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<font id="ecxrole_document" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font id="ecxyiv1625147741role_document" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">(The four levels of warfare.)</font></font></font></font><BR><font face="Arial"></font> <BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font></font></font></font> <BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font></font></font></font> <BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">// Challenger, Shuttle Bay \\<br><br><br>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. <br><br>Walking over to welcome them, Sasha said,
"Captain Horzt I presume?" and then nodded at SubCommander T'Pren with a
little smile.<br><br>Horzt grunted in reply as he was piling a plate with
goodies. SubCommander T'Pren said, "Captain Spearling," by way of
greeting.<br> <br>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.<br><br>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."<br><br>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.<br><br>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." <br><br>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. <br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>"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!"<br><br>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. <br><br>"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.<br><br>"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."<br><br>"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.<br><br>"Very well," Sasha
replied, taking an hors d'oeuvre from the table, basically a cheese
cracker. <br><br>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.<br><br>Rog approached Sasha and said, "Capt.
Spearling, we meet face to face at last. May I introduce my XO and CEO,
Cmdr. Yue Wang."<br><br>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.<br><br>Sasha
took a step forward and shook Rog's hand and nodded to Yue. "Captain,
Commander."<br><br>Yue accepted Sasha's nod with one of her own.
"Captain."<br><br>"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."<br><br>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. <br><br>Rog headed over to
look at the refreshment table. He quietly said, "Well Yue, looks like the
gangs all here doesn't?"<br><br>"Surprisingly," she muttered while
exchanging sour glances with the Andorian.<br><br>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."<br><br>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.</font><br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font> <br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">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."</font><br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font> <br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">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".</font><br> <br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">"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.<br><br>T'Pren nodded again.</font><br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font> <br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">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.<br><br>"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.<br><br>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."<br><br>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?"</font><br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font> <br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">"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?"</font></font></font></font><BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font></font></font></font> <BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">"Aye, Captain!" Vic said, with a snappy salute and a grin.</font></font></font></font><BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font></font></font></font> <BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">"All right, load up. Fly fast, come back quick. We'll be waiting."
<br><br>-----<br><br>Cmdr Yue "Moon" Wang<br>CEO/XO<br>FCL-06
Meridian=<br><br>Commander Cara Nelson-Samad<br>XO<br>FCL-04
Challenger<br><br></font></font></font></font><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Captain Sasha Spearling</font><br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Commanding Officer</font><br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">FCL-04
Challenger<br><br>Capt. Roger
Finn</font><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">ey</font></font></font></font><BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">CO</font><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font></font><BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"><font size="2" face="Arial">FCL-06 Meridian</font></font><BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font> <BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Captain Rakul<br>Andorian Captain<br>APB Cara</font><BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial"></font> <BR><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Captain Horzt<br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">Tellarite CO</font><br><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000" size="2" face="Arial">APB Anna</font><BR></font>Captain Larana<BR>Denobulan CO<BR>APB Anna<BR> <BR>SubCommander T'Pren<BR>Vulcan CO<BR>APB Anna<BR> </div></body>
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