Snip!

Sixteen days at warp had achieved their objective of arriving close to the Rift. The Chernov had arrived on schedule but the psychological effects of uninterrupted transit were harder to measure. To Kastarak, it seemed that crew interactions had become flatter. People passed in the corridors like particles in low energy states, as if colliding only when duty so required. Mess hall was quieter, as was the gym.

None of this surprised him. The absence of a permanent commanding officer, in combination the gravity of this high-priority mission, constituted a form of permanent uncertainty. The crew needed resolution, but the crew had not received it. Not had he.

Captain Maddox remained in neurostasis. His physiological functions were preserved. His neural architecture was intact, but his consciousness had yet to return. Kastarak had taken command, but Starfleet had not confirmed it. The silence from Command was becoming ethically untenable. The longer this ambiguity persisted, the greater the cognitive load on the crew. Chain of command was not simply protocol. It was containment. It was narrative cohesion.

Kastarak stood from the command chair.

“Mr Forster,” he said, without turning, “you have the conn.”

Kastarak walked to the ready room to be alone.

Kastarak, Lt Cdr
Acting Commanding Officer; First Officer and Navigations Officer

After passing all the data to the officer who was relieving him He walked over to the center command chair and took a seat and said “ all stations status checks”

Lt. John Forster (CWO)

William stepped on the bridge just as Kastarak moved to the ready room. He was always surprised by the similarities between the two of them and the odd differences; they were the same age and had made similar career advances since being assigned to the Chernov. Kastarak was a far more sociable creature compared to Will’s reclusive nature. The closest thing William had had to friends on the ship was an abrasive medic who vehemently disliked William, and his large Galdori friend, the two of whom had been Captain Taggart’s closest friends until their untimely deaths some years back. From William’s perspective, he’d mostly risen through the ranks on account of chance, being the only senior officer available at times of trouble.

He’d been relieved when Taggart had shifted his focus to Kastarak, grooming the Vulcan for command. William had been uneasy with the idea of a more permanent leadership position, especially considering how his personal issue had been growing recently, and his growing suspicions that his issues were not entirely psycological in nature.

William shook his head, dismissing unnecessary thoughts and quietly stepped across the bridge and sat down at the Science Console.

CSO, 2O

OOC: Hey Hjortur, good to have you back. Be sure to read the Science section of the Departmental Brief post here: https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/chernov/posts/283105/:)

Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

Kastarak returned from the ready room, where had been speaking with Vice Admiral Thalor Ren. This time, he wore the captain’s pips, discreetly placed along his collar. As the doors closed behind him with a hiss, he stepped out to the centre. He looked around, seeing his loyal and good colleagues all around him, he took a deep breath, and spoke loudly so everyone could hear:

“May I have your attention please?”

At the same time, he ensured that what he would say next would be communicated across the ship.

“All hands, this is the captain speaking. I have just spoken with Vice Admiral Thalor Ren with regard to the situation on this ship.Effective immediately, I, Kastarak, have been confirmed as captain and commanding officer of the Chernov. Commander T’Aria has been assigned as first officer. She’s en route and will arrive soon, along with personnel to assist with Captain Maddox’s transfer away from this ship and to further treatment elsewhere.”

He looked around.

“The mission stands. But the chain of command is no longer in question. You’ve served admirably through ambiguity. That is no small thing. Thank you. Kastarak out.”

Kastarak, Cpt
Commanding Officer