“Did you see this report? Looks like the whole Dominion mess is over.”

“Yes, I’ve heard. Which begs the question, where’s Serenity and the Commander’s band of goons?” Commander Drake had not a lick of love for Lewis and his morally ambiguous squad. The JAG officer had no doubt they were guilty, and the sooner they were locked up, the better.

“Logic would dictate they’re trying to sneak in a couple more war crimes before they return, wouldn’t it, Terok?” Chief Petty Officer Geoff Morrey laughed as he looked over at their Vulcan medical examiner.

“Yes, logic would dictate that, given an opportunity that lent itself to such actions, Commander Lewis would willingly commit war crimes again,” Lieutenant Commander Terok agreed.

“Seriously though, where the hell are they?” Drake asked frustratedly. “Has anyone heard a damn thing about what they’ve even been up to since they left Nasera ten days ago?” Both of his colleagues shrugged. “This investigation is pretty much dead in the water until we can put them on the stand.” 

The resonance of the phaser that killed the Vorta did not match any weapons in their armory, and the toxins found in the bloodstream of the Vorta did not match any psychiatric substances requisitioned by the team either. They’d combed the crime scene a dozen time, but they did not have anything conclusively linking the covert team to the torture and murder of the Vorta. Commander Drake was absolutely positive they did it though. They’d just have to crack an operator to prove it, and that required them to get back from wherever they were.

“It may be the case that we get nowhere even when they return,” Terok warned. 

“I disagree,” Drake replied. “Give me and Morrey a few more cracks at the kids on the team, and I’m sure we’ll get somewhere.” Commander Lewis and Dr. Hall would never crack. He knew their type. They’d go to prison before they talked. The other three though, they almost certainly would, and then off to prison he’d send them all.

“I mean, you brought Miss Shafir to tears last time you took a pass at her,” laughed Morrey, amused by what had happened between Drake and Shafir down in the starboard stardrive computer core. “I say take a few more cracks at her, and either you’ll get Commander Lewis on assault for beating you upside the head again, or you’ll get it out of her.”

“Lieutenant Morgan or Ensign Rel would be more likely to talk,” Terok suggested. “The Chief has been in intelligence her whole career. Her dossier is full of redactions.” That typically indicated someone who had already crossed over the line a few too many times.

“Now, now, my Vulcan friend,” Commander Drake laughed sadistically. “Your point is logical, but why let her miss out on all the fun? We’ll have plenty of time to take a pass at all three once we’re back. We can start by charging Chief Shafir and Ensign Rel with wrongful conduct resulting in the death of a fellow officer.”

“A tribunal will acquit,” warned Terok. He’d read the after action report. Although they had killed Lieutenant Commander Jordan, it had been the correct choice. There was no tactically viable way for two operators to free Jordan from the control center, and if they had not blown it when they did, the Jem’Hadar would have retaken control of the planetary defense system and used it to destroy the entire Starfleet counteroffensive. It was a textbook case of the needs of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few.

“So?” Commander Drake laughed. In his youth when he had a totally perfect conviction rate, he would have avoided it just so he could maintain his record. Through the years though, he’d learned that sometimes you charged someone as a tool for a larger plan. “It’ll weaken them up, having to relive it over and over. That guilt and grief Chief Shafir showed when I questioned her about Jordan’s death, she’s a woman ready to break. And Ensign Rel, that girl is what, twenty five, a junior flight controller with a spotless record? It’ll be a race to see who takes a plea deal first.”

“What about Lieutenant Morgan?” asked Morrey.

“We’ll just work him over like we usually do,” Drake shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll get somewhere. I mean we’re talking about a completely uninteresting operations officer who found himself down there with two career criminals? I can’t imagine he wanted to be there. He’ll talk just to clear his conscience.”

“Are you worried about what type of deal you’d have to cut for their cooperation?”

“Not one bit. Commander Lewis and Dr. Hall are the prize,” Drake explained. Ideally, he’d put them all away for their crimes, but pragmatically, he knew that without Lewis and Hall, the others would not be inspired to cross the line again. That was what this was really about, stopping a pattern of behavior that desecrated the uniform. “Lewis got out of my grasp once before, and that will not happen again,” Drake insisted as he thought back to the eighties when he had tried to lock up the butcher of Algorab for his crimes. Sure, he’d at least managed to force Lewis out of Starfleet for a decade, but now here he was once again desecrating the uniform. “And doctor Lisa Hall,” he continued with a tone of absolute distaste. “Don’t even get me started with her. She should have been thrown in prison for her dissertation alone. It was a roadmap for torture masquerading as a psychiatry study.”

“Well, we just need them to get back already, and then the fun can really begin,” Chief Morrey said as he cracked his knuckles. Where Drake got into this line of work for his love of law, Morrey got his kicks out of solving puzzles and cracking criminals.

“You know, screw this,” Drake replied as he rose from his chair. “I’m going to pay Devreux a visit and get us some answers.”

Not even five minutes later, Commander Drake stepped briskly into the Captain’s Ready Room.

“Good morning Commander Drake,” Captain Gérard Devreux said as he looked up from his PADD. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” In all their time serving together aboard the Polaris, Drake had never once before visited him in his Ready Room, leaving the Captain curious what this was about.

“I understand there has been a cessation of hostilities with the Dominion, and the Fourth Fleet is standing down?” 

“Indeed that appears to be the current state of things,” Captain Devreux smiled broadly. The last month had been the hardest month of his entire career. He could hardly stomach the pile of body bags that had accumulated, and he was relieved that this wretched conflict was finally over. “It is my hope that once we finish our humanitarian mission rebuilding Nasera that once more we will take to the stars and get back to exploring the frontier.” His eyes twinkled at the thought.

Commander Drake didn’t care about the stars or whatever mysteries Devreux was fantasizing about. His focus was on a mystery closer to home. “Do you have any idea when the USS Serenity will be back?” the JAG officer asked.

“Somehow I don’t think you’re asking because you’ve suddenly taken an interest in fleet logistical operations?” Captain Devreux furled his brow. “Is this about that little investigation I hear you’re running?” Word had reached him about what had happened between Lewis and Drake. It was the talk of the ship, a member of the senior staff assaulting another member of the senior staff.

Commander Drake nodded.

“Commander, I respect what you do. I really do,” Captain Devreux offered. “But have you ever thought maybe you should just let bygones be bygones in this case? We’ve been through so much.” Exhaustion was evident in his voice. The last few weeks had been an absolute nightmare, pretty much the opposite of everything he joined Starfleet to enjoy.

“Absolutely not. We have laws for a reason,” Commander Drake replied flatly. How could Starfleet say it was defending the ideals of the Federation if its officers could not follow its most basic principles? “These laws are what make our Federation great. We cannot just look the other way when it is convenient.”

“That team is the only reason that Nasera is free, and the only reason we are alive.”

“Wrong, and wrong,” Commander Drake countered aggressively. “Captain, what did you just tell me a few minutes ago? The Dominion has ceased all hostilities. The conflict is over. The citizens of Nasera would be free today regardless of our success or failure.” He had heard the argument so many times that the ends justified the means, but it didn’t hold up when the same ends would have been achieved with or without those means. “And, as for us being alive, we would also still be alive if Reyes had not made reckless command decisions that depended on those goons in order for us to survive.”

“Who the hell do you think you are to come up here and Monday morning quarterback the decisions of Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes?” Captain Devreux responded aggressively, angered that Drake had turned his attention to Reyes. Devreux had been on the bridge during the battle, and he knew exactly the impossible challenges Reyes had faced in calling the shots as she did. “You hid in your office while we fought for the freedom of Nasera.”

“Ummm, who am I? I am a duly appointed officer of the Starfleet Judge Advocate General.” Commander Drake stated proudly. “And you’d best remember it.” 

This conversation was going nowhere. Commander Drake spun on his heels and headed for the door. It was time to go further up the chain of command. Their Task Force Commanding Officer was also here over Nasera, and maybe Commodore Jori would be more sensible.

But just before leaving, he paused for a moment in the doorway.

“And Captain,” Commander Drake added, turning back momentarily. “Just so you know, the only reason I’m not investigating the command decisions made during the battle – because, believe me, I certainly could with those casualty rates – is because I do respect Allison, and I know the difficult position the squadron was in.” Even he recognized that the fog of war could lead to less than perfect decision making. “But also, Reyes didn’t commit a war crime. Lewis did.”

And with that, the JAG was gone.

“Allegedly,” Captain Devreux muttered under his breath, not that anyone could hear. As he stood there alone, he wondered why the hell he was defending Commander Lewis. He didn’t even like the guy. The old spook gave him the creeps. But Commander Drake was being ridiculous. It was all so frustrating. Captain Devreux just wanted to put this whole sorry saga behind him. Hadn’t they been through enough already? Why couldn’t they all just move on and get back to exploring the brilliant mysteries of the great unknown?