To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)
- Thread starter OneirosTheWriter
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Truthfully, I'm feeling a little bad about immediately following Akuz's gritty wartime tale of Orion soldiers fighting for the Revolution with an omake that is downright silly in places, even if it is about a woman far away from those blood-drenched streets trying in her own way to grapple with the idea of war. They all seem like nothing but kids marveling at the idea of war next to the Aerocommandos, don't they?
And they're still pretty much the same people who would be manning our ships against the Cardassians.
And they're still pretty much the same people who would be manning our ships against the Cardassians.
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- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
The hell of it is, the gritty Orion soldiers aren't going to win this one without the idealistic youngsters on the ships... Or vice versa.
Diversity, combinations. Maybe not the diversity we wish we had, but pretty apparently the diversity we need for this crisis.
Diversity, combinations. Maybe not the diversity we wish we had, but pretty apparently the diversity we need for this crisis.
- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
I can't believe you've done this.
You just can't admit how useful the friendship flowchart would be.
1. Because Pinkie Pie is an Earth pony and Tellarites are from Tellar Prime.
2. Because Tellarites are ugly pig people, so screw 'em.
3. Finally, Mitchie may be a being of many forms. Se~cret.
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- Location
- madison
man, and they thought Odo was odd.
UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
She's actually a Lecarre?
2312.Q4.M3.W4 - Precipice Pt 3
- Location
- Australia
Commander Kaylee Straite has been working non-stop since the Sarek got the order to head to Celos. Even if Captain Straak had not briefed her on the situation there, it's easy to tell that this is a crisis. After all, the warp drive is being pushed so hard that the engineering team is walking around ghostly pale and laughing anxiously at odd moments. You don't do that without serious need.
The door to the science lab opens to admit her Captain, the Vulcan Straak, who walks in with his hands folded behind his back. Not very tall by Vulcan standards, the crew often likes to joke that he must have some Tellarite in his family somewhere. But he is a good officer, and an even better scientist, especially with geology.
"Commander, have you made much progress?" he asks.
"Some, Captain," replies Straite slowly, taking a moment to rub at her temples sleepily. At this rate she is going to need to see the new head doctor, and Straak's new mate, about maybe getting something to put a bit more pep in her step. Anyone who knows Kaylee, of course, would be terrified about the idea of the hyperactive officer on stimulants. "How about you, Captain?"
"Some progress," he replies, taking a seat across the desk. "Most of the techniques that I utilised to capture a transport inhibited base here in the past are still available."
"I saw that as well," agrees Kaylee. "Now, from the looks of the geological layout, Alayo, the smallest of the big three, has a lot of avenues to attack like this. Then Ginadain has-" Kaylee stops to yawn, then blushes. "Sorry, Captain!"
"Please continue, Commander," says Straak.
"R-right." Kaylee clears her throat and checks her notes again. "Ginadain has a few vulnerabilities, but not as many. Can do some good there, however. But Celos City is a wash, they'll need to do it the old fashioned way."
"Nonetheless, I am sure this will do much to turn the balance."
=========
"Admiral, word just in!" the excitable aide all but shouts as he approaches you. "Alayo has fallen! Their forces collapsed right away when the Sarek started beaming Aeroknights directly under the city!"
You lean back in your chair and grin like a shark. "Good, good."
"The 1st Group at Celos City is making progress as well, but Ginadain is currently still looking at a stalemate with a lot of losses."
You wicked smile slowly fades. Well, it wasn't a silver bullet, but it did earn you a city that you otherwise wouldn't have taken nearly so quickly.
=========
"What's the situation?" you ask as you walk into the Starfleet Operations mission control room.
Commodore Leah Colt is the Director of the Mission Control Room, one of the most influential positions within Ops. Quite possibly the single calmest woman in the entire Federation. But even her face is pinched with anxiety as she looks up from the sensor operator's console she was leaning over. "We have a report of a single Jaldun, the CDF Ronagot, approaching the edge of our claimed space. We are challenging their approach, and their reply is that with the independence of Celos, we have no recognisable claim to the corridor to Celos."
"Which comes down to a dispute on if you consider Celos independent," you grumble. "We need that world taken. What is the situation there?"
"Ginadain is about to fall; their front lines have been punctured, the Sarek has gotten troops under the city," replies Commodore Colt. "Commodore T'Lorel on the Lexington is using their targeting data to make ultra-precise strikes from orbit."
"And Celos City?"
"The Reconnoitre Bloc has nearly taken the capital building, but for the city itself, the Syndicate forces launched a massive counterattack to throw back the 1st Group assaulting the city proper. Now the Bloc is surrounded and defending grimly with Lexington and Sarek providing orbital support."
A younger voice pipes up, a Lieutenant with a worried expression. "Admiral, there's a new report in. The Ronagot has crossed into Federation space. Their weapons and deflectors are powered down and they have announced they are bearing diplomatic envoys for Celos, the Union ... and the Federation."
You blink at that, and take a step back. This could simply be a ruse to get close. Or it could be an earnest attempt. It is obvious to all concerned that despite the spirited defence of Celos City by the Syndicate, there is nothing that they can do to stop the inevitable. Celos will be liberated before any substantial aid can reach it. One Jaldun against an Excelsior and a Connie with supports is a very lopsided fight. In which case, the Cardassians must recognise that the time has come to talk.
A talk before lasting peace, or the last issuing of demands before war.
======================
[Celos Campaign Minor Victory - 3 of 4 objectives taken]
[Cardassian declaration delayed - diplomatic envoys sent]
The door to the science lab opens to admit her Captain, the Vulcan Straak, who walks in with his hands folded behind his back. Not very tall by Vulcan standards, the crew often likes to joke that he must have some Tellarite in his family somewhere. But he is a good officer, and an even better scientist, especially with geology.
"Commander, have you made much progress?" he asks.
"Some, Captain," replies Straite slowly, taking a moment to rub at her temples sleepily. At this rate she is going to need to see the new head doctor, and Straak's new mate, about maybe getting something to put a bit more pep in her step. Anyone who knows Kaylee, of course, would be terrified about the idea of the hyperactive officer on stimulants. "How about you, Captain?"
"Some progress," he replies, taking a seat across the desk. "Most of the techniques that I utilised to capture a transport inhibited base here in the past are still available."
"I saw that as well," agrees Kaylee. "Now, from the looks of the geological layout, Alayo, the smallest of the big three, has a lot of avenues to attack like this. Then Ginadain has-" Kaylee stops to yawn, then blushes. "Sorry, Captain!"
"Please continue, Commander," says Straak.
"R-right." Kaylee clears her throat and checks her notes again. "Ginadain has a few vulnerabilities, but not as many. Can do some good there, however. But Celos City is a wash, they'll need to do it the old fashioned way."
"Nonetheless, I am sure this will do much to turn the balance."
=========
"Admiral, word just in!" the excitable aide all but shouts as he approaches you. "Alayo has fallen! Their forces collapsed right away when the Sarek started beaming Aeroknights directly under the city!"
You lean back in your chair and grin like a shark. "Good, good."
"The 1st Group at Celos City is making progress as well, but Ginadain is currently still looking at a stalemate with a lot of losses."
You wicked smile slowly fades. Well, it wasn't a silver bullet, but it did earn you a city that you otherwise wouldn't have taken nearly so quickly.
=========
"What's the situation?" you ask as you walk into the Starfleet Operations mission control room.
Commodore Leah Colt is the Director of the Mission Control Room, one of the most influential positions within Ops. Quite possibly the single calmest woman in the entire Federation. But even her face is pinched with anxiety as she looks up from the sensor operator's console she was leaning over. "We have a report of a single Jaldun, the CDF Ronagot, approaching the edge of our claimed space. We are challenging their approach, and their reply is that with the independence of Celos, we have no recognisable claim to the corridor to Celos."
"Which comes down to a dispute on if you consider Celos independent," you grumble. "We need that world taken. What is the situation there?"
"Ginadain is about to fall; their front lines have been punctured, the Sarek has gotten troops under the city," replies Commodore Colt. "Commodore T'Lorel on the Lexington is using their targeting data to make ultra-precise strikes from orbit."
"And Celos City?"
"The Reconnoitre Bloc has nearly taken the capital building, but for the city itself, the Syndicate forces launched a massive counterattack to throw back the 1st Group assaulting the city proper. Now the Bloc is surrounded and defending grimly with Lexington and Sarek providing orbital support."
A younger voice pipes up, a Lieutenant with a worried expression. "Admiral, there's a new report in. The Ronagot has crossed into Federation space. Their weapons and deflectors are powered down and they have announced they are bearing diplomatic envoys for Celos, the Union ... and the Federation."
You blink at that, and take a step back. This could simply be a ruse to get close. Or it could be an earnest attempt. It is obvious to all concerned that despite the spirited defence of Celos City by the Syndicate, there is nothing that they can do to stop the inevitable. Celos will be liberated before any substantial aid can reach it. One Jaldun against an Excelsior and a Connie with supports is a very lopsided fight. In which case, the Cardassians must recognise that the time has come to talk.
A talk before lasting peace, or the last issuing of demands before war.
======================
[Celos Campaign Minor Victory - 3 of 4 objectives taken]
[Cardassian declaration delayed - diplomatic envoys sent]
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I now have a picture of Stesk sitting in a chair, alone inside a darkened room. His hands clasped on a simple and spartan desk in front of him. He looks up, bright eyes now visible from within the shadows that had obscured his face. He utters three words.
"So it begins."
Cut to black.
"So it begins."
Cut to black.
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- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
[Might want to do a find and replace in there, Oneiros, I'm seeing some references to Courageous that I'm pretty sure were meant to be Sarek]
The update is something of a relief in some ways- but it reminds me a bit of my "Cuban MIssile Crisis" scenario. Not exactly the same, assuming the Cardassians are in this to talk and not to just dare us to stop them.
The problem is, we really, really cannot afford to concede the independence of Celos, and the Cardassians can make a nearly unlimited amount of play out of that if we're not careful. If the Cardassians are actually prepared to negotiate meaningfully, and aren't just in this to cause internal division within the Federation... Well, it's good news for everyone except the Bajorans.
The update is something of a relief in some ways- but it reminds me a bit of my "Cuban MIssile Crisis" scenario. Not exactly the same, assuming the Cardassians are in this to talk and not to just dare us to stop them.
The problem is, we really, really cannot afford to concede the independence of Celos, and the Cardassians can make a nearly unlimited amount of play out of that if we're not careful. If the Cardassians are actually prepared to negotiate meaningfully, and aren't just in this to cause internal division within the Federation... Well, it's good news for everyone except the Bajorans.
UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I second this.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
The flip side of what I just said, mind you, is that anything the Cardassians try to do to us with Celos, we can repay with interest with Bajor.
Trouble is... I'm betting at some point a Cardassian envoy is going to offer "we'll leave the Syndicate alone if you promise NOT to meddle with Bajor." Which is strategically tempting... but I'm pretty sure that it was after making a deal along those lines that the Federation effectively consigned Bajor to fifty years of occupation, and gave the Cardassians the benefit of being able to strip-mine the planet's resources and economy for all that time.
Trouble is... I'm betting at some point a Cardassian envoy is going to offer "we'll leave the Syndicate alone if you promise NOT to meddle with Bajor." Which is strategically tempting... but I'm pretty sure that it was after making a deal along those lines that the Federation effectively consigned Bajor to fifty years of occupation, and gave the Cardassians the benefit of being able to strip-mine the planet's resources and economy for all that time.
All is well!
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
Well, well. That went well.
Now the Cardies..
Now the Cardies..
How precise are we talking here? Just curious.
At the worst, we may be forced to choose between bombarding Celos city with full-power phaser strikes (annihilating the Syndicate as well as all the innocents in the city) or recognizing its independence.
I think the only way the Federation can accept Celosi independence is if the Syndicate basically accepts that it has to stop being the Syndicate and become a cross between a normal hypercorp and a political fraternity. That is to say, no slavery, no smuggling, no terrorism etc.
Allowing the Syndicate to win Celos without selling its soul to the UFP is, I think, more expensive in life and liberty (in the long run) than orbital bombardment.
That said, allowing some Syndicate cells to "sell their soul to the UFP". allowing some of the Syndicate to "go legitimate", rather than grinding them all down to dust and bloody paste may also be a good strategy for ending the Syndicate as as threat quickly and effectively.
One of my real worries with the anti-Syndicate war is basically feeding an Orion civil war when the Federation isn't willing to fight the civil war to the end. I think at this point, we're now seeing a highly political civil war unfolding among the Orions now. Offering another route for Orion conservatives could be one way of avoiding such a civil war spreading to Alukk, at least.
fasquardon
I think the only way the Federation can accept Celosi independence is if the Syndicate basically accepts that it has to stop being the Syndicate and become a cross between a normal hypercorp and a political fraternity. That is to say, no slavery, no smuggling, no terrorism etc.
Allowing the Syndicate to win Celos without selling its soul to the UFP is, I think, more expensive in life and liberty (in the long run) than orbital bombardment.
That said, allowing some Syndicate cells to "sell their soul to the UFP". allowing some of the Syndicate to "go legitimate", rather than grinding them all down to dust and bloody paste may also be a good strategy for ending the Syndicate as as threat quickly and effectively.
One of my real worries with the anti-Syndicate war is basically feeding an Orion civil war when the Federation isn't willing to fight the civil war to the end. I think at this point, we're now seeing a highly political civil war unfolding among the Orions now. Offering another route for Orion conservatives could be one way of avoiding such a civil war spreading to Alukk, at least.
fasquardon
- Location
- USA
Meanwhile, in the mirror universe:
"War at any cost!"
"War at any cost!"
It's T'Lorel, Probably light a cigarette from orbit precise.
Theunderbolt
"Prepare for trouble..."
- Location
- USoA
At this point in the mirror verse hasn't the Terran Empire conquered most of the alpha quadrant?
Forgothrax
Not Going Gently
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Someone wise said "it is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war." Let's see what the Cardies want. Talk their fucking ears off. Keep buying time until we have more ships and the Syndicate is neutered. Maybe they'll see reason and develop a long-term relationship while doing things like not oppressing the Bajorans. But I doubt it. I suspect we'll be advising the President in a few years that we can 'clean their chronometers.'
I think it is exactly that, this is the first moment of real weakness we have shown them. Whilst I dont think they are feeling quite ready to go to war with us, it looks like they want to use it to establish relations from a position of relative superiority.
It is quite likely they will try to push us hard at the negotiating table.
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