Closure

Posted on Tue Dec 20th, 2022 @ 7:00am by Commodore Jacob Kane

Mission: Scylla and Charybdis
Location: USS Athena - Bridge
Timeline: Mission End
408 words - 0.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Kane watched, disgruntled, as the Intrepid-class ship disintegrated on the main viewscreen. The Avalon hadn't been in service as long as Athena had been. He felt the loss of another ship and its crew.

"Status on the Romulans?" he said, his tone indicating that he wasn't in the best of moods.

"Leaving the system, best we can tell, sir."

"Running away with their tails between their legs isn't a particularly Romulan trait. I suspect they'll be facing some interesting questions when they get home," he noted quietly. Small mercies. "Regroup with the other sections of the ship and set course for home. Activate Quantum Slipstream drive when we're docked." He pushed himself up from the command chair and glanced around the bridge. It was quiet, probably reflective of his mood; the regular crew knew not to get themselves noticed when their Captain was feeling a little 'bruised' by events.

"All away teams returned, Captain. And...there's reports from the Transporter room that we appear to have picked up an additional passenger in the transport." The report from the Ensign covering Ops surprised him.

"One of the Romulans?" he asked, almost hopefully.

"It sounds like one of the Avalon crew might have survived, sir."

Kane paused. He'd assumed no survivors. Perhaps a reason for optimism after all, though he wouldn't want to be in the unfortunate position of being the sole survivor of something like that.

"Full medical work-ups," he said. "For all of them; the radiation levels in that nebula were potentially hazardous."

"Sir."

"I'll be in my ready room. Commander Zora can have the conn once she gets back to the Bridge," he said, wandering back towards the door. Reporting the loss of another ship wasn't something he was looking forward to, but at least they'd secured the more sensitive data from being taken by the Tal Shiar.

As he entered his ready room, he pondered yet another encounter where they could have been overcome by the odds. It had been quick thinking that had saved them in the end, but one day that might not be the case. He was prepared for that, as an eventuality. But were the rest of his crew prepared to deal with it in the same way? He poured himself a glass of something from the bottle in the corner of his room, and continued to ponder that as he sensed the ship get underway.