Captains log, Stardate 79462.2

The Vaadwaur are defeated, and Captain Murphy has been returned to us. At least, in body. In mind and spirit, I’m not sure we actually have the same man returned. The reports from the pirate ship Murphy commandeered during his… extended stay, are disturbing to say the least. The away team from the Eventide found more than one torture chamber, some with late residents still in-situ. And the torturer. The state of the body… apparently it looked like someone had used his own techniques on him.

The rest of the crew were either dead or decapacitated, some violently. Of the survivors… All of them fled from the away team, which leads me to wonder just what I’ve let on my ship.

So far though, Murphy seems to be behaving himself. Doctor Micheals has repaired most of the damage but according to her report, his injuries were extensive. He lost an eye, and there was damage to the optic nerve. Micheals has started reconstructive treatment but it will be a long process that the Canterbury CMO will have to carry on with. Murphy also had broken ribs and second and third degree burns to his arm. Someone really worked him over.

Currently we are en-route to rendezvous with the Canterbury so we can do the handover. Captain Thorne wants a full report on Murphy’s state of mind, and a timeline for his return to duty. I’m not sure we can give her that. I’ve seen men come back from war like Murphy before. Some recover after time. Some never recover. Some seem to recover, but what’s there isn’t what was there before. Only time will tell.

His comm chirped and Mason shut off the recording, leaning back in his chair. It had only been welded the other week but it creaked. Again. “This is Mason. Go ahead.”

“Captain,” came the reply. “You wanted to know when we were approaching the Canterbury’s position?”

“Indeed.” He levered himself up out of the chair, ducking automatically before he reached his full height and scooted sideways to get out from under the support beam. “I’m on my way.”

‘On his way’ consisted of walking the few steps across his ready room, through the door, three steps across the corridor to the door directly opposite. Not a long journey at all. If pushed, he could probably have fallen that far. The door swept open to reveal the petite glory that was the Resolute’s bridge.

Cramped was not the word. The official documents called it ‘compact’. The generous called it ‘bijou’.

He would say it was… efficient.

At least the ceiling was higher in here than it was in his ready room though. He looked over at Kovash, eyebrow arched in question.

“Coming up on the mark now.” That was it. No preamble, explanation, or pleasantries (Kovash really didn’t do pleasantries anyway). Just information.

“Excellent. Drop us out of warp please,” he ordered, taking a position standing in front of his chair, hands clasped behind his back. Parade rest.

The view on the screen changed from stars streaming by, to that of a small system. The Lamarr-class Canterbury sat in orbit of one of the planets.

“Bring us alongside,” he ordered, even though Kovash was already doing so. “And hail the Canterbury please.”

He didn’t have to wait long. Within a minute, the comms officer said, “On screen.”

Captain Thorne, their temporary division CO, appeared on screen. Like the first time they’d met, she didn’t have a hair out of place; the only thing about her appearance to indicate they’d had as rough a time with the Vaadwaur as the Resolute had was the tiny crease in the center of her brow.

“Captain Mason, good to see you again.” Her voice was pleasant and melodic. Soothing, even. Perhaps he should see if Bennett could change the Resolute’s ship computer voice to something more like Thornes? Instantly, he dismissed the idea. Bennett would take that as a sign of his interest in the woman and then he’d never hear the end of it.

“Likewise. Glad to see the Canterbury in one piece.”

Thorne raised a delicately arched eyebrow. “Well, we didn’t decide to charge into Underspace with no backup.”

Mason grinned but didn’t offer a reply. What could he say? That’s exactly what he’d done.

Thorne let the silence stretch out for a moment, then gave a small, elegant shrug. “Anyway, I look forward to hearing about it in your after-action report. But I understand you have a passenger for me?”

He nodded. “We have Captain Murphy, alive and… well, alive. He’s under medical supervision for now, so my doctor needs to talk to your doctor for the handover. Given his memory loss and other information about his time with the pirates, there are security concerns so I’ll be sending a security team over with Doctor Micheals and I would suggest that you arrange a secure sickbay ward for him.”

Thorne nodded, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips that he couldn’t work out. Women were forever a mystery to him and this one more than most. He just could not get a read on her.

“Noted. That being said, might I suggest that you take a small trip over yourself, head up that security team and afterward deliver your after-action report? We have someone aboard who has been asking about you.”

Panic rolled through him for a second. “It’s not Bennett, is it?”

Lady, the last thing he wanted to do was be aboard the same ship with Vix Bennett after his blood.

Captain Thorne frowned in confusion. “No. Why? Is there something I should know about my chief engineer?”

He shook his head, trying to look innocent. “No, nothing. Nothing at all.”

“Okay.” Thorne didn’t look convinced. “We’ll have a security and medical team standing by for the transfer. Thorne out.”