To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)
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[X] Plan Epsilon-1
(I can't very well publish a plan without voting for it, if others are going to do so)
[Also, in 2305 our explorer captains were suddenly and temporarily switched with their mirror-mirror versions, where we found out that Nash is still racking up romantic conquests but inexplicably isn't sleeping with Leaniss, Eaton is considerably less, ah... strict, and T'Lorel has this bizarre and tragic aversion to collateral damage that horribly, horribly cramps her style. Meanwhile, OUR explorer captains had to figure out how to play casual and escape 'their' respective ships, without arousing suspicions, remembering what happened to Jim Kirk and his command team under similar circumstances]
(I can't very well publish a plan without voting for it, if others are going to do so)
On Mirror-SV, we are roleplaying the Terran Empire in 2300 after the overthrow of Emperor Spock, who built down Starfleet to a puny remnant force in an attempt to promote his misguided notions of 'democracy' and 'peace.'
[Also, in 2305 our explorer captains were suddenly and temporarily switched with their mirror-mirror versions, where we found out that Nash is still racking up romantic conquests but inexplicably isn't sleeping with Leaniss, Eaton is considerably less, ah... strict, and T'Lorel has this bizarre and tragic aversion to collateral damage that horribly, horribly cramps her style. Meanwhile, OUR explorer captains had to figure out how to play casual and escape 'their' respective ships, without arousing suspicions, remembering what happened to Jim Kirk and his command team under similar circumstances]
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[X] Plan Epsilon-1
Eh sure, why not.
Maybe you should stop describing opinions that are different than yours as "insane" or act incredulous that anyone would disagree with you about something.
Eh sure, why not.
Maybe you should stop describing opinions that are different than yours as "insane" or act incredulous that anyone would disagree with you about something.
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To be fair, if I were proposing to do something really stupid, like, oh, rush ships there in quantity because I thought it was a Romulan trick, that would be insane.
But instead, all I'm proposing to do is to scrape loose some strength from forces unlikely to be in immediate danger (Third Fleet and/or the KBZ) to fill the 'hole' left in the RBZ fleet by removing their only high-science, high-combat ship.
EDIT:
[rereads the obligatory Mirror Universe episode]
Oh. One more thing. Right now on Mirror-SV, we're debating how many ships we need to detach to suppress a rumored uprising in the Sydraxian Benevolence, while also worrying about the Cardassian Republic and their combat-cloaked supership!
But instead, all I'm proposing to do is to scrape loose some strength from forces unlikely to be in immediate danger (Third Fleet and/or the KBZ) to fill the 'hole' left in the RBZ fleet by removing their only high-science, high-combat ship.
EDIT:
[rereads the obligatory Mirror Universe episode]
Oh. One more thing. Right now on Mirror-SV, we're debating how many ships we need to detach to suppress a rumored uprising in the Sydraxian Benevolence, while also worrying about the Cardassian Republic and their combat-cloaked supership!
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Omake - Vice Admiral II - Briefvoice
Vice Admiral II – Admirable Positions
This takes place in Q4 2309.
"Feels strange to be doing this. What are we, Academy students?" asks Vice Admiral Rinias ch'Vohlet. He taps the table in front of him and holds up two fingers.
Vice Admiral Hikaru Sulu obligingly deals two cards. "It's not as though only students play cards."
"Lachlan would challenge me to a game of chess every time, but that was all," comments Vice Admiral Heidi Eriksson. She studies her cards.
The vice admirals are in a more intimate room than last year's meeting, just large enough for a round table to play cards on and a shelf on either side where various snacks and beverages are stacked. A high window allows natural moonlight in to supplement the room's overhead lighting.
"A game of poker was a good idea, Hikaru," says Vice Valentina Sousa. "I'm not sure it'll be our game every year, but we ought to have realized we had enough people for something of the sort when Rinias joined our ranks… or rather, joined our 'rank'… three years ago."
Once again, the vice admirals are in civilian clothing. Rinias ch'Vohlet has opted for a sleeveless vest shirt, his biceps bulging quite impressively for an Andorian of his age. Sulu looks dapper, wearing a formal-looking white jacket over a crisp white shirt, a blood red rose in his lapel.
Like he's on his way to foil some madman's plot in an adventure story, Sousa can't help but think. Valentina Sousa can never quite settle her thoughts regarding Hikaru Sulu. She find herself drawn to his charisma and confidence, one of the few people she can really see as her peer in that regard. Yet there's a recklessness there that makes her wary. 'Beware those too accustomed to miracles, for they grow remote from the common soil where the rest of us must till for our bread,' she thinks to herself.
Yes, that is how Valentina Sousa sounds even inside her own head.
Eriksson is dressed sloppily but comfortably, like she stepped outside after doing some household chores. Finally, Sousa is sharp and cold in the latest Orion fashions, earrings blinking with the small glimmering lights of a nebula. None of them are dressed wrong and none of them right; the only commandment is not to be in uniform.
"Let me make sure I understand the rules," says Sulu.
"Of poker?," asks ch'Vohlet with a doubtful tilt of his head.
"Of this meeting of ours," corrects Sulu. "Once a year, leave the uniforms at home, serving Vice Admirals only. We put politics aside and talk about whatever issues come to mind. A chance to find out what each other really thinks, no briefings or carefully worded position papers to obscure."
"When you put it like that, it sounds like the perfect chance for us to say things we don't mean and misrepresent our own opinions," says Eriksson tartly.
"You don't believe that a person's words are more true when they drop their guard?" challenges ch'Vohlet.
"I believe what people say in public is more considered and more reflective of what they will actually do, because those are the words they're binding themselves to. Private talk is cheap talk. It's often more creative and better as a means of finding solutions because people are less afraid to make mistakes, but one shouldn't mistake that for being truer."
Eriksson nods at Sulu and continues. "So have fun, Vice Admiral, but don't take any of this too seriously. I sure don't." She smiles, taking a little of the sting out of the words.
Admiral ch'Vohlet clears his throat. "Well. Probably good advice. The other custom, Hikaru, is that we each introduce a topic and state our opinion on it to get the ball rolling. Reverse seniority order, so you're up first. No hurry, though, we have all night."
They play a few hands of poker, chips passing back and forth. The chips are only for keeping score. Rinias had briefly suggested perhaps tying them to passing some unpleasant duty back and forth, but the idea was quickly shelved as too complicated and impractical. As Starfleet Vice Admirals they're all lords of their own fiefs within Starfleet anyway, and it's hard to imagine what duties they could profitably trade.
Finally Sulu clears his throat. "Let's see if I'm doing this right. Our operations against the Orion Syndicate. I approve of them; I'm literally responsible for approving most of them as head of Starfleet Tactical. My controversial opinion is, we're making a mistake in how much we're cutting Orion Union forces out of it. I know all the reasons and they're logical, but logic goes only so far. The Syndicate is the monster that's troubled the Orion people for centuries, and they need to feel that they're the ones slaying it. One must face down one's own demons."
Sousa leans forward over the hand she's already folded, challenging Sulu. "That's all very well if you assume the psychological health of the Orion people is the priority goal. It is not. The Syndicate has made itself the Federation's enemy by working as procurers for the Cardassian Union. They may claim to merely be suppliers to whomever will pay, but while Cardassia holds the phaser it is the Syndicate that guides their arm to aim the shot. Disrupting the Syndicate is a matter of self-defense, not ideals."
"I thought it was the Anti-Slavery Act, not the Anti-Cardassian Stooge Act," says ch'Vohlet mildly. He twirls a poker chip between two fingers. "And I'm not sure all this was a good idea whether considered as ideals or pragmatism. Last year Lachlan warned us about going to war with the Orion Syndicate as a cautionary tale, something to be avoided. This year we jumped into it voluntarily."
"What are your concerns, Rinias?" asks Eriksson.
Ch'Vohlet closes his eyes before answering, his antenna twitching as he organizes his thoughts. "Well, allow me to say that no one has asked my opinion. Of all of us, I'm about the furthest away from setting policy in this area. That said, here's what bothers me about this situation. First, the Syndicate is distracting us from much more immediate threats. The Sydraxians appear to believe they're at war with us. They tried to take out a colony and we barely blinked-"
"Not true. We'll be reinforcing vulnerable sectors," says Erikkson.
"Glad to hear it, but still. Second, we're coming far too close to getting involved with the politics of an affiliate. From a certain point of view, the Syndicate are political rivals to the Orion Union and we're helping the Union eliminate those rivals. Finally, this war… you can call it not a war if you like, but there have been plenty of acknowledged wars less warlike than our fight with the Syndicate… this war is going to get dirty. The Syndicate won't hesitate to fight us with ruthlessness when they find themselves outmatched militarily. There will be targeted attacks within the Federation on citizens who thought they were safe, to teach us the cost of fighting the Orion Syndicate. Watch for it this coming year."
"So you would have had us ignore the Syndicate?" asks Sousa.
"We could have done this in a more targeted way. Gone after Syndicate operations that were most concerning as a warning to the rest of the Syndicate to back off. We could simply have outbid the Cardassians; paid the Syndicate more then they can. There were options. Instead we dedicated ourselves to the Syndicate's destruction, and it's a fight to the death. Idealistic, but not thought all the way through," says ch'Vohlet.
As usual Eriksson has reserved her opinion until she's heard all sides. "As for me, I agree with Valentina and by extension with Admiral Kahurangi. We're doing things just about right. But if I could dig a little deeper, I'd like to recall something Lachlan Ablett said last year. You weren't here, Hikaru, but as Rinias mentioned Lachlan said that the biggest issue with bringing the Orion Union into Federation membership is that it would mean a final confrontation with the Syndicate. If you're right, Rinias, and this is intervening in an Orion civil war... well, I'm glad we're doing it now and on terms disconnected from the question of Federation membership rather than having it forced on us in ten years."
There's some light chatter and another hand of poker as they all consider this.
Ch'Vohlet eventually taps the table to draw everyone's attention. "It was a shame what happened to Nash zh'Rhashaan. She didn't deserve to lose her position over that mess with the Courageous. Taking risks is what the Explorer Corps does, and sometimes all tiles turn white." He pauses and realizes the humans don't get the reference. "Sometimes things turn out badly."
"A commander has to take responsibility for failures, though," says Sulu.
The andorian admiral frowns. "I would think you'd have more sympathy, Hikaru. You were almost picked for that Starfleet Intelligence post yourself. It could easily have been you sending the Courageous out on that mission... in fact you would have had to approve if you were still Explorer Corps chief, but you got promoted out barely in time to keep from any of shame splashing back on you. Nice how you get to sit here and make comments about how zh'Dohlen and zh'Rhashaan failed when we'll never know how you would have done." About how two andorians failed, he doesn't say but everyone understands anyway.
Sulu replies cooly. "If I were in either of those positions and if things turned out the same, then I would take responsibility."
If things turned out the same. Implying he thinks maybe they wouldn't have, thinks Sousa to herself. And perhaps they wouldn't have turned out the same; Sulu was more experienced in that sort of operation. Everyone knows the choice between him and zh'Rhashaan was HumInt versus SigInt. Maybe he would have thought of mines or charted a different sort of operation. It's that same old damn thing with Sulu, where she can't decide if he's being arrogant or simply having a realistic assessment of how superior his own capabilities are. Is it the hubris of Icarus or the agony of brilliant Daedelus?
While Sousa is thinking, it is Eriksson who jumps in. She's ever the peacemaker and consensus builder. "I'm sorry to lose the talents of Admiral zh'Rhashaan, but we mustn't think of her as the one who sacrificed here. That honor belongs to the crew of the Courageous." She raises a glass, "To Maryam Ajam and all her crew members who sacrificed to protect the Federation."
The tension between Sulu and ch'Vohlet dies down some as they all raise their glasses and for the toast. Sousa adds, "Once more they go ahead of us to explore the final frontier."
There's a bit of dampness in Sulu's eyes, and ch'Vohlet recalls that for years Sulu was Captain Ajam's direct superior, the head of the Explorer Corps directing her on her missions. No wonder he can only bring himself to blame her superiors and perhaps blame himself for not being in a position to protect her. I will forgive him for his implications regarding zh'Rhashaan, ch'Vohlet decides.
Sousa finally weighs in on the debate. "Whether Rear Admiral zh'Rhashaan deserved blame or not doesn't matter. President sh'Arrath made it clear that someone at Starfleet had to take responsibility. Yes Admiral Kahurangi would have been in her rights to refuse, but at what cost? Another Starbase? Expanding the Academy? Some other project we've been trying to wheedle out of the Council? You can't put any one person's career ahead of the good of the fleet. As Heidi points out, no matter how much it may sting Nash, at the end of the day she gets to go home and do something else with her life. No doubt something where her star will shine brilliantly."
The argument lapses there, no one else inclined to pick it back up. Another round of poker. Yes, having a game to occupy them really does act as a nice spacer for the conversation, thinks Eriksson.
Speaking of, time for her two cents. "I hope the Sydraxian raid on Vega will be a wake-up call, both for the Federation Council and for Starfleet. Spending the last three years ignoring them has not been a very fruitful strategy, has it?"
"We haven't entirely ignored them. I had the Sarek chart the extend of their space almost immediately after the incident with the Miracht," protests Sulu. "It's helped us avoid further territorial violations."
"Great, good job Hikaru. And then what? A whole lot of nothing. We should have taken a chance and sent in diplomats. Instead we allowed the Cardassians to continue filling their ears with who knows what, and now they're attacking our member worlds," continues Eriksson.
"Heidi, it's not so easy," says Sousa. "The Sydraxians seem to consider it open season on any Federation ship, and we don't know enough about their customs to understand how to communicate a ship is on a diplomatic mission, let alone know how safe an uninvited diplomatic mission would be. Unlike with the Dawiar, we haven't been able to find any third parties who we can pass a message through. The Apinae don't have any regular contact, the Gretarians had barely left their own system last we heard, and the Yrillians are so disorganized that even if some of them talk to the Sydraxians the Yrillians we know might not have heard about it. That's it for species we have contact with in the neighborhood. And you know all this. You're Chief of Operations."
"I do know all this," says Eriksson. "That doesn't mean I like it. You mention the Dawiar. How did we get through to them? Because the Enterprise found the Qloath. Maybe if we had a few more Explorers near the Sydraxians..."
"My call and I don't regret it," says Sulu. "Exploration near the Sydraxians was too dangerous. They were actively hunting down the Miracht, and they'd take any of our other ships in its place."
"Our plan was to wait for the Sydraxians to calm down," says ch'Vohlet. "Admiral Kahurangi never released a statement to that effect, but you can see the idea. We wouldn't impinge on their territory further and eventually they would cool down and talk to us, if only to make demands for reparations. From there it becomes a diplomatic services matter. I can see the idea... but it clearly hasn't worked."
"Indeed not," says Sousa. "Their wrath grows only hotter, and now it threatens to burn worlds."
"We don't know what they would have done if that raid had succeeded," says Eriksson sharply. She views demonizing the enemy by suggesting they'd 'burn worlds' as a trap.
"We don't," agrees Sousa. "In fact we have no idea what their war aims actually are. That's the most disturbing part of this. They haven't even communicated to make demands, even a demand we would refuse like Captain Thuir's head. They attack our ships and raid our worlds until... what? What would put an end to this from their perspective? Are they doing this because they're being put up to it by the Cardassians, or is it all cultural imperatives we don't understand?"
Ch'Vohlet asks, "What about this proposal to create a Sydraxian Border Zone? Doesn't feel so premature now that they're trying to hit our worlds, does it? Admiral Kahurangi should press for it."
"We didn't have enough ships this past year," says Eriksson. "With two more Excelsiors and five more Centaurs, we have more operational flexibility in this coming year. I could cover it now."
"I'd like to have more intelligence regarding their fleet size and composition before supporting such a measure," says Sousa. "It wouldn't do to leave such a fleet undermanned. We need to know more more."
Sulu is distracted. "Cultural imperatives," he mutters to himself. "Songs... need to listen." He jerks his head up. "When Captain T'Lorel first made contact with the Sydraxians, there was a challenge to address their Hierarchy. A challenge of song. Perhaps we don't need to send diplomats into their system. Perhaps we just need a sufficiently talented singer transmit a song to them by comms, and they'll be forced to respond. Wasn't there an Ensign Minmay who won some sort of singing contest?"
The other three vice admirals regard Sulu with interest. He pauses, then chuckles. "I'll refine the idea and present it for formal consideration tomorrow. Probably the diplomatic service already thought of it."
Not likely, thinks Sousa. Perhaps a Daedelus after all.
Another hand of cards, and it is Sousa who sweeps in the pot. An auspicious start for her turn to introduce a topic, even if it was luck rather than skill. Can't bluff one's way into a full house.
"The Klingon and Romulan Empires may well be at war within five years. If we have that happening on one side of the Federation, and the conflict with the Cardassian Union is happening on the other, the Federation may face an existential danger. I believe we should be trying harder to prepare for that war. A starbase in the Klingon Border Zone. Enhanced anti-cloaking measures. Most of all, though, we should be charting scenarios for Federation involvement."
"The conflict with the Cardassian Union?" asks Sulu. "You make it sound inevitable."
"She's been predicting it for two years now," says ch'Vohlet. "Was five to fifteen years away the first time."
"Now three to thirteen years, no reason to change my prophecy," says Sousa. "But my topic was the Klingon and Romulan war. Please respect the topic."
"Respecting the topic, the Romulans don't want us to intervene and the Klingons aren't expecting us to. Why not go with that and keep the Federation out and safe?" says Eriksson.
Ch'Volet waves a hand for attention. "Valentina's concern is valid. Which is why I shifted sensor research to more anti-cloaking and put some attention on Klingon analysis this year. Of course we all hope that the Federation will be able to stay free of the war, but what happens if one side begins to lose severely? Drawing in the Federation on their side will become a desperation play to stave off defeat. When you're losing, taking a big risk matters less because you're losing anyway."
"At Starfleet Tactical we have some contingency plans for Federation involvement, but I admit I haven't put my best people on it. Other matters seemed more critical. They still do. So many unknowns we can't plan for," says Sulu.
"Like for instance, the Cardassians are what's on the Federation's other side from those two empires. What's on the other side of the Klingons and the Romulans? Even after so many decades we don't know very much. We're pretty sure the Klingons are between us and the Gorn, which is why we've seen so little of them since... well..." Eriksson trails off, mildly embarrassed to be lecturing Hikaru Sulu of all people about the Gorn. Sulu grins at her and says nothing.
"Perhaps we could use the threat of Federation involvement to prevent the conflict from ending in the destruction of one side," muses ch'Vohlet. "Would work better if it was the Romulans who had the upper hand, though. The Klingons would just view it as a betrayal."
Eriksson turns out her hands plans up. "You see, Valentina? It's not that you're wrong, but that the future is so unpredictable that it's hard to plan for it. There are so many possibilities for how the war will go, including ones we probably haven't thought of."
Sousa shakes her head. "That's a challenge, not an excuse. More than that, it's a clue. The future is only unpredictable if we have no part in shaping it. If we're aggressive about intervening early on, we may be able to keep the conflict more limited or even stop it entirely. If we wait, hoping not to be drawn in, we cede all control regarding the flow of events."
"An audacious gamble. I like it," says Sulu. He and Sousa lock eyes, and he wishes again she had served with him on one of his ships. They probably would have fought all the times they didn't agree, but that's fine. He would have welcomed being challenged by someone like that.
"You may like it, but I don't think I do," says Eriksson crossly. Ch'Vohlet nods in support.
Sousa leans back in her seat. "Well, Starfleet policy will be up the Admiral. So... equal chance for the scales to balance in either direction, I suppose."
There's a shifting around the room. She doesn't, they all understand, mean that there's a 50/50 chance of how Kahurangi will make the decision.
There's a long silence. Finally Eriksson breaks it. "So Hikaru, how do you like our little yearly gathering."
"Oh my. Well Heidi, Rinias, Valentina... I've enjoyed the chance to get to know all of you better." Sulu raises a glass.
The other three all clink on it. Sousa speaks the toast. "To getting to know us all a little better."
@OneirosTheWriter if you do an omake reward, putting Sulu's plan to have Ensign Minmay serenade the Sydraxians into effect would be pretty great.
This takes place in Q4 2309.
"Feels strange to be doing this. What are we, Academy students?" asks Vice Admiral Rinias ch'Vohlet. He taps the table in front of him and holds up two fingers.
Vice Admiral Hikaru Sulu obligingly deals two cards. "It's not as though only students play cards."
"Lachlan would challenge me to a game of chess every time, but that was all," comments Vice Admiral Heidi Eriksson. She studies her cards.
The vice admirals are in a more intimate room than last year's meeting, just large enough for a round table to play cards on and a shelf on either side where various snacks and beverages are stacked. A high window allows natural moonlight in to supplement the room's overhead lighting.
"A game of poker was a good idea, Hikaru," says Vice Valentina Sousa. "I'm not sure it'll be our game every year, but we ought to have realized we had enough people for something of the sort when Rinias joined our ranks… or rather, joined our 'rank'… three years ago."
Once again, the vice admirals are in civilian clothing. Rinias ch'Vohlet has opted for a sleeveless vest shirt, his biceps bulging quite impressively for an Andorian of his age. Sulu looks dapper, wearing a formal-looking white jacket over a crisp white shirt, a blood red rose in his lapel.
Like he's on his way to foil some madman's plot in an adventure story, Sousa can't help but think. Valentina Sousa can never quite settle her thoughts regarding Hikaru Sulu. She find herself drawn to his charisma and confidence, one of the few people she can really see as her peer in that regard. Yet there's a recklessness there that makes her wary. 'Beware those too accustomed to miracles, for they grow remote from the common soil where the rest of us must till for our bread,' she thinks to herself.
Yes, that is how Valentina Sousa sounds even inside her own head.
Eriksson is dressed sloppily but comfortably, like she stepped outside after doing some household chores. Finally, Sousa is sharp and cold in the latest Orion fashions, earrings blinking with the small glimmering lights of a nebula. None of them are dressed wrong and none of them right; the only commandment is not to be in uniform.
"Let me make sure I understand the rules," says Sulu.
"Of poker?," asks ch'Vohlet with a doubtful tilt of his head.
"Of this meeting of ours," corrects Sulu. "Once a year, leave the uniforms at home, serving Vice Admirals only. We put politics aside and talk about whatever issues come to mind. A chance to find out what each other really thinks, no briefings or carefully worded position papers to obscure."
"When you put it like that, it sounds like the perfect chance for us to say things we don't mean and misrepresent our own opinions," says Eriksson tartly.
"You don't believe that a person's words are more true when they drop their guard?" challenges ch'Vohlet.
"I believe what people say in public is more considered and more reflective of what they will actually do, because those are the words they're binding themselves to. Private talk is cheap talk. It's often more creative and better as a means of finding solutions because people are less afraid to make mistakes, but one shouldn't mistake that for being truer."
Eriksson nods at Sulu and continues. "So have fun, Vice Admiral, but don't take any of this too seriously. I sure don't." She smiles, taking a little of the sting out of the words.
Admiral ch'Vohlet clears his throat. "Well. Probably good advice. The other custom, Hikaru, is that we each introduce a topic and state our opinion on it to get the ball rolling. Reverse seniority order, so you're up first. No hurry, though, we have all night."
They play a few hands of poker, chips passing back and forth. The chips are only for keeping score. Rinias had briefly suggested perhaps tying them to passing some unpleasant duty back and forth, but the idea was quickly shelved as too complicated and impractical. As Starfleet Vice Admirals they're all lords of their own fiefs within Starfleet anyway, and it's hard to imagine what duties they could profitably trade.
Finally Sulu clears his throat. "Let's see if I'm doing this right. Our operations against the Orion Syndicate. I approve of them; I'm literally responsible for approving most of them as head of Starfleet Tactical. My controversial opinion is, we're making a mistake in how much we're cutting Orion Union forces out of it. I know all the reasons and they're logical, but logic goes only so far. The Syndicate is the monster that's troubled the Orion people for centuries, and they need to feel that they're the ones slaying it. One must face down one's own demons."
Sousa leans forward over the hand she's already folded, challenging Sulu. "That's all very well if you assume the psychological health of the Orion people is the priority goal. It is not. The Syndicate has made itself the Federation's enemy by working as procurers for the Cardassian Union. They may claim to merely be suppliers to whomever will pay, but while Cardassia holds the phaser it is the Syndicate that guides their arm to aim the shot. Disrupting the Syndicate is a matter of self-defense, not ideals."
"I thought it was the Anti-Slavery Act, not the Anti-Cardassian Stooge Act," says ch'Vohlet mildly. He twirls a poker chip between two fingers. "And I'm not sure all this was a good idea whether considered as ideals or pragmatism. Last year Lachlan warned us about going to war with the Orion Syndicate as a cautionary tale, something to be avoided. This year we jumped into it voluntarily."
"What are your concerns, Rinias?" asks Eriksson.
Ch'Vohlet closes his eyes before answering, his antenna twitching as he organizes his thoughts. "Well, allow me to say that no one has asked my opinion. Of all of us, I'm about the furthest away from setting policy in this area. That said, here's what bothers me about this situation. First, the Syndicate is distracting us from much more immediate threats. The Sydraxians appear to believe they're at war with us. They tried to take out a colony and we barely blinked-"
"Not true. We'll be reinforcing vulnerable sectors," says Erikkson.
"Glad to hear it, but still. Second, we're coming far too close to getting involved with the politics of an affiliate. From a certain point of view, the Syndicate are political rivals to the Orion Union and we're helping the Union eliminate those rivals. Finally, this war… you can call it not a war if you like, but there have been plenty of acknowledged wars less warlike than our fight with the Syndicate… this war is going to get dirty. The Syndicate won't hesitate to fight us with ruthlessness when they find themselves outmatched militarily. There will be targeted attacks within the Federation on citizens who thought they were safe, to teach us the cost of fighting the Orion Syndicate. Watch for it this coming year."
"So you would have had us ignore the Syndicate?" asks Sousa.
"We could have done this in a more targeted way. Gone after Syndicate operations that were most concerning as a warning to the rest of the Syndicate to back off. We could simply have outbid the Cardassians; paid the Syndicate more then they can. There were options. Instead we dedicated ourselves to the Syndicate's destruction, and it's a fight to the death. Idealistic, but not thought all the way through," says ch'Vohlet.
As usual Eriksson has reserved her opinion until she's heard all sides. "As for me, I agree with Valentina and by extension with Admiral Kahurangi. We're doing things just about right. But if I could dig a little deeper, I'd like to recall something Lachlan Ablett said last year. You weren't here, Hikaru, but as Rinias mentioned Lachlan said that the biggest issue with bringing the Orion Union into Federation membership is that it would mean a final confrontation with the Syndicate. If you're right, Rinias, and this is intervening in an Orion civil war... well, I'm glad we're doing it now and on terms disconnected from the question of Federation membership rather than having it forced on us in ten years."
There's some light chatter and another hand of poker as they all consider this.
Ch'Vohlet eventually taps the table to draw everyone's attention. "It was a shame what happened to Nash zh'Rhashaan. She didn't deserve to lose her position over that mess with the Courageous. Taking risks is what the Explorer Corps does, and sometimes all tiles turn white." He pauses and realizes the humans don't get the reference. "Sometimes things turn out badly."
"A commander has to take responsibility for failures, though," says Sulu.
The andorian admiral frowns. "I would think you'd have more sympathy, Hikaru. You were almost picked for that Starfleet Intelligence post yourself. It could easily have been you sending the Courageous out on that mission... in fact you would have had to approve if you were still Explorer Corps chief, but you got promoted out barely in time to keep from any of shame splashing back on you. Nice how you get to sit here and make comments about how zh'Dohlen and zh'Rhashaan failed when we'll never know how you would have done." About how two andorians failed, he doesn't say but everyone understands anyway.
Sulu replies cooly. "If I were in either of those positions and if things turned out the same, then I would take responsibility."
If things turned out the same. Implying he thinks maybe they wouldn't have, thinks Sousa to herself. And perhaps they wouldn't have turned out the same; Sulu was more experienced in that sort of operation. Everyone knows the choice between him and zh'Rhashaan was HumInt versus SigInt. Maybe he would have thought of mines or charted a different sort of operation. It's that same old damn thing with Sulu, where she can't decide if he's being arrogant or simply having a realistic assessment of how superior his own capabilities are. Is it the hubris of Icarus or the agony of brilliant Daedelus?
While Sousa is thinking, it is Eriksson who jumps in. She's ever the peacemaker and consensus builder. "I'm sorry to lose the talents of Admiral zh'Rhashaan, but we mustn't think of her as the one who sacrificed here. That honor belongs to the crew of the Courageous." She raises a glass, "To Maryam Ajam and all her crew members who sacrificed to protect the Federation."
The tension between Sulu and ch'Vohlet dies down some as they all raise their glasses and for the toast. Sousa adds, "Once more they go ahead of us to explore the final frontier."
There's a bit of dampness in Sulu's eyes, and ch'Vohlet recalls that for years Sulu was Captain Ajam's direct superior, the head of the Explorer Corps directing her on her missions. No wonder he can only bring himself to blame her superiors and perhaps blame himself for not being in a position to protect her. I will forgive him for his implications regarding zh'Rhashaan, ch'Vohlet decides.
Sousa finally weighs in on the debate. "Whether Rear Admiral zh'Rhashaan deserved blame or not doesn't matter. President sh'Arrath made it clear that someone at Starfleet had to take responsibility. Yes Admiral Kahurangi would have been in her rights to refuse, but at what cost? Another Starbase? Expanding the Academy? Some other project we've been trying to wheedle out of the Council? You can't put any one person's career ahead of the good of the fleet. As Heidi points out, no matter how much it may sting Nash, at the end of the day she gets to go home and do something else with her life. No doubt something where her star will shine brilliantly."
The argument lapses there, no one else inclined to pick it back up. Another round of poker. Yes, having a game to occupy them really does act as a nice spacer for the conversation, thinks Eriksson.
Speaking of, time for her two cents. "I hope the Sydraxian raid on Vega will be a wake-up call, both for the Federation Council and for Starfleet. Spending the last three years ignoring them has not been a very fruitful strategy, has it?"
"We haven't entirely ignored them. I had the Sarek chart the extend of their space almost immediately after the incident with the Miracht," protests Sulu. "It's helped us avoid further territorial violations."
"Great, good job Hikaru. And then what? A whole lot of nothing. We should have taken a chance and sent in diplomats. Instead we allowed the Cardassians to continue filling their ears with who knows what, and now they're attacking our member worlds," continues Eriksson.
"Heidi, it's not so easy," says Sousa. "The Sydraxians seem to consider it open season on any Federation ship, and we don't know enough about their customs to understand how to communicate a ship is on a diplomatic mission, let alone know how safe an uninvited diplomatic mission would be. Unlike with the Dawiar, we haven't been able to find any third parties who we can pass a message through. The Apinae don't have any regular contact, the Gretarians had barely left their own system last we heard, and the Yrillians are so disorganized that even if some of them talk to the Sydraxians the Yrillians we know might not have heard about it. That's it for species we have contact with in the neighborhood. And you know all this. You're Chief of Operations."
"I do know all this," says Eriksson. "That doesn't mean I like it. You mention the Dawiar. How did we get through to them? Because the Enterprise found the Qloath. Maybe if we had a few more Explorers near the Sydraxians..."
"My call and I don't regret it," says Sulu. "Exploration near the Sydraxians was too dangerous. They were actively hunting down the Miracht, and they'd take any of our other ships in its place."
"Our plan was to wait for the Sydraxians to calm down," says ch'Vohlet. "Admiral Kahurangi never released a statement to that effect, but you can see the idea. We wouldn't impinge on their territory further and eventually they would cool down and talk to us, if only to make demands for reparations. From there it becomes a diplomatic services matter. I can see the idea... but it clearly hasn't worked."
"Indeed not," says Sousa. "Their wrath grows only hotter, and now it threatens to burn worlds."
"We don't know what they would have done if that raid had succeeded," says Eriksson sharply. She views demonizing the enemy by suggesting they'd 'burn worlds' as a trap.
"We don't," agrees Sousa. "In fact we have no idea what their war aims actually are. That's the most disturbing part of this. They haven't even communicated to make demands, even a demand we would refuse like Captain Thuir's head. They attack our ships and raid our worlds until... what? What would put an end to this from their perspective? Are they doing this because they're being put up to it by the Cardassians, or is it all cultural imperatives we don't understand?"
Ch'Vohlet asks, "What about this proposal to create a Sydraxian Border Zone? Doesn't feel so premature now that they're trying to hit our worlds, does it? Admiral Kahurangi should press for it."
"We didn't have enough ships this past year," says Eriksson. "With two more Excelsiors and five more Centaurs, we have more operational flexibility in this coming year. I could cover it now."
"I'd like to have more intelligence regarding their fleet size and composition before supporting such a measure," says Sousa. "It wouldn't do to leave such a fleet undermanned. We need to know more more."
Sulu is distracted. "Cultural imperatives," he mutters to himself. "Songs... need to listen." He jerks his head up. "When Captain T'Lorel first made contact with the Sydraxians, there was a challenge to address their Hierarchy. A challenge of song. Perhaps we don't need to send diplomats into their system. Perhaps we just need a sufficiently talented singer transmit a song to them by comms, and they'll be forced to respond. Wasn't there an Ensign Minmay who won some sort of singing contest?"
The other three vice admirals regard Sulu with interest. He pauses, then chuckles. "I'll refine the idea and present it for formal consideration tomorrow. Probably the diplomatic service already thought of it."
Not likely, thinks Sousa. Perhaps a Daedelus after all.
Another hand of cards, and it is Sousa who sweeps in the pot. An auspicious start for her turn to introduce a topic, even if it was luck rather than skill. Can't bluff one's way into a full house.
"The Klingon and Romulan Empires may well be at war within five years. If we have that happening on one side of the Federation, and the conflict with the Cardassian Union is happening on the other, the Federation may face an existential danger. I believe we should be trying harder to prepare for that war. A starbase in the Klingon Border Zone. Enhanced anti-cloaking measures. Most of all, though, we should be charting scenarios for Federation involvement."
"The conflict with the Cardassian Union?" asks Sulu. "You make it sound inevitable."
"She's been predicting it for two years now," says ch'Vohlet. "Was five to fifteen years away the first time."
"Now three to thirteen years, no reason to change my prophecy," says Sousa. "But my topic was the Klingon and Romulan war. Please respect the topic."
"Respecting the topic, the Romulans don't want us to intervene and the Klingons aren't expecting us to. Why not go with that and keep the Federation out and safe?" says Eriksson.
Ch'Volet waves a hand for attention. "Valentina's concern is valid. Which is why I shifted sensor research to more anti-cloaking and put some attention on Klingon analysis this year. Of course we all hope that the Federation will be able to stay free of the war, but what happens if one side begins to lose severely? Drawing in the Federation on their side will become a desperation play to stave off defeat. When you're losing, taking a big risk matters less because you're losing anyway."
"At Starfleet Tactical we have some contingency plans for Federation involvement, but I admit I haven't put my best people on it. Other matters seemed more critical. They still do. So many unknowns we can't plan for," says Sulu.
"Like for instance, the Cardassians are what's on the Federation's other side from those two empires. What's on the other side of the Klingons and the Romulans? Even after so many decades we don't know very much. We're pretty sure the Klingons are between us and the Gorn, which is why we've seen so little of them since... well..." Eriksson trails off, mildly embarrassed to be lecturing Hikaru Sulu of all people about the Gorn. Sulu grins at her and says nothing.
"Perhaps we could use the threat of Federation involvement to prevent the conflict from ending in the destruction of one side," muses ch'Vohlet. "Would work better if it was the Romulans who had the upper hand, though. The Klingons would just view it as a betrayal."
Eriksson turns out her hands plans up. "You see, Valentina? It's not that you're wrong, but that the future is so unpredictable that it's hard to plan for it. There are so many possibilities for how the war will go, including ones we probably haven't thought of."
Sousa shakes her head. "That's a challenge, not an excuse. More than that, it's a clue. The future is only unpredictable if we have no part in shaping it. If we're aggressive about intervening early on, we may be able to keep the conflict more limited or even stop it entirely. If we wait, hoping not to be drawn in, we cede all control regarding the flow of events."
"An audacious gamble. I like it," says Sulu. He and Sousa lock eyes, and he wishes again she had served with him on one of his ships. They probably would have fought all the times they didn't agree, but that's fine. He would have welcomed being challenged by someone like that.
"You may like it, but I don't think I do," says Eriksson crossly. Ch'Vohlet nods in support.
Sousa leans back in her seat. "Well, Starfleet policy will be up the Admiral. So... equal chance for the scales to balance in either direction, I suppose."
There's a shifting around the room. She doesn't, they all understand, mean that there's a 50/50 chance of how Kahurangi will make the decision.
There's a long silence. Finally Eriksson breaks it. "So Hikaru, how do you like our little yearly gathering."
"Oh my. Well Heidi, Rinias, Valentina... I've enjoyed the chance to get to know all of you better." Sulu raises a glass.
The other three all clink on it. Sousa speaks the toast. "To getting to know us all a little better."
@OneirosTheWriter if you do an omake reward, putting Sulu's plan to have Ensign Minmay serenade the Sydraxians into effect would be pretty great.
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In looking to the war between the Romulans and Klingons, they all miss the possibility of being the one to broker the upcoming peace.
Has anyone considered ways to approach the problem diplomatically?
Maybe we could ask the Cardassians why their fleet is mobilizing.
Probably not gonna go anywhere productive, but it might be useful.
fasquardon
Maybe we could ask the Cardassians why their fleet is mobilizing.
Probably not gonna go anywhere productive, but it might be useful.
fasquardon
Ahem.
That's the part Sulu liked and positive result on the gamble of rapid intervention.
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Good job @Briefvoice !
Also, I'm not sure who we could use as intermediaries who we know has ties to Cardassia, but won't shoot at us just for showing up. The obvious candidate would be to contact one of the Bajoran colony worlds and ask them to relay a message.
Sousa didn't.
It's a great idea, but the Cardassians have been avoiding contact with us for some time. Maybe if we in Starfleet had really pushed we might have enough contact with Cardassia to make asking them a viable strategy now, but I'm not sure. The Cardassians themselves have seemed pretty happy with this whole 'sparring' conflict where both sides engage in rivalry over the space between, without any direct communication.
Also, I'm not sure who we could use as intermediaries who we know has ties to Cardassia, but won't shoot at us just for showing up. The obvious candidate would be to contact one of the Bajoran colony worlds and ask them to relay a message.
That's now what I mean though.
I mean that the more we are seen as an absolutely neutral party, the greater potential to be drawn upon when both sides are exhausted in order to create a peace deal.
And you know what being mediator in peace talks means? It means that we are trusted by both parties. And that means we set the stage to push our relationship with both empires to friendly or even allied in the future century.
Which is something we really can't do with an early intervention.
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They'd be a good choice too. I'm worried about them shooting at us, though.
Becasue Dawiar and "nearly start a war by shooting at us when we try to talk to them" is a bit like T'Lorel and orbit-to-ground phaser strikes. It's not that they mean to do it literally every time we interact with them, it just... happens.
Passing a message through a neutral party, in particular the Dawiar, is a really neat idea that I do like.
The Bajorans deliberately hid their contact with us from the Cardassians. I am unsure if it's necessarily wise to use them.
The Bajorans deliberately hid their contact with us from the Cardassians. I am unsure if it's necessarily wise to use them.
[X] Plan Epsilon-1
Which is a damn shame. They'd be a great point to anchor another trade loop on with the Seyek.
I feel they're workable as affiliates. They're much farther in our sphere of influence than any other power we're considering. I'm currently all for it, honestly.
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I'd love to recruit the Dawiar. It's just that stuff... happens... with them.
Ah, then sure. "Both sides exhaust themselves and the Federation can play peacemaker," is the ideal result for the non-interventionist side that ch'Vohlet and Eriksson are pushing. (As Eriksson tells you, you shouldn't take things said here as a thorough statement of their positions.) Of course the risk to that strategy is that both sides do not exhaust themselves, and one side that is badly losing begins flailing around and engaging in acts of desperation that force the Federation's hand in some way. Remember, you can't count on this war ending in a stalemate or grinding on forever WWI style. If one side really seems to be crushing it, who the heck knows what the other side will pull in desperation or how their destruction would destabilize this entire segment of the galaxy? Resurgent Gorn Empire anyone?
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I for one am in favor of solutions that do not involve berserk revanchist lizardmen.
AKuz
Been Better
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@Briefvoice , nice. Also FYI: Recently graded Ensign Maryam Ajam was also assigned to Excelsior during the mapping mission that came before Khitomer (And was at Khitomer too! Which means that she was a contemporary of Tuvok if you think about it!). I mentioned that a couple times and even had Sulu at her memorial specifically because of that.
Also:
The whole thing about the Cardassians not talking to us is in character. Remember Jellico in "Chain of Command", he said that Cardassians arw like wolves, and that when not in a pack they instinctively seek to establish dominance.
What we are seeing here is the Cardassians trying to assert themselves at the table before opening up negotiations. And they initially saw us as fairly open and weak despite our being more advanced technologically. That we were not has merely panicked them into trying to force the issue and coming out on top no matter what so that when they finally do come to the table they can go "This is ours. All of this. Shut up and take it" That we want to talk about things and not impose terms due to being stronger is simply not something they considered. If we were strong we would have forced the issue by now. That we haven't means that we are weak. That we are stronger and not imposing terms is something that will take some time for them to accept.
Also:
The whole thing about the Cardassians not talking to us is in character. Remember Jellico in "Chain of Command", he said that Cardassians arw like wolves, and that when not in a pack they instinctively seek to establish dominance.
What we are seeing here is the Cardassians trying to assert themselves at the table before opening up negotiations. And they initially saw us as fairly open and weak despite our being more advanced technologically. That we were not has merely panicked them into trying to force the issue and coming out on top no matter what so that when they finally do come to the table they can go "This is ours. All of this. Shut up and take it" That we want to talk about things and not impose terms due to being stronger is simply not something they considered. If we were strong we would have forced the issue by now. That we haven't means that we are weak. That we are stronger and not imposing terms is something that will take some time for them to accept.
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@OneirosTheWriter, I was attaching registry numbers to some of the ships in the database spreadsheet using your recent "Ghosts and Whispers" post, and, uh...
Unless I'm mistaken, I think you accidentally assigned USS T'Kumbra and USS Shield the same NCC registry number.
Unless I'm mistaken, I think you accidentally assigned USS T'Kumbra and USS Shield the same NCC registry number.
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Well, have you ever seen them in the same star base together??
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Ahh, I get it now.
Some time around 2298, the USS T'Kumbra flew into a temporal whozit somewhere near the interface between the RBZ and Vulcan Sector.
The USS T'Kumbra flew out of the anomaly, docked at Indi Beta (then an outpost as I recall). A day later, they undocked and returned to Vulcan.
A week after that, the USS T'Kumbra flew out of the anomaly, docked at Indi Beta, and had to answer some very unexpected questions.
"Wait, you already- what's the current stardate, um. We are the USS... uh, Shield. That's right, Shield!"
One of the last good decisions made by the Rogers admiralty was to fund the construction of a free Oberth for the Vulcan homeworld fleet. Their mission? FIND THAT ANOMALY AGAIN!
They've been searching for ten years now, so far without success...
Some time around 2298, the USS T'Kumbra flew into a temporal whozit somewhere near the interface between the RBZ and Vulcan Sector.
The USS T'Kumbra flew out of the anomaly, docked at Indi Beta (then an outpost as I recall). A day later, they undocked and returned to Vulcan.
A week after that, the USS T'Kumbra flew out of the anomaly, docked at Indi Beta, and had to answer some very unexpected questions.
"Wait, you already- what's the current stardate, um. We are the USS... uh, Shield. That's right, Shield!"
One of the last good decisions made by the Rogers admiralty was to fund the construction of a free Oberth for the Vulcan homeworld fleet. Their mission? FIND THAT ANOMALY AGAIN!
They've been searching for ten years now, so far without success...
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