"Captain's Log, Stardate 52030.5.  We've arrived at Starbase 263 pending 
major repairs to the secondary warp core and the lower decks, and minor repairs
to most of the other decks and to the main deflector.  Starfleet tells me it's 
a good thing we were able to recover both warp cores.  Replacement parts are in
high demand these days.  For that matter, so are replacement personnel.  There 
aren't enough available officers to fully make up for our recent losses, so 
we'll just have to operate on what we can get.  Mr. Syxx has assured me that 
the virus has been fully purged from the ship's systems as well as from Lt. 
Elea.  Elea has, however, been temporarily turned over to the cybernetics 
department on the Starbase for some final repairs, and I hear there are a few 
scientists over there jumping at the chance to see Starfleet's newest 
invention.  As soon as she's back on the ship and all our repairs are complete 
I plan to investigate some strange readings we detected on one of the planets 
in the Talic system as we were passing by on the way to the Starbase.  On a 
side note, since we were unable to track down any of Lt. Kalamarina's 
relatives, her body is being sent to Vulcan and it will be dealt with there.
That is all... end Captain's Log."
     Captain Mason looked around his ready room.  Outside the window he could 
see part of the Starbase.  He had a view of one of the window covered sides of 
the massive structure.  A couple of the lights dimmed a little then came back 
on.  The station had been suffering some minor power fluctuations, nothing 
serious.  In the distance another starship, the U.S.S. Sutherland, was docked.
Mason turned his attention back to his ready room.  There was a big burn mark 
in one corner where one of the auxiliary power conduits had overloaded, but 
otherwise it looked the same as when he first saw it.  This new ready room 
seemed to suit him just fine, but he still hadn't gotten used to it.  The one 
on the Webb felt more comfortable, unfortunately being on the front line of the
war didn't.  
     Of course, the war.  He had put it off long enough.  He turned toward the 
small computer on his desk and punched up the latest casualty list.  It was 
never easy to read these lists of the deceased, especially when they were dead 
because of those damn Jem'Hadar.  Most of them were people he didn't know, or 
that he only knew by name.  The names were of various Ensigns and Lieutenants 
he couldn't place any faces with.  As he read he tried to keep in mind that 
they weren't faceless, that for each name there was someone mourning the loss 
of a friend.  Then he saw a name he recognized.
     Captain Setok was lost in battle when his ship, the U.S.S. Liberty, was 
destroyed in a Jem'Hadar ambush.  Mason quietly closed his eyes and lowered his
head.  Setok had been a friend of Mason's for a long time, since the two met on
Earth a long time ago.  Mason remembered finding Setok easier to talk to than 
most Vulcans, and had gotten a lot of good advice from him.  Setok was also the
one who introduced him to his wife, T'Mil.  
     Frank Mason wished he could have a little Vulcan objectivity right now, 
but this loss was too painful.  The only thing he could think of that was worse
would be to lose T'Mil, but luckily she was on the Vulcan homeworld, not on the
front lines.  He wasn't on the front line either.  He sat and wondered why he 
had taken some exploration assignment while his friends were on the front line,
fighting the Dominion.  His wife told him that his battles had left him 
mentally and emotionally wounded, and that it was logical to allow time for 
those wounds to heal before returning.  He had agreed with that logic and 
taken the command, but now he wasn't so sure.
     Inevitably, his mind turned back to that moment.  He remembered clearly 
the moment of decision.  He had made that damn decision in a second, and 
regretted it every second afterward.  He didn't let his mind go into the 
details, like a Vulcan suppresses a smile he threw the memory into the back of
his mind, and tried to think of something else.  Luckily, a distraction came 
within a few moments.  The door chimed.
     The Captain looked at the door and sat up in his chair, assuming a posture
and composure more fitting a Starfleet Captain.  "Enter," he said.
     Ensign Etely Bruder walked in.  She had traded in her t-shirt and Dr. 
Martens for her Starfleet uniform.  Captain Mason motioned toward the chair in
front of his desk, "Have a seat, Ensign."
     Ensign Bruder sat down, and Mason picked up a PADD from one side of his 
desk, looking over the information as he spoke, "I've called you here to tell 
you that you're going to be reinstated to active duty."
     Bruder allowed herself a little smile, "I am?  Thank you."
     Mason kept looking at the PADD, "It's been determined that you were not
collaborating with the renegade Cardassians.  The record will show that you 
were working in the best interests of the Federation, and that the near 
destruction of the Equinox was due to events beyond your control.  To appease 
the inquiry boards you will be charged with bringing tribbles onto a Federation
Starship, but that's a law that's been on the books for over a hundred years, 
and you're sure not to receive anything but a warning for it."
     Bruder listened to the whole thing, relieved that she didn't have to deal
with anything serious, she already had enough to deal with, "I... never meant 
any harm to the ship, just as long as everybody knows that.  Um, thank you for 
deciding to put me back on active duty.  I want a chance to help.."
     Captain Mason interrupted her, "It wasn't my decision."
     Bruder looked at him questioningly, "Sir?"
     Mason set the PADD down and looked at the Ensign, "Admiral Bruder got wind
of the situation, he made sure any serious charges were dropped and that you 
were quietly returned to duty."
     Bruder looked at him, almost not surprised that her grandfather did that, 
"Well, this is my first ship and.."
     Mason interrupted more quickly this time, "Do you know why you're on this
ship, Ensign?  I never approved your posting here.  I was ordered by Admiral 
Bruder to take you on as a crew member.  He purposely chose this ship because 
our mission doesn't involve the war, and he doesn't want you fighting the 
Dominion.  So while most of the people you graduated with are risking their 
lives fighting the Cardassians and the Jem'Hadar, you're doing planetary 
surveys on the other side of Federation space.  I've read your record.  Your 
grandfather's been pulling strings even while you were in the Academy.  You got
a separate dorm, lowered physical training requirements, and I'm sure it's not 
coincidence that your recommendation for entry to the Academy came from Admiral
Paris, and he happens to be an old friend of Admiral Bruder."
     Mason stood up, still staring sternly at the Ensign, "High IQ or not, I 
don't want you on this ship, but since I have no choice in the matter you're to
stay out of the way of the rest of the crew.  Dismissed, Ensign."
     Ensign Bruder left quickly.  First her parents, now this.  Frank Mason sat
back down, turned off his computer, and slammed his fist down on the desk.  He
was feeling too much aggression to try to finish reading that list.  The door 
chimed again, without looking up he yelled, "Enter!"
     Ensign White walked in, "Captain, my new report is ready."
     Mason dryly said, "Go ahead."
     White continued, "Commander Ming is still overseeing the reconstruction of
Decks 24 and 25.  I haven't seen any unusual behavior from her other than the 
fact that she's been talking a lot about the crew members who died during that 
last mission.  Mr. Syxx is overseeing all other repairs.  He's more relaxed now
that the virus is gone, other than that nothing is different.  Mr. Mull isn't 
acting strangely at work, but after his duty shift he's planning to visit a 
Bajoran friend of his on the station.  I'll be watching him when he returns."
     Captain Mason finally looked up at her, "Everything's been pretty normal 
with all of them since you started watching them.  Maybe there isn't a 
Changeling on board."
     Ensign White nodded, "I think there probably isn't," she thought for a 
moment, "but maybe I should keep watching them just in case?"
     "I'll let you know," Mason replied shortly.
     White looked at him, "Something's bothering you, I can tell."
     The Captain almost smiled, "It's that obvious?"
     White laughed a little and took a step toward him, "It is.  Can I do 
anything to make you feel better, like the last time?"
     Mason paused for a moment, looked back at Ensign White, and nodded, "You
know, I think that would help.  Computer, lock the ready room door."