AQ/L02 - Crew Logs

[Paul]

==Crew Logs: Please post here for your characters take on the events in mission so they can be uploaded to the ships wiki as well as history. Your tiny timestamp on humanity. Also good to do to EARN points while you are waiting on a GM to get back to you==

[Samira Khasim]

Science Officer Log
Lieutenant Samira Khasim recording.

So far this mission had been interesting in putting me out of my comfort zone in many ways. For one thing, having to take command of the Bridge temporarily. It's an extremely new experience for me, and I don't think I ever had that happen on the Yorktown.

For another, looking into ways of stabilizing dilithium when affected by the local substance, rianite, named after Riani, where we're at. There are quite some surprising ways of purifying dilithium in many ways...the irony of it all is that my specialty lies in forensics. However, in some ways, it could be a version of forensics; I just look at it like we're trying to get solid evidence of a crime when that evidence is a jumbled mess.

Given the options I've seen, I'll need a sample to confirm if the purifying/stabilizing methods work, but I need a sample...I'll need the Captain's permission...

End Log.

[Beno Velaul]

First Officers Log
Commander Beno Velaul recording.

I am not really sure what to think about this mission, it was scheduled to be a swap out, one goes in while the other goes out. That would be the pipe dream because it all fell apart years prior to this, compounded by not following protocol. Our incoming Ambassador had instructions to make contact before entering their Airspace, with the shuttles communication destroyed by an unknown force there was no way for them to do so. They were shot down over an area they should never have been, the pilot was killed but fortunately she wasn't. This is where the lines are blurred, I am in the grey area of following orders and not. 

Things I know and can prove beyond a doubt are, the shuttle was shot down in accordance with their laws. The Pilot was killed as a result with Saida injured from the crash, her injuries were treated by the Tanndi Doctors. Even with their best efforts, there were treatments that they just cant give her. When she is returned to us our Doctors can giver her the treatments, it is superficial treatment purely cosmetic. She hasn't been kidnapped but is being held, all in accordance with their laws. They haven't put any formal charges on her yet, but with how their laws are they can hold her until they decide one way or another. There is no way we can gather information from the shuttle, it was stripped clean of everything that would be helpful. Its just the way of the land, people gathering what technology they could to improve life.

As for Jonas there are charges being filed against him, he is wanted in connection with Espionage charges. I don't have all the details about that, but the Assassination attempt on him forced an Emergency beam out. He was near death that required rapid treatments, if we were not there at that time the conversation would be a lot different. We would be talking about him in the past tense and over his grave.  

I went down there with an Olive branch of peace, and the sword of war that I kept on my hip. By leading with the Olive Branch I was able to keep things calm getting answers I would never have received,  if I had led with the sword of war I am certain that's all they would have seen. On one hand we have an out going Ambassador who is scheduled to be on trial, while the other is suspected to be working with him. If we keep her on as the Ambassador peace with them is going to be harder to achieve, possibly even harder to maintain. The targeted shooting wasn't  part of a Government plot, it was a time honored classic people being afraid of change. 

Jonas has been there for the last ten years and only shot after a meeting with us, people were just afraid of losing their way of life in exchange for another imposed by us. If I would have came in as the President stated, imposing our way of life and way of doing things while judging theirs peace would be impossible. Instead of that I went in attempting to make sense of the situation while placing myself on their side of things, it is the only way to get all the important information. There are people who still see us as a threat, thankfully our actions have not given them fuel for their fire. Instead I have managed to put a few of them out, we just have to keep up with what has been established. 

As representatives of the Federation we are not above the laws of the lands, we are held accountable for our actions. We turn him over to have a fair trial, they will see we are doing everything possible for peace between our two peoples. If we don't turn him over we will be seen as harboring a fugitive, and the peace talks die with that very action. I can't stress enough that I highly recommend letting them have Jonas as a token of good faith, they will release Saida to us because they have the right person to be held accountable. Replace her with another Ambassador, at least for the short term. If we lead with Saida somewhere in the back of their mind working with Jonas will surface at the wrong times making things more difficult than needed, with a new Ambassador we have the potential of putting this to bed permanently. 

In the end Peace is still on the table, and the Horseman of War isn't going to ride today. If he does the other three are close behind. If we are seen as the aggressors of war, this will lead to an uprise of resistance like every war before this has done in the past. Once that genie has been let out of the bottle, there is no putting it back. 

To close this log we can achieve peace and gain membership in the Federation, or the other road leads to War war and more war. In the end of the second road the Federation would permanently be branded as Conquerors and not explorers. The goal of the Federation has always been to seek out new life and civilizations to better understand the universe and the people in it, not to destroy and conquer. 

Commander Velaul First Officer of the Aquila recording, after all of this my one hope is to make my Captain proud that I represented him in the best light possible, my actions are in the best interest of the Ship, and the Federation.

End Log.