Mission 8: Survival of the Fittest

George Warden wrote:

[Counselor's Office]

George was quietly fiddling with some data sheets. The crew manifests were going to be transferred to him soon, and he was going to have quite a lot of time to look through them all and see what he was up against. He'd heard stories about this crew and their various neuroses. It wouldn't be that bad, he thought.

His combadge sought to prove him wrong with a call to the briefing room.

A call, this early in the day? Sheesh. The counselor just smiled bemusedly to himself and dropped his PADD on the small table by his desk chair. Whatever it was, he hoped he wouldn't be pulling anyone out sedated today. Not that those stories aren't anything more than infrequent rumors, Warden mentally continued, then left his office to head to the briefing room.

[Briefing Room]

It didn't take long for him to locate the current subject needing attention. She was agitated-looking, but as of yet didn't seem to be breaking down totally. George wanted to keep it that way, and made sure his approach to the crying girl was cautious, but not hesitant.

Scratch that- she was already getting more agitated. No time to waste.

"Hey," he said. "We don't have to stay here. Why don't you come with me, and we can have a talk." His tone matched his expression-- calm, assured, and -hopefully- soothing. "Is that alright?"

"Y... Yes, that w...would be a ggg..ood idea I think." Kaitlin stood up and once again wiped the tears away from her face, it didn't help she still continued to cry but at least she had wiped the tears from her eyes giving her vision once again.

Reyaen jumped a bit when the yelling started. Sat quietly, though her eyes were wide open the whole time. After the counselor arrived, she looked to the Captain. Then to Jiseth. Then to the Captain. Then to the Counselor.

"Please take good care of her. She really is a wonderful individual to commiserate with."

Kaitlin Dexter wrote:

"Y... Yes, that w...would be a ggg..ood idea I think." Kaitlin stood up and once again wiped the tears away from her face, it didn't help she still continued to cry but at least she had wiped the tears from her eyes giving her vision once again.

[Briefing Room]

She was cooperative-- that was a good sign. George offered a kind smile, and a new tissue to replace the one she was slowly fraying with her tears. She looked pretty young, and her rank was a pretty good indicator that she was definitely a new person. Whether she had gotten overwhelmed or if there was an underlying problem, it certainly hadn't been helped by the stress of a big briefing nearly on the first day.

"Good. You'll be alright. Come with me," he said gently, steadying the upset crewman with a hand and guiding her toward and out the door. He cast the Romulan captain an apologetic look, but truthfully he was just glad that she was going peacefully.

He didn't miss the Vorta's comment either. He just hoped she wasn't being sarcastic.

[Hallway]

George was careful enough to take routes that avoided heavily trafficked areas of the place, just to make sure she didn't get embarrassed by crying in front of people.

"We're going to go to my office. It's not too far," he told her. "Holding up ok?"

[Starbase Athena - Briefing Room]

Having dropped the children off with the Abolses, Gabriel quickly made his way to the conference room.  He wasn't thrilled in the slightest by the so-called 'arrangement' that Starfleet Command had imposed on Archangel, even though he didn't have a problem personally with Admiral Stark.  Gabriel didn't honestly have ambitions beyond his family and engine room, but still...he knew it would stick in his craw if SCE Chief Scott had sent 'observers' to take the CEO spot.  He could only imagine what Archangel must be feeling.  As close as they were, he knew she still held back when discussing her feelings with him.

As the doors slid open, Gabriel stepped out of the way as their ship's counsellor quickly moved by, speaking quietly to a red-shirted young woman.  And -- Wait, he thought, is that woman...is she crying?  Cocking an eyebrow, Gabe backed into the room, shooting Archangel a questioning glance.

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

[Starbase Athena - Briefing Room]
As the doors slid open, Gabriel stepped out of the way as their ship's counsellor quickly moved by, speaking quietly to a red-shirted young woman.  And -- Wait, he thought, is that woman...is she crying?  Cocking an eyebrow, Gabe backed into the room, shooting Archangel a questioning glance.

[Briefing Room]

Looking up at the sound of the doors hissing open not long after the young woman had been escorted out by the ship's counsellor, Archangel was relieved to see Gabriel walking in, even if he did look a little confused. In response to his questioning look, she simply raised and dropped her shoulder in a shrug, indicating that she had no idea either.

Taking her seat again, Archangel nodded to the gathered officers. "I believe that nearly everyone's here, so I believe we'll be able to start the briefing soon. Before we do start, though, this is the last chance to get something from the replicator or take a bathroom break. Once we start, we're not stopping until we're finished."

[Corridor]

Safefta had been effectively told that she would be taking a spot in the briefing occurring. She'd been told that there also might be the presence of one of the new crewmen-- Ezac, she remembered. The breen from the bridge. She hadn't gotten to know him yet-- just as it would remain for a very long time.

She raised a quizzical eyebrow as she passed what looked like a sobbing woman and a counselor in the middle of the hallway, but the stony-faced Romulan had no time for such nonsense, and simply continued on.

[Briefing Room]

Oh. A motley crew. Internally, Safefta sighed. So many people, and so little space.

"Captain," she said coolly, before taking a seat next to the other Vulcan in the room-- a science officer she didn't recognize. Had she been any other person, she might have introduced herself, but Safefta had little care for such frivolities.

[Corridor]

Julia worked her way through the corridor nearing the entrance to the briefing room. She cradled 4 PADD's in the fold of her left elbow while sipping on the coffee located in her left hand. Her addiction to caffeine was a problem that she always felt she should have dealt with earlier in life but she never found a substitute that could fulfill the joy that her coffee gave her.

As she moved through the corridor she noticed who she presumed was the ships new counselor, Ensign George Warden, she had reviewed his Starfleet file in its entirety and was excited to see him join the team. He seemed to be working with the new pilot that had been assigned to the ship. She was eager to introduce her self but given the apparent intensity of the situation she settled for a slight nod as she passed the pair.

[Briefing Room]

The door hissed and a rainbow of alien life filled her field of vision. She realized that she was among the last to arrive. She had been in the role of Second Officer for awhile now and had a newfound comfort with her unexpected role. She noticed a vacant seat next to the Captain and made the assumption that it had been intentionally left vacant for her. She placed her PADD's and coffee on the table and took her seat. She looked around the room and took note of the several officers. She took a moment to make eye contact with the new Vulcan crewman assigned to her science department. She had yet to have the chance to speak with her but gave her a slight nod. Then looked to the Captain and smiled.

"Captain." The she looked towards Admiral Stark. "Admiral, it's a pleasure to see you."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

[Starbase Athena - Briefing Room]

Having dropped the children off with the Abolses, Gabriel quickly made his way to the conference room.  He wasn't thrilled in the slightest by the so-called 'arrangement' that Starfleet Command had imposed on Archangel, even though he didn't have a problem personally with Admiral Stark.  Gabriel didn't honestly have ambitions beyond his family and engine room, but still...he knew it would stick in his craw if SCE Chief Scott had sent 'observers' to take the CEO spot.  He could only imagine what Archangel must be feeling.  As close as they were, he knew she still held back when discussing her feelings with him.

As the doors slid open, Gabriel stepped out of the way as their ship's counsellor quickly moved by, speaking quietly to a red-shirted young woman.  And -- Wait, he thought, is that woman...is she crying?  Cocking an eyebrow, Gabe backed into the room, shooting Archangel a questioning glance.

[Briefing Room]

Leela entered the room humming a Ferengi tune. She heard it the night before at the Ferengi's bar and it remained stuck in her head. Tardiness was not one of her best quality but one she nonetheless possessed. She knew she was late but didn't find herself overwhelmingly concerned. She passed two officers on her way in, one in red and one in blue, conversing outside the briefing room. She took note of her commanding officer, Gabriel Arthur, upon passing through the sliding doors. The Trill walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. A mischievous smile brightened the you woman's face. She whispered nears Gabe's ear. "Hey, sorry I'm late. I'm starting to think I missed the excitement. What happened? What did I miss?"

Safefta Pardek wrote:

[Corridor]

Safefta had been effectively told that she would be taking a spot in the briefing occurring. She'd been told that there also might be the presence of one of the new crewmen-- Ezac, she remembered. The breen from the bridge. She hadn't gotten to know him yet-- just as it would remain for a very long time.

She raised a quizzical eyebrow as she passed what looked like a sobbing woman and a counselor in the middle of the hallway, but the stony-faced Romulan had no time for such nonsense, and simply continued on.

[Briefing Room]

Oh. A motley crew. Internally, Safefta sighed. So many people, and so little space.

"Captain," she said coolly, before taking a seat next to the other Vulcan in the room-- a science officer she didn't recognize. Had she been any other person, she might have introduced herself, but Safefta had little care for such frivolities.

[Briefing Room]

Throughout the commotion of the unstable crewmen and the arrival of several more people, T'Lara remained silent and out of the way, as was her nature. She was aware of the Admiral's presence, though she felt she wasn't high enough in the ranks to address him directly. At some point someone, she didn't care to notice who, had motioned for her to sit down. A few minutes later she was alerted by another person sitting next to her, someone who had distinctly Vulcan qualities, and also qualities of another species. Another hybrid like herself, she deduced. The yellow-clad crewmember didn't introduce herself, but that was perfectly alright, since they would become acquainted eventually.

Julia Rellek wrote:

[Briefing Room]

The door hissed and a rainbow of alien life filled her field of vision. She realized that she was among the last to arrive. She had been in the role of Second Officer for awhile now and had a newfound comfort with her unexpected role. She noticed a vacant seat next to the Captain and made the assumption that it had been intentionally left vacant for her. She placed her PADD's and coffee on the table and took her seat. She looked around the room and took note of the several officers. She took a moment to make eye contact with the new Vulcan crewman assigned to her science department. She had yet to have the chance to speak with her but gave her a slight nod. Then looked to the Captain and smiled.

"Captain." The she looked towards Admiral Stark. "Admiral, it's a pleasure to see you."

[Briefing Room]

T'Lara then noticed the entrance of her superior officer. When she sat down and made eye contact with her, T'Lara returned the gesture and also gave her a slight nod. If there was anyone in this room she felt comfortable enough to talk to, it was Lieutenant Rellek. She almost looked forward to discussing various aspects of their department with her. Almost.

Leela Kaz wrote:

Leela entered the room humming a Ferengi tune. She heard it the night before at the Ferengi's bar and it remained stuck in her head. Tardiness was not one of her best quality but one she nonetheless possessed. She knew she was late but didn't find herself overwhelmingly concerned. She passed two officers on her way in, one in red and one in blue, conversing outside the briefing room. She took note of her commanding officer, Gabriel Arthur, upon passing through the sliding doors. The Trill walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. A mischievous smile brightened the you woman's face. She whispered nears Gabe's ear. "Hey, sorry I'm late. I'm starting to think I missed the excitement. What happened? What did I miss?"

[Conference Room]

Gabe shrugged back, smiling softly for Archangel and he took to his seat. He'd never seen quite a collection of officers for a meeting before. It seemed as if every department had sent a handful of representatives. Whatever this was, it was likely to be pretty damned important.

A warm breath touched his ear, and Gabriel nearly jumped out of his skin. "Miss Kaz," he quietly said, tilting his head and smirking. "I don't suppose one of your past lives was as a trained ninja, was it?" He turned his attention from his subordinate to the captain and admiral. "I have no idea what's been going on, but I assume we're about to find out."

[Conference Room]

You have *got* to be kidding me, Admiral Stark thought, touching the tips of his fingers to his temples.  This meeting had turned into a three-ring circus before it had even begun.  From Deacon's report on what the Athena had gone through while he had been out dealing with the Phoenix, he almost wished he was facing something like that.  Not that things on the Phoenix had been any easier.  They'd lost good people, and he imagined more than one had tasted combat before they'd ever thought they would.  He'd personally filed citations for conspicuous gallantry for several officers.

And signed condolence letters.

Stark stood, surveying the room, frowning slightly at seeing the Breen and Vorta.  Those two were going to take...a lot of getting used to.  Then again, he imagined that such a thing was what this mission was going to be all about...even though he felt it a fool's errand.

The scene with the crying officer had caused quite a commotion, though a few voices had quieted down as he stood.  Corman looked over to Archangel, cocking an eyebrow as he fought off the urge to ask if she invited her junior officers to every briefing.  As far as he was concerned, the dissemination of information was the departmental head's job.  Mentally filing the observation away with the rest of them, Stark cleared his throat.  "Folks, if we could?" he asked, waiting for the room to quiet.  "Er...thank you all for coming."  His tone wasn't exactly sarcastic, but it was dry as a Vulcan summer.  

"There's not much use to waste time, so I'll get right to it."  Walking over to one of the duranium walls, Stark touched a panel, bringing a display to life - a three-dimensional representation of a huge, monstrous-looking green starship.  "The recent changes within the Romulan Empire has allowed unprecedented access for the Federation.  That, and our late alliance, has brought the two most stable powers left in the Alpha Quadrant closer than ever."  It hurt him not include the Klingon Empire in that statement, but...well, Martok had a long way to go, insofar as rebuilding went.

The little green warbird spun on an axis as Stark pulled up a long list of names, their lettering floating in the 3-D display by the ship.  "In the interest of...cooperation and understanding, the Federation and the Star Empire will conduct a series of training exercises."  Now, it was time for the other shoe - the maddest part of this whole mad idea.  "As of 0800 tomorrow, the crews of the USS Phoenix and the warbird of General S'Tal N'Vek, the IRW Gannius, will exchange places."  Stark let that settle for a half-second before turning to Archangel, indicating that she should continue.

Jiseth kept her jaw clenched as she squeezed the handle of her cup. Just arrived and the new helmsman was in danger of washing out. At this rate she might never fill up her roster. Not to the same quality and capacity it was before. Big shoes to fill indeed.

She remained standing, however. It allowed her to keep her distance, but a watchful eye over everyone. That was until the hologram appeared. The Romulan's eyes widened and her heart stopped. Pushing off the viewport, she stood upright and gazed at the image.

Then the magic words.

The cup fell from her hand as she seemed to enter a state of near euphoria. A warbird. They were going to command a warbird. She would be back at its helm. To Jiseth, it was nearly as good as going home. In it's own way, it was. The Gannius had some upgraded systems compared to the Khazara. The bridge layout was different too. But it was a warbird nonetheless.

For the first time, perhaps ever, Jiseth did something that no one had seen: a true and pure expression of happiness. She smiled, jubilantly so.

George Warden wrote:

[Briefing Room]

She was cooperative-- that was a good sign. George offered a kind smile, and a new tissue to replace the one she was slowly fraying with her tears. She looked pretty young, and her rank was a pretty good indicator that she was definitely a new person. Whether she had gotten overwhelmed or if there was an underlying problem, it certainly hadn't been helped by the stress of a big briefing nearly on the first day.

"Good. You'll be alright. Come with me," he said gently, steadying the upset crewman with a hand and guiding her toward and out the door. He cast the Romulan captain an apologetic look, but truthfully he was just glad that she was going peacefully.

He didn't miss the Vorta's comment either. He just hoped she wasn't being sarcastic.

[Hallway]

George was careful enough to take routes that avoided heavily trafficked areas of the place, just to make sure she didn't get embarrassed by crying in front of people.

"We're going to go to my office. It's not too far," he told her. "Holding up ok?"

'DIE FOOL, DIE.' Kaitlin threw her hands over her head and dropped to the ground. "GET OUT NOW AND DONT COME BACK." Kaitlin screamed once again as she dropped to the floor in the middle of the corridor.

Kaitlin looked up at George. "Please... Just help me."

Corman Stark wrote:

The little green warbird spun on an axis as Stark pulled up a long list of names, their lettering floating in the 3-D display by the ship.  "In the interest of...cooperation and understanding, the Federation and the Star Empire will conduct a series of training exercises."  Now, it was time for the other shoe - the maddest part of this whole mad idea.  "As of 0800 tomorrow, the crews of the USS Phoenix and the warbird of General S'Tal N'Vek, the IRW Gannius, will exchange places."  Stark let that settle for a half-second before turning to Archangel, indicating that she should continue.

[Briefing Room]

Archangel cleared her throat as Stark handed the briefing over to her, standing up. She was hoping that this mission was going to go smoothly. They needed a quiet one after the horrors that had happened in the last. Then again, she supposed that she should count her blessing that the majority of her crew had been isolated on the ship, rather than on the surface where the majority of the trauma had taken place.

At least those responsible are in Starfleet custody, she thought to herself before bringing her mind back to the topic at hand.

"Lieutenant Jiseth and Ensign Pardek are the only ones I am aware of with hands on experience of a warbird, so they will be taking on the role of advisors in addition to their normal duties. We will be swapping crews at Starbase Athena before proceeding at warp 1 to a clear area of space where we will then begin a simulated battle. The Engineering crews of the starbase will be disengaging the weapons on both ships and installing simulation equipment to ensure authenticity.

"I'll need everyone on their toes for this one. We'll only have the 5 hours journey to the designated battle zone to familiarise ourselves with the systems, although I have been told that they're leaving the owner's manual on the bridge for us." She gave a slight smile as she said the last part, hoping to bring some levity to the briefing given its rocky start. "Are there any questions?"

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

"I'll need everyone on their toes for this one.  We'll only have the 5 hours journey to the designated battle zone to familiarise ourselves with the systems, although I have been told that they're leaving the owner's manual on the bridge for us."  She gave a slight smile as she said the last part, hoping to bring some levity to the briefing given its rocky start.  "Are there any questions?"

Reyaen wasted little time in making her excitement-filled intention known. Very frequently had she encountered such vessels as the D'deridex. Most of the time with them shooting at her. To see one from the inside would be an experience all its own, solving many mysteries in her mind about what it was like onboard one.

"The Dominion had in-depth system analysis of a Romulan ships. It allowed field supervisors to have a familiarity so they could exploit potential weaknesses. That being said, I'm quite well-versed on how their cloaking technology works. May I volunteer to operate the device?"

Reyaen 3 wrote:

Reyaen wasted little time in making her excitement-filled intention known. Very frequently had she encountered such vessels as the D'deridex. Most of the time with them shooting at her. To see one from the inside would be an experience all its own, solving many mysteries in her mind about what it was like onboard one.

"The Dominion had in-depth system analysis of a Romulan ships. It allowed field supervisors to have a familiarity so they could exploit potential weaknesses. That being said, I'm quite well-versed on how their cloaking technology works. May I volunteer to operate the device?"

[Briefing Room]

Turning to the voice that had spoken up, Archangel was faintly surprised to see that it was the ship's Vorta cadet.  The assignment of the cadet to her crew was a decision that had been quite difficult to accept, given that the Discovery had been out on the front lines during the various offensives made in the Dominion War.  It was taking quite a lot of self control to act as if the cadet was no different to anyone else on her crew.

"I'm afraid that the cloaking device on the warbird will have been deactivated and will be off limits to us.  We will not go near any of its systems.  The Star Empire's showing a lot of trust in us by agreeing to this exercise, just as we are in them.  I have to admit that I'm not sure either side is going to act in a manner worthy of that trust, but we will do our utmost to do so.

"What we will have access to, and have permission to have a good rifle through, is their library computers. Lieutenant Rellek, Petty Officer T'Lara, I expect that there'll be enough data there to have you up to your eyeballs in new information for weeks.

"Engineering and operations, you're going to be very busy trying to figure out how this warbird works. Cadet, you said you have some expertise on that subject, so you're going to join Lieutenant Jiseth and Ensign Pardek as advisors.

"Security and tactical, the weapons and shields will have been modified, but you're still going to have to get used to operating the Romulan systems. Schedule as many drills as you think you'll need. We'll be passing close to an asteroid belt on the way to the battlefield, so you can have a little target practise on the way past.

"Medical... Well, I'm hoping we won't need you all that much, to be honest, but I have no idea how this is going to turn out. For all I know, you could only have to deal with someone twisting an ankle stepping off the turbolift or you could have a conduit blowout in Engineering.

"The Phoenix is being evacuated of all personnel, and all non-essential personnel will be staying on board the Athena. You can be assured that all crew quarters will be sealed and you won't need anything. We'll be using Romulan tools only. If I see one Federation spanner on the warbird, the person holding it will be walking back to base, understood? Now, if there are any questions, please bring them forward now, if not, I think I can dismiss this briefing."

[Briefing Room]

Why was it Medical officers always got the "what could possibly go wrong" talk? More often than not, whenever they got that talk, many things went wrong. It set Kintiss ill at ease. He took a sip of Raktajino and tried to put the idea out of his head.

Kaitlin stood back up, her mind... Silence. "I think it's gone now." Kaitlin was relieved and wrapped her arms around George. "You have to stop it! Please?" Kaitlin asked in her most thoughtful voice.

The trouble is, she couldn't help it, she couldn't stop it and this concerned the well being of herself and her crew. But anyway... It was gone! For now...

[USS Arizona - Main Engineering]

To be able to peruse a ship that was made and designed almost solely for warfare...most Engineers would swoon at the chance because of the extensive design and planning that went into it's creation, but not Tufezr. Something about this whole "war games" scenario set him on edge. Sure, he would follow orders and do his best to adjust to what the D'deridex could do, but did he have to like it? Not one bit, as this whole thing seemed to be an implied warning: war is coming, this is what you're up against, good luck. And quite frankly, he feared that their own ship was greatly lacking.

Just looking around Engineering aboard the Romulan vessel was going to be a pain, the Joined Trill thought. First of all, he'd have to carry a tricorder to use for access to the universal translator constantly, then he'd have to get used to how they input commands, and he'd have to be aboard a ship that promoted the destruction of entire civilizations. He sighed, setting down his PADD to tighten the panel he was working on, and tried to not get stressed over the whole situation.

Kaitlin Dexter wrote:

'DIE FOOL, DIE.' Kaitlin threw her hands over her head and dropped to the ground. "GET OUT NOW AND DONT COME BACK." Kaitlin screamed once again as she dropped to the floor in the middle of the corridor.

Kaitlin looked up at George. "Please... Just help me."

George's eyes widened in alarm when their trip in the halls went from relatively peaceful --if agitated-- to him having to wince as the new crewman screamed in a way that made his hair nearly stand on end. This was more than a simple case of the jitters.

"Easy!" he said, in a tone that was just as much soothing as it was concerned. He dropped to one knee, but protocol ensured that he didn't try to touch her right away. If this continued, he'd have to sedate her...

Kaitlin Dexter wrote:

Kaitlin stood back up, her mind... Silence. "I think it's gone now." Kaitlin was relieved and wrapped her arms around George. "You have to stop it! Please?" Kaitlin asked in her most thoughtful voice.

The trouble is, she couldn't help it, she couldn't stop it and this concerned the well being of herself and her crew. But anyway... It was gone! For now...

That apparently wasn't going to be necessary. More than a little alarmed at the back-and-forth nature of the girl's emotional state, George stood back up and furrowed his brow at the young woman. Ok, this is going to be more complicated than I thought.

That became even more so when he felt arms wrap around his torso. He knew better than to shove her off, and instead offered her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "What is it that I need to stop?" A voice? A surge of emotion? George wouldn't know what to do until he could get more answers out her.

"Don't answer that just yet. We're almost to my office, and I'll get you something hot and you can relax. Do you think you can make it there?" His tone was a little constricted because he was being hugged, but he really didn't want to have to sedate her and carry her to sickbay.

George Warden wrote:

George's eyes widened in alarm when their trip in the halls went from relatively peaceful --if agitated-- to him having to wince as the new crewman screamed in a way that made his hair nearly stand on end. This was more than a simple case of the jitters.

"Easy!" he said, in a tone that was just as much soothing as it was concerned. He dropped to one knee, but protocol ensured that he didn't try to touch her right away. If this continued, he'd have to sedate her...



That apparently wasn't going to be necessary. More than a little alarmed at the back-and-forth nature of the girl's emotional state, George stood back up and furrowed his brow at the young woman. Ok, this is going to be more complicated than I thought.

That became even more so when he felt arms wrap around his torso. He knew better than to shove her off, and instead offered her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "What is it that I need to stop?" A voice? A surge of emotion? George wouldn't know what to do until he could get more answers out her.

"Don't answer that just yet. We're almost to my office, and I'll get you something hot and you can relax. Do you think you can make it there?" His tone was a little constricted because he was being hugged, but he really didn't want to have to sedate her and carry her to sickbay.

"I can make it. Everything's going to be ok." Kaitlin spoke to George and reassured herself at the same time, she couldn't help but think to herself, 'Why does it speak to me? I just want it to leave me alone...' she needed to be able to fight it. But how?

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

"Engineering and operations, you're going to be very busy trying to figure out how this warbird works.  Cadet, you said you have some expertise on that subject, so you're going to join Lieutenant Jiseth and Ensign Pardek as advisors.

"The Phoenix is being evacuated of all personnel, and all non-essential personnel will be staying on board the Athena.  You can be assured that all crew quarters will be sealed and you won't need anything.  We'll be using Romulan tools only.  If I see one Federation spanner on the warbird, the person holding it will be walking back to base, understood?  Now, if there are any questions, please bring them forward now, if not, I think I can dismiss this briefing."

Jiseth leaned forward over the table and further examined the warbird. She personally did not like the idea of operating without a cloaking device. The whole ship was build around that component and its functionality. Why else require a ship to contain a miniaturized and ravenous black hole? Let alone the massive nullifier cores along the spine to keep emissions hidden.

"Sir, may I see a map of the battlespace? If we can't hide in plain sight, then we're going to be at a disadvantage. Those things aren't meant to remain visible. The systems don't like it."

Jiseth wrote:

Jiseth leaned forward over the table and further examined the warbird. She personally did not like the idea of operating without a cloaking device. The whole ship was build around that component and its functionality. Why else require a ship to contain a miniaturized and ravenous black hole? Let alone the massive nullifier cores along the spine to keep emissions hidden.

"Sir, may I see a map of the battlespace? If we can't hide in plain sight, then we're going to be at a disadvantage. Those things aren't meant to remain visible. The systems don't like it."

[Briefing Room]

"The battle zone's quite expansive," Archangel replied to the Chief of Flight, tapping a few commands in to the table. The image of the warbird was replaced by a section of star chart.

"As you can see, we have a couple of non-inhabited planets. Only one of them is class M, and the science council has vouched that there's no intelligent life on it. There's also a section of nebula on the border of the zone which might be useful to hide in. The full report on the zone should be in the computers by now, if you want to plan things out."

Jiseth wrote:

Jiseth leaned forward over the table and further examined the warbird. She personally did not like the idea of operating without a cloaking device. The whole ship was build around that component and its functionality. Why else require a ship to contain a miniaturized and ravenous black hole? Let alone the massive nullifier cores along the spine to keep emissions hidden.

"Sir, may I see a map of the battlespace? If we can't hide in plain sight, then we're going to be at a disadvantage. Those things aren't meant to remain visible. The systems don't like it."

[Conference Room]

Stark had been studying the holodisplay while T'Koris had given the crew assignments.  He was more than comfortable in letting her handle all that.  They were, after all, her people in the end.  If someone, admiral or no, had started meddling with his crew back when he was a captain, he could have been mad enough to chew stembolts.  

The frustration was evident in Jiseth's tone, if not her face.  Goddamn Romulan inscrutability, he thought, moving back to the conference table.  "I'm afraid the usage of cloaking devices would be a bridge too far for both of us," he said, taking up his coffee and sipping it.  "We both use them, but the Roms have been doing it for far longer, and are better at it.  I imagine they've forgotten more about cloaking than we know.  On the other side," he added, counting off points on his fingers, "how smart would it be to hand them over one of our more advanced classes of starship and dare them to find out how we can possibly defeat their cloaks using our tech?" His grin was slightly vulpine. "We're not ready to sing campfire songs and braid each other's hair just yet, Lieutenant."

He placed his now-empty cup into the reclamation unit, and then took up a position beside the captain.  "Myself and the august general will co-ordinate things from the Athena."  That rankled a bit - fate had dropped a damned starship command back in his lap, and he still had to fly the desk.  "We will monitor your progress and declare when the game has finished."  Stark took a half-step back, nodding to T'Koris to indicate that he had nothing further to add.

Kaitlin Dexter wrote:

"I can make it. Everything's going to be ok." Kaitlin spoke to George and reassured herself at the same time, she couldn't help but think to herself, 'Why does it speak to me? I just want it to leave me alone...' she needed to be able to fight it. But how?

[Corridor]

Even if she'd calmed down, the woman' unpredictable nature still posed a significant danger to him if she decided to lash out again. Not that was doing so well with avoiding that, what with the girl's arms wrapped around his torso, still. Ah well. If she said she could make it to the office, he'd believe her for now.

"Alright, let's go," he said, gently peeling the girl's arms off of him and leading her down the hallway.

[Counselor's Office]

George's office didn't have much in the way of personal 'soothing' touches, but it was a small, warmly lit room with a comfortable set of chairs and couches around to be able to sit on. The counselor gestured her toward one of them, while making a turn towards the replicator perched on the wall of the office.

"What can I get you?" he asked.