Locarno manipulates squadron loyalty
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Nova Squadron members Sito and Wesley confront Locarno about his false testimony regarding Josh's responsibility for the accident, violating their agreement to be honest; Locarno defends his actions by claiming he had to do something.
Locarno sways Hajar and Sito to his side by suggesting that Josh panicked, manipulating them into accepting his version of events; Wesley remains unconvinced but is pressured to conform.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
N/A (posthumous, but his memory evokes guilt, grief, and moral conflict in the living).
Joshua Albert is referenced posthumously as the central figure whose death is being manipulated. His memory is invoked by Locarno to frame the accident as Joshua's fault, using emotional appeals to sway the group. While not physically present, his absence looms large over the scene, serving as both a catalyst for the cover-up and a moral weight on the squadron's conscience. His death is the linchpin of the conflict, driving the tension and guilt that Locarno exploits.
- • N/A (deceased, but his hypothetical goals—if alive—would likely involve truth and accountability.)
- • N/A (posthumous, but his actions in life—if he were alive—would likely align with Wesley's moral stance.)
Deeply conflicted, torn between guilt over Joshua's death and the pressure to protect his friends, ultimately resigned to complicity in the lie.
Wesley stands apart from the group, visibly conflicted, as Locarno presents the doctored flight recorder. He resists the cover-up, arguing that Joshua was not at fault, but his resolve wavers under the emotional pressure of Locarno's speech and the silent compliance of Hajar and Sito. His physical posture—turning away, struggling with the PADD, and finally nodding in reluctant acceptance—mirrors his internal struggle between loyalty to the squadron and his moral conscience. His dialogue reveals his guilt and resistance, but his ultimate concession marks a fracture in his character.
- • To uphold the truth about Joshua's accident and avoid lying to Starfleet authorities.
- • To maintain his loyalty to Nova Squadron and avoid fracturing the group further.
- • That Joshua's death was an accident caused by the forbidden Kolvoord Starburst maneuver, not Joshua's panic.
- • That covering up the truth will protect his friends but at the cost of his integrity.
Calculating and determined, masking his deception with earnestness and camaraderie to achieve his goal of protecting the squadron and his own future.
Locarno dominates the scene as the charismatic but manipulative leader of Nova Squadron. He frames Joshua's death as an accident caused by Joshua's panic, using emotional appeals and a doctored flight recorder to pressure the group into compliance. His tone shifts from earnest to persuasive, blending camaraderie with ambition. He hands Wesley the PADD, knowing it is the key to consolidating the cover-up, and deploys a speech about team loyalty to erode Wesley's resistance. His physical presence—moving closer to Wesley, using eye contact, and modulating his voice—underscores his control over the situation.
- • To consolidate the squadron's compliance with the cover-up by framing Joshua as responsible for the accident.
- • To maintain the group's unity and protect their futures at the Academy, even at the cost of truth.
- • That the ends justify the means—protecting the squadron and his own ambitions is more important than admitting fault.
- • That Wesley's moral resistance can be overcome through emotional appeals to loyalty and teamwork.
Guilty and conflicted, torn between her loyalty to the squadron and her internal moral unease about lying.
Hajar initially resists Locarno's framing of Joshua's death but ultimately nods in reluctant agreement. She is visibly conflicted, her body language—looking away, then nodding—reflecting her internal struggle. Her dialogue is minimal but damning: she corroborates Locarno's false narrative, suggesting Joshua 'pulled away too soon' out of fear. Her compliance, though reluctant, strengthens Locarno's position and isolates Wesley further. She serves as a mediator between Locarno's manipulation and Wesley's resistance, ultimately siding with the group.
- • To avoid fracturing the squadron's unity, even if it means compromising her integrity.
- • To protect her own future at the Academy by avoiding blame for the accident.
- • That Joshua's death was an accident caused by the Kolvoord Starburst, not his panic.
- • That speaking out would destroy the squadron and her own chances at Starfleet.
Reluctant and tense, torn between her loyalty to the squadron and her discomfort with deceiving Starfleet authorities.
Sito acts as a mediator, urging Wesley to comply with the cover-up without outright lying. She challenges Locarno's false testimony initially but relents under the pressure, nodding reluctantly. Her dialogue—'You don't have to lie... just don't volunteer any new information'—reveals her attempt to rationalize the deception. Physically, she stands between Locarno and Wesley, her body language tense and hesitant. She is the bridge between Locarno's manipulation and Wesley's resistance, ultimately siding with the group to preserve its unity.
- • To mediate between Locarno and Wesley to avoid a fracture in the squadron.
- • To protect her friends and her own future by participating in the cover-up.
- • That the truth about the Kolvoord Starburst would destroy the squadron and their careers.
- • That Wesley's resistance, while moral, is ultimately futile against the group's pressure.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The doctored flight recorder PADD is the linchpin of Locarno's manipulation. He produces it dramatically, claiming it shows only pre-collision data that exonerates the squadron and blames Joshua's 'panic' for the accident. Wesley studies the glowing screen closely, his hesitation palpable, as Locarno and the others lean in, the false evidence tipping the cadets toward complicity. The PADD symbolizes the corruption of truth and the power of institutional deception, serving as both a physical tool and a narrative device that fractures the squadron's moral unity.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Wesley's dormitory room serves as a pressure cooker of guilt, manipulation, and moral fracture. The confined space—older, lived-in, with sparse furnishings like a desk, chairs, and a bed—amplifies the tension, trapping the cadets in their complicity. The dim lighting casts shadows that mirror the moral ambiguity of the moment, while the absence of Starfleet authority figures (like Picard or Brand) underscores the squadron's isolation in their deception. The room becomes a battleground for Wesley's conscience, with Locarno's rhetoric and the PADD's glowing screen dominating the space.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet Academy looms as the indirect antagonist in this scene, its institutional policies and expectations driving the cadets' fear of expulsion. The Academy's ban on dangerous maneuvers like the Kolvoord Starburst and its demand for truth create the pressure that Locarno exploits. While not physically present, the Academy's authority is felt through the cadets' guilt, their awareness of the consequences of being caught, and their desire to protect their futures. The cover-up is a direct challenge to Starfleet's values, revealing the tension between institutional survival and moral integrity.
Nova Squadron is the fractured unit at the heart of this event, its unity under siege by Locarno's manipulation and Wesley's moral resistance. The squadron's bond—once a source of strength and camaraderie—becomes a tool for coercion, as Locarno invokes their shared promises and future plans to pressure Wesley into compliance. The group's dynamic shifts from solidarity to complicity, with Hajar and Sito siding with Locarno while Wesley's resistance isolates him. The moment marks a turning point in the squadron's trajectory, as loyalty to the team overrides moral truth, setting the stage for future conflicts.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Locarno assuring Wesley that everything is fine despite the mounting suspicion directly leads to Sito and Wesley confronting Locarno about his false testimony, violating their agreement."
"Locarno assuring Wesley that everything is fine despite the mounting suspicion directly leads to Sito and Wesley confronting Locarno about his false testimony, violating their agreement."
"Locarno assuring Wesley that everything is fine despite the mounting suspicion directly leads to Sito and Wesley confronting Locarno about his false testimony, violating their agreement."
"Locarno assuring Wesley that everything is fine despite the mounting suspicion directly leads to Sito and Wesley confronting Locarno about his false testimony, violating their agreement."
"Locarno assuring Wesley that everything is fine despite the mounting suspicion directly leads to Sito and Wesley confronting Locarno about his false testimony, violating their agreement."
"Nova Squadron confronts Locarno about false testimony which mirrors the earlier unease and is sustained throughout the plot as the guilt grows."
"Nova Squadron confronts Locarno about false testimony which mirrors the earlier unease and is sustained throughout the plot as the guilt grows."
"Nova Squadron confronts Locarno about false testimony which mirrors the earlier unease and is sustained throughout the plot as the guilt grows."
"Nova Squadron confronts Locarno about false testimony which mirrors the earlier unease and is sustained throughout the plot as the guilt grows."
"Locarno leveraging Josh's memory to manipulate Wesley into maintaining the cover-up creates an emotional impact which mirrors Albert's emotional exchange in the hearing room, contributing to his escalating moral dilemma."
"Locarno leveraging Josh's memory to manipulate Wesley into maintaining the cover-up creates an emotional impact which mirrors Albert's emotional exchange in the hearing room, contributing to his escalating moral dilemma."
Key Dialogue
"LOCARNO: ((gentle)) Look... he was my friend, too. I worked to get him on this team. But the truth is... he panicked."
"WESLEY: Nick... I don't think I can do this."
"LOCARNO: The first night I met you, Wes... I knew I wanted you on this squad. You, more than any of the others, would understand what it means to be able to count on someone. We made a promise, right in the beginning, that we'd stick together. We were Nova Squadron—nobody else could say that."