Alistair looked over the evidence that was sent to him and then to the captain. "Captain, if you will excuse me from the bridge," he whispered. "I would like to take personal command of this investigation. It's serious, but not as serious as we may have thought. Potentially, we have a stowaway." The XO stood up and looked around. "Please alert me the moment we transition into the Polaris system. I want a full scan of all DRADIS contacts sent to my datapad the second we drop back into real space. This will include the stars, potential planets, and potentially unusual objects such as ships or stations." Then he left the bridge.

Near the vent corridor, Vance's expression grew colder than the vacuum outside the hull. He once again finished reviewing the report from Evie Lu regarding the magnetic weapon discharge, missing fuel, and damage that had taken place. Vance, along with some marines, began a sweep of lockers, bathrooms, the cargo hold, and vents until they found what they were looking for: a disheveled figured huddled behind a crate of spare environmental suits.

The marines with Vance immediately pointed their guns at the disheveled man. Vance didn't shout, telling his men to stand down; he just merely beckoned the intruder out. As the stowaway stood, Alistair leveled a gaze that could have frozen a star. "This ship was built with a singular purpose," he stated, his voice echoing with authority throughout the room and the corridor outside. "Every member of this crew was hand-selected as paragons of the United Systems Federation's ideals - disciplined, specialized, honored, and devoted to our mission. I will [i]not[/i] have it tarnished by some parasite." He paused for a moment, with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You are an uncalculated variable in a mission that demands absolute precision. Until we decide what to do with you, to the brig." He looked over to the marines and ordered them to take this man to the brig.