Captain’s Log, Stardate 0404202.5.

Captain Kirok Skyrunner, Commanding Officer of the USS Carlsbad recording.

It has been a week now since I officially took command of the California class starship USS Carlsbad. It’s nothing like the USS Thunderdragon, but each ship has its own charm. I guess I can thank my wife, Captain Sophia Jasmine Rodriguez for giving me a kick in the butt on getting my own command. I got so used to being the XO of the Thunderdragon, I wanted that ship’s Captains chair.

This week has been very difficult on me and my crew. While I waited to take official command of the USS Carlsbad, I met an old Academy girlfriend, Catersha. We reminisced about the old days, when we were together in 2374. To my surprise, I found out the hard way that she became my Chief Engineer. I guess that is a blessing in disguise. I’m gonna need her on my first command.

My first mission is just a single supply run, from Starbase 74 to Starbase Bravo, then back to Starbase 74. We also are picking up my Executive Officer from Starbase Bravo, Commander Aramis Lionel. I served with him on the USS Thunderdragon. He is my good friend from my time on the Thunderdragon. I took him under my mentoring wing while I was the First Officer of the Thunderdragon.

Before I left on the USS Carlsbad, the Admiral informed me of the worst news anyone can get in the honorable service of being a Starfleet Officer. The Admiral informed me that my wife’s ship, the USS Thunderdragon, has been officially listed as ‘Missing in Action’ for close to a month now. Because of the ‘Blackout’ event, where all subspace has been jammed by the Vaadwaur, the galaxy has been separated into sealed off pockets, where warp drive and subspace communications don’t work.

While on our supply run, we encountered a strange comet that contained an unusual element that has an adverse reaction to subspace. We dropped a probe to collect data while we continued on to Starbase Bravo, knowing that when we head back to Starbase 74, we will get closer to it for more intense scans.

On our way back to Starbase 74, we stopped near the comet to conduct a full scan of the comet and the element within. Unfortunately, the element reacted to our scanners and created some type of subspace tunnel that pulled the comet and my ship into it. I was forced to destroy the comet with some of our limited quantity of photon torpedoes to escape the tunnel, to avoid a collision with it.

When we got thrown free of the subspace tunnel, the USS Carlsbad was seriously damaged. As we assessed the damage and started making repairs to key systems, we detected some ship wreckage…from the USS Thunderdragon. My wife’s ship and her first command. I’ll admit, when we found that out, I felt like a warp core had breached inside me. I was overcome with anger, rage, and disbelief for a moment…on the bridge of all places. After composing myself and my First Officer, Commander Aramis Lionel, reminding me of my duties, I pushed Carlsbad ahead on our new mission, investigating what happened to the USS Thunderdragon and finding the crew…and my wife.

Our current position is twelve hours away from a Class M planet where we detected the residual energy signatures of two Starfleet lifeboats that had headed towards this planet. Medium range scans, through some interference from this ‘Blackout’ anomaly that the Vaadwaur have caused, we detected advanced technology on this currently unexplored planet outside Federation space. The Carlsbad is currently heading towards this planet, to scout it out, to find supplies and equipment to make ship repairs and hopefully find the missing crew of the USS Thunderdragon.

Captain Kirok Skyrunner,

Commanding USS Carlsbad.

End report.