Chapter 4: The Saboteur

As we made our way back to the Starfarer, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. It wasn't until we were back on board the ship that I realized what it was - one of our crew members was missing.

I immediately called for a headcount, and sure enough, Ensign Thompson was nowhere to be found. We searched the ship from top to bottom, but there was no sign of him.

I knew we had to act fast. If Thompson had been captured by the Zorin or worse, turned against us, he could be a serious threat to our mission.

I ordered a full security sweep of the ship, and that's when we found it - a small device hidden in the engine room. It was a bomb, set to detonate in less than an hour.

We worked quickly to defuse the bomb, but it was a complicated device, and we were running out of time. Finally, Ensign Chen was able to disarm the device just moments before it was set to explode.

But the discovery of the bomb left me with a sinking feeling in my gut. We had a saboteur on board, and I knew that we had to find them before they could cause any more damage.

I ordered a full investigation, and it didn't take long to find the culprit - Ensign Thompson. He had been working with the Zorin all along, providing them with information about our ship and our mission.

I was furious. "Ensign Thompson, how could you do this? You put this entire mission in jeopardy!"

Thompson didn't even flinch. "I did what I had to do," he said. "The Zorin promised me wealth beyond my wildest dreams if I helped them."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You betrayed your crewmates, your ship, and your country for a promise of wealth?"

Thompson just shrugged. "You don't understand, Captain. I had nothing to lose."

I was appalled by his lack of remorse, but I knew that justice had to be served. I ordered Thompson to be placed in the brig and contacted Earth Command to report the incident.

As we continued on our mission, I couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal. I had trusted Ensign Thompson, and he had let me down. But I knew that we couldn't let his actions jeopardize the potential alliance between Earth and the Zorin. We had to keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles lay in our path.