Briefing (JM Post)

Posted on 20 Mar 2011 @ 10:23pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Captain Reva Madhava

1,934 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: M8: The Kzinti War!!!!
Location: SB 517

Da`nal entered the briefing with his XO and Chief Intelligence officer. He was curious to see what L’Berr had up her sleeve but for now he waited as the others began to arrive.

~So we are really at war...~" Don thought to himself as he entered the room just a step behind Da'nal. He glanced through the room at the different captains and XO's, some looking vaguely familiar, some not at all. Don noticed Danal's attention on the one captain and made his way to their allocated seats.

Seeing the Captain of the Imperator enter the room Da`nal stood and approached. “Captain, thank you for the use of your engineers. I had just lost my Chief when we docked.â€

"Wrong Captain I'm afraid. Your looking for Captain Klans. My Engineers have been tied up with a little project the fleet asked us to undertake after our little run in with the Kzinti." Dirk replied. "You heard anything about this meeting?" He asked.

"My apologies, Captain, it would seem I need to have a word with my yeoman, to make sure he double checks his facts." He continued and addressed his question. "Nothing specific, although I've known Admiral L'Berr for some time. I served as her Chief of Security many years ago."

"Hmm, I'm starting to think I'm not going to enjoy this meeting after all." Dirk said with the reply.

Da`nal grinned. "It could get interesting, but I doubt the past will come up. There is too much to deal with in the present."

Marcus stepped in quietly, a frown deep on his face. The Apocalypse was suffering from minor issues from the power grid. Fresh supplies we being brought aboard, and the fighter wing was being over hauled. This meeting was another grinding point in his mind. He wasn't a fan of the 'Brass' and, this meeting he felt would only feed that more.

"Captains," he said, looking to the two officers already assembled.

Da`nal nodded in return acknowledging the new arrival. "It is an honor Captain."

Dirk nodded also towards the Captain.

With the Captains and Commanders assembled, Admiral L'Berr strode into the room and took center stage in front of a blank display screen. "Welcome to Starbase 517. Some of you I know and have worked with in the past; some I haven't yet met," she started, making eye contact with those she knew, "It's difficult meeting under circumstances such as these, but it is what it is."

With the Admirals entrance Da`nal took a seat between his two officers.

Behind her, the screen came to life, displaying an area of space marked off into traditional boundary lines and overlaid by an area labeled 'Kzinti-Claimed Territory'. Glancing at it, L'Berr informed the assembly, "As you can see, the Kzinti have laid claim to a large portion of Romulan and Federation space. We've lost most of the Kaleb sector and Draken 4 has been wiped out. Originally, the Kzinti said we'd have time to evacuate our colonists and citizens from their claimed territory." She paused, frowning. "They are not doing that. Reports are flooding in about unprovoked attacks on civilian and Starfleet ships. Those that haven't been destroyed outright have been crippled and then ordered to surrender any humans and any Starfleet personnel that may be onboard. We've already lost more than a thousand crewmembers."


~No doubt those numbers are in addition to the losses following the initial attack.~ Da`nal swore a silent oath to see their deaths were avenged. Leaning forward he spoke up. "The Kzinti may have been considered trivial for some time but they have a strong sense of personal honor. Their children aren't even allowed a name until earned in battle. Have they given any reason for this change?"

"At this time, they have not. We don't know why they have escalated their attacks or why they have reneged on their initial ...," she waved a hand in a "what have you" gesture then shrugged, her calm demeanor slipping for a moment to reveal her frustration. "The Kzinti were never viewed as a threat to the Federation, so our intelligence on them is... lacking. We need to rectify that, which is why, Captain Da`nal, you'll take the Achilles into their territory on a reconnaissance mission. You are not to engage with the Kzinti, you are merely to watch, record and report any information at all." She was, in essence, stripping the Achilles of the right to do what a Klingon did best: fight.

Da`nal was incensed, "Admiral...with all due respect that is a waste of a battleship. And I have personnel trapped on Mercer I can't just..."

Amber stopped and merely looked at Da`nal as he ranted. "Captain Da`nal, you can and you will," her tone brooked no further argument from the Klingon. "We will have a smaller ship make a refugee run to and from Mercer Colony; your Marines are not the only ones trapped there."

"Admiral, it was a Kzinti fleet that drove my ship, the Imperator, and the Apocalypse from that system; a smaller ship would be destroyed. No doubt they have begun the process of occupying that planet. If the members of my crew are still alive they must be recovered..." He paused only slightly as a thought came to him, "...or re-enforced."

"And a smaller ship could slip in under their radar, so to speak, and remove those personnel trapped there," the Admiral explained, "Particularly if said ship is cloaked."

"I am proposing that we pack the Achilles with as many combat troops and weapons as we can muster and we infiltrate Mercer. Keep the Kzinti from controlling the planet with organized resistance using Marines, the Romulan refugees in the area, and the rest of the planet's population."

"Captain Da`nal," L'Berr started, but Da`nal cut her off. Movement by the door caught her eye and she glanced at her yeoman who'd just shifted uncomfortably.

He continued given her slight distraction. "The Kzinti's war is with the Human race, and the Federation. The Romulans are our way into Mercer...we just need to find some on their side of the border."

For a heartbeat, L'Berr looked like she might lay into the outspoken Captain; instead, she put him off: "Da`nal, we'll discuss this after the meeting." It wasn't clear whether she meant 'this' to mean his borderline insubordinate objection or his idea for supplying Mercer with the means to host a rebellion.

Looking to the other Captains, she opened the discussion to another matter, "This meeting is also to discuss weaponry. As you probably all know, we're facing a possible shortage of torpedoes. Phasers are, while not entirely useless, less than optimally effective against the Kzinti shields. Engineers are working on the problem, but in the meantime, suggestions are welcome."

"Ma"am," Marcus leaned forward. "The Chief Engineer aboard the Imperator and I had a discussion, and we determined our torpedoes have a high effective use against Kzinti ships. I think the main ships, and any carrier on the area should devote to bomber power. Any hits with our bombers would be far more effective than just punching at them with phasers." Marcus laced his fingers, a shadow on his brow. "More importantly, I request the fleet be authorized maximum deadly force against this threat. Tri-cobalt weapons, if we should be allowed ma'am." Leaning back, he raised an eyebrow, to await a response.

Matching his expression, L'Berr paused before answering. She recalled the outcome of using tri-cobalt weapons on the Tempest: it hadn't been pleasant, although..., she glanced at Da`nal and wondered what had come of his marriage to Anita; it had been a side effect of the subspace rifts that had messed with the crews' heads. "Use them, but be cautious, Captain Klans; there are reported incidences of anomalies encountered after using those weapons."

"Admiral, if I may...." Don asked. "If the phasers are going to be useless in this war, perhaps we could work up some way for each ship to host additional Torpedo tubes. I know it will easier in some ships than in others, but if we could increase the number of torpedoes significantly.... Perhaps a deployable torpedo launcher."

Considering the question, the Admiral recalled something from a book she'd read that was similar. The book was science fiction, but sometimes inspiration came from odd sources. Nodding, L'Berr answered Commander Killian, "That's a good idea, Commander. Our engineers will be overworked," she ruefully smiled, "but we'll find some to assess the idea and determine whether we can create such a thing."

Marcus crossed his arms. "Again, I turn to the fighter issue. How many star ship's are equipped with fighters, if i may ask, Ma'am? They will be key, as we have seen, the attacks from fight units took down a ship that disabled the Imperator with easy. They simply cannot match Federation piloting."

Dirk sat up a little putting his elbows on the table and bringing his hands together with his index fingers over his lips to think over what he was about to add noting it was time he spoke. Finding his thought acceptable he lowered his fingers and chimed in. He reclined back in his chair, "Straight fighters aren't the answer either, I have a great fighter wing but I will admit. We only got lucky on the Imperator. The best thing we can do is gather intel for our Engineers on how to get our weapons more effective against the Kzinti shields."

Da`nal spoke up. "I guess that's were the Achilles comes in."

"Yes, but you're to gather that Intel without engaging their ships," the Admiral reminded the Captain. Addressing Klans and Alphonse, she added, "As for fighters, each Captain to her own on that. I won't dictate from the Starbase how a Captain on the front line uses his or her resources. As to the fighters; though their maneuverability gives them an edge the micro-torpedoes do little against the Kzinti." Glancing to the Achilles' XO for a moment. "Perhaps we could design a high yield torpedo that can be mounted similar to those on the Razor class, creating a kind of fighter bomber. Just make sure there is a fair balance to armament and maneuverability."

Dirk not one to enjoy long meetings spoke up again. "Now what is our assignment so the Imperator can get underway?" He asked.

The corner of L'Berr's mouth pulled up in a small smirk. ~ The man wants to get into the fight....very well.~ "Captain Alphonse, the Imperator with take command over the Intrepid, the Granger, the Horatio, the Kongo , the Horizon and the Agamemnon. You are to patrol the border towards Klingon territory. Captain Klans; you will take charge of the Ganges, the Exeter, the Magellan, the Lexington, the Hood, the Potemkin and partol towards the Romulan border. There are reports that the Kzinti are massing ships for another offensive. If they do you are to hold the border as best you can until reinforcements can arrive.

"If you are engaged and reinforcements are not available...you are to slow their progress and fall back to form a line of defense." She couldn't shake the feeling that she was sending most of them to their deaths.

She looked out at the officers assembled. "Any questions?"

Their silence told her that there was none. "Very good. Dismissed and Gods speed."

As the crowd stood to leave Amber had one more item to address. "Captain Da`nal," she waved him forward to the front of the hall.

 

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