Command And Requests

Posted on Sat Jan 12th, 2019 @ 10:14pm by Captain Michelle Bartlett & Commander Rostra Tang & Captain Charlotte Averis
Edited on on Sat Jan 12th, 2019 @ 10:15pm

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/4
Location: Ready Room: USS Wellington

Captain Averis was led through to the ready room, her escort remaining outside as per standing orders for the ship. She slowed as she entered the room where the two senior officers of the Wellington were and gave a smile, "Thank you for seeing me again, Captain, Commander. I'm assuming the Commodore isn't going to be joining us at the moment? I know he's going to need to hear a request of mine to you, but I'd rather have your approval and support when I do, but there are a couple things I need to bring up, if you don't mind?"

Seems everyone had something on their mind. "You can certainly ask." Rostra offered, trying her best to sound inviting. "What's on your mind?"

"First off is probably the most major thing, Commander." Charlotte placed a PADD on the table and pressed a button, a hologram of an asteroid belt with a highlighted rock on it, "It's a big request and obviously I can't force the issue.. But this is the objective of my mission. It's a Shalti data center that we believe contains the coordinates to the Shalti homeworld. The rest of the fleet I was a part of is supposed to divert these forces." A group of spined angular rock-appearing symbols flashed, "Away from the area where my task group was supposed to jump in, hit the site and after getting the information destroy the center. As far as I know, that operation is still on, but my task group got virtually destroyed in the process. I'm going to take the Icarus back through and try to complete the mission, but I also want to ask you if you believe I could convince your Commodore to join me with the Wellington."

Michelle looked at Rostra, then to Charlotte. She knew that Jason would probably really want to. The man she knew as a Captain would have done it in a heartbeat. But could he put his own rear on the line now as a Commodore? "Undoubtedly he would very much like to see us join. It's a matter of convincing his own superiors and of not having Temporal Affairs go after us." She paused a moment. "How many other ships can your Starfleet muster?"

Something about this didn't sit well with Rostra, and she actually was fidgeting in her seats as she listened. She wanted to help, but actually joining in? That sounded a bit excessive. Certainly, if the mission was a success, then it could end a massive war that spanned the entirety of the known milky way. BUT... was it their war?

Oh these were the questions that really upset her.

Some of the light left Charlotte's eyes at the question from Michelle; That was definitely the question she wasn't hoping to hear, but the answer was the answer, "I don't know. The fleet for this mission wasn't large, perhaps twenty ships in total, split up in four task groups for our staging points under overall command of Rear Admiral Stansky. Comm silence is in place, but if the remaining ships are still in play, they should be able to successfully draw out the enemy forces. I won't have any sort of answer until or unless we arrive at the target and see if the enemy is still there."

"We could potentially ask if we could scramble other ships although that's going to require considerably more approval." Michelle replied. "I'm also not convinced that the Admiral for this sector would say yes."

"And time, Captain, and time." Charlotte shook her head to clear it briefly, "The simulations we ran with the task force shows that as long as the primary force can draw off the bulk of the defending force, there's a ninety-six percent chance of success, even if my task group took fifty percent losses. Admittedly, we were going to send the better part of a battalion of Marines to secure the center, which we don't have anymore, but we can work around that problem when we get to that point."

"What workarounds do you have in mind?" Michelle asked.

"Just rather than a general assault, take a risk and send a bombardment to blow our way deeper into the installation. That way, we may not need as large a team on the assault." Charlotte gestured vaguely, "A raid instead of taking additional time to get everything."

"I see why you thought you may need volunteers." Michelle replied. "A raid may work, so long as they aren't familiar with your tactics."

"Ground combat is where we have an actual advantage." Charlotte remarked, "Their numbers are killer, but qualitatively, we have the better tactics and capabilities. A raid would be be to their advantage if they can get a defense set up, but well... That's why we have marines, to do the hard work of an assault." She smiled slyly, "Our job is to get them there and in."

"Sounds good." Michelle said. "I'll put the word out to the crew and see if there any volunteers."

Michelle's conversation was interrupted by her commbadge by Dr. Fallon: "Captain, have any of our crew been sent to the Icarus in the past 24 hours?"

"We sent some engineers over to assist." Michelle replied. "Is everything all right?"

"Captain, I suggest that you may want to come down to Sickbay at your earliest convenience, and you may want to bring security with you." Siobahn cast a glance around Sickbay. "I think... what ever it was that attacked the Icarus crew and caused all their injuries, is now on our ship and attacking our crew." Siobahn said quietly.

"On my way." Michelle replied over the commbadge. "Captain, Commander, I apologize but... duty calls. I have a bad feeling about whatever this is.

=/\=END

Captain Michelle Bartlett
Commanding Officer
USS Wellington

Commander Rostra Tang
Executive Officer
USS Wellington

Captain Charlotte Averis
Commanding Officer
USS Icarus