Briefing with a twist

Posted on Sat Nov 7, 2020 @ 6:59pm by Lieutenant Commander Dr. Elisabet Intarrah Ph.D MD & Commander Ajani Carter & Lieutenant John Stoneman & Lieutenant Commander Ethan Brash & Lieutenant JG Sanok & Lieutenant Narisa
Edited on on Sun Nov 29, 2020 @ 8:09pm

Mission: Episode 1: On Stranger Tides
Location: Captain's Quarters
Timeline: MD -01
1823 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Ajani had decided that their first mission briefing would be in her quarters over a good meal. She did enjoy cooking and wanted to share that with her senior staff. She was preparing all of it by hand, she had made sure that everything she was doing was to the liking of her guests. It was a simple meal which would allow them to talk about their coming mission. Carter had a feeling that these people would become the inner circle.

She was expecting them any moment now.

Narisa calmly arrived, still in her uniform and hit the chime.

"Come on in" Ajani called from the small kitchen, little more than a small space in the corner of her quarters.

Elisabet just walked in without bothering with the chime and proceeded to the table with a bowl of chips and home-made salsa as an appetizer. She set it down. "Senior Staff Meeting?"

Carter smiled "Yup" she said

John wasn't sure what was on the menu, and he would never be accused of turning down a good meal. Over the years he had discovered that most fleet officers were astounding chefs on their own. They took great pride in spoiling friends and crew with amazing meals. This would be no different he was sure. He thought a very light desert wine would be in order for the host.

As he suspected it would be a perfect setting to meet his fellow officers, most likely a formal dinner like the officers mess but more casual and relaxing. Stoneman slipped on some casual faded jeans and light brown cashmere sweater and black sport coat. Soft brown leather boots that were closer to slippers than anything else. Wine in hand he rang the chime at the commanders private quarters,

"Come in, John" The captain said knowing it could only be one other person. Her cooking was coming along nicely.

"Boy it sure smells good in here." He set the wine on the table. "Hi Elisabet, how are you?" He saw Narisa, "Hey Doc." With a friendly smile.

"Help yourself to drinks" she said with a smile.

"Trying not to drink too much. Wine makes me incoherent. I start hypothesizing about random and stupid things. Hindenburg Conspiracies and Alternate History where Khan won the Eugenics Wars. Pure bullshit, which is why I try not to get drunk." She poured a glass of wine. "Pay absolutely no attention to anything I say after the third glass." Lise noted.

John laughed. He saw a small bottle of aged Bourbon and knew it would be a safe choice to start out with.

A red head with black hair poked into the doorway. "Room for one more?"

"Of course Ethan, find a seat" just one more arrival then they can get underway.

After her initial reporting in meeting with the captain and XO, Taya had gone to engineering to check out where she would be spending most of her work time. A saber-class starship was small, many times smaller than a starbase where she previously served, but it was going to be her demesne, so she wanted to begin familiarizing herself with it. Hours passed as she studied the engines and spoke with any crew that were on board. When one of them reminded her that she had a staff meeting, she rushed out. She was late and that wasn't a good thing.

When Taya made it to the captain's quarters, she rang the chime and entered when she heard someone invite her inside.

"Sorry I'm late," said Taya.

Looking up she smiled at them all. They were already getting along just fine. "Dinner will be ready soon, Hope you're all hungry. But first, lets start with the meeting and work from there"

Taya was met with the wonderful aroma of real food cooking. She was surprised, but since the meeting was in the captain's quarters, she shouldn't have been taken off guard that it was so casual. She stood to the side, letting everyone else find a chair first.

Ethan took an empty chair and swiveled it around, sitting down into it casually with his arms abreast the headrest. He waited for the commander's words like a bored school boy.

"I am sure you all know that the Eagle is sitting just a few light years from the Cardassian border, we will soon be crossing that border in the hopes of discovering the source of a sudden surge of pirate activity"

His head perked up off his wrists as he suddenly was very interested. Ethan turned the chair back around and sat in it, properly.

"Sources." Lise noted. "Possibility of a syndicate likely. Organized crime is a fragile alliance at best."

"If I may, sir," said Taya. "Why send a saber class? Why not something with more firepower, something more intimidating?"

"The Eagle is a powerful ship. That said, it is for that reason why we are taking the lead in this. We are a small ship, and the design is on the older side. The Eagle has had a number of improvements, stronger shields and hull, and we are a little faster than others in the class." she shrugged a little "We wont be alone in this hunt, a Streamrunner and a Akira are both in on this as well. If we are attacked we are on our own as neither vessel will be close enough to aid us, but if we plan an attack we can count on their support."

Taya had studied the Eagle specs, so it was true enough that it had upgrades and enhancements, but for the task ahead, she still had doubts that it was the best ship. Of course, she would give it her all.

"I like the fact that we can get to that support quickly if needed. With speed and a bit of luck the Eagle can do it's fair share of damage in a running fight." John knew the Speed would give the Frigate a good advantage over some of the older vessels that we're often scavenged by pirates.

"Strategy is equally important, Lieutenant. Victorious Warriors win the war, then fight the battle. Defeated Warriors Fight the battle, then try winning the war. Sun Tzu." Lise mentioned. "Intelligence is needed."

Seeing she might not have convinced her crew she added "The Eagle was selected for this mission as a misdirection. The idea being that 'if' the funding source of these pirates make the same assumption then we will be able to 'fly under the radar' for a little longer. We as a crew will just have to be a little more creative to get this job done."

"Logical." Elisabet noted. "Old Russian Saying; 'the bear that sees the trap, cannot be caught.' The bear will see starships patrolling Ajani. We need to lure the Bear out, but not get mauled. The Pirates will hide when they see an Akira and a Steamrunner. But they will get ambitious when they see one Sabre, and they will come out to hunt. What needs to be done is to lure the bear to the right place and the right time. Study Erwin Rommel's tactics. Luring the pirates into a kill zone will be a working strategy with our Akira and Steamrunner." Lise advised. "Let the Bear chase us where we want the bear to be."

Ajani smiled at her rather eccentric Science Chief, "Something like that yeah" she admitted. The Captain considered them all for a moment. "There is evidence that suggests that there is a benefactor with in the Pact, a ploy to destabilize the Cardassian Union further."

Ethan leaned on the table in front of him, a grin of white cresting from his crimson features. "Honestly, you had me at 'Pirates'. I'm ready and able."

Narisa had sat silently amidst the group, letting them discuss the situation. As a Medical Officer, she had little to contribute to the planning. Mentally though she was cringing at the thought of Pirates and running the list of medical supplies she had through her head, figuring if she would need more.

"Well" Carter said "We should be ready to leave dock by the end of tomorrow. So take tomorrow to make sure your departments are up to day and ready. Pester the stations quartermater and make sure you get extra's. Cardassian space is a mess and some good will is going to go a long way in helping us."

She turned to look at the kitchen, "Smells like dinner is ready, shall we eat while we chat?"

Ethan got up, ready to lend a hand with whatever needed doing.

She placed a plate in front of each of her guests and then her own. She felt guilty at times with how large her quarters were on such a small ship. But it did allow for her to do things like this. "I would like to raise a toast, "The Eagle, and her crew and to the future" Carter said with a smile.

John raised his glass. "The Eagle."

--------

After clearing everything away they retired to the living space, "Putting rank aside for the moment, does anyone have any questions or concerns about our mission? Be honest you are my senior staff and your opinions really do matter"

Ethan quoted one of his favorite historical figures, "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." He turned to the Commander, "I've no concerns."

Lise spoke. "Take caution when you decide to act. Not all is as it appears, and there's always two sides of the equation. Those who tell you differently either do not understand math, or they are trying to manipulate you. I feel something else is happening, as the world is rarely black and white.

It was a few hours later when everyone finally headed back to their own quarters. Carter felt that they covered a great deal about their mission and she had even managed to get to know some of them. Towards the end of night she had gotten word that they would be cleared to launch within the day. Just a few final tasks to be finished and a diagnostic of the primary systems and then they will leave for the first way point. Just a few just over 7 light years, around 4 days at warp 7.However, there was a a large dust cloud near their destination, that would only take an hour or so to get through but they had to do so at Impulse speeds.

All in all it was exciting for her, the Eagle was her first command and regardless of her mission it was exciting. Carter considered her life as she cleared away and tidied her quarters before heading to bed. It was going to be a big day tomorrow and so she fully expected to not sleep... but she had to try.