"The Ties That Blind" - Episode #107 (spoilers below!) (Click here for review)

With Harper away (he stopped off for a massive surfing competition on the way home from an off-ship maintenance trip), the Andromeda receives a distress call. The call is from a damaged vessel carrying a prominent human Wayist (Vikram) whom Rev Bem immediately recognizes.

The ship is brought aboard and Vikram is rushed to their medical area while the ship monitors his vital signs. He is accompanied by an acolyte, Beka's brother Rafe. Vikram refuses Trance's attempts to treat him, resolved to accept whatever the 'universe' sends.

Meanwhile Beka is talking with her con artist brother, angry that he deserted their father and unwilling to believe he is for real. Rafe appears sincere and wants a chance to prove himself.

Dylan finds out they were on a peace mission, which over Tyr's objections he agrees to help with. Apparently an eco-terrorist group (the Restorians) has been attacking starships to cut down on the planting and support of space colonies. Later analysis shows that the attackers of both the Wayist vessel and the Andromeda (in 'D Minus Zero') were Restorians. The powerful Free Trade Association (FTA) is planning a major effort to stop these attacks and Vikram wants to act as a mediator between them and the Restorians (who he evidently sympathizes with).

Meanwhile Rafe (who Beka has finally begun to trust) takes the Maru and Beka pursues in a fighter. She finds the Maru docked at a Wayist base, where she is told Rafe is conferring with his mentor. Unknown to her this 'mentor' is apparently a Restorian and gives Rafe a device to destroy the Andromeda. Without revealing this Rafe attempts to persuade Beka to flee with him.

Back on the Andromeda the crew is suspicious of Vikram, partly due to lack of damage to the Wayist vessel. When the Maru returns Rafe is forced to reveal he is an agent of the FTA, having become so because of the Restorians having allowed his girlfriend to be brutally killed. He reveals Vikram is an Restorian, and when pressed by Dylan apparently agrees to help them.

When Tyr takes Vikram into custody he turns out to be some sort of construct, releasing a plague of nanobots that cripples Andromeda. Meanwhile, the Andromeda comes under attack by Restorian vessels and Rafe leaves in the Wayist vessel, pursued by Beka in the Maru.

As Tyr and Trance battle Andromeda's internal defenses Rafe plans to give Andromeda's command codes to the Restorians and tries to get Beka to come with him. She instead destroys his ship, but the Restorians get the codes first and launch missiles against the Andromeda.

However, the missiles curve away from the Andromeda and return to destroy her attackers, due apparently to a virus in the command codes which Rafe (who is quite alive on the Andromeda) gave them. Rafe is restored to the FTA's good graces by Dylan's report, turns down an invitation to stay on and leaves (but not without stealing Beka's valuable collection of old CD's).

Meanwhile, Dylan reminds Rev Bem that while they all have 'agendas', they have to work together as a team. Rev had given their location away to the Wayists (hoping they would work with the Andromeda) and Dylan wants to know in advance of any future similar actions.

 Synopsis 11/24/00 by Larry Kramer.       Updated 10/11/01

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