Steele, Aaron

[Steele]

On:

While I enjoyed my time on SB Atlantis, it seemed that I barely had time to recover from one crisis before another one cropped up. So far my time on the Malinche has been just as stressful as Atlantis. Although I must admit things didn?t pile up as much as they have here. Between the Borg, the nebula, and the ship?s computer acting up; we?ll be fortunate to leave the nebula in one piece. I have a feeling both Dr. Mitchell and Megan would be concerned about my mental health throughout all this. On the plus side, it will be difficult to have nightmares if I don?t get much sleep. I?m reminded of a song written from the perspective of a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War which talked about the battle that seemed to go on forever.

?The day the sun stood still
How they beat the bloody drums
And the seconds moved like hours
But the sunset never comes
And the cannons shake the ground
And the bullets test your will
Even shadows found no cover
On that Godforsaken hill
The day the sun stood still?

?The day the sun stood still
Is just beneath the skin
In the soul of every soldier
Every battle that he's in
The day the sun stood still
Will haunt your dreams at night
And stalk your every sunrise
Though you will not know it till
The day the sun stood still.


I just hoped we can figure a way out of this before it becomes too late.

Off:

OOC: The song is done by Travis Tritt, I don?t know the title.

[Steele]

Start Log:

I've seen some strange happenings during my time with Starfleet but I think the current situation beats them all. To add to all the things that have so far occurred, I worked with Ensign Kaylee from the flight control department and have come up with what appears to be a plausible answer for everything that has occurred since we entered the expanse.
After the Ensign delivered the news, it was basically ignored by everyone. Instead WO2 Corrin says he and others onboard the Malinche have been responsible for everything that has occurred. For whatever reason, most of the bridge crew, the CO included, didn't seem surprised by this comment.

Any other posting I've been on, those claiming responsibility would be placed armed guard and a course set for the nearest starbase. Instead we have returned to the asteroid field and are preparing to search for the log buoy of the USS-Rome.

When questioned as to the logic behind this decision, the Captain is strangely quiet. She promises everything will be revealed during the debriefing which only adds to the mystery.

Chief Brooks feels that there is a severe security breach and in this case I am inclined to agree with him. However, there is no real evidence to back up that claim other than the strange behavior of the senior staff. I know a few other junior officers feel the same as I do, but so far the ship has not been placed in any real damage, so any attempt to circumvent the chain of command could prove to be career suicide. For now all I can do is follow orders and continue to try and solve this mystery.

End Log:

[Steele]

On:

[Do As the Romulans Do]

It has been a bittersweet shoreleave to put it mildly. It started off on a high note with my promotion to Full Lieutenant. I wish I could say it only got better from there but it didn't. A few days into the shoreleave, I had to leave for Starbase G-6 in order to attend the memorial service for the crew of the Sentry. When I first heard the news that they had gone missing, I held out hope that it was just a communications glitch or something and that they would soon be found. However, that was not the case and the crew has been officially declared MIA, presumed dead.

At the service I met many family members of the Sentry's crew who had essentially given up hope, but there were a few of us who aren't yet completely ready to declare our loved ones dead. I'm sure that Megan and Dr. Zeral would say we're just making things harder but I'm not sure I agree. Speaking of which, I went and talked with the good Doctor earlier today. I'm not sure what we accomplished during the session, but if nothing else it helped to have an objective third party to speak with. She wouldn't admit it, but I could tell that Megan was grieving just as much as the rest of us. Dr. Zeral said that my reaction to all of this was natural and that it would take time to come to a point where I can come to grips with everything.

Regardless, I am determined not to let this get in the way of performing my duties. Judging from past experiences, keeping busy and focused on the task at hand is a good way to cope so that's what I shall do.

Off:

[Steele]

On:
Personal Log

I have just come from a staff meeting where we have been informed that an Elyshan Fleet of over 200 ships has been spotted en route for Federation Space, in specific Starbase 386. As one of the Starfleet vessels currently at the Starbase, the Malinche could potentially be on the front lines of the first major battle in a war between the Federation and the Elyshans.

As we prepare for this conflict, I am reminded of the words spoken by Admiral Ross at the end of the Dominion War; 'Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended... we have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph, and from both we have learned there can be no going back. We must move forward to preserve in peace what we've won in war'."


I can still remember the feelings of relief and joy that swept over us when we realized that our two years of sacrifice had been worth it and peace would once again be dominant throughout the Federation. I’d question whether or not I am ready to fight in another war, but in my opinion that is a pointless question as I don’t think anyone is truly ready for war. At this stage, all I can do is perform my duties to the best of my abilities and hope for the best.

Off:

[Steele]

On:

The Elyshan fleet has come and gone with neither side firing a shot in anger. What exactly happened no one seems to know but I think Dr. Trout put it best when he said, "We've been eyeball to eyeball and the other fellow just blinked." Despite our apparent victory, the region still remains at a heightened state of alert as some feel this is all a feint and are expecting the Elyshan fleet to come roaring back, possibly this time with weapons firing. While possible, I do not believe that to be probable as such action has the potential to turn more than just Starfleet against them.
Like many others, I believe that this was a way of testing our preparation and resolve. Once they realized that we would defend this area of space if need be, there was no further need for them to stick around so they left. Either way the departure has given us a much needed reprieve and allowed the Starbase to inform Sector Command just what transpired here.

During the standoff I found myself the first officer aboard the Gamma section of the Malinche. At least I think I was, Lt. Materson was in charge of the section which makes sense as he's a security officer and this was more or less a combat situation. If he would have been incapacitated, as highest ranking officer aboard I guess I would have had to take charge. Perhaps I should talk to the Captain about officially qualifying as a bridge officer.

Off:

[Steele]

On: <Mission 17 - Inferno's Light>
<<Steele's quarters, Day 7, 0720 hrs>>

Once again I find myself on a ship that has been assigned to patrol the demilitarized zone between the Cardassians and Federation. By my count this is the third separate time during my career that this has occurred. The first was after the Academy and the Starfleet Language Institute. That was prior to the war, but by that time things had deteriorated enough that most everyone knew it was only a matter of time until things erupted into full scale war.

After the Dominion War ended and the DMZ re-established, the new Thunderbolt was once again assigned to patrol the DMZ for a while. What we were doing there I never fully understood. The Cardassian Union seemed in little shape to cause any more trouble, especially after the Dominion turned on them. I guess after fighting the Cardassians in two separate conflicts, the Federation was still wary of their intentions. After just over a year on the border we returned to Starfleet’s main mission of exploration.

Now I find myself on the Malinche and again patrolling the Federation side of the DMZ. As before I’m not entirely sure of the reason but see no reason to question the orders. On the plus side I don’t expect any excitement which should allow time for a few translation projects I’ve been working on.

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