Let Slip the Dogs... Part 1 of 2

Posted on Mon Mar 27, 2023 @ 11:57pm by Commander N'Evran & Captain Maritza Soran & Commander Amia Telamon M.D. & Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Means III & Lieutenant Annora Tessaro & Lieutenant Kivan Ta'Gas & Lieutenant T'Lul & Civilian T'gan

3,102 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: Starbase 12
Timeline: Current Day

[ON]

Although Starbase 12, being an Ethereal Class station, wasn't the largest of all Starfleet starbases, it was still quite large. It was a way point serving all the stations and ships exploring deep into the Beta quadrant. It had scientific and medical research centers, it was a key communications relay, many personnel caught transport to new assignments, and the station even had a Starfleet Academy hub.

All of this made the base the logical choice for units to come together to plan for the latest crisis in the quadrant, the Cardassian take-over of Starbase DS5. Fifty ships had gathered already to meet and plan next steps. What came from the meeting could very well dictate the future of both the Alpha and Beta quadrant.

On the base, Admiral Garrison and Commander N’Evran were stopped at a door to a large conference room.

“Remember, I’ll get you your chance to talk, but those with more brass on the collar go first”, Garrison said.

“I understand Admiral”, N’Evran said, fighting not to roll his eyes at the lecture of Starfleet etiquette.

“Don’t forget”, Garrison said with a smile. “I know you and how you will jump in given a moment to speak.”

Garrison then led the way into the room where there were a number of Admirals and Captains present as well as a large number of individuals joining the meeting virtually.

Annora and a handful of her security team had gathered in a conference room on Dyson Yards to attend the meeting. Since arriving at the station, they had spent most their time preparing to retake DS5. She had submitted a few plans that had the most potential. Whether or not the Brass used any portion of it she didn't know, at the least she was glad to be part of a formal planning session.

T'gan had patiently waited for Starfleet to take action, but even for a Vulcan, she was tired of waiting. This was the first real hope she had and she was eager to help take back the station--or what little she could do as a temporal scientist. She walked into the room, dressed in a simple tunic and slacks, determined to be present for this. She was outwardly serene, but there was a glint in her eye that was reminiscent of her head of department.

Not far behind her was a tall, Vulcan female in ambassadorial robes. She took a cool look around and sat, front and center.

At that point an Andorian, who held the rank of Captain, entered the room and went towards the head of the table placing his padd at the spot to the left of the main seat.

"Everyone, please prepare", he said. "We will be joined by the Chief of Beta Quadrant Operations shortly. I've just sent a number of plan submissions from various sources to you all."

The screen blinked, and several more heads appeared on it. Most had all had the framed pips of admirals. One was a cilivian, the Federation Secretary of Defense.

One of the Admirals, a dark skinned human woman spoke. "Good evening everyone, I'm Fatima Elbagir, I'm Chief of Operations for the Beta Quadrant. joining with me are Admiral T'Vael, currently at the Dyson Ships yards near DS5, Admiral ch'Razinn, Chief of Operations for the Alpha QUadrant. Admiral Milla, head of Starfleet Security, and Lars von Scleimann, Federation Secretary of Defense. We're here to discuss plans to retake DS5 from the Cardassians. We'd rather do this precisely, with minimum casualties on both sides. Admiral Garrison, as Head of Starfleet Intelligence, could you give us an overview of the current situation?"

"Thank you, Admiral,", a 2-pip admiral said. He looked to be mid-fifties. He had salt and pepper hair and a beard to match. It was a bit more salt than pepper, but he hadn't turned totally white yet.

He pressed a button on his console and a holographic display of an area of space between the Romulan border, Federation space, and unexplored space reaching towards the Delta quadrant came together. The display zoomed in to a section closer to the Delta Quadrant than Romulan border. A planet was highlighted and a standard map symbol of a station that was labeled Deep Space 5 was located in orbit around it.

"For those of you unaware of the history", Garrison said. "Three years ago, Deep Space 5, a celestial class starbase, was just the core support facility of ships exploring in the Martexz expanse and beyond. That was until a planet appeared from an apparent dimensional shift. It is known as Pangae. The appearance of the planet was itself an oddity, but the ruins on the planet are much more interesting and valuable. From study and crew interactions with the ruins, scientists believe they form a network of dimensional and temporal portals. A cooperative coalition between the various governments in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants was formed to peacefully study these portals, with Starfleet running the Pangae station orbiting the planet. Fast forward a year and the Xi'Cadian government ends their relationship with the Federation. Shortly after that a major agreement between the Cardassians and the Xi'Cadians is announced. Fast forward to thirty days ago, with the help of the Xi'Cadians, the Cardassians seized control of the station, in a largely bloodless operation. With the President's authorization, we are here today to finalize a plan to take our station back."

T'gan nodded. It was about time.

He paused then looked back to Elbagir and said, "Admiral."

Elbagir nodded. "We want to minimize loss of life, but want to make it clear that DS5 is off limits. As many ships as possible are being sent. We intend to surround the Cardassian forces with overwhelming numbers, and cut them off from any support. They are a long way from home. Lets use that against them.. That just leaves forces on the station itself. I believe we have several senior staff from the station present? Please identify yourselves, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on the key challenges on taking the station."

T'gan stood. "I am not a senior staff member. My name is T'gan and I am a temporal scientist from DS5. Lieutenants Wells and Oxaca are on Pangaea, along with other senior officers. Have you considered the need to protect the planet and portals from Cardassian retaliation during your operation?"

Elbagir was inscrutable. "We have. We are considering a variety of options. Nothing is off the table at this point. Do you have any intel that might indicate the nature and scale of such retaliation?"

"Not from the Cardassians. Lieutenant Wells might. I have not been in contact with her." The Vulcan eyed Elbagir coolly. "Are you aware of the physical and temporal consequences if Pangaea falls to the Cardassians, or if they choose to destroy the portals?" They didn't seem to be taking the planet's safety as seriously as they should have.

N'Evran listened to T'gan's comments closely. He inwardly chuckled, despite the gravity of the situation. Almost 300 years ago, Vulcan's dismissed the idea of time travel. The crew adventures of Enterprise NX-01 changed their minds and here they were.

"Your concern is noted Doctor, but you're putting the card before the horse. How we handle the portals is dependent on how we resolve the larger issues.
If the Cardassians had the wherewithal to control the portals, they would have put them to use already, ergo, the portals are not the primary concern."

T'gan bristled at that. The man had no idea how important they were, or how easy it would be for their entire existence to change if the Cardassians gained that control, but she could not educate a fool.

Annora listened as the Admiral outlined the events that lead up the reason for the meeting. Obviously many of those attending were present for those events, but it was still good to recap for those just joining in the planning. What she hadn't expected, was for those in charge to ask for input so early on.
T'gan started out the comments portion with concern for the planet below, which was appreciated. It was easy to overlook the planet in favor of just DS5. While she didn't have concrete evidence, many from the station thought that the portals were a big motivator for the takeover.

"If I may?" She asked. Standing up to be more easily recognized.

"No, you may not, at least not yet." Hilliard Braxton said as he stood up, straightening his vest and interupting the woman. "I just can't sit here any longer and listen to some of you all. . .wax poetically about how Starfleet is just gonna march in and sweep away the Cardassians like the dashing heros storming the beach." The Human said as he cast his glance across the room.

"My name is Hilliard Braxton," He replied with an annoyed tone to his voice. "I'm the Chief of Staff for Counciler Treneer Suban, I'm here on his behalf because he had more pressing matters than engaging in fantasy war scenarios." He continued as he walked over to the holographic projection of the planet.

"What some of the more aggressive War Hawks among us have forgotten is that we're not dealing with just a rogue band of Cardassians. We are dealing with a branch of the Cardassian military that not only had the support of the Central Government, but also was supported by the new Xi'Cadian regime." He said, his voice highlighting the urgency of his message.

"What is to stop this from spilling into a much larger conflict if another group decides to take advantage of the situation?" He asked rhetorically. "You think the Xi'Cadians are the only temporary friends we have that are on the margins and just waiting for an opportunity to disrupt our hold on the sector." He said as he walked over to Garrison's console and pressed several buttons on it.

The holographic projection was shrunken slightly as another screen appeared beside it. "Our intelligence tells us that the Cardassians haven't even figured out how to activate the portals, thus, they should be our secondary concern." The screen shifted to an image of dilithium. "Since the new Xi'Cadian regime came to power they have significantly cut their exports of dilithium." He said pointing at the screen.

"this should be our main priority. Not Cardassians digging around on a dead planet or a station of minimal tactical importance." He said.

Von Scleiman took a centering breath, wondering who let Braxton in. "However much you dislike hearing this, Braxton, Xi'Cadia is a sovreign nation, and if they chose to cede, they chose to cede. You insisted on building your enterprise on outdated economic models. We will not undermine the principals the Federation stands on because you feel personally slighted. We have other sources of dilithium. Now unless you have something constructive to add, I suggest you stay quiet. Or be removed. You had something to say Lieutenant?"

Hilliard's face was a canvas of calmness, but beneath it he could feel his blood boiling and his rage racing towards the surface. "These so-called outdated economic models are what allows the Federation to have principals to stand on in the first place." He replied sharply. We are able to project power throughougt the Alpha and Beta quadrants because of our the strength of our technology and logistical capabilities. All of that is because of our steady supply of dilithium. Without that, we are nothing more than a 3rd-tier regional power, like the Gorn Hegemony." He said as he pressed several buttons on the console and brought up an overlay of the regional map.

"Those other sources of dilithium that you so casually mentioned would place an significant strain on our logistical supply lines in order to bring it to this sector." He said as he showed what units would need to be displaced in order to compensate for the drastic reduction in dilithium supplies.

"You fleeters never think about the secondary and tertiary effects of your actions. You never think about the political, economic, and even social consequences of your decisions out here." The Chief of Staff said. "There is more to consider here that Starfleet's bloody nose from the Cardassians." He said.


N'evran watched the interesting political interjection from the political figures. There was definitely a political aspect to this all, but it wasn't clear and cut as some thought. He bided his time as the Admiral had asked from input from DS5 staff.


She didn't know who this Councilor Suban was, but obviously they were opposed to starting another war with the Cardassians. In the end it didn't really matter, as the decision had already been made.

"Lieutenant Tessaro, DS5." She said as an introduction.

"While you are correct, there's no current evident the portals have been compromised, that doesn't mean we should ignore the planet and focus solely on DS5. It should be a two pronged approach. While the main force works on regaining control of the station, another group should be sent planet-side to deal with any rogue factions that may be present. I've talked with what Marines made it off the station, and they have all agreed to provide assistance."

While her security personnel were willing to help, a long standing power-sharing agreement meant the Marines focused on the planet while Security focused on the station.

"As for the station. We've run dozens of scenarios and the same factors keep popping up. As expected, the quicker we gain control of key systems the better. Our proposal is this, Ops, Main Engineering, and Auxiliary Control are the main areas of focus. We should have multiple teams with one of those destinations as their focus. There should also be a few teams who have less vital areas as their destination."

At least in training, it seemed to work better when everyone had a specific purpose in mind rather than just randomly roaming the station in search of hostiles.

"Less Vital? Such as?" Elbagir asked.

They were at least listening to her ideas, which was encouraging.

"Such as, shuttle bays, transporter rooms, security control, sickbay. They're important to the day to day operations of a station, but not so much to directly regaining control of DS5. "

N'Evran disagreed with the assessment about the shuttle bays and transporter rooms being secondary, but he waited for the Admiral to continue her line of questioning.

"If we want to secure the station," Elbagir said, "We will need to control those points too. especially security and ways on and off. How many marines and boarding crew can we raise?" she looked towards ch'Razinn for his assessment.

The Andorian Admiral, who was in charge of Alpha Quadrant operations glanced at a padd and said, "I have an Akira class currently involved in Marine operations close to the Beta quadrant. It can be here within three to five days and will bring seventy marines and a fighter squad of 6 valkryie class fighters. In two weeks, I can have the USS Hurricane here that carries one hundred and fifty Marines and 4 squads of fighters."

"Against their 127th fleet and an unknown number of enemy combatants on station and on planet." Elbagir mused. "We need more."

"I have 223 security personnel from the station and twenty-three Marines that are ready to help retake the station. Most the Marines were planet-side during the invasion and the rest of my staff are hopefully making things difficult for the occupiers." It wasn't a huge force, but Annora wanted to ensure they were counted in the final numbers.

"Fantastic, and within 2 weeks you'll have over 440 dead Marines and 2 destroyed vessels, and that's assuming the Cardassians haven't been able to activate the station's primary offensive systems." Hilliard Braxton responded.

"The initial invasion consisted of at least several Battalion-size elements of Cardassian and Xi'Cadian forces. Unless you plan on committing an equal number of Marines, and are also prepared to lose that same number, then your plan is not likely to succeed." He pointed out.

Secretary Von Scleiman pinched the bridge of his nose, and for a moment he glanced away from camera. "Braxton's right. How long before we can mobilise some of the other fleets? Aren't 9th or 12th operating reasonably close by?"

"The 9th would take a week, except for the Ralston which could arrive within three days", the Admiral answered. "The 12th will be closer to a week and a half at maximum warp."

N'Evran watched the interesting political interjection from the political figures. There was definitely a political aspect to this all, but it wasn't clear and cut as some thought. He bided his time as the Admiral had asked from input from DS5 staff.

A Lieutenant entered the room and as to not interrupt the current discussion moved directly to Admiral Garrison. Leaning in he whispered to him. "Sir, the Klingon Ambassador to DS5 is standing by and insisting on being included in the planning session."

Admiral Garrison looked at Elbagir and said, "Admiral Elbagir, The Klingon AMbassador on DS5 has arrived. Perhaps after we've heard from him, my aide, Commander N'Evran has an interesting plan that I think is worth listening to."

Elbagir nodded. "Alright, show him in."

The trip to the station had been rushed since word for the gathering had reached him and had strained his ship considerably. However, as fate would have it, he arrived intime to join the meeting still in progress. Where they were in their planning he had no idea, but his forces were gathering and would soon be ready.

Entering the meeting his escort remained outside. The only one to accompany him was his second-in-command for this endeavor.

Nodding to those from the DS5 he turned to face the senior officers. "I am Charghwl"IH of the House of Soval, and Klingon Ambassador to Deep Space 5," Motioning to the woman beside him, "and this is General Vashara of the House of Varal. I bring you greetings from the Empire. The Cardassians committed an act of war, not only, against the Federation but the Empire as well. My forces gather as we speak for the retaking of the station and the destruction of the Cardassians."

To Be Continued...



[OFF]



Flt Adm Fatima Elbagir, Secretary von Scleiman
NPC by Soran

Admiral Garrison, Starfleet Intelligence
NPC by N'Evran

Commander N'Evran
Aide to Admiral Garrison

Charghwl'IH of the House of Soval
Klingon Ambassador to DS5

LT Annora Tessaro
Security Chief DS5

T'gan
Temporal Scientist
Deep Space 5

T'lani
Vulcan Ambassador

 

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