Plot Log | CO, XO, CEO, CMO, CCO, CIO, CSOO | "The First Briefing"

Posted on Thu Oct 26th, 2017 @ 6:22pm by Captain Jacob Satie & Captain Aine DiAgessi & Commander Thelin th'Zarath & Commander Valeese Stacker & Commander Mitchell Rush & Commander James Stacker & Commander Evan Merlin
Edited on on Fri Oct 27th, 2017 @ 4:24pm

Mission: The Round Table
Location: Staff Conference Room | Deck 1 | Cold Station Theta
Timeline: The Present.

Author's Note: Good afternoon all. This log is being started by direction from on high, and will serve to bring the senior officers collectively up-to-speed on what to expect in the near-future. Please go ahead and log your character's arrival.

The Chief Intelligence Officer was the first to arrive in the conference room. As was typical with briefings, this was deliberate. The time afforded to him meant that he could meet quickly with the tall and lanky Kelpien chief warrant officer from intelligence, who had arrived even earlier. Notes changed hands: a PADD was turned over to Stacker which showed a listing of information - images, mostly - prepared according to his explicit direction and then loaded into the computer for this room.

At some point in their private and equally-quiet discussion, Stacker nodded once, gesturing to something on the PADD’s screen. There was a pause. The warrant looked over his shoulder, finger tracing some electronic text. This was followed by yet another nod, and some more discreet remarks that went a few minutes in length. Followed by an inaudible question that led to Stacker flicking out his wrist and rotating it to show the timepiece. He covered it quickly, tucking it back under the cuff, and nodded. The Kelpien said something more, then quickly exited the room, as Stacker turned his attention to the device in his hands.

Meetings and paperwork followed up with more meetings had become Jake's standard routine. Today would be no different as he left Operations leaving the watch in the hands of a lieutenant from Security. A rumor had spread that a distinguished party of Stenellian diplomats would be arriving soon and Intel had put together a brief for the senior officers on what to expect. This was the first time Jake had an opportunity to visit the staff conference room.

Though it was located on the same deck as operations, there had been no large staff meetings prior to this in the last week. Warrant Officer Parsuv exited the room dipping his head gracefully as he passed Jake in what passed as a greeting from the Kelpien. Jake smiled and nodded back reaching the door a step later. As he walked in, his breath caught a little. The room was richly appointed in fluted trim and colonial paneling with a domed ceiling containing what appeared to be a sky light, A wall of windows facing out into space and now looking at the radiant Ul-Kamari Expanse bathed the room in a warm golden glow. The conference table was long and ovular with display screens inset into the surface for detailed viewing of any presentation. On the forward end of the room was a raised area, presumably where the presenter would stand, with a large holographic display, Jake assumed would be linked to those on the table. Even the floor with it's parquet pattern was designed to impress.

Jake was not alone Stacker was at the front of the room. "Good morning, Commander." Jake said as he found his seat beside the head of the table. For viewing purposes there was no chair at the foot of this table where Jake would have customarily seated himself. Starfleet had protocols for every contingency though and Jake knew them all.

The chief intelligence officer turned and looked up quickly, seeing the Executive Officer taking a seat even as the door hissed open to admit the next individual to arrive. "Sir. Good morning." He gave the man a polite nod before returning his attention to the PADD, walking to the raised area, keying the device in his hand and running a last minute check to ensure connectivity to the room's systems.

There was something to be said about Kelpiens. Passing the tall, elegant creature in the corridor, Valeese had gotten the distinct impression that he was nervous, among other things, at least in her presence. A wide berth had been given and the blue of his eyes didn't dare linger as he more or less did everything he could to avoid contact with any bit of her. The rolodex on information in Valeese's mind couldn't seem to pick up or remember any injustice the Vorta had dished out to the crawfish looking creatures, but she made note to keep her comments to a minimum less he get the idea she'd prefer him with butter and a splash of lemon than a Starfleet uniform.

She was third to arrive, offering a quiet nod to the Executive Officer and the Intel officer in kind, and with nothing more to offer, found her seat somewhere towards what would become the middle of the pack.

Thelin found himself following the Vorta, he'd hung back as soon as he'd seen the distinctive ears buried beneath her hair and found himself checking a few reports from Operations and adding them to the PADD he was carrying, once he was sure she'd taken her seat he thanked the duty officer and turned to follow suit, a brief nod to the assembled officers was all he allowed as he admired the room, making his way around the table to take up a seat opposite the Vorta, he neither liked the idea of sitting on the same side of the table as her, or even turning his back to her, this vantage point allowed him to cast a wary eye in her direction while keeping his focus on the meeting.

Hot on the heels of the Andorian engineer, Aine came through the door and made a quick appraisal of who all had shown up so far. With five minutes to go before the briefing officially started, it was no surprise to see Satie seated. The one that intrigued her most was the little Vorta sitting opposite almost everyone while they regarded her as if she were the boogie man. "Morning." She greeted them and then did the unthinkable. Her seat would be the one right beside Valeese as a show of faith and acceptance of the woman so many widely regarded as the wolf in sheep's clothing.

Jake had made mental notes on who showed up and how early they were or were not. He noted that Rush and Merlin were still missing. Seeing the Commanding Officer sit next to Doctor Valeese and not in the standard chair at the head of the table made Jake smile. She was thoughtful and concerned for her crew and the image of unity she reinforced was exactly what Jake should have done when he noticed everyone else sitting on his side of the table. "Doctor Valeese, have you seen Counselor Rush this morning? Do you know if his is aware this brief is mandatory for all senior officers?" Jake was calm and had no hit of disdain in his voice when asking.

Looking towards the sound of her name, Valeese's eyes focused on the barely blurred face across the table. At that point her vision was not unlike peering through a pair of smudged glasses, halos hung to lights and faces seemed to shine. She was still entirely well aware that the question had come from the Executive Officer, "Counselor Rush still have four minutes and forty-five seconds to make it to this meeting, Commander Satie. When I left he was organizing information pertinent to the topic at hand." She replied with a smile and the briefest of nods.

"Apologies for the tardy." Mic, who had just been on the other side of the open briefing room door, announced himself. In his hand was a single PADD, though the information contained was likely priceless. A small wonder in a situation paved by uncertainty and tangled with the beginnings of fear. He was quick to nod his appreciation to the sharp little Vorta sitting beside the Captain and it would be to her left that he found a seat and settled in. Unlike most, her race made very little difference to him. It was her brain and her dedication to her craft that had won his respect and not the DNA that dictated she'd been born a member of a society widely regarded as being unsavory. In many ways she was beautiful, her sharp, cutting wit and intelligence praised high among the traits he admired in addition to her ethereal appearance, the pixie-like nature of her dainty face and ears withstanding.

The lowest-ranking officer of the lot popped in right behind Mic and waved amicably at everyone present. "Good morning!" he said cheerfully and looked around before taking the last. His sea-coloured eyes regarded each of the people present in turn. Some he had met already, some he had not. He leaned back and crossed his legs at his ankles, waiting for what would come.

Jake looked over to the Commanding Officer, "All senior staff is present, Ma'am. Intel is ready to take the lead on this briefing if you are ready." The din of quiet conversation died as Jake made his report to the Captain.

"By all means, Commander Stacker... Please proceed." Aine motioned towards the intel officer and fired up the PADD she'd brought in specifically for notes. The first one she made, though, was a mental one at how sharp the Doctor had been. Quick to defend the counselor, she'd made her point abundantly known in a style that was, if anything, direct. Her eyes flashed amusement for a second before they focused back on Stacker.

The Chief Intelligence Officer nodded in acknowledgement of the captain's instructions. As he spoke his eyes were in motion, primarily watching the other officers present. He was not, and had never been, a firm believer in fixing his eyes on one point in the room - or on one individual in particular. "This briefing will contain sensitive information. Do not share it with anyone who does not have a Level-7 security clearance."

The screen behind him changed, showing a young woman. She was an albino, with snow-white hair and pink eyes. Faint spots could be seen on her skin if one focused very intently. Stacker was standing in the raised area and still had difficulty picking them out.

"Starfleet Command has been informed, by the Federation Diplomatic Corps, that we can expect a visit in the near future by representatives from the Stenellian Ascendancy. The delegation will likely be led by Empress Xue'Daio Nox. We have only partial information on the Empress." There was no note of apology in his voice, which was steady, level, and even. His professional half was in his element, and reveled in it. "She is either 20 or 21 years old depending on the source, trained extensively with the Makta - the warrior caste - from an early age, and is married to Maec Tr'Verelan - a nephew of the Romulan Praetor, although it is important to note that he has renounced his ties to Romulus and the Praetor."

"How very interesting…" the Lieutenant breathed. He leaned forward, placed both elbows on the table and pressed his fingertips together. He had read up on the Stenellian Ascendancy, of course. They were Cold Station Theta's direct neighbours, but they had only recently become aware of their presence. It wouldn't go down into the history of either Federation or Ascendancy as a prime example of a flawless first contact, to say the least.

And now this station, barely up and running, would play host to a delegation lead by the Stenellian Empress. He glanced at the Intelligence officer who had paused his presentation long enough for everybody present to take in the impact of his briefing. Station Security would be a pain in the behind, understaffed as they still were. Station Intel would be working overtime. And he himself would have to shelf his station wanderings for the time being and focus on the sitation outside of the station. The Stenellis on one side, the Romulans as an extra factor on the other – he doubted, just to name one possible sticky point, that the Romulan Praetor would be very happy that his nephew had renounced all ties to the Empire. And meanwhile, there was still that missing ship somewhere in the Ul-Kamari Expanse, a Starfleet ship with an unusual amount of the offspring of Starfleet's highest officers on board – lead by a relative of CST's CO, if he wasn't mistaken.

Oh, yes. 'May you live in interesting times' wouldn't even begin to cover this one.

Stacker, meanwhile, seemingly existed in ignorance of the lieutenant's thoughts and commentary. His eyes were swiveling between the CO and XO, one eyebrow raised. When it became apparent that there was no comment from either of the most senior officers present, he continued. The image on the screen changed. This was a distant shot, medium resolution with some slight pixellation. In it was the same woman, in a plaza. Cardassian architecture could be seen; if that wasn't enough, there were at least three Guls in proximity to her. She was looking over her shoulder, at one. It was an interesting moment captured in time.

"Before becoming Empress, the Crown Princess was a guest of the Cardassian Union for a four-year period. It is important to note that her presence was instrumental in securing a treaty between the two governments, which paved the way for direct Ascendancy access to Dominion War-era technology." He stomped the momentary urge to momentarily cast a look at the sole Vorta in the room. Not only was it unprofessional, but he had ... personal reasons. "It is also worth highlighting that several communiques sent, during this period, from the Union to the Ascendancy noted the Crown Princess' level-headedness but a cruel and vicious temper. There were at least several occurrences in which she levied a natural bio-electric shock - which all Stenellis' can generate as a self-defense mechanism - as an offensive weapon."

The mention of the Dominion War was enough to bring ice into Valeese's veins, and she dropped her eyes from being in contact with any one person... Stacker especially. Instead she focused on the grainy image of a very young Empress, a girl stuffed into a volatile situation and expected to court and curry Cardassian favor by being bait. It was obvious, printed clear as day. "Wouldn't you?" Shit. Her shoulders stiffened the moment she realize she'd spoken out loud and her eyes raced between those present and back to the image, lifting a hand to gesture towards it. "Her posture is rigid and she's what... Seventeen there? Eighteen tops? Tiny in comparison to the Guls and there's three of them. We all know what their appetites are like when it comes to sex." She shrugged, relatively pleased with her instant save coming from basic psychology, history, and medical context. "Anyway... I apologize. Please, continue."

"I... Actually have to agree with Doctor Valeese's sentiments." The witchdoctor nodded from his seat, leaning against one of the arms and pointing towards the image offered to them, "Her body language is characteristic with someone feeling threatened. It's highly likely that these blokes felt they'd have an easy time playing pretty pretty princess and got a bit more than they bargained for in the long run. If that's the case," he shrugged, "Good on her. About time someone gave them a firm no after everything the sods did to the bloody Bajorans I reckon. However, the point is made. Keep an eye on her because she can hurtcha. Noted. Keep on, mate."

Aine found her attention snapping back into focus the moment Valeese spoke, and it wound up leveling on the intel snapshot as she considered what was said first between Valeese and then Rush in comparison to Stacker's briefing. It was congruent, seemed to work. "She was with them for how long? Four years?" Her head shook, "Alright. So she may not be super fond of Cardassians. Good thing for us that we can only really expect one, and that's when the Vindicator is located which may or may not be a thing to consider when she chooses to test our hospitality." She said, catching Satie's eye, "Proceed?"

Jake made several notes through the built in interface of the table top. He looked up and across at the Captain just in time to catch her looking at him. He nodded his head slightly, raised his eyebrows, and took a deep breath. He was growing curious as to why the Vorta and the Australian doctors were in such harmony in their opinions and so eager to stand up for one another. He would have to review their records later to see if they had served together before. That was the only thing Jake could think of off hand that would have created such a bond. Jake looked to the front of the room, "Carry on, Commander Stacker. We will try to hold our comments until the end." Jake smiled at the man in black.

Thelin was making notes throughout the briefing and made a mental note when the Vorta had spoken up in defense of her colleague, she was proving to be a confusing creature but he could see how she averted her gaze when the topic of the Cardassians and the Second Dominion came up, it was obviously a sore topic for her too, the mention of that damned time also caused a reaction in the Andorian, his antennae flattened against his head and he instinctively reached to rub the connection between his prosthetic and his upper chest.

"Aye sir," the grey collar rumbled in response to the XO, with a nod, before turning his attention back to the wider assembly. "Some of the Empress' personality ... 'quirks' ... can be attributed to the tense relationship with her mother. Before being assassinated, Empress Psy'Daio Nox was what might be charitably described as a 'loose cannon.' The Empress was known to covet imported luxuries; Starfleet Intelligence further believes she may have had grand designs of territorial expansion. At least some of this was fueled by this individual."

The tone in his voice took a slightly-darker tone as the image changed. The new figure present was ... a Romulan. "Senator Tr'Bak, of the Romulan Star Empire. A pain in the side for Starfleet Intelligence and Starfleet Command, he is suspected to have been a principal instigator of tensions that grew between Empress Psy'Daio and the Federation. Starfleet Intelligence assesses that he may try to disrupt the visit, even though there is no concrete intelligence suggesting as such."

Aine's head lifted and her eyebrows rose at the sight of Vr'ith Tr'bak's smug mug appearing on screen. The Romulan's piercing green eyes were unmistakable; as much a trademark of him as his elevated brows and pointed ears. The greenblooded hobgoblin was as undesirable as they came, and his history was one she knew well. "He'd be either very brave or very stupid to come around here." She remarked, "We know who he is and his history with the Ascendancy." Who didn't? The fire fight was legendary. Enterprise had been sent away to let Vindicator handle the Romulan threat after a party had gone to shit thanks to an altercation between Commodore Ivanova's husband and the Senator who'd pushed just the right combination of buttons. Had Enterprise followed orders, not fired first, life would likely have been very different. Instead Captain Dhej of the Enterprise was widely considered the party responsible for the destruction of the USS Vindicator-E... And he'd never been heard from again, the ship dry docked until only recently and released under a new command. An act of mutiny, disobeying the direct orders of a flag officer... It was no small wonder that the Trill was gone. "If he shows up we'll know it. Tr'Bak flaunts his power, he doesn't hide for anything. Real narcissistic pain in the ass."

Ah, and there was the Romulan connection. The StratOps lieutenant wondered if it was known how the husband of the Stenellian Empress, Maec Tr'Verelan, felt about Tr'Bak – and vice versa. The Romulans were expert players of the game, and Tr'Bak certainly had a fearsome reputation. Knowing the Romulans, any successes he had would be claimed as a success for the Romulan Empire. Any losses or incidents Tr'Bak caused would be chalked up to him alone, 'a rogue element', 'acted without authority', phrases along those lines. If he was still a full Senator, he couldn't have made too many public mistakes. In other words, yes, a power to be reckoned with.

But there was the analysis: He doesn't hide for anything. So, if Tr'Bak was the blade you could see, the Romulans always had a dagger hidden which struck you blind. Something to keep a close eye on. And any edge which could be used against them needed to be explored.

He made a note on his PADD to ask about this once the briefing was finished.

"Yes ma'am," Stacker was saying as the lieutenant was busy making his note. "Intelligence has nothing further to add."

Clearing his throat, Jake drew attention to his side of the table. "What does Intel have on the Vanguard and do we think they will be an issue during this visit?"

"Intelligence does not believe the Vanguard will be an issue during the visit, sir. Anything else is above the classification of this briefing." It was clear, from the way in which the grey collar gave the answer without looking at his PADD, that he'd been expecting a question of this nature - and had been prepared. Satie had no way of knowing it, but 'stump-the-chump' had been one of the chief intelligence officer's least favorite games in intelligence training. He had learned several hard, but important, lessons when instructors had played the roles of overeager and ambitious senior officers in simulated briefings.

Ah, time for questions. The lieutenant raised his hand, and when he received a nod in return, he asked: "So, Senator Tr'Bak has the full backing of the Romulan Empire? Is it known what the current stance of the Stenellian Ascendancy is on the Romulans as a whole and this Senator in specific?"

The questions - from the Chief Strategic Operations Officer, no less - prompted no external reaction from Stacker other than a slightly-raised eyebrow and a momentary pause. To be fair, the questions were considerably outside the bailiwick of Strategic Operations; under any other circumstances such an inquiry might have caused Stacker to request a copy of his personnel file and set a later meeting time. A half-second later he internally blinked. Now there was an interesting solution ... "Yes to the first. As to the second, I'll have to research that and get back to you, lieutenant."

The lieutenant gave a slight nod and settled back to observe the rest of the meeting

Jake looked at Captain DiAgessi as if to say, "Do you have anything to add?" When she didn't get up to speak, Jake did. "Ladies and gentlemen, I know I don't have to tell any of you that we are on thin ice with the peace between ourselves and the Stenellian Ascendancy. During their visit I want eyes on them but I don't want them to know there are eyes on them. I want a close reign when it comes to where on this station they can go and with whom they interact. There is no room for mistakes. Let's make sure we don't make any. There will be a formal dinner held the night of their arrival in the Ambassador's Mess on Deck C. This dinner is mandatory and we will all be in full dinner dress uniform. Captain, do you have anything further to add?" Jake remained standing so as to be ready to dismiss the group on her command.

The cold blue of her eyes followed Satie as he spoke and moved, studying him well as he did. Her expression was distinctly neutral until he brought the conversation back around to her and both of her eye brows elevated by scant degrees, "If Vokar is out there, then he's not one to be toyed with. He has immunity so long as the Vanguard continues to uphold their virtue by acting as a sort of ally with the Federation. Should he arrive, you will treat him with respect and honor the same way you'd give it to the Empress and whatever delegation she has with her. I expect that you'll all be at your finest. Any issues are to be brought to our attention immediately. Other than that... You're free to go unless someone has something to add."

With nothing forthcoming, the officers were dismissed.

---

Captain Aine DiAgessi
Commanding Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

Commander Jacob Satie
Executive Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

Commander Thelin th'Zarath
Chief Engineering Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

Commander Valeese
Chief Medical Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

Commander Mitchell Rush
Chief Counselor
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

Lieutenant Commander James Stacker
Chief Intelligence Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170

Lieutenant Evan Merlin
Chief Strategic Operations Officer
Cold Station Theta, SB-1170