Captain's Log 050

Posted on 31 Mar 2024 @ 7:08pm by Commander Morgan Tarin

498 words; about a 2 minute read

Captain's Log, Stardate 94379.9

"The battle is over and priority repairs are underway. I've...never engaged Romulans in combat before. Not as a captain, a first officer or a helmsman. I'd be negligent to want to do it again. Their two scout vessels - despite promoting an even engagement theory - were technologically superior to Galileo-A and quite possibly even Galileo-B. How we survived this encounter can only be attributed to the resilience of this crew and its strength under duress. I've had my doubts about them. Many doubts, both in the past and now here, in this future. But not a single one of them folded under the challenge and in the face of extreme adversity. I'm...proud of them. Each and every one of them. Yes, many still possess questionable behavioral traits, but when it's time for the buck to stop here, they proved themselves willing and capable.

"Not all of us were so lucky. Petty Officer Hollenday was killed in action aboard Galileo-B attempting to repair critical systems in one of the engineering Jefferies tubes. His loss has been difficult. Not only for myself, but for Ensign Mimi and their daughter in this future. It was also one of Ensign M'Lyr'Zor's first duties to oversee as acting chief of engineering. She might be a Vulcan and possess exceptional mental fortitude, but I know she still experiences emotions. I'll have to check on her shortly to make sure she's processing these feelings when our work orders don't afford the luxury of meditation. The last thing Galileo needs is a Vulcan engineer losing their composure and putting the entire ship at risk.

"Funeral services for Hollenday are scheduled in one hour. While I prepare for this, I find myself pondering the value of life. How can someone - a captain, a peer, a daughter, a wife or husband - quantify the loss of a single individual against the larger objective and mission? Was Hollenday's death necessary? Was it as simple as the 'needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'? Where do we draw the line, and how far has Starfleet now moved that line? When faced with extermination at the hands of the Klingons and Romulans...is the value of life still guiding our core philosophies? I don't question Admiral Saalm's order or Ensign M'Lyr'Zor's actions. Perhaps more will die in the coming days. But this future must be changed. We must find a way to alter it, to reverse whatever we've done in the past to make sure we are never put in this type of situation again.

"I'm reminded of an ancient Klingon proverb: 'A warrior enters the world with honor. Their actions in life will disgrace them, or ensure their place in Sto-vo-kor, for each warrior is responsible for their own fate'. I believe Hollenday has ensured his place in history, and in Sto-vo-kor.

"Computer, end log."

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