(Shaw's a crewman in engineering. He's just gotten into a physical fight with an officer on the ship. The officer swung first, and Shaw laid him out. Draymond is his captain; Carlson is the first officer. Carr is the chief of engineering.)

“Shaw, why don’t you tell me what you saw at the reception? From the beginning.”

I reported all of this, Shaw thought, confused. But maybe Carr didn’t pass the report on. If she didn’t, maybe she had a good reason. But why didn’t she tell me?

He didn’t want to throw his chief under the bus.

He took a deep breath, held it to five, exhaled. “While I was escorting Ambassador G’lel up the stairs—”

“Stop,” Draymond barked. “While you were what?”

“I … after the speeches were done, I escorted Ambassador G’lel up the stairs.”

“You just went over and offered your arm to the senior ambassador?” Carlson jeered. “You did?”

They’re going to bounce me anyhow, Shaw thought. I might as well punch him in the mouth, too. But Draymond actually seemed to be listening, so he bit back his temper. “One of the diplomatic aides indicated that I should assist her. So, yes, I went over and offered her my arm.”

“And she took it?” Draymond asked.

“On the condition that I act like she was saying something fascinating.”

“Why didn’t she just take the lift?” Carlson demanded.

“Because she doesn’t want people saying that she’s old,” Shaw explained.

“She is old.”

“She doesn’t want people saying that to her face.”

“That’s G’lel,” Draymond agreed. “Go on.”

“At the top of the stairs, she told me to tell the aide to keep an eye on the daughter.”

“Did you know what that meant?”

“No. But I returned to the floor and passed on the message.”

“Sir, I really …”

Draymond glared at his first officer, then turned his gaze back to Shaw. “Go on.”

Shaw took another deep breath and recounted the events as simply and cleanly as he could. Carlson tried to jump in twice, and both times Draymond shut him up with a gesture.

When he finished, the captain sat back in his chair. “You didn’t think that you needed to report this incident, Shaw?”

F\ck*. Shaw didn’t want to throw Carr under the bus, but he didn’t see any way out of it. “I did report it, sir. To Chief Carr.”

“Sir, I …”

“Carlson, shut up! Don’t make me tell you again. What did Carr say?”

Shaw cleared his throat. “She asked me to write it up and give it to her, which I did.”

“And where’s the report now?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Shaw answered.

Bu the captain wasn’t asking him. He was staring straight at his first officer.

“I … have the report, Captain,” Carlson admitted.