The Lafayette hung in orbit over Candera Prime. It didn’t take any sensor scans or view screen magnification to find the source of the distress call. The scorched earth, fire, and billowing towers of smoke could be seen easily from orbit on the planet below. The site had previously been occupied by one of Omega Research’s largest centers, but now it wasn’t much more than ruins and a crater. 

“Status report,” The words came out of Cromwell’s mouth somewhere between a growl and a whisper as he stood in the center of the bridge. 

“There’s nothing left, sir. All major structures have been reduced to not much more than slag and scaffolding,” DeMont answered quickly, looking over the data with a heartbroken look on his face.

“Casualties?” 

“No life signs at the lab site, assimilated or otherwise.” 

Dumouchel pinched the bridge of her nose, “’Your statement is inaccurate, but sufficient’,” She repeated the words of the drones in the Sphere. “There was something else left on the planet.” 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Cromwell replied, nodding gravely. 

“Sir, we’re being hailed. It’s Doctor Pavel,” DeMont announced. 

Cromwell turned a cool look on DeMont, “On screen.” 

The doctor’s narrow face appeared on the screen. From the look in his eyes, he’d been crying. He seemed to be wavering in his chair as he regarded the Commanding Officer, clearly not sure what to say. Finally, he croaked, “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” 

“You lied to me, Srini,” Cromwell bit back. 

“You tried to steal from me, Pete! You tried to steal from me the thing that had made the most difference in my life!” Srini bit back, his voice wavering. 

“We came to get rid of a dangerous piece of technology that was putting your lives at risk,” Cromwell countered, angrily. “What did you do? Did you hide something?”

“No! I am not a child! We sent a regeneration alcove and a chunk of systems to Omega Research for their medical research programs! We never thought… we didn’t…”

“I told you, Srini. Starfleet Told you. Everyone told you this was a high risk danger,” Cromwell replied, sharply. He was done with the man’s excuses. “You knew the risk. You saw a damn Sphere show up in the system!” 

“Yes! And we told them, Pete! We told them! They were trying to destroy it, but the second Sphere got here so quickly, we just…” Srini shook his head, “Pete… please… I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Commodore Cromwell,” Cromwell correct, his tone dark and grim. “How many people were in that research facility, Srini.” 

The man stayed quiet.

“How. Many.” 

“Five-thousand, three-hundred and ninety-six,” Srini finally responded. 

“Five-thousand, three-hundred and ninety-six,” Cromwell replied. “Almost a sixth of the planet’s population.” 

“It wasn’t my fault!” 

“You didn’t declare the move to Starfleet or the Federation. You didn’t declare the move to me. You knew it was there, and you let those people continue at risk! Don’t tell me it wasn’t your fault!” 

“You were stealing from me!” 

“We were protecting you, god dammit!” 

“This was for the people, Commodore! The scientific advancements and–“

“Don’t try to make this some sort of altruistic act of rebellion!” Cromwell waved the man off as he stepped closer to the view screen, “This was about greed. This was about notoriety. This was about you, selfishly fighting to keep something that was endangering everyone on your planet,” Cromwell spat back. “Do you understand the level of risk you took? You’re lucky it was only the people in this facility! What if it had been more? What if it had been the entire planet?”

“Commodore, you don’t get to judge me!” The man spat back.

“Go to hell, Pavel. You called me for some sort of absolution and I refuse to give it. You were reckless, you put your own personal aggrandization and scientific research ahead of the importance of human life, and that is an unforgivable sin. You were willing to put people at risk in the name of notoriety and a few experiments. That is wholly unacceptable!” 

“You don’t understand!” 

“You’re right, I don’t. And I’m damn glad I don’t understand that! Get off of this line, begging for forgiveness, and get to the site to help clean up the mess you made, Doctor. You’ll find no mercy here.” 

Cromwell jerked his hand along his throat and DeMont killed the feed. He walked back to the command chair and sat, staring at the ruins below on the view screen. 

“A bit harsh, but not undeserved,” Dumouchel said, shaking her head slowly as she looked at the destruction below. “I can’t imagine letting this happen all just to keep a chunk of some Borg ship.”

Cromwell sighed, “He’s lost perspective. Well, he had… I have a feeling it was just brought painfully back,” Cromwell’s heart was breaking looking at the smoke still billowing up into the atmosphere. 

“Oui, that is… abundantly obvious.”

“Mister DeMont,” Cromwell said, looking over his shoulder.

“Aye, Commodore?” The young man said.

“Let the Federation HQ on the planet know that we’re available to assist an any rescue or relief operations,” He said. “I have a feeling they’re going to need all the hands they can get.”