A few days later, you enter the bridge as the Aegis is finally within hailing range of the Tau orbital platform. You can almost feel the weapons aimed at your ship, and you hope that whomever is behind the trigger doesn't decide to simply end you for no good reason. As you are musing over your possible fate, Zheeves taps you on the shoulder.

"We are ready to begin communications attempts, Sir."

You stare at the station for a bit longer, "Go ahead on the un-encrypted station frequencies only."

Zheeves nods, and bends over the communications console to begin. Forty-one minutes later a response comes in that leaves Zheeves scratching his head. "I can't make heads nor tails of it Sir. It's only a sequence of numbers, repeating. One seven point four nine eight, a pause, negative three nine point zero four three, a pause, zero zero point zero zero three, a pause, and finally two zero zero six point seven six three."

Frank chines in, "the first three read like a rather specific bearing. Drawing from the station, that would be on the far side pointing off into nowhere. Drawing from the Aegis however, that points right at one specific station module. Perhaps that is a communications array?"

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Zheeves nods slowly, "in that case, the last one may be a particular frequency over which to transmit. Way down in the UHF range if it is. I'll try again."

A mere eight minutes later, Zheeves stands upright, "Now we're getting somewhere. Plain text only, but its Gothic at least. Negotiations are underway. I expect to have a parking orbit and some sort of contacts soon Sir."

Four days layer, as the Aegis sits in her parking orbit under the watchful guns of the Tau orbital station, Zheeves enters your office for your regularly scheduled conference. He is grinning from ear to ear.

"Quite a bit of progress sir. The Tau are offering to supply us with the needed materials for our repairs. There was some grumbling over the price and payment method, but I eventually got them to outline two options for your final approval.

"Option one is raw resources. Specifically, The Aegis would have to assist in the escort of a mining craft while it gathers rare earths out of an asteroid belt out on the system edge. Probably Orks in the area, so the Aegis may end up taking additional damage in the process.

"Option two is a long-term freight and/or trade goods contract. Cargo from Imperial ports to Outbound or Nil'kvee, plus goods for the return trip. They were short on specifics as to what the Aegis would be hauling, but the first return trip would be gratis for the repairs."