Failed Mission (Personal Logs)
Apr 22, 2020 23:26:19 GMT
Post by Admin on Apr 22, 2020 23:26:19 GMT
This is the Mission Report and personal logs of Sha Triton. They were harder to reach than her other logs due to them being locked down with extra care to prevent being revealed.
Her voice is different in these logs. The first ones, after waking in the hospital, are soft spoken as if something in her had been broken. Her debrief (added for her own benefit) shows a bruised Klingon barely hanging on to her desire to remain conscious.
Later logs, while still 'missing' something of the old her, are a bit better. But not by much....
***
MISSION DEBRIEF: (excerpts)
Lieutenant Ush'Ast Rah-Triton
Security Chief, USS Saracen
Medical Station Ion Seven, Near the Neutral Zone
Verification of written account
Lieutenant Commander Matthew Brannigan recording
“Lieutenant, you said in your written statement that you were left for dead. You claim the soldiers had reversed their roles and had lain on the floor in ambush while staging the hostages as guards which you took out, 'completely by accident', upon entering the building. Is that correct?” Brannigans voice was professional and bordered on cold.
“Yes... that's right.” Sha's voice was soft, as if she was tired from reliving the same details over and over again.
“Why did you take out the hostages when you entered the room? Weren't you there to rescue them?” The question this time bordered on baiting. It was almost as though he didn't believe her, and wanted to goad her into an explosive retort. Such an outburst may have hindered her return to duty even more.
“I told you in the report. We saw five soldiers at the door, windows and corners of the room. The hostages were huddled on the floor. We went in and eliminated the threat. We didn't know their lips had been chemically sealed so they couldn't speak. Had they been taped, we would have seen on the scan.” Once more, helplessness seeped into the words as she spoke. Her voice cracking in the memory of it, despite it being a week a later.
“The bodies on the floor were the Archaens. They ambushed us with blades and energy weapons. We were half gone before we realized what was happening.” The sigh at the end of the statement was one of resignation. It was over, they had messed up... everyone was dead.
* *
The recorded clip ended and Sha's voice started. It was tired, almost as if she was half sedated. And her breath hitched ocassionally like it had on the interview.
“Over and over they questioned me. But no one would answer my questions. Everything was still under investigation was their response to everything.” The pause was punctuated with a sigh. “I know what I saw. Their mouths were chemically shut. They couldn't have cried out. Couldn't have screamed. And I have my suspicions that the chemical bond was used in other ways to bind the weapons to their hands, kept them in a 'leaning' stance along the wall. Perhaps it even kept them from moving off the seats and warning us. The scans never showed restraints, bindings or coercion. So I think they were drugged some way, as well. But they won't tell me. When I get back to the Saracen I will look into it.” She sighed and her final words were followed by the click of the end of the recording.
“I have to know..."
********
The next personal log was at the end of her week of recovery before coming back to the Saracen. It had been two weeks since the Mission. No other voice was on the log but her own. Her voice sounded stronger, but the edge of something 'missing' could be heard if anyone knew her well enough to notice.
* *
I don't understand... there is no record in the file about the chemical adhesive. The request I made glanced over the breach and focused more on insertion and extraction. There is more redaction as well. I don't understand why it's not in there. Surely it's a tactic that needs to be passed on for the future.
How will anyone know of such cunning traps if it's not recorded.
* *
The log merely ends.
********
The last protected log was the day before arriving on the Saracen.
* *
Tomorrow I return to duty. Everyone claims I am fine. But I've lied. I said the nightmares aren't what they used to be. But they are worse. Without details, without closure, my mind fills in the blanks. Why can't anyone see that?
I'm going home. Or rather, the only home I have had recently. But I am scared. Sinclair is there. And he knows me. What do I say?
* *
The final words were soft, barely audible. And then the log is closed.
Her voice is different in these logs. The first ones, after waking in the hospital, are soft spoken as if something in her had been broken. Her debrief (added for her own benefit) shows a bruised Klingon barely hanging on to her desire to remain conscious.
Later logs, while still 'missing' something of the old her, are a bit better. But not by much....
***
MISSION DEBRIEF: (excerpts)
Lieutenant Ush'Ast Rah-Triton
Security Chief, USS Saracen
Medical Station Ion Seven, Near the Neutral Zone
Verification of written account
Lieutenant Commander Matthew Brannigan recording
“Lieutenant, you said in your written statement that you were left for dead. You claim the soldiers had reversed their roles and had lain on the floor in ambush while staging the hostages as guards which you took out, 'completely by accident', upon entering the building. Is that correct?” Brannigans voice was professional and bordered on cold.
“Yes... that's right.” Sha's voice was soft, as if she was tired from reliving the same details over and over again.
“Why did you take out the hostages when you entered the room? Weren't you there to rescue them?” The question this time bordered on baiting. It was almost as though he didn't believe her, and wanted to goad her into an explosive retort. Such an outburst may have hindered her return to duty even more.
“I told you in the report. We saw five soldiers at the door, windows and corners of the room. The hostages were huddled on the floor. We went in and eliminated the threat. We didn't know their lips had been chemically sealed so they couldn't speak. Had they been taped, we would have seen on the scan.” Once more, helplessness seeped into the words as she spoke. Her voice cracking in the memory of it, despite it being a week a later.
“The bodies on the floor were the Archaens. They ambushed us with blades and energy weapons. We were half gone before we realized what was happening.” The sigh at the end of the statement was one of resignation. It was over, they had messed up... everyone was dead.
* *
The recorded clip ended and Sha's voice started. It was tired, almost as if she was half sedated. And her breath hitched ocassionally like it had on the interview.
“Over and over they questioned me. But no one would answer my questions. Everything was still under investigation was their response to everything.” The pause was punctuated with a sigh. “I know what I saw. Their mouths were chemically shut. They couldn't have cried out. Couldn't have screamed. And I have my suspicions that the chemical bond was used in other ways to bind the weapons to their hands, kept them in a 'leaning' stance along the wall. Perhaps it even kept them from moving off the seats and warning us. The scans never showed restraints, bindings or coercion. So I think they were drugged some way, as well. But they won't tell me. When I get back to the Saracen I will look into it.” She sighed and her final words were followed by the click of the end of the recording.
“I have to know..."
********
The next personal log was at the end of her week of recovery before coming back to the Saracen. It had been two weeks since the Mission. No other voice was on the log but her own. Her voice sounded stronger, but the edge of something 'missing' could be heard if anyone knew her well enough to notice.
* *
I don't understand... there is no record in the file about the chemical adhesive. The request I made glanced over the breach and focused more on insertion and extraction. There is more redaction as well. I don't understand why it's not in there. Surely it's a tactic that needs to be passed on for the future.
How will anyone know of such cunning traps if it's not recorded.
* *
The log merely ends.
********
The last protected log was the day before arriving on the Saracen.
* *
Tomorrow I return to duty. Everyone claims I am fine. But I've lied. I said the nightmares aren't what they used to be. But they are worse. Without details, without closure, my mind fills in the blanks. Why can't anyone see that?
I'm going home. Or rather, the only home I have had recently. But I am scared. Sinclair is there. And he knows me. What do I say?
* *
The final words were soft, barely audible. And then the log is closed.