Kentucky
Superintendent Strauss made his way to the front door of the large wooden house he called home. Strauss Ranch was an old horse ranch from the old days when Lindbergh was young it had been in his family for generations. It was located in a green treeless valley with mountains on either side to the west and east. He opened the door and went into the big house that seemed so empty without the bustling energy of children. For now, it was just him as his wife and children were away to aid their ailing grandfather, for the Andorians family mattered above all else. He sat down in his favorite armchair in front of the viewing screen, putting his cane aside, and relaxed still in uniform from a long day's work. It was then he let out a grunt, he had forgotten something. He had forgotten to turn in one of his minor reports for the start of the academy year. He groaned and got up lifting his can, as he made his way to his home office. His office was a mess with lots of padds, tools, and physical books, he loved physical books. He sat down at the antique oak desk; he took off the glove on his right hand and flexed his fingers getting what little feeling he could out of it before picking up a padd and started typing before the padd fell out of his hand and tumbled under his desk. He grunted as he slipped himself off his chair and wriggled under the desk, quickly finding the padd and accidently hitting the back of his head against the bottom of the desk. To his surprise as his head made contact with the solid wood bottom, it made a thump like there was something inside the bottom of the desk. He brushed away from dust and found a grove in the wood, it was a hidden compartment. With the help of a screwdriver and force he opened letting the door hang out and he reached inside and felt the soft leather of a book.
He pulled out the book sat back on his chair and examined the book; it was an old-fashioned leather-bound journal with the word "Confessions" in his grandfather's handwriting. He opened it up revealing the handwritten message.
"Lindbergh, if you are reading this, it most likely means I am dead. I know the two of us have not seen eye to eye on many occasions, but I want to tell you grandson I am proud of you. I know the horrors you went through during and after the war, you are a much stronger man than me and it has been a pleasure being your paternal figure. The purpose of his journal is to lay out my crimes bare, whatever you wish to do with this information is up to you. I have done terrible things in the name of what I think is right, I have killed and betrayed friends, and I have betrayed my duty as a Starfleet officer. This is my confession."
He then turned to the next page.
"It all started with the Federation-Cardassian Treaty...
2370, Starfleet Headquarters
"I must protest, this treaty is no more than a capitulation that will leave many colonists, our colonists stranded on the other side of the border in the hands of the Cardassians who do not care" Admiral Strauss wiped the sweat off his forehead as he looked around the table and took a long sip of water. The large, bearded man was sitting at a round table with around eight other admirals around him, they were discussing the matter of Starfleet endorsing the Federation–Cardassian treaty. Across the room Admiral Nechayev looked tired of dealing with him she replied "With all due respect Admiral the treaty is a done deal, I helped draft it myself, and this treaty will help prevent further loss of life in another war" Strauss looked indigent and spoke on his strong German accent "The only thing this is going to do is stoke the fire of hatred further, these people have their homes on the line and eventually they will lash out, perhaps enough to start another war" A few seats over Admiral Ross looked over at Strauss and nodded his head in silent support, however now one chimed in support.
Strauss grunted as he made his way through the hall of the headquarters, the vote had been 7-2 he and Ross were the only holdouts, and the rest of them seemed content to throw away their own people. It was then that Ross came up behind him and spoke "You know Ritcher, the vote was a done a deal nothing you could have said would have changed anything" Stauss sighed "I know Willaim, I just had to try and make a fool of myself, I guess that's why you are getting promoted to vice and I'm not" Ross had a thin smile "It's all about decorum and how you play the game and you don't want to play it" Strauss grunted "Well if it means becoming bureaucrats with no soul you can count me out Willaim, the demilitarized zone is nothing but a powder keg waiting to blow" Ross looked as if he was thinking it over his head "Yes you are right but at least they chose Lieutenant Commander Hudson to oversee it, he is a good man he served under you right?" "Yes, Calvin served under me for a time, a good man and very principled" "Well then you know it isn't going to blow up anytime soon" It was then that Strauss smiled a bit, and an idea had sparked in his mind "I'll talk to you later Will I have something to do"