Passing it Up the Chain
Posted on Sun Sep 14th, 2014 @ 2:24pm by Commander Jordan Gunning & Vincent Reed
Edited on on Mon Sep 15th, 2014 @ 8:53am
Mission:
Vagrants, Vagabonds, and Thieves
Location: Deck 14
Timeline: MD11: 0830hrs
[ON]
[Outside Chief Strategic Operations Officer's Office, Starbase 332]
“The commander should only be a moment longer,” a Vulcan yeoman said from where he was seated to one side of the reception area. He had been watching the civilian captain closely ever since the man came in. Though not much interested in making conversation with the visitor, the yeoman had at least tried getting him to sit down at least two or three times. The civilian captain, however, seemed to be having none of it.
Vincent (PNPC) offered a single nod of acknowledgment to show he understood. Things may have been a bit more relaxed on the Crescent Star, but that didn’t mean he’d forgotten how Starfleet managed their affairs. The fact he was having difficulty pinning down who he should talk to didn’t entirely come as a surprise either. A station the size of Starbase 332 represented a pretty significant investment, not only in the Archan system, but in this entire region of the Galactic South. That meant people like the station’s Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, and even Strategic Operations Officer were likely to have their hands full pretty much every moment of the day.
Still, this is where his search had led him to. Five other officers and countless personal assistants had all pointed him to this office. This was the man Vincent was supposed to see if he wanted to make sure the information he carried was taken seriously. A moment sooner or later may not have mattered much for him personally, but he was certain it mattered for those who would be most affected by what he had to say.
Gunning's latest appointment was another in a long line of Promenade Business Association members who wanted assurances that their rentable rates wouldn't go up with the introduction of thousands of refugees to the station. The way they saw it was that if they actually had customers, the Federation might feel compelled to charge them a reasonable rate.
The Commander sat quietly and tried to maintain an interested expression as the Shoka finished speaking. His piety had been completely intact throughout his rhetoric about 'spongers'. Gunning would have been impressed if he hadn't been so sickened by it all.
"I can assure you, Mister Blaar, that the rents for your store and your competitors stores and the stores of your competitors competitors will not be going up. Starfleet's focus is to offer respite and assistance to these refugees and we will be actively encouraging the Station's civilian population to do the same. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm needed back in Operations."
He stood up and walked out of the room before Blaar, desperate to make his escape from the pompous little git. "Hyk, I'll be in Ops if anyone needs me. See Mister Blaar out, will you?"
"Yes sir." The Yeoman replied stoically, stepping in front of Gunning before he could burst out into the corridor to remind him of his outstanding obligation. "A Mister Reed to see you, sir."
Gunning immediately turned on his heel and thrust out his hand in front of him. "Mister Reed, of course. My apologies, it's a busy day. Commander Jordan Gunning."
"Understandable, given the circumstances," Vincent sympathized, giving the commander's offered hand a firm shake, "but I appreciate you taking the time to see me. Once you've heard what I have to say, I'm sure you'll agree the matter was worth it." Vincent lifted his other hand slightly to show one of the PADDs he had been carrying with him, indicating the information on it was related to the reason for his visit. The other was still nestled safely in his jacket pocket.
"I see- are you able to walk and talk? I'm afraid I'm needed back in Ops." He asked politely, well aware of some species' pre-disposition to hit the deck when asked to multitask.
Vincent could tell the commander was trying to be both diplomatic and pragmatic. His suggestion that they have their conversation on the go indicated he was willing to hear Vincent out, but that he also had his own responsibilities to attend to. That was something the Crescent Star's captain could certainly understand. As long as the message was getting through, Vincent was more than okay with walking and talking at the same time. "Of course, sir," he replied.
[Corridor near Strategic Operations Office Suite, Starbase 332]
Gunning managed to balance the act of avoiding people in the corridor and skimming the information on the PADD as he walked. "Did you make contact with this convoy?" He asked suddenly, coming to a stop as a group of Non-Commissioned officers bustled past.
"I'm afraid we did not," Vincent replied. He was well aware old seafaring tradition held that any vessel that encountered a distress call was expected to respond with all due haste. If they were unable to respond, for whatever reason, they were to at least pass the message on. There had been no distress call from the convoy of ships, no communication of any kind. "We attempted to reach them at least three times, but got nothing back," he explained, "Their communications equipment may have been damaged or otherwise not up to the task."
"I see." Gunning replied, eyeing the telemetry on the PADD and trying to extrapolate it. "Judging by this, they're on a course for the station. How recent is this data?"
"No more than thirty-six hours," the Crescent Star's captain ventured, "we were over three-quarters of the way here from Shokaal. They weren't in the shipping lane itself, but they were certainly close enough for us to detect them."
"That would have them arriving here in five hours." Gunning looked at the Captain of the Crescent Star and nodded. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention- five hours gives us more time to prepare than having them pop up on the short range sensors."
Vincent nodded. "I figured as much," he said with a knowing smile. It had been surprise enough for those aboard the Crescent Star to come across something like this in open space. In fact, only a handful of his small crew had any real idea of what they'd discovered, though Vincent was certain news had spread throughout the rest of the ship. He could only imagine what people might have thought if the convoy had turned up unannounced on the doorstep of a Federation starbase. Despite its sheer size and resource capability, even Starbase 332 needed some time to prepare for such an occurrence. "I take it this isn't the first you've seen," he continued, curious as to where his experience fit into the larger picture.
"No, it's not." Gunning said into himself, continuing to read while he spoke. "We're getting indications that there have been Sojourner raids across a load of systems in the sector. Strike teams, beam downs, aerial bombardments, the whole kit and kaboodle. We've had two different races bringing ships to the station and seeking asylum. The whole thing is going to have the Sector running scared. You'll need to be careful out there."
"I know my ship and I know my crew," Vincent began, "The Crescent Star's proven she's able to handle her own." This much was true. A Suurok-class starship, even one that had been refurbished for civilian service, was no small thing. The fact Vulcan High Command continued to make use of the design so long after its initial production was a testament to its performance. When Vincent declared his confidence in both ship and crew, he meant it.
At the same time, however, Vincent was experienced enough to know recent events were not to be taken lightly. The raids on merchant shipping, the attack on the station, the alien refugee convoys...all pointed to a continuing increase in hostilities between the Federation and the Sojourners. Vincent remembered what that had been like twenty years prior with the Dominion. He'd seen what had come from that and he wasn't about to take any chances this time, either. "But you're right," he agreed, "things are not looking good. In fact, that brings me to the other thing I was hoping to talk to someone about."
"Mm?" Gunning asked as he set off again toward the turbolift. "What's that?"
Vincent reached a hand into the right pocket of his jacket and withdrew a second PADD. This was something he'd been weighing for awhile. The Crescent Star's recent encounter as well as the commander's somewhat vague warning were enough to convince him that the time for action was now. While he knew the station's Chief Strategic Operations Officer probably wasn't the most appropriate person to be bringing this request to, Vincent figured there couldn't have been any harm in asking. It might at least save him from having to go through another half-dozen officers later.
At the touch of his thumb, the tiny viewscreen came to life, displaying several lines of text. Vincent skimmed over them once to make sure everything was in order before returning his full attention to Gunning. "Upgrades, sir," he said, offering the device to the commander, "Our last refit was roughly six years ago and I think, all things considered, the Crescent Star could use a few...modifications."
Gunning quickly read down the list but he knew from the first line that he wasn't the person to help. "They all look in order but I'll need to point you in the direction of the Quartermaster's department." He thought on it for a moment. "I believe our Boatswain is handling that department at the moment. You're looking for Master Warrant Vestara Stronghold."
"Of course," Vincent replied, deactivating the PADD and returning it to his pocket. He'd known the commander wasn't likely to have anything whatsoever to do with this particular request. However, Gunning had been able to point him in the right direction, which was well worth having taken the extra time to show the man his request. "I appreciate you taking time to meet with me," Vincent continued, "I'm sure you all have more than enough on your plates right now."
"You're welcome." Gunning replied, trying not to consider the Starbase-full of spinning plates which were on the go. "Having people willing to pitch in and help makes the job that little bit easier."
Vincent tilted his head slightly and nodded. It was a sign both in acknowledgment of as well as in deference to the commander's workload. There was nothing more for them to talk about, really. The Crescent Star's captain had made his case. He'd managed to at least inform someone on the station's senior staff about the incoming Amollan refugees. Hopefully it would give the station enough time to prepare something for their arrival. Whatever happened next was their responsibility now, not his. "Thanks again, commander," Vincent said with a smile.
The two men soon parted ways. Vincent paused for a moment and watched as Gunning disappeared around a bend in the corridor. Only after the commander was finally out of sight did he turn around and start back in the direction he'd come. Convoys and refugees were one thing, but what he needed to do was find this Master Warrant Vestara Stronghold. No doubt, she too, was going to have her hands full.
[OFF]
Commander Jordan Gunning
Chief Strategic Operations Officer
Starbase 332
AND
Captain Vincent Reed [P: Anderson]
Commanding Officer
SS Crescent Star
