Chapter 8 - The Distress Call.

After they returned to the Andromeda, Harper stayed in his machine shop for two days straight. The rest of the Andromeda crew went about their duties with ha;lf a heart, while they waited for word on Rommie. Dylan became more and more nervous, the longer that Harper was in the machine shop, he had locked the doors and engaged privacy mode, the more chance that Rommie would be beyond the skills of Harper to fix.

Even Tyr had admitted to Odo that if Harper couldn't fix her, then no one could. Trance had returned from the station, and taken it upon herself to spend some time with the two DS 9 visitors, more of a distraction for herself as they waited for word from Harper.

The Andromeda had left the station and patrolled the Bajoran system, checking for any of the surviving Dominion ships that had fled the battle. Odo and Dax had taken the opportunity to stay on the High Guard vessel.

Odo and Dax had both warmed to Trance, and enjoyed spending time with her. After some subtle, yet probing questions, Trance had tried to explain the crews reaction to Rommie.

" It's different when it's Rommie who's damaged. She is normally the one who remains strong. Even though she is a copy of the Andromeda's AI, when Harper built the Avatar body he tweaked the programming in the body. He gave her more pronounced emotional states, and as a result, a slightly different personality than the ship itself "

" Although we say she is a warship, which she is, Rommie has become more of the Andromeda's little sister. " Trance clarified

Dax then interrupts,

" But your closer to Rommmie, because she has more pronounced emotions "

" Basically, yes, but we feel for the ship as well." Trance pauses " She has also become the heart of the crew. Especially for Dylan. Ever since he woke up from being trapped for 300 years, he has become much closer to the ship, but more so the Avatar. If Harper is unable to fix Rommie, I don't know how Dylan will react."

" I see " was all Odo said, clearly wanting to ask more, but decided not to push the subject as it was obviously a hard subject for Trance, so he let it drop.

" Harper has requested that all crew members meet me out side the machine shop " came Andromeda's voice over the ships intercom. .

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At Trance's urging, Dax and Odo also responded to Harper's call. Suddenly the door to the machine shop opened and Rommie walked out to be greeted by her crew.

Tyr just smiled and walked away. While he was just as concerned about Rommie, he would never openly show his emotions for a machine.

Dylan, with the biggest smile on his face, thanked Harper, while Beka just hugged Rommie. Dax and Odo felt like they were intruding, so they just wandered away.

As they walk into command, the two DS 9 crew members found Tyr already there

" Good, you're here" Tyr said as they approached " I was about to call you. Captain Sisko has just contacted us, he wants to talk to you. "

" Thank you Mr Anazasi " Replies Odo.

" Ship, patch the good Captain to the main view screen "

Suddenly Ben Sisko's face appears on the monitor.

" Commander, Odo. " Sisko says, in way of greeting, before changing topic "how is your crew man doing? ?

" She has recovered "Tyr answers simply " Thank you for your concern "

" Commander Dax, " Sisko continues " Have you been able to make any progress on how or why the Andromeda came through the Wormhole ?"

With the events of the last few days, that question had not been given the time it really deserved, Tyr thought to himself .

" Not really I'm afraid. Harper, who I really need to help me understand these readings, has been busy repairing Rommie "

" I See. Your due to return to the station in a few hours. Could you please ask Captain Hunt if he could return with you. I need speak to him. I have a request to ask of him "

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Captain Hunt emerged from the turbolift into Ops, Tyr followed him. As they descended the few steps in to the centre of the room, Major Kira waiting for them. Hunt quickly glanced around the room, reflecting on the fact that it was nowhere as chaotic as the last time he was here.

" Major "

" Captain " Kira greets warmly. " I understand that Rommie has made a full recovery. "

" She has indeed " Dylan replies. " Allow me to formally introduce Tyr Anazasi, out of Victoria by Barabrosa, of the Kodiak pride. Tyr, this is Major Kira, first officer of Deep Space 9. "

" Greetings, I am sure " Tyr responds, politely.

" Pleased to meet you. " Kira pauses " The Captain has been expecting you, he's waiting in his office " Kira states, pointing to the office at the top of a flight of stairs.

Dylan and Tyr ascend the steps and proceed straight into Sisko's office.

Sisko had seen then approach and stood up from behind his desk as they entered.

" Captain Sisko, allow me to introduce Tyr Anazasi,out of Victoria by Barabrosa, of the Kodiak pride. " Dylan says for the second time in two minutes " Tyr is my head of security and weapons officer. Tyr this Captain Ben Sisko, commander of this station. "

Sisko and Tyr exchange pleasantries, both sizing the other up. Tyr is wearing his black boots, leather trousers and his chain mail vest. It was only the bone blades that had Sisko a bit concerned.

" I understand from Commander Dax that Mr Worf was injured during the battle two days ago " Tyr states " Is he recovered ?"

" He's fine, he should be back on duty tomorrow " Sisko replies " can I offer you anything ?"

Both Tyr and Dylan politely refuse.

" Very well. Allow me to explain the reason I requested this meeting. As you know we are cut from our supplies, reinforcements, and our comm's are being jammed. I cannot risk sending the Defiant out of the system in case she is needed here, and Martok's bird of Prey took a severe beating and really needs a dry dock. I understand from your briefing that your ships operate a device, the slip stream drive ? I would like to know if you could possibly use it to take some of my injured crew to Earth, wait 2 of 3 days and then return ? "

Tyr knew that Dylan would say yes to the request, so he spoke before Dylan could

" Why is that I feel a but coming "

" Well, we are cut off from outside this system. The Jem Hadar are jamming all transmission, every frequency. If I understood your briefing correctly, you literally hop from one system to the next. But I can no longer say for certain which systems are under our control, or if any have fallen to the Dominion. "

" I see " respond's the Andromeda's Captain, while Tyr remains quiet " The Andromeda is not currently able to make the journey. During the accident that brought us here we took severe damage to our slip drive, "

Tyr was horrified, but not surprised that Dylan was revealing, to his mind, information about a potential weakness.

" However " Dylan continued " the Eureka Maru, the ship that first attracted your attention can easily make the journey. We will need 3 hours to convert the cargo hold to support the injured. Please have your medical staff report on board the Andromeda in 30 minutes, to aid in setting up care for the wounded."

" Agreed " Sisko responds " I will have Mr Worf prepare a list of the systems which should still be safe to traverse. Also, with your permission, I want Worf to accompany you. Once you arrive in the sol system, he will have to contact the system defence forces. "

" Very well " Hunt says, turning to Tyr " I would like you to accompany Beka, Worf and the injured on the Maru. "

" How many injured would you like us to carry ?" Tyr asks

" We have 85 injured who are in need of better care facilities than we have here on the station . The Jem Hadar are very efficient, as you have seen "

" By the way, have you found the real Doctor Bashir ? " Tyr asks " or at least the reason why he was replaced? "

" Yes, It turns out that he was only replaced two days ago. He was actually in a hidden status unit in a storage space at the back of his own office. " Sisko pauses " The one place we never looked in the past, and the one place nobody would question the power drain from a status unit being switched on "

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The following day - on board the Eureka Maru.

Beka sits with Bashir in the Maru's small kitchen area, both of them having a brief break from piloting and supervising the injured on board. Worf and Tyr are sat in the cockpit, Tyr at the helm, while Worf is doing his best to understand the alien weapon system controls.

" We will arrive at the next jump point in roughly 15 minutes " Tyr tells Worf, then activates the auto pilot and retracts the seat from the controls.

" I understand that your species operate a Pride system, your are a member of the Kodiak Pride, I believe you said. " Worf queries a few minutes later " It sounds similar to the house system that we Klingon's use "

Tyr then goes to explain the pride system, the Nitcheazean philosophy, and therefore the obsession with ' good genes '. He also mentions, including Worf in a small number of people who he has told, about the slaughter of the Kodiak's and his quest for revenge.

" Surely though, as you survived such a massacre, you genes would be in demand, as you demonstrated good survival traits "

" While in the smaller prides that is so, some of the more powerful tribes do not share this belief. They believe that since I come from the Kodiak, and we never saw the attack coming, we are inferior. While it was true we didn't see the attack coming, it was only because the attackers were from a pride that was supposed to be one of our closest allies. "

" The power the larger prides wield as a result of their size has created great arrogance. It is argued that they were also the driving force behind the revolt that destroyed the commonwealth. The smaller prides such as my own had to go along or be destroyed. But all they did was make our entire galaxy less able to with stand the magog threat. "

Tyr is quiet for a moment, not sure why he is freely telling Worf so many of his own private thoughts. He tries to change the topic of conversation

" There is also a reason that Dylan did not want Harper to come on this trip. "

" Really, what would that be ? "

Tyr is not sure how to phrase what he is trying to say.

" I understand that this Earth is considered a paradise " he says cautiously

" That is so, until the changeling's bombed a conference there had not been a murder on Earth in many years "

Tyr is quiet for a moment

" Our Earth, as well as many other planets, is now a slave world. The most powerful alliance of prides, the Drago - Katsov, control that world. My own pride was against the use of slaves, we hired people to do some of the more unpleasant and mundane jobs, mining, equipment maintance etc. But we treat them well, paid them a good wage and never insisted that they work in unsafe environment's" .

" The Drago - Katsov saw this as not being superior. Take Mr Harper for example, he has survived more trials than anyone I know. He is only 23, has the worst gene that I have ever seen, but has survived on Earth for 18 years, lost most of his family, either to Magog swarms, disease, starvation, or Drago - Katsov death squads. On the Andromeda he was infected with Magog lavae, he has the worst immune system I have ever heard of, yet survives? Is he that inferior ? " Tyr was shocked that he was drawn to tell Worf so much of his feelings and opinions regarding Harper

" Obviously it is these Drago Katsov that are inferior, as well as honourless, " Worf states simply, but before he can continue, an alarm starts beeping. Tyr focuses on the screen in front of him.

Beka and Julian also hear the alarm from the kitchen and enter the cockpit,

" Tyr, what's going on " Beka asks as he slides the pilots chair forward, so he can reach the controls

" We are receiving a transmission from a vessel, putting on speakers "

Suddenly a voice comes over the speakers. The voice speaks English but with a strange accent. Bashir recognises it from one of the Federations many colony worlds.

" This is Federation vessel USS Exeter. Any allied vessel in the area, please respond "

Worf feels all eyes on him

" The Exeter is an ageing Excelsior class long range cruiser. She was due to be de-commissioned, but with the war every vessel is in great demand. Permission to reply ? "

After receiving a nod from Beka, Tyr activates the comm system. Worf speaks into the unit.

" Attention Exeter, this is Commander Worf of DS 9. What is nature of the distress ? "

"Thank the lord, this is Lieutenant Kidd, night watch officer and senior surviving officer of the Exeter. We have had an encounter with two Cardassian warships, both have taken severe damage, but we are equally crippled. We are operating on batteries only and have many injured on board. Formally requesting a tow, medical relief and engineering crews. "

" Understood, what is you location ? "

" In system Epslion Delta. I have positioned the ship at system code 3323 "

Worf toggles the comm off " Doctor, how many more casualties can you cater for ? "

Bashir looks thoughtful for briefly before speaking " 25 in relative comfort. But we will find a way of making room for all that need it "

" Good, an average Excelsior class ship carries a crew of anywhere between 400 - 500 " Worf is quiet for a moment, before speaking directly to Beka. " In a space battle, there would mean that you can expect anywhere between 100 - 150 survivors. "

" Captain Valentine, I request that we alter course and go to the aid of the Exeter "

Beka just nods, and Tyr changes course, and begins planning a route to the stricken ship.

Worf re-toggles the comm

"Mr Kidd "

" Aye Sir "

" We are en-route, our ETA is ....." He looks at Beka, who is consulting some nav displays " roughly 40 minutes "

" ETA is 40 minutes "

" Understood, Kidd out "

Bashir is the first to speak

" I'll go and arrange medical as best I can "

Worf looks at Tyr

" I would be grateful if you could board the Exeter with me. We will need to do a quick sweep of the ship, to look for anymore injured that they may of missed " Tyr just nods once, concentrating on piloting the ship.

" I'll let DS 9 and the Andromeda know what's going on. " Beka offers as Tyr calls on the ships helm.

" Brace for slip stream "