As the crew recovered from the sudden drop out of warp, Commander Nitus stood and walked out of the observation lounge and to the bridge. As she stepped onto the bridge wires were hanging from the ceiling and EPS modules across the bridge were damaged or had exploded.

nitus looked around the damaged bridge, ‘Who could have done this?’ she asked herself as she made her way to the command area the rest of the bridge crew stood from the floor, and made their way back to their stations. Though deep down she knew she was responsible for the situation her crew found themselves in.

“Damage report,” she said looking to the young officer who had just retaken his seat at the helm station.

“Extensive damage across the ship, Commander, the port nacelle is not reading. It is as if it's not online,” Enzo said as he looked at the information on the console in front of him.

“Whatever did this was not an accident,” Arva said as he assisted some injured crew members.

“I know,” Nitus said in a hushed tone so only she could hear it. ‘And we must figure out who or what did it.’

[Several Hours Later]

Security Officer's Log, Stardate 240104.26. With permission from Commander Nitus, I have assigned each of the ‘refugees’ with a Security officer to keep an eye on them. I must find more evidence to point to foul play before I can seek permission to conduct a more direct interrogation. The ship is crippled and it is my responsiblity to find out who is responsible fore puttinf us in this condition.

Arva stood from his desk, coffee in hand, and walked over to the sofa that sat in the corner. Just as he picked up the PADD from the coffee table the door chimed.

“Come,” he said as one of his deputies walked in, “Mr. Withers, what can I do for you,” he said, not looking up from the PADD.

“Permission to speak freely, Sir,” Samuel asked him.

Arva looked up at him and simply nodded his head.

“Why aren't the refugees,” he said, holding his tongue to keep from saying something that might have gotten him into trouble, “being questioned again. We both know one of them had something to do with the blast that knocked out one of our nacelles.”

“We more evidence that one of them was responsible before I seek the commander's approval.”

“How do we do that if we can interrogate them?” he asked as he sat down on the other end of the sofa.

Arva sat still as he aimlessly looked at the PADD he held in his hands. His face suddenly lit with an idea.

“I need you to pull up the locations of each of the refugees during the time before and after the blast, the records on the last person to access the nacelle maintenance shaft then meet me in the secondary ops room.”

“Yes, Sir,” Samuel said as he stood from his seat and walked out of the room.

“Zolath to Davidson.”

“Davidson here,” she said her voice resonating from the combadge.

“Zahir, can you meet me in the secondary ops room?” he asked her as he stood from his seat and made his way over to his desk.

“I'm on my way, Davidson out.”

‘This should get us what we need to get the Commander’s approval and find out what's going on,' Arva thought to himself as he began to search the ship's computers for any information that could assist him.

Arva walked into the secondary ops room carrying two PADDs looking at each of the logs they displayed carefully.

“Sam, have you found anything of substance,” he asked him as the Bajoran set the other PADD down on a table in the corner.

“I have, Sir. I've discovered that five minutes before the blast went off three of the refugees went off the grid and then reappeared a minute before,” he said responding to his question.

“Interesting.”

As Arva was about to ask another question but was interrupted by the doors opening revealing Zahir who was carrying a PADD of her own.

“What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" she asked him as she continued to look at her PADD.

“Have you figured out what the blast was and what caused it?”

“I have,” she said as she looked up from her PADD and walked to the holotable in the center of the room, “It was an electrostatic discharge. Using a M27 EMP charge, one that could easily be purchased from the black market. The device was placed in a location that made it impossible for internal sensors to detect.”

‘Interesting,’ Arva thought to himself.

“Sir, the last record for someone accessing the maintenance shaft was during the rime the three refugees went off the grid,” Samuel interjected.

“We need to find out if there are any security cameras that might have recorded when while they went off the grid.”

“I might be able to help, Arva,” Zahir said as she stepped forward.

“How so?” Arva asked.

“I have a friend in Starfleet Intelligence who owes me. I can ask them if they have any information on where, who, and how many M27s were purchased in the last week,” she said, looking between the pair of security officers.

“That would be great, Zahir. It would help not only narrow down who the perpetrators are but also learn if there are any more potential dangers and could also track down if there are any groups that may have something to do with this,” Arva said as he picked up one of the PADDs and turned to Samuel as Zahir nodded to them both walking out of the room.

“Sam, assemble a small team. I want you to find out where each of the suspects were before and after the EMP detonation.”

“Yes, Sir,” he said as he turned to look at one of the wall consoles before walking out of the room.

Arva turned his attention to the main display looking over the three refugees that Sam had identified.

Arva sat in his office waiting for Nitus to send him his next orders. After receiving information from Zahir's intelligence friend, they found out that two of the three suspects had some affiliation with a pirate group known as the ‘Crimson Fleet’. They gave all of the findings to Nitus for review.

“So what now?” Samuel asked Arva, he was getting agitated sitting here knowing that two people on board had an affiliation with a pirate group.

“We wair,” Arva answered him. Just as he was about to say something else the door chimed.

“Enter,” Arva said as he looked at Samuel confused and uncertain about who could be at the door. The door slid open and in walked the one person they were hoping for, Nitus.

“Commander,” they said in unison as they stood up.

“Just the two gentlemen I was looking for,” Nitus said as she walked in and headed for the replicator ordering chamomile tea hot with two sugars.

“Have you reached a decision, ma'am?” Arva inquired he was eager to find out the verdict.

“Yes, I have, with all of the evidence that you've presented to me. I have no other choice but to permit you to question the refugees again, but a counselor has to be present when you do so. Understood?" Nitus asked her.

“Find out what's happened to the colony and what we are to face next,” she said, pausing as she moved to the door before turning her head back to them, “Do it quickly,” she said to them before she turned and walked out of them from the door closing behind her.

Both men looked at each other as they pondered what to do next.

“Sam,” Arva started as he looked at the human officer standing next to him, “have all of the refugees escorted to the lobby. We wouldn't want them to grow suspicious and do something that could endanger the rest of the crew,” he said as he walked over to his desk and picked up a PADD that had each of the refugee's names on it, and handed it to Samuel.

“Yes, Sir,” he said to her as he walked out of the room.

“Sam..” Arva called out to him. Samuel turned his attention from the PADD to Arva, “Do it quickly,” he said to Samuel as he nodded to him and then walked out.

‘Finally,’ Arva thought to himself, ‘We’re going to get answers.'