Telling the Truth

Aki had been back on Earth for over two week now. Every day she had been led from the secure quarters she had been placed in and into the briefing room. This day was like no other and the same questions would be asked over and over again.

Did she or any of the crew detect any anomalous readings after the ISS Leviathan was destroyed ?

Did she or any of her crew attempt at any time to make contact with any of the crew of the ISS Leviathan ?

What steps did she take in trying to find Ensign Morriden and the USS Interphase ?

Why did she give the order to crash-land the USS Leviathan-A ?

The questions just went on and one. Every day for the past two weeks she had been asked these same questions and given the same answer every time. She'd also undergone dozens of medical tests.

Apart from the guards, the three Admirals holding court, Commander Rashad and the doctors, she'd had not contact with anyone from outside. She'd not even been give access to a computer terminal, Padds or even pen and paper.

She was sat waiting for the guards to arrive and take her back to the briefing room, when the door to her 'room' opened. Admiral Devore stepped into the room, followed by two security officers. The Admiral looked at the guards and ushered them away.

"Captain Taybar…." Marcus started. "….How are you feeling ?"

"Like a caged animal." Aki replied. "What's going on ?, Why all the questions ? Why all the test ?"

"It's complicated." The Admiral replied. "But the board is going to be releasing you today."

For the first time in over a month Aki smiled. Being released was the best news she could have had. She could finally discover what was happening with the rest of the crew.

"However, you're not off the hook just yet." Devore continued. "You're still under investigation for the loss of the Leviathan-A and you could still be court-marshalled for it. But the court no longer sees you as a threat to the Federation."

"A threat to the Federation ?" Aki remarked. Then it all fell into place, all the questions and medical tests. "You believed that I was from the mirror universe, didn't you."

The Admiral just looked down, giving Aki her answer.

"Everyone will be tested before they return home, just in case." He said. "As a precaution."

"What about the slipstream project ?" Aki asked. "Will that continue ?. Will there be another Leviathan."

"I don't know." The Admiral admitted. "We sent the Corp of Engineers to recover the slipstream drive to prevent it falling into the hands of anyone else, not so the project could continue. With the advances Starfleet R & D are making in trans-warp flight, quantum slipstream is looking very complex in comparison. Why build one vessel capable of travelling a slipstream velocity, when you can build three using trans-warp."

"What about me ? What about the crew ?" Aki asked.

"I don't know." The Admiral admitted. "I'm going to try to keep the crew together and work on keeping the slipstream project alive. But sooner or later they're going to start to be needed elsewhere. Just remember, they were my crew as well and the Leviathan was once under my command. I will fight hard to keep the name of the Leviathan alive. As for you, as soon as the Judge Advocate clears you of all charges, you'll probably be re-assigned to another ship."

Aki hadn't forgotten the Admirals connection with the Leviathan, but until now she hadn't realised just how committed to the ship and its crew he was. The Admiral had placed her in of charge of his ship, his crew. Over time, they had become her crew, her ship, but the Admiral still had some pride in the ship.

"Thank you Admiral." Aki said.

The doors opened once more and one of the security officers said it was time to leave.

Aki and the Admiral headed down the corridor towards the briefing room, followed as always by the two guards. They entered the room and Aki took her seat beside Commander Rashad, who had volunteered to be her counsel. The Admiral took his seat behind the desk with Admiral Janeway and Admiral Pike and the proceedings began.

Within half an hour Aki was a free woman once more, although still under threat of being court-marshalled for the loss of the Leviathan-A. But she was back out into the world and she was determined almost as much as Admiral Devore to keep her crew together and gain command of a new Leviathan.