Battle Plans

Posted on 15 Feb 2017 @ 4:32am by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant JG Dean Winchester & Lieutenant JG Catherine Cooper & Chief Petty Officer Sergei Andropov

3,759 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Endgame
Location: Security
Timeline: MD 14 || 1330 Hours

The briefing on the plans to retake Deep Space Eleven had been long and intensive, but the part that had been assigned to Security was short and sweet. Yet, it left a sour taste in the ombre haired Security Chief's mouth. Still, she was glad she was back in Security instead of acting as Executive Officer of the entire ship. Now as she headed back to Security, she almost regretted her choice of career. She had been on Deep Space Eleven prior to her transfer to the Black Hawk and knew it was likely she would be going up against some of the same personnel who had helped her cut her teeth in Security as an officer.

She sighed as she entered the briefing room and tapped her combadge. =^=Corwin, Winchester, Cooper, please report to the briefing room=^= she said before sending out a general Security recall of all personnel on all duty shifts who needed to be informed if they were going to be chosen to go or not. She thought about what she had learned and hoped that the personnel had some ideas that could be utilized when they began their assault.

Joey was settled back in her office when the call to report to the briefing room came through. She was the Assistant Chief again, and she'd never admit it out loud, but she was going to miss being in charge. It wasn't her job, though, and she definitely wasn't the kind of person who would steal someone's career from them. No, that just wasn't who she was, and Camila was a damn fine Chief. She was lucky to be able to serve with someone like her.

Saving the work on a PADD she'd been using, Joey stood and reached up to grip the hem of her uniform jacket to straighten it out. It was obviously time to work out a plan of attack if the majority of the department was being called in. With that in mind, she moved out of her office and to the briefing room where the meeting was to be held.

It didn't take long for her to arrive, and after looking around, she noted she was one of the first to get there. A few other Security personnel were already there talking amongst themselves, and after offering them a nod in greeting, Joey looked to Lieutenant Di Pasquale. "Lieutenant... it's nice to have you back," she said with a smile.

Camila gave a lopsided smile and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "It's good to be back," she said. "Before the rest get here, I want to say that you did a damned fine job while I was fumbling around in Command."

Joey returned the smile. "Thank you, Lieutenant, and while we're at it, you'll make a damn fine Executive Officer when you're ready to make that leap," she said. For her, it would be a long time before she made any kind of leap like that. "And before you try to nay say, never say never."

"I'll consider it, but right now, it just isn't for me," Camila responded. "You, on the other hand, are clearly ready to be a department head and it's a damned shame that we don't have enough space for two in Security and Tactical for a split department. I'm sure something good will happen to you soon, though. You're too valuable a resource to be an Assistant Chief. Get yourself some refreshment before we get started, because the headaches are going to be coming."

Waling in with Rex in tow, Winchester said, "You needed me ma'am?"

Joey offered Camila a smile. She seemed rather optimistic regarding Joey's future, but the Assistant Chief just didn't feel the same way. Truth be told, running Tactical was probably one of the more stressful things she'd ever done, and that was including the large part of her career she'd spent wondering if that was the day she was going to die as a Close Protection Officer. However, she was the kind of officer that never backed down from a challenge, and that was the first time she'd stepped up to a Tactical console since her Senior cruise.

It wasn't so bad, she had to admit, and if anyone had the chance to live in her CPO shoes for a day, they'd probably think she was insane for her thoughts. Thankfully for Joey, she had no intentions of making those public knowledge.

Offering Winchester a nod in greeting, she moved over to the replicator to get coffee, then made her way to the table to settle down. The big battle was upon them now, and that meant they'd all have to be at the top of their game. She would be, and if anything happened to her, Joey hoped like hell she took out a dozen or so of those Consortium bastards with her.

Camila looked over as Winchester came in with his K9. "Could you please take Rex to the kennel, Lieutenant Winchester?" she asked. "I don't want him to be a distraction here."

"Aye Ma'am", Winchester said as he tured and walked back out of the room. Walking down the hallway, he entered the kennel area, and locked Rex in his cage, saying as he left, "Don't worry boy, i will be back soon". Walking back the same way he came, he re-entered the briefing room saying, "Sorry about that".

Chief Andropov passed by Winchester and his canine partner on his way into the briefing. He entered the room and silently took a seat near the back, as was usual for him.

Cooper entered and nodded to Corwin and her Chief, pleased they were in their normal positions because that meant their mission was successful. They'd not only gotten their crew back but gotten back to their own dimension. It had been rough but they'd pulled together and made it happen. She was just grateful she and Corwin had proven to be as adaptable as needed. "Welcome back Ma'am..." She said to Camila with a smile. One still got the sense she could burst into action instantly but it was controlled, focused. She'd grown in the past few missions and was ready to see what was next.

Ensign Sarah Thatcher entered nodding to anyone who noticed her and found a spot to sit quietly with a PADD waiting for meeting start.

Camila nodded to Winchester, then looked at Cooper and gave a smile. "Thank you," she said and noted Thatcher and the others coming in. She activated a panel and the screen behind her lit up with the deck listing for Deep Space Eleven.

"This, gentlebeings, is our objective," she started before she zoomed in on deck thirty of the station and then split the screen to deck eighty-five. "Our job will be to form two teams and get to the computer core and the backups on Deep Space Eleven. There are currently five thousand personnel on the station and almost all of them think that we are the enemy."

She reached down and picked up an isolinear chip on the table and held it up. "Each team member will receive one of these and it will be our job to get it in the computer core or backup core of the station computer. It contains aggressive software that is designed to overtake the starbase's communication system and LCARS displays and broadcast nothing but the truth about the Consortium and the known agents aboard. Once we do that, we will exfiltrate through whatever means possible."

"It will be a very difficult process going in and getting out," Camila said. "I need volunteers for two twenty person teams, one to be assigned to me I need ideas for how we are going to do this. The other ships will be sending in a total of two hundred Security personnel and Marines to handle Security and the reactor core, so don't think about that when you consider your ideas."

She paused and looked at Joey. "Would you like to lead the second team, or do you have another person in mind, Lieutenant Corwin?"

Joey had to arch a brow. "Of course, but two twenty person teams? That paints a much larger target on our backs. I understand the need for more firepower, but I also understand the need to bring back as many of our own people as we possibly can," she said, shifting a bit where she sat. After all... she'd already infiltrated a vessel as a team of one, and it had been quite successful. "There are other things we can take with us to replace those hands."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "Each team needs to beam to the closest point that doesn't see much in the way of foot traffic. Using Jefferies tubes just doesn't seem like a good idea in this instance because of the numbers. If someone decides to fire upon one, then others will end up injured as a result. There's nowhere to go once you're inside. Imagine nine... or nineteen... other bodies in there with you. It's dangerous enough. And if we're going in as teams, the purpose would be not to split up."

Camila thought about what Joey said. "Your point has merit, Lieutenant," she said as she looked at the tall brunette. "Still, we're going to have issues getting to each of the computer cores. So other than the Jeffries Tubes, what do you propose for going in? Your report on the Chimera shows a lot of ingenuity, but we want to minimize damage to personnel and the station. The Captain has already negated the idea of using the LRADS again"

"Thank you, Lieutenant Di Pasquale," Corwin said, leaning back in her chair. "Truth be told.. there is no amount of planning we can do that will come to fruition once we're on Deep Space Eleven. Everything you read in my report from the Chimera was me winging it. Not a single thing I planned on happened. We're going into a completely unknown situation."

Joey rose to her feet and began to pace the floor. "We don't know who we're going to encounter, or what kind of weapons they're going to have. At this point, all we can really do is make sure we're well equipped for anything, and react to what faces us when we're put in the moment."

Sergei watched the exchange between the two women. The mission certainly wasn't going to be easy, and there was some value to smaller teams, but if a firefight broke out, having a larger squad to back you up could be the difference between getting home or not. "Lieutenant," he said, speaking for the first time this meeting. "Put me where you need me the most, whether that's on Eleven or here on the Hawk."

"I would dedicate as many people as possible, but we also have the prisoners in the Brig who need to be watched around the clock," Camila responded to Andropov.

"If we're going to run an assault, and try to minimize injury on their side, I say we go full on. Crowd control gear. We've got a fair amount of stun grenades in storage, for example."

"Get me a total inventory of what we have available," Camila said to Andropov. "And I mean everything."

Andropov nodded his confirmation. It had been years since he'd worked crowd control; it had been at least a dozen years since the protest-turned-riot at the Sigma IX Conference. They'd been lucky that no one had been seriously hurt. The Federation diplomatic attache who'd arranged the negotiation had been very appreciative that no lives were lost.

Cooper had pulled inward, in that she didn’t speak but her mind kept zipping along as the conversation flowed. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed looking at the readouts thoughtfully. She waited for a lull in the conversation then spoke up, “How about both show and substance?” She asked, “We still go with the two main groups for the two main objectives, but break them into 10 bodies each instead of 20 at a go, both groups opposite each other. Say either side of where they need to be, group with the clearest path makes haste to the objective with the other group getting loud and shiny, not to mention acting as a road block. Failing that they can support each other, could be one way of allowing for combat flexibility. At least I recommend having a command person for 10 then 5 people in case, as Lt. Corwin pointed out was possible, we need to “wing it” by breaking up the teams further on site. She gave a nod of respect to Lt. Corwin but said no more, trying not to over explain.

Ensign Thatcher sat with her PADD, studying the same schematics looking for entry or choke points and noting them, listening carefully to the conversation. Making the appropriate notes, questions began to float in her mind but she waited not wanting to interrupt.

Camila turned her attention to a PADD, then back at Lieutenant Cooper. "You, Lieutenant Cooper, will be the guardian here on the ship," she said. "Which means that you'll be in charge while myself and Lieutenant Corwin are going to be on the station with a minimum of twenty personnel from here. The loud and shiny is going to be handled by the other Starfleet forces going onto the station. We have one goal and one goal only and we will achieve that goal. You keep the ship safe and make certain that none of our prisoners escape during the chaos that will be happening around it."

"I only meant if a secondary line of show was needed based on conditions found, for example another option is to break into 4 teams of 5 and may the luckiest team get there first for redundancy so at least one makes it in case of delays. And understood." Her demeanor was perfectly professional but she couldn't stop the wistful thought that she really wished to be able to go. "Extra personnel in the brig understood, will the mission require any Tactical support? Or will we be monitoring only and focused on internals?" She asked, forcing her mind from going on the mission to her duties on board.

"There's ten Consortium ships guarding Deep Space Eleven," Camila said. "I suspect you're going to have your hands full in a battle just to stay alive. As for the teams and potential division, there are five thousand personnel on that station and we're going in back to back in two teams. We cannot afford to split up and treat it as the first team to get to a computer core gets the prize."

Winchester sat there, listening to the exchange between everyone and pondering the information he was hearing. This was going to be, for lack of a better phrase, extremely difficult to pull off.

"Nor was I suggesting you do so Chief, I was merely pointing a possible option for mission completion if the main team gets bogged down. I hope we can get the mission complete and everyone home again." Her voice even and sincere as she explained. Communication could be a pain, shooting was definitely easier. Another part of her mind switching to tactical concerns."I will coordinate with the Black Knights to prepare a suitable response based on previous encounters."

"The Black Knights have an assignment of their own," Camila said.

Cooper nodded her understanding and fell silent, considering next steps as she listened.

Ensign Thatcher raised her hand briefly to indicate she had something to say then waited quietly.

"Yes, Ensign?" Camila said, wondering why she had raised her hand.

"Will we be beaming in at max levels for speed or beaming in smaller advance to secure the beam point first? And if I may, would we beam the same time as the central force to disguise our beams at height of confusion?" She asked, her eyes focused with full attention on her superiors. Careful notes on the PADD in her lap.

"Everyone from all ships is going in the moment the shields of the station are down," Camila said.

Thatcher nodded her understanding.

"I have a suggestion, if I may?", Winchester said, speaking up.

"Yes, Lieutenant Winchester?" Camila asked.

"Ok, if I am understanding this right, you are sending in a couple of teams to accomplish the objective". "Now it may seem far fetched but it seems to me they may need a distraction, and I volunteer to be that distraction."

Does anyone ever listen? Joey found herself wondering. She finally rose to her feet and moved to the front of the room, fighting the urge to jump up and down while waving her arms to get everyone's attention. "Our objective, ladies and gentlemen, is to go in in two groups of ten. Other teams will be beaming on at the same time our teams will be. We will not be the ones providing any distractions. We will get to either time primary or backup computer cores to insert the chips Lieutenant Di Pasquale already mentioned. We do not split up. Once our goal is accomplished, we get the hell out of dodge. Why is this so difficult?"

The door to the briefing room opened, and Commander Bast walked in. His left arm was strapped in a sling, with a deep-tissue regenerator attached to the joint, working overtime to heal his shoulder. In his free hand, he was carrying a data padd.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, finding an empty seat.

Camila looked over at Temerant came in and a frown flickered across her face. They had talked prior to the briefing and now he was late, but she held in what she wanted to say. Instead, she looked at Joey. "Thank you, Lieutenant Corwin," she said before she turned to Bast. "You're not very late, Commander. We were just discussing battle plans."

She turned to face the others. "Commander Bast will be accompanying one of our away teams as the Selemat seem to have difficulty telepathically controlling two minds and as he's a joined Trill, he has a chance that the rest of us do not."

Thatcher continued to make careful notes, even as she hoped for the least possible loss of life among the allies. That's what made it so frustrating is that the Consortium had no problem with using innocents as shields. She had little doubt that they would be ruthless while the Federation forces would be seeking to preserve what they could. She was glad the Commander would be coming they could use every edge.

Winchester just sat there, leaned back in his seat, his jaw locked shut, and face a slight shade of red, but nothing more to give away how he was feeling on the inside.

"And since no one seems to want to volunteer as Lieutenant Di Pasquale asked, I'm officially going to appoint the teams. Thatcher, Commander Bast, Winchester," she began, then concluded by naming off some others. "You will be on Di Pasquale's team. Gutierrez and Miller, who aren't currently here right now and will be briefed, will be on mine." Like before, she named off some others, then turned her attention back to Winchester. "K-9s will not be joining us on this excursion as per the Captain's orders."

"Yes Ma'am, Thank You. I will be ready." Thatcher replied somewhat embarrassed but willing to own her mistake by not making excuses but couldn't completely hide the merest hint of apology in her tone. She was still a young Ensign after all, at least her errors were minor. It was one of many command styles, answer all questions then see who, with all the intel just gathered, wanted to go. So she had thought the volunteering would come afterward. Thatcher's error was not checking that, "Never assume! You know what that makes you!" She could hear her hand to hand instructor, a former marine, bellowing in her mind. The Ensign gave a nod of polite respect to Lt. Corwin then Commander Bast after falling silent.

Cooper stood quietly having been given her orders, paying strict attention so she would have all possible information when time came to defend the ship.

"Remember that the Consortium would have no qualms about using the civilian population as a sentient shield," pointed out Bast. "Weapons on stun at all times."

Camila looked at Bast. "We're fully aware of that, Commander," she said. "As a note, we will be taking two phaser drills with us which will be used to get through certain walls if we're unable to get to the computer cores through normal means."

Winchester's face turned redder still, but he remained quiet, his face emotionless and devoid of emotion.

Camila looked over as she saw Winchester's face looking like that of a baby about to fill a diaper. "Lieutenant Winchester, what exactly is your problem?"

"Just a little headache ma'am, and my blood pressure is up, always happens before a mission".

"Perhaps you should stay here and go to Medical for an examination if that's the case, Lieutenant Winchester," Camila said.

"Its fine, really. To be honest its a family trait, every man in my family has had it", Winchester replied.

"As long as you're fine," Camila said before she looked at the others. "Everyone get familiar with the equipment belts and make sure that your weapons check out fully. Pack for bear because we're going in hot and heavy. Any last questions?"

Cooper shook her head. As did Ensign Thatcher.

"Commander Bast, do you have anything to add?" Camila asked.

"Be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary," said the Trill. "It's very likely they'll have Selamat warriors there, waiting to play mind tricks on you, or try to get you to fire on your teammates, or turn in the wrong direction. I'll be there to try to stop them before they can establish their psychic link, but you have to be prepared to fight them with your mind, as well as your weapons."

"If there's nothing else, you're dismissed," Camila said. "Get ready because the element of surprise has already been lost and they'll be waiting for us."

Cooper nodded once and headed out, wasting not a moment. Thatcher stood at more normal pace but no less determined. She nodded to her superiors to go and prepare.

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