Chapter 3: Mission Objective - PIVOT AND RESPOND!
[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Observation Lounge | V. 1 | Deck 10 | The Helmet ] ATTN: @Brutus @Stegro88 @P.C. Haring @Nolan @Eirual @Tae @Nesota Kynnovan @AbsintheDeux @JacenSoloDjo
TIME: DAY 1, 2330HRS
Enyd had been looking forward to this conversation with about as much enthusiasm as an injured person looks forward to having their bone reset. But she’d drawn the proverbial “short straw” from the stack for who would talk to who about dealing with the Romulan leads connected to the murderous interruption to their dinner.
Brigadier Natauna was already deployed with a makeshift team to investigate among the Klingons, taking with her Ensign L’Nari and Crewman Lourdes from the Diplomatic Department, Ensign Lewis and Bennett from the Intelligence department, Crewman Lewis from Security, and Crewman Courtland from the medical department to aid in the investigation. As far as Enyd knew, this team was either already off the ship or just about to depart, with Colonel Hauq awaiting them on one of the Klingon carriers with the one captured still-breathing saboteur in their brig.
The team for investigating the Romulan leads was likewise already formed, though they had yet to deploy as Enyd had yet to talk to the head of the team. Petty Officer J’olan and Crewman Wilde from her department were already briefed and ready, and Lieutenant Ahn-Le had opted to take Ensign Samuelson with her from Intelligence. Lieutenant Rhys Williams had been more than a little confused about his assignment but when told of who would be leading the team and given a little background information on said team leader, he’d settled into his presumed role as counselor and mediator well enough. He chose Crewman Lewis to accompany him from Medical, with the addition of Ensign McArthur from Security just as a precautionary measure. Now, it was time to talk to the leader of this Romulan investigation loop. The final piece in their “whodunit” puzzle. The Romulan aide, Jaeih something or another, was already waiting for the arrival of their team aboard the Romulan flagship.
Enyd winced as she recalled how the dinner had ended so dramatically after such a promising beginning. While no one in the mess hall had killed each other when the intruder alert cut through the pleasantries, anyone who had been mingling on the “other’s” side of the room quickly dispersed back to their side with more than a few murmured curses and threats. It’d taken Stark, Enyd, and a number of others quite a time to calm folks down enough to reassure them they weren’t trying to kill everyone and then adjourn to their respective corners. In under an hour, they’d relayed what they knew of the attack, including the number of their fallen and the damages caused by the saboteurs. This had worked to assuage the Klingons marginally more than the Romulans once it was clear Theurgy crew had died. Apparently, the Romulans still found this suspicious, and likely because, given the right circumstances, they’d kill their own to make a point.
Enyd pinched the bridge of her nose. The feasibility of this alliance working beyond the immediate crisis was growing more and more difficult to picture. The Klingons were divided amongst themselves, increasingly so, on how to deal with both the Romulans and the Federation, with the Theurgy’s presence offering another variable to contend with. As reports from the attack against the President herself poured in over the feeds, whatever distrust and disquiet Klingon leaders had toward supporting Theurgy and remaining as firm a Federation member as they were amplified. Among the Romulans, whatever reports they were receiving regarding the attack against the President and the evidence of civil discord among the Klingons was fueling their already hyperactive wariness nerve, and now they spoke in more complex roundabout riddles than when they’d first arrived. Enyd had never really gambled much, but if she were more of a betting woman, she’d bet that the minute Theurgy and the Martok’s combined forces worked to remove Tal’Aura from the Romulan chess board, Donatra would gladly turn her back on them, and potentially even her weapons.
Granted, Enyd wasn’t “allowed” to say such things to her subordinates, not as a department head. They needed to see that she was still committed to maintaining this alliance—and she was—and that she still believed they could successfully stave off Tal’Aura’s attacks through this alliance—she would like to believe this. There was so much to do and so little time to do it in before the shit hit the proverbial fan, and that was why she was standing here staring across the bit of space that separated their ship from the nearest Romulan vessel, dreading the conversation she was about to have.
“I was told you wanted to see me.” His familiar, raspy voice curled around her spine and sent a shiver through her body. Enyd glanced at the reflected image of the former Romulan mercenary, briefly admiring his physique, before she turned to face him. “Regarding a mission.”
Enyd folded her hands in front of her body to keep from flapping them around like a flightless bird. She found, failed, and then succeeded in keeping the images of their almost time together on Qo’Nos from her mind, very much aware that her thoughts and feelings were an open book and an influential one to the enigmatic man standing in front of her. Keeping her eyes focused on a spot on the wall just over his shoulder, Enyd relayed what she knew of the circumstances, what Stark had conveyed as her hopes as a result of the investigation, and the names of his future teammates. Drauc listened without expression, his body as still and controlled as always.
“I am to lead this team through the investigation among the Rommulans, seeking out the saboteurs only? Or is there something else?” He angled his head as if daring her to withhold her own misgivings.
Enyd sighed. “I have concerns that Donatra will betray the alliance as soon as Tal’Aura’s threat is eradicated.” Drauc nodded as if this was common knowledge. “If you find proof of this being fact and not just my own fears, anything that can help to protect Theurgy in case she does turn…”
“Understood.” Drauc maintained eye contact for a heartbeat more before asking. “Anything else?”
“Professionally? No. Personally, I could say ‘be safe,’ but I trust that you will do whatever is necessary to ensure mission success even if it is detrimental to your own self.” Enyd’s features softened. “Even so, I do hope the best for you. For all of you.”
Drauc nodded, placing a hand over his chest in a semi-formal bow. “So do we all.” Turning, his finger paused just shy of the door console. “Be at peace, Madsen.”
Enyd nodded to his back, watching him quietly as he stepped back into the corridor and disappeared on silent steps. Letting out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, Enyd fell back against the window at her back. At least she hadn’t had to use a mental spray bottle to keep images of his nude flesh from her mind during their conversation.
[Madsen to Stark.] It was time to update the woman who had to keep their puppet show's strings together.
NARRATOR: During the subsequent missions to investigate both the Klingons and the Romulans, it was discovered that the treachery lay at multiple levels within both “allied” groups. With evidence pointing to foreknowledge of the saboteur’s identities among the inner circle of Donatra’s group and a lingering sense of discontent toward Martok fueling the continued internal dissension among a few of his leading military men, it was determined to play their “cards” closer to their chest moving forward. While Martok appeared to remain a genuine ally, Donatra’s sincerity was further questioned.
Several Theurgy crew went missing before either mission could be considered a success. Among the missing were Ensign L’Nari, Lt. JG Anh-Le, Lieutenant Rhys Wiliams, Brigadier Natauna, and Drauc T’Laus. The surviving crew noted and appreciated their sacrifices as their efforts laid the groundwork to maintain alliances and secure a peaceable future.
~~
[ Lt. Reggie Suder | Wolf-13 | Combat Air Patrol ]
TIME: DAY 2, 0330HRS
Reggie groaned in her seat as she and Logan continued their reconnaissance patrol maneuvers. Since shit had gone south at the reception, she had needed plenty of time to think. Not about the Klingons, or the Romulans, or even the hostilities that were likely to erupt. No. Her thoughts wandered to T’Less of all people. She hadn’t even shown up, and it seemed that the more they tried to re-connect, the more the universe around them conspired to prevent that from happening. Reggie wasn’t sure if that was a sign that she should give up or if it was an opportunity to continue and develop her patience. Still, it steamed her to not have any reliable sense of where this relationship of theirs was going to go.
[Gemini,] Wraith said over the comm. [Are you picking up anything on long-range comms?]
Her first instinct was to chastise her wingman for such a silly question. If there were a transmission coming in, it certainly would not be on the long-range channels, and it certainly would not be directed at her or Logan. Yet his voice communicated sincerity, and while she hadn’t known him for long, she knew Logan well enough that he didn’t screw around.
“Nothing on my end, but then again, I haven’t been looking. Standby.”
Reggie switched over to the long-range communications array, and instantly her board lit up. The carrier wave was weak, and there was considerable interference, but it was certainly an intended transmission.
She brought the nose of her ship around. Wraith remaining formed up on her and as they flew in the direction from which the transmission was coming, the signal grew slightly stronger until the interference cleared up enough for them to establish a trace lock.
“Holy shit,” she said as the computer read the metadata of the encrypted signal. “It’s from the Apache.”
[That’s good news, isn’t it, Gemini? Doesn’t that mean they were successful?]
Reggie tried to access the message. “Not necessarily. The data is encrypted, and we don’t have the ciphers on board. We will need to get this back to Theurgy. How far out are we?”
There was silence on the line before Logan replied. [25 light minutes from the Den].
That was too far out, Reggie decided. Yes, Theurgy had stronger transceivers than their fighters and could cut through the interference easier than she could. But there was no telling how much more badly degraded the message would become if it traveled the remaining distance. She made her decision.
“Alter course and re-set your transceiver settings to max. We are going to relay this thing through the fighters back to the base. Hopefully, we can give it the boost it needs to arrive.”
They lay in their course while Athen made the adjustments and opened the line to Theurgy.
“Wolf-13 to Theurgy. Gemini to Commander Stark. We’re receiving an encrypted transmission from the Apache. It’s badly garbled, so we’re going to relay it to you in real-time. Tell the folks in Intel to stand by.”
NARRATOR: Unbeknownst to Gemini and her wingman, or even the Theurgy itself, in fulfilling their objective to scan the rings of Ba’Ku, Captain Jackson and the crew of the Oneida went missing. With no responses to Starfleet hails or personal contacts alike, the Oneida and her crew were listed as missing in action, with a full-scale investigation launched from Starfleet headquarters.
Meanwhile, the science and intelligence departments aboard Theurgy could decrypt the message from the Apache and piece the data together with the information sent from the Oneida, successfully breaking through the mystery on how to adjust their shielding to better protect against thalaron weaponry. While untested in battle and unknown if it was an exact application of the data, this information was subtly shared with Martok, with a strategic delay enforced with informing Donatra of their success. The intentional delay was enacted as a result of evidence that some saboteurs involved in seeking to destroy this fledgling alliance had come from within Donatra’s close circle.
~~
[PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Security checkpoint | Deck 11 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy]
TIME: DAY 3, 0100HRS
Kythalie's shift had ended her up at the battle bridge security checkpoint. Carrying a type II phase pistol and a type III phaser assault rifle, Kythalie's eyes went over each person that entered or left the battle bridge. The tension in the air was volatile, that much she could tell. It wouldn't be long now before they'd arrive at the Triangle. As more officers began to flock onto the battle bridge, the moment was nigh. A slight sensation was the only thing that indicated the drop from warp. They had arrived at their location and would soon, hopefully, meet up with the other parts of the Theurgy since they were in MVAM mode right now.
That hope was soon squashed, though, as a red alert sounded throughout the ship. As the doors of the battle bridge slid open once more, Kythalie could overhear the chatter.
"Sensors are picking up a large force of vessels dropping out of warp now!" One officer exclaimed, at which another confirmed, "A carrier group, it seems. Scans confirm that they are Romulan."
There didn't seem to be a sign of the others so far and Kythalie's mental barriers began to strain as the thoughts of so many people on the bridge were becoming louder and louder. She glanced over at her fellow security officer, who was glancing over at her. They both couldn't do much about the situation besides doing their duties. With the carrier strike group appearing before them, it wouldn't take long before a space battle would ensue.
"Sensors are picking up additional ships dropping out of warp." One of the officers exclaimed, "It appears to be the Ranger."
This was the conclusion, which meant that Vector 3 wouldn't be on its own in a fight. Said fight wouldn't last long against a full carrier group...
Then again, Kythalie wasn't sure how much longer they'd survive with two ships and a contingent of fighters. They needed the others...
They needed them now.
"Tal Aura's forces have raised shields and are preparing their weapons to fire!"
This was the start of it. Another day that would be filled with death, pain, and suffering. Hopefully, they'd come out of this fight alive and without too many wounds. Though wounds were going to be made…
NARRATOR: By the time Tal’Aura’s carrier group arrived at the Triangle, the Ranger and the Erudite had returned and Theurgy crew successfully shared its decrypted knowledge on necessary shielding adjustments to counteract the Romulan thalaron weaponry. While freely shared with Martok, a strategic delay in relaying their success with Donatra was enforced. When Donatra was finally informed of their success, a few hours before Tal’Aura’s forces arrived, many within her inner circle expressed a desire to withdraw from the alliance altogether, seeing their own strategic advantage against both Klingons and Starfleet jeopardized now that they knew of how to shield from thalaron radiation. Donatra, however, remained stalwart in her decision to remain at the Triangle alongside the Theurgy and Martok’s forces, far more interested in the time being with destroying her political rival than in squabbling over future advantages.
AND NOW THE BATTLE AT THE TRIANGLE COMMENCES…
Topic: Chapter 3: Mission Objective - PIVOT AND RESPOND! (Read 689 times)
previous topic - next topic
