction because they were working with Afsanjoori all the time. He blames the interdiction on 'other criminal elements.' He offers Zanaz the chance to receive false identification documents in exchange for helping convince the humans to give the crate to his allies. She accepts his offer.
At 1940 the mag-lev carriage reaches Koralis III's lower atmosphere. In the remaining ten minutes' journey Ruhl reminds them of the need to appear uncritical in public but watchful for any useful information about the facility. He also warns them to keep a look out for electronic surveillance. Finally they reach the landing terminal. They are greeted by Personnel Director Vacanjera, who welcomes them and offers to lead the way to the conference center, where the Director of Operations is waiting to meet them. Ruhl gives his full title: His Esteemed Eminence, Ruhl Gwimbagi Beggon-Zum ba Um, 34th Liquidator of the Almighty Ferengi Commerce Authority.
Vacanjera leads them to the operations complex, and they all get a brief look at the facility. It is built in a combination of styles, rather like the freighter, but there is a tension visible in some of the employees they pass along the route. In the conference room the FCA delegation is introduced to Tailus Mosring, head of the Koralis operation since 2385. Olmquist asks for help with medical supplies. Vacanjera offers to arrange a meeting between him and a staff member in the morning. They sit down to have dinner. Mosring reveals that his partners on Regulon have urged him to seek an angel investment from the FCA. He introduces them briefly to Dr. Kim, a site geologist who will be giving Ruhl a tour of the mine the next morning. Flaxen and Agoh are both surprised to see that Kim closely resembles Dria Freeman, the chef who was killed on Deep Space 9. Mosring accepts Ruhl's offer to subcontract Fawkes for a pergium shipment to Regulon, but warns them that the Second Wave terrorist group has stepped up its attacks on civilian freighters in the system.
Up on the ship, the crew has gathered for dinner in the commissary. Eidelwel asks them all how they wound up in the Bajor Sector. Berek refuses to answer, which unsettles Ecbe. Behr claims to have recently ended a contract with the Katsu firm, working on ships in the Vega colony. It was not good work. He mentions again that he was interested in buying Fawkes himself if the opportunity arose. Selah mentions that she was in the same prison as Droz, Ghorbanifar, and McGee, but never had the chance to meet them. The question of why Berek wanted Droz's shipment comes up, but Zanaz changes the subject, claiming they belonged to Goteborg, and that Tharissen made the deal. She maintains that SS is the real threat, not the smugglers, since they would be afraid of a government investigation. Eidelwel asks Ecbe, Sherlock and Zanaz to clear out at least one of the cargo bays in the morning, in advance of s Prograde Services cargo contract.
After dinner Haskins and Olmquist are shown to their guest quarters. Olmquist reveals that McGee did not choke to death, and that his chances of being murdered are around 80 percent. Haskins suggests that Mosring or Vacanjera might be able to tell them if Flaxen or Creon are shielding their responsibility for the murder from Betazoid telepathy. Olmquist worries about whether Dr. Drake will be able to guess what their medical supply request is for, and whether that could compromise Eidelwel's deal with Prograde Services.
At 1945 Sherlock and Behr are still working in engineering, while Berek works on the warp core. The two embark on a short trip out of the airlock on the surface of the ship to work on an aft thruster. The two successfully realign a couple of bearings, although the journey is rather perilous for Sherlock, who has never been in an EVA suit before.
Eidelwel pulls Warner aside after their own dinner to talk to Berek about his plans for the crate. Berek reveals that he and Reshk are agents for a group of Cardassian political reformers, and that the crate was intended for them. He also admits that the crate was expected to hold weapons, not mysterious technology. He falsely insists that the Federation supported Droz's attempt to move the shipment but that the Afsanjoori gang apparently found out about it and convinced corrupt officials to interdict Fawkes before it could happen. He also insists that Starfleet will not have the ability to stop them from turning over the technology to his Cardassian contacts, and once the evidence is gone, no conviction of the Fawkes crew will be possible. Eidelwel is afraid to make a commitment, and puts off the decision until they know more about the SS situation awaiting them at Regulon.
Ruhl, Agoh, Flaxen and Creon are shown to their guest quarters. Flaxen reveals that Dr. Kim reminded him of Dria Freeman, and Agoh speaks up in agreement. Creon is not convinced. Ruhl is unsure, but warns them to be on guard against the possibility that the CBL faked Freeman's death to drive the FCA away from DS9, and that the CBL may now be in league with Prograde Services.
Eidelwel goes to take a shower before turning in and finds Keren also in the washroom. Keren asserts that Reshk was responsible for setting up the deal with Droz through Tharissen and Afsanjoori, as Zanaz believed. Keren tells her that a series of Starfleet officers were assigned to Fawkes to monitor Droz's business dealings, and that Starfleet was aware of Reshk being a foreign agent. Thus, it is likely that Starfleet knew about the Droz shipment. Keren claims she had no choice in getting involved in the affair, and contradicts Zanaz by asserting that SS is less likely to be at Regulon than agents of Afsanjoori and Tharissen. She warns Eidelwel to be wary of Berek and his cause.
Several sectors away, the Bambatte family waits for the transport that will bring them from Aldebaran III to Lya Station Alpha. This will be the final leg of their expected journey, and will require four and a half days' travel, through the Taurus and Betazoid sectors. They learn that the Kzinti-UFP conflict is already drawing to an end with the success of Operation Beachhead.
DAY THREE STARDATE 65394.20
Much of the crew meets very early on in the commissary to discuss handing off the crate to Berek's Cardassian allies on Regulon III. Keren suggests that McGee was probably killed by someone attached to the FCA. Warner thinks it is better to give the crate back to the Federation, but Eidelwel is still curious about the Droz affair and suggests that they leave the sector, perhaps to hand over the crate to SFALDCOM or some other more neutral party. Ysil cautions against trusting Berek. Behr cautions against working with the Ferengi.
After breakfast Eidelwel briefly consults with Keren and Behr about supplies they might request from Prograde. Behr wants a C-series auxiliary process battery. Keren offers to help fix the engineering replicator if he can not get it working. Behr tells them that Berek has actually been helpful. They agree that bringing a transporter team aboard would be good.
At 0600 Selah meets Sherlock and Ecbe at the entrance to the cargo section. They find a broken cargo sled in the narthex which Ecbe resolves to fix at some point. They go to the cargo control office, look around, and decide finally that Bay 27 on Deck 9 is a good candidate for cleaning out. Ecbe figures out how to unsecure the hatch.
At about the same time Harper Drake is getting ready for her shift when Vacanjera approaches her about handling the request for medical supplies. Drake is told to get a handle on the crew, since their ship is not transponding. She is authorized to travel up to SS Fawkes to meet its leadership under the guise of inspecting their medical facilities. Then they go to meet Olmquist and Haskins, and Drake explains the situation. Haskins asks to contact Eidelwel about her request to come aboard.
After passing a bad night on Koralis, Ruhl and company are led by Vacanjera to meet Mosring for their tour of the Prograde mines. Ruhl asks if their carrier partner on Regulon is registered with the ISTA, but Vacanjera can't comment on the matter. In the conference center Mosring introduces them to Quodde, who will be leading the tour instead of Kim, who was called away at the last moment to another site to inspect the sudden discovery of berkelium. Flaxen and Ruhl are suspicious, but they sit down to eat.
Drake takes Olmquist up to the infirmary. He examines their supplies and finds what he needs but Drake insists that the medicine can only be given after she has approved their ship's medical facilities. Olmquist intuits that she is being sent up to spy on the ship and the crew but he is in no position to argue.
At 0645 Haskins calls Eidelwel to report on the party's progress. He is given permission to bring Drake up to the ship.
Once they are fortified, Quodde takes Mosring and the tourists down to the hoist house to start the tour. Mosring explains some of the history of the planet as well as the various attempts made to exploit its mineral resources, including that by GIG (Gil’hasneu Ibolus Getra’Poreq). Mosring offers to recommend Flaxen to the Defense Services Captain at Amaurot for a job in the Regulon armed forces. Creon reveals that she has worked for many sides, and may have contacts within the Second Wave. They take a lift down into the mine. Mosring claims that Prograde is a subsidiary of a larger company based on Klaestron. Quodde talks about pergium. Ruhl requests a meeting with Kim to discuss the other sites.
On Slope 2 Quodde commandeers a vehicle, and they set off to see the operations. Mosring talks more about the deposits and mining them. Ruhl asks about what kind of shipment they want to lay with Fawkes. Mosring claims that 14 intermodal containers ought to do it. The containers are 12 meters long with a 30,000 kg capacity. He also reveals that Prograde was forced to do a couple of deals with the Second Wave before the security deal with Regulon was arranged.
At 0800 Ecbe, Sherlock and Zanaz go down to Deck 9 to check out Bay 27. They discuss Berek, a perennial topic of crew conversation, before discovering a blast door leading into the loading area outside Division B that won't open properly, as well as a load lifter lying on the trolley track about ten meters down the bowline and a toppled-over utility truck. They finally go into the portside Bay 27 and uncover Cletus Beau's restored truck under a tarp.
Mosring continues the tour. The layout of the mines is explained, including monkey shafts and fan houses. They take a ramp down to Slope 4, where some mining is going on. A foreman shows them a 10 kg, 2000-carat bar of golden beryl, which Mosring promptly offers to Creon as a gift. Ruhl asks whether Prograde would be willing to do business with the Second Wave if they had to.
Haskins is shown back to the loading area and introduced to Lucreavus Gali, a maintenance worker who agrees to take him up to the infirmary to find Olmquist. They talk a little along the way.
In the infirmary they meet up with Olmquist and Drake. Drake is told she will have permission to go with them back to SS Fawkes.
An hour later Ecbe goes up to the bridge to report on their progress. She shows them the keys for the truck and tells them about the tools. They decide it might be worth selling the truck since they have no use for it. Selah arrives and tells Eidelwel about Berek's offer to secure her false ID in exchange for help in convincing them to give their crate to the Cardassians on Regulon. She also reveals that Berek implicated Keren in McGee's death, and asks to stay on the bridge until Olmquist returns. Warner offers to help fix the broken blast door. Ecbe claims that Bay 28 shows signs of fire damage and that Bay 26, 29 and 30 would be suitable for storing cargo.
The tour pauses at the Slope 4 lifts for refreshment. Ruhl asks whether the CBL has made any offers, then asks if Kim could be approached by Flaxen and Creon. Mosring is incredulous, but agrees to arrange for Kim to be summoned back to Site 4 for a meeting.
At 1000 Eidelwel is studying the ship's radio equipment when Selah sticks her head in. Eidelwel tells her that the team is on their way back from Koralis and she should probably pack her things if she wants to leave the ship for good. She asks Selah to consider trying to find out whether Regulon is a dangerous place for them to go. Selah is reluctant.
Ecbe and Warner go down to the storage compartment on Deck 7 to meet back up with Sherlock. They find a monkey and a guitar. Then they go to Deck 9 so Ecbe can show Warner the broken blast door, which he and Sherlock stay to fix.
Ecbe goes to the engineering section at 1030 to meet Behr about the EPS job he wants to do. She is hostile to Berek, who is working in the control room, and tells Behr that she is not necessarily qualified for the work he wants to do. They discuss things that are fixed and things that appear to still be malfunctioning. Berek insists that his cause is necessary but Ecbe is unconvinced.
Eidelwel asks Keren to come up to the radio room. Keren expects to be confronted about the tracking device, but instead she is told about Selah's plan to leave and about Berek's underhandedness. Eidelwel explains about the Cardassian group on Regulon and asks Keren if she has an alternative plan. Keren claims to have contacts on Regulon but no easy way to reach them.
Haskins, Olmquist and Drake go to the loading bay and prep the shuttle for their return to Fawkes. Drake and Haskins talk a little about their backgrounds while Olmquist concentrates on their flight plan.
At 1130 Mosring brings Ruhl and company back to the conference center. He is irritated to learn that Vacanjera has sent Drake up to Fawkes on her own initiative. He leaves briefly. Ruhl suggests that if Kim turns out to be innocent, they could try arranging a deal to sell the Fawkes container to the Second Wave via Mosring's smuggler contacts. Flaxen and Creon are skeptical, but Ruhl is pleased with his own idea.
Kim arrives at headquarters by noon. Vacanjera takes Flaxen and Creon down to the loading area to meet her. They stop long enough to get Creon a cheap Type-2 phaser knock-off. Flaxen articulates the suspicion that he and the crew still hold towards her, but Creon thinks he is unwise to apprise Ruhl of everything he knows about the ship and weapons. They confront Kim, but she turns out to look slightly different from Dria Freeman, frustrating Flaxen. He angers her by his sharp accusations before Vacanjera separates them.
Olmquist pilots Alfa 340 back to SS Fawkes. They are directed to land in Bay 16, close to the lifts, to keep Drake from being able to get a good look at the ship. They land at about 1210. Eidelwel goes down to meet them. Olmquist wants Haskins to check the cold storage compartment to make sure McGee's body is well hidden, since Drake has to examine their medical area.
At 1340 Vacanjera pulls Gali aside in the loading area, along with Bernie Hendricks and Khafi Tamm, two men from the transport department. She asks him about Haskins, then tells them they are being dispatched to Fawkes to help get her transporter systems up and running for cargo transfer. She also tells them that Mosring is curious about the ship and to keep their eyes open for any sign of a serious problem that might jeopardize the contract.