Day -2, 1857 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge - ACEO - Ensign (jg) Mitena Rixx - Day -2, 1857) Once they'd gathered up the reports that the Chief had requested they joined him and had proceeded to the turbo lift. They chattered a bit about the log discrepancies as they made their way to the observation lounge. As they entered, Mitena followed the Lieutenant to a group of seats and sat down next to him. She glanced around the room and noted many people that she still didn't recognize. She made a mental note to try to join some of the groups that were on the ship so she could meet more people. As the captain started the meeting she turned her attention to him and waited to see what would be said. ------------------------- Day -2 1859 Mission: Day: -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge- aCOPS, Ensign Robert Smith, Day -2, 1859) Robert saw Jackson who waved him and Sheridan over. "Hello Robbie, Chief" ""Hello Sir" Sheridan replied. ”Hallo Boss.” "Any idea what this is about Sir?" Sheridan asked. "No Chief, no clue" Jackson replied honestly. Robert took his seat beside the others, sat back and waited fro the session to begin. ------------------------- Day-2, 1901 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge- ACMO Ensign (jg) Sam Lopez, Day -2,1901) “Hi, I am Kimiko Ichijo, I’m afraid that we didn’t have the opportunity to meet earlier” Kimiko extended her hand. “And you are Dr Sam Lopez, am I correct? "yes you are correct"Sam said. Kimiko similes and bows slightly “It’s a pleasure” "thank you"Sam said bowing in return. At that moment the briefing started and Sam found out why it was so important and knew he would follow the captain. ------------------------- Day -2, 1902 Mission: Day: -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge- CO, Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day -2, 1902) Ahmed had listened carefully to the words of encouragement offered by first Nayati and then by Caskie and Sullivan as they reported and he had explained what little he could to them. The situation wouldn't have been too terribly bad if he could just explain about the Omega Molecule. But his hands on that matter were tied. The Omega Directive was very clear in the regards as to whom was allowed to be given the information concerning the molecule's existence. And if you weren't a Starship Captain or an officer of Flag Rank, you simply were not authorized to know that the molecule even existed. Regulations prevented him from simply explaining the one little detail to them that would make all the difference. But he trusted them to do their duty, and when or if the situation needed to be revisited, Ahmed would do so at that time. With a smile and a nod of his head, he acknowledged their kind words in a solemn manner. They were good officers, and at least by not telling them everything, there was a degree of protection in the guise of deniability. Regardless, Ahmed would be the one ultimately responsible for the outcome of his decisions. No member of his crew would be called to account regardless of the outcome. That little thought gave him some level of comfort. The other senior officers filtered into the compartment. He regarded each one as they sauntered in. Some were old acquaintances from his time on the Champlain or the Nimitz, but some were entirely new faces. The New ACMO, Ichijo, he had not yet met, and he'd not really met the new ACEO, Rixx, for more than just a few passing moments here or there over the last few months. He put all the worrisome thoughts from his mind and stood at the head of the table instead of sitting in his usual seat. With a nod to indicate that he was ready to begin, and a pause just long enough for everyone to settle down, Ahmed brought the meeting to order. "As of a half-hour ago, the Rosenante has gone off mission." He began, "I and I alone, working under my own authority as this ship's Commanding Officer, have ordered the Rosenante to abandon the orders presented to me by the Admiralty. I am not going to deny that I did not receive orders countermanding our previous orders, because I did not." Ahmed leaned forward placing both palms flat on the table. "I have come into some reliable intelligence at the highest levels that have led me to undertake this grave decision. I am not at liberty at this time to share the details of that intelligence, but I can tell you that there are strong indications that members of the admiralty may be involved in a significant conspiracy that could prove devastating for not only the Federation but for the entire Alpha Quadrant." "Most of us here, served with distinction and honor during the civil war. We all know what the results of that conflict were. Billions of beings died needlessly and the very existence of the United Federation of Planets was at risk." "I tell you now, that we are facing a potential crisis that makes that entire conflict look like child's play. The repercussions of the intelligence I have received are more dire than anything else we as a crew, a ship, a species or a group have ever, and will ever face." "As such, I know that I can count on each of you and your crews to continue to render the same level of competence and duty that you have always shown. I have no doubt in your abilities to perform well under duress, but I need your complete trust if we are to avert the danger that lies ahead of us." "Because of the possibility that members of the admiralty may be involved, there is the chance that they may dispatch a Federation starship to stop us. That vessel may be aware of the situation or they may not. But the distinct possibility is that we may be forced to defend ourselves against our brothers and sisters in the fleet. I pray that this will not be the case, but if it should be, we will do as we must to ensure the continuation of the Federation and the Quadrant as a whole." "As captain of this ship, I have the ultimate responsibility for all actions of the crew under my command. I will not shy away from that responsibility. However, I will not allow a breakdown of discipline to take place because of our current situation. The ship will continue to operate as if we are undertaking any other mission for the Federation. You are to maintain order and discipline in your sections and you will not discuss the true nature of our mission with anyone unless there is no other alternative." "I have ordered the Rosenante cloaked and her course altered to the Ikev System. Latest estimates put us two days out. There will be further orders upon our arrival." "I have ordered a complete communications blackout, and expect that order to be fulfilled. Additionally, I am ordering Mister Raschen maintain the integrated force fields throughout the ship. The movements of all personnel will be monitored at all times, Anyone found in any area of the ship for which they are not authorized will be detained until the current crisis is over. Mister Raschen will post security details at all critical ship's systems. " He regarded them all again. "I am opening the floor at this time to comments, questions and statements." ------------------------- Day -2 1903 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante, Observation Lounge- COPS, LT Tom Jackson, Day -2, 1903) Tom Jackson, Robbie Smith and Phil Sheridan sat in silence as Captain salid began the briefing. Normally his friend has reserved but he was especially somber. This caused Jackson;s 'sixth sense' to kick into high gear. Tom leaned forward intent on the message his friend and leader was delivering. The captain floored the assembled officers with his next statement. "As of a half-hour ago, the Rosenante has gone off mission." He began, "I and I alone, working under my own authority as this ship's Commanding Officer, have ordered the Rosenante to abandon the orders presented to me by the Admiralty. I am not going to deny that I did not receive orders countermanding our previous orders, because I did not." The CO eyed each offer present, looking for a reaction of some sort. Tom Jackson's jaw dropped a literal foot! T.J. turned and looked at his two friends - each were equally surprised. Ahmed salid continued his briefing. "I have come into some reliable intelligence at the highest levels that have led me to undertake this grave decision. I am not at liberty at this time to share the details of that intelligence, but I can tell you that there are strong indications that members of the admiralty may be involved in a significant conspiracy that could prove devastating for not only the Federation but for the entire Alpha Quadrant." "Most of us here, served with distinction and honor during the civil war. We all know what the results of that conflict were. Billions of beings died needlessly and the very existence of the United Federation of Planets was at risk." "I tell you now, that we are facing a potential crisis that makes that entire conflict look like child's play. The repercussions of the intelligence I have received are more dire than anything else we as a crew, a ship, a species or a group have ever, and will ever face." "As such, I know that I can count on each of you and your crews to continue to render the same level of competence and duty that you have always shown. I have no doubt in your abilities to perform well under duress, but I need your complete trust if we are to avert the danger that lies ahead of us."The captain paused again to let this information set in. Tom fought the urge to speak up - sensing this was not the time or place. He knew his friend well and despite misgivings, trusted the man in the center seat to do what was ultimately right. The possibility of defending the ship against his friends on other ships troubled him to no end. Tom raised his hand to get the CO's attention. He had several operational questions to raise. ------------------------- Day -2 - 1910 Mission: Day: -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante-Observation Lounge-CSEC-Lieutenant Chance Raschen-1910) With a nod to indicate that he was ready to begin, and pauses just long enough for everyone to settle down, Ahmed brought the meeting to order. "As of a half-hour ago, the Rosenante has gone off mission." He began, "I and I alone, working under my own authority as this ship's Commanding Officer, have ordered the Rosenante to abandon the orders presented to me by the Admiralty. I am not going to deny that I did not receive orders countermanding our previous orders, because I did not." ~I remember a spiel like this right before the 52nd did its thing and the war went into full swing~ Chance thought as he listened to his skipper. The captain then went on with the usual speech about how he is responsible for all of their conduct. What a crock of crap that was, according to Starfleet Code of Justice they will all burn if he is wrong. Ahmed leaned forward placing both palms flat on the table. "I have come into some reliable intelligence at the highest levels that have led me to undertake this grave decision. I am not at liberty at this time to share the details of that intelligence, but I can tell you that there are strong indications that members of the admiralty may be involved in a significant conspiracy that could prove devastating for not only the Federation but for the entire Alpha Quadrant." ~That must of been what was on that PADD I brought back from Vulcan~ the security chief thought. "Most of us here, served with distinction and honor during the civil war. We all know what the results of that conflict were...” Raschen wanted to snicker at that comment considering at the time he was a Loyalist privateer captain. Chance was undercover as Ensign Temerarious on a mission to steal the Dennison and take her to Bajor. The captain then went on to talk about how hard things were going to get, how he will be able to count on everyone, how high the conspiracy might go, and how he would be ultimately responsible.” Yeah right, when Raschen and his crew seized control of the Dennison and defected to the 52nd before they could be captured. Instead of becoming a P.O.W.s, their defection was accepted and Chance was charged with Mutiny instead. His moment of ‘distinction’ in that war was during the final battle. "I have ordered the Rosenante cloaked and her course altered to the Ikev System. Latest estimates put us two days out. There will be further orders upon our arrival." "I have ordered a complete communications blackout, and expect that order to be fulfilled. Additionally, I am ordering Mister Raschen maintain the integrated force fields throughout the ship. The movements of all personnel will be monitored at all times, Anyone found in any area of the ship for which they are not authorized will be detained until the current crisis is over.. Mister Raschen will post security details at all critical ship's systems. " He regarded them all again. "I am opening the floor at this time to comments, questions and statements." Chance raised his hand; when called upon he simply started “I have just a few things sir. I have no problem following the orders that you have given thus far, but I must play Devil’s Advocate on this sir. You are aware that under Interstellar Law that you have just gone rogue and will therefore be wanted for piracy, and we will all be tried as your accomplices because none of us tried to prevent you from taking this ship from positive Federation control. I would also like to speak with you off-line after the meeting sir.” ------------------------- Day -2 - 1849 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante, Ready Room- ACMO, Esn Ichijo, Day -2, 1849) Kimiko stepped into the conformance room, there seemed to be a tension in the room. In her experience with briefings, normally there was bantering back and forth between people, but not the hushed whispers that seemed to be the order of the day. Kimiko looked around and saw the CMO motioning her over, she moved across the deck and sat in the open seat. "Hello Kimiko." Dr Wyler greeted. “Good Evening” Kimiko responded "Getting settled into your quarters alright?" Aleesa asked. “Yes, thank you. “ the ensign replied ”though it seems a bit smaller then the room that I had previously, but still larger than the room that I had as a cadet and my own as a child” Kimiko paused for a moment and continued “All things relative, I suppose” Kimiko looked and found the other medical officer sitting by close. she rose and greeted him. “Hi, I am Kimiko Ichijo, I’m afraid that we didn’t have the opportunity to meet earlier” Kimiko extended her hand. “And you are Dr Sam Lopez, am I correct? Kimiko similes and bows slightly “It’s a pleasure” ------------------------- Day -2 - 1855 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day -2 Stardate: 2408.07.31 (USS Rosenante- Observation Lounge- CSEC- Lt. Chance Raschen- 1855) Raschen was no fool by many stretches of the imagination, but when his communiqué with Admiral Gina Smith was unexpectedly cut short after V’Shera’s announcement about the HISS going online, and of course the shift in the stars as the ship changed course, he knew something was wrong. Then the message came down that contained a hazardous combination of words; emergency, senior staff, and briefing. None of which should ever be used in the same sentence. As he entered the observation lounge, walking with his hands in his pockets as he considered what might be in store for him, many of the seats were already occupied by other officers. He didn’t say anything as he walked straight to his seat and sat down, the whole time looking like he was staring into space. Once the meeting started and then progressed, Chance was relieved in some ways only to become more concerned in others. Raschen decided that after the meeting, it might be a good idea to get with the skipper off-line if explanations aren’t made available later in the briefing. ------------------------- Day 2, 1300 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: 2 Stardate: 2408.08.02 (ISS Furious - Bridge - CSO, Lt. Commander Holis Gralen (MU), Day 2 - 1300) "Two point three light years to the Sunali system Captain," Holis growled as he turned to face the CO whom he hated with a passion, the Da**** vulcan would never let him leave his shadow. No matter where Holis went or hid he always found him and drug him back to serve under his command. If the scientist had the slightest inkling he might have been able to get rid of this thorn in his side he would have killed him long ago but he was too cunning, too watchful and the one time Holis had tried the planned attempt had been ferreted out and exposed. The punishment he had been exposed to then had made the booth seem paradise in comparison, Saleke's grip upon his right wrist had squeezed till it felt like it would explode but that was only the beginning. Under the mental lash of the vulcan it had felt as though his eyes, his tongue, his very skin was being boiled away slowly. The pain while equal to that of the agonizer though was only the surface, mentally he had been exposed to horrors that sometimes still woke him at night in a cold sweat. Holis knew that was by design, a reminder of what he would face should he ever get up the nerve to try again. That was enough for the scientist then, unless Saleke lay unconscious and dying where he could be helped along the betazoid wouldn't lift his hand against him, the fear of that punishment would override all else. His hands clenched as he remembered the CMO Angeni Trommashere's watchfulness during the last attempt on the captain's life, she had kept everyone at bay during the days back to Geneva, watching the captain with a passion that had made him wonder just what might have gone on between the two in the past. While there had never been any evidence they had had a physical relationship her loyalty had been far above and beyond the pale not only in his estimation but in the minds of the rest of the crew. The pointed ears of the vulcan mocked him as the captain ignored his comment for a moment, they were brazenly on display as his dark brown hair was gathered and swept to the back of the top his skull and bound there. Less than two inches of that hair protruded past the cord. It gave the vulcan a barbaric look which sometimes matched his temperament. Saleke could be the most cold blooded, emotionless and logical being at times but those times were balanced by his behavior at others, such as the time Holis had been caught planning his assassination as well as the other times he had caught others in similar designs such as a few days past. The man had gone into a veritable rage for a moment and almost killed them that instant until his emotional barriers had kicked in again. The end result had been just as frightening though as the five men had been made an object lesson for the rest of the crew. The captain finally turned then as if in answer and affirmation to the fearful route his thoughts had taken and his emotionless gaze was chilling. "Give me a scan of the system." "Aye sir." His tone was much more subdued as he turned back to his station cowed, that look always had the same effect. ~Holis you need to grow a backbone ... No, not if you want to live.~ "Long range scans activated." There was a noticeable jar of the ship as the readings were coming up which caused Holis to give a slight start, with a shrug he turned his attention back to the monitor but was immediately caught by another stronger one. "Report Doctor, what is causing the turbulence?" Holis was scrambling now, his eyes darting through the readings. "Captain I..." The ships' shudders this time were more pronounced and the red alert klaxon kicked in, the alarm blaring and red lamp on the bridge flashing in sync. The bridge crew was rocked in their seats by it. "Are we being fired upon?" "Shields have activated captain." The Tac officer reported. "No captain there's..." The next one nearly knocked him out of his chair. "Helm all stop! Take us out of warp. Main viewscreen on, full forward." The captains order cut through the air of the bridge like a knife, the sound of the warp engines almost immediately began to fade, its roar becoming a moan which in turn died away. The screen came to life as well, the space directly ahead of them on display. The space they were going to looked off somehow, Holis tore his eyes away from it and back to his readings, if his report was too slow he risked punishment. "Increase magnification by a factor of 10." There were gasps behind Holis as the rest of the bridge crew began to catch on to what they were seeing. "Again." The captain said calmly, too calmly. The readings on the monitor began to make sense now, Holis' felt a jolt of shock at what he was seeing. There couldn't be any mistake, they were too conclusive. "Mister Gralen report!" Saleke's patience ha obviously run out but Holis was ready, he swiveled the chair around to face the captain and his wide eyes noted the sight on the screen which confirmed his readings. Tearing his eyes past it he drew a rasping breath before speaking. "The system has been utterly obliterated captain." The vulcan turned his eyes back to the screen which showed little more than a debris field now, gas, dust and asteroid sized fragments of rock and ice. The sun was no more as were the planetary bodies, they had all been ripped apart by some nearly unimaginable force, unless of course you were privy to some of the most closely guarded secrets of the empire. Even then it was staggering, the utter annihilation of a star system and its inhabitants. If the massing enemy fleet had indeed been caught within the system when it was pulverized then they were no more and the Rosenante's mission had been conclusively completed. "Give me a complete scan of the area Mr. Gralen." He grated. The captain said froggy and Holis jumped, he turned and began a complete scan of the area beyond the normal parameters of operational procedure and what he found was terrifying... it also explained why they had encountered so much turbulence when nearing the area. "Captain I'm reading faults in the subspace field, literally fractures which make warp travel impossible in the area." He drew in a deep breath. "Had we continued in warp travel for much longer the ship would have been ripped apart by the incredible forces being generated by the warp field meeting those fractures." His eyes locked with those of the vulcan and he cringed at the intelligence that lay there, even more so though by the understanding. The captain knew what had caused this, it was plain in his eyes. Saleke's only reply was a nod, he turned away from the Betazoid who breathed a sigh of relief, he was apparently satisfied. "Tie in your readings with astrogation Mr. Gralen, helm chart a course around the subspace faults and prepare for warp travel." "Aye sir." The vulcan turned back to Holis. "Begin scanning for the Rosenante's warp drive signature doctor, also for any evidence of cloaked travel, the Rosenante must be found." "And what if they were caught in that when it happened captain?" The scientist asked and immediately regretted it, it was best not to question the captain too closely at times like these but he had not been able to help himself. "Unlikely." The vulcan replied which surprised Holis, he had expected a rebuke, not a thoughtful reply. "We will remain on station until we are able to trace the ships' vector or until it has been conclusively determined it has been destroyed." He turned his piercing eyes on the man. "Is that understood?" "Very." Holis nodded and turned back to the board at what he felt was an implied threat, he was now on the clock he knew and if he didn't come through punishment lay ahead. He hoped this wouldn't take too long. ------------------------- Day 2, 1338 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: 2 Stardate: 2408.08.02 (Runabout Wells, Cockpit - ATT- Lt. Commander Matthew McLaren , Day 2, 1338) Matthew leaned back in the very comfortable pilots seat in the cockpit of the Lorimar Class Runabout Wells. The ship was performing admirably and Matthew was amazed at how thoroughly the engineering teams at Star base Geneva had followed the updates and design changes that He and Bob had developed during the creation stages of the Lorimar's design. What had started out at the Chief Engineer's idea to rebuild a lost Danube class Runabout after their run in with the Planet Killer had turned into a complete redesign of the Runabout as a ship. The Lorimar class was a complete design deviation from it's predecessors, in that it was modular. It's slightly larger size and improved warp drive allowed the vessel to handle a variety of Mission packages from scientific to exploratory. The vessel could also be configured to operate as a cargo carrier or a personnel ferry if needed. This made her exceptionally versatile. "Arania" he said aloud, speaking to the ship's modified Mako AI named after his wife. [Yes Matthew?] she replied in Arania's voice. "How long until we reach the coordinates where we are going to rendezvous with the Furious?" he asked. [1 hour 22 minutes and 36.5 seconds.] Matthew nodded. "Okay then, keep us on course. Let me know when you get the furious in sensor range." [Okay Matthew.] Matthew stood up from his chair, stretched by placing the palms of his hands flat against the ceiling of the cabin and then reached down to straighten his gold colored Tunic. He stepped through the small divider that separated the cockpit from the cargo and personnel area. His travel companions, Lieutenant Yalix, with whom he had served for the last 2 years on the Boudicca, and Lieutenant Gralen were sitting doing their own thing. Tollian seemed to be monitoring the ship's power relays. ~Once an Operations Officer, always an Operations officer.~ He thought to himself. "Well gentlemen," he said slapping his hands together and rubbing them against each other. "We're almost there. Arania says it's just another hour and twenty minutes to go." The Efrosian Operations Officer shook his head. "I still do not believe that you named the ship's AI after your wife." he said. "Well you'd better believe it. Would you prefer if I named it Jahlen?" he joked back. Tollian's face clouded over for a moment at the mention of his girlfriend. He had been reassigned and hadn't really been given much time to say goodbye. "No, Arania is acceptable after all." he replied with a shake of his head. Matthew chuckled and turned to Holis. "So Doctor Holis, what are you working on, if I may ask? Looks biological in nature." he commented as he glanced at the display screen that the scientist was working on. ------------------------- Day 2, 1340 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: 2 Stardate: 2408.08.02 (Runabout Wells - Passenger compartment - USS Furious CSO, Lt. Cmdr. Holis Gralen - Day 2, 1340) Holis was more than a bit put out as he had already confided to Saleke during their communication as of two days ago. Holis, also called Dr. Gralen because of his PHDs in subspace theory and warp field mechanics had been pressed into duty during the civil war because of the shortage of trained scientific personnel to crew 52nd fleet ships over his many and loud protests. His first posting had been on the Nimitz under Devan Sash after the departure of Lieutenant Saleke who had been promoted and transferred to the Mystique as FO under Captain Vanyssa Winters. The betazoid scientist despite his misgivings though had found life on a Sovereign class starship to be more than a little challenging to his ingenuity and abilities which had kept him interested in the posting, interested enough and busy enough that Captain Sash had promoted him quickly to Lt. Commander which had been mostly an honorary position as he had not been included in the ships command line during his time there. And then the karma had really started to get weird, Captain Winters had become medically incapacitated and Saleke took over command and was given a new ship more in line with his considerable abilities and had requested Holis to be transferred to the Hades to become his CSO ... so once again Holis followed in the vulcan's steps. Then with the end of the war in sight the captain was transferred to the Poseidon along with a picked crew on what amounted to a suicide mission which had been lost presumably with all hands. Holis had stayed on the Hades along with the vulcan's mineral samples and remained there till the wars end at which time he set aside his Sarfleet rank and returned to civilian life on Geneva as Dr. Gralen once again studying the subspace river. Then to his elation one half year after the wars end Saleke had been found on a near barren planetoid alive though not well, his convalescence had been aboard Geneva. Holis had continued studying the mineral samples on and off and in the last few days had made a breakthrough on one of the samples but due to a communications blackout he had been unable to contact the vulcan and now he knew why. And then horror of horrors he had been press-ganged back into service in the fleet. "Do you know who you're talking to?" He had shouted at the officer who had brought him the bad news. "Yes Commander Gralen, there is no mistake in my orders, you are to report to the shuttle to be transferred to your new posting." And just like that his grand experiments had been brought to a screeching halt until the call from Saleke, that's when he had learned who had been the author of this outrage. The vulcan had been uncharacteristically wrong about the shuttle ride but that was to be expected, there must have been some last minute change farther up the chain of command which brought him not to an empty shuttle but to a runabout with another passenger. The storage had not been strained by the cases of mineral samples though ~Damn the luck!~ else Holis would have used the vulcan's orders for their delivery as a tactic to stall for time while he looked for another way out of his predicament. Saleke had been cagy though, springing this on him out of the blue as he did had basically locked Holis into it. He had made the most of the ride though, going over and over the equations and data on the samples taken by the Spectre on the subspace river, data gained when it had inexplicably refused to allow the ship entrance, even damaging it at one point. He was engrossed in these studies when the pilot moseyed back into the passenger department. "Well gentlemen," he slapped his hands and rubbed them together in satisfaction . "We're almost there. Arania says it's just another hour and twenty minutes to go." ~Ariana?~ The thought came and went through his head so quickly he barely had time to notice it. He noted that the two men had struck up a conversation but tuned it out as he studied the embedded wavelengths, he had been getting closer and closer to a conclusion that remained tantalizingly out of reach. "So Doctor Holis, what are you working on, if I may ask? Looks biological in nature." Holis looked up to see he man peering down at the display. "It does doesn't it." The betazoid mused. "I've spent two years studying the subspace river. I've charted many of its eddies and currents and traced its energy field which has given me a unique perspective on energetic field dispersal and cloaking devices. I've measured its boundaries and wavelengths, its ebbs and flows, speed and vectors and now something new comes along to throw me into a tailspin." "It's some of the data sent to Geneva from the Spectre, they've detected evidence that there might be a biologic component to the river." Holis pointed at the sets of phased wavelengths and intrinsic harmonic variables that undulated across the screen. " And this looks tantalizingly like the endemic code for engrams as though they were snipped from a human brain which is patently impossible. How can a river think or know after all? Reason or make decisions, plan or execute those plans or use its will or power to expel a ship from its midst?" "Amazing isn't it?" Holis chuckled. "Just when you think you know something the universe jumps up and yells BOO!" ------------------------- Day 2, 1550 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: 2 Stardate: 2408.08.02 (ISS Rosenante, Bridge, CO, Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid (MU), Day 2 - 1550) Salid was smiling when the ship dropped out of warp into the Bardon system. The system was one with which he was intimately familiar. How many years had he spent here working in the Boronite mines under the harsh whips of the Klingons and Cardassians? The scars that laced his back were testament to their cruelty. These beatings had made him a hard man, more that he might have been otherwise. "Disengage the HISS" he commanded. (reply Nayati) "Take us into orbit Mister Midas." "Right away captain." Midas replied without hesitation. The Rosenante turned towards the planet. "Jackson, scan the facility. Verify that they are still processing Boronite and that they have a supply suitable for our needs." Ahmed nodded. "Jennifer, you and Temerarious put together an away team. I want 600 kilos of refined Boronite secured and the facility cleansed. You'll have to do it the hard way, since boronite interferes with sensors. Oh, and don't forget to leave someone to tell the tale." he ordered. "Sullivan, target their structural integrity fields and their magnetic dispersal shields with photon torpedoes. On my mark start destroying them. They can be attuned to inhibit our transporters." "We've reached orbit, Captain" Midas reported. "Mister Smith, open a channel I want to talk to them before we destroy them." The image shifted to that of the facilities administrative center. The last time that Salid had seen it was years ago, covered in Klingon and Cardassian blood. It had been the result of the prisoner riot that he and Rodrigo had brought to a head. He remembered how the Klingon warriors had fallen like so much chaff under the assaults from the Angosian prisoner Devan Sash and the Vulcan Saleke. He had proven that he was more than a simple slave that day and all those that had led the revolt had been rewarded for their selfless destruction of their tormentors. Displayed on the center screen in living breathing color was the administrator of the facility Alix Sorvex. The man was a brutal taskmaster who regularly beat and half-starved the prisoners under his care. A toady of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance who had taken liberties with the female populace of the prison as he helped destroy his own people. Salid had personally cut his beating heart from his chest with a Klingon Blade those many years ago. The blade was displayed in a prominent place on the walls of his cabin. A smile graced his lips at the thought of killing the man a second time. "What a pleasant surprise." Ahmed said, still savoring the thoughts of having this man die again, "It's been a very long time since I've seen you Sorvex.=^= Alix seemed to be confused as he replied, =^=I'm sorry do I know you?=^= he replied instead. "Oh yes... of course not." Salid replied. "How rude of me. I'm captain Salid of the Rosenante. And I'm here for some Boronite." Alix looked as if he was about to panic. But then again he had never been a particularly brave individual. He had cried and groveled for mercy while Ahmed had traced deep cuts across his body. =^=I'm sorry, but I'm not authorized to turn over any Boronite to you.=^= "I know Alix," he replied with an even broader smile, "but nonetheless you will." =^=I most certainly will not. You've no authority for...=^= Salid signaled Sullivan with a movement of his hand and Alix's response cut short when the station shook under the first of the impacts from the photon torpedoes. Dirt and dust rained down from the ceiling. "I believe you've seen my authority," Salid stated coldly, "we'll be with you shortly, I suggest you pray." He motioned for the channel to be closed. The image of the planet reappeared on the main viewer. "Let them get out one distress call, then destroy their communications." "If everything else proves to be true, They'll be looking for this universe's version of our ship. We'll be free to pursue our goals unmolested." "Let me know when the shields are all down. Jackson will then see to it that Commander Caskie and Temerarious are transported to the surface to complete their mission." ------------------------- Day 2 - 1552 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: 2 Stardate: 2408.08.02 (ISS Rosenante, Bridge, FO - Cmdr Jennifer Caskie (MU), Day 2 - 1552) Ahmed nodded. "Jennifer, you and Temerarious put together an way team. I want 600 kilos of refined Boronite secured and the facility cleansed. You'll have to do it the hard way, since boronite interferes with sensors. Oh, and don't forget to leave someone to tell the tale." he ordered. Jennifer stood up from her chair and sashayed across to Temerarious at Security. Leaning over his terminal she smiled at him. "I want Rosenbauer's team with me, they are about due for some fun I believe. Oh and I might need Wyler too. So buzz her. Pick who every else you want for your team and tell them they need to be in the transporter room in five minutes. Also pick two scientists who know about Boronite, but try to pick two that we don't necessarily need to keep please. Since I rather doubt they will be beaming back with us ------------------------- Day 2 - 1600 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: 2 Stardate: 2408.08.02 (Bardon Alpha, Boronite Mining Complex, Project Director Alix Sorvex, Day 2 - 1600) Alix walked through the rough corridors of the complex that he had called home for the last six years of his life. His Uniform was already dusty from the constant presence of boronite ore dust that clung to everything regardless of how clean you tried to keep it. The corridors of the complex were nothing special. The majority were little more than the rough tunnels carved by the Starfleet engineering corps, reinforced periodically by a bulkhead containing a blast door, or a section of finished corridor that was more reminiscent of a star base rather than an underground facility. He made a lap of the outer loop tunnel every afternoon before turning toward the center of the complex and the administrative offices. This afternoon he was running a little bit later than usual, as he had decided to stop for a quick cup of coffee and a pastry at the mess hall before beginning his trek. The soft crunch of boronite dust under his feet as he traversed the finished interior corridor could be clearly heard over the noise of the air recyclers. Sorvex came to the outer administration area door. He tapped in his access code and stood back as the triple layered door disengaged, each half of the door sliding diagonally into the wall, with each subsequent layer alternating. The door was a bit excessive in his opinion. While somewhat dangerous, boronite was a fairly stable material and to his knowledge there had not been a mining accident in it's extraction for over 100 years. The doors parted to reveal the administrative chamber. It wasn't overly large and was merely a series of operational and automated stations. In the center, clustered behind a barrier of transparent aluminum was his office. It was a clear cylinder that would allow him see all the various tasks as they were carried out. The best part is that it afforded him some modicum of privacy as well. He returned a few good afternoon greetings from his meager crew and walked up the stairs to his command room, as he liked to call it. Today's work would be centered around looking at the production quotas. His automated mining units had been working throughout the night to fulfill the additional last minute request from Starfleet Command. He frowned at that, but his job was to provide whatever they required. he wondered exactly how much boronite they would need before it was all over with. His production order portfolio was pretty normal except for the odd sudden, emergency production request of refined boronite granules. Three times now in the last six months, and not small amounts either. With very specific purity and refinement protocols requested. He had to be shipping out the most pure Boronite in the quadrant. Still, it wasn't his place to question the orders. They came in through normal channels, and it was well known that Boronite was used in starship construction. Alix simply found it easier to assume that the extra fine boronite was being used in metallurgical experiments that would eventually improve starship construction techniques. He shifted the administration PADD from his left hand to the table top and smiled with the knowledge that his people had already fulfilled the 800 kilograms of refined boronite that had been ordered just last night. It would be a few days still before the USS Templar arrived to take the shipment away. One thing about the special orders that had always bothered him, Starfleet had always sent the Templar to collect the order. Under orders the shipment was simply marked delivered, no electronic trails connected the additional shipments to that ship. Maybe once that would have caused Alix to question things, but after living during the Doenitz regime, he had learned that it was healthier to simply not ask too many questions, especially those not immediately pertinent to the task at hand. he didn't need to know where it was going, he only needed to know how much and at what purity it needed to be produced. it helped to have a delivery schedule, of course, but the ship yards had always been good at providing him that information. The intercom at his desk chirped angrily, drawing his attention to the device. He reached down and pressed the button. "What is it?" he asked. =^= Our sensor array is picking up a Federation starship entering the system.=^= ~that's odd~ Alix thought before replying. "Is it the Templar?" =^= I don't think so, not unless the Templar has a cloaking device and has undergone some sort of really radical facelift.=^= This caught Alix's attention. He walked away from his desk and out the door. He moved down the steps and stopped in front of the Mining operations console. Dallas V'Ben was manning that station. "Can you show me the ship on the screen?" he asked. "Yeah I think so." V'Ben answered and then pressed a few buttons. A moment later, the main view screen changed from an image of the Automated mining units working in Tunnel twenty-two to the image of a sleek and dangerous looking starship with a strange red tint to it. It was most assuredly a federation design, but Sorvex had never seen one like it before. "What sort of ship is that?" V'Ben asked. "I'm not really sure, but it is definitely a federation design." Alix replied. An alarm chirped on the operations console. V'Ben looked at it a moment before replying, "They're hailing us." "Okay, let's answer." Sorvex replied. Dallas tapped out a few commands on the console and the image on the screen shifted again. this time it was an image of a starship bridge. There was a man of Mediterranean descent sitting in a command chair. His uniform was unlike anything that Alix had ever seen before. A duty Jumpsuit of some sort, crimson red at the top and black at the bottom. Around his waist was a deep crimson sash with a dagger. =^= What a pleasant surprise.=^= The man on the other end of the channel said with a predatory smile. =^=It's been a very long time since I've seen you Sorvex.=^= This was confusing to Alix since he did not remember meeting such a man before. "I'm sorry do I know you?" he replied instead. =^= Oh yes... of course not.=^= the ship's captain replied. =^= How rude of me. I'm captain Salid of the Rosenante. And I'm here for some Boronite. =^= Now alarm bells were going off in Sorvex's brain. There was no mention of another ship named the Rosenante arriving to take a shipment of Boronite. "I'm sorry, but I'm not authorized to turn over any Boronite to you." =^= I know Alix, =^= the man Salid replied with an even broader smile, =^= but nonetheless you will.=^= "I most certainly will not. You've no authority for..." The man moved his hand and Alix's response was cut short when the station shook. Dirt and dust rained down from the ceiling. ~They're firing on us.~ he immediately thought. =^= I believe you've seen my authority=^= Salid stated coldly, =^= we'll be with you shortly, I suggest you pray.=^= The facility shook again as the screen went back to the view of the ship in orbit around the planet. Dallas was already in motion. "They're using photon torpedoes to take out the structural integrity fields and the magnetic dispersal shields." he reported. "A distress beacon. Open me a channel on all frequencies." Alix ordered, even as another torpedo slammed into the facilities surface structures. Once they failed, there would be nothing that could keep them from beaming in. "It's open." Alix nodded. "This is Administrator Sorvex at the Bardon Alpha Mining Complex. We are under attack by a federation starship calling herself the Rosenante. They are demanding Boronite ore. We need assistance immediately. Repeat we are under attack and need assistance immediately." "They've destroyed the transmitter." Dallas reported. "Let's hope that our signal got out, then." Alix replied. "Even if it did, how long before someone reaches us?" V'Ben asked. "Too long." was all that Alix replied. ------------------------- Day 2 - 1630 Mission: Into the Darkness, Go I Day: 2 Stardate: 2408.08.02 (USS Rosenante, Ready Room, CO, Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 2 - 1630) Ahmed sat behind his desk in his ready room. his mind trying to work out the complete lack of data that he had to work with. "Computer record the following." [Ready] "Captain Log Supplemental. Stardate 2408.08.02." "We arrived in the Ikev sector late last night and have begun our long range scans of the region. Our Current course is taking us towards the Minim Colony at Bardon Alpha where I plan to maintain a position cloaked in the hopes of discovering a Federation Starship named the Templar arriving to take on Boronite Ore." "The Data that I have been provided by the Vulcan Ambassador indicates that Boronite is a key ingredient to the creation of the Omega Molecule. Specifically a highly refined Boronite, that requires special processing." "Library records indicate that the Boronite facility at Bardon Alpha is the only facility in this region. As a result I thought that it was prudent to monitor the traffic coming and going from the system in the hopes of finding a link to the next location in the production chain." "The intelligence that was provided to me by the Vorta Julman on Barcus IV named a federation starship, the Templar as the primary vehicle for the transfer of this refined Boronite." "I find this a bit coincidental since My Father was once assigned to the Templar before his transfer and subsequent death aboard the Tripoli. I have spent many months aboard that ship as a teenager, prior to staying with my Uncle in Cairo, and the very mention of the vessel's name stirs a number of memories of my mother." "I had never considered Captain Soviek to be the sort to support this sort of work, but I do know that he was a loyal although lackluster supporter of the Doenitz Regime. I can only hope that I will not have to find myself in direct conflict with the Templar, as I would be very saddened if such an encounter came to blows." "At present we are still 2 hours from Bardon Alpha, and at our present speed of Warp 8, should arrive in that system under cloak around 1830 hours." "Then we watch and hope that the Dominion intelligence was correct. I sincerely hope that we do not discover the Templar involved in such a plot, as it would be disastrous to see Captain Soviek stripped of his command and placed in a penal facility for his role in such a thing if it turns out to be true." =^= Bridge to the Captain=^= "Computer store and amend to personal log- Omega clearance only." [Stored and amended- Omega Clearance is in affect.]] Ahmed tapped his commbadge. "Salid here, what is it bridge" "Captain we received a short distress signal from Bardon Alpha." On my way. (USS Rosenante, Ready Room, CO, Captain Ahmed Ibn Salid, Day 2 - 1635) Ahmed strode onto the bridge with purpose. He nodded to Caskie who was in the center chair. "Replay the distress call Mister Jackson." The main screen came to life, showing a human man obviously very upset, speaking quickly. He was inside some sort of control center. The station was shacking and the deep percussive thrums of exploding torpedoes could be heard. Dirt was raining down from the ceiling of the facility. =^=This is Administrator Sorvex at the Bardon Alpha Mining Complex.=^= The man began anxiously, =^= We are under attack by a federation starship calling herself the Rosenante. They are demanding Boronite ore. We need assistance immediately. Repeat we are under attack and need assistance immediately.=^= The message ended. "Did he say they were under attack by the Rosenante?" Ahmed asked for clarification. "Mister Dralar. Take us to warp 9. At that speed what is our ETA to Bardon Prime?" "An hour and Ten Minutes, Captain." Ahmed glanced up at the ship's chronometer. ~1745. Too Long~ "Engage." Dralar tapped a few keys on his console and the Rosenante increased her speed. "Mister Caskie, liaise with medical. I want relief teams ready to beam down to the surface when we arrive. You'll be leading the away team. Take Mister Nayati. Have Doctor Wyler stay aboard ship to prepare to receive casualties. Take Ichijo and Lopez and anyone else you think you'll need." "Mister Jackson, I want you and Smith to be ready to beam down to the planet. I want you to pull any records in the facilities computers. I want to know their production schedules as well as any data concerning shipments and anything associated with this attack. Have Chief Sheridan take your place on the Bridge. Take Ensign Rixx as well, you may need an engineer." "Mister V'Shera. You'll be handling security on the Away team." "We are to arrive around 1745 hours, I want the teams ready to deploy ten minutes before we get there. Carry out your orders." "I have the bridge." he added as an after thought. "mister Sullivan take us to red Alert." Ahmed sat down in the center chair and waited restlessly to arrive at Bardon Alpha, wondering all the while if they had known that the Rosenante was coming and if this really was some sort of trap after all. ------------------------- __________ NOD32 4007 (20090414) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com