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// Operations \\<BR> <BR> <BR>Sasha looked at the map of the known galaxy. Alpha Quadrant, home to the Sol System and to the rest of the Coalition races, stretched out before her across the Ops tabletop. Beta Quadrant, nearest to Sol and almost competely unexplored, was only partially represented insofar as the Klingons and Romulans were concerned. But at the moment her gaze was preoccupied with the "southern" reaches of Alpha Quadrant ... the area near the border of the quadrant that housed the CoalSack Dark Nebula. <BR> <BR>The Coalsack, 600 lightyears away from Earth in the Crux constellation, had a radius of approximately 35 lightyears. One big nebula. No-one was entirely sure what was inside it, as the dark material it was composed of hid many of its internal features. Star Fleet hadn't yet reached this area with any of its vessels, only information from probes existed to give the Fleet any information. Probes and telescopes. Not good enough. <BR> <BR>Zooming in on the area, Sasha peered at the spot where the Fleet was due to gather. Looking at the map, she thought it looked like a good place. Almost directly opposite the nebula from Cheron, they could gather in relative secrecy and attack from out of the gloom before the Romulans knew what hit them. Theoretically. ~It has to work~ she thought fiercely. ~It /has/ to.~ <BR> <BR>Secure COMMs had revealed that the Andorians' and Tellarites' vessels had already arrived at the meet. Starfleet's vessels were all on their way and should arrive within hours of each other. The <em>Luddington</em>, the <em>Mir,</em> and the <em>Shenandoah</em> would arrive slightly before the <em>Challenger</em> and <em>Meridian</em>. Smaller ships, such as fighters, would also join in. It was hoped that the <em>Columbia </em>would arrive in time to join the battle, but the Enterprise was far, far away in the 'northern' reaches of Alpha Quadrant and could not arrive in time.<BR> <BR>It was thought that this would not be a long drawn-out battle like the Battle of the Ghost Nebula (what was it with the Romulans and their love of nebula warring?), but would be short and fierce. Sasha and Rog Finney had talked and plotted out a preliminary battle strategy, and from her perspective, it looked good. More than good. But the element of surprise was /crucial/. The Romulans could /not/ know they were there. <BR> <BR>Any and all recon would take place from /within/ the nebula. Its particles would serve to screen the ships within from any prying eyes. But great care would have to be taken by the scoutships -- if they were seen, that would be /it/. The battle would be ON, whether the Coalition forces were ready for it or not. Sasha tapped her fingertips on the tabletop, eyeing the nebula. It was their best hope. Only time and experience would tell if that hope was false.<BR> <BR>"Alex!" she called from the Ops area, "ETA to the Coalsack!"<BR> <BR>"Five hours, twenty-seven minutes, Captain!" he called back.<BR> <BR>Sasha nodded to herself. "Chris, contact the Meridian, secure channel! Tell them we're going to begin our out-curve, in order to swing around the nebula and stay out of range of the Romulan's long-range sensors!" She cleared the Ops table and walked back out onto the Bridge proper, sitting down in the captain's chair.<BR> <BR>"Alex, plot that course, send it to the Meridian's helmsman, and prepare for course change in formation."<BR> <BR>"Aye, Captain," Chris and Alex responded.<BR> <BR>Only five hours til they arrived. "Mister Bushnell ... contact Commander Hanley. I want him in one of our shuttlepods for scoutship duty ... LtCmdr McDonald in the second. Alex, you'll be piloting one, Boatswain Grayson will pilot the other. Have her get below to prep them. I want them painted matte black for this mission. Got that, gentlemen?"<BR> <BR>"Yes, ma'am."<BR> <BR>"Then let's get to it," Sasha said, watching as the ships changed course. Last leg. They'd done all they could do, now it relied on intell and surprise. <BR> <BR>"Ma'am," Cinda Zhang said from SCI. "Got a vessel coming in fast ... bearing -33 mark 101. She's big and she's fast. I'm reading over warp 6."<BR> <BR>"Well, well, well," Sasha said with a little smile. "The prodigals are coming at last."<BR> <BR> <BR>Captain Sasha Spearling<BR>Commanding Officer<BR>FCL-04 Challenger<BR> <BR><NPC's, etc, apb Anna> <BR> </div></body>
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