And I thought the previous entry to this series was heartbreaking... you, my friend, are a very powerful writer. The ending of the previous chapter left me in tears and the mystery you left us with Lieutenant Covan... I hope the next story will be coming soon!

This story has produced a deep melancholy within me.

I must admit that you have an admirable grasp of human emotions and mindsets from a perspective that was alien to me as little as four years ago. I still find the conscious simultaneous consideration of impulse and introspection to be...shall we call it a level two empath spell :)?

At many points in the story, I wished for characters to choose the type of speech or action that they knew to be right and found it painful when a choice was made to do something else instead. But, by the same token, I could not summon wrath towards them for it because of an acute awareness of how often I have a high road vs. low road choice to make and I act incorrectly. In the moment, each little choice seems so large and final and, without distance, it's hard to realise that most wrongs can be salvaged.

I feel a constriction in my chest for Malcolm Reed, who thinks so hard about duty and choice, self-sacrifice and self-image. He seems a better man than he believes himself to be and so does not reach out to those who could most help him and 'spur him on towards love and good works', so to speak. His actions speak where he doesn't feel worthy to voice any defence but none of our main cast witnessed his trials. I hope for his healing and peace.

For Tucker, who understand so much about his friends and his own emotions, but cannot reach through the gaps by himself, I am trapped between heartache and a smile. His warmth and love for his crewmates, even when he is hurt by their failings, is a precious quality (all the more to be treasured so far from home). At the same time, I don't know if the reciprocation he gets is enough to prevent his own slow emotional ravagement. He seemed sorely lacking in support this story.

As for Archer, I never liked him much on the TV show. He was not consistently written which bothered me. You write him very consistently as a man who is perceptive and thoughtful enough to understand his responsibilities and areas of affect but is just lacking-enough in self-control (and posessed of just enough schadenfreude) to hold his crew and mission together while inflicting many superficial wounds. It is not a healthy atmosphere and, as he seemed to notice, it's a hard pattern to break but I found...at least understanding for him in your story. He feels as though he's already given of himself and that others should start giving back. He feels trapped and empowered by his position. He relishes knowing people well-enough to predict how certain stimuli will affect them and he loathes himself for using that skill to cause pain.

No one in your story is perfectly likable (and this would be emotionally exhausting if all stories I read were like this) but your sympathy for people that clearly sees their flaws without accepting or denying them is touching. I truly wish the best for these characters as you have shown them. I want them to have a chance at friendships that last through time, distance, and personality shifts. I want them to have fulfilling careers and welcoming quarters. I want them to trust and be trusted in turn. I want them to be able to pursue their hobbies in contentment.

You have given them a chance. No one could ask for fairer than that.

I fervently hope that you do find time to return to this arch of your creation. I would love to see what your insight and nurture has in store for these people. If you never find the time to write a future for them, I will go forward in confidence that reconciliation and healing occured, so do not worry on my behalf.

Lastly, I rather liked Covan. I am not generally over-enthused about OCs (mostly because they take extra brainspace and I've already got that spread thinly enough) but Covan had enough depth to him to be interesting without having so much time devoted to him as to steal attention from our objects of primary interest. I hope that he finds more gentle treatment with the Section that either Reed or Bashir seemed to get.

Really lastly (this time) I want to thank you for the time and the effort you poured into this - and into the Anachron Incident. You are considered and thorough in your plotting, pacing, characterization, and world-integration. You write for a whole ensemble (a remarkable difficult task, in my estimation). And you are both patient and productive. You have my gratitude.

I feel desperately bad for everyone involved - as intended. No neat endings, just like in real life. Actual repercussions to decisions made, and no "reset button". If there is no sequel, this is a good ending. I like open endings, and use them in my own stuff. You don't need to fill in all the blanks. We can do that in our own imaginations.

An idea is to not write a direct sequel, but instead to write a connected story, one in the same universe, but where you're not in any way required to tie up loose ends - you can tug at them instead. But if you don't do this, that's fine. I've got it in my head, and can imagine it myself.

Excellent story; do not be dissatisfied by this ending. Open endings are good. Letting the reader take it is not a bad thing.

Of course. Excellent chapter. I feel so bad for everyone involved. Really well drawn characters. Love the conflict in Trip and in Malcolm both.

Ah, Malcolm looks to be in rough shape.

You write a good action scene. And your ability to drive the tension from one chapter to another is excellent. I’m wicked eager to find out what happens next. Love this story

Oh, man. Poor Malcolm.

You are evil. ;)

Interesting. I love this conflicted Archer. But I wonder why Harris would bother speaking with him. Hmm... Great story! Seriously, it reads like an episode, but BETTER. Way better.

If what's going on right now holds on this path, there's no way Malcolm is going to be able to return to Enterprise. I feel so bad for the man. Your characterizations here are spot on, and you do a very good job of slowing ramping up the tension. We're just as in the dark as Malcolm is; if not a bit more so. Really good so far.

Ooh, nice cliffhanger. This reads like a good episode. Well drawn characters. Love your Malcolm

I just wanted to say thank you for this story. Despite your disappointment in the execution of the story I still found it to be highly enjoyable. I am looking forward to the next one, however long it might take:)

1. I totally knew that Covan bloke was a plant!
2. Poor Malcolm. The sense of futility and hopelessness is appalling, but sometimes that's life, isn't it? Fortune doesn't always favour the brave, no matter how much we think it ought to. Well done for not pulling an unlikely twist of fate out of the bag to save any of our characters from suffering. ... that was where the story went, and you have to be faithful to it, whether it's what you intended or not.
3. If you're saying that this didn't work out as well as you'd hoped (and sometimes stories just don't play nice, however hard we try), there's always the possibility of going back and tweaking it and reposting when you're more satisfied with it. Though personally I thought it was brilliant, as your writing always is, and I hope you change your mind and come back to the fandom very soon!

The terrible sadness of this is only matched by its terrible inevitability. I love your faithful Trip, still trusting where he can't understand.
... But as for Captain Archer. ...!

If I was in charge of things aboard Enterprise, there is one officer on board whom by now I'd have on suicide watch. For pity's sake - first he goes and finds himself basically surplus to requirements in the Armoury, then he finds out about Crewman Alex, then Archer requires him to basically disembowel himself in front of a recording machine. And Trip, God bless him, still doesn't get the picture and I'm sure hasn't got a clue why the poor sod is having 'anxiety attacks'.

Movie Night. Hmmm. I await developments with an even deeper sense of foreboding than before!