After many months of interviews and discussions, and of course the obligatory legal rangaling, I have finally be able to bring you all the following report. On Stardate 73474.06, the USS Elysium was tracked reappearing in the beta quadrant as a spacial rift of unknown origin closed behind them. The Craft, was lightly damaged but headed directly to Deep Space 16, where the ship and its crew went into lockdown.
At the time, this was most concerning and several command officers were found to be heading to the Space station, one, Commander Garratt Lovejoy, most surprisingly as he has been an outspoken critic of the USS Elysium and her command crew. These Command officers were accompanied by a number of teal collared officers, mainly from the Starfleet Medical Corps. It took some digging but it was soon disclosed to us that the Crew of the USS Elysium had undergone a extremely traumatic experience.
We were privileged to be able to sit down with members of the crew to find out what happened and how it affected them.
The USS Elysium was on a routine patrol when it was ambushed by an unknown Odyssey class vessel. This Vessel has since been identified to us as the ISS ELysium, under the command of one Captain Gary Taylor, the Mirror Universe Counterpart to Commander Gary Taylor the USS Elysium’s Executive Officer. It was then revealed that the person in the Center chair of the USS Elysium, was not, Captain Phoenix Lalor, but High Lady Penelope Lalor of the Hiran Empire of the Mirror Universe. Captain Phoenix Lalor it was discovered had been captured while on Personal leave prior to the Mission. It was later determined that the Captain had been MIA for nearly 10 days before the attack.
A source close to Starfleet Intelligence has informed us that investigations are ongoing as to how the Captain was taken prisoner and if she gave up any information around the Federation during her time in captivity. When we have more on this we will inform you all.
Her duplicate, the Lady Penelope Lalor surrendered the USS Elysium to the Terran Empire and the majority of the crew were captured and tortured. It took the crew of the USS Elysium 4 days to get free of the Terrans, 4 days where they were hunted, where they fought, where they witnessed their fellow crew being killed, raped and tortured, all the while fearing for their lives in what has been described as a horrible arena of death and blood. Several crew were gravely injured, a couple were genetically transformed into different beings, and a number of the female crew were sexually assaulted.Groups were split off from each other and beamed into a dimly lit space station where they were hunted for sport and pleasure, the pleasure being that of the Terran Officers, watching and partaking in the hunt. The number of MIA and KIA from the Elysium continues to grow as more and more information is released.
“My crew suffered immensely at the hands of the Terran Empire. We are all changed by the events and we all know that what happened could have been worse had, they not stuck together and faced down the tormentors. We lost crew and for that we are heart sore. But we survived and we live to tell the Federation of these barbarians and to prepare others for the fight to come” Captain Phoenix Lalor said briefly as she moved off down a corridor. The Captain, it has been recently discovered is expecting twins in December of 2396. The father of these children is rumoured to be the late Master Chief Petty Officer Ken Waters, who passed away shortly before these events took place. –For other articles around this crewman, please read our previously published works-
“We were facing insurmountable odds and the crew came through. People died, they fought nobly and freed their crewmates. I never want to go through that horror again” Lieutenant S J Morgan Operations Officer said briefly when pressed.
“They did things… to…me.. to others… changed me into… something horrible….used us to… hunt…Oh sorry I cannot speak of it” Ensign Nerinath zh’Rhilror said as she hurried away from this reporter on DS16.
“If Morgan and S’hib hadn’t thrown them off our trail… I don’t think I’d be here, right now.” Ensign Ryan Kade III a security ensign disclosed to us. Morgan and S’hib are Lieutenant SJ Morgan an Operations Officer and Lieutenant Commander S’hib, the ships Assistant chief Security Officer.
“I was faced with what my people were not. She was driven solely by ambition. Every thought was personal gain. Obsessed with wealth. Then she was so fascinated by me, she wanted to break me down and rebuild me. She did not anticipate I would fight back. Then I pushed her out of my mind and pushed into hers, tearing it to shreds. Making her feel every moment of pain my crew was in. I then inherited her memories. She was the one brokering deals to auction off the slaves that had been broken to the highest bidder.” Said the USS Elysium’s Second Officer and chief of Science Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar as she moved off with another crew member.
“Freedom…. We take it for granted here in the Federation. Liberty is the irrevocable right of all sentient beings in this United Federation of Planets. But what happens when someone takes your liberty away. Tries to torture you into submission. Tries to make you like them. The Terran Empire is a blight on civilization itself. Truly barbaric in a way those in the Federation have not known for thousands of years. They took our ship, tortured us, and then we had to fight back. People do not appreciate simple freedoms until they’ve been denied to us. Then there is a price to be paid; the price of freedom, and it was steep for our crew. I now know how precious liberty is now. Some call me a hero… It’s the crew who are heroes, every last one of them, and not just the crew who were enslaved. We’re now reminded how easy it is to lose our peace, the liberty that our Federation stands for. And if people read this… know this. This is not a call to militarize our Federation. This is a call from a loyal Starfleet Officer to know when to lower your arms, and when to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard. I say the greatest threat to our liberties is not the might of our enemies. The true battle was not becoming them. It was so seductive to us. We almost discarded what made us Starfleet Officers. I am not afraid of the Terran Empire. What I fear is our Federation becoming them.” Lieutenant Commander Jessica Vaii stated to this reporter when asked.
“Understanding… All my life I have served in the Diplomatic Service of the Alindari Imperium. On that day, I was instructing cadets and students in the Elysium’s Academy in Post-Dominion War Cardassian relations. It was then that Lieutenant Trinath informed me that we were being rounded up and enslaved. I managed to get the ship’s children out of the educational wing and we took cover in the Nacelle Tube. Three days we held the tube, comforting frightened children, their parents were being tortured and enslaved. I am pleased beyond measure that my efforts helped prevent our children from being enslaved by them. They were truly savage.” was stated by one of the ships diplomatic officers Consul Vanessa Alcean an Vantar
“The Terran Empire is evil to the very core of its existence. It is malignant and spreads to everything it touches.” Lieutenant Commander Savar Talek-sen-deen a member of the ship’s on board counseling team informed us.
“It wasn’t all bad. Its just the good guys are… not who you’d expect” Ensign Miraj Derani commented as she headed back to the Elysium.
” I ssshould have gone for the head.” Chief Medical Officer Lieutenant Commander Sthilg stated coldly, his tone sent shivers down this reporter’s spine.
“And I would have helped you, Doc. I would have loved to see those bitches squeal watching them fight a Gorn.” Lieutenant Commander Jessica Vaii informed the CMO,
” The greatessst insult i can give that empire is to assssssure that i help raissse my grandssson to be a good man. ” The Gorn Continued as he and Commander Vaii left our interviewing area.
The Crew of the USS Elysium, those that remain, were ordered to Pacifica where they spent several weeks with more counselors and on R&R. They returned to active duty on Stardate 73630.72. And have been quiet on the news front. It is this lull, that, has allowed us time to collate the above and to inform you of the events. The crew were nominated for numerous awards for their efforts. We wish the crew of the USS Elysium the best for the remainder of 2396. For those who wish to read more on the events, Starfleet have declassified the records at the request of Captain Phoenix Lalor and her crew: Mission Reports for the events in the Mirror Universe
