Joint Sim - Plot Log | "Orders" | DSFI, CO | Capt Ascari, Capt Neyes

Posted on Fri Sep 13th, 2013 @ 8:22pm by Captain Landon Neyes

1,771 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Memorias Rotundum
Location: Sol System
Timeline: Just after arriving to Starbase 001

=/\= Sol System =/\=

“Sir”, an aide stated over the comm. “We’ve managed to raise the USS Vindicator. Captain Neyes is standing by sir.”
Ascari took a sip of coffee. He was practically living off the stuff as a primary source of sustenance these days. “Put him through.”
His computer terminal activated displaying the face of the unfamiliar captain.

Much to Landon’s surprise, he’d been summoned by the de-facto head of Starfleet Intelligence. He neither enjoyed the widely human intelligence agency, not being summoned by a faceless authority figure, but his change in status seemed to require it.

“Captain Ascari.” The young Trill said through the comm screen.

“Captain Neyes. A pleasure, although I wish it were under better circumstances. I’ll keep this brief. As acting chief of Starfleet Intelligence I am rescinding your current orders for the time being. Intelligence has recently obtained information that indicates odd occurrences on the Cardassian planet, Carida. The Federation colony and its citizens that remained behind after the planet was annexed some years ago after the war was recently slaughtered by the Cardassians for reasons that are not entirely clear. Additionally, and this information is classified, the Cardassians appear to have halted all communications, trade, traffic, and commerce of any and all kind to the planet. We are not sure why or what circumstances are in play. Whatever is happening on Carida may be of some use to Starfleet. If the Union is having internal issues then we need to be aware of them. Given the recent attacks on Earth there are more than a few of us looking for Cardassian weaknesses to exploit.

The Vindicator will accompany the starship Crazy Horse to the border. The Horse will be conducting the actual reconnaissance mission at Carida. The Horse’s small size and speed make her ideal for this mission. I want the Vindicator to remain near the border in reserve should the Horse run into trouble or require emergency assistance. The Crazy Horse is not a warship and may encounter forces she is not equipped to handle. If the Horse does run into trouble I want the Vindicator to be ready to assist. The appearance of the Vindicator should be enough to deter any enemy force you or the Crazy Horse may encounter in that area.

Your orders are to escort the Horse to the border and keep a sensor lock on them for as long as possible while they complete their mission objectives. With any luck they’ll be back across the border without incident in due course. You are authorized to cross the border if, and only if, the Horse runs into opposition she cannot handle and signals for assistance.

Starfleet Intelligence has taken a beating in public opinion since the attack on Earth. We’re doing everything possible to keep the public at bay given how easily the Cardassians slipped past our defenses. I cannot afford additional public embarrassment. Given that this mission is high risk, it will be your job to ensure the Crazy Horse does not fall into Cardassian hands. Coordinate your efforts with Captain Lansine. Intel will provide you with whatever support you deem needed for this mission.
We need this mission to be a success Neyes. I have to restore some vestige of credibility to the Intelligence services and we need solid, actionable, intelligence without incident. Avoid combat if at all possible.

You will be there to support the Crazy Horse and gather any intelligence you can from our side of the border. No heroics. No playing cowboy. You’re our insurance policy should the Horse run into trouble on her mission. Mission details and additional information will be sent to you shortly. Do you have any questions captain?

Neyes had been patient throughout the entire drill of the new orders, still trying to find a way to rationalize sending Lansine back to Carida. After everything Rob had been through on that hell of a planet, he wasn’t so sure Starfleet recognized the issue at hand. He reviewed some of the data coming over on his side.

Landon looked back up to the monitor, “I think the question needs to be asked: You realize who you’re sending to complete this mission?”

Neyes’ words reflected a suspicion he held whenever intelligence was involved. On the same token, though, he couldn’t keep the worry over his best friend from creeping through. Sending Robert Lansine on this mission was dubious, if not outright disrespectful. After a tumultuous uproar by the Cardassians, they both witnessed the annihilation of the colonists, the destruction of their ship, and Rob was left to rot on the planet for nearly a year. Neyes had tried to save him, but couldn’t.

The resulting scar had affected them both, but Landon had the comfort of his home to grieve in and a wealth of life experience to draw from. Lansine was young and alone.

“I am aware of Captain Lansine’s past as well as your own regarding Carida. Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of hand picking personnel given the war and recent events. Lansine is familiar with Carida which gives him something of an advantage over anyone else available for this mission. I realize the circumstances of that knowledge were not obtained under the best of circumstances, to say the least. His previous history with Carida or yours for that matter is not ideal, but as a Starfleet captain I expect Lansine to be able to put aside history as well as any past demons. If he cannot do that he doesn’t belong sitting in the big chair. Such are the demands of war and the burdens of command.

There was little the new captain could do about his disagreement with the orders. Rob and Landon both knew what they were in for as commanding officers of Federation ships, and as much as it annoyed him to admit it he could see Ascari's point. Yet, he was less than impressed with the man's "Send the details to us as soon as possible. We'll be receiving supplies before taking on repairs en route. Where is the Crazy Horse now?"

Ascari appeared to enter something below screen, just before an icon of a starship docking with Starbase 001 came up on screen.

A notable show of surprise caught Neyes off guard. He hadn't expected to see Lansine or his ship for a few more months. Of course, now that Earth had fallen victim to attack, anything could happen. In part, the obvious lack of knowledge and objective assessment was what worried him. Was this mission really about the colonists? They had been living on Carida for the greater part of three years now. It felt more like the desperate mission of an ailing branch of military looking for a win. Landon couldn't shake his innate distrust of the agent talking before him. He didn't know captain Ascari, and Ascari didn't know him.

"Oh and Captain, my role is not going to be ensuring you get back into goods with the people of the Federation and her leaders. I'm more than happy to do what's good for the colonists and those people we abandoned on that planet, because that's what you should be more concerned about. But licking your wounds because you are 'embarrassed'? I'm impressed you have stomach to color this mission that way to me... " Neyes' features fell flat as he made it clear he was finished with their exchange.

“Captain, I only wish that embarrassment were the worst of it. Admiral Douglas was killed in Paris and the job and burdens of running the entire Starfleet intelligence apparatus has fallen to me. I didn’t ask for the job and certainly don’t have time to worry about climbing any ladders. There are larger concerns in play. Political concerns. I don’t expect you to understand or even appreciate the gravity of certain matters. However you wish to perceive it, Starfleet needs good news. We need victories. We need intelligence and information to win this war and restore the peace. Surely we can both agree upon those points. Intelligence work isn’t a convenient or pleasant job, but then again neither is being captain of a starship. We’re at war captain and we must do everything possible, especially now, to win it.”

Neyes wanted to say, politics or no, that this wasn't going to end with the swift and clean ending the Captain imagined. He had been a politician two lifetimes ago, and knew the realities plenty well enough to realize arguing with the man wasn't going to accomplish anything productive. He was just like everyone else... thrust into a position they weren't prepared to take. The connective barriers put in place by every other party and group organized enough to have a voice in the Federation was probably breathing down his neck, or worse, the neck of his superiors. The human adage about something sick running down-hill came to mind.

Landon nodded to Ascari, a concession in itself, "Let's hope winning means the same thing to everyone, Boss."

Ascari noted the captain's tone. He wasn't exuberant about this mission and under different circumstances he would have ended it before it began, but if there was any chance of discovering a possible Cardassian weak point he had to take that chance. He didn't need any additional enemies to contend with - he had too many of those to fight as it was. Still there were going to be orders he would be forced to give that would damage old friendships and interfere with forming new ones. The reach of war extended far beyond the battlefield.

"Agreed", Ascari replied. He didn't have the luxury or time to say more. Both captains he was sending were young. Perhaps too young for this sort of work, but it couldn't be helped given the timing, personnel, and logistics currently available to him. Command taught hard lessons and demanded much from those who sought it. Lansine was something of a wildcard, but that is why he had enlisted Neyes's assistance. He knew the men were friends and that they both had history with the planet Carida. Given the risk of the mission ahead of them both they would likely need that friendship to be successful. He hoped this war did not claim their friendship as another casualty.

"Good luck out there captain", Ascari stated with a conciliatory tone. "Good luck to you both. Ascari out."

=/\= END LOG =/\=

Captain Ascari
Director of Starfleet Intelligence
STARFLEET STAFF

Captain Landon Neyes
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR

 

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