The Shadow of Loss

Posted on Sat Jul 26th, 2025 @ 11:06am by Commander Eva Grey & Captain Mitsu Sato

1,084 words; about a 5 minute read

The Eclipse seemed quieter than usual to Mitsu. She was sure by now that rumors were spreading throughout the ship regarding the away mission. As she stood in her ready room staring out the view port at the Adelphous Science Station, Mitsu struggled with her own internal conflict. The Eclipse was her second command, and during her time as a Starfleet Captain she had never lost an officer. The cold and harsh reality of loosing not just one but two officers under her command was unsettling. She knew that she had duties to attend to, but all she could do was stand at the view port of her ready room, watching the stars. The door chime interrupted her silence. “Come,” she said quietly.

Eva entered the ready room and clasped her hands behind her back and she noticed the captain standing at the view port. She had heard the rumors regarding the away mission, but so far they were only rumors. As a science officer, Eva preferred to wait for the facts. “You wanted to see me, Captain?” she said, her voice measured.

Mitsu turned, her expression unreadable for a long moment before softening with a nod. Motioning with her hand, she waved the science officer towards a chair as she stepped over to her desk and sat down. “Thank you for coming, Eva. Please have a seat.”

Eva sat down and folded her hands in her lap, her expression neutral. "I have to admit that I was curious as to why you asked me here after the rumors that have been spreading through the ship," she said.

“I know that there's been some rumors, considering the fact that the shuttlebay was rather busy when the away team returned,” Mitsu said, her voice starting to break as she spoke. Pausing, she continued slowly. "Ensign Oku and Commander Rogers were both killed by a hostile alien life form on the station. All evidence seems to point towards it being found by the research team and brought aboard for study. It woke from a dormant stage and killed most if not all of the science station personnel. Lieutenant Zalla reported that it may have been possible that a few people might have escaped from the station alive."

"If I remember correctly, the station was only equipped with standard escape pods and a few short range shuttles," Eva said, a thoughtful frown forming on her face. "If there are survivors, they could be on one of the planets in this system. Surely they wouldn't have tried to reach another system in a short range craft."

"My guess is that they landed on one of the planets in this system," Mitsu nodded her agreement. "So I'm going to order the Eclipse to conduct a full sensor sweep of the system before we depart. We'll use probes to scan the planets, which will still take some time but it'll be faster than having the ship scan each planet one at a time."

"A probe will take twenty hours to completely scan a planet," Eva said. "If we add in pre mission prep times, travel times for a round trip for each probe, and recovery time, I'd have to estimate roughly thirty six hours to complete a full scan of each planet."

"We'll remain for forty eight hours," Mitsu said. "I'm going to make an announcement to the crew to notify them of the deaths of Ensign Oku and Commander Rogers shortly. We'll hold a memorial service in the lounge tomorrow evening. I also have one more item I want to discuss with you."

"Of course," Eva said. "What matter would that be?"

“The Eclipse is at its heart a science ship. I need someone who knows both the science and the soul of this ship. I’m asking you to serve as acting first officer in addition your current duties as chief science officer,” Mitsu said, her words calm and direct.

Eva blinked, her expression one of surprise. Recovering quickly, she nodded. "I'm honored by the offer, and I accept," she said.

Mitsu nodded, a sad smile forming at the corners of her mouth. "I'll make a note in the ship's log. I know it's probably not how you wanted to step into command duties, but I think you're the best person for the job."

"I'm honored, captain," Eva said, bowing her head in a formal nod. "I certainly hope I can do right by you, the crew, and the memories of those we have lost."

Mitsu nodded sadly, the commander's words justifying her selection to the first officer's position. "I do have one more thing to ask your input on," she said. "The alien life form that the away team encountered is still on Adelphous station. It's openly hostile, and I'm concerned about the safety of anyone else who may try to board the station."

Eva leaned back in her seat and frowned thoughtfully for a long time. Starfleet was dedicated to the preservation of life, but the life form aboard the station had taken life. The evidence of that was clear in the fact that she had just ascended to fill a position left vacant by the alien life form taking the lives of two members of the Eclipse crew. The fact that the away team had barely returned was a concern to her as well. She finally looked at the captain directly in the other woman's eyes as she spoke.

"If there is no safe way to capture this alien creature and contain it securely without the loss of more of our crew, and since we can't trust that another starship and its crew might board the station and face the same loss as we did if not more, then the only option that I can think of is to destroy the station," Eva said. She felt a cold chill in her stomach for simply saying the words, but she knew that there was no other way to prevent more death.

Mitsu nodded slowly as she considered the commander's words. She had come to the same conclusion, but hearing another person speak the words made her feel less burdened somehow. "Thank you, Commander Grey," she finally said. "I'll let you get those probes ready and launched."

"Of course, Captain," Eva said as she stood. "I'll let you know as soon as we have any information from the scans." With a tight smile and a brief nod of her head, Eva turned and left the ready room.

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