Commander Barker, Lieutenant Commander Taline and Major Phanan all stood on the deck of the shuttlebay awaiting the arrival of the Ferengi shuttles. Finally three small vessels settled on the deck and their cargo bay doors opened to reveal a selection of boxes of varying size. Quickly the Ferengi started to unload the shuttles. Chu motioned for Taline and Phanan to check the cargo to see what was being unloaded as DaiMon Leggett walked across to the Commander.

"It is most delightful to see you again Commander." Leggett stated. "As requested, here is most of the supplies you requested."

"You say most of the supplies. What is missing ?" Chu asked.

"You have all the materials you requested, several of the plasma injectors and all but two of the ODN couplings." Leggett replied. "We were unable to acquire the graviton warheads you requested in the time available and the industrial phaser compensator we have is brought is a little damaged, but repairable."

"We'll double check all the supplies before you leave." Chu remarked. "You gave us a scare when you arrived."

"My apologies for that Commander." Leggett replied. "Will I still get my payment ?"

"You'll have to negotiate with the Captain about that." Chu announced. "She will have the final say on whether what you have provided us with is enough to warrant payment in full."

"There is also the message I have from DaiMon Shia." Leggett stated. "I am sure that delivery of the message to your Captain will be ample compensation. Shia put a lot of emphasis on ensuring that the message reached you, I had to trade a great deal to be the one to carry the message."

"Then I guess we should go see the Captain." Chu remarked. "She is waiting in the briefing room."

Chu, DaiMon Leggett and three security officers left the shuttlebay and headed for the nearest turbo lift. Five minutes later, they arrived in the briefing room.

"DaiMon Leggett, I would like to introduce you to our Captain, Commander Oakenshield." Chu announced. "Captain, DaiMon Leggett."

"Welcome aboard DaiMon." Julia announced. "Please take a seat. You gave us a bit of a panic when you arrived unannounced. Why did you not contact us to announce your arrival ?"

"Captain, the Federation and its allies are all over this area of space. We took a great risk coming here and didn't want to delay the delivery of the message from DaiMon Shia." Leggett replied. "There are Federation and Klingon vessels all over the area, We suffered heavy damage to my vessel from a Klingon who wanted to search my ship. The sooner I can get my ship repaired, the sooner I can leave and claim my payment from DaiMon Shia."

"You say you have a message from DaiMon Shia, where is it." Julia asked.

"I have it here." Leggett announced, reaching into a pocket and removing an isolinear chip. "Shia was most insistent that we bring this message to you."

Commander Oakenshield took the chip from the DaiMon. "Why didn't he bring it himself ?" She asked.

"He said that he was getting the feeling that someone was watching his every move. He was constantly getting harassed by Federation vessels, so he contacted me to act as courier." Leggett replied. "Shia is a major trader within the Federation, he has many contracts. I am only a minor player, who would suspect that someone like me could be carrying such an important message."

"You have seen the message ?" Chu asked.

"No, No No." Leggett protested profusely. "But Shia said that if I was to deliver this message to you, he'd play me ten thousand bars of gold pressed latinum, so I knew that what ever it contained was important."

The tow officers doubted the fact that the Ferengi hadn't at least attempted to access the information on the chip, but let it go. Commander Oakenshield stood up and motioned for Barker to follow her. "We'll review the message in private and come back to you in a few mnutes."

The two of them left the briefing room and crossed the Bridge to the Captain's ready room. Once inside, Oakenshield placed the chip into her desk terminal and activated the chip-reader.

<Security password required.> The computer announced in a strong male voice.

"Oakenshield, Alpha Seven." Julia announced. "Class ten authorisation"

<Secondary password required.> The computer responded.

<Quantum crystal.> Julia replied.

<Security decryption in progress. Access granted.> The computer responded once again, as the message started to play.

[Greetings Commander Oakenshield. I must apologise for not providing this information in person, but my every move appears to be watched by the Federation. Whether they suspect that I have been in contact with you or just suspicious of my recent activities, I am unsure.] The message started. [Although I would not trust DaiMon Leggett with my beloved mother's life, circumstances mean that I have been forced into using him to transport the message, for which he will be rewarded well. The 'merchandise' that you have requested is now in my possession. I have attached a set of data scans of the crystal along with a set of time-indexed co-ordinates. We will trade you the crystal for the agreed price and I wait your arrival.]

"Commander, check these scans out and let me know if they are genuine and get back to me." Julia requested, rising from her chair. "I'll go back and see Leggett."

Oakenshield left the room and headed back for the briefing room. Five minutes later, Commander Barker returned to the briefing room and nodded at Oakenshield.

"Well it looks like we have a trade." Oakenshield stated. "The message you have been carrying appears to be both genuine and of value to us. I'm going to allow you to have the agreed amount of dilithium."

"And the information on how to refine the ore ?" Leggett asked.

"Of course." Oakenshield replied. "Commander Barker will escort you back to your vessel and see that the ore and the information is passed to you."

Half an hour later, Julia and Chu were sat in the Captain's ready room discussing the situation.

"Taline says that he now has most of what he needs to get the ship back together." Chu commented.

"Did he say how much longer we will need to be ready ?" Julia asked.

"He says we will be ready to move out in a couple of days." Chu replied. "The rest of the repairs can be done on the move."

"And our Ferengi friend." Julia commented. "What of their vessel ?"

"They've taken over the docking platform and are making their own repairs. DaiMon Leggett estimates that he is looking at a week of work before his ship is fully repaired, we will be long gone before that." Chu reported.

"Tell Taline we need to be away from this system as soon as possible. I don't like the fact that the Federation is closing this area of space, we will be safer if we keep on the move." Julia replied.

"Understood." Chu confirmed, rising from his seat and heading back onto the Bridge.