Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jan 18, 2020 23:00:25 GMT
* PLEASE NOTE *
The El Alamein element of this thread will continue on the
Starfleet Intelligence board
Entitled
009 : Patrol Assignment
Regards
Vice Admiral Nia Lemond Director Starfleet Intelligence
(All other threads will continue as normal)
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Feb 1, 2020 15:19:55 GMT
SD: 2406.04.0201 ... Level One Five Five One Alpha Promenade - Upper Level :: Nia was taking her walk, she had got into the habit of strolling around the Starbase during her off-time since the three main Starships had begun to investigate the wormhole in the aCen Nebula ... Truth be told, she felt a little vulnerable, no, that wasn't quite right, she felt as if the Starbase was vulnerable. With the Dauntless and the Oxford still requiring warp cores, they were of no practical use, but they did have the El Alamein, who was patrolling an area of approximately three hundred Light Years around Starbase Forty-Seven. The Defiant Class was more than capable of defending the 'base until one of the other Starships could return, should the need arise. She was leaning against the railing watching the residents going about their business ... Security had been busy over the Christmas period, but nothing they couldn't handle given Nia had assigned numerous of her Staff to act as eyes and ears, moving throughout the Starbase in plain clothes, listening in on conversations that could prove to be less than legal, there was always someone willing to take that one more step beyond the legitimate to further their gains, and thankfully these had been caught or dissuaded, before anything could get too disruptive. So, all in all, she and Admiral Reynolds were more than happy with how things were going thus far, fingers crossed there would be no serious disruption. She, a Ranking Officer aboard the Starbase had a lot on her shoulders and was more than grateful for the help and advice Matt and the other Flag Officers had given her over the last weeks, not to mention the continuous support from her Adjutant, Captain Erin Paquin, who had secretly prevented her from pulling her hair out once or twice since both Section Admiral Gheskori and Fleet Admiral Torek had been off-station. It was good to hear children running around ... Even though it had been some time since the attempted uprising and takeover by the dissidents, things were still getting back to something resembling normality, and having families enjoying time off duty, or children off school, was only a good thing in her opinion. From where she was she could see the tables outside O'Toole's and made a mental note to go to enjoys the Irish bars' entertainment one evening, heaven knows, she had been invited often enough, so it was about time. She remembered that the owner, Sean, and his Fiancée Kara had been teaching a group of girls how to Irish Dance, that was something he would enjoy. "Admiral..." she turned to see her Adjutant stood behind her. "Erin... Problem?" "No, I had finished my duty shift and was on my way to get some lunch. I noticed you stood up here and thought you might like to join me?" "Actually, yes, I would, I'm actually feeling quite peckish," "Good, any preferences?" the young Captain asked as they made their way to a nearby walkway to the Main Level of the Promenade. "You know, let's try O'Toole's ..... I've been meaning to drop in for a drink, but in the evening, can't hurt to see how his food is, can it. I hear his staff are quite accomplished..." Nia said with a grin as both women made their way to the Bar, "...You know he's trying to get a group of traditional Irish dancers going?" "Yes, one of his staff asked me about it a while ago," Oh yes, I forgot, you're Irish," Nia said smiling. "I am, yes, from a little town called Ballyfoyle, just outside Limerick, my Mother was a teacher by profession and was teaching Irish Dancing in her spare time in the school hall, actually had a few trophies along the wall, and even a champion or two in her time, she had me teaching the youngsters after school too .... Though I have the sneaky feeling you already knew about all that, so why the query may I ask?" "So you did a little dancing yourself then ... Interesting," Nia replied innocently while ignoring her question seeing Erin put a finger to her lips as they entered the bar, "...Which I'm guessing is something you would rather the proprietor not know." she said with a sly grin as Kara approached. "Admiral, we don't get to see you very often, business?" the Bar Manager asked sneakily shifting her eyes left and right. "No, just popped in for a quick lunch, and yes, I 'will' be visiting one evening soon." Lemond said as they were shown to a table overlooking the Promenade, "How's the Irish dancing going?" Nia asked, glancing at Erin for a second. "Oh, you've heard about that, yes, we've got a few girls and the training is well, progressing, so to speak..." she said, raising her eyebrows as if in frustration. "So I imagine it wouldn't hurt to have a former dancer around then," Nia asked with a cheeky smile at her companion. "Well, no, to be sure, but the likelihood of one turning up is a little slim I think," Kara said wistfully, "Sooo, what will ya be having to drink?" ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Feb 14, 2020 12:54:26 GMT
~~~ STARBASE FORTY SEVEN ~~~ ~~~ RELOCATION ~~~
ooooo000000ooooo For a full week after receiving orders from the Section Admiral, Command had been broadcasting information on the upcoming relocation of the Starbase closer to the wormhole being investigated ..... During that week, a series of checks and tests were undertaken, a massive overhaul of the impulse engines, located over four full Levels of the Starbase was needed, along with checks and tests on the Orbital Thrusters, which would be required to maintain the stabilization of the 'base during transit. The Starbase was capable of full impulse, approximately one-quarter light speed, but, bringing the enormous four-kilometer tall structure up to that velocity took time and patience! The logistics were massive too if they wanted to assure the safety of those aboard... At thrust minus six hours, 'ALL' open spaces would have already been cleared of personnel, both Military and Civilian, Internal sensors would scan the structure for stragglers, or those hoping to profit from the lack of people. Then, at thrust minus one hour, emergency bulkheads would be activated, effectively dividing the structure into thousands of individual sections. Many restricted sections would be decompressed where viable to maintain structural integrity and again to prevent entry... But these actions were the pinnacle of a list several pages long, which is generally why once a Starbase arrives at its assigned location, it usually remains there for the duration of its working life. Forty Eight Hours to Commencement of Initial Impulse Engine Burn :: Nia had been coordinating with all the Senior Officers on the Starbase at meetings held twice per day, now with one day to go before the Starbase began her second epic journey, they were testing both the twenty-four Orbital Thrusters, located throughout the length of the 'base, along with running the six massive Impulse Engines, these could only be run at ten percent otherwise it would cause gravitational issues within the 'base. Finally, everything was in readiness ..... Throughout the day, Command began sealing off all non-occupied levels of the Starbase, these would then be decompressed and structural integrity force-fields erected, these would support the 'base infrastructure and hopefully prevent too much internal damage. It was strange to look a the large image of the Starbase slowly closing down level by level, each, in turn, going red on the structural layout diagram. Turbo-lifts were deactivated, Jeffries tubes sealed, all mechanical access points closed and locked, until over a third of the Starbase was effectively abandoned ..... "Where are we on the Dome?" Nia asked Admiral Reynolds. "Anything and everything that 'could' move is locked-down... We had issues with the USS Oxford, as you know we had been cannibalizing her for parts, but we've managed to get her fixed in place alongside the Dauntless. Luckily, all our active Starships are out, which is fortunate. All workerbee shuttles are stowed, as are all arms and umbilicus. Hopefully, there isn't as much as a spanner floating around in there now." he confirmed. "Well the Impulse burn will take eight hours to get us up to velocity, so I'd rather not suddenly find something careening around in there," Lemond said, only half-jokingly. "You still think the slingshot will work then?" Matt asked, still admittedly concerned about the fact that they were taking the Starbase on a somewhat 'indirect' route to pick up a gravitational 'slingshot' from the nearby unexplored 5193 Galaxy, which will cut almost a year off their travel time, cutting it to a fraction under three months if all goes well. Of course, they would have the added issue of slowing from such velocity, but they planned to cease any rotation the Starbase had, to orientate at least two of the massive Impulse Engines in their direction of travel, they would then incrementally increase thrust, burning at one hundred ten percent until they reached fail point, the Starbase would then rotate to allow the second of the three pairs to aim towards their destination, then the third pair would be run almost to destruction if necessary, but eventually, the Starbase would be in the aCen System. Twenty Four Hours to Commencement of Initial Impulse Engine Burn :: With twenty-four hours to go before they began to bring the Impulse Engines up to full power for only the second time since installation ( the first being during initial transit of the unoccupied Starbase to its position adjacent the Betreka Nebula), Nia instructed 'ALL' Senior personnel to get some rest, Duty Officers would continue to double, treble, even quadruple their systems checks, looking for anything, however minor, that could become an issue... Walking up the long ramp o the Mezzanine Level she leaned on the railing and looked down on the Main Command Center Floor, and the people working there. Nodding with pride, respect, and appreciation, she walked to her office and dropped almost exhaustedly onto the settee... "Here, get this down you then go shower and get some sleep." Erin Paquin said, handing her a hot cup of coffee. Even the aroma was sending Nia to sleep .......... < Tag : Anyone who wishes to add to the preparations are welcome to do so >
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Feb 16, 2020 2:12:51 GMT
Nia had done as her Adjutant had suggested, she had drunk the strong coffee then gone to her quarters... Having showered she lay on the bed and began going through the numerous PADD's detailing the upcoming procedures, what seemed like a moment later, Erin was gently shaking her awake from a deep sleep. "Breakfast in the living room when you're ready," she said cheerily. Nia rubbed the sleep from her eyes and squinted at the clock on her bedside table, almost leaping from the bed when she realized it was already past nine! "What happened, I only lay down for a moment?" she said walking into the rich smell of coffee and a cooked breakfast, "You're not expecting me to eat that are you?" she asked, eyeing the full English breakfast with trepidation. "You need something inside you Admiral, we both know that once you get up to Command you're not going to sit down and eat... I've already told the Duty Officer that you will be in your office no later than ten." her Adjutant said sternly as she organized a fresh uniform then collected the unread PADD's from Lemond's bed. Back in the living room Nia had sat down and was turning a rasher of bacon over in her hand, "Eat it, Admiral, it's not for playing with," "You 'are' aware that I manage to get myself ready every morning 'without' your help..." she said, as the aroma of the breakfast had some subliminal effect on her, making her suddenly hungry, "OK, so where are we?" "Engineering ran further tests on both the Stabilizing Engines and the Impulse Engines, they are confident we'll have no issues. All but Alpha Promenade, Upper and Lower Levels, and Military Accommodation are now in lockdown. Security has been checking all Levels that have not been sealed for stragglers. There's plenty more but we can go through all that once we're in the Command Center," Nia dabbed her mouth with her napkin, surprised at how much she had enjoyed the breakfast. She got up and went to her bedroom, emerging fifteen minutes later ready for the day ahead, she hoped... Command Center Main Floor - 10:00 hrs ... Nine Hours to Commencement of Initial Impulse Engine Burn :: "Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, I assume we are all ready to begin?" Nia asked as she and Erin stepped off the turbo-lift, receiving a chorus of 'Aysa and Yesses' as she made her way up the ramp to the Mezzanine Level where Admiral Reynolds was stood speaking to several Commanders. Nodding as they passed the group they entered Nia's office: "I imagine I'm not going to be in her much today Erin, but let's have some coffee on the go, just in case," "Have you noticed just how 'much' coffee you are drinking lately?" her Adjutant asked with a wry grin as she prepared the 'real' coffee. "Yes, and who is feeding me all that coffee I wonder?" Nia replied chuckling. "Right, let's go see if we can't arrange a change of scenery shall we ....." Nia said with more outward confidence that she felt inside, as a part of her wished one of the more Senior Flag Officers were here ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Feb 27, 2020 1:54:58 GMT
Nia had instructed all Security personnel to check the Starbase for anyone not adhering to the quarantine order ..... She was walking the upper level of Alpha Promenade, up ahead she could see two Security Officers checking doors, ensuring everything was secured ..... It was strange being here with no-one around, the Promenade deserted except for Security. It was almost eerie in a sense, almost silent and abandoned .....Command Center Main Floor - 17:30 hrs ... Thirty minutes to Commencement of Initial Impulse Engine Burn :: She was nervous, but couldn't afford to let those around her know it. She moved between stations, checking readings, information, status updates, all in an effort to be one hundred percent confident that everything would go as planned. Commander Lek, the Duty Officer at the moment, approached and waited until she turned: "All Sections report ready Admiral, we can begin whenever you're ready," "Thank you, Commander," Nia replied, eyes on the large viewscreens suspended beneath the Mezzanine Level ... Four of the screens displayed various views of the Starbase exterior and interior, while two further remote platforms had been positioned one thousand meters from the Starbase, they would monitor the exterior as the Starbase until it was traveling too fast for them to maintain position, at which time they would be abandoned, "Bring stabilizing engines on-line," On the monitors, they could see the exhaust from the negative thrust which was gradually slowing the rotation of the enormous structure. Slowly the stars which had been moving across the screens began to slow their traverse minute by minute until they finally became a stationary background ... Engineers now located in the Command Center began checking systems and Starbase integrity, co-ordinating with their colleagues throughout the 'base. Finally, they confirmed that everything was optimal to begin. Nia asked for all the checks to be repeated, much to the unspoken annoyance of the Engineers, but she going to take no chances, there were almost one hundred ninety men women and children relying on her getting this right first time as they doubted a second chance would be forthcoming should anything catastrophic happen during their transit. Almost four kilometers below her feet, massive doors had been retracted to allow the Impulse Engines to extend ..... Command Center Main Floor SD: 2406.04.0227 .. 18:00 hrs ... Commencement of Initial Impulse Engine Burn :: "Bring Impulse Engines on-line please," Admiral Lemond said, hiding the quiver in her voice successfully. "All Impulse Engines on-line and showing ready Admiral," Commander Campbell, the Starbase' Australian Chief Engineering Officer informed her. She had been briefed by the Commander that morning on how to proceed and had decided to allow the man to dictate the sequence to bring them up to velocity. "Then proceed, Commander," she said, taking an unconscious half-step back. "Calculate to bring engines up to five percent thrust over the next sixty minutes...!" Campbell ordered. Everyone subconsciously believed that they actually 'felt' the vibration through the soles of their feet, as the massive Impulse engines began to apply thrust, the Stabilizing engines, now redirected, working in tandem with the much larger Impulse drives. It seemed to take minutes before they realized the almost sixty million metric tonnes of the structure was actually moving! ... Nia looked at the half-empty cup on the console nearby and could see almost invisible ripples in the liquid, she closed her eyes for a moment then continued to oversee proceedings. "Velocity ten-meters per second Commander, structural integrity holding," one of the Engineers monitoring systems reported. "Hold at five percent, begin systems checks and structural analysis," Campbell ordered before turning to Lemond, "We'll bring the velocity up slowly, I expect to be at full impulse in twenty-four hours Admiral," "I'm happy to defer to your expertise on this Commander, take all the time you need," she replied, a hint of relief in her tone she hoped he hadn't picked up on. She went up to her office where Erin had coffee ready, thankful for the hot drink she poured a second cup then returned to the Main Floor where she handed the cup to the Chief: "Thank you, Ma'am, much appreciated," he said, enjoying the strong beverage, "..... We are increasing velocity exponentially, we might feel a little vibration through the hull, this thing isn't actually built to go 'walkabout' so to speak, despite the vastly oversized engines down below us," she was looking at the stat's on one of the large screens forty minutes into commencement. They were showing numerous statistics relating to the Starbase, their relative position, trajectory, and importantly, their velocity! 13,490,625 13,490,380 13,490,520 ... "That would be kilometers per hour, Ma'am," Campbell said in his Aussie drawl, "As you can see, we're already knocking along at a fair lick, the bloody thing is holding up, but hey, we're only at five percent thrust so, let's not break out the bunting just yet, not point in counting the old chickens, as the old saying goes," he finished with a grin. "I'm guessing we'll need to be going a lot faster to get to the wormhole," Erin Paquin commented as she approached the two. "Well, at this speed, it'll be your great great great granddaughter getting there," Campbell said, handing her the empty cup, "You'll have to give me some of that coffee one day," he walked off to speak to one of the Engineers monitoring their progress. Nia and Erin looked at each other before both looked at the velocity reading: 14,551,690 16,690,200 18,886,924 ... The Starbase was now moving forward at seven percent of the Impulse Engines maximum output, there was already a pronounced 'shudder' reverberating through the Starbase as they approached a velocity of nineteen million kilometers per hour. One hour later they were traveling at velocities to the structure of this size was designed to move at, but still, the twenty-year-old Starbase held together. In fact, it was beginning to be a consensus that as they increased speed the old girl was more than surpassed expectations. 27,830,770 35,110,190 48,566,380 ... It was a given that it would get worse, possibly much worse, before getting better, but if they were to reach the aCen System in months, hopefully, weeks, then they had no option but to push the Starbase and her occupants, beyond their limits, but even as the thought entered her mind, a second one was forming... Would there come a moment when she would have to make the decision to stop pushing and accept their fate as the furthest residents of the Federation! ..... Current Velocity: at 18% thrust :: 48,566,380 kilometers per hour and increasing ..........
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Gheskori
Command Staff ..
Commanding Officer Personnel Officer Trivia Officer
Section Admiral
USS Enzio
Registered: May 2, 2008 23:32:36 GMT
Posts: 1,538
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Post by Gheskori on Mar 1, 2020 22:46:37 GMT
Officers' lounge, Starbase 47Burr considered the matter amusedly, it was his understanding that Lemond was having trouble keeping her subordinates down, although he may have misread the situation. Certainly the protests of the select few other flag officers had made it seem the new Intel Director would have a difficult time asserting her authority as the natural replacement of Tetsutaro; the others, Kletchley et al, had grumbed about matters such as seniority and duration of service as flag officers, but they had in the upper echelons their own assigned roles within which they had ample experience. "Come on!" Aide Adams had protested, virtually spewing out shards of the apple he'd been wolfing down, "She was the adjutant to -!" "One of the most experienced, respected and exceptional flag officers of the fleet, I know," Burr nodded as he looked round the officers' lounge in something approaching sorrow, "And much missed... Look, I'm in full agreement with you, serving under a man like Tetsutaro and becoming his successor gives one an immediate boost in authority, respectability. I only hope she can deal with the other admirals - no, I know she will. She's proven her herself and validated her credentials countless times. But still she might have to stave off the predations of careerists and -" "Then let me be an aide of hers. I'll keep those brass lions off her back," Adams had spat. Burr, descendant of Aaron Burr, third vice president of the old United States, regarded his colleague drolly, "Adams. I can put in a word with Commander Paquin but neither I nor you has authority over the other, you remember that, yes? You shouldn't have to speak to me as my subordinate, nor should I have to listen to any word of command from you." Adams let out a frustrated sigh, slapping his PADD down, "I suppose! but if you'd kindly make yourself scarce for a while, I've important matters to attend to," upon which as Burr departed he opened up a technical manual of 22nd century Earth and Romulan starship design, things in which he was not the least bit interested. "Oh, one last thing," Burr turned back in the doorway, "Have you seen a Lieutenant Alexi Tamarov wandering around?" Adams irked return gaze was otherwise blank. "I encountered him in the levels below Ops," Burr continued, "An El Salvador officer who's returned to the base via shuttlecraft before the El Sal changed course for the aCen system. An oddity: Starbase personnel logs are unclear on his status, how long he's been aboard the Starbase during shore leaves, his duties and pertinent mission reports from his CO Commodore Savot and when exactly he originally reported for duty on his vessel - there's something mysterious him." "Then you two should get on famously. Now leave me in peace, because the contents of my head are far more interesting than anything I find outside of it!" Anyone else would mistake Adams for being apoplectic with rage, but Burr knew the man well enough to know this was his... unique, way of showing his exasperation, and even that was ultimately good natured. "Very well..." he replied, "I'll do just that, and find Tamarov, and might even put in a word for you with Admiral Lemond's office, if you're interested in a temporary position there. I'd watch those Intel officers though, Adams, they can outclass even you for subtlety," his irony at Adams' expense was evident. Adams put the technical manual PADD down and began to consider it. <Tag Paquin/Lemond>* * * Gamma Promenade
Meanwhile with the Starbase now well under way (they were thrusting well, now at 18% but it may take whole months to reach their destination), spinning down into the relative confines of Alpha to Delta Promenades, Burr began his search for Tamarov. For some reason, he had the feeling he wouldn't find the man checking SB data relevant to the El Sal's long absence (as he understood was the man's assignment) - though he had the suspicion those tasks weren't far from Tamarov's mind - but would instead be creating a diversion, or perhaps trying to shake a trail... The worst thing would be for Tamarov to find his way into some sort of position of influence. He found him in an establishment on the partly-closed Gamma Promenade (Alpha remaining the viscerally alive primary centre of the base's social scene and trade centre). He sat opposite the man, catching in his left ear the murmurs from some of the bar staff as they registered an aide of the SA's was now present. "Lieutenant Tamarov," Burr began, placing a PADD on the table and holding a tricorder beneath it. As he engaged the man in idle conversation, introducing himself and actually getting on amicable terms with him, he studied surreptitiously his tricorder's results on the man's biosigns: he had to check twice... Human, or what? The readings... they made no sense. No sense whatsoever. (OOC: he's not Halanan but related to Savot's extinct species)"You were born on Earth, Alexi?" Burr asked levelly, leaning back and sighing. Alexi Tamarov glanced up; did Burr detect a hint of wariness in his eyes, "Of course, city of Novosibirsk, year 2377, January." "January..." Burr nodded, glancing down at his concealed tricorder, "From an antiquated calendar, but admittedly it's still used and accepted in some quarters. Just not in old Russia." Tamarov shrugged his shoulders, "I'm idiosyncratic," he laughed somewhat convincingly. It gave Burr brief pause; if he was on the wrong track here, then he hoped it wouldn't involve too many repercussions. <Tag Alexi Tamarov (Savot)>
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Mar 2, 2020 17:46:08 GMT
Officers Lounge Level Twenty Three Starbase Forty Seven ::
Current Velocity: at 24% thrust :: 67,755,170 kilometers per hour and increasing ..... It had been a long day when Erin entered the Officers Lounge... She wasn't prone to drinking after her shift ended, choosing to work for another couple of hours to ensure that every piece of information was at hand should the Director need it. Not that she was a swot, it was something she had done since her Academy days and had served her well since... She headed for the bar, ordering a glass of her Romate Old Plus Pedro Ximénez Sherry, she turned, her back to the bar as she waited while the Steward went for the bottle. She noticed the two Aides, both in civilian dress, though like her, holding the rank of Commander, leaning towards each other across the table before Burr got up and headed for the doors. Erin hadn't been intentionally listening, but even their hushed tones carried and she couldn't help pick up the conclusion of their hushed conversation. "Then you two should get on famously. Now leave me in peace, because the contents of my head are far more interesting than anything I find outside of it!" the Aide she knew was Adams, but couldn't recall his given name. "Very well..." the Aide she knew as John Burr, "I'll do just that, and find Tamarov, and might even put in a word for you with Admiral Lemond's office if you're interested in a temporary position there. I'd watch those Intel' Officers though, Adams, they can outclass even you for subtlety," Burr said, catching a glimpse of Paquin as he left. She smiled, but the man simply left. She knew both were assigned as part of the Section Admiral's Staff and was admittedly intrigued at the mention of her boss, not to mention Burr's comment re Intelligence. She was going to go over and introduce herself, but given the man's expression, she could see he clearly desired to be alone and undisturbed. The Steward put her sherry on the bar, whispering that the bottle was almost empty before moving to serve another customer. Picking up the tall slim glass she took a sip, enjoying the sweet aroma, making a mental note to bring another bottle from her quarters to replenish her 'private' supply behind the bar. 'Was Mister Adams trying to attain a position on the Intelligence director's Staff, if so, why?' she wondered ...... Mezzanine Level Command Center :: Erin was stood with Admiral Lemond as she spoke to the Chief Engineering Officer regarding their progress: "As you can see Admiral..." Commander Campbell said, pointing to one of the screens, "... We are currently at twenty Fiver percent thrust... We are utilizing both the upper stabilizing engines and upper orbital thrusters to maintain attitude. Shields are holding at one hundred percent, inertial dampers and artificial gravity are nominal. We're seeing no signs of structural integrity being compromised, though I have activated bulkhead force fields on several evacuated Levels as a precaution only... We will continue to accelerate over the next thirty-six hours, at which time we should be at approximately thirty-nine percent, and if all goes well we'll sit down and discuss a secondary increase in velocity as agreed," "... And that will be enough to get us to the aCen System in what?" Nia asked. "Three months, but I'd like to reach fifty-eight percent thrust then maintain that for three days, at which time we'll rotate and begin the deceleration process, that should see us in situ in sixty-three days, give or take," "... Deceleration?" Erin queried. "Yes, Commander, we're not like a Starship, we need to actually apply thrust to decrease velocity, otherwise regardless of shields etcetera, we would be so much soup on arrival," "Nice ....." Erin said, slightly disturbed at the imagery that popped into her sometimes fertile mind. "OK, thank you Commander," Nia said, effectively dismissing the Australian Engineer. She turned to her Aide, "That'll teach you to be inquisitive. I think tea is in order," she said to a slightly ashen-faced Erin with an ill-disguised chuckle as the two made their way to Lemond's office ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Mar 6, 2020 21:52:18 GMT
SD: 2406.04.0306 Admiral Lemond's Office :: "Where are we on opening up the restricted area's Erin?" Nia asked as they sat down. "We're keeping all non-essential areas closed off, we would only need to evacuate them again when we begin preparing for deceleration," her Aide said, the color coming back to her cheeks as she sipped the hot beverage thoughtfully. "Some people are not going to like that..." the Director replied, "... Let's have people on the Promenades to keep a wary ear open, so to speak," "Yes Ma'am," "Did you find anything on that Officer, Tamarov?" Nia asked. "I pulled his file... I've only skimmed it but..." "But?" Lemond encouraged. Erin got up and put the file on the large screen on the wall then sat back down, "Looks OK to me," "It does, doesn't it..." the Aide said with a slight frown, "... I don't know, maybe it was just me overhearing part of a conversation, I just wondered what two of the Section Admiral's Aides would want with a pretty 'ordinary' Lieutenant?" "Let's find him, can't hurt to take a look ourselves," Nia said already feeling the effects of her drink. "Will do..." Erin said getting up to replace her cup on the replicator, "... I'll assign someone, I just can't get the feeling that his file is less than one hundred percent genuine, but without access to Starfleet, we only have our own records to go on," "It might be easier to locate Mister Burr, no doubt he'll be looking for the man too," Erin nodded as Nia got up to leave her office, "Use my desk." ..... 16:40 hrs :: With Admiral Lemond on the Command Floor, Erin had assigned Ray Stoner to the task of locating and surveillance of Mister Burr and the elusive Lieutenant Tamarov. Less than an hour later, she was sat working on reports when the Comm chirped to life: =^= Stoner to Paquin =^= she tapped the Commlink on the desk, =^= Paquin =^= =^= I've located Mister Burr .. He's in a Ferengi establishment on Gamma Promenade .. He is currently speaking with a male in civilian clothing identified as Lieutenant Alexi Tamarov .. .. Orders? =^= =^= Keep them both under surveillance for the time being .. I'll get someone down there to help in case they split up =^= =^= Understood .. Stoner out =^= the Comm snapped off and she immediately accessed the file set up for their inquiries into Lieutenant Tamarov, inputting the most recent data. She then instructed another Intelligence Officer to meet with Stoner before continuing with her interrupted reports ..... On Gamma Promenade, Stoner entered the premises, making casually for the bar. Ordering a drink he turned to rest his elbows on the railing, making sure Burr and Tamarov were well within his peripheral vision. Moments later a woman entered, taking a seat further along the bar, she nodded almost imperceptibly to Stoner, ordered a drink, then headed for the gaming tables. She too ensured she could see the targets without having to make sudden moves. Taking four-quarter strips of latinum from a pocket she waved them at the girl running the game and smiled. Across the room Stoned almost grinned. Finishing his drink he turned to order a refill noting that the Aide, Burr, had now sat at the table with Tamarov so he could relax if only a fraction. Stoner noticed that during the conversation Tamarov appeared to be annoyed, but whatever Burr said seemed to have worked and the two were back in muted converse. Again he checked the location of his colleague, who had lost interest in the previous game and was now seemingly engrossed in yet another, this one, slightly closer to Tamarov and Burr but easy for her to move out of sight should they suddenly look in her direction. Putting his empty glass on the bar he waved at the Ferengi owner, who came over and refilled the glass without being asked ..... The surveillance continued ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Mar 8, 2020 3:09:07 GMT
Current Velocity at 35% thrust = 94,434,623 kilometers per hour and increasing ...
Ferengi Establishment Gamma Promenade - Level 1556 :: Nel Mason, one of the two Intelligence Officers covering surveillance headed for the bar and whispered to her colleague: "You do know what could happen should Gheskori find out we're watching one of his Aidea I suppose,""A job is a job, who're we to query the upper echelons..." Ray Stoner replied with a shrug as their targets got up from their table and parted ways, "... Take Burr, I'll stick with our mystery man," he said, giving it a few seconds before getting off his stool and walking out of the bar. Tamarov didn't seem to be in any hurry to get wherever he was going, several times Ray had been forced to drop back as the man casually back-tracked to look in one establishment after another, but eventually, presumably confident he wasn't being followed, or maybe he was simply bored of 'window shopping' he took a turbo-lift .... Ray quickly instructed Intel' Operations to monitor the 'lift and then stepped into the next one to arrive ..... Thankfully, Tamarov had only dropped two Levels and was still in sight as Stoner stepped off the turbo-lift. Again he maintained eyes on while ensuring Tamarov didn't identify his follower. Ray was getting the feeling that either the man was a fanatical meanderer, or simply wandered around until the mood took him to get wherever the hell he was going. It took all of twenty minutes before Tamarov entered an office .... Finding somewhere where he could keep an eye on the doors, he tapped his Comm badge surreptitiously then spoke quietly: =^= Stoner to Mason =^=
=^= Mason =^=
=^= Location =^=
=^= Burr has gone into the Section Admirals' outer office .. .. You? =^=
=^= Our 'mystery Man' .. After walking around for what feels like hours has just walked into the United Federation of Planets Information Services Offices =^=
=^= Really .. Any thoughts? =^=
=^= Hell he could be asking for a bloody tourist map of the Starbase for all I know .. I can't walk in there as it's practically empty =^=
=^= Well it looks like Burr has gone back to work .. Want me to stick around? =^=
=^= Yes .. For the time being .. It's late so he may leave =^=
=^= Understood =^= Stoner closed the Communication and settled into his watch. He could see Tamarov speaking with someone in the outer office before sitting down, presumably waiting for someone or something. Ray contacted Intelligence Operations and requested any surveillance inside the Information Services Office be collected ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Mar 10, 2020 0:31:46 GMT
Current Velocity at 53% thrust = 143,001,001 kilometers per hour ...
Command Center - Level Nine Main Command Floor :: For the last three days, vibrations had begun to be detected throughout the enormous Starbase. At first, these fibrations were nullified using the inertial dampers and by adjusting the thrust from the upper stabilizing engines and the upper orbital thrusters. But as the hours passed, it was clear there was a serious issue that needed addressing before a failure occurred. She had asked the Engineering Staff to run through every possible scenario to fix the problem ..... "..... And you are certain it's due to our velocity?" Nia was asking the Australian Chief Engineer as Admiral Basirov and Commodore Vak approached. "We've tried everything Admiral, this Station, despite its power plant output, simply wasn't designed to travel at such speeds, that and the fact that it's over twenty years old. It's a case of over-designing, no Starbase should have impulse engines in my opinion, but hell, I'm a simple Engineer, not one of those over-inflated designers," the man said with a frown. "What is happening may I ask!?" Admiral Basirov demanded. Nia's first instinct was to smack the, in her opinion, 'arrogant self-important idiot' in the mouth, but thankfully, she very rarely acted on her first instinct, preferring to weigh options first, so keeping a smile on her face she asked Commander Campbell to wait with her: "Admiral, good to see you... I'm sure you are well informed as to our situation, is there somethi....." "Stop this shaking 'NOW' Madam!" the Ferengi Commodore demanded. She had realized very early in her new appointment as Director of Intelligence, that numerous senior Officers had had doubts on her promotion, but she had worked hard from day one to reassure them she was capable, but the Ferengi, who had basically been given the 'honorary rank' she firmly believed due to his constant nagging and nothing more, was someone she was more than willing to put in his place. "Mister Vak..." she began, knowing the omission of his 'rank' would infuriate him no end, "... I was under the impression you were overseeing the repatriation of families dispersed when we were forced to evacuate numerous accommodation levels. given there is little use for your exceptional Diplomatic prowess at the moment, So, was there something you needed help with in respect of reappropriation of accommodations? ..." "You find it amusing to belittle me Woman, but mark me well, I have friends and influence," Vek spat. "This is all, charming, Admiral..." Basirov said, his smile making Nia want to retch, "But I am beginning to come to the conclusion that, with all due respect, we need someone more experienced, after all, what we are attempting requires a level of, shall we say 'training' that due to your somewhat meteoric rise, alas do not possess," "Oh, I completely agree with you, Admiral..." Nia replied with a smile, "...... Please, tell me again, what exactly is your 'experience' in matters such as these...?" she could see the man's expression darken, and knew that she was stepping on seriously thin ice, something that could no doubt bite her in her butt at some point, but she needed to put the man in his place. The fact it was in front of Junior Officers was regrettable but necessary in her opinion, "... If you have any constructive suggestions I am more than willing to sit down with Commander Campbell here and listen to them, otherwise, I suggest you and Mister Vak here find somewhere else to be," She locked eyes on Basirov, fully aware that others in the Command Center had witnessed the whole conversation, but turning away now would seriously diminish whatever seniority she felt she had, so she waited... Thankfully, it was Basirov who broke the deadlock, turning to his Ferengi cohort then stamping off into a turbo-lift, a second later he was gone. "We're seriously going to have to cut down on your caffine," Erin Paquin said from behind her. "OK... Apologies for the interruption Commander," Nia said to Campbell, with a glance at her Aide before continuing, "..... You were explaining..." "As you can see," he began, pointing at the screen displaying their current velocity among other parameters, "We are currently at fifty-three percent maximum velocity, and it's obvious the speed is taking its toll. If we increase much more the consequences of a drive failure could, would be catastrophic. We're pushing the stabilizing engines and orbital thrusters past their limits already, a failure of one of them could send the Starbase into a tumble we would never recover from." "Your recommendations?" Lemond asked. "Cut all drives ..... At our current velocity, we'll need to turn around and begin deceleration procedures in five days approximately. Cutting all drives and drifting will increase that by three days, at which time we'll rotate the Starbase and begin to apply braking thrust. My main concern is how the Starbase will cope with the forces of deceleration," "We could suffer damage?" Nia asked. "We could split into two Admiral, the stabilizers and orbital thrusters combined have a fraction of the thrust the impulse engines give out, we need to somehow balance one against the other," he replied. "So... We need to ensure equal thrust, am I right?" "Essentially, yes Admiral," Campbell said, inwardly thankfully that the woman grasped the severity of their situation, and clearly understood the ramifications should it all go to proverbial 'hell' in a handbasket. nodding Nia turned to Erin: "Let's begin making preemptive arrangements. Begin by working out plans to move everyone into the civilian levels. There are two hundred thirty-four decks they can occupy, we'll use the Marine training grounds too, they can hold twenty-five thousand at a pinch over ten levels. We'll cut power to everywhere apart from occupied levels when we begin deceleration, if and when we confirm it's going well we'll revisit options. I'd like 'not' to lose anyone if that's plausible... Commander, keep me informed. Erin... I know all this isn't in your purview, but do what you can. If you need help call in whoever you feel necessary, OK?" "Yes, I'll get to work... Erm... Admiral Basirov might be able to help," "Or get us all killed," Nia replied ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Mar 15, 2020 1:41:21 GMT
Current Velocity = 130,860,861 killometers per hour .. [reduced to 48.5% thrust due to excessive vibrations]
44.39% of the distance to aCen System traversed Beginning preparation to reorient Starbase prior to deceleration ...
Office of the Director of Intelligence Level Eight - Command Center Mezzanine :: They had been keeping Commander John Burr, one of Gheskori's Aides, along with the elusive Commander Alexi Tamarov, under constant surveillance for over a week with nothing to show for it, nevertheless, she had decided to keep Ray Stoner and Nel Mason, two of her Officers, watching the men on the off-chance something presented itself. Had the circumstances been different, had she been anywhere else and Tamarov's file come across her desk, it was possible she wouldn't have given it a second glance. His record was all there, Academy, Assignments, Captain's he had served under, nothing to make him stand out as exceptional, or mundane, he neither underachieved or overachieved, but she still had the feeling something wasn't ringing true and it was annoying her no end ..... Nia knew full well that once the Section Admiral returned, he would want an explanation, but at this point, that was the last thing on her mind ..... The Starbase was finally approaching the half-way point of their transit from the Dark Matter Nebula to the aCen System and the wormhole. Long-range sensors had detected the USS Raven along with numerous other vessels, but scans showed they were stationary. Knowing that the Raven would contact the Starbase should the need arise, she had decided to maintain comm silence unless contacted, that way she had one less thing on her list to be concerned about. She put them to the back of her mind as the Starbase Chief Engineer, Commander Campbell, along with the Duty Officer, Commander Lek, were shown into her office by her Adjutant: "Take a seat Gentlemen... " Lemond said as Erin got drinks, "... So where are we on status?" "As you can see, we're approaching the halfway point of our trip, at which time we will need to reorient the Starbase and begin deceleration maneuvers," Campbell said in his usual Australian drawl. "Issues?" Nia asked, accepting the cup of coffee from Erin. "Deceleration will put much more strain on the infrastructure of the Starbase, which is why I would like to begin before we actually hit the halfway point..." the Chief Engineer said, pausing to take a sip of his own beverage, "... Had the Starbase been orientated along her vertical axis, it wouldn't be much of a problem as all the decel' forces would be absorbed by the superstructure, alas, we don't have that option open. We'll need to begin deceleration with minimal thrust as we did with the initial acceleration. Increasing gradually until we are reducing velocity fast enough so as not to overshoot the aCen System altogether, and in one piece, relatively speaking," "You think our overshooting is a possibility?" Nia asked, suddenly worried given the likelihood of their disappearing into the blackness of interstellar space had never been mentioned previously. "The possibility is there Admiral, but minimal at best," Commander Lek reassured her. "But there nonetheless," Lemond said matter-of-factly. "What about structural integrity, have all force-fields and emergency bulkhead been checked and double-checked?" "Yes, we are also utilizing temporary bulkhead reinforcements in the Sections above and below the Drive systems," Campbell replied, "Commander Lek has assigned all off-duty Command Officers to assist my Engineers, so we should be ready well in advance of the commencement of deceleration procedures," "I think it prudent to have the Station in lock-down at least twenty four hours before we begin Admiral," Lek commented. "I agree. Our timeline indicates we should begin deceleration in ....." Nia paused, looking at the readings on her screen, "..... Seventy-three hours," "I suggest we shut down all drives now, we can coast for the remainder. Begin lock-down of all public spaces tomorrow at say, twenty-one hundred hours." Commander Lek suggested, Campbell nodded agreement. "OK... Agreed... I'll have Erin instruct Information to begin putting out announcements immediately, at least that way everyone will have ample time to get all the drinking they need doing in time to get home," Nia said with a wry grin. "Admiral, Commander Lek and I have been talking and believe it may be prudent to assign two of the two operational cores to maintain force-fields, inertial dampers, and structural integrity alone. That way we can at least be confident there won't be a sudden power drain due to any issues arising throughout the Starbase during deceleration, one core can oversee power supplies with the second as a backup?" "The other eight can more than cover power demands during decel' given large sections of the Starbase will be without atmosphere, lighting, artificial gravity etcetera," Lek confirmed. "I'm happy to do that, I'll leave it in your hands, Gentlemen..." Nia said, much more reassured than she was before the meeting had begun, especially as Admiral Basirov had been chewing her ear about how things would have been done in 'his' time. Not that she pointed out that 'his' time wasn't exactly a millennia ago, alas, "Right, unless there is anything else Gentlemen?" Both Officers stood, picking up the PADD's they had come in with before leaving. Erin took the empty cups and returned them to the small kitchen between hers and the Admiral's office ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Mar 21, 2020 18:02:12 GMT
One Week Earlier ...
Commencing Breaking Phase :: With the Starbase once again in 'lockdown' the Command Center was a hive of activity ... Both the Upper Stabilizing Engines and the Impulse Engines had been taken offline, the Starbase was now effectively drifting through space under her own inertia ... Nia stood in the center of the floor, watching those working with both pride and appreciation. "We're ready Admiral," Commander Campbell, the 'Base Chief Engineer said quietly. "Go ahead Commander," Lemond replied, hoping the tension she was feeling didn't show in her voice. "Bring Orbital Thrusters online," Campbell said in his usual Australian accent, then receiving confirmation he continued, "Thirty percent thrust, begin rotation," Almost imperceptibly, the enormous structure began to rotate clockwise. Given the share size of the Starbase, it would take almost thirty minutes to realign to direct the Impulse Engines along their line of travel, at which point the Orbital Thrusters would turn and begin to halt the rotation, once again Starbase Forty-Seven would become stationary, relatively speaking, at least in regards to her nominal rotating configuration ..... Nia watched the screens almost unable to take her eyes off the almost hypnotic countdown as all the while the 'base continued her sedate rotation. She didn't even hear the Chief Engineer give the order to reverse thrust to begin then terminate the rotation. "Heading confirmed Admiral, we can begin breaking maneuver on your order," Campbell informed her. "Do so Commander," she replied. Then for a fraction of a second, as the Impulse Engines, in conjunction with the Upper Stabilizing Engines began to increase output, she was almost certain she felt the initial deceleration beginning beneath her feet. The stars gave no indication of what was happening of course ...... Now ...
Current Velocity = 116,019,680 kilometers per hour .. NOW DECELERATING
57.04% of the distance to aCen System traversed ... Things had once again settled into a daily routine with the Starbase decelerating more and more. They had passed the half-way point now and were one the home leg, so to speak. Nia had allowed most of the public areas of the 'base to reopen, including the four Promenades. Businesses were once again flourishing as the excitement of a possible way home grew almost exponentially with each kilometer traversed. Even though everyone was aware that they would need to go into confinement once more for the final deceleration and establishment of the rotation, no-one seemed to mind this time around ..... Once again, those employed in numerous 'nefarious' activities throughout the Starbase were coming out of the proverbial woodwork, and both Security and Intelligence were busy throwing spanners into works whenever possible. Nia could nor would ever understand the mentality of anyone wishing to do arm, be it financial or otherwise, to anyone on the Starbase. They had all gone through the same ordeal, all or most had lost family, friends, associates, but nevertheless, some still persisted in doing wrong. Those caught were given much-extended sentences, in a seemingly futile attempt to discourage the others. Thankfully, with so many Levels unoccupied, she or Admiral Reynolds, who had been overseeing the Security Personnel on the Starbase, had no shortage of detention space. One item on her list was the continuing issue of the enigmatic 'Commander Alexi Tamarov' ..... Despite keeping him and his known associates, Commanders' John Burr and Owen Adams, both Aide's to Section Admiral Gheskori. She had assigned two of her Personnel to concentrate on Tamarov and Burr, believing Adam's to be less involved, though he too was being watched just in case. Regardless of how many times she had gone through Tamarov's Starfleet Record, nothing appeared out of place, which annoyingly, was the very thing that was making her suspicious of the man. His record was spotless, almost 'too' good to be true in her opinion, maybe she was seeing something that wasn't there, but then, why the clandestine meetings between the Aides and himself? Sighing, she looked up from the PADD's littering her desk, surprised to see it was already past midnight ..... Rubbing her eyes she got up and left her office on the Mezzanine Level of the Command Center before making her way to her private quarters on Level Eighteen. Throwing off her tunic, she dropped wearily into a chair and pulled off her boots, she was hungry, but tiredness was winning the kitchen- bedroom battle hands down so lifting herself to her feet she headed for the bedroom. She had fully intended on undressing, but tiredness again won and she dropped onto the bed, asleep almost before coming to rest ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Mar 25, 2020 1:27:51 GMT
Current Velocity of Starbase: 78,922,018 kilometers per hour ...
Distance to aCen System traversed: 71.26% ...
05:45 hrs ... Enjoying a light breakfast for the first time in a long while, Nia was looking forward to taking a day off duty... She had spoken to Admiral Reynolds, who with the help of her Adjutant, was covering Operations... Finishing her orange juice she picked up the plates and took them to the replicator, then headed for her bedroom. She planned to go down to the Gym, it had been some time since she had exercised if you didn't count running around like the proverbial 'headless chicken' almost every day that is. Leaving her quarters she took a turbo-lift down to Level Twenty-Nine ..... She enjoyed holo-suite exercise programs, but now and then she simply wanted to work out without the distraction of a myriad of Alien Races attacking or chasing her across one barren landscape or another. She began a series of exercises set out for her by one of the Academy Physical Training Officers, moving from one piece of equipment to the next, despite the regime was years old, she still enjoyed the workout. So for the next ninety minutes, she ran through her program. Sweating, she undressed and hit the showers. Refreshed, she made her way to the pool... At this time of the day, the pool was empty, just as she liked it. Climbing the ladder to the five-meter springboard she paused to look through the panoramic windows, then took several steps along the springboard, each helping her put more pressure on the board. On the last step she allowed the recoil to launch her up and out over the water, one rotation then she straightened, entering the water almost vertically. Swimming beneath the surface she reached the opposite end of the pool and surfaced. She began a slow front crawl back across the pool, repeating over and over for the next hour..... Tired, but rejuvenated, she rested her elbows on the poolside and closed her eyes, enjoying the water lapping against her. Rested, she repeated her lengths of the pool once again. As she swam others began coming into the pool and she decided to call it a day. Showered and dressed in light civilian clothing, she headed to Alpha Promenade: 09:15 hrs ... Entering O'Tooles, she saw one of the early staff, she waved then moved to one of the booths. "We don't normally see you in here this early Admiral," Sue said. "Finally managed to get a day off..." Nia said, pointing at her tracksuit, "Thought I would treat myself to one of Sean's excellent breakfasts, is he about?" "No... He was here until the early hours, people can't seem to stop celebrating passing the half-way point. OK, what'll it be?" Sue asked, handing Nia a menu. "I'll not need this," she said, handing it back, "I'll have one of those old English concoctions he knocks up," "Coffee?" "Strong, please," Nia replied as the early Manager headed off to the kitchens. She found herself looking forward to the breakfast, Sean's staff were told not to replicate 'anything' on his morning menu, he paid a lot for genuine products and was very selective who was allowed to sample his culinary prowess as he called it. She sat reading the news feed which was broadcast on all the screens throughout the Starbase, along with their progress to the aCen System: She could smell the breakfast before it arrived. Sue put it down and Nia had a momentary pang of guilt as she looked at the food. "Ha, 'Paradise on a plate' Sean calls this," Nia commented sceptically. "A 'Coronary waiting to happen' Kara calls it," Sue said with a chuckle before leaving her to it. "Well, I've had a good life I suppose," Nia mumbled with a wry grin, almost but not quite resisting using the condiments, she sprinkled salt and pepper. Unwrapping the cutlery, she dug into her breakfast with much too much enthusiasm ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Apr 4, 2020 13:36:01 GMT
Current Velocity of Starbase: 9,908,163 kilometers per hour ...
Distance to aCen System = 991,550,966 kilometers ... [92 hours at current rate of deceleration]
SD: 2406.04.0403 .. 16:45 hrs Level Eight Main Command Floor :: It had been over a week since the Starbase had been contacted by the USS Raven-C, deployed to intercept a flotilla of vessels to ascertain their intentions on approaching the Starbase ..... The Alarodian Race had been in conflict with another race, identified as the Ireuken, who had been using a wormhole to mine and supply numerous elements to several races, the Alarodian being their major benefactor.
A series of events at the location of the wormhole had resulted in hostilities rising between the two races, with the Federation finding themselves as intermediaries in the ensuing talks. It had quickly become clear that neither race could afford to force the Federation into supporting their adversary, thus it was that the Federation Starships: USS Enzio, USS El Salvador-C, USS Raven-C, along with the USS Maracanda, had found themselves playing 'hosts' to the talks in which the Alarodian were demanding recompense for their losses. Unfortunately, those talks had been short-lived and both sides were now posturing on the brink of outright open conflict.
If the Alarodian Fleet been able to approach the oncoming Starbase more closely, and therefore have the ability to scan more thoroughly, they may have realized that the Federation was clearly representing themselves in possession of a much larger complement of vessels, and in turn, much more weaponry than they actually had. Their reaction to the failing talks might be much more defined. Had they realized that the Federation was in fact vastly outnumbered, they may have decided to remove the possibility of a Federation alliance from either side and took their chances with the much inferior Ireuken!
The Starbase had been reducing their headlong dive towards the aCen System for thirteen days now, and Nia had reopened a small number of previously closed Levels, including Alpha and Beta Promenades ..... Within the hour they would drop below one million kilometers per hour mark, from then on, fractional modifications would be made to the Impulse and Maneuvering engines to hopefully bring the Starbase to a halt in relation to the position of the wormhole itself. One or more of the Starships currently in-situ in the region would then come out to join the Starbase in preparation for their final traverse towards the wormhole itself.
It had been decided that on final approach to the aCen System, should there be any safety concerns the Section Admiral felt would compromise the Starbase, her Impulse and Maneuvering engines would both be disengaged and the Starbase would pass through the System at too high a velocity to allow either the Ireuken or the Alarodian to catch up with her. Should this occur, the remaining Starships would do everything in their power to ensure the safety of the almost one hundred ninety thousand Men, Women, and Children aboard. While not spoken about openly, it was clear that should such evens happen, the Starbase would never be able to reverse her course and return to the wormhole, they would pass well beyond any viable means of return, possibly bringing themselves to a halt in a far System, or perhaps becoming a drifting island in the vast depths of space."Penny for them?" Nia turned to see her Aide and friend, she grinned, sipping the last of the coffee in her cup. "Wayyyy too many random thoughts Erin, wayyyy too many," she replied, heading for the walkway which would take them up to the Mezzanine Level and her office. ~~~~~~~~~~Erin was going through the daily logs when she came across something .... Double-checking she frowned and got up from her desk. Entering the Admiral's she waited for Nia to finish the Engineering update from Commander Campbell, once the Chief Engineer left Erin put a PADD on Nia's desk: "I wasn't aware we had been in contact with the Raven Admiral, anything I need to know?" Nia picked up the PADD puzzled. "This came in hours ago....." she said, looking at the details of who was involved, "..... Erin, ask Commander Burr to come up to my office please," "Yes Ma'am," her Adjutant said, leaving the office. Fifteen minutes later she returned, informing Nia that Gheskori's Aide, Commander Burr was in the outer office, Nia had him brought in: "Commander... Mind explaining this," she asked handing him the PADD containing the transcript of the earlier communication with the USS Raven-C. "You were unavailable, I took the Comm," the man said smugly. "And when were you thinking of relaying the information you 'received' from Commander Blakus?" "It would have been inputted into the logs when I had finished with it... Admiral," the Aide said, lowering the PADD to the desk as if of no further use. "You didn't deem the information worthy of my attention then?" Lemond asked coldly, but Burr simply smiled, "I think we need to set some ground rules moving forward Commander, of late I have received numerous reports on your surpassing your authority, using the Section Admiral's name to attain anything you should need to be done, well ...." "With all due 'respect' I report directly to the Section Admiral, and the Section Admiral only... 'Admiral' ... How I choose to carry out my duties, or for that matter, what, if anything, I choose to retain for his eyes is for discussion between Gheskori and myself. Understandable that you would object to these arrangements, but alas... Now, if there is noth ....." "Take a seat, COMMANDER!" Nia interrupted, resisting the urge to slam her palms on the desktop. For a long moment Burr remained standing, eyes locked on the woman's opposite, but finally, clearly loosing the silent 'battle of wills' he lowered himself into a chair, crossing his legs, hands relaxing atop his knees as if having a warm evening drink with a friend, "There are going to be a few changes until the Section Admiral instructs me personally on what 'leeway' you do or do not have. In the meantime, you will no longer have no access to the Section Admirals' data, or communications from any of our vessels, you will report ....." Burr almost sprang out of his chair, the item being propelled across the office, he lunged forward, fists slamming into the ornate wood of the desk, Nia remained impassive as the Aide fought to calm himself. He could see the two Security personnel that had entered at Erin's request, both were holding phasers on the Aide. It took Burr over a minute to calm himself, moving slowly to pick up the upturned chair and return it to its former position, but he didn't sit, just glared at Lemond, his anger still beyond placation, but Nia continued her instructions regardless: "..... As I was saying... You will report daily to Commander Paquin, she will assign tasks commensurate with your 'skill set' until such time as your duties as Aide to the Section Admiral are once again in demand," "You have no authority to relieve me Admiral, I demand to be allowed to contact Gheskori immediately!" Burr snapped. "Regardless of my position as Director of Intelligence, and ranking Officer aboard Starbase Forty-Seven, as your superior officer, I am entitled to act as I see fit, but just to set your mind at rest, the Section Admiral Gheskori has already been informed of my actions, by my Adjutant. So you see, all is well with the World, so to speak... Now, if there is nothing else, I believe Commander Paquin has details of your most immediate tasks....." she sat calmly watching the man who was clearly seething inside, vaguely wondering if he would actually risk trying to physically argue his point, but true to form for his kind, he glared at Nia, then the two Security Officers then turned to Paquin. "This way, Commander," Erin said, leading the man, Security in tow, to the outer office where she handed him three PADD's, "There's plenty to keep you busy, I'd begin with 'Sanitation' if I were you," she said with a polite smile. She couldn't help but chuckle at the yell of frustration that came from the room she had just left. Reentering Lemond's office she took several PADD's off the desk. "Not a very happy man," Nia commented. "He has friends Nia," Erin said, taking the PADD's into the adjoining office before heading for the small kitchen. She returned with a coffee for both of them then continued, "You know he will try to contact Gheskori." "Let him try, he's been roaming around this Starbase acting like he had been appointed Gheskori's savior, keeping his flock safe and well in the man's absence. This, combined with the issues with him Adams and this Commander Tamarov make leaving him with practically free reign is unacceptable. If on Gheskori's return the man is reinstated then that is the SA's decision... Get in touch with Mister Stoner and his teams, I want the surveillance on those three intensified, I have the feeling they will want to meet sooner than later... Oh, Burr and Adams currently hold 'Beta Two - Level Three' clearance, reduce that to 'Delta Two - Level Two for both of them, reduce Tamarov's clearance to 'Delta One' all effective immediately ..... Now, is there any chance we'll see an early finish tonight Erin?" she finished with a wry grin ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Apr 7, 2020 22:34:03 GMT
Current Velocity of Starbase: 619,260 kilometers per hour ...
Distance to aCen System: 247,887,641 kilometers ... [26 hours at the current rate of deceleration]
SD: 2406.04.0406 .. 15:00 hrs Admiral Lemond's Office Mezzanine Level - Command Center :: "..... And you are sure they are keeping out of trouble?" Nia was asking. "I am, I've got two people watching both Burr and Adams around the clock..." Ray Stoner was informing the Director, "... In fact, since leaving your office Burr has reported for his assigned duties, he's got the work done, and hasn't been in contact with his colleague in any way shape or form unless they have developed telepathic tendencies in the last three days," "So why all the bluster?" Nia commented, thanking Erin for the hot coffee she was clearly drinking too much of lately, "You would have thought he was ready to throw a photon grenade under my desk as he left," "I'd like to search his quarters," Ray said, accepting the cup from Erin. "Reasons?" "His behavior for one thing ..... You said yourself, his reaction from speaking with you to his reactions since. No-one changes tack so much, the man had been on a power trip and had been practically slapped into the bilges. Anyone else would have shouted from the proverbial rafters about injustice, abuse of rank, hell knows what else to get his side heard, yet here he is, playing the model Officer, keeping his opinions to himself, toeing the line," "It's possible he's realized his conduct has been anything but regulation, maybe he's genuinely fearing what the Section Admiral might have to say about all this," Nia replied with an unconvinced shrug. "I'd still like to go through his quarters, there's no way he changed into 'poster-boy' overnight," Stoner insisted. "OK... Co-ordinate with Erin, she has his duty roster for tomorrow, you'll only have a few hours though as I intend to re-establish the lock-down pending final deceleration to bring the Starbase to a relative stationary position," "I'll do it first thing, thanks for the coffee," the Intelligence Officer said getting up, "If there's nothing else?" "No, make sure both Aide's are covered, and that damn Tamarov too, I still don't trust that man." Nia instructed ...... 02:30 hrs ... The vibration brought Nia out of her sleep almost the instant the Comm chirped to life: =^= Lemond =^= =^= Admiral .. You are needed in Command =^= =^= What's happened? =^= she asked, already out of bed and partially dressed. =^= Unsure Admiral .. But Admiral Basirov has requested we contact you =^= =^= I'm on my way .. .. =^= she replied, closing the Comm as she stepped into the corridor at a run, arriving in the Command Center moments later ..... "Report!""There was a power surge in the upper stabilizing engines..." Commander Campbell, the Base Chief engineer informed her quickly as Admiral Basirov approached. "Admiral, was there any warning of any failure?" "No, erm, in fact, I was about to go off duty when the explosion occurred, I asked you be sent for immediately," the man replied. Nia couldn't help notice the glance at the Engineer as he finished speaking. "Is that correct Commander?" she asked, knowing she was putting Campbell in an impossible position, but needing the facts despite whos feelings were hurt in the process, she didn't have time to mollycoddle, simple as that. "Yes Admiral, though we haven't established there was an explosion, that is just conjecture at this point, with respect Admiral," he finished, nodding toward Basirov. At that point two Lieutenant's came towards them, both clearly needing to speak to their Department Head: "Commander, we've identified the failure, one of the thruster assemblies were redirected, it looks like a programming failure, directing the power into the thruster adjacent, both are damaged. With two of the six exhausts damaged we're trying to compensate using the orbital thrusters before we begin to tumble. Commander, I suggest securing 'ALL' emergency bulkheads," "Agreed, Jacobs, you get on that, Phelps, show me what we're looking at," Campbell ordered, moving to one of the Engineering Stations on the Command Floor. Nia looked through the panoramic windows at the stars, then up at the tactical readouts displayed on screens through Command ..... With the damage to the stabilizing engines, the Starbase was now beginning to lean 'into' the direction of travel, which in turn altered the direction of thrust being utilized to slow the enormous structure. While still slowing, the Starbase was now being pushed 'up' over the galactic plateau, not by much, tens of meters per hour at present, but if the Starbase continued to reorientate forward, the Impulse Engines would gradually push harder and harder tangential to their desired direction of travel. Already approaching the very outskirts of the aCen Star System, they would indeed enter as planned, but hundreds of thousands of kilometers above the Galactic Plane, moving further and further away with every second that passed! "How did this happen?" she whispered directly behind the Chief Engineer.
"There's no way to say at this point Admiral, I have people working there now, we should have something soon,"
"Sabotage?" she asked, almost dreading the answer.
"Can't be ruled out, but it could simply be on hell of a stroke of bad luck," Campbell replied, returning his full attention to his Staff. Nia stood back, allowing them to work as her Adjutant approached: "Erin, get hold of Commander Stoner, I want the Aides, Burr, and Adams in custody immediately, they are to see no-one but me, understood!" "Yes Admiral, I'll see to it myself," As Paquin walked away Nia looked after her, hoping she was doing the right thing. Hell, her actions could not only hamper, but finish her career. She couldn't help notice that Admiral Basirov was watching her with something approaching amusement on his face. Had she been inclined she would have asked what he found so amusing, but she didn't want to give the man the satisfaction that she knew he was enjoying her predicament. Hell, if she got kicked out of service she could always smack the man in the mouth on the way out, she decided ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Apr 12, 2020 22:15:06 GMT
Current Velocity of Starbase: 408,051 kilometers per hour ...
Distance to aCen System: 131,835,662 kilometers ...
05:00 hrs Command Center :: Over the last two and half hours, Commander Peter Campbell and the Engineers had managed not only to reorientate the Starbase so it was actually falling back towards the Galactic Plane but had also been able to continue their deceleration. It was nothing short of a miracle that they hadn't gone careening into the depths of interstellar space ..... There was still no viable explanation at to what happened: Had there been sabotage of one or more of the systems, had an explosive device been utilized to damage beyond repair various systems, had the crisis been an unfortunate and unforeseen failure of one or more of the systems controlling the Impulse engines, had the damage sustained during their original crisis finally come back to bite them. At this point in time, it was impossible to say, their attention being focused on repair than investigation, which was the most frustrating of situations for Nia Lemond ..... She couldn't help but prowl around the Command Center like a caged tiger awaiting imminent release from its cage. She had ordered a complete lockdown of the Starbase, all emergency bulkheads had slammed into place, trapping Starfleet Officers and Civilians throughout the length of the earlier open areas. Now the Command Center was being flooded with complaints and demands for release from their unexpected confinement, until finally, after an hour she had instructed that all such calls be redirected to a group of Junior Officers away from the hub of activity. Three people she wanted to ignore yet couldn't, were the three Officers she had instructed be detained as having possible involvement in their situation. Twice a young Lieutenant had approached her with demands and threats from John Burr, the Aide she believed could be involved, Adams too had been outspoken about his situation and that of hers pending the Section Admirals' return. The only one remaining uncharacteristically quiet was the mysterious Alex Tamarov. "Are the three of them still in our offices?" Nia asked Erin, her Adjutant. "Yes, I'm surprised you can't hear their ranting," Nia nodded then informed the Starbase Duty Officer, Commander Lek, that she was leaving the floor but not the Command Center, and that he should call her if there are further issues ..... Walking over to the Intelligence Offices she entered, seeing the three Officers being held in the small rooms off the main office, each was facing down one of her Officers while the aforementioned Aides were trying in vain to attract the attention of pretty much anyone that would listen, which unfortunately for them was no-one. "Close those doors," Lemond ordered, "I've already got a headache without their contributions," the doors slid silently shut, cutting off all sound within, the momentary silence was more than welcome, then she headed for the first door. The Security Officer opened the door and she stepped into the non-stop ranting of John burr. She stood completely still until the man realized he was getting nowhere and shut the hell up! "Before you start ranting again Commander, you are being held under investigation into possible terrorism charges being brought against both you and your associates," Nia said calmly, folding her arms while Burr's rant began anew. Once he fell silent again she continued, "Of course, should we find no conclusive evidence against you you will of course be released with our thanks for your co-operation," "Your 'FINISHED' Lemond," Burr spat, stepping forward glaring at her. He never saw the clenched fist from Ray Stoner that slammed into his throat behind his ear, dropping him almost unconsciously to the carpeted deck, Nia held up a hand and waited while Burr shakily clambered to his feet before dropping into the chair. She stood, her back against the wall while the man before her fought with himself as to how to proceed. Several times he had to close his eyes as the blood flow, momentarily stemmed from the blow, began to stabilize allowing him to raise his head without wanting to pass out. "This will go a lot easier 'Mister' Burr if you were to co-operate, give us the information we need. If you were coerced into aiding a rebel faction then say so, although, if you would like to admit culpability for the attempted destruction of Federation property, then that's fine too of course," Burr risked an almost involuntary side-on glance at the Intel' Officer looming over him and remained stolidly mute, "No matter... I do believe Commander Adams is being more co-operative with my Colleague, so we may not need your testimony at any forthcoming trial." she said, turning away before tapping lightly on the door, which slid aside. "You can't do this," Burr said, clearly subdued as he shied away from the hovering Stoner. "Let me assure you of something Mister Burr if you would... Regardless of future situations, I will guarantee you something: If you choose not to co-operate with this investigation, and it is subsequently found that you were indeed involved, in whole or part, I give you my wholehearted assurance that you will never see the light of day again. I will personally seal you in a room with a toilet and nothing else for the rest of your life, food will be transported in, you will never see another living being until your demise." she smiled, leaving before he could fabricate a retort. "A little over the top don't you think?" Erin asked, "He 'has' to know you have nowhere near the authority to carry out your threats," "Maybe he does, but it'll give him something to mull over... Besides, he wouldn't be the first person to 'disappear' under unexplained circumstances, would he," Nia grinned, "Now, shall we go speak to Mister Adams?" "Commander Lek wants you on the Command Floor when your done torturing, of course," her Adjutant informed her with a perfect poker face expression. "Fine," Nia said, feigning disappointment as she left the offices. "Commander?" she said as she approached Lek. "Admiral, it appears we suffered less damage than first thought... We have stabilizing engines that have now been realigned, and we are utilizing orbital thrusters working to maintain heading. Commander Campbell informed me that the misalignment was programmed into the system, he will need some time to establish where and how it was accomplished, but fears we may never identify the individual or individuals responsible for the reprogramming. He is remaining on Level Thirty-Eight for the time being to oversee repairs where needed." "Thank you, Commander..." she said, her relief palpable, "How long before wae are back on heading?" "We should reach the outer edge of the aCen Star System in twenty-one hours approximately, barring no further, delays," Lek was clearly hesitating and she felt he had more to say, coaxing him to do so she waited patiently. Lek led her away from the main consoles to an area less populated, "Admiral, It is not my place, but I feel you should be aware that Admiral Basirov has relayed details of our, predicament, to Section Admiral Gheskori," "Wow... That man just can't pass up an opportunity can he!" she said, shaking her head. "Indeed, Admiral," the Duty Officer agreed. Nia dismissed him back to his duties then headed up the ramp to the Mezzanine Level. Once in her office, she sat behind her desk contemplating recent events, inwardly fighting the self-doubt that sometimes reared its ugly head: Yes, she was new to her rank and position, but in her opinion, she hadn't overstepped her authority in any way in trying to deal with their situation quickly and efficiently. Of course, Section Admiral Gheskori, and indeed Fleet Admiral Torek, may both have other opinions, but that was their prerogative, as the saying goes. Her position, and indeed the role of Starfleet's Intelligence Division was essentially autonomous, but she like everyone else, had to answer to someone, be it the Section Admiral, Starfleet Command, or the Federation President. Satisfied she was acting within her remit, and in the interests of the Federation, she relaxed somewhat, the doubt evaporating ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Apr 18, 2020 0:00:17 GMT
Current Velocity of Starbase: ≈ 294 kilometers per hour ... (Relative to aCen Star) ...
Location: Outer rim of aCen Star System ... (Approximately 3.02 Billion kilometers from Wormhole) ...
Conference Room One Mezzanine Level Command Center :: The meeting of the Senior Officers of Starbase Forty-Seven had been going for well over three hours, everyone was understandably tired, but there was a sense of relief that this part of their perilous journey was finally coming to an end ....."..... So we are happy to reopen all sections of the Starbase, including the eight Promenade Levels?" Nia was asking. "I don't see why not," Admiral Basirov commented, "We have kept these people captive for too long already. In my humble opinion, they deserve their freedom of movement," "I don't disagree, Admiral, in fact, I tend to be in agreement with your proposal. After all, the last thing we want is to have our citizens feel impounded," Nia replied, smiling ... She had yet to speak to Basirov regarding his technically 'unauthorized' communication with both the Section and Fleet Admiral's, but she was more than willing to hold off the pending confrontation until things were less volatile. As for the three detainees, well they would stay where they were unless she was instructed otherwise. She knew one or the other was involved with the enigmatic Tamarov, and she was determined to keep all three in custody until she got the answers she wanted! "Admiral, we were going to discuss the movements within the aCen System and our possible vulnerability, is this still on the agenda?" Commander Lek, the Starbase Chief Operations Officer asked. "Yes, we were Commander..." Nia replied, taking a PADD from her Adjutant and scanning it briefly before continuing, "At this point in time I believe we remain outside the attention of the two Races currently interacting with our vessels. Given the hostilities within the aCen System, I am going to keep the Station on alert while allowing access as stated previously, but I expect all Security and Defence systems to maintain Yellow Alert until told otherwise. While neither of the two Races involved in a conflict with our vessels has shown any interest in us, there is no saying they won't." "We can't defend ourselves in an out and out fight Admiral," Matt Reynolds said. "I agree with you Admiral, but we 'can' make efforts to ensure that in an unlikely event of an attack, we are prepared, don't you agree?" Reynolds nodded, making a mental note to review all defense systems currently usable throughout the Starbase. Despite her being a hub of Diplomacy and Commerce, the Starbase had a surprising array of defense systems to bring to bear should they be needed. Nia's PADD showed a message pending, glancing at those assembled she tapped the 'accept' tab: > I believe it prudent to expedite the release of the detained Aides with all due haste < Whoever had sent the message had also hidden its origin, 'Clever' Nia muttered, casually raising her eyes from the PADD continuing to listen to the numerous 'one to one' conversations around the table, all the time trying to surreptitiously identify the originator of the message, but whoever sent it was not standing out, unfortunately. She decided to ignore the message and not reply, no doubt the sender would try again, but who would want Burr and Adam's released from detention, and why? ..........
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Matthew Reynolds
Rear Admiral
"It's good to have an end to a journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."
Registered: Apr 28, 2005 20:58:32 GMT
Posts: 2,759
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Post by Matthew Reynolds on Apr 21, 2020 19:16:09 GMT
It would be necessary to inventory and catalog every single piece of defensive technology that the starbase currently had on hand. Sadly his first report to Vice Admiral Lemond had not been an understatement. If the starbase were to be attacked in a full frontal attack, their would be very little they could do to repel a well equipped force. This would be the number one priority for Matt and most of the departments under his command. Luckily for him the teams were motivated by the current happenings aboard the station, they knew that the lives of their families and friends depended on their ability to get the starbase back into full operational levels as hard as that was going to be.
"Yusef, I would like for rotations A, B, C, and D to have surprise drills throughout the next couple of days," Matt instructed his top security aide," I know that Basirov will complain about it, but the security and defense of the station is not under his purview."
"You do know that he'll complain loudly to you and others in command," Yusef muttered as he began to implement the order his superior had given him.
"He doesn't scare me, we'll need more than a few drills if we're going to make it out of this blasted galaxy," Matt replied," we're going to have start working on manufacturing more conventional weapons for the starbase, while we indeed have impressive tactical defenses, we've had to neglect replenishing our torpedo inventory. Sadly this area of space has proven to be quite dangerous, I might have to ask CIC if we can transfer considerable amount of energy to weapon manufacturing."
"Currently we have 750 photon and 50 quantum torpedos," Yusef reported," normally I would say that is plenty, but we're not in the Alpha quadrant anymore."
"I know and while no one here wants to fully admit it, SB47 must be considered to be a functioning military base until we're in a better position to protect ourselves," Matt responded surprised that he would even mention the possibility. Coming from a long line of Starfleet officers, Matt has always believed that his primary job was to defend, protect, and expand the different ideologies of the Federation. Everyone was free to explore who they wanted to be and as history had taught them a civilization depended on military strength and power usually turned tyrannical. How had the times changed, was protecting the lives of the people on board the starbase worth limiting the freedoms many of them had suffered defending?
"Admiral, we don't want it and luckily for us we're working within a system that will put us down if we were ever to become like these people, at least I know that Admiral Lemond would," Yusef said jokingly.
"I know that was a joke, but I'm sure she would," replied as he went back to his reports. It was going to be daunting work, but every day the defenses of the starbase would get better. Matt also knew that they were considerably low on resources to manufacture these materials. If his plan was to work, it would become necessary for him to go out on a vessel and find the supplies that were needed.
(Tag Anyone)
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Apr 23, 2020 23:03:36 GMT
Current Velocity of Starbase: Stationary Relative to aCen Wormhole Position ...
Location: Outer rim of aCen Star System ... (Approximately 3.02 Billion kilometers from Wormhole) ...
O'Toole's Bar & Grill Alpha Promenade Level 1551 :: Nia glanced at the time, surprised it was already past eleven... She had only intended to call in for a quick drink while she was off duty the following day, but having got talking with one of the off-duty Staff from the bar they had decided to enjoy the music and singing O'Tooles was famous for. Sinéad was at the bar so Nia decided to use the restroom ..... On her way back to the table she could have sworn someone had been stood behind the young waitress, but once she made her way back to the table through the busy bar Sinéad was alone, nodding to the music supplied by the Irish band. Nia sat down picking up her glass to take a sip when she noticed a folded piece of paper on the table. Casually glancing around the room she couldn't see anyone covertly watching for her to pick up the note, and it was obvious her companion hadn't noticed anyone dropping the paper or she would have mentioned it or picked it up herself. Annoyed, she picked it up and unfolded it: You will not be warned again Admiral. Release the Aides Slowly she refolded the note and tucked it into her pocket, then picked up the glass again and took a drink. Sinéad was talking to her and she focused her attention on the young waitress. The two enjoyed one more round of drinks before Nia had to call it a night, protesting that while you 'youngsters could stay up all night 'she' needed to sleep now and then. Outside the bar, they spoke for a short while, then parted company, Nia headed for the turbo-lift. The moment the doors closed she plucked her Comm-badge from her pocket and applied pressure: =^= Lemond to Commander Stoner .. .. =^= =^= Stoner =^= =^= Commander .. Apologies for the lateness .. I need to see you in my quarters =^= =^= Give me five minutes Admiral =^= Stoner replied, closing the Comm. ~~~~~~~~~~Nia was at her desk when the door chime sounded. Getting up she approached the door, which slid aside: "Come in Commander," she said, handing him the note from the bar before stepping aside, "Take a seat," she said, dropping into one of the plush chairs. "Where did this come from?" the Intelligence Officer asked. Nia pointed at the PADD beside him and he picked it up, reading the cryptic demand shaking his head, "Friends of Burr or Adams I assume," he said. "I want you and Nel Mason at O'Toole's first thing, get all surveillance footage from inside the bar, along with everything on the Promenade, I want to know 'who' put that note on my table. We have to treat this like a threat to the Starbase, not to me personally... I've already checked with the Brig, no-one has attempted to speak to any of our 'guests' though that doesn't mean they are sitting around idle, as that shows," she said, pointing to the note. "Maybe you should think about assigning one of us to shadow you, just in case," Ray suggested. "I'll give it some thought, I'll also appraise Admiral Reynolds of events just in case, maybe his people could keep their ear to the ground, we've had our share of opportunist's since we arrived here, maybe one or more feel they are faring better here than they would back home. I thought we'd seen the last after we quashed Sreova and her little band of dissidents," "You think this could be connected to her?" Stoner asked. "No, I doubt it, she has been in practical solitary since her arrest, but it couldn't hurt to keep our options open," Lemond said with an ill-disguised yawn, "OK, again, sorry for getting you up here so late, let me know what you find," "Will do Admiral," he said, getting up and heading for the door, which closed once he left. Nia got up and spoke: "Door secure lock .. Confirm." 'Door Sealed.' the computer replied, she saw the distinctive red indicator begin to flash intermittently then she sighed and headed for her bedroom ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Apr 28, 2020 15:02:46 GMT
SD: 2406.04.0428 ... Admiral Lemond's Office Mezzanine Level Command Center :: Nia was sat at her desk, her Adjutant, Erin sat opposite as they went through the daily reports ..... Erin stopped speaking as the Comm chirped to life, one of her Security Contingent, assigned under protest by Admiral Reynolds after the threats aimed at her, informed her that Admiral Basirov was demanding to see her. =^= I can hear him, send him in Lieutenant," Nia said readying herself for the usual tirade, as usual, the Admiral didn't disappoint: "I am unaccustomed to being 'SUMMONED'..." he said, glaring at Nia then turning his attention to Erin, "Dismissed!" he ordered, his face reddening when the Commander, with a glance at her direct Superior, remained seated. "We are busy, Rear Admiral, what do you want?" she asked, pointedly using his full rank. "OUT!" he almost spat at Erin. Nia nodded and Erin stood, patiently picking up the PADD's on the desk before leaving. "This is beginning to be a little tiresome Admiral," Lemond said. "I have been informed, that my access throughout the Starbase has been restricted, by what authority do you think you can do such a thing?" "You have been erratic, argumentative, demanding unreasonable access to areas you have no need to be visiting, and the last straw was my being informed that you had tried to access my personal logs," Nia said, keeping her tone neutral. "I was told there have been threats, against the Starbase and possibly you personally. It appears I am not the only one unhappy with you doesn't it..." Basirov said, almost smirking at the idea she was in danger, "... I believe it my duty to investigate every possible avenue to bring those responsible to justice... You disagree?" "If memory serves, you were passing through the Starbase en route to Starbase one five two, where you were to take up the position of Administrator pending your eventual retirement from active duty?" "Your point?" Basirov asked darkly. "Well ..... Since the catastrophe that found us here, you have never passed up an opportunity to vocalize your 'opinion' of myself and my competence to hold my position. You have complained to anyone who would listen, and a good many who clearly wouldn't, though it seems that hasn't dampened your enthusiasm. That aside, for the time being, I was curious as to what made you think you were qualified to oversee operations on this Starbase in any capacity, and for that matter, what gave you the impression you were competent to investigate the recent threats?" "My rank gives me the scope to act as I deem necessary," he said, still stood opposite Nia who tapped a link set into her desk before looking past the man, who turned to see his record displayed on the large screen attached to the wall. "You never served aboard a Starship in any capacity, you came up through the ranks, your roles primarily Administrative. You were involved in several Diplomatic Missions, but always seemed to revert back to your vocation," "Again... Your point?!" "You yourself would admit I'm sure, that you would be reluctant to send a Commanding Officer into the heat of battle with no experience?" she asked, Basirov remained silent so she continued, "What I'm trying to get at here Rear Admiral, is that I feel you are trying to take on duties that are 'outside' the scope of your personal experience, and it may be affecting those around you adversely," she slid a PADD over to him, motioning for him to pick it up. She waited while he took the device and activated the screen: "Twenty three complaints Admiral," she said needlessly as he scrolled down the list, then threw the PADD back down on her desk, "As you can see, you have been upsetting a lot of people," "They are 'STARFLEET OFFICERS' damn it, they are given an order and are expected to carry said order out without question," Basirov almost shouted. "Oh I completely agree, if that order is reasonable in nature..." she said, picking up the disagreed PADD, "... But I am sure you would hope that any Officer would question an order if it was let's say, unreasonable, or may put person or persons in direct harm if the circumstances didn't warrant it. We are not at war Admiral, but some of your 'requests' would make it appear that we are. One in particular which was brought to my attention: You instructed that a Type Nine shuttle be modified with enhanced shields and weapons for your personal use?" "We need to be ready, there is no saying what we may face before we get home... If we ever do," he said defiantly. "You asked Communications to provide access to all Flag Officer Comms until further notice?" she stated. "We have had dissidents trying to take over the Starbase, bombings, needless deaths, contact with Races indigenous to this region of space... Our own Section Admiral and the Starbase Executive Officer are off on some whimsical adventure to take us through a wormhole no less, and in doing so has brought us to not one but TWO races. What does it take before someone does something to protect 'US' from outsiders?" "We are hardly overrun with Starships, let alone Command-ranked Officers, Admirals Gheskori and Torek, along with Commodore Savot, are doing all they can to ensure our safe return home," Nia replied, suddenly realizing how utterly bitter the man before her was and pitying him for what she could only describe as his twisted beliefs. "Are you through 'Admiral' I have places to be?" Basirov asked defiantly. "You do realize that you could be held for some of your actions pending investigation?" Lemond asked, a minuscule of pity forming within her. "By who... You... And your little band of spies?" he asked, glaring at Mia as if coiled to leap across the desk. Nia tapped the concealed Comm activator under her desk and as the door slid silently aside two of Reynolds' Security Officers stepped into the office, both watching Basirov closely while awaiting orders. "I would like you to go down to Primary Medical, the Doctor is expecting you," she nodded to the Security Officers who took a step forward. Basirov spun, eyes darting from the door to the two men then back to the door before he seemingly calmed his inner rage and returned his gaze to Lemond: "You are ordering I undergo a medical examination?" he asked quietly. "I would much prefer you to agree to one, but yes, if you refuse then these men will escort you under guard. At this point, you have not been relieved of duty, please don't make it a necessity," Basirov had no option but to turn toward the door, waiting while the two Security Officers stepped aside allowing him to exit Lemond's office. As the door closed she rubbed her eyes in frustration, Erin came in with a hot cup of coffee and then turned to leave. "You think he's that dangerous?" she asked her closest friend. "I do... Yes." Erin said, putting a hand on Nia's shoulder for a few seconds before going back to her own office. Alone, Nia shook her head ..........
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Matthew Reynolds
Rear Admiral
"It's good to have an end to a journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."
Registered: Apr 28, 2005 20:58:32 GMT
Posts: 2,759
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Post by Matthew Reynolds on Apr 29, 2020 3:22:52 GMT
Under normal circumstances Matt would take sweeping action to find the threat to any officer under his command. The fact this the person in question was neither under his command and in fact his superior made things a lot more complicated. Having been in her position before Matt knew that sometimes strong-willed people like Nia Lemond understood that threats and overall living in danger was part of the job of an active Flag Officer. This indeed was no longer the Alpha Quadrant. As Matt finished his instructions to the admiral's security detail, he was reminded to the fact that he would need to let the admiral's adjunct know.
"What can I do for you Admiral Reynolds? Admiral Lemond's adjunct asked.
"I need to make you aware of a few extra steps that I have taken to keep the Admiral as safe as possible," Matt began to explain.
"You know that she will not be happy about this," the adjunct replied.
"I know Lieutenant, please also be aware that her security detail has been instructed to accept orders from the Admiral herself and my person for the time being," Reynolds continued to explain," they will give her a wide berth, but as long as she is in command or walking around the station she will have security at all times. I don't know who to trust at the moment so we must be vigilant, we cannot afford to be taken by surprise again."
"Understood Admiral," the adjunct acknowledged before ending the communique. As Matt pondered what the hell was going on around them, he was coming to the realization that this next phase in his life would be very different than anything before him. He had awakened from a bad dream to a living nightmare. This nightmare was converging and growing everyday, but everything in his being told him that they would be able to get through the other side.
"What the hell do you think you are playing at Reynolds?" a clearly angry Basirov asked.
"What do you mean Admiral?" Matt asked already guessing what the grievance would be about.
"As Commander of Starbase Medical, you must have been made aware of Lemond's orders," Basirov said incredulously.
"Yes, the Admiral did make me aware and I have no problem with her recommendation," Matt replied calmly," its an evaluation and like it or not we are all subject to them from time to time. I don't know what is going on with you and her, and in reality I don't care, but I've heard complaints from numerous senior officers aboard this station. We're not in the Alpha Quadrant, we don't have the luxury of putting up with petty politics or agendas. If you're fit for duty okay, if you're not then okay. I or anyone else in command has time to deal with your foolishness. Now stop wasting these officers times and get to where you need to be."
While Matt would agree that it was not couth to speak to another flag officer in that tone, Matt also didn't want to deal with the self importance of an aging Starfleet Admiral. He would need to speak to Nia about what the hell was going on with the two of them, but once again this was not the time to care about personal vendettas. Matt only planned to get involved if a personal issue became a security problem. As the Admiral left his office, Matt began the task of finding out pertinent information to the Nia Lemond situation. He needed to know what was going on and the best way to do that was to being to ask the right questions.
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on May 7, 2020 20:33:45 GMT
Twenty Four Hours Earlier :: "..... So you suggest mild medication could alleviate his combative tendencies?" =^= If he is willing to take it, then yes .. We can release him in the morning .. .. =^= the Doctor said, referring to Admiral Basirov's condition, =^= .. .. As to whether he will comply is anyone's guess =^= the man shrugged. =^= We could make it a compliance thing .. Have him report to you or one of your staff on a daily basis or have someone attend his quarters to administer the medication =^= Nia suggested, seeing the doctor mull the idea over before nodding. =^= Let's have him attend the Medical Center at zero nine hundred on a daily basis .. If all seems to be going well we can look at allowing him to self-medicate until we decide on a more permanent solution =^= =^= OK .. Thank you, Doctor .. I'll inform the Admiral of our decision myself =^= Nia said, reaching to close the Comm, but the doctor spoke again: =^= I would like the 'honor' .. .. If you don't mind =^= =^= Payback? =^= Lemond said with a grin, knowing how uncooperative the old Admiral had been during the myriad of tests he had been forced to endure, some of which he had questioned enormously, as she finally closed the Comm then turned toward her Aide's office, the door always open, "Erin ....." Commander Paquin came into her office. "Admiral," "Just a head's up, I have the distinct feeling our ever-friendly Admiral will be paying us a visit in due course. Can we make sure there is noting combustible within reach," the two laughed despite the seriousness of the man's illness. "They're not keeping him in the old 'buckle-up-the-back' jacket then," Erin said as she returned to her office ..... SD: 2406.04.0506 ... Command Center Main Floor :: Nia had been heading back to her office after speaking to the Starbase Chief Engineer regarding readiness to move the structure into the aCen System, she was halfway up the curved walkway to the Mezzanine Level when Admiral Basirov stepped from a nearby turbo lift. She turned, leaning on the railing to see what he was up to, part of her wondering how he'd taken the medication order from the Doctor and wondering why he hadn't been up to complain. 'maybe he's been sedated' she thought wryly as the man strode across the floor like Napoleon. He spied the Chief engineer and headed for the man: "Commander, I wish the Impulse Engines be brought online immediately. We will begin our move to the wormhole." "Excuse me?" Commander Campbell said, clearly confused. "I assume you are not hard of hearing Commander, so please, carry out my orders ....." Basirov stood facing the man over half a meter taller than him, staring him down as if defying the Engineer to refuse. "Admiral, may I see you in my office?" Nia said calmly from the walkway. "I have 'suggested' to Admiral Gheskori that we should enter the System immediately. He agrees with my analysis and has ordered me to move the Starbase. If you have any difficulty understanding my orders I am sure the Section Admiral will explain himself to you, in due course. no doubt at you Courts-Martial..." he returned his attention to the Australian Engineer, who had not moved, "... Commander, may I ask who is your Deputy at present?" "Erm, Lieutenant Commander Atkinson is ....." as Basirov held up a finger to silence the man before tapping his comm badge: =^= Lieutenant Commander Atkinson .. Please report to the Command Center immediately =^= he glanced at Lemond then returned his gaze to Campbell, "You are relieved of duty Commander, please lea ....." " ADMIRAL BASIROV ... MY OFFICE IF YOU PLEASE! .... As you were Commander Campbell," she strode off, anger boiling within her as she stormed into her office and dropped into her seat. It took a further long minute before the man entered, looking the two civilian-garbed Security Officers assigned to the Director by Admiral Reynolds up and down with clear distaste. As luck or fate would have it, the Chief Medical Officer was in Admiral Reynolds' office on the Main Floor when the two heard the commotion. Both followed the irate Admiral to Lemond's office. "You're done Lemond, the Section Admiral gave me specific instructions, which I intend to carry out. If I need to shoot you to do so, then I will," the man said darkly. It was the final piece that proved the man was mentally disturbed, but even though he had no weapon, she could still take the threat as a warning of future intent but decided for the moment to let him have his say. "You managed to contact the Enzio, very industrious of you Admiral, and what did Gheskori say may I ask?" "That I take the Starbase into the aCen System pending traverse of the Wormhole," Basirov said elatedly. "..... And I assume he didn't feel it necessary to relay these orders to the current commanding Officer?" "It would appear not," the man said, unable to hide his pleasure as he accessed a verbal transcript of their conversation, clearly heavily abridged: =^= You wish us to approach now then? =^=
=^= Yes .. .. Keep in mind however that we are currently playing a foolish game with four Alarodian vessels .. We aren't sure if they're trying to ram us or whether they wish the protection of the Ireukens' antigrav technology .. They may need to be disabled if they continue to risk their lives and ours =^=
=^= Admiral Lemond and I aren't particularly pleased to hear that =^=
=^= There is not much we can do about it =^=
=^= We will approach the vicinity of the wormhole at full impulse .. Be ready .. Basirov out =^= "Did he ask about your well being at all?" Nia asked, "Or did you omit the details of your recent hospitalization?" "My personal issues were required for what needs to be done, so, if that is all, I will get on with my assigned orders." he turned away, not seeing Nia nod at the two Security Officers at the door, neither moved aside as Basirov approached and he spun to face Lemond instructing her to move them out of his path. Nodding reluctantly, the Doctor stepped forward: "I'm sorry Admiral, but it's clear that the medication prescribed is having little or no effect on your condition. The fact that yet 'AGAIN' you managed to override the restrictions set in place and contact the Fleet, is further testament to your dangerousness, not only to personnel but to the Starbase herself, and pending a formal investigation into your competence, I have no option but to remove you from duty..." He stopped speaking while the man ranted, then in a break from his tirade he continued, "... I will, however, agree that Admiral Lemond carries out the order you were given to move the Starbase into the System, at which time I will request the Section Admiral return to oversee your situation personally." So with three ranking Officers in agreement, the result of Basirov's confrontation was somewhat of a foregone conclusion. Erin had called for additional Security from her office and these arrived now. Nia instructed them to accompany the Admiral to Primary Medical where he was to be kept under sedation. As the newcomers walked Basirov out, Nia came from behind her desk and asked them to wait a moment. She walked up to the man, stood close enough that he could easily hit her before any of his minders could react: "Admiral..." she began quietly, almost a whisper, "... I don't know why you have taken such a dislike, hatred, of me. Clearly something in your past has had a continual detrimental effect on your mental wellbeing, something I hope, with treatment, can be overcome, but for now, you need to rest. If I am wrong about all this, I will be the first to tender my resignation from Intelligence and Starfleet. I wish you only well Admiral, and I hope that one day you will realize I wanted to help you, not usurp you in your efforts to succeed," Basirov leaned very close, close enough that Nia had to hold up a hand to stop him from being pulled away. "I'm going to see you dead, Admiral," he whispered, before standing up straight and walking away, Security Officers in close attendance. Nia, Matthew Reynolds, and the Medical Officer followed them onto the Mezzanine walkway, the two Admiral's watching as Basirov was escorted into a turbo-lift, the Doctor close behind, then she looked down to find Commander Campbell and his Deputy, who had clearly been apprised of the situation. "Commander, let's begin our traverse into the aCen System, one-quarter impulse please," "Yes Ma'am... the Aussie confirmed with a grin, then asked if Commander Atkinson could be dismissed. "Yes, sorry for getting you up here under false pretenses Commander, you're dismissed," She stood leaning on the railing as Campbell gave orders to rotate the Starbase and then activate the Impulse Engines, the stars didn't seem to change as they were traveling relatively slowly by astronomical measurements, "Thank you Admiral Reynolds, I know that couldn't have been easy," Matt nodded then headed back to his own office, he like everyone had work to do. "Admiral, We're picking up the USS Enzio on an intercept course, they will rendezvous with us in six hours eighteen minutes at their present velocity," one of the Officers informed her. "Thank you ..... Carry on everyone," she said, leaving the railing before going back to her office, her ever-present Security detail close behind. Erin handed her a scalding hot cup of coffee, which despite the heat she caressed in her palms. Paquin took two cups out to the civilian-garbed Security Officers who took the drinks gratefully. Joking aside, they both wondered if they would see Admiral Basirov again before he underwent much-needed treatment, but now they were heading into the aCen Star System, home of a means, hopefully, of them all, save for the almost three hundred thousand men, women, and children of all races, who lost their lives, returning to the Sol system, and home ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jun 11, 2020 15:21:03 GMT
SD: 2406.04.0610 ... Starbase Forty-Seven
Location: aCen Star System Approximately One Hundred Fifty Thousand Kilometers from Wormhole :: Nia watched from her office as the Starbase made it's transit from the edge of the System to her holding position - They were now ready if and when it was determined that they could safely transit the wormhole, but as yet tests were still being run and everyone was understandably airing on the side of caution. The fact that they had heard nothing from the duplicate Starbase in almost a month was a valid cause for concern ..... The El Alamein was already docked and secured, the USS Maracanda was en route to the Starbase where she would take up a holding position within one hundred kilometres as protection following the earlier thinly-veiled threat that the Starbase itself could become a target... The Enzio, now with the Section Admiral back aboard, El Salvador, and the Raven, were for the time being remaining in open space, more precaution than anything else, but a necessary one given the tentative truce between the Ireuken and the Alarodian. It was a given that should either side take action that truce would collapse, and possibly the chance of taking the Starbase through the wormhole with it. She checked the time, hardly surprised when she saw it was already well past nineteen hundred hours. Sighing she looked at her desk, neat, tidy, almost pristine as usual after her Aide had been in her office. Only one PADD was on the desk, that had the report on Admiral Basirov from the Chief Medical Officer, who had concluded that the elderly Admiral was suffering from what was once called nervous exhaustion and needed complete rest. Once recovered he would undergo some time in medical care until deemed fit, it was unknown at this point as to how his career would go. Section Admiral Gheskori had visited Basirov several times while he was aboard but had chosen not to air his thoughts on one of the longest-serving Flag Officers in Starfleet, preferring to air them at the inevitable tribunal which would be convened at some point. In one sense she felt sympathy for Admiral Basirov, had he been more approachable she would have happily welcomed his help and counsel during her time in Command of the Starbase, but he had chosen to collude with people seemingly hell-bent on doing harm, he had openly threatened her life more than once, and had sought ways and means of usurping her authority at every opportunity. No, he needed help and help he would get, what he chose do take from that help only he could say ..... "Admiral, I think you had gone," Nia turned to see Erin stood in the doorway, several PADDs cradled in her arms, "Duty and status reports from all Departments, I thought it best we have them in time to address any issues," "What would I do without you, Erin," "Become a freighter Captain?" her Adjutant replied with a chuckle and with a sly grin as she put the PADDs on the desk, Nia laughed shaking her head in dismay. "The 'Admiral' in me wants to pick the first of that pile and get to work..." Lemond said, then continued, "... But my aching back saying I need to go down to O'Tooles and enjoy some good ole Irish music and a couple of drinks," "There's nothing urgent here Admiral," Erin Paquin said, motioning to the four PADDs. "OK, let's go," Nia said, taking Erin's arm before leading her out of the office ..... Ten minutes later they were sat at a table enjoying some Irish Folk Music, each enjoying the ambience and the cool drinks Sean had brought over .......... ~~~ooo000ooo~~~
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CSS
Command Staff ..
Registered: Apr 27, 2003 15:54:40 GMT
Posts: 63
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Post by CSS on Jun 11, 2020 15:47:10 GMT
Ladies and Gentlemen
It has been three years since we arrived at the Dark Matter Nebula in the Omega Centauri Cluster in the Constellation of Centaurus
After much searching, where we met new friends, and alas, new enemies, we have finally discovered a possible means of returning home. The thread is entitled:
~ Wormhole ~
Located in the aCen Star System, the wormhole is being used by two Races, the Ireuken, and the Alarodian, who benefit most from the mining of the wormhole itself It is hoped that with the help of these races the Starbase will finally be able to traverse the over fifteen thousand light-years home
'Wormhole' is in effect, the fourth part of the 'Disaster Trilogy' and the final part before we hopefully learn our fates
It has been a remarkable journey over the last three years, and CSS would like to thank everyone who has taken the time and given their imagination and creativeness to a brilliant adventure
Please keep up the exceptional writing
Regards
~ CSS ~
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