Three days after the liberation of the prisoners, it still felt like every interrogation yielded more questions than the answers they so desperately needed. The accounts given by crew and prisoners of the Asklepios were fragmented, often contradictory, and failed to fully explain how an organization that had evaded detection for so long had imploded within just a few hours. 

The question that seemed to permeate every conversation was the matter of what would happen now. To the ship. To the crew. To the prisoners. 

Captain Ceix, and probably everyone else, would have preferred a straightforward resolution. Justice served, happy endings for those who deserved them, and them on their way to the next mission. 

But as much as they wanted to cast people into the roles of villain and victim, it quickly became painfully obvious that it wasn’t that easy. 

“What about that Engineer?” asked Ceix as he emptied the third cup of coffee, and rose to get a fourth one. The discussion had gone on for what not only felt like hours, and he found the simmering tensions between his officers as difficult to navigate as the fate of their guests. 

“The name is Kira Halden.” Keller responded after finding the corresponding record on his PADD. “Senior Engineer of the Asklepios. She was found in the operating suite, and appears to have sustained several injuries.” He glanced at Doctor Trova to fill in the medically relevant details.

“Spinal cord trauma.” elaborated the doctor, her tone clinical and detached. “There’s significant compression and partial severance at the thoracic level. The damage can be repaired, but not with the equipment I have here.” 

“Whatever prison she ends up in can take care of that.”, shrugged Keller dismissively. “Even if I disagree with resources being wasted on her.”

It was Brennan who shook her head at that.  “She still deserves medical aid.” she reminded matter-of-factly, her tone firm yet even.

Keller’s posture stiffened ever so slightly at the rebuke. He gave a curt nod rather than discussing the matter further.

“Until she is picked up, we will provide the best medical care possible. Doctor Trova, see what you can do for her, and we’ll take it from there.”, Captain Ceix, now back in his seat, decided. 

“We need her account to make sense of the gaps in the pilot’s version of events”, mused Brennan, a sentiment that didn’t seem to sit right with Keller.

“I think the situation is clear enough”, he said coolly. “He was the only one to answer our hail and actually cooperate. He lowered the shields so we could beam on board. He told us what happened, and let us escort him to the Callisto without causing any trouble.”

“The problem is that there are some things that just don’t make sense.”, reminded Trova, quietly and far more carefully than she had to be. Before Keller could brush her off, Ceix interjected.  

“That is true.”, he noted, “We have established that the broadcast was not sent from the bridge, but from a terminal in the operating suite.” 

“In addition, he didn’t even know the Captain’s name. He called her Alice.”, added Trova. “Maybe we’ve misheard him.” Keller pondered, though Ceix had the feeling that he didn’t believe so himself. 

“Right…” said Brennan, redirecting the conversation to the other suspects. “Is there any progress with the two young men you found in engineering?”

Keller seemed to need a moment to shift his focus, but eventually gave a vague nod. “They claimed there was a power struggle after the Captain was injured, with different factions trying to seize control of the ship. But their stories don’t entirely add up.” He paused “They are…  difficult to deal with. But in different ways.”

“Difficult how?”, asked Ceix, leaning forward.

“The one is practically inconsolable. He only talks between fits of crying. And when he talks, most of what he says is that he is innocent, and was just following orders. Over and over again.”, Keller explained, with a tinge of annoyance in his voice before he continued.

“The other one? Calm, apologetic even. He is all too aware of his part in all this, and owns up to it. And he’s sorry. Somehow that makes it worse.”

“Why does it feel worse?”Brennan wanted to know. 

Keller needed a moment to articulate his thoughts. “Like he knows exactly what he did, but he’s still trying to win our sympathy. At the end of the day, they’re all just trying to save themselves”

“That is difficult.”, he acknowledged. “Following orders has been an excuse as old as conflict itself. But it’s never that simple, is it?”

Brennan gave a nod, pondering this for a moment. Then she looked at Keller.  “What would you do if you were ordered to do something you didn’t want to do?”

Keller furrowed his brows, and reached for his own cup of coffee. “I would do it anyway. But this is different.”

“How is it different?”, Brennan asked, seeming genuinely curious.

“I believe in what Starfleet stands for.”, Keller explained. “Its mission and values align with my own. And if there are orders I am unhappy with, I still can count on them being part of a bigger picture.” 

There was a heavy pause before he continued. “But these men? They chose to be part of something reprehensible. They entered this type of employment by choice, and stayed because they wanted to – or because they didn’t care enough to leave. Had we not put an end to this, they would likely have remained there and continued doing what they did.”

“I understand your point.”, Brennan nodded, but had another question on her mind. “What if that’s all someone knows?”

“How do you mean that?” Keller wanted to know, indulging the question for the time being. 

“That doctor, Rynn Morrow, for example. I’ve read your interrogation report, and she says she comes from a family that has always been part of organisations like this. I am wondering – If you are raised in an environment where this is normal – do you really have the capacity to make an informed choice? Or are you just following a pattern you had no part in designing?” she asked. 

Ceix leaned back in his chair. In other situations, Ceix would have redirected the discussion to something more productive and more acute. But he could sense that they weren’t just debating philosophy – they were trying to grapple with the cruelty of what they had uncovered. To understand why some people would choose to be cogs in something so destructive.

“I think…” Keller began “that you are still responsible for your decisions. No matter the situation, or the upbringing. Maybe it’s harder to make the right decisions if a toxic environment is all you know, but it’s not an excuse to not walk away.”

“Then… What about the prisoners?” Trova challenged, her voice quiet but even. Keller’s jaw tightened, and he fixed the doctor with a sharp gaze. 

“What do you mean?”, Ceix asked calmly, trying to break the rising tension. 

“They killed two people when they were freed.”, Trova elaborated, focussing on Ceix. “And yes, I know someone will say it was self-defence, but the individuals we found weren’t even armed.”

“After what they went through, would you blame them?” Keller hissed, as if the question itself was an attack. 

“No.” the Doctor shot back. “But I am saying it’s more nuanced than ‘you are responsible for your actions’.

“Not this topic again.”Keller groaned, rubbing his temple.  “We’ve been over this a hundred times.” 

“Commander Keller. Please.”, said Ceix, his voice a little firmer this time around, carrying the undercurrent of a final warning, his eyes narrowing in disapproval.

Then, he turned to the Doctor. “I would appreciate it if you could clear up what this is about.” 

“It’s about the Captain, sir.”, said Trova, her voice low. She lowered her gaze and paused, which gave Keller the momentum to cut in. 

“Who refuses to cooperate, despite being well in the condition to do so.” he interjected, allowing the irritation to crack through his voice. 

 Trova took the bait. She scoffed – openly disrespecting a superior officer. “She’s physically healed, yes, but what of the psychological damage?”

“Damage? She caused all of this!” Keller’s voice rose in anger.

“I don’t believe it. Medical scans show fractured bones, barely healed, and those weren’t accidents. These injuries were inflicted.” 

“What about the log files?” Keller snapped, leaning forward in his chair.  “We have proof. Why are you wasting time with theories?” 

“Records can be manipulated, Commander.”, Trova said, matching the heat of Keller’s anger. 

“Well, when she stands trial, they will decide if she is guilty or not.” Keller said with a slight sneer. He folded his arms in front of his chest, and leaned back as if he had won the argument.

“Captain.”, said Trova, her voice softening, but struggling to remain calm. “I don’t think she should be moved yet. It’s my professional opinion – for the good of my patient – that she remains here for the time being.” 

Captain Ceix exhaled. He was growing exhausted, and regretted allowing the discussion that had led to… this. He glanced at Brennan. His now-XO had started her Starfleet career in the medical field, and he trusted her judgement.”  

“What do you think?”, he asked, willing to put the matter into her hands.

Brennan looked at Doctor Trova and Commander Keller. Then, she lowered her gaze to the PADD detailing the Captain’s injuries. There was a pause, but no hesitation. 

 “I agree with the Doctor.”, she said eventually.

Keller looked like he had been hit in the face, but resolved himself to giving a simple nod of assent, and then moved on to the next point on their agenda. 

Once Doctor Trova and Commander Keller had left, Ceix wearily made his way from the conference table to his desk, grabbing a fifth cup of coffee in the process. The last vestige of energy had drained from him, and while his legs felt heavy, his mind felt even heavier. 

“It would be a lot easier for us if the Captain just left with the rest.”, he muttered quietly, staring into the steaming mug. Criticism, yes, but his tone was gentle. He understood her reasoning. He, too, had questions, and wasn’t at all fond of relying on someone else to uncover the truth. 

“I know.”, said Brennan, giving a small nod. “But I stand by my opinion.” 

“And I accept that.”, Ceix said, and raised his head to face her. He offered a soft, but very tired, smile as means of reassurance. “I don’t like what’s happening between Keller and Trova. Had I known their history, I would never have agreed to the transfer”

“I didn’t know it either.”, Brenan admitted, her tone steady but with a subtle edge to it. “And I think we need to keep an eye on it. Grief… comes in waves. And its much easier to handle when it can turn into anger, and has a target.”

“I understand that far more than I would like.”, Ceix exhaled. For a moment he pondered divulging details of the many lives he had already led, and how he could relate more to both sides than either of them knew. Then, she shook his head. “The USS Givens will be arriving shortly. Please make sure everything is set up for a smooth transition.” 

“Understood.”, Brennan straightened. Her gaze flickered over to Ceix one last time before she left. The door slid shut behind her, and Ceix was left alone with the hum of the ship and the steady rhythm of his thoughts.