Previously…..

A couple of minutes later, Commander Rashad arrived on the command deck. "Mister Shale, take us out of her nice and slow." She ordered.

Now….

"Engaging cloaking device." Shale reported. "All systems are coming back online, preparing to depart."

The trip back to the Leviathan was as uneventful as the trip towards the Ferengi Marauder. The small vessel was soon beyond the asteroid belt and the sensor range of the cloaked mines that had crippled the Marauder. In the distance the Leviathan shone brightly and grew ever larger as they returned.

"Rashad to Leviathan." Commander Rashad stated.

[Leviathan here.] Captain Taybar replied. [How are you all ?]

"I can report all personnel have returned safely." Rashad reported. "We have downloaded the vessels computer core."

[Excellent.] Aki replied. [I look forward to hearing your de-briefing.]

"Captain, I would request that you have a security team present when we return." Rashad requested. "And a medical team."

[Why ?] Aki asked. [Have any of the away team suffered an injury ?]

"No, we are all fit and health, we have however taken one prisoner. He was holed up in one of the cargo bays, heavily armed and guarding some cargo." Rashad replied. "We've also recovered some items of interest."

[Who is your prisoner ?] Aki asked.

"He's a Ferengi, most likely the vessels second officer judging from his clothing." Rashad replied. "He's suffered a little for his experiences, both before we arrived and during the battle. I think is EVA suit was a little out of warranty."

[Security will meet you upon your arrival Commander.] Aki replied. [Well done and pass my regards onto the Major and his team.]

"Thank you Captain. Hellcat out." Rashad said, closing the link.

"We'll be back aboard the Leviathan in five minutes Commander." Shale reported.

When the Hellcat finally came to a halt on the deck of the main shuttlebay, a group of at least six security were already waiting, with a gurney all ready to take the prisoner to sickbay. Doctor Katts was also present, waiting alongside the security detail, medi-kit in hand.

Gibs and Wok'Tal were the first to leave, half-pushing, half-carrying the semi-conscious Ferengi prisoner between them. As they reached the security detail, Doctor Katts ran a medical tricorder over the Ferengi.

"He's been effected by some kind of nerve toxin." She commented.

"The cargo-bay we found him in was filled with a Ferengi toxic gas, designed to kill anyone who entered." Wok'Tal announced. "I guess his EVA suit didn't fully protect him from his own toxin."

"Let's hope the Starfleet database has an antidote on file." Katts commented.

The Security detail took over from the two Marines and secured the Ferengi down onto the gurney before wheeling him off to sickbay, with the Doctor following close behind.

"Gibs, Wok'Tal let's return our equipment to the armoury and get changed." The Major ordered. "I'll see you all at the de-briefing in an hour."

"We'll see you in an hour Major." Rashad stated. "And thanks."

The Major and his two Marines left the shuttlebay and headed for Marine country.

"Let's get out of our own suits and get cleaned up." Commander Rashad suggested. "We'll de-brief in the main briefing room in an hour."

The three white-suited Starfleet officers left the shuttlebay, whilst Shale conducted the movement of the cargo the away team had recovered from the Hellcat's cargo bay.

An hour later, the whole of the away team was sat in the briefing room, along with Captain Taybar, Ensign ASHER and Lieutenant Taline. Rashad and Major Phanan went over the mission de-brief, explaining about the discovery of the Ferengi in the cargo bay and the fight the Marines had undertaken.

"Commander Barker, what about the Marauders records ?" Captain Taybar asked. "Is there anything there ?"

"It's too early to tell Captain." Chu replied. "I've had the computer processing the data since we returned. We're examining the records for the last month first, where the vessel has been, who they have had contact with, any trades they have made. However, I've been concentrating on something else which I think maybe the key."

"What ?" Aki asked.

"Whilst on the Bridge of the Marauder we found this iso-linear chip." Chu remarked, placing the chip he had found onto the desk. "It looked like a Starfleet high security iso-linear chip, like those carried by Starfleet couriers, but it's not. I believe it's from the ISS Leviathan and was given to the Ferengi for some reason. I am however having trouble decoding the information on the chip, it is encrypted with a highly complex algorithm, one the computer system is having a hard to 'cracking'."

"Commander, maybe I can take a look." Commander Rashad commented.

"That was going to be my next suggestion, Commander." Chu replied. "You are more at home with security algorithms than I am."

Chu passed the chip he had been holding across to Commander Rashad.

"Good, Commander Barker concentrate on the Marauder's records. In the meantime Mister Taline has some interesting news on the Dilithium you recovered." Captain Taybar announced.

"Analysis of the unprocessed Dilithium has shown that it is of a very high grade, higher than any encountered by Starfleet." Taline remarked. "The closest match to these crystals were discovered by the USS Voyager whilst in the Delta quadrant. They were able to use the crystal they found to create a 'true' transwarp drive, which although successful had side-effects. The crystal itself was heavily damaged during the tests and Starfleet was not able to get much usable data from it once Voyager returned. The only useful scans are those done by the Voyager crew. I've re-run the scans and so far come up with over a dozen possible other uses for the crystals, it's like hitting the mother-load. I just wish we knew where the Ferengi obtained it."

"Have you run a quantum scan on the crystals ?" ASHER enquired.

"I don't see how that would be of any help to us." Taline replied. "Such a scan wouldn't tell us much."

"But it would tell us if this Dilithium was from our universe." ASHER remarked.

"You're saying this Dilithium may have come from the ISS Leviathan's universe." Aki commented.

"It's logical Captain." ASHER replied. "And if this material is not from our universe, it proves that the Ferengi must have been in direct contact with the ISS Leviathan or someone who has."

"What is the status of the Ferengi you captured ?" Aki asked.

"I checked in with Doctor Katts before the briefing." Commander Rashad reported. "She's managed to find an antidote to the toxin which she's administered. He's also suffered some internal injuries and radiation poisoning, probably from the explosions that damaged the Marauder. Katts says he should be fit enough to be interrogated by tomorrow."

"Do we have any idea who he is ?" The Captain asked.

"The Doctor was able to match his DNA to the Federation database. His name is Floc and he was second officer on the Ferengi Marauder "Ta'Kal'na". Federation records show that a Daimon Leggett was last in command of the vessel. There are several open files on the Federation criminal database dealing with minor offences, but nothing major. From his Federation records he would appear to be a small-time trader, no-one of interest."

"So what would the ISS Leviathan be doing dealing with a small time trader ?" Rashad asked.

"Maybe he was the middle-man." Chu commented. "He could have just been a courier or the delivery-boy. But it's another line of investigation, I'll check the communications logs for any sub-space messages."

"Good." Aki replied. "If there's nothing else, we'll finish now and have another briefing at 16:00 tomorrow."

"Captain, there is one request I'd like to make." Taline announced.

"What is it ?" Aki asked.

"I'd like to return to the Ferengi vessel and recover the rest of the cargo." Taline replied. "This new Dilithium is going to be invaluable to the Federation if we can get enough."

"I'm sorry, but for the time being that will not be possible." Aki replied. "It's just too risky. But I promise if we can deactivate the minefield I will allow the recovery of the cargo."

"Thank you Captain." Taline replied.

The crew left the briefing room, the three Marines heading for their own briefing, Taline back to Engineering, Rashad and ASHER back to the Bridge. This left just the Captain and Lieutenant Commander Barker.

"What's troubling you ?" Aki asked of her old friend.

"There's something else we discovered, a sealed cylinder." Chu announced. "I've not mentioned it to the other members of the away team but I'm afraid about what I found inside."

"What did you find ?" Aki enquired.

"What appear to be two devices. At a guess I would say that they were built to be placed in torpedo casings." Chu replied. "I've done some preliminary test and each warhead has a ten iso-tonne yield, that's over three times the yield of any warhead we have of a similar size. They all use this new Dilithium as the basis for the explosive element. This new Dilithium could be a major threat to the Federation if it fell into the wrong hands. And if the ISS Leviathan has a supply of this Dilithium and has been trading it, who knows how much of this stuff in out there and how many minds are working on refining it, turning it into yet more weapons."

"Maybe our Ferengi friend can give us some answers tomorrow." Aki replied. "You look tired, go get some rest."

Chu stood up and nodded at his Captain and friend, before leaving for his quarters.