"D Minus Zero" - Episode #104 (spoilers below!) (Click here for review)

As the episode opens Dylan is trying to play basketball with Tyr who feels the game is a waste of time and aggressively fouls Dylan. This is interrupted as they receive a transmission from the data recorder of a Commonwealth ship lost during 'The Fall' (of the Commonwealth).

They locate and begin searching a debris field but soon come under attack from an unknown ship. They are not harmed by the first missile salvo except for some radioactive residue on the hull. However, a second salvo (which we find used the residue for targeting) causes several hull breaches and other damage. They retreat for repairs and to remove the residue while the enemy continues to send random explosives in their direction as an attempt to identify their position.

During the above initial conflict Dylan mostly attempted communications since he saw this as a first contact "D minus zero" situation, where gaining intelligence is critical. Beka disagreed to the point of giving Seamus navigational orders which contradicted Dylan's. Once the battle is over Dylan privately tells Beka never to do this again. She is told her place as first officer does allow her to make suggestions, but that in a battle situation the captain must be the one giving the orders. Beka is angry and does not seem to trust Dylan's judgement, but defers to him for now.

Once initial repairs are made they move to confront the unknown ship and Dylan has Beka, Tyr, and Seamus man a 'zone' style defense with orders to only be concerned with the attacks in their sectors. However, during the subsequent battle Tyr attempts to help with Seamus' sector and ends up allowing enemies missiles through. Beka early on wants them to retreat but is ignored until ship damage forces Dylan to order them to move away. They fly into very close orbit around a star to destroy pursuing missiles and avoid detection, but the radiation level is high.

Dylan now pulls Tyr aside to tell him that he needs to obey orders. He becomes angry seeing the crew as incompetent and Dylan as an anachronism. Shortly thereafter Tyr asks Beka to consider being captain with him as first officer, but she is unready to take this step.

Meanwhile, Dylan has spoken to Rommie (Andromeda) on his sense of inadequacy, as well as with Rev Bem who told him that they are civilians "doing the best they can". With this in mind he begins to be more encouraging toward others and approaches Seamus with a Commonwealth schematic for a device to allow a small vessel to appear on enemy sensors as a larger one.

Seamus succeeds in his task but then succumbs to the radiation. In the medical area Trance is tending to him when Beka and Tyr approach. Beka tells Dylan that Seamus has a weak immune system and then goes on to say that her, Tyr and the crew are leaving in the Maru.

However, Trance thinks her chances are better on the Andromeda and Rev Bem feels his place is to stay also. Dylan says he will not allow them to take Seamus and that if they leave he will make the Maru appear to be the Andromeda, drawing the enemy's fire while the real ship attacks.

Beka stays, and when Dylan offers to take the Maru, she insists on being pilot since she can handle it better. Shortly afterwards she succeeds in drawing the enemy's fire and the Andromeda's attack disables the other ship. However, the enemy self-destructs before they can identify or contact it.

Beka agrees to follow Dylan and to let him know when he needs some correction. Latter during basketball gives Tyr a taste of his own medicine by aggressively fouling him as Tyr had done!

Synopsis 10/31/00 by Larry Kramer       Updated: 10/11/01

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