Tuvic sat patiently in his chair watching the stars fly by as his executive officer studied the display he was sitting in front of. "Captain… I've been reviewing the distress call, and there is something odd about thirty seconds in." commander Manning said, looking up from where he was sitting. "Please… continue." Tuvic said. "About thirty seconds into the message, there is a echo of an earlier part of the message, and a faint after image shows up over the current image. At first I thought it was just a glitch, but I've run a diagnostic, and it came out negative." Brad continued. Tuvic stood and then walked over to where the commander was sitting. "Play the message again." Tuvic instructed. Brad hit a button and the face of a woman in her thirties appeared on the screen. Her dark brown hair had fallen down infront of her face and her shoulder was covered in blood.
"Starfleet Command, this is Doctor Kinsley at the Beta Draconis colony, we are under attack by…… crackle crackle…… need immediate assistance… Beta Draconis colony, we are under at… repeat, need immediate assistance."
"That's all, the message just repeats after that." the commander said as he stopped the message. "The part that repeated coincided with a period of static. What I don't get, is the fact that the static only cut out the audio… not the visual. We could still see the doctor talking, but what she said was covered up by static, and then the repeated part cut in, clear as when she said it earlier." Tuvic stated slightly puzzled. The computer console beeped and Brad turned to another display and hit a button. Text scrolled down the display and the commander stopped it half way down and then read a section of it. "It looks like the computer records show the same thing happening when they received the message the first time. It was probably left out of the official report because someone thought it was just interference from all of the static, and the fact that the colony was under attack." Brad reported.
"Captain we are approaching the starbase." Lieutenant Persey reported. "Drop out of warp at the edge of the system and proceed at full impulse to the rendezvous coordinates." Tuvic commanded. Tuvic walked over to his chair and sat back down. The stars seemed to slow and then come to a complete stop. "The Drake is hailing sir." Ensign Argus said. "Onscreen." Tuvic responded. "Hello captain, the fleet is ready to leave when you are, but the Expedition is having a bit of engine trouble she can't go more than warp five." Captain Lonsdale reported. "Understood captain, prepare the fleet for departure." Tuvic ordered.
"Sir, there is a starship entering the system… it's the Rutledge." the ops officer said. "The Rutledge is supposed to be in the Omicron system negotiating a peace treaty, what is she doing here?… Hail her." Tuvic said. "They are hailing us sir." the ops officer said. "Onscreen." Tuvic ordered. The face of an Andorian captain appeared on the viewscreen as Tuvic stood. "Captain… we have an ambassador here who says he needs to speak with you in person." the Andorian captain said. "I'm sorry, but we don't have time for this." Tuvic said. "Sorry, but the ambassador says his ambassadorial status overrules your orders. He's demanding to speak with you." the Andorian captain persisted. "Very well, have him transport over." Tuvic said reluctantly, and then closed the link. Tuvic stood and walked towards the turbolift. "Commander… you have the bridge." he said.
Tuvic stepped into the turbolift and turned back towards the door as it slid shut. "Transporter room one." he said bluntly. The turbolift jumped and after a short ride the doors opened and Tuvic stepped out. He walked down the corridor and into the transporter room. "Energize." Tuvic said to the ensign at the console. There was a slight humming noise as a blue light materialized into the ambassador. The ambassador took a step down and lifted the hood off of his head. "You again… must you always pester me." Tuvic said. "Well, you need guidance in this mission." the ambassador said. "Still, couldn't you have sent someone rather than come here yourself?" Tuvic asked as he left the transporter room.
"I would have normally, but these are special circumstances." the ambassador said following him out into the corridor. "I don't need my father hanging over my shoulder during this whole mission." Tuvic said. "I'm not here to judge you, the Vulcan Science Directorate sent a probe out here recently and it picked up some very strange readings… you're the first ship I've found that could take me to the Beta Draconis system. The Rutledge has to return to the Omicron system to oversee the end of the peace talks." Tolaak responded. "Fine, just don't interfere." Tuvic said. "Sorry son, but I now have control over where this ship goes, and what it does when it gets there." Tolaak said. "No, you don't, I'm on strict orders from the Federation council, you are not to interfere with my mission, I will humor you but I have complete control over this mission and its personnel." Tuvic said as he walked into the turbolift.
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