12/17/21
"Captain's log, star date 45703.9. We are en route to Earth, where it will be my pleasant duty to deliver this year's commencement address at Starfleet Academy. I'm also looking forward to seeing Wesley Crusher again. His flight team will perform a demonstration near Saturn that will be transmitted to the graduation ceremonies." Picard said.
Picard, Deanna and Riker were on their seats at the bridge; Worf was at tactical and Data was at ops.
"Captain, Starfleet Academy is requesting an update on our estimated arrival." Worf said.
"Mister Data?" Picard said.
"We should arrive at Earth in ten hours, sixteen minutes, sir." Data said off console
"Please inform the Academy and send my regards to Superintendent Brand." Picard said to Worf.
"Aye, sir." he said.
Worf worked his console and sent the message.
"Do you know Admiral Brand?" Deanna asked Picard.
"We've met a few times. She's a... formidable woman."
"If she's anything like my superintendent..." Riker said ruefully and off Picard's look. "When I was at the Academy, we had a Vulcan superintendent who memorized the personnel file of every single cadet. He knew everything. It was like having your parents there with you. All the time.
"My superintendent was a Betazoid, a full telepath. When he called you into his office, he didn't have to
ask what you'd done." Picard said.
"You got called into the superintendent's office? That sounds like a story I'd like to hear." Riker said very curious.
Picard wasn't about to tell; he self-consciously straightens his uniform. They're interrupted by a beeping from Worf's console.
"Captain, we are being hailed by the Academy again. It is Admiral Brand." Worf said.
"On-screen."
There's a short beat as Picard waited for the screen to activate.
"Sir, she is requesting a private channel."
Picard and Riker exchanged a puzzled look. He got up and headed for the ready room.
"In my ready room." Picard said.
As the doors open and he entered he sat down and activates his monitor.
"Admiral Brand... what can I do for you?" he asked.
Admiral Andrea Brand, a mature, elegant woman with a commanding voice was on the monitor.
"Hello, Captain." she said then pauses. "I know you're a close friend of the Crusher family.
"Yes... ?" he said slowly.
"I wanted to inform you personally... There's been an accident."
He froze.
Later Beverly and Picard were seated across from each other in her quarters. Beverly was trying to stay calm; she was quiet and subdued, but there's an edge in her voice. She's concentrating on the medical angle for now trying not to let her emotions show through.
"... he had second degree burns on his chest and a multiple fracture of his right arm. But he's going to be fine." Picard said.
"Have they completed the regeneration series?" she asked.
"I'm... not certain."
"Wesley's allergic to metorapan treatments... they'll have to use a bicaridine substitute."
"Beverly..."
She picked up a PADD and began quickly entering some information.
"I should send his complete records to the Academy infirmary. They probably have them already, but it never hurts to be sure. I'll also send them some information on a new rybotherapy I've been working on."
Picard moved to her and his voice became softer, more intimate.
"Beverly..." he started and she looked up at him. "He's fine."
She held up a hand and took a step away from him for a second then looked back at him and tried to keep a very firm grip on her emotions, but there were tears just beneath the surface.
"I know he's fine... I know he's fine. Let's talk about something else." she said ignoring her own advice. "How did it happen?"
"Apparently, Wesley's squadron was practicing on the Academy flight range near Saturn... they were in close formation when there was a collision, all five ships were destroyed." he said. "Four of the cadets managed to transport out one did not."
"Do you know who it was?"
"His name was Joshua Albert."
"Wesley talked about him. They were friends." she said knowing it could've just as easily been Wesley. "Wesley was so excited about making the flight team... it made me a little nervous, but I was proud of him," she continued in difficulty. "...even though I knew there was always the chance that something might
Picard moved to her as her emotions rose to the surface once again.
"Beverly. Wesley is alive and well." he said firmly.
She looked at him and managed to nod and smile at him a little through the tears in her eyes.
"Admiral Brand will be holding a full briefing after we arrive. I'll let you know as soon as we're in orbit."
She took his hand for a second and squeezed it tightly.
"Thank you."
Then he left as she sat down and tried not to cry.
Picard and Beverly were Starfleet Academy on campus in the San Francisco Bay Area in the hearing room.
There's a small group of people sitting in the gallery: N.D. parents of the flight team, including Lieutenant Commander Albert, the father of the dead cadet. The atmosphere is somber and subdued. Brand is standing in front of the small table; she's trying to keep this low-key and informal. She was holding a PADD which she consults periodically.
"There was very little left to salvage from the wreckage. We did recover one of the ships' data recorders, but it was badly damaged. We're attempting to restore the information, but it's going to take some time." Brand said referring to the PADD. "Standard procedure calls for an immediate investigation by two command-level officers. Captain Satelk and I will begin taking depositions from Nova Squadron at fifteen-hundred hours today." Then she turned to Albert in the audience. "Commander Albert... I'm sure that everyone in this room joins me in conveying my deepest sympathies to you on the tragic loss of your son.
Albert wanted to know why his son is dead so he pushed Brand.
"Was there any indication of a problem before the crash? What exactly were they doing out there? Did they file a flight plan?" he asked.
Brand stopped him. Her attitude was sympathetic she understands this is a very difficult time for him.
"Commander... I'm sorry... right now, we don't have those answers. But I assure you we will investigate this matter thoroughly." she said gently.
So he pulled himself back and nodded knowing she's right.
"There will be a memorial service for Cadet Albert this evening in the west garden." she continued. "It has been suggested that we should cancel the graduation ceremonies in light of what's happened." Then she indicated Albert. "Commander Albert and I have discussed this and we've agreed that commencement should go forward as planned. The cadets should know that even after a tragedy like this, there are still duties to perform... and that life continues. Thank you all for coming."
Picard moved to Brand and they shook hands after they broke apart.
"It's good to see you again, Captain. I wish it were under better circumstances." Brand said.
"It's an unhappy way to begin commencement. If you require any assistance, Admiral, the Enterprise is at your disposal." he said.
"I'm sure we can handle the investigation... but thank you for the offer."
As Beverly approached Lt. Commander Albert he was quiet and shaken.
"Commander Albert?" she said.
"Yes?"
"Hello, I'm Beverly Crusher. I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your son."
"You're Wesley's mother."
"Yes." Albert said his voice beginning to break. "Josh once told me that Wesley was the only reason he made it through astrophysics."
There was a long, difficult silence.
"If there's anything I can do." she said.
He nodded his head. Then there was an awkward moment.
In contrast to quarters of his dormitory Wesley was sitting on the edge of his bed. His arm in a 24th-century therapeutic device. He's practicing flexing his arm... it was difficult to fully bend his arm and he winced in pain. The effort tired him so he took it off. He massaged the arm with his other hand but still not a hundred percent.
Then the door chimed . So he got up, straightened his uniform and took a deep breath. He moved to the door and opened it. It's Beverly and Picard.
"Wes." Beverly said.
"Hi." he said.
Wesley was stiff and distant. She reached out and hugged him tightly. Finally, she released him, and all three moved into the room. Wesley and Picard shook hands.
"How are you feeling, Wesley?" Picard asked.
"Not too bad, the arm's still a little sore." he said.
"We were so sorry to hear about Joshua." Beverly said gently.
Wesley just nodded and said nothing. There's a brief, awkward silence. Beverly tried to draw him out.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Picard asked.
"No. I don't think so. Thank you." he said. "I know you're trying to help, sir but it seems like I haven't talked about anything else for the past two days. I don't want to go over it all again."
"I understand. But I want you to know I'm available if you should change your mind."
Beverly decided to change tacks.
"All your friends on the Enterprise wanted you to know they're thinking about you. Commander Riker, Data, Robin Lefler everybody." she said.
"That's nice."
He didn't go any further and there is an awkward silence. Then the door chimed.
"Come in." he said.
The doors open and Cadet 1st Class Nicholas Locarno entered. He's well-built, charismatic, a born leader.
As Nick walked in, he saw Picard and immediately came to attention.
"Captain, sir." Nick said.
"At ease, Cadet." Picard said.
Wesley made the introductions but Nick's entrance had definitely put him on edge.
"This is my squadron leader, Nicholas Locarno... This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise and my mother, Doctor Beverly Crusher."
"Hello, Doctor... Captain Picard."
"Mister Locarno." Picard said shaking hands.
"I came by to see if Wes had healed up all right." he said.
"How are you doing, Nicholas?" Beverly asked.
Nick's feelings were sincere, he's been deeply affected by the cadet's death.
"I'm OK." he said. "I... just never lost anyone under my command before."
"I'm afraid it doesn't get any easier." Picard said sympathetically
Wesley was starting to get a little edgy... he wanted Picard and Beverly out of there.
"Excuse me, Mom, Captain, but Nick and I have some things to talk about." he said.
"Of course." Beverly said and gave him another hug. "If you need anything at all."
"I know."
"We'll see you at the inquiry." Picard said. "Good to meet you, Mister Locarno."
"You too, sir." Nick said.
Then Beverly and Picard left.
Once they were gone, Nick turned to Wesley, a more serious look on his face.
"The inquiry is scheduled for fifteen-hundred hours. Are you ready?" he asked.
Wesley sat down suddenly looking physically and mentally exhausted.
"I think so." he said unsure.
Nick immediately picked up on Wesley's discomfort and didn't want any wavering from Wesley so he immediately moved to shore him up.
"Don't worry about it, Wes. Everything's going to be alright as long as we stick together." he said strongly.
Wesley nodded, but was clearly troubled.
The grounds of the Academy were similar to any large university: Neatly manicured lawn and hedges, one or two statues or busts of alumni, possibly a fountain, etc. several cadets were seen moving to and from class or talking in small groups... there is a somber atmosphere here as the recent tragedy was still on everyone's mind. In the distance, the Federation flag could be seen at half-mast on a flagpole. Picard was walking slowly across the grounds, lost in thought.
As he came to a quiet contemplative spot with a view of the rest of the grounds. There was a large tree with a couple of nearby benches. Sitting at the foot of that tree was a young male cadet reading a book.
He stopped and looked at the young boy for a long minute as if seeing a page from his youth suddenly brought to life.
Suddenly, a man wearing well-worn coveralls and boots appears. He's an older man with a rumpled appearance and an irascible disposition. He held a sharp-edged gardening tool in his hand, a grin came to Picard's face as he watched at a distance. The old man moved calmly to the tree then the cadet looked up, reacted as Boothby frowned. He looked at the cadet lying in a nearby flowerbed crushing some plants Boothby's eyes of fire shoot at the cadet who went pale and he promptly grabbed his books then took off wider as Boothby shook his head with disdain and kneels down and began to repair the damaged plants. Picard quietly moved over to the tree.
"Boothby?" he said.
Boothby looked up irritated and raised an eyebrow as he saw Picard.
"Jean-Luc Picard, class of twenty-seven." Picard said prompting
"I know that. What happened to your hair?"
Picard smiled.
"How are you?"
"I'm pretty damned cranky, thank you. I've already replanted this bed four times this week."
Picard knelt beside him to help.
"Let me give you a hand."
"You?"
"I've acquired an interest over the years."
"Well, careful you don't plant 'em too deep... the leaves,"
"will rot."
Boothby reacted to Picard's knowledge.
Meanwhile a cadet was walking along the path. He suddenly froze in his tracks and reacted as he saw a Starfleet captain on his knees with the gardener.
"Picard asked.
"No sir, Captain." the cadet said and hurried away.
Boothby knew Picard when he was just a cadet and was faintly amused by the lofty status he's now achieved.
"Captain Picard, of the Enterprise, no less giving the commencement address."
He chuckled.
"You sound, surprised."
Boothby rose, brushed off his hands.
"Surprised? Uh uh. Nothing you ever did surprised me, son. Nothing. Except that time you caught that Ligonian with a reverse body lift and pinned him in the first fourteen seconds of the match, didn't think you had it in you."
"Was all in the legs, from all the running I used to do." Picard said grinning at the memory.
Boothby then started to walk so he followed him and uncharacteristically struggled with saying what he wants to say to the old man.
"Boothby,"
"Hmmm?"
"I don't know that I've ever really told you, how much, appreciate."
"...there's nothing to tell..."
"Yes, there is. I just wanted to... while I was here." Picard said. "You know as well as I do I would never have made it to graduation if you hadn't..."
"You made a mistake. There isn't a man among us who hasn't been young enough to make one..." he said interrupting him.
"Nevertheless, you..."
"You knew what you had to do. I just made sure you listened to yourself."
"At the time I thought you were a mean-spirited, vicious old man."
"I was. By the way, I was about the same age you are now."
"I didn't speak to you for months."
"You needed to find your bearings. I knew that. Important thing is what you did with your life afterwards, seems you did okay and that's all the thanks I need."
Picard smiled. They reached their destination as Boothby began to put his tools away.
"Did you know the boy from Nova Squadron who was killed?" he asked.
Boothby glanced up and the tone of the conversation changed notably. There was trouble in his eyes, subtle concern in his voice.
"Josh Albert? Yeah."
Then he looked straight at Picard.
"Crusher. Hajar. Sito." he said carefully. "Locarno. I know them all."
And with that Boothby abruptly moved away and it was such an unexpected and unsettling answer that Picard couldn't help but feel unsettled by the moment on his reaction.
Wesley, Nick, Sito, and Jean were sitting in Wesley's dorm room getting ready to go into the inquiry and Nick, as squadron leader, was checking over the other three as they stood at loose attention. Nick is a coach here, not a martinet and is building them up, getting them ready for some tough times ahead.
He brushed off some lint from Jean's uniform and stayed in front of Sito, who seemed a little tense.
"Nervous?" he asked Sito.
"No." she said. "Yes."
Nick smiled confident and poised. It's easy to see why people follow him.
"That's okay... so am I." he said to everyone. "But we're going to be all right. We have some tough times ahead but we've always come through for each other."
They all exchanged a few looks.
"Whatever happens... I want you all to know... that leading this team has been the high point of my years at the Academy. No one could have asked for a better team... or better friends." he continued quietly.
A special moment as they silently acknowledge the bonds that tie them to each other.
"Let's go."
They all filed out of the room.
The Academy hearing room had been set up for an informal court of inquiry.
The flags of the Federation and Starfleet have been displayed behind the judges' table. Admiral Brand was seated at the head table facing the rest of the room along with Captain Starlek, a male Vulcan officer. An antique ship's bell sat on the table in front of them. Seated at a table facing these officers are the members of the cadet flight team: Cadet First Class Sito, a female Bajoran; Cadet Second Class Jean Hala, a female Human; and Wesley. Spectators were seated behind the cadets, including Picard, Beverly, and the other parents seen earlier. Lt. Cmdr. Albert was here also.
Nick was standing near the large monitor, giving testimony. The monitor shows a schematic display of Saturn, its moons, and the five small ships of the Nova Squadron. The ships were moving slowly toward one of the moons. Nick was pointing to the display as he spoke... his attitude honest and straightforward. A completely believable cadet.
"...at this point we accelerated and executed a starboard turn of twenty-seven degrees. We came out of the turn on course for Titan."
"And you were still in the lead position?" Brand asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Continue."
"As we entered Titan's gravitational sphere, I gave the signal to tighten up and move into a diamond slot formation."
The monitor zoomed close on the graphic symbols for the ships as they changed formation, four ships moved into position as four "points" of a diamond, while one ship slid into the middle "slot" position. Each ship was clearly labeled by pilot: Nick in the lead, Jean the slot, Wesley and John on either wing, and Sito in the rear.
"Remaining in the diamond formation, we executed a low apogee turn around Titan then began a z plus twenty-five degree climb in preparation for a Yeager loop."
As they watch the proceedings. Picard was paying very close attention to the testimony and the computer simulation. Beverly was also watching carefully, but she can't help but glance at Wesley every now and then.
'They wouldn't try, would they?' Picard thought seeing the look of guilt in his eyes.
The ships on the monitor began to turn in an intricate looping maneuver.
"Approximately nine seconds later, Cadet Albert's ship collided with Cadet Hajar's."
On the monitor, Albert's ship hit Jean's and all the ships merge together before winking out.
"We had less than two seconds to activate our emergency transporters and beam to the evac station on Mimas. Everyone made it... except Josh."
Nick was genuinely affected by the loss of his team mate.
"Thank you, Mister Locarno." Brand said.
Then Nick sat down at the table. Wesley and the other cadets look a little tense.
"Cadet Hajar," Brand started and Hajar stood at attention. "As Team Navigator, you filed a flight plan with the Academy Range Officer before the exercise, correct?
"Yes, sir." she said.
"Did Nova Squadron deviate from that flight plan after you entered the Saturn range?"
"No, sir."
Brand picked up a PADD and examined it for a moment.
"How do you explain the fact that the low apogee turn around Titan was at least two thousand kilometers closer to the moon than indicated in your plan?"
"We were still within flight safety parameters, sir."
A frown creased Brand's forehead at the evasion.
"That wasn't my question, Cadet." Brand said curt.
Jean paused before answering. She didn't lose her composure and looked Brand right in the eye when she answers. Whatever she's feeling she tried to keep inside.
"We had discussed changing the approach after I filed the flight plan. The final decision was made en route to Saturn. I didn't consider it significant enough to mention here." she said. "I apologize for the confusion, sir. I should have been more precise."
Brand held Jean's eyes for another beat, then she turned to Satelk and let him ask the next question. They aren't pushing the cadets at this point. This is still an informal hearing and not a court.
"Did you see Mister Albert's ship break formation before it collided with your ship?" Satelk said.
"No, sir. My first indication of trouble was when my proximity alarm went off."
"Did any of you see the collision take place?" Satelk asked
"No, sir..." Nick said while the others shook their heads, no.
Picard frowned at this litany of denial.
Satelk turned his gaze to Sito who returned the gaze, but inside she's uncomfortable.
"Ms. Sito, you were in the tail position; therefore, you should have been able to see any sign of trouble from Cadet Albert, and yet you saw nothing?" Satelk said.
Slight hesitation from Sito.
"That is correct, sir." she said.
"Did your attention falter?"
She was in a tough position and doesn't have an answer to the question and was forced to manufacture one on the spot.
"No, sir. I was... flying on sensor readings at the time... I did not have visual contact with Cadet Albert's ship when he broke formation."
Keeping his expression carefully neutral, Satelk shut off the monitor and Brand leaned to confer with him.
Beverly turned to Picard with concern.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"It's unusual to fly on sensors alone in that type of maneuver. A pilot relies on the visual cues from the other ships to maintain formation." he said.
Brand tapped the bell and brought the room to order before Picard could speculate further.
"If you were flying on sensors alone, perhaps you could tell us the orientation of his ship just before the collision." Brand said as he looked at Sito.
"I... don't know, sir."
"You were flying in a ship traveling eighty thousand k.p.h., with Cadet Albert's ship less than ten meters away... and you don't know what his orientation was?" he asked voice hardened.
"I... don't remember, sir."
Brand was about to really go after Sito when Nick stood again.
"Sir, if I may?" he said.
Brand considered them both, then nodded after a beat.
"Admiral..." he said struggling... and seemed very uncomfortable with what he's about to say. "Josh was a good pilot... but lately he'd been having... difficulties. He would get nervous during close flybys and pull away in the final seconds... his formation flying was a little erratic."
"And you didn't report any of this?" Brand said sharp.
Nick faced her squarely, he was the leader taking responsibility and was totally believable.
"No sir, I didn't. We'd flown together a long time... I thought he could handle it if I gave him a chance. I was wrong."
"Then you're saying that the accident was Cadet Albert's fault?"
"I think Josh got frightened and tried to pull out of the turn prematurely and then crashed into Cadet Hajar." Nick tried to explain very reluctant. "Josh was our friend, we didn't want him to be remembered as someone who panicked."
Wesley was shocked by what Nick's just said but kept it inside. The other two cadets trade nervous glances, but try not to let their anxiety show.
Lt. Cmdr. Albert was shaken by Nick's statement... it's a hard thing to hear about your own son.
Picard was disturbed, not quite sure what to make of this new piece of information.
"Please be seated." Brand said.
Nick sat and ignored the looks from Wesley and the other cadets. Brand conferred briefly with Satelk for a moment then looked directly at the members of the Nova Squadron for a long beat. There was an edge of anger in her voice.
"I am... disturbed by what I've heard here today. By your own admission, you allowed your teammate to fly when you knew he was having difficulties maintaining formation. That demonstrates a serious lack of judgment." he said. "I am also disturbed by the fact that you did not come forward with this information immediately." he continued picking up a PADD. "We should have the first data from Mister Crusher's flight recorder tonight. We will reconvene at thirteen hundred hours tomorrow.
She tapped the bell and everyone stood up as the inquiry was recessed.
They stood up and Wesley turned to face Nick.
Nick was cool and smiled confidently.
"Everything's fine. Trust me."
Then he left along with the crowd. Jean and Sito followed him and Wesley was left feeling a swirl of conflicting emotions.
Picard was in the Main engineering talking with Geordi and Data near the pool table.
"Captain, the Academy has one of the best reconstructive analysis labs in Starfleet. I'm not sure we'll have much to contribute to the investigation." Geordi said dubious.
"That may well be the case. However..." Picard started then went softer. "Wesley is one of our own."
"Understood, sir. We'll get right on it."
"Good. I've spoken with Admiral Brand and she has agreed to allow us access to all of the physical evidence and testimony. Thank you, gentlemen."
Then Picard left and Data moved to a computer terminal.
"Computer, initiate a link between this station and the Starfleet Academy Database." he said to the computer.
The Academy logo came up on the screen and he began working the terminal. Geordi moved to stand next to him.
Wesley, Nick, Jean, and Sito were gathered in Wesley's dorm room, in the middle of a heated discussion.
"You shouldn't have said it, Nick. Josh wasn't responsible for what happened." Sito said.
"I had to do something..." he started.
"You said we wouldn't have to lie to them. We all agreed not to lie to them." Wesley said interrupting.
"I didn't lie. Everything I said was true."
"The accident was not Josh's fault."
Nick's tone became more personal. He's rallying his troops during a crisis... trying to make them all pull together.
He's part priest, part politician - an earnest, believable young man with the capacity to sway people to his cause. There's nothing consciously manipulative in Nick; he's one of the best and the brightest. His only flaw is ambition - without that, he might have been one of the best the Academy has ever seen.
"Look... he was my friend, too. I worked to get him on this team. But the truth is... he panicked." he said gently.
"We don't know that..."
"Of course we do... none of us has wanted to say it out loud... but we've all had the same thought. Haven't we?"
He looked at Jean and Sito... they don't deny it.
Jean finally nodded.
"He must have pulled away too soon. I think he got scared."
"Sito?"
Sito looked away then nods reluctantly. Nick turned back to Wesley who was still upset about this and turned away from the others. Nick tried to gently bring him back into the fold.
"Wes... I know you want to protect his memory... we all do. But we have to look out for ourselves now." he said patient. "What do you want us to do, walk in and tell them everything that happened?" he continued sarcastically.
They were silent then Sito filled in the gap.
"We might as well turn in our uniforms and start packing our bags."
"Are we ready for that?" Nick asked everyone.
None of them, even Wesley, was ready to leave the Academy. Sito and Hajar were now firmly with Nick although Wesley was still struggling. Nick picked up a PADD.
"We'll take this one step at a time." Then he handed PADD to Wesley. "This is the preliminary report on your flight recorder. It was so badly damaged in the crash, the lab was only able to retrieve a third of the total telemetry on the recorder... and all of it is from before the collision. There is no problem here."
Wesley looked at the PADD for a minute and struggled. Then he finally looked up at him.
"Nick, I don't think I can do this."
Nick knew this is a crucial moment, but he didn't push. He didn't want to come down too hard on Wesley, that might make him dig in his heels so he let Sito step in.
"You don't have to lie, just don't volunteer any new information." she said.
It's three against one but Wesley still wasn't entirely comfortable with this. Nick eyed him and smiled ruefully.
"The first night I met you, Wes, I knew I wanted you on this squad. I knew what you'd bring to it, you, more than any of the others, would understand what it means to be able to count on someone. You've been out there, putting yourself on the line, you know you've got to be able to trust the people on your team because your life is in their hands." Nick said. "And their lives are in yours."
Wesley was definitely being moved by this speech.
Nick moved closer, becoming more passionate.
"We made a promise, right in the beginning, that we'd stick together. We were Nova Squadron nobody else could say that. And even after we graduated we'd try to get posted to the same duty, we were going to be a team for a long time." he said and looked at Jean and Sito then back to Wesley. "Josh can't be a part of those plans anymore. But I think he'd still want us to be a team. What do you think?"
Wesley looked at his friends, felt the bonds that tie him to these people and finally nodded in acceptance.
The hearing room was empty and the lighting was subdued. Wesley was standing near the large monitor, holding the PADD seen earlier. On the screen is another schematic diagram of Saturn and the Nova ships similar to the one seen earlier during Locarno's testimony. He looked from the screen to the PADD and made some notations on the PADD. Albert's voice interrupted his work.
"Mister Crusher?"
Wesley turned around to find Lt. Cmdr. Albert had just entered and was standing near the back of the room. He was carrying a sweater in one hand. Wesley quickly stood at attention.
"Sir."
"At ease. Am I interrupting?"
"No, sir. I was just going over my deposition for tomorrow."
Wesley touched a control on the wall and the image on the monitor disappeared. Albert moved into the room.
"They told me, I could find you here." he said.
Wesley nodded and there was a long silence. Albert looked at the sweater for a moment.
"I... found this in Josh's room... I... I think it belongs to you."
He handed him his sweater, who looked at it for a moment then remembered.
"The ski trip..." Then he looked at Albert. "We went to Calgary last month, Josh forgot his sweater so he borrowed one of mine.
Albert nodded and there was silence as Wesley looked at the jacket. This is a very difficult conversation for both of them. Albert was trying to reach out to him, even to apologize in some small way for his son's mistake, and this only makes his feelings of guilt even more intense.
"He told me you... helped him with his classes." Albert said.
"A little... he only needed help with statistical mechanics."
Albert slight smiled.
"If Josh had one weakness, it was mathematics."
"He could do it." Wesley said then smiled. "He just didn't like to."
"His mother and I thought he'd never make it out of calculus. Then he found out what the Academy entrance requirements were like, that turned him around. He stayed after class, got a tutor, he worked really hard."
Albert smiled proudly at the memory.
"He never gave up on anything." he said then continued then very difficult. "I... I know that, he had a lot of respect for you, and everyone on the team. I realize this was his fault and that you could've all been killed. I... I wanted to, to say..."
Albert's emotions were coming to the surface despite his best efforts. Wesley felt trapped, unable to put this man's mind at ease and yet horrified at the pain Albert was obviously in. Albert steels himself and looked Wesley straight in the eye.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry he let you down."
Then he turned and left before his feelings got the better of him. Wesley was left standing alone in the room holding his jacket and feeling a swirl of conflicting emotions.
'What have I done?' he thought and saw when he lost his dad then shook his head. 'I was raised on the Enterprise, I'm not letting them down. Even if I get expelled and if I get back on the Enterprise not an ensign. I'm telling them the truth.' he thought.
Later Wesley was standing near the wall monitor at the hearing room and everyone else was in the same positions as seen in Act Two, including Picard and Beverly. The strain was starting to show on Wesley, he was tired and worn.
"Are you ready, Mister Crusher?" Brand asked.
"Yes, sir." he said.
Brand touched a button on her table and the lights in the room dim.
The wall monitor showed a caption reading "SHIP'S LOG: CADET FOURTH CLASS WESLEY CRUSHER" and bearing the appropriate star date. After a beat, the monitor came to life and showed an Interior view of the cockpit of Wesley's ship.
The perspective was from over the head of the pilot, giving a look out the front of his canopy. The top of Wesley's flight helmet was visible in the bottom of the frame, but most of the cockpit was hidden from view. Superimposed over the picture are various computer readouts showing speed, course, g-forces, sensor information, etc.
The footage was quite distorted; as Wesley talked, the image jumped and fuzzed periodically and sometimes breaks up altogether. At the moment, no other ships can be seen out of the canopy.
"This is the beginning of our run toward Titan. I'm on the right wing." he said.
"Where was Mister Albert at this point?" Brand asked.
"He was on my port quarter, about fifty meters away."
The view out the front of the canopy changed a ship came into view on the right of Wesley's canopy. The computer information on the screen indicates a change in course and speed.
"We just received the signal to begin the diamond slot formation. That's Cadet Locarno coming into view."
The view from Wesley's ship changed the stars move to indicate a turn and then a moon suddenly moved into view as the ship swooped down near its surface.
"We're in a twenty degree turn, coming around Titan."
The view from the canopy is almost completely taken up by the moon, the interference was getting worse and worse.
Wesley was having trouble making out what he's seeing on the screen.
"We should be coming out of Titan's gravity well about now."
The moon is just leaving the canopy on the screen when the picture finally breaks up.
"That is the extent of the data we were able to recover from the flight recorder. Mister Crusher, will you describe what happened after you left orbit of Titan?" Brand said.
"Once we'd cleared the moon, Mister Locarno led us into a Yeager loop about nine seconds later, everything seemed to happen at once: the proximity alarm went off, I tried to veer away, but it was too late, I was hit, I lost control of the ship and a power coupling exploded in the cockpit. I don't know how, but I managed to activate my escape transporter and the next thing I remember was finding myself in the emergency evac station on Mimas with the rest of the squadron, except Josh."
"Do you have anything to add to your testimony?"
"No, sir."
Brand and Satelk exchanged a look. Satelk folded his hands in front of him and regards Wesley severely.
"Mister Crusher, will you describe a Yeager loop?" he asked.
"The ships begin in a diamond slot formation. They climb and loop backwards at a steep angle... at the peak of the loop, all five ships flip over and accelerate in a new direction." he said while he demonstrated with his hands.
Satelk gave Wesley a very direct look.
"Mister Crusher, did your team remain in formation throughout the loop?"
Wesley took a long beat before he answered.
"Yes, sir."
"I want you to be absolutely clear on this point, Mister Crusher. Before the collision, was Nova Squadron in a diamond slot formation?" Brand said.
"Yes, sir."
Brand and Satelk exchanged a look again. Brand looked at all four cadets in turn before she nodded to Satelk.
"Computer, display Saturn NavCon file six dash three seven nine." Satelk said to the computer.
The monitor came alive again and showed a view of space as seen from Saturn. The rings can be seen stretching away from the camera and one or two moons are visible.
"These images were obtained by a navigational control satellite in orbit around Saturn during a standard sensor sweep."
On the monitor, a cluster of tiny dots suddenly appeared near the right edge of the frame.
"Computer, freeze image." The picture froze with the dots still visible. "Magnify sector gamma three and enhance."
The picture zoomed to the dots revealing them as five ships. The ships were heading towards each other in a formation clearly different from the diamond slot seen earlier.
The tension level in the room rises a notch. Nick and the other two cadets glance at each other in shock, they can't believe this.
In the audience, Picard immediately understood what's going on and he's shocked by the implications.
Wesley stiffened slightly and braced himself for what he knew was coming.
"This image was recorded when your ships moved briefly into the satellite's sensor range. According to the time index, what you see on the monitor took place seven seconds after Nova Squadron completed the Yeager loop." Satelk said.
"Mister Crusher, are these ships in a diamond slot formation?" Brand asked.
"No, sir."
"What is your explanation, Mister Crusher?"
Wesley was forced to stonewall, and yet he maintained an outward appearance of confusion.
Then he took a deep breath and Nick, Sito and Jean looked at him knowing what he was going to do.
"Sir, I would like to add something to my testimony." Wesley said to Brand as he stood.
Picard looked at him wondering if his theory was true.
Nick wasn't sure what Wesley's doing.
Brand glanced at Satelk for a second.
"Proceed, Mister Crusher." he said.
"I just testified that the crash occurred following a Yeager loop. That's not entirely true." he started and took a deep breath. "We did perform the loop. But after that, we broke formation and attempted a Kolvoord Starburst."
Reactions from Satelk and Brand recognizing the maneuver and all that it implies.
"We knew it was prohibited and that it would be dangerous, but we wanted to do something spectacular for the commencement demonstration. So we pushed Josh and he wasn't ready. We thought we could do it, we thought we could do anything. We were wrong, and Josh died." he continued then turned to face Albert's father sitting in the audience. "Josh didn't let us down, sir. It wasn't his fault."
Albert nodded in silent understanding and Wesley sat back down. After a second Brand turned to the rest of the flight team.
"Cadet Sito, is this true?"
It was silence as Sito made the decision.
"Yes, sir." she said quiet.
"Cadet Hajar?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mister Locarno, you're the leader of Nova Squadron, do you have anything to say?"
He didn't move. A long minute passed.
"Mister Locarno?"
He stood at attention.
"No, sir." he said quietly.
Picard smiled a little that Wesley said the truth.
'Even if he's expelled I know what I'll do when he gets back on the Enterprise.' he thought and saw Wesley looking at him.
He still smiled and nodded.
Later Wesley was standing near the elm tree, waiting. After a beat, Picard came over to him grim. He didn't have to ask the question.
At the Starfleet academy he was standing near the elm tree, waiting. After a minute, Picard came over to him grim. He doesn't have to ask the question.
"Mister Locarno has been expelled." he said.
Wesley was shocked and disbelief but knew he wasn't done but said it before him.
"After being raised on the Enterprise they expelled me to." he said and Picard nodded.
"Mister Locarno made an impassioned plea for the rest of you. He said he used his influence as squadron leader to convince you all to try the Kolvoord maneuver and then to cover up the truth. He asked to take full responsibility. But since you're the one that they all weren't expecting to do this they said you deserve this punishment."
Hearing about his friend's final gesture and why they expelled them and not the others made this even harder on him.
He already knew why he was expelled though.
"He did exactly what he said he would, he protected the team." he said in a sad laugh. "I feel awful. I've let everybody down, my friends, mom, you."
"You should feel bad."
"I understand." he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't let me back on the Enterprise."
Picard was shocked that Wesley didn't think they'd let him back.
"It won't be easy, staying here on campus with everyone knowing what you did. I think you would have some rough times ahead." he said. "But, you will be back on the Enterprise and as Ensign Crusher."
Wesley looked at him in shock.
"But, why sir?" he asked.
Picard smiled.
"You told them the truth when I already knew they were lying." he said.
Wesley sighed.
"I was raised on the Enterprise and unlike some people know what goes on at Starfleet. I couldn't do it. Besides, I'm awful at lying." he said and snickered while Picard chuckled. "Captain, thank you for letting me back and be ensign Crusher when I get back."
"You knew what you had to do." Picard said. "Good-by ensign Crusher."
Then they shake hands.
"Good-bye, Captain. I'll see you soon."
Then they split up.
While he headed to his dorm Wesley was shocked he let him get back to ensign and not what he was the day he got there five years ago.