[Galaxy] 2161.09.21 - CHA/MER JL - "Goals, Strategy, Operations, Tactics"

[Anna H.]

(The four levels of warfare.)   //  Challenger, Shuttle Bay  \\


The two 
    Challenger shuttlepods sat on top of the bay doors, both tethered to the 
    launch booms and ready to go.  As Sasha entered the bay, with Yuki 
    right behind her, she saw that her XO, Commander Cara Nelson-Samad, and 
    Second Officer, Commander Vic Hanley, were already there waiting.  She 
    walked over to them, exchanging greetings, and then heard the turbolift 
    doors open behind her once again.  As she turned around, she saw 
    SubCommander T'Pren and a Tellarite whom she assumed was Captain Horzt, 
    entering the bay from the lift.  Captain Horzt made a beeline for the 
    long table of food and drink that was set up alongside the 
    shuttlepods.  

Walking over to welcome them, Sasha said, 
    "Captain Horzt I presume?" and then nodded at SubCommander T'Pren with a 
    little smile.

Horzt grunted in reply as he was piling a plate with 
    goodies.  SubCommander T'Pren said, "Captain Spearling," by way of 
    greeting.
  
Cara joined Sasha at the table with Hortz and T'Pren 
    "It's good to see you again Sub Commander."  Cara said getting a glass 
    of water and nodding an acknowledgement to Horzt.

Horzt was too busy 
    loading his plate to be bothered with the niceties.  Food first, that 
    was the Tellarite way.  He grunted again at Cara's greeting.  
    T'Pren however, unclasped her hands from behind her back and held one out to 
    Cara.  "Commander Nelson-Samad ... it is most agreeable to see you 
    again."

Cara nodded "As it is to see you again."  She said 
    taking T'Pren's hand.  "How have you been?"  She asked taking a 
    small bite of the food that was laid out before them.  She was still 
    not hungry, but nibbled.

T'Pren, her barriers on "high", shook Cara's 
    hand and then replaced it behind her.  "Busy," she replied.  "I 
    presume you have been the same."  

Sasha noted that Vic had 
    walked over to one of the shuttlepods, presumably the one he was shortly to 
    man on a scout mission.  He was talking with the two MACOs who would be 
    going along.  

Behind them, the turbolift doors opened 
    again.  A Denobulan and an Andorian stood there, the Denobulan walking 
    off the lift with a wide smile.  The Andorian wore -- surprise, 
    surprise -- a frown.  Both approached the group at the 
    table.

The Andorian scowled at everyone "Captain Spearling, I hope 
    that this is going to be informational and not just social."  He said 
    as his antenna swiveled slightly.

"Now now, Rakul," the Denobulan 
    said cheerily, "there's a lot to be said for the social side of Humanity!" 
    She smiled and stepped forward.  "Captain Spearling ... and this must 
    be Commander Nelson-Samad ... and you are certainly SubCommander T'Pren, 
    yes? I'm thrilled to meet you all!" She shook hands all around, her smile 
    never dimming.  "I am Captain Larana of the Denobulan ship 
    Sharash.  Pleasure!"

Rakul looked at Larana with a look of 
    disdain "Honestly, we are on the brink of war, and you can think about being 
    social?"  He asked "I will never understand your need for such 
    interactions."  Rakul shook his head again and bowed slightly in 
    greeting to the others.  

"Don't mind Rakul," Larana said.  
    "He's just itching to get into a nice nasty fight."  She smiled at him 
    and then turned back to Sasha.

"The pleasure is all mine, Captain 
    Larana."  Sasha smiled back.  "I assure you, Captain Rakul, this 
    meeting is /definitely/ about business.  However, as you may know, food 
    is /always/ a part of Tellarite diplomacy."

"Ahhh yes, the Tellarite 
    Diplomacy.  I suppose I must then partake in order to not offend 
    anyone."  He said as he picked up a piece of familiar fruit.  "How 
    have you been Captain Spearling?"  He asked.

"Very well," Sasha 
    replied, taking an hors d'oeuvre from the table, basically a cheese 
    cracker.  

Once again came the sound of the turbolift 
    doors.  The transporter was working overtime today.  Sasha turned 
    to look, and saw Captain Roger Finney of the Meridian get off the lift 
    accompanied by his XO.

Rog approached Sasha and said, "Capt. 
    Spearling, we meet face to face at last. May I introduce my XO and CEO, 
    Cmdr. Yue Wang."

Yue glanced around the shuttle bay at the alien 
    commanding officers gathering about the buffet table. She could pick up on 
    the animosity between the species. It was a feeling she shared herself, 
    leaving an expression on her face similar to the Andorian CO's.

Sasha 
    took a step forward and shook Rog's hand and nodded to Yue.  "Captain, 
    Commander."

Yue accepted Sasha's nod with one of her own. 
    "Captain."

"Glad you could make it.  Glad /we/ could make it!" 
    She grinned at them, then turned around, facing the rest of the crowd.  
    "Glad we could /all/ make it! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard the 
    starship Challenger.  Please help yourselves to refreshments, if you so 
    desire," she gestured to the tables, "but I'd like to get down to business 
    without delay, if you all agree."

Rakul nodded "That is most 
    agreeable.  There are pressing matters at hand."  He said as he 
    ate the fruit that he had put on his plate.  

Rog headed over to 
    look at the refreshment table. He quietly said, "Well Yue, looks like the 
    gangs all here doesn't?"

"Surprisingly," she muttered while 
    exchanging sour glances with the Andorian.

In the meantime, Sasha 
    continued.  "These are Captain Finney and my suggestions, please feel 
    free to make suggestions or comments as you please.  In ten minutes, 
    several scoutships will be sent out with a dual mission:  find a safe 
    anonymous route through the nebula to the other side, and check up on the 
    Romulans and see what they're doing."

Rakul listened "I think that it 
    is wise to send out scouts.  However how do we know that the Romulans 
    are not aware of our presence already?"  He asked.
 
Captain Horzt guffawed, almost spraying the 
    buffet with food.  "Do you think we'd've been sitting here all this 
    time if they'd known? We'd be space dust by now."
 
T'Pren nodded sagely.  "That is, more 
    than likely, true."  It had not been often, lately, that she got to try 
    out her Human phrases like "more than likely".
 
"We're 
    pretty sure we're unsuspected, so far.  Upon return of the scoutships, 
    the data will be studied -- very quickly -- and our plan of attack will be 
    formulated.  I don't need to remind you that time is of the essence 
    here ... we don't know how far along the Romulans are with their plans, and 
    we certainly don't want to trek through the nebula only to find them /gone/ 
    already," Sasha said.

T'Pren nodded again.
 
Sasha continued, "In short -- I want to be 
    able to take our armada through the nebula within the next 8 hours.  Is 
    that feasible, everyone?" Sasha looked around at her 
    co-conspirators.

"Meridian is ready already," Yue chimed in an 
    unusual moment of outspokenness. "I say enough talk. Let's get our view of 
    what they are doing and make our move. These monsters have killed enough of 
    our people." The Tellarite captain seemed to give her a surprised and almost 
    admiring look.

Rog smiled briefly at Yue's comments. He said, "I 
    quite agree. Let's get the show on the road. I have my scout pod ready to 
    go. Let's get the recon over with and kick some Rommie butt."

Rakul's 
    antenna swiveled "Pink skin, we'll be ready to go when you give the 
    word."  He said the sour look still not leaving his face.  "Will 
    you need us to launch a scout ship as well, or will your shuttles be 
    enough?"
 
"That's up to you," Sasha said, being accomodating.  
    "Send out a shuttle to help in the effort ... put one or more of your 
    people /on/ one of the shuttles, whatever.  But make up your 
    mind fast, because I want those shuttles gone."  She turned her head and said loudly, over her shoulder, "Commander Hanley ... ready to go?" "Aye, Captain!" Vic said, with a snappy salute and a grin. "All right, load up.  Fly fast, come back quick.  We'll be waiting."  
    

-----

Cmdr Yue "Moon" Wang
CEO/XO
FCL-06 
    Meridian=

Commander Cara Nelson-Samad
XO
FCL-04 
    Challenger

Captain Sasha Spearling
Commanding Officer
FCL-04 
    Challenger

Capt. Roger 
  FinneyCO FCL-06 Meridian Captain Rakul
Andorian Captain
APB     Cara Captain Horzt
Tellarite CO
APB     AnnaCaptain LaranaDenobulan COAPB Anna SubCommander T'PrenVulcan COAPB Anna 		 	   		  
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