A Man Or A Mouse? [Backpost]

Posted on Fri Apr 6th, 2012 @ 9:30am by Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Gifford & Captain Alexander Gunning

Mission: The Mystery Men of Mira
Location: Captain's Office [Main Operations - Deck 12]
Timeline: -23 hours to departure for Cestus III

[ON]

The nausea had passed quickly. The trip to the station was expedited. Major Gifford, accompanied by Sergeant Dunmore arrived early on the First watch and had very little rest since their departure. Jon had sent Dunmore off with the baggage to get them settled until he could report in the Starbase Commander. This was a huge station. He had been on a few large bases but nothing of this size. Getting to the main control room was simple. Jon then found his way to the Commander's ready room hoping to locate the Captain..

Gunning was visible through the large glass doors which constituted the entrance to his office. It had always been a bug-bear of his that the officers outside could always see what he was doing. Aside from the nook in on the far right of the room, containing a small seating area for informal conferences, he was always under scrutiny. Or at least he felt that way. That morning found him sifting through paperwork and tactical briefings for the Command briefing on Cestus III.

He, along with Lieutenant Commander Prax and Commander Von were due at Pegasus Fleet HQ to discuss Sojourner incursions since the loss of the Thane system. It was not an assignment that the Commander relished. He would have to sit through a tactical breakdown of their actions during the battle for the system and listen to the criticism of his peers and superiors, only to have the floor fall to him whenever there was a first hand opinion needed.

He heard the chime but something in his conscious mind chose to ignore it. The PADD he was currently battling his way through was both boring him to tears and holding his attention in equal measure. It was the results of the Metis' close-range sensor scans of the Sojourner vessels and it made for interesting, if unnecessarily in-depth reading.

The chime sounded again and he managed to break his gaze to look up at the figure standing just through the door. A man who couldn't have been much older than he was stood beyond the glass. His naturally white skin tanned by something much warmer than the star of Sol. This was a man who had, as the old vernacular went, seen some things. Gunning's hand fell on the small console on his desk, unlocking the door with a tap of the panel.

Major Gifford entered the office, it was the formalities of reporting that must be attended to for all fleet and Marine officers. He had met Captain Gunning several years ago at a function but never had the opportunity to talk with him being a junior staff officer. In the last few months the actions in this sector had placed the Captain and his officers in the public spotlight. Jon stepped toward the Commander, came to attention and snapped out a respectful salute. Gifford was oddly comfortable in the new uniform, the color suited him...

"Major Gifford, Reporting as Ordered Sir."

It was the first time Gunning had spoken to a marine officer in a long time and suddenly there was one in his office, reporting in of all things. He was aware of Starfleet's intention to 'beef up' security and operational readiness on 332 but he hadn't been prepared for the activation log for the station's new Battalion of all things.

He had read into the man's file during his off time: in truth, it was the only time he had to read up on his crew at the moment. "Major Gifford. Welcome aboard. Do take a seat." He said, motioning an outstretched palm to the chair in front of his desk. "I trust you didn't have too much trouble finding Ops?"

Gifford Smiled and stepped forward to the 'Hot Seat'. "No Sir. Circular decks are good with me, but the sheer size of the station is truly amazing. My padd and one of your crew made the journey successful. I look forward to more more wandering about."

"Well, you'll be wandering for years before you've seen every nook and cranny that this station has to offer, Major." Gunning replied with a smile. "That being said, I'd be delighted to have a Marine CO that knows where people might be hiding."

Gifford chuckled. "The station is truly a marvel Captain,This sector is another issue entirely. After viewing some of the known information information it seems this entire area is a good place to hide. It's been said 'You can run or you can hide', well I intend to make them do both. My best guess would be the unorganized pirates will lay low for a while. As far as the Sojourners and Vinarians are concerned they are far more committed and organized. If we start boarding vessels we can slow the weapons trafficking quite a bit. I have brought some interesting equipment to test, Simple but highly effective, with a combined effort of the command it will shake them up once we spring it on them."

"Agreed. I think it would be worth stamping our authority on the sector a little bit." Gunning mulled it over for a second. In order for Starfleet to protect their remaining interests in the region, they would have to resort to more militaristic tactics. It made him uncomfortable in the extreme. Starfleet's apparent wish to drive home a point had brought this man and his battalion here and while he seemed amiable enough, he wondered how long it would be before Starbase 332 was a military facility. "Okay, go to it. I look forward to hearing your reports."

"Yes Sir, A good target trade lane has been selected by my staff so we can deal with some of the high priority traffic. I shall send reports with all progress we achieve." Gifford stood and saluted, then offered his hand.

Gunning took the man's hand and shook it with enthusiasm. "Good luck, Major."

[OFF]

Captain Alex Gunning
Commanding Officer

Major Jonathan Gifford
Marine Commanding Officer
Starbase 332