Post #2 - Consequences

Posted on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 @ 10:48am by Captain Tracey West Jr

Mission: Shore Leave Planet Caldwell
Location: USS Viceroy
Timeline: Prior to Current

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On:

[[USS Viceroy]]

“To another successful mission.” Major General Gerald Winston raised his glass. “My men did well, suffering only minor casualties.

First Lieutenant Tracey West raised a glass and smiled to himself. Despite several injuries, they had managed to secure the hostages and get back to the ship. Hurd was healing up in the Med bay, leaving the closing formalities for West to take care of.

“Indeed.” West agreed.

“Actually,” General Long said. “I have a few questions.”

West nodded, “Of course.” He said, a very innocent look on his face. In fact, he had filed his full report directly to General Long a couple of hours after they’d reached the Viceroy intact, complete with a scathing indictment of Major General Winston’s orders and logs of the incident. No doubt it had taken his staff hours to corroborate the report, but West expected that they had reached the same conclusion he had.

“Yes sir, what questions?” Winston stated, his face the picture of concern.

“Is it true, Major General, that your men pulled back and held the Southern perimeter, despite battlefield conditions that required the neutralization of two anti-aircraft weapons?”

The room went very quiet for a few minutes. “Yes, but we had to provide an path of egress sir, our men needed a way to withdraw,” The Major General reasoned.

Long interrupted him “But as I understand it, your planned means of egress were shuttles, already standing by and waiting for the anti-aircraft armament to be destroyed. What reason would you have to hold the Southern perimeter instead of providing support to Major Hurd and his men? This was a joint operation, was it not?”

“Yes sir but…” Winston sputtered.

Long ignored Winston’s protests. “Lieutenant West, please convey my deepest regrets to Major Hurd and Admiral Song for burdening you and your men with suffering the command of incompetents. I assure you, and them, that steps will be taken to ensure no one else must suffer such cowardice again.
West just smiled and raised his glass. “Thank you, General. To a successful mission.”

A few hours later, West and Hurd disembarked the Viceroy, where Hurd was transferred immediately to Sickbay.

West went to his office to decompress and forward his report on to the Admiral. Hopefully, they had seem the last of Winston.

Off:

First Lieutenant Tracey West
XO – Starfleet Marine Corps
USS Independence