Keeping an Eye on the Border

Posted on Wed May 25th, 2011 @ 6:39am by Vice Admiral Quinn Androski
Edited on on Wed May 25th, 2011 @ 6:39am

Mission: Episode 2.2 - "Resistance"
Location: Main Bridge, USS Orlando
Timeline: Mission Day 03

ON: [[Main Bridge, USS Orlando, Mission Day 03]]

Caleb compiled the information he had been working on throughout the morning and downloaded to a PADD which he immediately encrypted with his authorization code. He grabbed the PADD and moved over to the tactical station.

"Mr. Vosh, I wonder if I could trouble you to come down to my office. I am working on something for the admiral and would like your assistance," the intelligence officer said.

Trace looked up from his station and at the intelligence officer. He hadn't had much time to mingle with the crew since coming aboard and even if he had, he would have steered clear of the intelligence officer. As a rule, he decided to try and not get too chummy with them.

"Sure," Trace shrugged. "Can I ask what it is that you need help with?"

"I'm not at liberty to say right now. Too many people I'd have to shoot to keep quiet," Caleb said with a smile. "That's a little intel humor. Shall we go to my office."

"Lead the way," Trace said, motioning over his replacement.

"Thank you," Caleb said as they made his way over to the turbolift. As the turbolift went down Caleb saw the look in the other officer's eyes. It was the spook look.

"I can see you're uncomfortable speaking with the intel officer," Caleb mention. "Really all I do is deal in information and I do that by analyzing reports or speaking to people who can get that information for me. I'm not going to steal a runabout so that I can poison the Romulan ambassador."

"Of course not," Trace said.

As they entered the intel office Caleb pulled up a map of the Triangle region where Federation space came together with Klingon and Romulan space. The buffer zone between which made up the independent planets between was shaped crudely like a triangle.

"I spoke with the Admiral this morning about a situation here. Several Klingon ships have raided Romulan systems taking advantage of the confusion. Of course high command claims they're rogue. Admiral Androski wants to put together a blockade force to protect the Romulan planets. He would like advice on where the ships can come from and likely blockade points. I thought you would be able to help with your knowledge of tactics."

Trace frowned, he wasn't really sure what it was that they thought he knew. Especially when it came to the finer points of fleet logistics and where to deploy them when it came to a blockade. Still, he could give him his opinion as it were.

"Well, I'll admit that I'm not entirely sure how much information that you think I can give you," Trace shrugged. "And you and the admiral would be more aware of our logistical situation when it comes to what ships we have available for such a blockade."

"And I am able to show where our forces can come from. I don't have the tactical background to know if I've stretched our own defenses too far," Caleb admitted. He pulled out the map to include closer old starbases like 10, 12 and 15 and newer, more distant bases like 60, 328, 234. He then added the starships which were in those patrol zones.

"I am afraid that I don't know much about that area," Trace admitted.

"A little history lesson first. 100 years ago a war was fought in this region between the Federation and Klingon Empire. The Romulans claimed neutrality during this conflict but took advantage of the fact the other powers being busy to annex independent systems near their borders which prior to the war had been protected by a detente between the major powers. Their major territorial gain was the former Imperial Klingon States which was an area that housed some renegade Klingons who were opposed to Klingon imperialism. They believed there was little honor in conquering weaker species. The one place where the Romulans were thwarted was a group of planets that formed a protectorate status with the Bakers Dozen. I think the Klingons would like to strike towards the former Imperial Klingon States and free some of their bretheren still said to be in slave status. It will be hard to strike there because of the Baker's Dozen in their route."

"Sounds complicated," Trace said. "And you and the admiral believe that the Klingons are going to attempt a raid on the Imperial Klingon States?"

"You don't think the Klingons are the types to hold a grudge?" Caleb said with a slight smile. "They're going to strike where they can have the most success. After the war the Romulans brought in more forces but they have more territory to cover with no new bases. The Romulans have had to shift some of their forces away in the present time to put down uprisings on their frontiers. I'm guessing we'll need a variety of ships to perform the tasks at hand and they'll all meet here at Starbase 24. So where can we pull from and where should they be sent?"

Trace frowned, he still wasn't sure what it was that they thought he could help out with but might as well give him any insights that he may have.

"Escorts mostly, probably some Defiants and Sabers," Trace said, looking at the map. "The Klingons aren't going to risk sending in a lot of heavy armor, not with the situation with the Romulans."

"No," Trace said, shaking his head. "We're probably looking at several dozen Birds of Prey, maybe a few of their older K'Tinga class cruisers but nothing that the Defiants and Sabers won't be able to handle."

Trace looked at the information that was floating near the edge of the screen. "I'd place the Omaha, Memphis, and Midway at the these coordinates, spread them out a light year or two."

"Yes I think that would work," the intel chief said.

"The sensors on the Omaha and the Memphis are fast enough to respond no matter where they try to come at them from, the Midway...she's an Nebula if we station her here," Trace pointed at a section of space that was right outside Baker's Dozen. "She can detect anything coming her way."

"That would certainly be effective," Noventum said.

"The only other way to get to the States is if they skirt close to this area of space," Trace pointed, the area he touched zoomed in. "Send the Rapier and the Majestic to hide in the asteroid field...any Klingon ships passed through their will have to decloak to use their primary sensor array due to the high mineral content of those asteroids."

It looked as though a full plan had been put together to protect the approaches to the former IKS. After some more study they came up with a plan to protect other exposed areas on the Romulan side of the Triangle. He would have something to take to the admiral.

OFF

A Joint Mission Post by:

Ensign Trace Vosh
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Orlando

and

Lt. JG Caleb Noventum
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Orlando