Tobias: A Plea to Command
Tobias stood outside the towering Starfleet Command building, clutching a datapad tightly in his hands. The evidence Virtuoso and Blueberry had uncovered had been carefully prepared, and this was the moment to use it. Admiral Helena Castor, the leader of Evergrand’s Starfleet, was one of the few people Tobias believed could help. But as he gazed up at the imposing building, doubt crept into his mind.
“They’ll listen,” Tobias whispered to himself. “They have to.”
---
Gaining an Audience
Inside the Command building, Tobias approached the reception desk, his tail flicking nervously.
“I need to speak with Admiral Castor,” Tobias said, his voice firmer than he felt. “It’s about a conspiracy involving Commander Quinton and my parents’ wrongful arrest.”
The officer at the desk barely glanced up. “The Admiral doesn’t take walk-ins, kid.”
“This isn’t just about my parents,” Tobias insisted. “It’s about Starfleet operations on the Grand Cross Trade Route.”
The officer’s gaze sharpened. “Wait here.” She tapped her communicator and relayed the message. Moments later, she gestured to a security officer. “Escort him to the Admiral’s office.”
---
Meeting Admiral Castor
Admiral Helena Castor was as commanding as her reputation suggested. Tall and stern, with graying hair and sharp eyes, she stood behind a desk cluttered with datapads and reports. As Tobias entered, she gestured for him to sit, her gaze unwavering.
“You’re Tobias Kain,” she said, her tone even. “The Penitatas at the center of quite a few recent incidents.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Tobias said, setting the datapad on her desk. “I have evidence about my parents’ case—and the larger conspiracy behind it.”
Castor’s eyes narrowed slightly as she picked up the datapad. “Go on.”
“My parents didn’t tamper with the package,” Tobias said. “I did.”
---
The Bomb Was a Trap
The room fell silent. Castor’s sharp gaze locked onto Tobias, her voice cold. “You’re admitting to tampering with a Starfleet delivery?”
Tobias nodded, his ears flattening. “The package contained a GPS bomb. If it had reached Salibad, it would’ve detonated and caused massive destruction. I didn’t know what it was at first, but when I brought it to Virtuoso and Blueberry, we figured it out and defused it.”
Castor leaned forward, her expression unreadable. “And you didn’t report this to Starfleet because...?”
“Because it was a setup,” Tobias said. He tapped the datapad, bringing up files Virtuoso and Blueberry had compiled. “The package was designed to frame my parents—and possibly to destabilize Salibad. The bomb’s activation was tied to its location, and whoever planted it wanted it to go off.”
The Admiral’s eyes flicked to the screen, her brows furrowing as she scanned the data. “This implicates Commander Quinton,” she said slowly.
“She’s a scapegoat,” Tobias said. “The real culprit is a rogue nindroid working inside Starfleet’s systems. They’re using Quinton as a distraction while they manipulate operations across the Grand Cross Trade Route.”
---
A Calculated Move
Castor’s gaze sharpened as she set the datapad down. “You understand the gravity of what you’re saying, Tobias? You’re admitting to tampering with Starfleet property—a serious offense.”
“I know,” Tobias said quietly, his tail curling around his leg. “But I did it to stop something worse from happening. The bomb was a trap. If it had gone off, it would’ve been used as justification to escalate tensions with Salibad. And my parents would’ve been blamed for everything.”
Castor sat back, her fingers steepled. “If this evidence holds up, you’ve exposed something far more dangerous than I expected. But admitting your involvement complicates things.”
---
A Risk Worth Taking
Tobias straightened in his chair, his ears perking up. “I’ll take whatever punishment I deserve. But please—my parents are innocent. They’ve been dragged into this because of me, and I need to make it right.”
Castor studied him for a long moment before nodding. “I’ll launch an internal investigation based on this evidence. If what you’re saying is true, your parents will be exonerated, and we’ll root out the real culprits.”
Tobias exhaled, relief flooding his chest. “Thank you.”
“But understand this,” Castor said firmly. “If this investigation leads nowhere, or if the evidence is found to be faulty, you’ll be held accountable for tampering with Starfleet property. Are you prepared for that?”
“I am,” Tobias said, his voice steady. “I just want the truth to come out.”
---
A New Hope
Back at the Kains’ home that evening, Tobias recounted the meeting to Fiona and Rory. His tail flicked nervously as he described how he had admitted to tampering with the package.
“You told her everything?” Fiona asked, her tone sharp but not unkind.
“I had to,” Tobias said. “If I didn’t, she wouldn’t have believed the evidence.”
Rory ruffled Tobias’s hair with a small smile. “You’ve got guts, kiddo. That was a brave thing to do.”
“I just hope it works,” Tobias said softly. “I don’t care what happens to me—I just want my parents to be free.”
“They will be,” Fiona said confidently. “And you’ve taken a big step toward making that happen.”
---
Determined to See It Through
That night, Tobias lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The thought of facing punishment for his actions didn’t scare him as much as the possibility of failure. But with Admiral Castor investigating and Virtuoso and Blueberry uncovering more leads, Tobias felt a flicker of hope.
“We’re going to win this,” Tobias whispered to himself, clutching his plush cat tightly. “For Mom and Dad—and for everyone else caught in this mess.”
As he drifted off to sleep, Tobias felt a quiet determination settle in his chest. No matter what came next, he was ready to face it.
