Questions Demand Answers

Posted on Thu Jan 11th, 2024 @ 9:58pm by Captain Ethan De Havilland

1,375 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Ethics, Morals & The Prime Directive.
Location: Bridge
Timeline: Post Battle

It was clear that not everything was as he was briefed by Starfleet Command and that some investigation would need to be done to get answers to the questions that lingered. He was still getting reports of casualty lists from his fighter group and those from the escorts he launched. It made for a grim reading. When all was on board he set a course for the colony, where so far, he'd not been given much and his patience was running out.

"Open a channel to Administrator Ardon." Ethan spoke opting to stand instead of sit in his chair as the viewscreen sprang to life.

"Captain, I'm a rather busy man, can we make this brief?" Ardon spat out.

"Administrator, are you aware of hostile elements in a nearby asteroid ring?" Ethan probed with his initial question, the answer would bring forth more.

"You call me to ask about Raiders Captain?" Ardon barked. "I don't have time to do your work for you, I have plenty of my own. You're Starfleet, do what you do and leave me to my duties." The link closed swiftly afterward.

This left Ethan seeing red, the level of disrespect from the Administrator was simply shocking and Ethan wasn't about to stand for it. "Helm, set standard orbit, I want Administrator Ardon beamed on board the ship the moment we are in range and brought to my Ready Room, with security escort." With his orders given Ethan returned to his Ready Room to await his guest.

*** 37 Minutes Later ***

The door chime to the Captain's Ready room sounded, from through the door already Ethan could hear the protests of Administrator Ardon. A pause, a moment to let it sink in that the Administrator was not in charge here, he had no power, no authority, but a guest at most and a hardly welcome one. "Come." A singular word with with it signaled the start of what few doubted would be a pleasant conversation. Ardon flanked by two security officers entered the room.

"Captain I really must protest at this treatment. You can't just abduct me on a whim."

"Apparently I can." Ethan interjected. "Otherwise you would not be here, but since you are, please, have a seat. I have some questions." Ethan spoke and saw the Administrator was less than inclined. "Sit down Administrator." A sharper edge to Ethans tone could be heard. Seeing that he had little choice Ardon sat though made no effort to hide the reluctance of the matter.

"Administrator." Ethan began. "It would seem to me that not everything is as it appears. Missing vessels, raiders, vague or missing reports, answers that leave more questions and I can't help but feel you are at the centre of it, or know more than you are telling me."

"Captain, I must protest.."

"Yes Administrator you have made that abundantly clear. So let me be abundantly clear with you. I will get my answers from you, here, now, or I will go down to the colony and tear it apart brick by brick if I have to to get to the bottom of this and believe me when I say, I do not lack for manpower on board this ship....."

Ardon sat, cleared his throat.

"Administrator, I have lost a number of fighter craft and crewmembers to a raider attack in a nearby asteroid belt. Now if that news is unpalatable to you sir I am truly sorry but I will not wait, fishing for answers, when you are reluctant because of some as of yet unknown reason to me." Ethan paused letting his words sink in a little. "But let me be very clear for you. I have lost members of my crew, many of whom this is their first assignment. If I find any evidence, a shred, a report, log, witness, anything that ties you to the current situation and information that could have saved those lives, whatever you fear, will pale in comparison to what I will do." Ethan paced from behind his desk.

"I promise I will make sure that everything about what is going on is circulated amongst the scientific community, your name will become a beacon for deceit, betrayal, and cowardice. Your honours stripped, your positions removed, and any papers you have written will be canceled, any clearances will be revoked." Ethan knew this would essentially end the mans career, but in the balance of things where lives have been lost...he was struggling to come up with a moral reason to hold back.

Taking a slow walk around, behind Ardon and then back to his own seat on the other side of the desk Ethan sat, staring at Ardon, a sigh followed. "Well Administrator, is there anything you'd wish to share?"

It seemed at least for a moment that Ethan had gotten through to the Administrator but a comms link from the Bridge interrupted. "Bridge to Captain."

"De Havilland here."

"Captain, a shield has been raised around the colony. We are detecting energy signatures from several buildings on the outskirts, possible weapon emplacements."

"Raise our shields, wait for orders." Ethan was hardly worried about a small colony's weapons array. Combat testing of the Dreadnought's shields revealed it could withstand a moderate fleet's attack comfortably. A colony was hardly a threat but it raised another question, why were the weapons there in the first place. Closing the link to the Bridge Ethan looked at the Administrator. "I am very keen to hear your explanation behind this development, but with haste Administrator, my patience is running out."

Silence lingered a moment as Ardon seemed to consider his options with glances left and right. "Several months ago we were attacked, casualties, some damage and the leader, a Nausicaan beamed down. He said that if we did as he asked he would space the colony and those on it. Protect us from rival gangs and those that got too nosey."

"What kind of work?" Ethan asked.

"Experiments, genetic mostly, neurosciences, viral experimentation," Ardon answered. "We had no weapons, no security force, they beamed down in large groups across the colony forcing the scientists to work. We were given tasks, projects to undertake and we were monitored, our results were reported weekly and if they proved unsatisfactory...there were consequences."

"The shield?" Ethan asked.

"Salvaged. The Nausicaan installed it along with the weapons system you detected. To protect his investment."

"The weapons"

"Particle weapons, low yield. We don't have the power source for something more powerful and one couldn't be installed." Ardon replied.

"Where does this Nausicaan operate from? Where is he now, what are his forces, how do they number?" These were things that Ethan needed to know.

"I don't know, all of our orbital satellites have been destroyed or taken. Long range sensors were taken too. I only knew you were coming from long-range subspace communications, when he comes he signals from orbit and beams down." There was a pause. "He has men in the colony, many. They helped clean the place up for your arrival to make it look like everything was in order, and played the part of colonists to keep up appearances. I estimate nearly 200 maybe more on the colony, including the underground secure research labs and storage bays and the development suites, I don't know how many are on his base or ship."

"So instead of asking me for help, telling me what was going on you hid all this from me, and as a result, some of my crew have died," Ethan spoke, calmly for the most part.

"I couldn't. He said that if I did, everyone would be killed. He's very....creative, in his methods. On his first day, he killed 7 people, including a family. Killing the youngest first and working up in age so everyone saw and knew what would happen. I didn't have a choice."

"Administrator, you are going to stay here on board the Dreadnought while I resolve the situation. For your sake, I hope you have not left any information out, but if you remember anything, the guard will inform me." Ethan gave the two security officers a nod, Ardon was about to pay a visit to the Brig while Ethan dealt with the situation below.

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