Captain's Log

Posted on 15 Jan 2024 @ 12:08pm by Captain Bane Plase

Mission: Enigma Variations
Location: Deep Space
Timeline: Two weeks after DS9 Departure

ON

Captain's Log. Stardate 78528.08.

The U.S.S. Cygnus has been surveying sector 7447 for the last several days. The crew has settled into a routine with their duties, which has become comfortable and predictable. I have to admit that it is a welcome pace, being able to engage in the science and exploration that each and every one of us signed up to Starfleet for.

I am very pleased with the recommendation that my former Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Larsen gave to be his successor. The promotion of Bast to Lieutenant Commander and to Executive Officer has proven to be an excellent move. Already well-liked by the crew, he has been able to apply his own command style to the operations of this ship, which I welcome greatly. I believe both the host and symbiont that makes up Temerant Bast will learn a great deal and will continue to be a powerful asset to Starfleet. In that same vein, I believe I will learn a great deal from the Bast symbiont, with its vast knowledge because of its long lifespan. I relish this opportunity to work with him much closer than before.

It is not lost on me that the mission we are on would be better suited for a Nova-class starship, or maybe an Excelsior-class. While the Nebula-class is not the youngest or prettiest lady at the dance, she certainly should be doing a great deal more than surveying a relatively empty and unremarkable sector of space. It is my considered opinion that the Captain of the U.S.S. Cygnus, and her crew by proxy, are being punished for the missteps and mistakes that we made at Antioch III. To be fair, I cannot blame Starfleet Command for their reasoning. I imagine it will be a long time before we are assigned any missions beyond chasing comets and counting space particles per thousand kilometers cubed. I imagine it will be a long time before we trust ourselves and our ship. I imagine it will be a long time before Starfleet trusts us.

And I imagine the Antioch mission has effectively eliminated any possibility for me to finally earn my Admiral pips. I had been looking forward to that, and thought it would be coming up soon. I think had we succeeded at Antioch, I would have been promoted. As much as I wanted it, when the prospect of me being held for the responsibility of the deaths of the people that died on that planet, whether held by the Antiocians, or by the Federation, losing my seat here on the Cygnus was not at all desirable. In fact, I rather believed that I would miss this opportunity to make a difference, whether that meant being promoted out of it, or being a prisoner and inmate. The Prophets know what they are doing, putting me here, and keeping me here.

This mission is slated to take another four months. Judging by the workload already seen, I believe we will meet that timetable with room to spare. That should help us gain some confidence in ourselves, and for Starfleet to gain some in us, as well.


OFF

Bane Plase, Captain
USS Cygnus, Commanding