Subject: Grail: "The Great Brightness" - Distress Call

<<Stardate: 47307.31- 10:00>>

<<Main Bridge>>

Captain Epic Terrakian sat still, reading the incoming reports that

all duty officers were filing at half-hour intervals. Those that

concerned him were the reports from Engineering and Sciences. The

shields were suffering a constant and powerful drain because of the

unrelenting and conflicting pressures of the star cluster. And Sciences

was reporting a massive build up of baryon particles on the ships hull.

Ordinarily, it might take a few months for baryon particles to

accumulate to the degree that the Grail was suffering after only a

couple of hours exposed to the Great Brightness. Epic only hoped that

Kerestia was stable enough a place to off-load the crew for a while. The

ship needed a baryon sweep to free them from the alarming contamination

and the high frequency plasma `bath' required to decontaminate was fatal

to organic tissue. The entire ship would need to be evacuated for the

procedure.

Of course, if Kerestia was what it was when T'Nek left it, they

should be able to find a nice quiet place for everyone to `picnic' while

the necessary decontamination was affected.

Epic looked away from the reports and rubbed his eyes. Watching the

Bridge crew, Epic started feeling that they were finally meshing as a

team. Hopefully, things would only get better.

"Sir...", Lt. Fionn called from Tactical. "I'm picking up a

distress beacon." His tone suggested incredulity.

"Can we identify them?", Epic asked.

"Negative, sir. Sensors are unreliable while dealing with so many

distortion fields. Perhaps if we got closer....", Fionn suggested.

Epic nodded. "Mr. DeMontigny. Adjust course to intercept."

"Aye, Captain.", DeMontigny replied. `Why did Starfleet protocol

always sound so sarcastic coming from him?', Epic thought, then

shrugged. That was just `Francois', and Epic liked him just the way he

was.

After a few minutes, Fionn reported. "It's an escape pod, sir. It's

using all its thruster power to fight the gravity of the nearby Blue

Dwarf. It will be drawn into the corona in 7 minutes unless its

thrusters fail."

Epic tapped his communicator. "Terrakian to Velaj. Chief, I need

you to get a lock on the occupant of that escape pod you will be

receiving the coordinates of.", Epic nodded for Fionn to transmit them.

=^=Because of the interference, I am unable to get a fix on the

occupant.=^=, the stoic Andorian replied. "I can, though, bring the

entire pod on board.=^ "Do it.", Epic looked to Brinn as he closed the channel. "Major.

Alert Security and meet them in the Main ShuttleBay. Let's find out who

our `guest' is."

Brinn nodded and rose.

=^=I got it, Captain.=^=, Velaj reported. =^=Where do you want

it?=^ "Main ShuttleBay, thank you, lieutenant."

<<Main ShuttleBay>>

Arda Kaje was not made aware of her new arrival until it

materialised in her hangar. At the same moment, Major Brinn entered with

Lt. Castle, En. Charr, and another pair of Security Officers that she

did not know.

A second later, a half dozen Marines entered and fell in around the

pod without a word. Arda recognized Jeb Kirby from their poker game.They

all looked to the young-seeming woman for approval. She nodded minutely

in acknowledgement. For a Marine, it was all the direction they needed.

As they settled into position, the hatch of the pod opened with a

hiss of an atmospheric seal breaking. And stepping from the pod came a

Romulan woman of proud bearing, wearing the rank insignia of

SubCommander. She stood tall, almost regally, and looked at the woman

who seemed to be in charge. To Brinn she said, "I am Subcommander

Thalissa of the Warbird R'Larn. I am at your mercy."

And as the Romulan looked at Brinn, she was certain that the pretty

young woman had no idea what the word `mercy' meant.