Briefing the Command Staff

Posted on Sat Sep 23rd, 2023 @ 11:10am by Captain Aaron Larson & Commander Gabriel Stewart & Lieutenant Commander Mira Napier & Lieutenant Commander Andrew "Drew" Chandler

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Mission: https://www.uss-deliverance.starfleetuk.org/index.php/sim/missions/id/1
Location: Deep Space Nine, Officers' Wardroom
Timeline: TBD

Captain Elias Vaughn, commanding officer for Deep Space Nine, sat at the head of the table with Lieutenant Commander Andrew Chandler reviewing the geopolitical situation report for the Bajoran and neighboring sectors. The report also included what data was currently available regarding Dominion activity on the far side of the wormhole in the Gamma Quadrant. Elias sighed as he gave Drew's coffee mug an envious look.

Drew paused In his report. "Sir, would you like me to get you a mug?"

Elias sighed again and shook his head. "Thank you for offering Commander, but no. Doctor Bashir has blatantly told me he would put me on indefinite medical leave if I don't keep my caffeine levels at what he feels is an acceptable level for a man my age."

=/\=Captain Vaughn, the USS Deliverance is ten minutes out.=/\=

Elias tapped his commbadge. "Understood Commander Ro. Please escort Captain Larson, along with his first and second officers to the Wardroom."

=/\=Acknowledged sir.=/\=

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

Gabriel answered the comm alert to his temporary quarters, "Enter", with his usual curtness. Standing at the entrance was a Commander Ro, with a PADD in her hand, "Commander Stewart, Gabriel?" she asked, using more of statement-like voice, as she looked from the PADD, which contained a picture of Stewart, along with a brief of his Starfleet record.

Standing there for a moment, Gabriel almost considered coming to attention and feigning a salute, then decided that this was not the time, nor the place, to display his occasional humorous side. Instead, he just replied, "Yes."

"I am here to escort you to the Wardroom for your initial meeting with the Station Commander, Captain Elias Vaughn, along with Captain Aaron Larson and Lieutenant Commander Mira Napier. Please follow me."

Nodding slightly, Stewart turned toward the table, picked up his PADD, then walked over to the door and waited for Commander Ro to exit. Once she exited, the door closed behind them.

Larson was drinking some water that he got from a pitcher on the conference table. He looked at Vaughn, "Captain, can you tell me what this meeting is about?"

Elias looked at Larson as he took a quick sip of water. "Starfleet Command feels it would prove useful to you to have a subject matter expert on factions operating in your patrol area. Since Deep Space Nine will be one of your ports of call, especially for excursions into the Gamma Quadrant, I recommend Lieutenant Commander Chandler to serve your command as a Mission Advisor until you are brought up to speed on all the players so to speak."

Larson nodded. "Understood, captain."

Mira had sat down, observing Elias. She was puzzled by one thing, but she quite understood the when time. She slightly shook her head, "Sir, why can we not be brought up to speed on all of the players in the Gamma Quadrant?" She'd rather know than not for security reasons, unless it was to save informants in the field.

Elias gestured to Drew.

Drew looked around the table and introduced himself. "Lieutenant Commander Andrew Chandler, Strategic Operations Officer for Deep Space Nine. I am in charge of the tactical and intelligence analysis teams that perform threat assessments for every major player in the region."

"Good meeting you, commander." said Larson. "I was under the belief that our first mission would be to go to the Breen border to see if they are obeying the treaty."

Ryan nodded in response to Larson's statement. "That is the mission, but there has been a new development. The Breen closed their borders three days ago, supposedly as a response to a virulent outbreak of some sort they claim is capable of cross species infection. However, there's been no evidence that said outbreak ever occurred. Starfleet Command wants to know what the real reason for closing the borders is."

"Then the Deliverance will discover the true reason for their border closing. Can't trust the Breen. The monitors in orbit outside their borders went quiet. According to the treaty, they're not allowed to build new warships, and it wouldn't surprise me to discover that they are building new ones." Larson replied.

Commander Gabriel Stewart entered the room, looked around, and found a place to sit. "Greetings." was the only word he uttered, nodding slightly to each person in the room, then he turned his attention to Captain Larson.

Drew paused as Commander Stewart entered the Wardroom and took his seat. He offered a hand to Gabriel and introduced himself. "Lieutenant Commander Chandler sir."

Gabriel stood and turned toward Lt Drew, took his hand and, after a brief but firm handshake, nodded and sat back down, placing his PADD squarely and precisely in front of himself, and turned his attention back to Captain Larson.

"Number One, is the ship ready for departure? Is the crew ready?" Larson asked his First Officer.

Gabriel picked up his PADD, took a few minutes to review it, then placed it back on the table. "All systems online, optimal status." Picking up the PADD again, he tapped on the screen a few times, then placed it back on the table again. " Crew boarded. Ready for commands."

"We'll depart as soon as Commander Chandler is done with the briefing." responded Larsen.

Giving a quick, curt nod, Gabriel turned his attention to Chandler.

Drew nodded towards Captain Larson before turning to Commander Stewart. "I was briefing the Captain on the Breen border closure coinciding with our surveillance buoys going offline. The Breen have stated there's a viral outbreak, but we have no hard evidence that there is such an outbreak."

Larsen looked at Stewart then Chandler. "And if we find that there is indeed a viral outbreak? What do you purpose we do about it? Personally, I'd be happy to let the virus sweep over their homeworld, and their colonies, and wipe them off the face of the quadrant!"

Chandler met Larson's gaze. "Starfleet Command will want to know the extent of the outbreak and if possible the nature and origin." He tapped his PADD which sent data files to the wall display. "There is a possibility that the Breen have modified their energy dampening weapon used in the war, but that was a short range weapon and a ship would have been detected approaching our surveillance buoys. Even if a ship got into range while under cloak, it would have to decloak to use the weapon. Right now there are many unknown variables that Starfleet wants answers to."

"Maybe we should use cloaked sensor buoys, based on the cloaked, self-replicating mines that DS9 used." Larsen ignored the stare.

Chandler shook his head. "Cloaking devices inhibit active sensors. Long range sensors would be rendered inoperable by the EM suppression that cloaking devices provide. While tactically advantageous cloaking systems can be as much a hindrance in some situations."

"The sight of a Federation starship planting new sensor buoys will probably raise a few alarm bells on the Breen homeworld." Larsen diverted his gaze away from Chandler. "The sight of a Federation starship decloaking over the capital in low orbit on the Breen homeworld will shake a few things up."

Vaughn raised an eyebrow in a very Vulcan manner before making a slight throat clearing cough. "It is your mission Captain Larson..., but please try to not start an interstellar incident that thrusts the Federation into a war with the Breen."

Stewart had been following the conversation between Larsen and Chandler, all the while making cryptic notes on his PADD, as cryptic as his conversations. And, true to his nature, he started formulating ideas and possible solutions to all the issues that were presented in the meeting.

"At this moment, I doubt the Breen would or can wage war against the Federation and their allies. Someone has to put the fear of God in their souls." Larsen paused. "Captain."

Drew could well understand the sentiment. Nobody in the room had a hatred for the Breen as intense as he did. It was the Breen attack on Earth over five years ago that had killed his wife.

Captain Vaughn gestured to Drew. "Lieutenant Commander Chandler is the subject matter expert on the Breen military capabilities. Orders for a temporary duty assignment as Mission Advisor are being cut as we speak attaching him to your command Captain Larson. Any questions?"

Larson looked at Vaughn. "As long as he understands that he is an advisor and that I am free to ignore his suggestions."

Drew nodded without hesitation. "I understand sir."

Mira gave a little bit of a smirk on this. She read over her notes based on their conversation. She was open to learn more about this particular area. Though she didn't think anything cloaked would help them with spying. She spoke up, "Has anyone thought about infiltrating the Breen as one of their own? It's a high risk, but a suggestion that I would be willing to sign up for."

Gabriel had paused working with his PADD, and had turned his attention to Mira, interested in her comments.

Drew glanced at the Deliverance Chef Security Officer. "Can you speak the Breen language without an accent Commander?"

Mira raised an eyebrow, "Accentie?" She smirked and Said in Breen, "Languages is how one perceives, Commander."

"Why can't a universal translator be used?" Larson asked. Then he added, "We don't know enough about the Breen to even attempt a mission like this. Rumors say that the Breen homeworld is a frozen wasteland. Other rumors say it's a paradise, but the Breen wear their environment suits anyway. I'm not risking one of my crew unless I am convinced it's safe."

Before anyone could say something, Gabriel looked at Mira and said, in Breen, "And perception is the basis of trust." He then turned toward Larson and said, rather cryptically, "Two heads. Common thoughts." Pausing, he then continued, "Having studied the .Chix'alk language while adjusting the universal translator programs, I more and more understand that sometimes universal translators cannot detect the almost imperceptible nuances of language." (****Updated***)

Captain Vaughn looked about the table to the Deliverance officers. "Any more questions?"

"Then I have another suggestion. I'll take the ship, under cloak, and move into a low orbit and run passive scans of the planet. I doubt that the Breen will have the technology to detect us. We can see if they are developing new weapons, in violation of the treaty, scan for any airborne viruses in the atmosphere, Once the scans are complete, we will leave the system and return to a safe distance." Larson added.

Mira said nothing as she took down notes. Either way, she knew that she'd do what's required of her.

Larson waited for a response.

Gabriel looked between Larson, Mira and Chandler, then nodded toward Larson. "Sounds good."

Larson looked at Captain Vaughn and LtCdr Chandler. Then he stood. "I assume we're done here. I have a mission to take care of."

Captain Vaughn nodded. "Good luck Captain. Hope you have a safe journey."

Lieutenant Commander Chandler rose to his feet as well. "I'll be aboard shortly sir. I just need to say goodbye to my family and grab my luggage."

Larson rose, looked at Stewart. "Commander. Contact the ship and have the crew make ready to get underway."

 

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