Crew Logs

Posted on 2025, Sun Jul 27th, @ 8:14pm by Commodore Travis O'Rourke & Lieutenant Commander Corin Taves & Lieutenant Commander Kaela Renn & Lieutenant T'Vera Rahl & Lieutenant Thomas Dalton & Lieutenant Ariana Tessaro & Lieutenant JG Talrin & Lieutenant JG Kelvak & Lieutenant JG Min Karo & Lieutenant JG Neral Tann & Ensign Juno Atala & Ensign Thirak zh’Drexan & Civilian Zeriah Vel-Orin & Commander Arden Rysell

1,362 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 1A "Shadows of the Empire"
Location: Various Earth Locations
Timeline: Present

[Earth | Montana – O'Rourke Ranch] - 'Back in the Saddle'
Commodore Travis O'Rourke – Personal Journal Entry
Leave log: Day 4. The quiet out here isn’t silence—it’s memory. Every hoofbeat reminds me of simpler orders and fewer ghosts. I’ve avoided the simulations so far, but that datapad’s glow in the saddlebag is getting harder to ignore. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe never. I’ve earned a little peace, haven’t I?

The ranch hasn’t changed. The land still stretches as far as the eye can see, and the wind still carries the scent of pine and dust. Dad would've said, "The stars’ll keep. But cattle won’t herd themselves." Funny how you remember things like that when you're thousands of light-years removed from command.

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[Earth | Copenhagen – Øresund Dive Center] – 'Below the Surface'
Commander Arden Rysell – Personal Journal Entry
Today I dove past 40 meters and found something I didn’t expect: calm. Down there, it’s not about duty or leadership—it’s about breath, pressure, and clarity. I haven’t checked my messages in three days. Arden the officer can wait. Arden the woman needs this.

I swim through stillness, and the weight of expectations slips away with every kick. The water has a way of showing you who you are without the uniform. I’m starting to think that beneath all the layers of command... I’m still worth rediscovering.
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[Earth | San Francisco – Shuttle Complex] – 'Airspace Violations'
Lieutenant T’Vera Rahl – Personal Journal Entry
Starfleet says “minimum safe distance.” I say “maximum fun radius.” I missed flying without rules. Earth gravity still throws me sometimes, but that’s half the thrill. If the tower wants me to stop, they’ll need a better chase pilot.

It's strange—freedom has rules too, apparently. But I’m not here to color within the lines. I’m here to remind myself that the sky is a challenge, not a limit. And if I get another citation... well, it’ll make a nice souvenir.
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[Earth | Dublin – Memorial Square] – 'Old Ghosts and Quiet Steps'
Lieutenant Commander Corin Taves – Personal Journal Entry
The names haven’t changed, but somehow they weigh heavier each time I visit. I trained with old friends this week—tough drills, tight formations—but these stones remind me of what we risk. I leave a rose, always. It’s not for them. It’s for me.

The silence in the square is a kind you feel in your bones. I don’t speak when I visit. I don’t have to. I remember. And when I walk away, it’s not to forget—it’s to carry them forward.
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[Earth | Shi’Kahr – Embassy Retreat] – 'The Illogic of Rest'
Lieutenant JG Talrin – Personal Journal Entry
The retreat’s schedule was inefficient. I corrected it. The guests now have three extra hours of productive activity daily. Their reactions are perplexing. Leisure is not absence of purpose. I may write a paper on it.

I have also taken to examining local stone patterns in the garden. Surprisingly meditative. Perhaps this is the logic of rest—not idleness, but reflection through structure. I will propose restructuring the meditation curriculum next.
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[Earth | London – Reclamation Zone Alpha-3] – 'Circuits and Silence'
Lieutenant Darren Voss – Personal Journal Entry
The quiet is... refreshing. Just the hum of power cells and drone servos. No voices. No opinions. The circuitry doesn’t question orders. It just works. I could stay here longer than I should.

The city rebuilds slowly, block by block. I find a strange comfort in rebuilding something piece by piece. Maybe it’s because I’m still doing the same for myself. It’s easier when the broken parts are made of steel.
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[Earth | Los Angeles – Temple Courtyard] – 'Sacred Fiction'
Lieutenant JG Min Karo – Personal Journal Entry
Wrote twelve pages today. My heroine defied the Obsidian Order with grace and a graviton pulse. I don’t know if anyone will read it, but in this quiet temple, my thoughts take flight. I think the Prophets would approve.

There’s something holy in storytelling. It’s not prophecy, but it feels close. This temple—this silence—gives me space to imagine a future that isn’t under orders. For once, the only mission is my own.
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[Earth | Paris – Montmartre District] – 'A Little Vice'
Lieutenant Commander Kaela Renn – Personal Journal Entry
I told the department I’d be attending a bioethics seminar. Technically true. But these late-night jazz sets are doing more for my soul than any panel on synthophage viruses. I’ll send in the notes. Eventually.

The music seeps into the cracks of fatigue I didn’t know I had. There’s healing here—not with hyposprays, but with brass and basslines. For now, I am off-duty. For now, I just listen.
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[Earth | Amazon Basin – Field Log 8] – 'Plants That Scream'
Lieutenant JG Neral Tann – Personal Journal Entry
Flora here emit neurochemical responses in patterns resembling anxiety when exposed to light shifts. Fascinating. Also, local wildlife has developed an interest in my equipment and rations. I am learning patience. And creative food defense.

One capuchin monkey has stolen my tricorder three times. Each time, I retrieve it by offering freeze-dried leola root. Clearly, I am not the only one evolving strategies out here.
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[Earth | Rome – Family Villa] – 'Espresso and Espionage'
Lieutenant Ariana Tessaro – Personal Journal Entry
He’s definitely ex-Tal Shiar. The way he stirred his espresso gave it away. I’m on leave, yes—but the network doesn’t rest, and neither do I. I’ll follow him tomorrow. Maybe after dessert.

Family thinks I’m just catching up on old friends and ancient ruins. But there's something cold in his eyes. The kind that remembers secrets no one should keep. This isn't just a vacation—it’s reconnaissance with better wine.
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[Earth | New Orleans – Klingon Heritage Fest] – 'The Way of the Gagh'
Lieutenant JG Kelvak – Personal Journal Entry
Lost the duel. Won respect. Ate too much gagh. Bled a little. Laughed a lot. This is what honor feels like—loud, spicy, and just a little painful. I may not win next year either. Doesn’t matter.

This festival reminds me of home in ways Qo’noS never could. Earth Klingons wear their pride like ceremonial armor. I admire that. Even if their bat’leths are dulled.
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[Earth | San Francisco – Cadet Gymnasium] – 'Critical Hit'
Ensign Juno Atala – Personal Journal Entry
I nailed that sparring dummy today. Felt good. Later, I rolled a natural 20 and saved the party from a gelatinous cube. Fighting and fantasy—it’s all about timing, precision, and a little luck.

The cadets say I should DM next session. I’m considering it. Maybe it’s not so different from security work—just with more dragons and less phasers. Then again, not always.
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[Earth | Alaska – Dalton Ridge] – 'Cold Forge'
Lieutenant JG Thomas Dalton – Personal Journal Entry
Finished two multitools today. Fingers are numb but the forge is warm. These aren’t just tools—they’re pieces of home, built with frost and sweat. Hope the team likes them. Feels like the right thing to do.

Snow’s falling heavier tonight. I’ll stay another day. There’s something sacred in making something useful, something real. This place keeps me grounded.
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[Earth | Tokyo – Andorian Embassy] – 'Ushaan and Umami'
Ensign Thirak zh’Drexan – Personal Journal Entry
Got clocked in the face today—twice. Won the third round. The chef says I have a “warrior’s palate.” Between sparring and sushi, I feel more alive than I have in weeks.

Culture isn’t just memory. It’s motion. Flavor. Challenge. I came here to reconnect. Turns out, I needed a fight and a good meal to feel whole again.
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[Earth | San Francisco – Vel-Orin Botanica] – 'Scent of a Secret'
Zeriah Vel-Orin – Personal Journal Entry
The scent blend worked—sold out in under an hour. One Starfleet officer asked if it was ‘emotionally invasive.’ I told him yes, with a wink. The Ferengi’s still lurking outside. I’ll let him stew.

This business was supposed to be temporary. But maybe Earth has more to offer than I thought. Secrets, profits, and just enough mystery to keep it interesting.

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