Captain's Log

[Cptn Elias Moore 0]

If ever anything was going to look bad on a report to Headquarters, this was it.

 

Challenger had viciously assaulted another Starfleet craft. Using its most destructive weapon, it tore away Defiant's port nacelle, nearly destroying the craft in an instant, condemning it to an ultimately identical fate by sending it soaring toward the surface of Nequencia III.

 

The only redeeming factor was that Defiant avoided destruction. A clutch rescue operation coordinated between Challenger and Phoenix had managed to halt the vessel's descent before it could plummet to a fiery doom. Rescue teams were already on board, and the commanding officers of both of the other vessels seemed convinced, for the moment, that control of Challenger had been momentarily lost.

 

Captain Moore was wondering if he hadn't lost control of his crew. At the time of the disaster, command access had been stifled by, of all people, Ensign Lazarus Montague, in communication with Ensign Connor. It remained to be seen whether they were directly responsible for the assault on Defiant or their toying with the command protocols had prevented the Bridge crew from accurately determining what was really happening. The sensor logs would be reviewed. If they had fired the phase cannon, they'd face the maximum sentence from the JAG... Elias would not go out of his way to protect them.

 

Even given their relative innocence, their manipulation of command level protocols would have to be investigated. Ensign Montague's fate was now tied to Ensign Connor's. Elias' hope that Connor would repent was dwindling fast, and Montague, for aiding Connor in whatever conspiracy had been hatched between the two of them, would have to be dragged down with his engineering friend.

 

Achilles had taken off, departing orbit and exiting the system without answering communication attempts. Nagen, presumably, was on board. The attack and subsequent rescue of Defiant had prevented a pursuit. She would have to be located later.

 

This wouldn't look good on the report at all. The report would eventually reach Command. At least one of the Admirals would see fit to hold Elias responsible. But, of course, he realized, he was responsible. It had happened on his watch, as had the minor mutinies of Ensigns Connor and Montague. Perhaps none of it was his direct doing, but he was responsible for all of it. He was worth nothing as a command officer if this was not answered in an appropriate fashion.

 

He remembered the Captain of Venture, ages ago it seemed, explaining it to him. What was it he'd said, that conversation that had sent a cold spike right through Elias' chest, that had planted the first seeds of guilt? "This isn't your fault... it's mine. I haven't done enough to guide you on the right path. And if I could accept the punishment in your place, I would."

 

Elias took in a deep breath as he stared at the viewscreen. He knew, now, how he would have to deal with the Connor situation...