Consequences
Preface and Synopsis
After the events on Theta Thekare the Niven returned directly to Starbase 27. Given the nature of the events which had occurred, the mood was heavy. The captain was recovering, albeit slowly, but the remaining senior officers wondered what would become of their decisions. When the Niven docked at the starbase Commander Rodriguez was still in command, and he was met by Rear Admiral, Lower Half, Bram Harmonson and Captain Carl Curtis. He informed him that he and Lt Commander Link had meetings scheduled with Commander Seth Fowler, head of Starfleet JAG at this starbase.
Following these meetings both were assigned counsel from the JAG office, as was captain Koyanagi. It was announced that the case would be prosecuted by Lieutenant Saul Hilgenberg, a well respected officer. Harmonson, as the commanding officer, would chair the board of inquiry and two other high ranking officers, including Donald Hanlon, were recalled to the base to serve.
In a surprising turn of events Lieutenant Commander Ken Bryant arrived and assumed the role of lead defense counsel. He brought with him a staff of three, and they absorbed the already working staff from the previous attorneys. Immediately they went to work preparing their defense.
During their first meeting everyone was surprised when Lieutenant Commander Link failed to appear. Upon further investigation, he had been attacked in his room and was in critical condition. He was immediately transferred to the hospital facility. The lack of testimony from this key witness would shape the entire investigation.
Lieutenant Hilgenberg knew that this would be a tough case to try, and rather than risk losing everything he offered terms to the defense teams to settle the matters. After some intense negotiation, they were able to secure and agreement.
Aftermath
Lieutenant Commander Link is expected to recover fully, though it could take several months. Commander Rodriguez was reassigned to Starbase 17. Captain Tompkins was reassigned to the Orion Diplomatic Envoy, also at Starbase 17. The Niven underwent a full crew reassignment 3 months ahead of schedule and has exchanged much of its complement.
Player Recaps
Captain's Log, Stardate 40260.7
Following the events on Theta Thekare, Commander Rodriguez, Commander Link, and I were under investigation for charges of dereliction of duty, reckless endangerment, and conduct unbecoming of a Starfleet officer. We were assigned Lieutenant Commander Bryant to be our defense attorney and the prosecutor was Lieutenant Saul Hilgenberg.
