“Sir, you need to see this,” Lieutenant Irina Tarasova said, her voice uncustomarily frazzled as she approached the center island with a PADD in her hand. “Latest orders from the Polaris.”

Lieutenant Commander Ekkomas Eidran accepted the PADD, and as he read it, a look of shock washed across his face. “I assume you’ve authenticated them?” This would be the first time in his career he’d ever received instructions such as these.

“Three times, just for good measure,” Lieutenant Tarasova acknowledged. A security team from the USS Polaris had come aboard a couple hours prior, and now she knew why. “They’re signed by Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes.”

“Then it is what it is,” Lieutenant Commander Eidran sighed. The punches just kept coming. “Computer, prepare to transfer command authority.” He looked over at Lieutenant Tarasova. As Chief Security and Tactical Officer, the next step was, by custom, hers to take.

The computer chimed, awaiting further instructions.

“Computer, effective immediately, rescind all command codes belonging to Captain Jake Lewis, and transfer command of the USS Serenity to Lieutenant Commander Ekkomas Eidran,” Lieutenant Tarasova ordered. “Authorization Tarasova Four-Four-Eight-Tango.”

The computer chimed, awaiting acknowledgement.

“Computer, I acknowledge the orders and accept command of the USS Serenity,” Lieutenant Commander Eidran confirmed. “Authorization Eidran Two-Six-Nine-Alpha.”

The computer chimed again. It was done. Captain Lewis was no longer in command.

“The ship is yours, sir,” Lieutenant Tarasova added, as if the gravity of the order was not already clear. 

All around them, the bridge crew grew silent, staring at the Executive Officer and the Chief Security and Tactical Officer as they took in what had just transpired. 

As a Betazoid, Lieutenant Commander Eidran could feel their doubts and uncertainty. “Don’t you all have work you need to be doing?” They just kept staring. They felt a debt to their captain, a man who’d navigated them through Frontier Day and the situation on Beta Serpentis, and although it had been ordered by a Fleet Admiral, it still felt like a betrayal to strip him of his command so unceremoniously. “Lieutenant, you have the bridge. I’ll be in my Ready Room.”

Without another word, the now-Commanding Officer of the USS Serenity was gone. He didn’t have the mind to face the questions of the crew, as he had no answers for them, and frankly, he wanted some answers himself.

As soon as the doors of the Ready Room closed behind him, Lieutenant Commander Eidran put in an urgent call to the USS Polaris. He was informed that Fleet Admiral Reyes was otherwise occupied, but after rather insistently demanding that he speak to someone, he was eventually connected through to Fleet Captain Gérard Devreux, the Squadron Executive Officer and Admiral Reyes’ right hand man.

“Commander, I think the orders were fairly clear,” Captain Devreux explained to the young man once the Betazoid had unloaded his grievances. “Captain Lewis has been suspended from duty until further notice.” Although he said it in a matter of fact tone, his expression conveyed his disappointment. This was not what he wanted. As much as he often argued with the old spook about his methods, Captain Devreux was acutely aware that, were it not for Captain Lewis and his team, the Battle of Nasera would have turned out far worse. In fact, they might not have prevailed at all.

“But why, Captain?” Lieutenant Commander Eidran asked desperately. “We’re already torn up here dealing with the repairs from the battle and the news about Lieutenant Morgan, and now this…” He’d had to command the USS Serenity through heavy losses once prior, and now, here he was yet again in the big chair when he least wanted to be. “You’ve got to give me something more to go on.”

Captain Devreux could sympathize with the young man. He’d been there more than once himself, over the years, and a little more detail couldn’t hurt. “The Office of the Judge Advocate General has filed a preferral of charges against Captain Lewis and Lieutenant Hall related to their activities during the Battle of Nasera,” the captain elaborated. “It is a matter of protocol that they be suspended from duty until the conclusion of those proceedings.”

“A preferral?” Lieutenant Commander Eidran gasped. “You mean… you mean for a General Court Martial?” The Betazoid was, of course, familiar with the Starfleet Uniform Code of Justice and its most severe criminal process, but he’d never known anyone personally who was dragged into such a process. While Captain Lewis was a gruff old man with  questionable values, he lived and bled for the Federation, and did such loyalty not count for something?

“I’m afraid so,” Captain Devreux nodded grimly.

“And you said it’s about Nasera?” Lieutenant Commander Eidran confirmed. “What happened down there to warrant this?” After the stories he’d heard about Lewis’s team down on Nasera, and after the heroics he’d witnessed from Lewis over Earth, it just didn’t seem right.

“We fought a desperate, bloody battle for the soul of the Federation,” Captain Devreux replied, his eyes haunted by the crucible they’d been through. “And in the end, we prevailed, but not without hard choices made and too many lives lost.” He could still remember the stretchers lining the corridors after the battle.

“But what about that is worthy of a court martial?”

“Between you and I, I would say nothing. You weren’t there, but I was, and trust me what I say, after what we saw, the ends justified the means – whatever those means may have been,” Captain Devreux answered, his eyes dark and his voice uncharacteristically cold. Nasera had changed him. It had brought him face to face with an enemy so evil that suddenly Captain Devreux, the lifelong explorer, understood what had turned Captain Lewis into who he was. “But the JAG feels otherwise, and so here we are.”

“What’s Admiral Reyes going to do about it?” Lieutenant Commander Eidran asked. All that Lewis had done had to count for something, and Eidran couldn’t believe the admiral would just let him go down like that. He’d seen the deep bond between those two during the Frontier Day crisis.

“Allison is going to uphold the laws of our great Federation, just as she always has,” Captain Devreux replied cryptically, but he could see doubt in the younger man’s eyes. “Commander, you’d do well to remember that a preferral of charges simply means that the JAG believes grounds exist for a prosecution. It does not mean that Captain Lewis will be found guilty.” He chose his words carefully because he had no doubt that Captain Lewis and Dr. Hall did what the JAG accused. It was just that he didn’t want to see them go down for it. Not after all the pair had done. “It is just as likely that, on account of the evidence or in consideration of the circumstances, the Preliminary Hearing Officer may choose not to pursue a General Court Martial, or that, even if it goes to a General Court Martial, a jury may still not find him guilty.”

“What do I tell the crew?” Lieutenant Commander Eidran asked uncertainly. He had to tell them something, right?

“You tell them to do their jobs and to not dwell on rumors,” Captain Devreux responded firmly. “As I understand it, your ship took quite a beating during that hair-raising rescue in the Roche lobe, and that’s what they should be focused on.” The captain had been there with Admiral Reyes during their investigation of the Fouth Fleet conspiracy back in ‘99, and he knew how disruptive it could be if the crew got caught up in the courtroom drama. “Do not entertain their questions, nor their curiosities. Keep them focused on their duties.”

“I will do my best, Captain.”

“That’s all any of us can do,” Captain Devreux nodded, before changing topics. “And speaking of duties, how are the repairs going?” The USS Serenity had been pushed to its warp assembly to its limits to reach Commander Lee and Dr. Brooks before they blew themselves up with the transwarp gate, and as the Duderstadt-class cruiser raced away, it caught the shockwave of the warp core breach to its stern.

“It will be at least a week before every blown out emitter and shorted manifold is replaced,” Lieutenant Commander Eidran answered. “But we’ll be back at operational readiness, at least as far as propulsion and defensive systems go, by tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s excellent progress, and very timely too,” Captain Devreux smiled. “Because the squadron will look to depart the system by tomorrow EOD. Starfleet Security is taking over the cleanup effort on Salvage Facility 21-J, and we’ve been told to expect, by first thing tomorrow, a team from Federation Colonial Operations that will take over administration of Beta Serpentis III. Once the handoff is complete, we turn for new shores.” It could not come soon enough either. The Borg were bad news, and he was glad they’d be soon closing the door on the whole Borg affair.

“Do you know where we’re headed?”

“Not yet,” admitted Captain Devreux. “But hopefully somewhere with a nice beach.” The crew desperately needed some R&R. It had just been one thing after another ever since the reemergence of the Lost Fleet.

“I won’t object to that, sir,” Lieutenant Commander Eidran chuckled. “Anything else?”

“No. That will be all,” Captain Devreux closed. “And Ekkomas, don’t worry… It will all work out in the end. Polaris out.”

As the link closed, both men were left to their thoughts. For Lieutenant Commander Eidran, he felt the onus of command and the weight of uncertainty over him. For Fleet Captain Devreux, it was little better. Although the captain had played it off with the younger man, he was nervous about what lay ahead. The whole affair between Commander Drake and Captain Lewis was worrisome, and he was skeptical if even Admiral Reyes would be able to navigate it. He just hoped she didn’t get caught up in trying to protect her old friend.