The Romulan Ultimatum
Posted on Tue Sep 22nd, 2020 @ 5:08am by Colonel Loval
Edited on on Thu Sep 24th, 2020 @ 2:38am
1,849 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: IRW Galn'To - Somewhere Within Romulan Space
Timeline: MD008 1130 hrs
Loval sat at the head of the table in his briefing room. He had summoned his officers and they would be arriving soon. The time had come to inform them of the great plan to restore the Empire, His Plan. As the minutes ticked by, he found himself going deeper and deeper into his thoughts. It will work, it has to work he thought. As his officers arrived, he greeted them with curt nods.
The first to arrive was his tactical officer Delleela she was a stout woman. Cunning as she was beautiful. "Sir I must protest can these tr’Hwersuils be trus..." her remarks came quick and unfiltered and she was cut off by Loval just as quick. “You will say nothing until we are all assembled and even then only when I allow it. Is this understood?" He said without even looking at her. She lowered her head in deference and took her seat without any further words.
Over the next few minutes, the rest of his command staff arrived, and Loval sat stoically as he stared straight ahead at nothing in particular. His officers knew the Colonel when he got like this, it was not a time to interrupt it was time to listen and then speak. The Romulans milled about speculating about the mission ahead, about the possible traitors who would save the Empire. The last to arrive was Loval's second Vekos who was equally as formidable as Loval. In fact, the only difference between the two was that Vekos was usually quick to decide, while Loval liked to take his time weigh all the options.
"And now we can begin..." Loval spoke as Vekos took his seat. "I have decided that it is time to regain the empire. To that end, we need certain secrets that remain hidden to us due to the Hobus incident. Through extensive research, we have learned that there is one who has the information we need. Currently he is serving as a Starfleet officer aboard the USS Pioneer. Vaebn tr’Hwersuil was privy to the Pretorean codes back when he served on the guard. The question now is how to entice him to join our venture. We have learned that his only surviving relative a sister by the name of Lyie is enrolled in Starfleet Academy. I will speak with Vaebn and if he refuses his people. His sister will be taken from Earth and turned. One way or the other we will have the information that we need. You see we need them and the Federation if we are to succeed. We need the codes to the Dilithium mines that were on Remus. Some of the mines are still there and if we can harvest the Dilithium there, we will be able to forge a new homeworld. All the while if we have a Starfleet officer in our ranks we will always know what they are up to before they do." Loval paused while some members of the support staff poured some Romulan Ale for the officers.
Vekos spoke up, "Sir I must protest... We have never needed the Federation, and never will. In fact was it not they who needed us not that long ago. Needed us and Romulan lives to get rid of the Dominion..." Vekos was interrupted as Loval cut him off. "The Dominion was a threat to the entire quadrant, and everyone in the Tal Shiar knows it. In fact, if the Senator had not been assassinated we would have figured out a way to get us into the war. So do not give me that crap..." Loval's thoughts turned to his family and all that was lost when the Hobus star exploded. In truth he agreed with his first officer, however, for the love he once bore his family this plan must succeed. The irony that he was using another’s family as a pawn in his plan was not lost on the Romulan. Romulans held family above all and Loval was no different.
"Thrawn, how do we stand on those adjustments to the cloak?" Loval turned to his Engineer. The Engineer cleared his throat. "Well sir, they do take some time. However, the information that our operatives have just obtained about the latest Federation sensor technology is greatly useful. We have managed to fool sensors seventy percent of the time and are working on the rest." Thrawn was a short gaunt man who stumbled on his words. A poor excuse for a Romulan by most standards. However, Loval kept him around because the man was a technical genius.
"Most excellent Thrawn, we need that cloak to be foolproof if we are to make it to Earth and obtain Lyie. Keep working on it, and have it down sooner than later. I do not want them using any Federation tricks should they try to breach our cloak. Especially now that they have the cloak specs thanks to the Dominion War. Next Vekos contact our friends and tell them the timetable for our launch into Federation space. Communications send the false Intelligence to the good Senator. We cannot allow politics to get in the way of our plans.” Loval ran the list of tasks that he had worked out long before the meeting.
He next turned to his Intelligence officer, a junior member of the Tal Shiar. A woman who was also secretly the Colonel’s mate. Emni was beautiful by almost any race’s standard. She used her beauty to her advantage whenever she was undercover. It usually allowed her entrance to places most could not go. “Emni, I would like you to keep tabs on Captain Tyler Malbrooke and while we are at it get all information on Commander Quinn O Flannagain and his family. Let us learn now what we can use against them, in the event that it is needed. We do not want them crashing our party now do we? Turn our sensors on the New Republic. They must be shown who the true power is.” Loval leaned back in his chair and tented his fingers this was an affectation that he did when he was finished laying out a plan. The time had come to hear if his officers had anything to add.
Emni boldly spoke first. “Sir… I have an idea of how we can monitor the Pioneer. Perhaps if we send one of our own undercover aboard their vessel. An officer exchange program or simply a Starfleet officer. We know that they are accepting Romulans into their ranks now. Their systems have never presented a problem to hack. All of that said we could get credentials created with little to know issue.”
A Centurion walked in and handed Emni a data pad. She smiled as she read it. “Sir I have some great news. It seems that our contact in the Trivas System has given us someone who can get us through Earth’s detection nets. The Cardassians have turned a Starfleet Officer and they are selling the information. Shall we bid?”
As she spoke, Loval thought of her beauty. He could refuse her little and this was no different. “That is a sound plan. Have one of your people prepared for the mission. Also, submit your plan for getting the agent aboard for final approval. As to the Cardassians, pay them what they want within reason. Any edge that we can have to get to Earth is needed.” Emni smiled and nodded her acknowledgement of the new orders.
Delleela spoke up again. “Sir, I reiterate my protest of part of this plan. The Tr’Hwersuils family cannot be trusted. As soon as the dust settled on Hobus those that remained in that family were gone. They abandoned their own people for the Federation. How can we trust them even if they say they are willing to come back and assist? Even if they do it under duress, we simply cannot believe them at all.” She had stopped speaking when she realized that the rest of the senior officers seemed to agree with her statement. They were nodding and murmured their approval.
“My dear Delleela, I agree with you one hundred percent. I do not trust them as far as I can throw them. It is for this reason that we will have to vet them, to have them prove themselves. I believe the locations of Starbases Sirius and 718 would suffice in proving their worth. If they give that information willingly then we have them. Would that due to assuage your worries?” Loval turned toward the Security Chief as he spoke. She nodded her approval of his words when he had finished speaking.
Loval’s thoughts turned to what was known of Admiral Lancaster. In truth not much was known, however, what was known was that he was an average officer. Nothing truly made him stand out. Yet this was the man who stood as one of Loval’s adversaries. “Lastly I want as much information as we can get on Admiral Oliver Lancaster. In order to succeed one must know their enemy.” The officers gathered acknowledged this new order. Vekos had his doubts as to the success of the mission. There was still a lot of information that they did not have. He decided to speak up. “Sir, should we not wait until we have all of this information that you are seeking. It was you who taught me that one should not go into battle without all of the facts.”
Loval was proud of his protégé Vekos, and the pride showed in his demeanor. “Too right you are Vekos. However, in this instance it is our lack of information that will bring the enemy and information to us. While you are all carrying out the orders. I will contact Malbrooke and extend the olive branch. Every good information gather needs a cover and now we have ours.” Vekos nodded at the sage advice. “If there is nothing else you are all dismissed." Loval said with the tone the bilked no argument. His officers filed out and left him there alone.
Loval sat and began to formulate the secondary plan. That plan was too special to trust to his officers just yet. It would take all of his cunning, but the idea formed for him to take the Pioneer itself. The question was how and when. Malbrooke and his command crew would not simply turn over the ship. The Tal Shiar did not have the resources to take the ship by force. He smile crawled across Loval’s face. He would use the agent from Emni. They would work from within to take the Pioneer. Loval would also The Intrepid Class starship would certainly be a trophy worthy of a New Romulus and would go a long way to showing everyone the might and power of the Tal Shiar. .
"And now we wait..." he said to the empty room.
Colonel Loval
Commanding Officer, Tal Shiar
RSS Feed