Pulsar Mission 03: "Old Wounds"

Mission Summary

Stardate 21011.01

This log is late in coming. I'm usually much better about submitting my after action reports, but circumstances during this last mission and since our return home have been far from usual. I spent most of this mission infected with a Romulan engineered virus, it took a good portion of our return journey for me to fully digest all that has happened. Since returning to SBA, I have found myself pulled in a million different directions. Admiral Linden is on official travel and his trip comes in the midst of a Fleet Reorganization. I have been promoted to Vice-Admiral and have had another title, that of Deputy Fleet Commander, thrust upon me. Under the newly reorganized 1st Fleet, I serve as Deputy Fleet Commander, Commander of Battle Group Alpha-1, and Commanding Officer of Alpha-1's Flagship, USS Pulsar.

Pulsar herself is undergoing a minor refit. The purpose of this refit being to help her better serve her new role within the 1st Fleet. Battle Group Alpha-1 is primarily tasked with patrolling the inner systems of the Federation core and for special assignments from the Fleet Commander. She continues as my Flagship but now is positioned to serve, at a moments notice, as Jeff's Flagship.

So, while I continue, and will continue, as Pulsar's CO, the bulk of my crew, including my entire senior staff, have been reassigned throughout the 1st Fleet. I'm not entirely clear on why it was deemed necessary to "clean house" in this manner, but I have been assured that all necessary leadership positions on the Pulsar will be filled in advance of future operations. Such crew reshufflings are not uncommon under these sorts of situations, and frankly I think my crew would have been bored out of their minds by all of the down time, so I haven't felt it necessary to fight any of these moves. I will miss these men and women, these people who have become my friends, my family, but they deserve better than sitting around waiting, just because I'd prefer to keep them around. Even considering his unquestionable right to insist on assignment changes, especially with Pulsar standing ready to serve as his Flagship, it isn't like Jeff to stick his nose into my business like this. I'm forced to assume the orders must have come from higher up then. Jeff isn't one to question my judgment or authority, so for this type of sweeping change to occur, the orders must have come from higher up the chain. That, of course, begs the question of who? and why?

I don't imagine I'll ever know the answer to those questions.

Pulsar will now have a permanent attachment of between 2-3 support vessels. This collection of ships will make up Battle Group Alpha-1. I suspect though, given the current state of things, that it will be several months before I am able to finish the vessel reallocation orders necessary to assign ships to my group. It will likely be some time even after that before they're all in position, but so it goes, the bigger the change, the longer the transition time.

In the meantime, I came across the PADD requesting my mission summary and now, context given for the lateness of its delivery, here were are.

Pulsar was ordered to Elteban III, a former Federation member, to evaluate the planetary Government's petition for re-admission. USS Valley Forge, under my command, had been the last Star Fleet vessel to visit Elteban at the outset of the Romulan War. Valley Forge had been present when Eltebanian Rebels, working with the Romulans, had taken control of the Federation Embassy in a violent ejection of the Federation Ambassador.

Now, after years of fighting against a Romulan Occupation Force, the newly unified Eltebanian Government re-opened communications with the Federation Council and formally requested an official re-admission evaluation.

Upon our arrival in the system I assembled a negotiation team to be led by Commander Kayzon. I elected to lead a survey team, tasked with determining if the former Federation Embassy was structurally sound enough for repair, or if an entirely new facility would be needed. My familiarity with the embassy complex made me the logical choice for this assignment and Commander Kayzon's lack of familiarity with the planet made him an obvious choice for impartial evaluation of their admission request.

Not long into the mission it was discovered that the departing Romulan forces had left behind a biological weapon that was infecting large portions of the Eltebanian population. The virus had started in rural areas and was spreading into urban population centers. The virus first caused hallucinations and paranoia, before eventually, and inevitably, leading to death. We learned of this in the most unfortunate of ways as my Chief Tactical Officer, Lt. Jack Burrowes, was inadvertently killed as he accidentally set his phaser to overload. Lt. Burrowes was among the finest officers with whom I have ever had the privilege to serve, let the record show that he died in the line of duty. I posthumously submitted Mr. Burrowes for a citation.

While we did manage to record enough sensor data to determine that the Embassy was salvageable, the majority of the remainder of our time in the Embassy was spent with members of the away team suffering from hallucinations. I too was infected and suffered from hallucinations of my previous time in the Embassy as Valley Forge's CO.

Commander Kayzon's negotiations were reasonably productive in revealing a genuine interest my the people of Elteban to rejoin the Federation, though they also revealed just how devastated, both economically and medically, the Romulan occupation had left the planet.

Pulsar's science and medical departments, working in concert with the Eltebanian Medical Directorate were finally able to determine that the virus, though airborne, was only capable of surviving when highly concentrated, thus the swift infection rates in the cities. Through complete isolation of infected individuals the virus died out after a relatively short period of time, allowing the bodies immune system to kick back in. Away Team members were isolated using shuttle craft which one of my newer tactical officer's, Ciron Ouse, piloted remotely.

After recovering enough to rejoin the crew's general population, and with confirmation that the isolation technique was working on the planet, I set us on course for home. My final report to the Federation Council requested immediate Medical and Humanitarian aid for the people of Elteban III. My report also indicated that the former Embassy could be repaired and while the repair effort would take some time, it was still a more viable option than demolition and replacement. However, I also reported that evaluation for immediate re-admission was inconclusive. I recommended a Federation Ambassador be dispatched to further evaluate their petition. I believe Elteban could, and should, eventually be re-admitted, I do not believe though that this re-admission should be rushed and that it would be best for the planet and its new Government to be first fully vested.

I remain deeply saddened by the loss of Lt. Burrowes. I am also disappointed that this would appear to be my final mission with this particular, and extremely talented, crew.

Logs

Below are the log entries for the mission, grouped by who wrote them and sorted by Stardate.

Captain's Logs

Admiral Wueste

Stardate 21003.12

I find myself with a certain sense of apprehension as I prepare to brief the crew on our next mission. It is an unsettling feeling of dread I haven't experienced to this degree since I officiated at Sam's funeral.

Our mission to Carraya to show the flag is the sort of assignment I've always feared I'd be relegated to. Best I can tell a large portion of the fleet is being sent for that purpose, so I hardly feel singled out... yet, were Pulsar being sent to directly ensure the President's safety, that I could feel good about. Simply going to be there, and with so little available information to boot, it just doesn't sit right. I understand the need for secrecy, but sometimes I wonder, if at my rank, with a position of seniority such as the one I hold with Group command, I still can't get answers to even the most basic of questions about where my crew is being sent, at what point can I get answers?

What truly troubles me though is our primary assignment after this diversion to Carraya. I have been ordered to take Pulsar to Elteban III, a former member of the Federation, and a planet just coming out from under an extended period of Romulan occupation. I have little sympathy for the Eltebanians though, for they brought this on themselves. Before taking on the Romulans, the rebel faction, that is now in charge, allied itself with the Empire. They did so with one purpose, to overthrow the pro-Federation government. It was during the first mission of my first command that the Rebels tried to violently eject the Federation Ambassador through a coordinated assault on the embassy. They finally assisted us in our evacuation efforts, but only after it became clear we would leave and that it was, in fact, the Romulans who intended to stay and were the greater threat.

So, we left, the Romulans stayed. It was during that mission that Samantha was kidnapped by the Romulans, and by Vice. It was as a result of what happened at Elteban that Forge was nearly destroyed and had to be taken out of service for extensive repairs. Those repairs were never finished though and Forge was destroyed during the Borg invasion. My crew was transferred to the Gettysburg, which I helped commission.

Thanks to the Romulans and the people of Elteban, I lost nearly everything. I can still feel the effect that mission had on my life. I have come to terms with what happened there. I have accepted the past for what it is and have long since resolved to move on. None of that changes my lack of sympathy for the rebels or the people of Elteban.

After nearly a year of self-governance they have realized they cannot go it alone. Years of war and occupation have left them broken. So now they've called for a re-opening of diplomatic channels, now they want consideration for re-admission to the Federation. The very people that fought so hard to get rid of us, who joined with the Romulans to fight us, now want our help. Star Fleet is never one to turn down a potential opportunity, and the Federation is never one to reject a wayward member trying to return. I will be a good soldier and ensure the mission Star Fleet wants done is accomplished to the best of my ability. None of that means I have to like it.

Stardate 21003.19

After an eventful stop over at Carraya IV, we have arrived at Elteban III and are preparing to begin our mission. I will be leading the survey team down to the former Federation Embassy. My familiarity with past events here makes me the perfect person to lead that team. I will be accompanied by a combined tactical, engineering, and security team led by Lt. Burrowes, Mid. Ouse, Lt. Roland, Mid. Fuentes, and Lt. Cellawe. Commanders Kayzon and Ander will head up the diplomatic end of our assignment here on Pulsar.

I have absolute faith in Zor's ability to handle these negotiations and complete confidence in his ability to handle them with a more open mind than I would bring to the table.

I have elected not to openly discuss with the crew my prior dealings with the people of Elteban. The Forge's mission was not, and is not, classified and information on it is readily available. That being the case, I have taken all necessary steps to recuse myself from a potential conflict of interest and, frankly, I have no desire to discuss the past. Aside from a conversation I had with Commander Ander several days ago, I believe I've done a reasonably good job of remaining focused on the task at hand.

My hopes are high that this diplomatic mission to Elteban III will go better than the last and that we will be successful in bringing the planet back into the Federation. We lost her on my watch and I must admit it would be personally gratifying to see it remedied. Lord knows we could use a win here.

Addendum: Stardate 21003.20 - After speaking with Mid Ouse, I have elected to allow him to remain aboard to monitor the negotiations. Ouse, and his past hosts, have extensive diplomatic experience that I think could be helfpul. I have asked Zor to establish a small group, consisting of anyone aboard experienced with such matters, and to have them monitor the talks as they occur. This will give an additional sounding board for Zor and Lee to use during session breaks. Obviously we won't be able to involve a Midshipman, no matter how experienced, in the talks directly. Still, there's no reason Ciron can't provide useful insight.

Crew Logs

Lt. Mick Roland

Stardate 21003.20

Chief Engineer - USS Pulsar Lt. Mick Roland Personal Log Stardate 21003.20

[begin recording]

Diplomacy missions aren’t my favorite. With all the puppet strings and maneuvering, you never know who’s really in control. Our next mission is just that. I’ll likely be assigned to the away team to survey the Elteban III embassy for reinstatement. I see this as a dangerous mission since there could be any number of hazards. I hope the rest of the away team is aware of this.

I ‘ve worked with quite a few engineering officers before I was assigned as chief engineer, but as I get to know more of the crew, it’s obvious why they were assigned to the Pulsar. They’re exemplary. Nothing more needs to be said. A promising new Midshipman by the name of Fuentes has been assigned to the Pulsar straight from the academy and I have high hopes for her. From what I’ve seen so far, she personable, extremely intelligent, and versatile. A great addition to the crew.

[end recording]

Lt. Kamble Ross

Stardate 21007.06

Chief Medical Officer- USS Pulsar Lt. Kamble Ross Personal Log Stardate 21007.06

[Begin recording]

I hate Starfleet officers.

(pause)

Putting aside that unprofessional outburst, what I meant to say was that I don't feel it's safe to send anyone else down to the planet, given the fact that there is a viral pandemic that we know next to nothing about.

Zor disagrees with me. His plan is to take a security down to the planet to intervene with the away team. I still feel that this is bad idea, but there is very little I can do about it. He's not insane, and he outranks me.

I think the worst part is I can't even bring myself to be mad at him about it.

Anyway, a joint Science and Medical team are working on analyzing the virus, and figuring out how to cure it. Hopefully they'll be successful. Our job will be a lot easier if we can keep the virus from decaying long enough to get a full analyses. I'm glad Doctor Hamilton is on the team, I don't know enough about viruses or infectious disease to add much insight.

Hopefully, we'll get something before we lose our away team.

[End recording and save]

Lt. Commander Lee Ander

Stardate 21008.06

Chief Counselor- USS Pulsar LCdr Lee Ander Personal Log Stardate 21008.06

The recording began in an usual way, with Lee dressed in a spacesuit.

[Begin recording]

Well, this is one messed up mission. We started by heading to Elteban III for a readmittance review. This is the planet that served as a turning point in Wuestes career, and held the possibility of emotional trauma.

That doesn't even begin to describe it. When the Romulans left, it wasn't by choice. They destroyed everything they could, and released some kind of virus. The virus causes delusions among other things.

Kayzon and I were assigned to the delegation, sitting through boring talks trying to figure out the benefit for both groups. The talks turned a different way as I immediately picked up on their hiding of something important.

Through some great manipulations, I managed to earn the trust of the delegates, who shared the true state of the medical problem on their planet.

The away team fell victim to the virus before Kayzon and I could do anything to prevent it. Two members were lost in the confusion before preventative measures were taken.

The talks are on pause for now, with the delegation being seen to by a few officers.

The away team has been beamed up to isolation shuttles based on the recommendation of the Medical Ministry, with the exception of the Admiral and Roland, who are currently out of transporter range.

The Admiral seems to be reliving the crucial mission I touched on before. By roleplaying the part he had mistakenly identified as mine through his delusions, I was able to convince him to head to a safer location. They are making their way back now.

(pause and deep sigh)

The medical and science teams can't figure anything out unless they can get some active scans of living tissue with the virus in it. So, here I am. I donned a spacesuit, hoping it would protect me against whatever this thing is. With my medical background, I made the best choice for this.

I can only hope to make some headway before I become infected.

I...I never saw myself as the type to sacrifice my life for the greater good. I am not so sure that being an agent afloat is really the best position for me. I am starting to lose focus...if this is any indication.

[End recording and save]