Planning A Hike
Posted on Thu Mar 29th, 2018 @ 7:33am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Edited on on Thu May 31st, 2018 @ 9:32pm
1,142 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Enemy Within
Location: Ready Room - Deck 1
Timeline: MD005 0930 hrs
Tags: SD 71381.0930
Tyler sat at his desk and began to bounce a ball up against the wall. This was a technique that he developed way back in the Academy that always helped him think. At the moment he was trying to come up with an idea to take over a station with as little casualties as possible. But that very task seemed impossible, he sighed. This was why COs have a crew... You surround yourself with people who have the skills that you don't. he thought. To that end he had requested his Marine CO to come to the Ready Room. I can only hope that he can help figure this mess out Tyler thought.
Jack received the "At your convenience..." message from the captain which he interpreted as "Right away." He waved his hand in front of the door chime and then stepped through when it opened. He'd finished his morning PT with his detachment and was carrying a cup of coffee in his left hand.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" He asked.
"Yes, have a seat." Tyler paused as he sipped his own coffee and waited for the man to sit down. "Lieutenant you and your men are going to have to take a walk as it were. It seems that there is a forgotten Cardassian station out there and we need to take control of it. My conundrum is how to do this with as little casualties as possible. Options?"
Jack leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee. He'd always though that his coffee was his weakness. Not because he had to have it but because it wasn't black. Marines probably should only drink black coffee but he liked sugar and cream.
"Well, sir, it depends on the size of station and what kind of enemy we are going up against, number wise I mean. The most important thing about any mission where you want to take control, is to make sure that you alter the environment so that it suites you and not the enemy," Jack said.
Tyler pressed a few buttons on his console and an image of the station appeared on the computer screen which he turned so Jack could see it. "This is Breyet Nor or kill station. It was built by Cardassia during the Dominion War. The station's task was to build and design biogenic weapons. These weapons were to be sent to Earth what they would do exactly is still unknown. When the war ended the station was left abandoned. It seems that our new friends have taken the station and the weapons and repurposed them." Tyler paused to sip his coffee.
"Ideally I would like to seize control of the station and the weapons with as little casualties as possible. Secondly I intend to bring one of these weapons aboard so Dr Ballston can have a look at one. I also have Lieutenant Zano contacting Cardassia Prime to see why they never reported this station's existence to begin with." Tyler sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
Jack leaned forward and examined the station. It was similar to the DS9 plans he'd studied years ago so he was familiar with it. "Alright, here's what I would do. The main reactor cores for these stations are at the very bottom of the structure," Jack said. "Here. I would find some one, probably ask the eggheads, of knocking these offline. That will cut off all power for the station. Sure they'll have some local emergency backups but some of those are probably no good anymore. The next thing to do would be an insertion in the operations center, here. Marines breach the hull, enter, take over and secure ops. From that point we would control the station. Insert secondary team into engineering and it is all down hill from there."
"I agree with the one addition of finding those weapons. They are most likely being hidden under some sort of field as our scanners can barely read the signatures. How many men will you need to execute?" Tyler was on the same page as Cunningham however he rather loathed the idea of having to send anyone in at all.
"If you want to include two teams of Marines plus another four security personnel, that should be enough for us to pull this off, sir. I want to warn you that we won't know exactly what conditions are like until we get our boots on the deck," Jack said. He wondered if the CO was used to putting people into harm's way.
Tyler thought about what Jack had said and all he planned was prudent. "Two teams, you will have the command. However, I am going to send Lieutenant Myles, and Dr Ballston with you. The doctor's task will be to seek out and secure the biogenic weapons. What would be the best way for your teams insertion. I was going to attempt to dock with the station." Tyler sighed, "Jack I don't envy you and the task I as of you. They know we are here. I am hoping that they do not know that you and your men are here. Perhaps they won't expect us to board."
"Sir, I'm confident that we will be able to get the job done. I would strongly recommend against docking with the station. It puts the ship at a disadvantage. You can't escape quickly if needed. I recommend transporter insertion if possible or, if not, we use shuttles and insert that way. We have enough shuttles to make it work," Jack said.
"Transporter insertion will be nigh impossible as the Pioneer will be under direct assault if we get that close. Take the Hawkeye, it will have enough space for your men and the weapons if need be. Jack I need those weapons all other mission objectives are secondary. Finding the weapons and what they do as well as obtaining them is the primary objective. The main secondary is obtaining a prisoner I need a face to face with someone who knows what is going on there. Is that understood?" Tyler did not care if he left the station to the Maquis. But he would be damned if they were keeping biogenic weapons.
Jack nodded. "Understood, sir. We'll get the weapons. Don't worry," Jack said. "My Marines train for this kind of operation all the time. They will produce results. I'd better get things rolling."
"Happy hunting Lieutenant. Dismissed" Tyler watched his Marine CO go and when the door closed he added "and godspeed..."
A Joint Post By
Commander Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
1st Lieutenant Jack Cunningham Jr
Marine Commanding Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
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