Four Weeks

It had been four weeks since Captain Taybar and the crew of the USS Leviathan-A had been forced to crash-land on the surface of the fourth planet. What was left of the ship was still sitting on the shoreline, where it had ploughed its way up the beach. The crew had set-up camp about a hundred metres inland and after four weeks it had just started to establish itself.

Along the front of the camp the twelve shuttles stood proud, watching over the camp and the wreckage. These were the power source for the camp and miles of cabling ran from them, providing power of everything from lighting and heat at night, to the half dozen replictors which had been dismantled and re-built in the camp.

Aki was looking out over the ocean, wondering what would happen next. The Hellcat had been gone nearly a month now and still there had been no word back.

"Captain." An Ensign announced, leaving one of the Danube class runabouts. "We're picking up a communication signal…. It's the Hellcat."

Aki turned away from the ocean and quickly headed towards the runabout. As she stepped inside, she heard the voice of Commander Rashad calling the ship.

[Hellcat to Captain Taybar.] The Leviathan's first officer said. [Can you hear us ?]

"Commander Rashad." Aki replied. "We are receiving you, what is your ETA ?"

[We're enroute to you now and should be with you in about six hours.] The Commander replied. [We've also brought along some friends.]

"Friends ?" Aki asked, puzzled.

[We're carrying a group of Starfleet Corp of Engineers.] Rashad explained. [They're going to start to dismantle the Quantum Slipstream drive and transport it back to Earth. There's a Nebula class vessel that's enroute and should be here in about another month. By then they should have the drive ready for transport.]

"Commander, what about the crew ?" Aki asked. "When will we be recovered ?"

[Most of them will travel back on the Nebula.] Rashad said. [I'll fill you in on the details when we arrive. Hellcat out.]

There was something in Rashad's voice that Aki didn't like. Normally she'd speak very calmly and without emotion, her Vulcan training had always kept her in check. But when she had been talking to the Captain, there was a touch of regret in her voice, as if she had something on her mind that she didn't want to either tell the Captain or not tell her over the comm.

Six hours later, the Hellcat finally landed on the surface, close to the camp. It was starting to get dark and most of the lights set-up around the camp were on. Rashad and Shale were the only members of the crew to have returned with the Hellcat, everyone else was new to Aki. Most were Engineers, some looking more like cadets than experienced Starfleet Engineers.

Rashad took the Captain aside and started to speak.

"Captain…." She started. "…things are not good back on Earth. As soon as we got back, we were all debriefed for hours, about the mirror vessel, the battle, the damage caused to the Leviathan. They were however most interested in whether we managed to recover the Interphase."

*Interphase.* Aki thought. *Now there's a name I've not heard in a while.*

Aki had read all the reports on the Leviathan-A and it's trip to the Andromeda-Cirrus galaxy. The Interphase had been an advanced deep-space shuttle, designed to make scientific observations of deep space phenomena. It's pilot at the time had been Ensign ASHER who had managed to pilot it through the wormhole between the two galaxies. The last report however was that Ensign Morriden, the Leviathan's former Intelligence officer, had taken the Interphase and headed for the wormhole. The reports had all assumed that they never made it back, but from what Rashad had just said, Aki was now wondering.

"The Interphase." Aki said. "Why would they be asking about that ?"

"I'm not sure, but I have orders to bring you back to Earth immediately." Rashad stated. "I'm sorry Captain, but I have to do this."

"Do what ?" Aki asked.

"Captain Aki Taybar. By the powers invested in me by Starfleet Command and the Federation court, I hereby place you under house arrest. You will be taken back to Earth, where you will be debriefed by a Military court. Should you wish to appoint counsel, that is your right. Anything that you say will be recorded and could be used in any action against you. If you will follow me, Captain."

"I'm being court-marshalled !" Aki exclaimed. She had been expecting something, a board of enquiry which was standard practise upon the loss of a vessel, but not a court-marshal."

"In a nut-shell yes." Rashad replied.

They both headed for the Hellcat and stepped inside. Rashad took her Captain down to the rear of the ship and opened a door.

"You're putting me in the Brig." Aki exclaimed, not believing what was happening to her.

"Captain, your Comm badge." Rashad requested.

Aki took off the communicator badge and handed it to Rashad.

"I'm sorry Captain." She said. "We leave for Earth in the morning."

With that she raised to force field across the doorway and headed out of the room.