Briefing Before the Battle

Posted on Wed Feb 12th, 2020 @ 4:08pm by Captain Patrick Dow & Captain Paul MacLeod & Lieutenant Commander Rann & Commander Robert Stark & Admiral Deela T'Lar & Commodore Leon `Lee` Pike & Brigadier General David Hurd Sr & Brigadier General Kaden Ross & Captain Jack Solomon & Commander Hades,MD & Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Coleman & Commodore Alexandra Harrison & Lieutenant Colonel Chuck McDaniel

2,647 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 104 - A Glimmer of Hope...
Location: Starbase 400 - Tactical Operations
Timeline: MD1 - 1005hrs

ON:

K'Temoc had send word to the designated ship commanders and also Major McDaniel since the fighter wing would be called into action too, and told them to report to Tactical Operations for a mission briefing.

When he arrived he met Captain Dow who was talking with Commander Cross. Cross gave a nod then left the room.

"What are you doing hear?" K'Temoc asked.

"The Governor has agreed to send more civilians off Kaleb IV. I was trying to see if any transports were available here while getting the Reprisal resupplied. Since there aren't any, the Commander is asking Starfleet Command to send some. I was also hoping Mike had returned."

K'Temoc nodded. "Not yet."

Dow let out a sign.

K'Temoc changed the subject, While we're away, I need you to keep an eye on the station. With the losses Starfleet has suffered we're having to relay on some young officers commanding ships people twice their age and with twice their experience should be doing."

Dow nodded. "I'll mind the store."

About that time those that had been ordered to report were arriving, so Dow excused himself.

K'Temoc tapped in commands on the panel for the large view screen, listing names with the ships they would command in the coming battle."

Essex (T'Lar), Yorktown (K'Temoc), Luna (Pike), Kearsarge (Hurd), Steadfast (Harrison), Lexington (Stark), Saratoga (Ross), Ark Royal (Solomon), Vanguard (MacLeod), Falcon (Bagwell), Venator (Nivar), Mercy (Hades) for wounded, and the Endeavor (Coleman) to help jam enemy sensors and communications would be the most logical group from here to go, and the 181st Tactical Fighter Wing (McDaniel)

Walking into Tactical ops, The General took his usual customary place in the shadows, waiting for the others to arrive and the briefing to start.

Coleman had been working in Stellar Cartography when the computer made an overhead announcement. "Coleman, Nicholas to report to Tactical Operations for urgent meeting," the computer voice announced. Coleman looked at the Stellar Cartographer he was working with and they both just shrugged.

Handing over an assignment and a PADD to the gentleman before heading out and heading over to the nearest turbolift. The doors swished open, allowing Coleman access to the turbolift, where he announced his destination to the computer before it took him away.

It didn't take him long to get to Tactical Operations and once the doors opened, allowing him to enter, Coleman realized that he was one of the first to arrive. Looking at the screen, Coleman realized that earlier fears were coming true. Something was amiss and war was possibly around the corner.

Walking over to Admiral K'Temoc, Coleman looked at him and asked, "May I ask what the latest news might be, sir?"

"You're about to find out." K'Temoc smirked.

Deela walked in and glanced around the room. She saw Hurd but with everything that happened, she didn't make eye contact with him. She walked by K'Temoc and Coleman. She sat down in her seat, going through everything in her mind, a checklist of sorts. They were about to embark on a dangerous mission with her leading the group, something that she hadn't done since taking the XO position here at Starbase 400.

Isaiah and Hades entered together. They had been talking for the last few hours. It had not been an easy conversation but one that Hades needed. He grabbed a coffee and an empty data PADD and sat down.

Isaiah, too, grabbed his coffee adding just a little bit of cream and then sat down next to hades. He'd been helping as much as he could but now they would be out in the thick of things. He looked around the room at the grim faces. This would be a difficult time for Starfleet. He looked at his ex brother in law. "Ready?"

Hades inclined his head.

Having known this man he knew that he was grieving but there would be no time for that now.

Hurd, saying quietly from the shadows, said, "Can we please get started now?"

K'Temoc shot a glance at Hurd.

Kaden entered with an engineer going over a few things regarding the Saratoga wanting her at peak efficiency. Handing her a PADD he placed his hands on his hips. "And lastly realign the torque sensors will you, please?" The engineer smiled as she took the PADD from him and left. Heading to replicator he ordered his chocolate mint mocha with extra Betazoid chocolate sauce and took a drink. Nodding his head to his friend Hurd before taking his seat.

Lee walked into the room, he glanced around a bit before heading to grab a coffee, his mind racing with lots of thoughts, but that was the normal anymore, his wife would soon be joining. He stepped over leaning against a wall.

Alex walked in, hoping that she wasn't late. She hadn't taken her ship out in a while so there were a few things to do to make her battle ready. She saw Lee leaning against a wall and walked over to him, "Phew. I made it."

"I am sure the Admiral would understand if you was slightly late." Lee said to her then pulled her in front of him, he offered her some of his coffee then put his other hand on her belly.

Deela looked around to see who had arrived and who didn't. They were waiting on four more to arrive. She looked for Jack but he hadn't arrived yet as well. She'd wait just a little longer. An crewman walked in with PADDs containing everything they needed to know and distributed them on the table.

MacLeod arrived, fearing he was late. When he saw the meeting hadn't started in found a spot near the back and activated his PADD ready to take notes. This meeting had the feel of a pre-battle briefing and he was curious what the target would be

Hades looked around the room before picking up his PADD and reading off the list of ships. His eyes scanned his staff list. He was satisfied with the list. He was glad that Kalani was staying on the station until he glanced at the roster. He stood, the gathering not having quite kicked off yet and walked over to the Admiral. "Admiral T'Lar I think there's been a mistake."

Deela looked up, "Oh? What mistake might that be?"

"My wife is listed as the XO on the Venator." What he didn't know what that Nivar had asked for her specifically.

Deela looked strangely at her, until Deela realized that he was in the dark, "I thought it was strange at first but I assumed you knew." Deela wasn't sure how Hades would take it, "Lt. Nivar requested for her to be his XO. The request was granted. If that is a problem, you might want to take it up with Lt. Nivar but it IS a little late to change it."

"Just wanted the information." He said. Hades walked back to his seat resisting the urge to smack Isaiah upside the head.

Ezekiel walked in, and picked up a padd. He started to glance it over. He started to noticed a few things, that would bring him great concern. But for the moment, he would table it. Hoping they would be addressed in the briefing. Ezekiel found an open chair. He quickly took a look around. It was the bulk of starship commanders on Starbase 400.

Lt Col. Chuck McDaniel arrived and also took up a padd to prepare himself for the upcoming event.

Trying not to be fashionably late and failing in that task alone, Jack arrived, PADD in hand and with a raktajino in the other. He caught Deela's eye as he took a seat. He could see something in her look that showed relief he was there, but also concern as well. He noted to catchup with hwr afterwards.


Once everyone was present, Deela T'Lar stood up, "Attention everyone. I need all of you to take your seats, immediately." As she waited for the room to settle, she finished gathering her thoughts. The ship assignments that were on the large view screen was replaced by an area map showing the route from Starbase 400 to Deep Space 6.

Deela exhaled as she begun the debriefing, "We do not have much time so I will get straight to the point. We are at war. Several places have been attacked by the Gorn, Tholian, Breen and Romulan fleets and have taken heavy damage including the medical facilities on Denobula which have been eliminated." She looked at Hades when she said that, "Enough is enough."

Deela looked at all the faces in the room, "In light of this, I have been ordered to take command of the Seventh Fleet. You all will be accompanying me to Romulan Defense Base 8 near Deep Space Six and we are going to destroy it. Any ships remaining will stay here and protect Starbase 400. We need to depart within the hour." She again glanced around the room, "Questions." There was no time to mense words.

K'Temoc stood. "RDB8 is the primary staging point for all of the Typhon Pact attacks into Federation space within the Beta Quadrant. The attacks on DS6, Earth, SB247, and here have all been launched from there. Commander MacLeod USS Vanguard scouted the base last month, but with Starfleet assets needed elsewhere, an attack wasn't feasible until now."

"Admiral." Commander Stark stood, "Has there been any word from Fleet Admiral Bremer or the Pegasus?"

K'Temoc glanced at T'Lar for a moment, "No, we haven't heard from them since they left over a month ago."

K'Temoc waited a moment as he scanned the room, "I know many of you haven't had much experience commanding a ship in combat before, and some of you are trained more toward ground combat than ship to ship, but these are desperate times for the Federation and the galaxy. A successful attack could mean a turning point for the war. We have full confidence in you all. Doctor Hades, the Mercy will remain near the rear of the battle line for protection. Commander Coleman, we know the Endeavour isn't as combat capable as some ship, but her science facilities are second to none and we hope to take advantage of that by jamming enemy communications and relaying sensor data to the Essex and Yorktown. Everyone has an important role to play and we won't succeed without each and everyone of you doing your part. And you will. Questions?"

"And my role in all of this?", Hurd asked from the shadows, the impatience in his voice showing.

Deela not only could hear it in his voice, she could feel it. It caused her demeanor changed somewhat. She managed though to hold her tongue. She addressed K'Temoc, "Admiral?" She couldn't deal with Hurd at the moment.

"Starfleet has ordered the base destroyed. There has already been a tremendous loss of Marine lives in this short way, they don't want to lose more. However, with our lack of experienced ship commanders we have no choice but to deploy the Kearsarge and Saratoga with the battle fleet." K'Temoc paused a moment, "However, if the situation presents itself, with minimal or acceptable losses, we may deploy ground troops." It was a vague answer, but with the fog of war there was no telling what they could be walking into.

Ezekiel was surprised to hear about the attack on Denobula. That was a little surprising. Why would anyone want to target a medical facility? What honorless dogs, he thought to himself. He was on board with Admiral's plan. And was eager to join the seventh fleet for this mission. "Do you want the Falcon providing tactical support for the Essex?" He asked. He knew his ship was small, and used more like a defensive patrol ship. She was no battle cruiser, but she was still a scrappy and tough little ship.

Deela had no idea what they would be facing when they got there. She knew that things could change in a heartbeat, "Yes, that would be fine." She looked to K'Temoc, "Unless you have other plans for the Falcon." She respected his opinion and expertise.

"No objection." K'Temoc replied. He was hoping T'Lar would keep the Essex back to cover the Mercy and Endeavour anyway, and not becoming a easy target at the front of the fleet. However, with what he knew of T'Lar, he didn't think that too likely.

Commander Coleman raised a hand before standing up. He was one of the newest additions to the crew and senior staff, so he felt a bit awkward standing in front of so many great men and women.

"Admirals, I was wondering, since the Endeavor will help with jamming the Typhon Pact communication, if I may work with Commander Solomon while en route to plant something in their computer systems to distrust communications as soon as we arrive? I think my brother did something similar when he was aboard the station and I'm thinking we could use a similar technique to make sure their fleets can't call for backup. But, it's just an idea, sirs," Coleman said, looking around the room to gauge their reactions to his plan.

Deela acknowledged Coleman after briefly giving it some thought, "Commander Coleman. Someone once said, get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it’s done right. So that would be an affirmative. If it works, great."

Jack looked up from the notes he was making and smiled as he heard the idea from the young officer. "I like that, we'll focus the efforts of the Ark Royal crew on getting that in place," he agreed. "Once comms are down for them, that should delay their strategy and defense or at the very least send them into some disarray. We can get that done."

Jack thought for a moment afterwards. "Admiral, with the Endeavor and the Ark Royal involved in this specific action, both srltarships will require cover as we putting the jamming effect in place. We'll be vulnerable during the implementation," he added.

Kaden leaned forward clasping his hands together on the table. "The Saratoga stands ready to assist in any areas of concern for the fleet or however, General Hurd, sees fit unless you have other ideas, Admiral." He said.

Ezekiel looked over to his first officer, with a look of concern, and excitement. He was eager to get the USS Falcon, back out, he would have preferred to be patrolling the borders. But the Admiral was right. They were at war.

"Have the Falcon, prepped and ready to launch asap. All hands on deck, we have a small launch window, and we need to be ready to debark. The fleet is leaving as soon possible." Ezekiel said to Sarah his first officer on the Falcon. He knew the Falcon was being resupplied, after there last patrol assignment. So in someway, he was happy for a change of pace. But he had enjoyed spending time with his crew on the patrols. He had no doubt, they would do well in the coming days.

"Colonel Ross, keep the Saratoga back to give cover to the Ark Royal and Endeavour. If an enemy ship come looking for easy pray you turn them back or turn them to ash." K'Temoc said.

McDaniel asked, "Admiral in what service will the 181st be needed? Which ship are we to deploy from?"

"One squadron needs to stay back with the Mercy, the rest should intermingle with the fleet and engage any Romulan Scorpion Class Attack Flyers they send against us. You'll deploy from the Kearsarge, Saratoga, Luna, and Lexington. I don't want to take any of the deployment ships, they're easy target." K'Temoc replied.

After a few moments, and no additional questions, K'Temoc spoke up again. "We're depart in one hour. Dismissed."


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