"Captain, our long-range probes are detecting a vessel approaching the asteroid belt." Commander Barker announced.

"Confirmed." ASHER repeated. "However, I'm having problems identifying the vessel, they appear to be using some kind of sensor scattering system to hide their identity."

"Could it be DaiMon Leggett ?." Commander Oakenshield asked. "But he's not due back for another day, plus he was supposed to give us advanced notice of his arrival."

"At the moment we have no way of telling. The vessel appears to be running silent at the moment." ASHER remarked. "I'm even not receiving a transponder signal from the vessel. Even if we wanted to send them a message, they'd never receive it."

Julia was quite for a moment thinking. *If it was DaiMon Leggett, what was the Ferengi thinking arriving unannounced.*

"Any sign of another vessel ?" She asked.

"Sensors and probes show no other vessel within a hundred light years." Chu remarked.

"Bridge to Engineering." Julia announced.

[Engineering here Captain.] Lieutenant Taline replied.

"Lieutenant we need to move out. How are we doing with the repairs ?" Oakenshield enquired.

[We're still no where near full operational.] Taline replied. [Our hull still has several holes in it, half the phasers are still off-line, our supply of usable torpedoes stands at six and half our shield emitters are either totally off-line or erratic. Warp drive is at forty percent, we'd be able to reach warp three, maybe push to three point five for a few hours. Only the impulse engines are fully operational, I just hope we can get the supplies and materials we need soon.]

"Bring everything you can on-line and prepare to move out." Oakenshield ordered. "Bridge out."

[Understood Captain. Engineering out.] Taline confirmed.

"Helm, prepare to take us away from the docking platform." Oakenshield announced. "Bridge to all crew, prepare to leave spacedock."

"All stations report the ship is ready to depart." Shale announced from the Helm. "Releasing docking clamps now."

The ship rumbled with the sound of the old and ill-maintained docking clamps releasing the ISS Leviathan from their grasp. The ship rocked slightly as the gravity of the planet below took effect.

"All clamps released, we are ready to move on your orders." Shale remarked.

"Take us away from here and around the far side of the system." Oakenshield announced. "The radiation from the nebula should distort any sensor readings."

"Docking thrusters on." Shale announced. "We are clearing the docking platform."

The Leviathan moved away from the platform which had been it's home for over a month whilst repairs had proceeded.

"Impulse engines are coming on-line, setting course for the far side of the system." Taline continued to report.

"ASHER, deactivate the mine field." The Commander ordered. "Once the Ferengi's vessel is through, re-activate it."

"Understood." ASHER replied. "Deactivating mines now."

An hour later the crew of the Leviathan watched their sensors as they tracked the vessel that was approaching their previous position.

"Any luck with detecting the vessel's identity." Oakenshield asked. "Is it the Ferengi ?"

"Still unable to confirm the identify of the vessel Captain." ASHER remarked. "The nebula is having an adverse effect on our damaged sensors, we are having the same problems detecting them as they are detecting us."

"Message coming in Captain." Chu remarked. "The nebula's causing severe interference, I'm trying to clear it up now."

"On screen." Oakenshield ordered. "But don't acknowledge their signal, let's see what they have to say first."

"It's from DaiMon Leggett." Chu stated. "Putting it on screen now."
The viewscreen changed from the view of the system outside to the fuzzy image of a Ferengi.

[This is the DaiMon Leggett to the crew of the ISS Leviathan. Please come in, we have most of your supplies and an urgent message from a DaiMon Shia.] The image reported.

"DaiMon Shia." ASHER remarked. "That's the Ferengi who offered to sell us information on a possible source of quantum crystal."

The message repeated again as the Bridge crew watched the viewscreen.

"Captain, the message is being sent on the frequency that we specified the Ferengi should use to contact us." Chu remarked. "I think it is safe to assume that the vessel is DaiMon Leggett's."

"Helm set a course back to Sigma Twelve." Oakenshield ordered. "Go to yellow alert."

As they ship grew closer to the planet they'd only recently left to hide, the influence of the nebula and it's effects on the sensors diminished.

"Captain, Sensors are clearing up." Chu reported. "I have DaiMon Leggett's vessel on sensors. It would appear to a sustained some damage, I'm reading at least six hull breaches."

*So the Ferengi has been in a fight, but with whom.* Julia thought.

"Open a channel to the Ferengi vessel." Julia ordered.

"Channel open." ASHER replied.

[Leviathan. We are so glad to see you again.] The Ferengi stated. [We have most of your supplies aboard and an important message for your Captain.]

"Why have you returned a day early and why did you not warn us of your arrival." Oakenshield replied. "And it would appear that you have been in some kind of battle."

[It is unfortunate that we arrived early, but we had no time to waste to inform you of our arrival. The Federation and their allies are searching everywhere for your vessel, we managed to elude most of their patrols but ran into some trouble with a Klingon cruiser.] DaiMon Leggett reported. [We barely escaped with our ship intact and didn't want to give our destination away by transmitting a message to you.]

"Bring the supplies across and we can talk more." Oakenshield announced. "Do you need any assistance with repairs ?"

[No Captain, we have everything under control and enough spare parts to repair our own vessel, but we may remain here for a while and make the repairs we require.] Leggett replied.

"I look forward to seeing you in an hour." Julia remarked. "Leviathan out."

The viewscreen returned to the view of the system and the damaged Ferengi vessel.

"Commander Barker, Lieutenant ASHER go greet our guests again when they arrive." Oakenshield ordered. "Bring the DaiMon to the briefing room as soon as possible."