No rescue will come if you don't get out

When was the last time he had celebrated Christmas? Certainly not in a few years, three at least. He had been busy, no doubt. Not that he had any real reason to celebrate- his family all lived so far away and he never talked to them anyway. 

This was different, though. This would be the last Christmas on Earth for the next five years. Before he set off on the mission for Starfleet to carry out a task he didn't want to complete. Kill Jim Kirk, his only order. More easier said than done, he was afraid.  He didn't even have any real qualms with the young Captain, but orders were orders, and with Section 31, orders were not a thing to be ignored. 

"Last Christmas?" he mumbled aloud. "I can drink to that." And toasting himself with a small sigh, Piper sat down in his armchair. All the same, he didn't feel like celebrating. It was only his last Christmas here, in the city, the cold, drab city he had always hated anyway.

Personal Log, Stardate 2244.230

Arrived back on Earth. Apparently failing your mission and losing your entire crew warrants holding a trial. Of course, they couldn't charge me with much- they say it wasn't my fault all those people died, but I know better. 

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2244.223

There’s a grief that can’t be spoken. There’s a pain goes on and on. Empty chairs on empty Starships Now my friends are dead and gone. Here they talked of boldly going. Here it was they lit the flame. Here they spoke about tomorrow And tomorrow never came.

From the table in the corner They could see a whole new world And they rose with voices ringing And I can hear them now! The very words that they had spoke Became their last communion On this lonely Starship at dawn.

Oh my friends, my friends forgive me That I live and you are gone. There’s a grief that can’t be spoken. There’s a pain goes on and on.

Phantom faces at the windows. Phantom shadows on the floor. Empty chairs on empty Starships Where my friends will meet no more.

List of the dead: 

Captain’s Log, Stardate 244.220

They’re all dead. All of them except for my first officer, Jacob. They all knew they were going to die, and they hated me for it. Right up until their last breaths. I sat by Security Officer Nolan Casey as he died, and the look in his eyes was one of pure hatred. I am a murderer. I let them all die. Only Jacob is left now.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2244.214

We are already running out of supplies. The crew is starting to panic- we still have not heard from Starfleet. The food will not last the next three days unless we start rationing.

The list of the dead: 

We have been attacked by a Romulan ship. Six of the crew are dead, and the engineers are working quickly to repair the hole in the ship, but it’s unlikely to work. It looks like we shall have to evacuate, but the nearest landing place is not a space station, obviously. There is a small planet just on our side of the border, but it is uninhabited. We will not make it home alive with the ship in this condition, and help will not come in time.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2244.200

I think the stress of not doing anything is getting to the crew. We’re sitting ducks here, waiting to be attacked, but we’re not allowed to leave until we get further instruction from Headquarters. 

They’re scared. I don’t know what they’re scared of… yet. But they are. I found our chief engineer crying in a corner. Poor bloke. He’s brilliant, really, but this is his first time actually in space. He’s one of the newer recruits. Second or third year in Starfleet probably.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2244.197

I don’t even know if this belongs in a Captain’s Log. Probably not. I’ll probably be sued for the informality of this whole thing. We reached the border of the Romulan-Klingon airspace earlier this afternoon, and we’re been patrolling, nothing more. I fear that they may sense our presence, but so far they have not made a move. Still awaiting further orders from Earth, we are unable to do anything but wait.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2244.196

We left the space station about three hours ago. The crew is… energetic, I suppose, but they all seem wary of something. Is it the mission? Or something else? They’ve all been in space before, so I don’t know why they’re all so timid. This is no place for the faint of heart. But we’re off to a good start, and so far there’s no sign of trouble. Only a short while until we can return home. We just have to observe for a few days.

We shall reach the border by tomorrow afternoon, and then I should be getting the rest of my orders.

My first time leading a mission, and I'm still writing in my same log from my first year at Starfleet Academy. There are certainly many new opportunities once you graduate. I was fortunate enough to be recruited when I was. Apparently the graduating class this year has too many security officers. All of them would kill for a job like this. Instead theythey'll be stuck on some cargo ship. 

They always say that the redshirts die first. Glad I'm not one of them. Sure I was trained in security. But I'm so much more now. I'll never have to worry about being stuck as merely another lieutenant on board an old piece of metal. Here, I'm out investigating and fighting, and I have moved up in rank faster than almost anyone else in the region. Six years and I already have my own ship.

We are to infiltrate Romulan-Klingon airspace, learn their plans, and get the hell out of there without fighting of necessary. Those are the orders of Starfleet. The reason Section 31 is taking on the mission? There is no way to avoid battle. Everyone here knows it. And we're the only ones capable of fighting a war at this time.