The War Drums

Posted on Tue Dec 20th, 2011 @ 7:58am by Captain Alexander Gunning & Captain Liarra Von & Lieutenant Commander Nilani Prax & James Wilson LLB PI [P: Ratchford] & Lieutenant Commander Jonathon Bastin PhD & Commander Dietrich Reinhart

Mission: The Pak'Leth Problem
Location: Senior Officers' Conference Room [Deck 14]

[TAGS for Prax, Wilson, Sanchez & Von]

[ON]

Gunning sat in silence as the hollow greeting of Admiral Sanchez seemed to linger in the air for much longer than it needed to. The two more junior commanders in the room doubtless had no idea why they were here. Bastin had a report to give them and they weren't going to like it. Especially not the Admiral.

The seemingly shambolic presence of James Wilson in the room would have thrown more than a few of the assembled officers but he was as much a cog in this dynamic march as anyone. Wilson's information was going to be vital to the Admiral's decision. One way or another, there wasn't any denying the facts at hand.

"I take it you've got a good reason for involving me in what looks to be a staff briefing, Admiral," the fleet commander said from his place in the centre of the circle that marked the holographic communication system. "and if this meeting does turn out to be more than just that, I would hope that you've taken the proper steps to secure this channel. Mind telling me what's going on, Mister Gunning?"

"Well, Admiral. I have some troubling information for you. I'm sure you're familiar with the Pak'Leth and their," he paused for a moment, looking for the right phrase, "inability with technology. Well, it turns out that they're smuggling for the Ritorian Confederacy- through our space."

"That's no surprise," the Admiral conceded. "We have known for some time that their warp capability at present comes from vessels at least in part provided by the Ritorians. Starfleet Intelligence has always taken the view that it is entirely plausible that there is some reason other than their technical ineptitude as to why they wouldn't have been absorbed into the Confederacy." He paused, seemingly remembering that it was he who was being briefed here. "But do go on."

"Commander Bastin, tell the Admiral the result of your discussion with the Pak'Leth leadership." Gunning said, opening his hand towards the diplomat.

"They seem to be under the impression that it just isn't happening. As denial goes, they are pretty set on it. I would have to say that either they are involved and are doing their best to deny it, or someone is doing it right under their noses and they just can't admit they aren't vigilant enough to stop it. Either way, it's a problem," Jon remarked.

"So you see, Admiral. We have a problem. The Ritorians have massed on the border of the Thane system before. This time, our information implies that they're going to try and take the system with a smaller force. I don't need to tell you, Admiral. Thane lies in a vital peninsula into Ritorian space and they'll feel like it's theirs by right. We have to show them that this won't be tolerated."

"I agree, Admiral," Sanchez said, taking only a couple of moments to make his decision based upon the evidence he had been presented with. "I am assigning you operational command of all available vessels within your sector. I want you to take them, and ensure that the Thane system remains protected. I don't want to start a war over this, but we must show the Ritorians that the Federation will protect any of its worlds which come under threat."

"Aye, Admiral." The screen flickered and went blank, leaving Gunning to address his crew. "Prax, Von, get to your vessels and assemble your crews. We have to get to Thane as soon as we possibly can.

"Bastin, you're with me. We have to see if there's any way we can talk our way out of this." The Admiral turned to the rest of the room. "I'll assemble a skeleton crew for the USS Antietam. It's a Lexington class which is undergoing its final testing phase in Galactic South. Many of her systems are offline but she's warp capable and has a full compliment of fighters. We need birds out there and the Antietam is the only way we're going to get them."

"Can do," Jon nodded in acknowledgment.

"Let's go to it." Gunning caught himself before he could say something really stupid. "Good luck out there."

[OFF]