Captain Elbon Jakkelb’s Personal Log, Stardate 78937.8,

I still don’t know why Flavia caused mischief in my relationship with Kellin, back aboard the USS Sarek. We were already divorced; there was no hope of repair. It could have been a twisted attempt to ingratiate herself to Kellin or cause chaos among the senior staff. Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore.

What matters is there’s still a chance to find out.

Five days after she went missing on the surface of Kunhri III, Flavia returned. She wandered out of the deepest catacombs of refinery city three-gee.

By that time, we had more clarity on the timelines. At the same time Flavia had been observed leading raids against Federation transports, Flavia had also been serving aboard the Constellation and then the Almagest. One of the Flavias was a Changeling, now dead. The Flavia who walked out of the ether has passed all of Starfleet’s new Changeling detection methods. She insists she’s been the one aboard starships the past couple of months.  The Changeling Flavia would have been discovered certainly, she insists.

When questioned about her whereabouts for the past week, Flavia referenced the clauses in the Free State’s research treaty that give her great latitude while operating beyond Federation territories or facilities. She made some vague noise about being restrained by her Changeling duplicate but offered no coherent answers.

When Flavia was questioned about the death of the Changeling, she interrogated the security officer into revealing Doctor Nelli’s theories that the rogue Changelings’ genetic tampering of themselves caused this Changeling’s genetic unspooling. Flavia supposed this sounded reasonable. However, there are no other reports of other Changelings being similarly affected.

Flavia has since requested transport to the USS Constellation at Starbase Bravo.

My executive officer will join her on the transport to the starbase, as she begins a period of parental leave. I’ve been considering candidates for her replacement, but my options are limited. We lost so many experienced officers in the Frontier Day massacre.

With Almagest about to embark on a mission of deep space exploration, I need a first officer with the wisdom and the heart to keep this crew safe. This crew of researchers and explorers make up a city in space — a floating starbase science lab. An up-and-coming flight or deck officer won’t have the right temperament for this level of responsibility.

My mind keeps circling back to Kellin.

We hardly behaved as a family even when we were married, serving aboard the same ship. I trust we would be capable of navigating the perceived conflicts of interest. Captain Taes has been mentoring him for the past few years, and I wonder if he’s already learned everything he’s going to learn from her. She protects him– cherishes him so deeply after he was nearly lost to the rogue Changelings. The way he opens his heart to those under his command, he could be the greatest leader of all of us.

I don’t think Taes is emotionally capable of pushing him the way he needs. Not after she almost lost him.

Pushing him is all I ever did, according to him. Pushing him away.

I don’t know if that makes me any better a captain, but it would offer something different.

Sometimes a change is as good as a rest.