Gareb will begin scanning the surrounding area. He will be mindful to look for signs of cloaked ships... though the Dominion were the main concern you could never be sure unknown parties like pirates wouldn't try to take advantage of the chaos of war.
Not sure if you mean hazardous materials or navigational hazards, so why not both.
As the information pours in to the sensors, th'Chiaquis finds that two of the ships are carrying large scale industrial replicator systems, likely for providing replacement parts to Klingon ships. Two more carry food supplies as Klingon's have a disdain for Klingon food. Two carry munitions, photon torpedoes for the most part. The final two have large cargo holds that appear to be empty.
As for navigational hazards, the nearby Tendaras Cluster produces some minor gravimetric distortions and has been known to occasionally spin up unstable wormholes, but nothing problematic at the moment.
While still waiting for the Klingons to answer the Captains hail Gareb leans over "No unexpected ships in the area currently, just the eight Klingon ships. Two have industrial replicator systems, I expect to manufacture replacement parts. Two more carry supplies, a healthy of gagh and targs no doubt the large amounts of living biomass and increase of power going through the life support systems backs that up."
"Two more carry munitions, mostly photon torpedoes. The last two appear to have empty cargo holds. Perhaps intending to collect something on the way or haul something back."
"The only celestial phenomenon that could provide a hazard is the Tendaras Cluster, it produces some unusual minoor gravimetric distortions and has been known to produce unstable wormholes but conditions look relatively stable their currently but it would be prudent for us to be mindful of the possibility." Pressing his console with a few beeps he logs his report.
"Plain sailing is fine by me today Captain. It will give our Chief Engineer Hill time to route out the last few gremlins that might have stowed away when we left port."
Captain Druq appears on the viewscreen. Despite his dishonor, he dresses in grey and brown Klingon armor and wears a d'k tahg dagger. "What do you want!? Bastion. Your escort is not necessary here in Federation space, or are you so concerned for the porosity of your borders that you must guard a wagon train full of Targs deep within your own territory?"
Dell nods to his first officer, listening to his report. "Thank you, Commander. I agree."
He nods to Jalla, and says, "Please, Lieutenant." Once the Klingon is on the screen, he stands up, "This is Captain Tobin Dell." The Klingon already knows what ship he's calling from, so he doesn't bother to add the rest of the standard introduction. "We finished our refit ahead of schedule, Captain, so we are taking the opportunity to work in our new systems while we still are deep in our territory, by starting our mission early. This is no slight on the capability of your crew."
"Very well, Captain. We welcome your escort, unnecessary as it may be. At our current speed, we should pass Starbase 211 in 28 hours. Since you are already here, I will request taht the Mupwl rendezvous with us so as to speed up our mission. D'Gor out!"
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Your journey will take you near the Cardassian border, skirting the Argolis Cluster. You meet up with the Klingon Bird-of-Prey Mupwl taking a position flanking the convoy. Other than some minor adjustments, your ship performs well.
The Argolis Cluster is a dense almost nebula like area of space that contains several protostars. Subspace distortions make it difficult to use sensors in the region, which also provides cover for your mission. On the viewscreen, you can see blue swirls washing over your warp field.
Captain Dell is in his ready room with everyone else at their stations when suddenly the screens at several stations on the bridge flicker and darken for a moment before returning to their normal function. In his ready room, Dell's station goes completely dead. First Officer has the conn for the moment.
Having been reading the latest war reports, Tobin frowns as the screen goes blank. He hits the button a couple of times and then taps his communicator. He says, calmly, "Dell to bridge, what's your status?"
Are there any indications of trouble on the ship's internal diagnostic displays, in Engineering?
Hill sees some unusual power fluctuations. Possibly the processing speed differential between the various computer systems is creating an imbalance in the power grid.
Gareb leans over in the captains chair as he answers "It happened here too Captain Dell. I'm going to link in with engineering. If that's satisfactory I'll report back to you presently."
Sir, I recommend that we move to yellow alert as a precaution. This could be more than a simple malfunction.
"Bridge, this is the Medbay. Are we having computer difficulties? The monitors in here are all flickered and turned dark, but they just came back on."
Sir! I'm reading some sort of explosion aboard the Mupwl. They've just dropped out of warp. We need to go to red alert, now!
"I'll be right there," Dell says, standing as he taps his communicator to cut the comms. "Assuming my door works," he adds, to himself.
Dell steps in, in time to hear both the doctors question and Jalla's reaction to the sensor readings. "Calm yourself, Lieutenant. Red alert, shields up. Lieutenant, try to contact the Mupwl, ask if they need assistance." Looking to his first officer, he says, "Commander, what are you picking up on sensors? Any enemy contacts, or was this just a subspace anomaly causing malfunctions? I'd find it hard to believe that we both suffered unrelated problems at the same time."
Finally, he answers Hagen, "Doctor, you probably just heard, but prepare your sick bay. Even if this wasn't an attack, we'll probably be taking on injured from the Mupwl."
Jalla's fingers fly as she brings the ship to battle readiness, Hailing the Mupwl now, sir. Mupwl? This is the Bastion. What is your status, we're reading some sort of explosion.
Gareb's fingers fly over his LCARS interface. It appears that the explosion on the Mupwl was caused by overloaded power relays in their engine systems.
No extra ships appear on long range sensors.
Sending out a burst of tachyons, Gareb sees no indication of cloaked vessels or objects.
Subspace in the area is unstable, wreaking havoc with electromagnetism and gravity.
Captain Akul of the Mupwl appears onscreen.
"Mupwl here, Bastion. We have sustained damage to our power grid, temporarily disabling our warp drive. I am ordering the convoy to drop out of warp until we can repair our systems. We have a number of wounded..." It seems as though he doesn't quite have the words to ask for assistance
He motions to someone off screen and the order goes out. The convoy alters course to rejoin its crippled defender.
At that moment, lights on the bridge flicker again as another electromagnetic surge strikes. Sparks fly as ODN relays overload and explode.
Gareb is up and moving towards the power relay as he speaks "Our ODN relays are overloaded, our sensors say the same thing happened to the Mupwl's systems Captain."
Gareb grabs an engineering kit and deftly removes a panel to get at the required circuitry. "I did a tachyon sweep, no indications of cloaked vessels or any new uncloaked ones on sensors." Without turning his head he beings to take out a tool. "Subspace in the area is unstable, affecting both gravity and electromagnetism in the area.
[b]"Th'Chiaqis to Hill, the ODN relays are overloading. Something similar is happening on the Mupwl, I'll work on the ones in tandem with you but you're the Chief Engineer so don't be afraid to speak up if you want things done differently." Gareb quickly descends into technobable as he corresponds with Hill.
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Captain Akul, by chance we have escaped major injury, but this leaves our medical staff sitting idle. Would you permit us to transport some of your wounded aboard?
"Understood Captain. We'll be ready when they get here, or if necessary I can go aboard their ship."
Trusting the others with their jobs, Dell looks to Ensign Nami again, "Ensign, bring us into transporter range with the Mupwl, and then come to a full stop."
Captain Akul replies, "Yes, Bastion. We have 4 critically wounded engineers awaiting treatment at these coordinates. We will lower our shields and you can transport them when ready."
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Ensign Nami: "Yes, sir. Coming about, moving to intercept the Mupwl."
As the ship comes about and moves back toward the Mupwl and the convoy, the distortions become increasingly visible as shimmering sheets of blue energy, almost like the Aurora Borealis.
Pegira moves to the transporter room and has stretchers standing by to take them back to medbay.
As Dr. Hagen arrives in the transporter room, the transporter chief engages the transporter. The familiar shower of sparkling energy appears. The shapes of four Klingons lying on the floor shimmer before fading back into transparency.
The transporter chief looks with concern at the controls. "Captain, the subspace distortions are interfering with the transporter beam. I'm losing them."
Tobin turns to quickly move to the engineering panel, so he can monitor, or give it a try himself if the answer to the following question is no: "Commander Hill, can you bring them in?"
Hill is scrambling to stay on top of things as they escalate rapidly in tempo, but he's a seasoned officer and keeps his voice calm on the comms. He resolves to handle rescues first and ODN repairs second, working in triage. "Yes sir, I'm transporting over the engineers now. Compensating for subspace interference..." sweat beads on the older human's brow as he coordinates his fingers rapidly over the controls...Dell is the only one to know that Hill only calls him "sir" or "captain" when he's under stress, as he normally prefers to use someone's last name.
Hill manages to boost the annular confinement beam, compensating for the distortion.
The four Klingon engineers appear on the transporter pad, bad burns apparent as, in some places, their armor has been fused with their skin.
Security receives communications that the freighters are also experiencing similar disruptions to their systems.
"Excellent work Lieutenant Command Hill."
Gareb moves to help with a stretcher "Our Doctor Hagen will have you back at your posts in no time. If enemies are about we'll do our best to make sure you wont miss out on the glory." He wasn't sure how the Doctor would react to grumpy Klingon patients so he's providing a little cultural chaperoning to get things going.
Hill doesn't wait around to see the results of his successful transport - he was just about to make some repairs to the Bastion when the injured Klingons were reported to him.
Without a word to the newcomer aliens, the Chief bolts out of the transporter room, heading to the nearest ODN console that displays intermittent energy fluctuations. Cursing under his breath, the chief hefts off the easy-access panels with a quick, practiced jerk, and gets to work.
Pegira escorts the injured engineers back to sick bay, where she starts treating them for both injuries as well as radiation sickness.
The bridge is awash in commotion, and in the midst of it Jalla continues to multitask on readying the Bastion for battle while also appropriately monitoring their allies, antennae perked, and an excited smile on her face.
Captain Dell, the freighters are now also experiencing similar malfunctions, no, disruptions.
For ships of varying craftsmanship and purpose to have been so similarly affected, we are either under some sort of unknown technological attack, or in the grip of an anomaly. If we are to remain close enough to render aid to our allies, we must immediately decelerate, sir.
The computer system is soon restored as Hill and th'Chiaquis swap components.
Dr. Hagen finds that most of the Klingons are relatively easy to treat, but that one is experiencing a neural shock, possibly from his injuries and possibly from his neural impulses being disrupted by the same thing that is affecting the ships.
All of the ships come to a dead stop in space.
Just then, the sensors blat out a warning—three Jem'Hadar fighters emerge from swirls of energy. One of the fighters moves toward the Mupwl’ while the other turns toward the Bastion. The third darts toward the hapless freighters, strafing them with phased polaron beams.
Tobin moved back to his seat, sitting down, "Battle stations. All hands, prepare to repel boarders." It's still up in the air if the new shields will protect them from the Jem'Hadar transporters, after all.
"It looks like the Jem'hadar don't want to face your ship with ye at your post." Gareb leaves medbay and starts heading toward the bridge.
Gareb starts considering if there is any way to induce the effect that has hamstrung their ship and the Mupwl to give the Jem'hadar ships the same disadvantage. Along the same line of thinking he considers if the Jem'hadar are doing it how he could nullify the likely ways being used somehow.
The Chief shuts down nonessential systems, including life support and artificial gravity for unoccupied decks of the Bastion, and prepares to route extra power to either shields or phasers before battle. Afterward, he issues phasers to the engineering crew working under him and retrieves one for himself, his mouth set grimly. The Jem'Hadar terrify him, but he wouldn't show it at any cost.
"Set phasers to kill, as Jem'Hadar warriors have been said to shrug off the lower settings," he advises them, as he locks off access to nonessential areas to create a more defensible position.
Jalla begins preparing a firing solution on the fighter harassing the freighters, hoping that their new shields will hold out long enough to protect the noncombatants.
When the call goes out about repelling boarders, Pegira goes to her desk and draws out a long knife before asking of the bridge "Where do you need me sir?"
Gareb took his phaser out, the new shield augmentations should work but with all the unexpected variables and never being tested he wasn't going to put his faith in that entirely. "I'm glad we forged ahead, and I suspect the Mupwl is as well with these odds but I've been through worse and we can make it through this."