Changes

Martin’s next mission on the Dauntless would prove somewhat disastrous. Assigned to the U.S.S. Apparition as part of a skeleton crew, he headed into Klingon space. While initially excited, the mission – a “simple” data extraction from an intelligence base, which was then to be destroyed – was a success only in the most technical respect, as the crew sustained several causalities and the Apparition was lost. Most notably was the loss of Lancepaul Starnault, who had been in temporary command of the Apparition, before leading it into a 3 on 1 fight with Klingon birds of prey.

After the Apparition, Martin was left shaken. It wasn’t the first time he had been in a life-or-death situation in Klingon space, but this time there had been more than just his own life on the line. Lance had been almost a surrogate son to him, and he began to suffer occasional flashbacks to his own harrowing shuttle raid. Martin also felt guilty for what had happened to Lance, because he had spent a fair deal of time telling stories of his own exploits in Klingon space, as a younger man.