Deck 2 - Captain's Ready Room

A small conference room dominated by a large metal and glass table surrounded by broad comfortable chairs. An array of programmable work stations line one wall, while the other provides a vista looking out over the forward saucer section of the ship.

A plaque on the wall reads:

USS Phoenix
NCC-65420
Nebula-class
"No matter where you go, there you are"

-----> From Outside the Ship



The Captain finds a prompt reply waiting on the PADD in her office:

From: Admiral Kirchner
To: Captain T'leera
CC: Starfleet Outpost 4

Captain, please count me among the many Starfeet officers who have undoubtedly reached out to offer congratulations on your recent command appointment. I am confident you will do us all proud.

We have reviewed your concerns regarding the appointment of Lieutenant (jg) Norn as you Chief Engineer and agree that, while a very capable officer, they are too junior to hold a position as departmental chief on a Nebula-class starship.  We have therefore alerted personnel command and will ensure that an officer of proper rank and adequate experience is available to join your crew at Outpost 4 when you report to Sector Z-6.

We are very confident that Lieutenant (jg) Norn will benefit greatly from a period working as a deputy department chief under an experienced officer before they are ready to be promoted.

Thank-you for bringing this matter to our attention. In the uncertainty that has followed the setback at Wolf 359, these sorts of administrative foul ups are being rectified.

Go boldly!
Kirchner

<------From Sickbay

T'leera walked into the Ready Room but did not assume her seat at the table. She walked to the window, stood there and looked out; her agile mind considering the reports she had received from Engineering and Operations. To say they were...troubling, was an understatement.

She had suspected there were members of the crew still loyal to the previous CO but their resorting to sabotage was...unexpected. She expected better of Starfleet personnel than petty revenge and vendettas.

Amongst the many other things she had to do as Captain was root out those willing to go to such lengths.

From Main Bridge  —>

Iren entered the Ready Room, saw the Captain standing at the window, gazing out.  Not wanting to interrupt (especially not this captain) he stood to the side of the door, hands behind his back, waiting.

"Please, feel free to sit, Commander," the Captain said, still looking out the window. "We will begin as soon as everyone is present and ready."

<------From Main Bridge

Commander Brynn arrives, data pad against her hip. She stops before she sits, looking over the table and seats. Then she moves to the First Officer's traditional seat- just to the right of the Captain's chair at the head of the table. She doesn't seem particularly concerned, one leg crossing the other. Recalling whatever bit of reading she had been doing and slipping in a few more passages before the meeting truly began.

Relocating action to Ready Room

Iren wanders around the table, pausing at a seat mid-way down the table, on the captain’s left,  Then it sinks in that after the captain and the XO, he’s going to be the most senior officer present.  He walks further up the table, looks at the seat directly at he captain’s left, hesitate a moment and then sits.

Activating the workstation, he calls up the Treaty of Algeron, to refresh himself on the terms.  This could get tricky,

From: Main Bridge

Valéria entered behind Commander Brynn, and it was clear from the hard set of her features that she was significantly less relaxed than her XO. Indeed, she took the chair opposite the door, so she could keep an eye on it. As if she expected a horde of Borg to break it down any second.

"Captain, I know you must have much to go over, from our...unusual technology to the current events, but might I suggest going to Yellow Alert immediately? If I have been monitoring the situation correctly, there were multiple unauthorized uses of former Captain Maxwell's security codes, one of which has already caused an injury. That speaks to some sort of sabotage in my mind. I would rather be thought paranoid by jumping to Yellow Alert than have something even more dire occur. I will need some time to search through all the logs and see exactly what Captain Maxwell's codes exactly did, and make sure someone didn't cover their tracks afterwards. O que, sabendo da minha sorte, eles provavelmente sabiam. Bastardos. That individual could still be aboard this vessel," the tactical Officer said seriously, knowing that she was breaching etiquette somewhat, but feeling that these concerns were exceedingly important.

The Captain raised an eyebrow. "Espero que sua 'sorte' seja melhor do que a última coisa que me falou," the Captain replied.

"Your suggestion is logical. I was also going to station security at key junctures on the ship: on the bridge, the entrance to Engineering, Sickbay, the deflector dish, and the access tubes to the module.

"For those of you as yet unaware of this - we have a saboteur or saboteurs onboard. The loss of power to sickbay was not accidental. Additional malicious code has been found in other areas of the ship and have been or will be repaired. Lt. Sirin, the floor is yours."

"Isto é. Ainda estou vivo, não estou? Além disso, eu gosto de um desafio," the Lieutenant replied with a wry smile.

But after that, she was all business. She quickly tapped her com-badge and began issuing orders.

"Yellow Alert! Security Teams to critical systems, to key junctures of the ship, and reinforce security stationed at the access tubes to the module! Possible intruder alert! Crew take note of any unknown person or persons, or any other suspicious activity. Report any oddities or concerns to Security immediately," Valéria said tersely, noting with satisfaction when the yellow indication lights began to flash on the panel walls.

That done, she sat back and waited for Lieutenant Junior Grade Norn's report for this conference.

Having arrived just barely in time for the start of the meeting, Devon simply took the nearest seat and settled in.  She expected at least the first part of the meeting to be bogged down with formalities and details, so it was a pleasant surprise when the captain instead got straight to business.  There was unfortunately a moment when things got sidetracked, but thankfully they returned to the subject of Sickbay almost at once, and the mention of the trouble there being the result of sabotage caught all her attention.

She looked over at the two lieutenants, wondering if they would be able to save her the trouble of having to track down the saboteur herself.  The one good thing about the situation was that at least she wouldn't have any trouble getting everyone to take the outages seriously.

Norn watched the exchange, silently. It was clear he did not approve of what had just happened, but said nothing, just started his briefing.


"Regarding the sickbay issues, the initial problems were caused by the wiring and power buffer faults that have been plaguing the ship.

Buffers were placed in sickbay to prevent exactly this thing from happening in such a critical area, the buffers were disabled using Captain Maxwell's old codes.

We can disable the command codes for the future, in fact I suggest we reset them immediately after this meeting. We could also trigger outdated access codes to trigger an immediate security alert.

Of course, now that they were on Yellow alert, they would have to be staggeringly dumb
to try that again, but hey, it was possible.


I feel I must warn that the capacity for a any registered crew member, regardless of access level, to do damage to this ship is quite vast, even in non-critical areas, even with the most basic of tools.

I should also point out that running our systems on Yellow Alert for an extended period will increase the odds of wiring and CPU failure, assuming we are also maintaining combat readiness standards for yellow alert.

With your permission, Captain, I will increase implementation of some stopgap measures designed to prevent this, such as installing buffers and slave processors, particularly in astrometrics which should help mitigate problems.


He looked over at their operations officer with a look to invite him to add anything he'd missed.

We can also talk about the cloaking device, but that was a seperate topic
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:41, Sun 13 Mar 2022.

"I am aware of the risks, Lt. and I agree with your suggestion. Please proceed with implementation and keep me appraised of your progress. We will have to proceed with caution until these saboteurs have been located and their threat neutralised."

She looked around the room. "Does anyone else have anything to address before we move on to the next topic?"

“With regards to the sabotage, I I fear we may have fallen into a deeper crevasse.” Iren adds, looking up from the workstation.

He folds his hands in front of him..  “Relying on systems happening to fail - even with the known problems - seems inefficient.  When repairing the main systems, I suggest you check for evidence of sabotage there.  In particular you should look for signs of a trigger device.  The known sabotage may only serve to ensure the effectiveness of the other sabotage.  The other systems targeted should be assumed to be compromised, too. At the least, liable to fail. “

"Logical and efficient. Please coordinate this work between your two departments, Commander Thatyil, Lt. Norn.," the Captain said.

She looked at Lt. Krenn. "I believe you have also found something, Lt. Please, now is the time to inform the rest of the senior staff."

Kotar waits his turn to speak up and then shares what he has learned about the illicit command codes being used.

"The power distribution buffers were shut down back in repair dock, just over 24 hours ago, during the welcome reception on Starbase 211. The overload was caused by the power fluctuations that Engineering has been working to fix and wouldn’t have been a catastrophic failure if the buffers hadn’t been sabotaged.

"There are four other instances of access using the same authorization. All from the same time. Three target overload buffers elsewhere in the ship.  Engineering can probably figure out how to solve those issues.

"The fourth lies deep in the communications array.  I can’t tell what it does or how it works, but I think we'll need to take the array offline to get at the potentially malicious code."

After making his report in a concise manner, he looks at the Captain.

"Can you tell us of any reasons or power groups that might want to sabotage this vessel, Captain? Is there any particular sensitivity about our mission?"

"The obvious answer is groups still loyal to her prior Captain. Given they have his command codes that also seems the most logical answer. But that only answers one question so, to answer the second, I must refer to the matter of most concern."

She tapped a few things on her PADD before continuing.

"I have sent all of you the revised Treaty of Algeron. To put things in context I shall enumerate several facts of which you are already aware. In 2364, 2365, and 2366 there were attacks on both sides of the Neutral Zone - entire settlements simply scooped off the face of the planets upon which they had been built. We discovered these attacks were the work of the Borg; a preamble to what was to come earlier this year: Wolf 359. Thirty nine ships destroyed, nearly eleven thousand lives lost. The undamaged Borg Cube entered Earth orbit and was preparing to invade when the Enterprise crew used a subroutine that caused the Cube to self-destruct.

"Prior to this the Federation sent out calls to the Klingons for aid and considered doing the same to the Romulans but did not. However, the destruction caused by the Battle of Wolf 359 was disastrous for the Federation. The Admiralty knew that we were in no position for sustained combat so they did something very atypical for the Federation: they called the Romulans on their treaty violations and demanded a return to the bargaining table."

She looked at the assembled officers before continuing.

"The Treaty of Algeron was addressed and the Federation made several demands. You can read the entire text for yourselves but the one that is of most note and germane to this ship is in Article Two, Section One. To wit: the development and use of cloaking devices by the Federation. The outcome of long deliberation was Romulan capitulation to the Federation developing cloaking technology and placing it on no more than twelve vessels. As we were undergoing extensive refits it was decided to place one on this ship. This, along with the weapon and shield upgrades means the Phoenix is now classified as a battlecruiser and we are to be the tip of the spear when the Borg attack again.

"I know all of you have questions and concerns so now is the time to raise them."

"Captain...meaning no offense to your position, nor personally questioning your integrity, but you have just shared several extraordinary claims. Claims that seem to violate what we already know of legal agreements between recognized interstellar governments, and long standing orders. I think it is our duty as Senior Officers to confirm these facts with Starfeelt Command, and the Federation Council. Especially considering the unfortunate history of this vessel. Would you accept the logic of this need?" the Tactical Officer asked with as much diplomacy as she had ever managed.

If the Captain was irritated by the question she gave no indication. "I have also placed proof in the form of the revised treaty in your PADD, Lt. but if that, and my word, are insufficient for you then you may, by all means, contact Starfleet and the Federation. I will remind you that Vulcans, by nature, do not lie and given this ship's less than stellar reputations I can ensure you that I would do nothing to tarnish it further. Quite the opposite; I have been given this command to restore integrity and honour to this vessel and her crew.

"I would also note that it would be quite impossible for me to obtain and install a cloaking device on my own."

“If I might list my concerns” Iren puts in

Ticking off his fingers he goes on,

“First, the ordering of announcements is strange.  A successful renegotiation of a treaty should be public knowledge.  That we should be briefed on it only when we are under way leaves me with misgivings.”

“Second, since research into cloaking devices was also banned under the treaty it is far too soon for Federation-built devices to be available, even as prototypes. Where was this device obtained?.”

“Third, negotiating with Romulans from a position of weakness seems unlikely to secure a good result.  And I find it even more implausible that the Romulans would permit cloaked ships to deploy to their borders.  That seems a concession too far”

“Finally I fear the possibility of a connection with the sabotage on board this ship, but more data is required”

"And thus my revealing the revised treaty for it leads to a possible answer to the second question. Is it possible that there is a Romulan infiltrator on board the ship? It is.

"As for your other concerns I shall answer them now: the revision to the treaty was kept secret so as to not tip our hand to other hostile powers. I was given direct orders not to reveal it until we were underway.

"As to the timing of this device being ready, you are correct. Details on the research and construction were not given to me. I was told things were being handled at the highest level.

"The Federation was reeling from the Battle of Wolf 359 so they resorted to something rarely used: a threat. They told the Romulans they knew of their frequent violations of the treaty and told them they would assemble an alliance of powers hostile to the Star Empire. An alliance which would include the Klingons. The threat was successful.

"Lastly - we are being deployed to the Neutral Zone because Federation intelligence suggests the Romulans continue to make regular crossings out of the Neutral Zone. We are to determine the truth of this and act as a deterrent."

The Captain gave them all a grim half-smile. "We are being sent into a nest of rock snakes, ladies and gentlemen. Make no mistake; this mission is perilous in ways we have yet to experience save for what happened at Wolf 359. We must be up to the challenge which means we must have the utmost confidence in one another."

Sirin Norn tried not to groan audibly at the announcement.

"This seems like a terrible idea dreamed up of by someone with little practical experience. Of course, I am merely a junior Starfleet officer, so that will be my sole comment on the subject. Please forgive my outburst captain. I will present my engineering findings on the cloak.

The cloaking device, to put it bluntly, is brilliantly designed, to be the point of being quite humbling." Anyone who'd ever met a Zakdorn knew that when they said something like that, they meant it.

"The cloak is not a Romulan or a Klingon style cloak. It achieves a similar effect but in a different manner: rather than using large amounts of power to configure the ship's deflectors to create a cloaking field, the cloak uses the properties of certain extraordinarily rare exotic-radioactive elements to cause a ship's shields to mimic the effects of a cloaking field, without creating a tremendous drain on power.

This means that the cloaking device isn't going to create a drain on the ship's power supply, which no doubt presents incredible tactical options. We could go to warp or fire a full alpha-strike of of phasers and torpedos, and still have enough power to engage the cloak.

The bad news is that the elements that allow these interactions with our shields have an extremely limited half-life once activated. Once our cloak is exhausted, the cloak will be rendered useless. In fact, from cursory examination, it appears that the security systems will burn out the cloak to prevent it from being reverse-engineered. I can't say I blame them: there's no way anyone would ever be able to get it working again without a lot of very expensive materials.

I can't give an exact length of time that the cloak will function. There is something like a meter, but until I see it in operation I won't know for sure. I suspect that it is only designed for this mission.

On reflection, this is probably why the Romulans were willing to agree to the provision in the treaty. The Federation will not be able to produce enough cloaked ships with this technology to realistically be threat to them, as the exotic elements are unbelievably rare.
If we really wanted, we could acquire cloaking technology from one of our allies or borrow a ship, after all, so this probably seemed a small price to pay for their territorial incursions "in the interests of peace".


This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Tue 15 Mar 2022.

Iren looks curiously at the Captain, s if considering something.  “An interesting thought.  But not my greatest worry.”

Norn’s information is also of interest.  “Would you say that this cloak is Federation technology?  Remembering that developing it prior to the revision of the Treaty of Algeron would have been illegal.”

Certainly.

However, the technologies for the cloaking device have been in Federation property for close to 70 years. Federation scientists have, for years, had to understand the basics behind cloaking, if for no other reason than to attempt to thwart existing cloaking devices.
I assure you, any modern graduate of Starfleet academy's Engineering or Operations track has studied at least one Klingon Empire provided cloak up close to understand how it works, as well as the basic principles of Romulan cloaking devices.

Things get into a more grey area when it comes to blue sky engineering since we live in a free society. The properties of Tzo Crystals and Degenerate Matter radiation are in publicly circulated papers. It's likely some engineer read these and thought to himself "I could make a cloak out of this!" and worked it out in simulation as a lark. I have several such ideas and projects I'm working on at the moment, though none violate any treaties I am aware of.

Transferring that to a useful prototype may sound extreme in such a short time, but human-led engineering teams can be... industrious with prototype production. It's doubtful this kind of cloak was designed as some sort of Federation circumvention of the treaty beforehand, simply because it makes NO sense to do so: there isn't enough degenerate matter or Tzo Crystals available to make more than one or two of these things.

Of course, I may be wrong. That's just my opinion based on my experiences with Starfleet Engineering.

This message was lightly edited by the player at 00:58, Wed 16 Mar 2022.

"I have an idea on who might be behind this sudden surge in Federation cloaking technology but, as it is mere speculation, I am loathe to share it. However, given they have operated in a grey area for decades, it is not illogical to posit that Section 31 had a hand in this," the Captain said.

What had seemed a straightforward assignment aboard his first Star Fleet vessel was quickly becoming mired in intrigues far above Kotar's pay grade. But he reminded himself that this was all speculation at this point.

"Before we decide there are secret agents behind every door," he suggested, "We must do the diligence of removing the false codes and testing every system. Time-consuming and annoying, but we gain the advantage of becoming intimately familiar with our new vessels protocols as we reset them.

"Do you have other orders, Captain? You called for this meeting before we discovered the hidden codes."

Iren sighs., at the inadequacy of the available evidence,  “Captain, I cannot tell whether the story you have been told is true or merely a cover for treaty violations by a rogue faction in Starfleet,  I can say, however, that the secrecy seems both counter to Federation ideals and counter-productive.  Will our potential enemies be less angry when they find we have secretly equipped ships with cloaks - hiding the treaty change from them?  Can we restore the reputation of this ship if we are perceived as breaking the law - because the change in the law is secret ?”

He sighs again
“At least tell me that the secrecy is limited  - that if Igo to Central Records and obtain a copy of the Treaty of Algeron I will find the revised text.  That it is only the fact of the change that is secret -  that the revised text is freely available on request.  That would be tolerable, if less than ideal”

"Begging your pardon Captain, but I can think of at least eight ways off the top of my head I could acquire and install illegal technology onboard the ship while not drawing immediate suspicion. Pelo menos três deles envolvem os Ferengi. So yes, confirming these orders with Starfleet Command, and the Federation Council will be absolutely necessary..." she began, not willing to let the point drop.

"As Lieutenant Commander Thatyil says, the situation seems most unusual, and normally treaties are freely available to inspect. While we inspect the ship's systems for further sabotage, and any possible perpetrators, those inquiries will be made as well," Valéria finished emphatically.

It was a tense situation to be sure. There had always been a certain cognitive dissonance about the Treaty of Algernon. Both signatories were simultaneously aware of the other side’s transgressions while cautiously pushing the limits themselves. It seemed the arrival of the Borg, the effortless destruction of several Romulan systems and the abject failure of Starfleet at Wolf 359 had changed the strategic calculations on both sides.

From a Federation perspective, there could be no more mistakes when dealing with the Borg and another incursion focussed on sector 001 would be a disaster. After the destruction wrought by a single cube on the Federation’s finest, riling up an old foe and tearing up a dusty old treaty probably seemed a reasonable price to pay when faced with assimilation.

From the Romulan perspective, the idea of the Borg turning thier attention from the delta quadrant toward the alpha quadrant certainly put the Star Empire in an awkward position. Acquiescence to the Federation and allowing an increased presence along the frontier probably seemed a reasonable price to pay having seen the futility of resistance.

During a moment of quiet contemplation, a knock came at the Ready Room door…

”Ah, hello Captain,” said an unexpected guest as they entered the room to stunned silence. ”my apologies for missing the beginning of the meeting. I had some trouble finding my way.”

Who is this?

Send me a private line in this thread… if I like your idea better than what I have in mind, I’ll use it and you take 1XP.

If, by some stroke of luck, we end up having the same idea, you get a level up!

OOC - so many choices!

PM.

The Captain sighed and almost seemed to deflate. "Normally I would not express my own misgivings to my senior officers but this is anything but normal. I have my doubts about this situation as well. Starfleet as we have known it has been irrevocably changed after the Battle of Wolf 359. Will it ever return to what it was? What it has always seen itself to be? I am uncertain.

"Am I confident that this new technology is completely...above board, to borrow an expression from Earth? I am not. Am I secure in the explanation by which it was obtained? I am not. Do I expect it will provoke the Romulans in some fashion despite the new treaty? I do."

She turned to look at her Serarano and Thatyil. "I strongly encourage you to verify the veracity of statements made here and will, if objections by the Council or Admiralty are made known to me, stand beside you and guard your back. If the treaty is not freely available as it should be, please let me know."

She stopped speaking for a moment and seemed about to say more when the door opened and their guest walked in. She stood and held her hand up. "Welcome to the Phoenix. Please, be seated."

PM

Private line:

A tall, lean Romulan enters and briefly waits at the door to the Captain’s Ready Room. On close inspection, perhaps you conclude that the Romulan has some human blood, his coloration is a bit lighter and brow ridges a bit less pronounced than a typical member of his species.



“Thank-you Captain," he says taking a seat at the end of the table. I’m afraid I missed the chance to make everyone’s acquaintance at the reception, I was regretfully occupied elsewhere. By way of introduction, I am Sub-Commander Calaar, special envoy of the Romulan Star Empire, attached to this crew as liaison officer for duration of your patrol along our Neutral Zone."

Looking around, reading the room he adds, "I hope I haven't intruded on something."

"Not at all. We are grateful for your presence, Sub-Commander. Perhaps you can shed some light on the more...controversial elements of our current situation. I know the Federation would rather work with the Empire than against, particularly given the existential threat presented by the Borg. A threat that has been amply demonstrated over the past three years."

The Captain nodded to the Sub-Commander, ceding the floor to him.

"Suffice to say, I am not authorized to discuss the details of my government's interactions with the Borg. What you already know is enough to surmise that, like you, we do not find ourselves in a favorable strategic situation." Calaar begins. "If we understand things correctly, the Borg have assimilated a number of systems inside the Beta Quadrant into their collective. This makes them distant neighbors to the Star Empire. We would naturally prefer to keep that distance."

"It is with grudging acceptance that we acknowledge that you were able to destroy one of their cubes." he continues. "We have therefore concluded that we will gain more by working with you than working against you."

“Captain, may I ask if there are any further surprises in store for us?” Iren asks, not at all sure of what may safely be discussed in front of the Romulan.

As soon as the door opened, the Tactical Officer shot to her feet and her hand went to the Phaser holstered at her hip. However, when the Captain bade their unexpected guest welcome, she paused in her action and did not draw the weapon. The Romulan and Captain spoke as if this was normal and expected, and that sent a shot of suspicion and for the first time real frustration down her spine.

"Captain, this is...most improper. Security was not notified that we would be entertaining a...foreign dignitary. We have not taken the necessary and appropriated steps prior to their arrival. In fact, I must insist that we begin some of them now," Valéria said, her anger obvious even over he surface level diplomatic pleasantness.

Her hand hovered over her conference table consul, ready to call a Security Team, as soon as she received the Captain's permission.

"Would you please excuse us, Sub-Commander Calaar. My officers and I have much to discuss. Perhaps we can meet later to go over the way things will be operating during this assignment."

She nodded to Lt. Serrano and waited for the security team and the Sub-Commander to leave before turning towards the crew.

"It is most improper as I was also not informed he would be present on my ship," the Captain said, real heat in her voice for just a moment. She took a deep breath and continued, sounding more like herself again. "I will be having words with Admiral Kirchner about this. In the meantime do what you need to do, Lieutenant."

“A rather chilly welcome,” Calaar said smoothly as he stood, ”Though not entirely unexpected. It would appear that I have other duties to attend to right now, but I do look forward to working with you all on this voyage.”

Walking away with the security detail, he is overheard to say, ”Where to now? My diplomatic quarters, I presume?”

Knowing when she was out of her depth -- she couldn't care less about politics, and had barely heard of this treaty everyone kept mentioning -- Devon had stayed silent during this exchange.  Before very long, however, she was seriously wondering if this crew was going to self-destruct before the ship got anywhere near its actual mission, and she kept a close eye on the captain to see how she was handling things.

Once their unexpected Romulan guest -- for lack of a better word -- was escorted out, she glanced around the table.  "Starfleet ships are usually a lot less exciting than this.  All I can say is that we'd better make sure Sickbay is working, because whatever else happens I have a feeling we're really going to need it.  Even if we manage to avoid getting attacked by one of the many species who hate the Federation, the crew might start trying to kill each other any minute."

“They may have already started, Doctor.” Iren puts in. “Sabotage was at least a part of the power outage in sickbay - perhaps even the cause.  Can you think of a reason why the saboteurs might have wanted the power to go off at that particular time?”

"I was in the middle of trying to save a badly injured patient, so their timing couldn't have been worse as far as that was concerned.  And if they were aiming to make me angry, they couldn't have done a much better job of that, either.  If I find out who was responsible before you do, you won't have to worry about what to do with them, believe me," Devon said, with absolute seriousness.  "But the lieutenant was injured in an accident -- in the shuttle bay, I think.  Something about loading cargo in too much of a hurry.  So either the saboteurs knew almost immediately that there was a critical patient in Sickbay, or they somehow arranged the accident that landed him in Sickbay in the first place."  She paused, frowning darkly.  "Either way, we can't stop them soon enough."

Sirin Norn looked alarmed. He had not been aware of the timing. An insane amount of stuff had happened over the past hour. "Is security monitoring the patient in sickbay?"

He made a mental note to check the cargo bay logs for sabotage and to make sure sickbay was proof from future tampering.

It's possible that this was picked to target him specifically. Looking into the crewman's record might give us some insight. I would suggest that security and Comander Brynn review his personnel files: someone who knows the old crew might have more insight."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 15:33, Wed 23 Mar 2022.

"Security?  No," Devon replied, her frown deepening.  "I've got no fewer than three Sickbay staff keeping an eye on him, though.  But if you're going to send a security detail down there, make sure you tell them not to touch anything.  Everything's enough of a mess as it is."

"Security team six to Sickbay. Protection detail," Valéria ordered over the com.

"Captain, there could be a serious security threat to this vessel, beyond the sabotage that we know of. The inclusion of Sub-Commander Calaar as well as the, as far as we were aware up until this point, illegal cloaking system, I suggest we cease our current course and return to Starbase. The best way to inspect our systems would be for us to take them offline and utilize other isolated systems to inspect them anyway. To say nothing of the numerous orders that we have to confirm..." the Tactical Officer said, her voice calming.

"Negative. We were given orders and we shall carry them out and we shall do so acting in the best tradition of Starfleet. We shall comport ourselves well at all times as befitting the crew of a Starfleet vessel. This situation, whilst less than ideal, is one we shall have to adapt to."

She looked at each member of the crew as she spoke.

"Wolf 359 left a gaping hole in our defences and we are called upon to protect the Federation which is exactly what we are going to do. Make what inquiries you need to make, perform admirably, and carry out the duties which we have been assigned. Dismissed."

Great scene everyone. No shortage of independence in this fractious crew!

You’ve come up with some exciting story hooks, as you head off to your duties in the ship, let me know what you’re up to:

-looking into the use of Maxwell’s codes for sabotage

-investigating the shuttle accident and McLearen’s service record

-checking on the authenticity of the order to field the Phoenix’s experimental weapons pod

-preparing your department for patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone

-something else?

Iren clasps his hands firmly together.  “All data must be considered.  The presence of the Sub-Commander is strong evidence for the legality of the cloak.  I advise consulting Admiral Kirchner regarding the Romulan presence relative to the new equipment.”

"I fully intend to, Commander. I have had quite enough surprises on this deployment already. I'll call for another staff meeting once I receive clarification regarding these issues. Dismissed." The Captain stood up, signaling the meeting was quite over.

Though she didn't much like the sound of another staff meeting, possibly very soon, Devon stood up as soon as she heard the magic word, 'dismissed'.  "If anyone needs me, I'll be getting Sickbay straightened out," she said, in a tone that indicated serious trouble for anyone or anything she found to be out of order.

[To: Sickbay]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:00, Tue 22 Mar 2022.

Kotar stands to attention when dismissed and leaves the Ready Room to return to the Bridge.

"Aye Captain. If you need me, I will be down in Security beginning my investigation and coordinating the Security teams. You will have my preliminary reports soon," the Lieutenant said, standing to attention after she had been officially dismissed.

That done, she left the Ready Room and headed for her offices on the lower decks.

To: Security

Iren stands.  “Captain.  If you have any specific tasks for Science I will see that they are set in motion.  Otherwise I will proceed to my station on the Bridge and check the science systems to see if they are functioning correctly, and free of sabotage - so far as I can determine”

"Nothing at this time, Commander. Carry on," she said, waiting for the room to be clear before sitting back in the seat and looking out the window for a moment.

She poured herself a drink and took a few sips before entering the command to call the Admiral. It was time for answers.

—> Bridge

>>Priority transmission
>>Command channel alpha-three
>>Subspace encryption enabled

After a few moments, the channel is open to Admiral Pressman in Starfleet Intelligence "Ahh, hello Captain. I trust that it's been an uneventful day since the Phoenix came out of refit and left Starbase 211." he says in a suspiciously knowing manner. "Your orders should come as no surprise, mere confirmation of what the rumor mill had already known. Report to sector Z-6 and establish patrol operations between Outpost 4 and Outpost 7 along the Romulan neutral zone. You are to report your findings directly to me and, most importantly, be prepared to use your experimental pod should you encounter the Borg."

That confirms your suspicions, Phoenix had been banished by Starfleet Command to patrol Federation backwaters looking for ghosts and whispers in the dark.

"With respect, Admiral, but I don't like surprises on my ship. I was told there would be an envoy but not that it would be a Romulan whilst we patrol the Neutral Zone, with an untested crew, a treaty that is, at best, on uncertain legal ground, and unproven technology in the form of this cloaking device. My crew has expressed severe misgivings already and not knowing about such things undermines their faith in me."

Her gaze sharpened as she looked at the admiral. "Are there any more surprises of which I have not been made aware?"

"I can appreciate that this must be particularly challenging," he replies with a mix of humor and condescension. If you weren't a Vulcan, the way you are being talked down to would have your blood boiling. "But let's be absolutely clear, Captain, after the losses at Wolf 359 there aren't all that many more experienced crews out there. I'll be frank, we've cobbled your crew together undertake a delicate mission. Your thoughts on the choice of attache to accompany your crew and the revised Treaty of Algernon are noted, but irrelevant."

Over steepled fingers, he continues with an annoying smile "As for further surprises, when you get to Outpost 4 you will need to check in with the Starfleet Intelligence liaison there, Commodore Reynolds. I'm certain she will have something..."

The transmission is suddenly (and thankfully) interrupted by a priority alpha distress signal.

Parting is such sweet sorrow... how do you sign off with this obnoxious Admiral?

T'leera looked over at her comms and shook her head. "Apologies but we have an incoming Alpha Priority distress signal. I shall consider your words and continue our mission. Any further concerns shall be raised with the Admiralty in due time."

She held up a hand. "Live long, and prosper, Admiral Pressman," she said before ending their transmission.

She tapped her console and brought up the distress signal.

>>>Priority Transmission
>>>All channel distress call

"zzzt science vessel Horizon en route zzzt Gamma Lilsis 26 Dubhe Sector zzzt attack, ambushed we lost our sensor array and zzzt zzzt unknown can't tell if zzzt still out there zzzt zzzt impulse malfunction, warp offline, dead in the water zzzt zzzt zzzt ... mayday mayday, science vessel Horizon..."

You get most of the message before the subspace channel collapses.

A quick look at the mission logs for Horizon confirms that the Oberth-class science vessel was heading for the Lilsis systems to collect data on dangerous tekasite deposits in the system.

That system is in exactly the wrong direction from your assigned mission sector, but answering a distress call is more than enough reason to delay in reporting for whatever morally ambiguous duties Pressman has in mind for you...

T'leera ran quick calculations to determine the most optimal course and speed, stood and left the Ready Room.

It was time to put ship and crew through their paces.

-------> to: Bridge

<-----From: Bridge


T'leera walked in and stood before the window, looking at the eddies and swirls that moved through warped space as the ship traveled. She normally found it a comforting view but today there was no comfort to be found. Not today, not in the face of everything that was happening.

From: The Bridge

"I have already forwarded the information that Security has found while searching through the computer. We are coordinating with Engineering. We are narrowing down the suspect pool for who could be the saboteur, and are conducting interviews in known affected areas. I have an old friend in Starfleet Intelligence that I reached out too. He will be giving me more in-depth information on Sub-Commander Calaar and any potential Captain Maxwell diehard or other flagged trouble makers. He also says that the Treaty of Algeron was in fact legally changed, with both the Romulan Senate and Federation Council signing off on it, though in secret. My contact says that in return for antiquated cloaking technology, and the right to install it on a handful of ships, we passed over our tactical and technological information on the Borg. And Starfleet is apparently being a lot less forthcoming with higher-level decisions to the lower ranks as a new security measure to avoid letting the Borg know our plans if one of us gets Assimilated," Lieutenant Serrano reported quickly and efficiently.

"And...on a personal note Captain, I very much got the impression that the higher ups are scared of the Borg. Sensible, but not at the expense of maintaining the laws and principles of the Federation. I am...concerned Captain," she finished, hesitating when revealing a small portion of her feelings.

"Concerning but not wholly unexpected. Starfleet faces an enemy unlike any previously encountered, Lieutenant. There is no reasoning with the Borg, no appealing to their better natures. They are merciless and uncompromising and bring with them a threat worse than death - the death of self. Alive but unknowing, able to perform the most terrible of acts without remorse. One ship cost tens of thousands of lives at Wolf 359 and wore the face of the best amongst us in doing so. We don't know from where they are from or when they will strike again."

She turned from window and sat down. "The Borg frightens people and in the face of such a threat, the first loss is idealism. I am also concerned that this is but the beginning. Where Starfleet goes from here is unknown. One can hope we do not sacrifice too much of our ideals in the face of this threat. I brought up our concerns to the Admiral and was left...less than reassured by his response."

"I was there Captain. I am well aware of how existentially horrifying they can be," Lieutenant Serrano replied, in a kind of detached way.

"I'm...afraid that this kind of thinking is born out of ignorance. History shows us again and again that sacrificing ideals for safety is not only rarely successful, it is unnecessary. Every generation thinks the latest threat is an unprecedented horror that will require...hard decisions. And they are foolish enough to think they are the first person to come up with that idea. Não sei...Captain, I'm just a Lieutenant. These matters seem far above my ability to affect or even fully understand. Besides follow our orders for now, is there anything for us to do?" she asked, clearly frustrated.

"You are, I believe the phrase is 'preaching to the choir', Lieutenant. I agree with everything you have said but have no answers for you. Changing the path of a massive organisation, like Starfleet, is quite beyond anything I am capable of, no matter how I might wish otherwise."

She sat back in her chair.

"All we can do is perform our duties to the highest level of our training and stay true to the ideals of the Federation. The very ideals that led us to join Starfleet; we lead by example and show that we do not need to abandon our ideals in the face of danger. Nós nos mantemos fiéis a nós mesmos e uns aos outros."

"...Aye Captain." Lieutenant Serrano replied after a long moment of digesting Tleera's words.

"Will there be anything else, or shall I return to my station and prepare for what might be a hot entrance?" she asked, trying to focus on the moment despite the heady topic that she herself had broached.