Re: The Intwined Saga
Looking forward to the continuation of the Saga!
The Intwined Saga
Parker
Narciso
Re: The Intwined Saga
WE'RE BACK BABY!!!!!
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*Stare out into the gulfs of space*
*Our happiness joining us*
*your joy alone lends me wings
*and now I never want my feet to touch the ground*
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While Narciso and Reaver were in the ready room of the Evita Magdylena...
T'oi -Ready Room of the USS Metamorphoses-
Vice-Admiral S’ynek, also known as T’oi was sitting at his desk reading the service file of his new second-in-command. He hated feeling rushed, but it was important that he know all of the abilities of his new Vice Task Force Commander. He was just getting to the second page when a rush of giddy happiness came roaring through the connection between Narciso and himself. T’oi could not help himself, he smiled as well…although such a level of happiness and relief could only mean one thing. Narciso’s betrothed was alive and well somewhere. Complications had always followed T’oi wherever he went, but he had to admit to himself that this had to be the oddest complication in his life, then again when is 'love' ever simple? “Computer, history of Pon Farr complications and results for partner subjected to Pon Farr."
“Compounding Inquiry, Admiral.”
The voice in his ready room was a pleasantly male voice as per his preference, but the voice did not soothe him as it usually did. T’oi closed his eyes and started the deep meditation required to give Narciso the privacy that he deserved. Satisfied that he was sufficiently isolated emotionally, he awaited the results of his inquiry.
“Does the Admiral prefer voice or silent screen list?"
“Screen list will be sufficient, computer.”
Putting aside Rear-Admiral Kenneath Reaver’s file, S’ynek read the list. It was not too long, but once he finished reading, the results were precisely what he suspected before making the query. In all cases, if the partner did not mind meld with his beloved, he died…sometimes shortly thereafter, but in some cases closer to three to four months. With an objectivity born of Vulcan discipline, T’oi calculated the amount of time he had since he fell into the latter category. The meld had not been completed with Narciso..so he would linger…as a ghost, fully functional until the very end. There it was…his death sentence. How oddly appropriate he was about to engage a Borg fleet on the Borg front. T’oi knew Borg tactics almost better than any commander in Star Fleet, the Borg would send out Cubes, Spheres, and Nanite Spheres at first, a relentless horde designed to brutally overwhelm an opposing fleet, always holding back on the order of two and sometimes as many as four Tactical Cubes. Which was a far cry from the Battle of Wolf 359, where the Borg had sent only a single Cube vessel against amassed Federation forces. The end result was the destruction of the Borg Cube, with the vast majority of the Federation ships destroyed.That was the reason Wolf 359 was a memorial system, it had been a mindless massacre that day. A heavy blow to the United Federation of Planets. This fact alone was the reason why S’ynek had ordered the tactical playbook opened fully for the upcoming battle. Desperate times call for desperate measures, even with advanced technology, the Borg were a consistant threat. But while they assimilated, the Federation adapted.
Returning to Reaver’s file, it occurred to T’oi that this man would be an excellent successor to command the Task Force… if they both survived the upcoming battles that is. He made a note within his command pad, and logged it for the official records. The chain of command was in place and was undisputed. T’oi as overall Task Force Commander, Reaver on the right flank with Elements 1 and 2, embodying the USS Evita Magdylena as the lead. And Artenais on the left flank with Elements 3 and 4 with his command, the USS Rhine Maiden, as the lead. Elements 1 and 2 comprised of the scientific assembly with 3 and 4 being the tactical focus. T'oi also logged two sealed orders to be opened in the event of… of his Death, should it come to pass. First, Reaver would succeed him, Tickheim would take command of the Metamorphoses, and T’oi’s senior command crew would be given the opportunity to request reassignment.. Second, all of his worldly effects would go back to Vulcan and his mother, but the bulk of his Death pension would be given to Narciso and his betrothed. He smiled, a wedding gift… Odd how clear things become when facing death on two fronts. T’oi chose to replay the moment when he first realized that he was in love and marked it well…Risa, the nexus of at least two lives in this task force. He would use the memory for strength in the hours and days ahead. His mind continued to wander about as he pressed on with his preparations. His conference with Reaver should happen shortly.
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-On the Bridge of the Evita Magdylena-
The face of Commander Tickeim, the new First Officer of the Metamorphoses, was seen on the large viewscreen on the Oddyssey's bridge. In return, on his viewscreen, were the faces of Reaver and Narciso. On both viewscreens, the hastened bodies of the crew could be seen scrambling about, being busy with the final preparations. Tik looked to them, if he had eyebrows, one would be raised at this point. His eyes had laid themselves on the pair, though his voice did not show his curiosity. "Rear-Admiral Reaver, good evening, sir. An honor. Vice-Admiral T'oi has requested your presence for a Task Force Commander Conference on the Metamorphoses at 1800 hours. Also he recommends you read the Starfleet Tactical Proposal appended to this transmission and prepare the Evita Magdylena for it's emergency implementation."
Kenneath looked to the small console attached to his chairs' armrest, his fingers gliding over and calling forth the STP that had been transmissioned. He read the name, two simple words. "Delta Attack" And he instantly let out a huff and a "HA!" His eyes returned to Tik and he rose a hand, pointing at him. "Starfleet Tactical Proposal? Don't even try to give me this work with such a label. I Know exactly who had created and slaved over this work and it was not Starfleet. Someone had better not be trying to steal the work of a close friend, if you catch my drift Commander. I do not want any.. 'misunderstandings' between those in command. 'Starfleet Tactical Proposal, like it is something already published and ready to be implimented right away by Federation Command. I can't believe-"
Narciso rose a hand and placed it on Kenneath's shoulder, causing him to calm down from his anger and grow silent. Narciso turned his face and looked to Tik. "Thank you Commander. We Have received the transmission clearly and we know exactly what we must do. I trust complete detail is held within the material. Tell the Admiral we thank him for his consideration of our proposal. We believe it to be a great asset."
Commander Tik had obviously been taken back by Kenneath's reaction, the slight accusation that 'someone', T'oi, was trying to steal the credit for the tactical plans. However, once Narciso spoke, he regained his comfort and composure. "Very well. Yes the material contains full details and it shall be viewed once we are clear of drydock. Those are the orders of Admiral T'oi. Admiral Reaver, Counselor." Tik gave a bow of the head and was suddenly gone from the viewscreen as the image went blank with darkness. Narciso looked towards Kenneath, pondering. "I wonder what this meeting with T'oi will be about..." Kenneath threw his arms up, stretching and shrugging. "I don't know... But it better be quick. We still have a lot to do here. The Evita Madylena is a giant ship, not to mention the special customizations it has been given to fit this Task Force. The hangar bay alone was an ordeal and a half to handle. Anyways, I'm going to get ready. Why this conferance can't happen on a secure channel, I don't know. Does this guy have any idea what an inconvience this is to us? Making us transport from our ships now during these preparations. Guess I'll see first hand how the transporters are working... they had a minor glitch earlier with the cargo." Kenneath flinched a bit. He hated using the transporters. He would likely end up taking a shuttle to admiral T'oi's vessel in place of the convenient transporter. Narciso never understood his reasoning, but then again Narciso used transporters constantly.
Narciso stood from his seat and looked down to Kenneath, placing a hand on his cheek. "I should go to the lab and make sure everything is in order. The last thing I want to do is be forced to replicate equipment that never made it on board." Kenneath rose his own hand and took Narciso's into it. He moved the counselors hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. "You do that baby. I'll be on the Metamorphoses." Narciso smiled and he had to tear his hand away from Kenneaths playful grip. He made his way to the turbolift, and as soon as he was within it he looked out to see Kenneath be swarmed by the officers, asking him on his advice on what should go where and how things should be done. He shined when he did these things, he was an amazing officer, a great and respected commander. The doors to the turbolift shut and Narciso was gone to the lower leves. The ships' main labratory was located in the center of the secondary hull, perpendicular to the forward facing deflector array. The turbolift was not a long ride, considering the sheer size of the vessel. Narciso walked a short distance to the entrance of the lab itself. When the double doors slid open, Narciso practically gasped and rose his hands to cover his mouth and nose. He was astonished by what he saw. The laboratory was gigantic to begin with, and the equipment held within it was state of the art. As Narciso wandered further in, someone finally called out, basically shouted, that the chief science officer was present. Narciso was startled at first and looked around himself, trying to find the person that had just been recognized, only to realize a moment later that he was that said person. He was in Heaven. This laboratory was every scientists' dream...
Kenneath had finally gotten everything squared away on the bridge. He looked to the time and saw it read as 1822 hours. He sat back on his seat, more like plopped down onto it, and let out a sigh, raising a hand to his brow, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hated being late, but this was a difficult situation. His crew came first, even though it was his duty to obey his superior officer. He rose back up onto his feet, grasping the bottom of the top half of his uniform, fixing it. "I am heading to the Metamorphoses." He announced as he moved towards the transporter pad. Everyone expected him to go to the turbolift, and their eyes went wider and wider with every step he took. Once on the pad, he turned and faced the bridge crew, a worried look on his face, one he was obviously trying to hide away but failed miserably at doing. "If anything goes wrong-uh, um... *cough* I mean, while I am away Rhiannon is in charge of the bridge." With his sentence finished, the transporter beamed him directly to the bridge of the Metamorphoses. Once he left, the bridge crew of the Evita Magdylena remained wide eyed, and looked to each other to realize if they had truly seen what had happened: a miracle.
Once Kenneath materialized on the Metamorphoses, the first thing he did was pat his hands all over his body, making sure that all his limbs were there. Confident that he was in one piece, he looked around and casually walked to the captain's ready room, where Admiral T'oi would be. He stood before the door, allowing it to chime.
"Please enter." T'oi called out.
Kenneath allowed the doors to slide open, then walked in casually, but in strict military posture. "Admiral T'oi, an honor to meet you face to face. though I must apologize for my being late. Preparations aboard the Evita Magdylena have been hectic, but finally under control." He kept his eyes on the admiral, watching him with caution.
"Good, good and no apology is necessary, Reaver. Call me T'oi, we have a lot of work to do. But I must ask a question first." T'oi continued working on the various datapads piled atop his desk, talking without looking up.
"Yes Admiral." He paused for a moment, then allowed himself to relax in his posture. "Please, ask away."
"My First Officer called you earlier, with what I had hoped to be a message you would understand about the work of a certain, very talented, if undisciplined friend of yours. He came back worried. I understand Counselor Neves-Heliree had to calm you. Did you think I had something in mind...like using her work without giving her credit?"
"To be frank Admiral; yes I did." Kenneath rose an eyebrow slightly. "I have already witnessed one too many fools trying to claim work that did not belong to them. And I have had the honor of handling their perjury myself. It is something I find absolutely appalling. Now, I will admit to having jumped the gun in this situation. I was... overcome with a strange sensation at the time. But Counselor Neves-Heliree had confirmed to me that you were not such a man, and assured me that you are one to be trusted with life itself. And I have faith in his judgement, so I have that faith in you now."
T'oi raised an eyebrow, "I am disappointed Admiral Reaver. Allow me to clarify this matter. I intend to-"
Reaver rose a hand and interrupted. "Admiral there is no need to explain. I understand my folly, and I assure you it will not happen again."
"Ah, Good, then that is dispensed with. I could not be frank with you over an open channel because Commander Geroff's work has been...set aside by desk bound administrators who have never seen the business end of a Borg cutting beam."
Kenneath let out a hearty laugh at T'oi's words regarding Marietta's work. "Don't I know it Admiral. I was the officer who endorsed her work to Starfleet Command. But should you not have spoken over a secure channel? don't misunderstand me, I vastly prefer face to face conversation, but considering the current tasks at hand... Time is a luxury we are short of."
"No, I needed to have you here. You see, I have ordered certain supplies laid in for your ship, my ship, and Captain Umax's ship. When we depart our three ships will start drilling Marietta's tactics."
"Ah, the specifications for the 'upgrades' Marietta's work calls for yes?" Kenneath said as more of a statement then a question.
"Yes....the 'upgrades."
"I've already seen the theoretical writings and implementations. It shouldn't take too long too move those into practice and not theory." Kenneath looked towards the various datapads, trying to figure out what they were all about and how he was keeping track of it all.
"Excellent, I was hoping you would give me a more detailed briefing, since you are familiar with the Commander's work, sometimes written reports fail to convey the heart and essence of plans."
Picking up a datapad, T'oi looked up to Kenneath. "In the meantime, this is the list of the ships in the Task Force, it is yours to take with you." T'oi picked up two pads and placed them in his safe. "These two are in the event that I die,do me a favor and provide your voiceprint to my Yeoman before you go, a nice young Andorian by the name of Shras. One is my last wishes and the other is my final set of orders." His hand accidentally brushed Reaver's briefly as he handed the pad to him, and he suddenly saw Narciso smiling...his beauty overwhelmed T'oi, his posture stiffened and he struggled to regain his composure. Damn the Pon Farr and damn his Vulcan biology! Suddenly, it occurred to T'oi that Reaver was a Betazoid, and that he was fully open, he tried to control his bond to Narciso, struggling with it. The incident took less than a few ticks of the chronometer but T'oi succeeded. "I am sorry, Reaver..it did not occur to me that you were from Betazed...although I am certain I read that in your file. I hope my...distress...did not make you uncomfortable." T'oi felt a tear running down his face, which he hastily wiped away. "Excuse me, I will be right back." He quickly went into his private alcove to freshen up.
After splashing some water on his face and reestablishing control, T'oi returned to the Ready Room. He realized that if they were going to have any success against the Borg, laser sharp focus was required of him. "Admiral, I need your tactical and strategic assessment of the Borg front."
"Personal opinion or my official assessment, sir?" Reaver asked as he watched the admiral return.
"Personal, please."
"Wherever the Borg appear, Death travels in their wake. I do not expect this to be any different. But, I do think that we will be able to turn the tide of this confrontation. The Borg have many more vessels than we do, the sheer amount troubling. Thus far they out number us, roughly five to one. And that was the estimate pror the last battle reported in from the Front."
"Are Commander Geroff's tactics and systems sufficient to even or shorten the odds?"
"I believe they are Admiral. Her plans allow us to effectively disable or even destroy Borg vessels without expecting casualties on our side. Though the troubles will be with the execution of said plans. So we can't rule out any possibility of such events. After all, these are the Borg we will be fighting."
"Indeed. Once our ships drill these tactics and install the necessary equipment, how long will it take to implement everything task-force wide?"
"That is a difficult question. Only a few of the ships within our entire task-force will have the proper modifications and upgrades required to perform the manuveurs properly. But those that have the capability, such as our flagships, shouldn't take long at all. It depends on the individual crew of course. I am sure with some simulations and field practice, we will be ready. We have time between our launch and reaching our destination to make many attempts and get it right."
"Now, what may I do to give you the political cover necessary to make this task easier for you? I quite dislike politics, but I am responsible for the task-force and I want your hands free to do what is necessary to ensure our success."
"I do not think that any political cover will be required. We will be executing these tactics within Federation Space proper. Not to mention that the Front against the Borg has yet to be met with any other organization. At least not fully. But, should we be required to do this outside Federation Space... Well that's tricky. I guess the 'political' response to our actions would be: 'It doesn't exist'. Sir. As far as the others are involved, we are simply a task-force fighting the Borg wherever they show up. That should give us freedom enough."
"Agreed. Very well, Admiral. I have kept you from your preparations long enough. Report back to your ship and continue preparing your ship and crew. I suspect we both will have our hands full in the next few days. Good luck, Reaver. Oh...Reaver? You can use one of my shuttles...you're discomfort with being transported is in your files."
"Thank you sir. But it's alright, I have... faith in my transporter chief. Besides taking a shuttle now will only delay preparations further." Reaver took a few steps back and tapped on his combadge. "Reaver to the Evita-" before he could finish his sentence a voice called back over. "Admiral Reaver! The Nezita Nile has picked up a distress signal! It's coming from the Crateris System! It reports a Borg fleet in the area. The Remans have sent out the distress call." Reaver's eyes shot to T'oi and he looked him dead in the eyes. "You know if we send aid from our task-force, we delay ourselves from the front as well as our implementation of our tactical plans."
T'oi closed his eyes. Either decision would result in deaths... "We have a responsibility to save as many lives as we can, Reaver. Is there any close by element other than us?"
"Our task-force is the only one within range with the capacity to take on the Borg in full force, even splintered. Spending other Federation Ships would be a waste."
"Very well, give the orders Admiral, we go to save the Remans today. Maximum warp."
"Sir you wish to send the entire task-force?"
"Only what is necessary to do the job if possible. We have to withold our ships."
"Understood. I know exactly who to send Sir." Reaver hastily tapped his combadge, "Beam me back Evita. Red Alert." He turned his head and sent a nod towards Admiral T'oi before being taken by the transporter beam.
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*Stare out into the gulfs of space*
*Our happiness joining us*
*your joy alone lends me wings
*and now I never want my feet to touch the ground*
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While Narciso and Reaver were in the ready room of the Evita Magdylena...
T'oi -Ready Room of the USS Metamorphoses-
Vice-Admiral S’ynek, also known as T’oi was sitting at his desk reading the service file of his new second-in-command. He hated feeling rushed, but it was important that he know all of the abilities of his new Vice Task Force Commander. He was just getting to the second page when a rush of giddy happiness came roaring through the connection between Narciso and himself. T’oi could not help himself, he smiled as well…although such a level of happiness and relief could only mean one thing. Narciso’s betrothed was alive and well somewhere. Complications had always followed T’oi wherever he went, but he had to admit to himself that this had to be the oddest complication in his life, then again when is 'love' ever simple? “Computer, history of Pon Farr complications and results for partner subjected to Pon Farr."
“Compounding Inquiry, Admiral.”
The voice in his ready room was a pleasantly male voice as per his preference, but the voice did not soothe him as it usually did. T’oi closed his eyes and started the deep meditation required to give Narciso the privacy that he deserved. Satisfied that he was sufficiently isolated emotionally, he awaited the results of his inquiry.
“Does the Admiral prefer voice or silent screen list?"
“Screen list will be sufficient, computer.”
Putting aside Rear-Admiral Kenneath Reaver’s file, S’ynek read the list. It was not too long, but once he finished reading, the results were precisely what he suspected before making the query. In all cases, if the partner did not mind meld with his beloved, he died…sometimes shortly thereafter, but in some cases closer to three to four months. With an objectivity born of Vulcan discipline, T’oi calculated the amount of time he had since he fell into the latter category. The meld had not been completed with Narciso..so he would linger…as a ghost, fully functional until the very end. There it was…his death sentence. How oddly appropriate he was about to engage a Borg fleet on the Borg front. T’oi knew Borg tactics almost better than any commander in Star Fleet, the Borg would send out Cubes, Spheres, and Nanite Spheres at first, a relentless horde designed to brutally overwhelm an opposing fleet, always holding back on the order of two and sometimes as many as four Tactical Cubes. Which was a far cry from the Battle of Wolf 359, where the Borg had sent only a single Cube vessel against amassed Federation forces. The end result was the destruction of the Borg Cube, with the vast majority of the Federation ships destroyed.That was the reason Wolf 359 was a memorial system, it had been a mindless massacre that day. A heavy blow to the United Federation of Planets. This fact alone was the reason why S’ynek had ordered the tactical playbook opened fully for the upcoming battle. Desperate times call for desperate measures, even with advanced technology, the Borg were a consistant threat. But while they assimilated, the Federation adapted.
Returning to Reaver’s file, it occurred to T’oi that this man would be an excellent successor to command the Task Force… if they both survived the upcoming battles that is. He made a note within his command pad, and logged it for the official records. The chain of command was in place and was undisputed. T’oi as overall Task Force Commander, Reaver on the right flank with Elements 1 and 2, embodying the USS Evita Magdylena as the lead. And Artenais on the left flank with Elements 3 and 4 with his command, the USS Rhine Maiden, as the lead. Elements 1 and 2 comprised of the scientific assembly with 3 and 4 being the tactical focus. T'oi also logged two sealed orders to be opened in the event of… of his Death, should it come to pass. First, Reaver would succeed him, Tickheim would take command of the Metamorphoses, and T’oi’s senior command crew would be given the opportunity to request reassignment.. Second, all of his worldly effects would go back to Vulcan and his mother, but the bulk of his Death pension would be given to Narciso and his betrothed. He smiled, a wedding gift… Odd how clear things become when facing death on two fronts. T’oi chose to replay the moment when he first realized that he was in love and marked it well…Risa, the nexus of at least two lives in this task force. He would use the memory for strength in the hours and days ahead. His mind continued to wander about as he pressed on with his preparations. His conference with Reaver should happen shortly.
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-On the Bridge of the Evita Magdylena-
The face of Commander Tickeim, the new First Officer of the Metamorphoses, was seen on the large viewscreen on the Oddyssey's bridge. In return, on his viewscreen, were the faces of Reaver and Narciso. On both viewscreens, the hastened bodies of the crew could be seen scrambling about, being busy with the final preparations. Tik looked to them, if he had eyebrows, one would be raised at this point. His eyes had laid themselves on the pair, though his voice did not show his curiosity. "Rear-Admiral Reaver, good evening, sir. An honor. Vice-Admiral T'oi has requested your presence for a Task Force Commander Conference on the Metamorphoses at 1800 hours. Also he recommends you read the Starfleet Tactical Proposal appended to this transmission and prepare the Evita Magdylena for it's emergency implementation."
Kenneath looked to the small console attached to his chairs' armrest, his fingers gliding over and calling forth the STP that had been transmissioned. He read the name, two simple words. "Delta Attack" And he instantly let out a huff and a "HA!" His eyes returned to Tik and he rose a hand, pointing at him. "Starfleet Tactical Proposal? Don't even try to give me this work with such a label. I Know exactly who had created and slaved over this work and it was not Starfleet. Someone had better not be trying to steal the work of a close friend, if you catch my drift Commander. I do not want any.. 'misunderstandings' between those in command. 'Starfleet Tactical Proposal, like it is something already published and ready to be implimented right away by Federation Command. I can't believe-"
Narciso rose a hand and placed it on Kenneath's shoulder, causing him to calm down from his anger and grow silent. Narciso turned his face and looked to Tik. "Thank you Commander. We Have received the transmission clearly and we know exactly what we must do. I trust complete detail is held within the material. Tell the Admiral we thank him for his consideration of our proposal. We believe it to be a great asset."
Commander Tik had obviously been taken back by Kenneath's reaction, the slight accusation that 'someone', T'oi, was trying to steal the credit for the tactical plans. However, once Narciso spoke, he regained his comfort and composure. "Very well. Yes the material contains full details and it shall be viewed once we are clear of drydock. Those are the orders of Admiral T'oi. Admiral Reaver, Counselor." Tik gave a bow of the head and was suddenly gone from the viewscreen as the image went blank with darkness. Narciso looked towards Kenneath, pondering. "I wonder what this meeting with T'oi will be about..." Kenneath threw his arms up, stretching and shrugging. "I don't know... But it better be quick. We still have a lot to do here. The Evita Madylena is a giant ship, not to mention the special customizations it has been given to fit this Task Force. The hangar bay alone was an ordeal and a half to handle. Anyways, I'm going to get ready. Why this conferance can't happen on a secure channel, I don't know. Does this guy have any idea what an inconvience this is to us? Making us transport from our ships now during these preparations. Guess I'll see first hand how the transporters are working... they had a minor glitch earlier with the cargo." Kenneath flinched a bit. He hated using the transporters. He would likely end up taking a shuttle to admiral T'oi's vessel in place of the convenient transporter. Narciso never understood his reasoning, but then again Narciso used transporters constantly.
Narciso stood from his seat and looked down to Kenneath, placing a hand on his cheek. "I should go to the lab and make sure everything is in order. The last thing I want to do is be forced to replicate equipment that never made it on board." Kenneath rose his own hand and took Narciso's into it. He moved the counselors hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. "You do that baby. I'll be on the Metamorphoses." Narciso smiled and he had to tear his hand away from Kenneaths playful grip. He made his way to the turbolift, and as soon as he was within it he looked out to see Kenneath be swarmed by the officers, asking him on his advice on what should go where and how things should be done. He shined when he did these things, he was an amazing officer, a great and respected commander. The doors to the turbolift shut and Narciso was gone to the lower leves. The ships' main labratory was located in the center of the secondary hull, perpendicular to the forward facing deflector array. The turbolift was not a long ride, considering the sheer size of the vessel. Narciso walked a short distance to the entrance of the lab itself. When the double doors slid open, Narciso practically gasped and rose his hands to cover his mouth and nose. He was astonished by what he saw. The laboratory was gigantic to begin with, and the equipment held within it was state of the art. As Narciso wandered further in, someone finally called out, basically shouted, that the chief science officer was present. Narciso was startled at first and looked around himself, trying to find the person that had just been recognized, only to realize a moment later that he was that said person. He was in Heaven. This laboratory was every scientists' dream...
Kenneath had finally gotten everything squared away on the bridge. He looked to the time and saw it read as 1822 hours. He sat back on his seat, more like plopped down onto it, and let out a sigh, raising a hand to his brow, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hated being late, but this was a difficult situation. His crew came first, even though it was his duty to obey his superior officer. He rose back up onto his feet, grasping the bottom of the top half of his uniform, fixing it. "I am heading to the Metamorphoses." He announced as he moved towards the transporter pad. Everyone expected him to go to the turbolift, and their eyes went wider and wider with every step he took. Once on the pad, he turned and faced the bridge crew, a worried look on his face, one he was obviously trying to hide away but failed miserably at doing. "If anything goes wrong-uh, um... *cough* I mean, while I am away Rhiannon is in charge of the bridge." With his sentence finished, the transporter beamed him directly to the bridge of the Metamorphoses. Once he left, the bridge crew of the Evita Magdylena remained wide eyed, and looked to each other to realize if they had truly seen what had happened: a miracle.
Once Kenneath materialized on the Metamorphoses, the first thing he did was pat his hands all over his body, making sure that all his limbs were there. Confident that he was in one piece, he looked around and casually walked to the captain's ready room, where Admiral T'oi would be. He stood before the door, allowing it to chime.
"Please enter." T'oi called out.
Kenneath allowed the doors to slide open, then walked in casually, but in strict military posture. "Admiral T'oi, an honor to meet you face to face. though I must apologize for my being late. Preparations aboard the Evita Magdylena have been hectic, but finally under control." He kept his eyes on the admiral, watching him with caution.
"Good, good and no apology is necessary, Reaver. Call me T'oi, we have a lot of work to do. But I must ask a question first." T'oi continued working on the various datapads piled atop his desk, talking without looking up.
"Yes Admiral." He paused for a moment, then allowed himself to relax in his posture. "Please, ask away."
"My First Officer called you earlier, with what I had hoped to be a message you would understand about the work of a certain, very talented, if undisciplined friend of yours. He came back worried. I understand Counselor Neves-Heliree had to calm you. Did you think I had something in mind...like using her work without giving her credit?"
"To be frank Admiral; yes I did." Kenneath rose an eyebrow slightly. "I have already witnessed one too many fools trying to claim work that did not belong to them. And I have had the honor of handling their perjury myself. It is something I find absolutely appalling. Now, I will admit to having jumped the gun in this situation. I was... overcome with a strange sensation at the time. But Counselor Neves-Heliree had confirmed to me that you were not such a man, and assured me that you are one to be trusted with life itself. And I have faith in his judgement, so I have that faith in you now."
T'oi raised an eyebrow, "I am disappointed Admiral Reaver. Allow me to clarify this matter. I intend to-"
Reaver rose a hand and interrupted. "Admiral there is no need to explain. I understand my folly, and I assure you it will not happen again."
"Ah, Good, then that is dispensed with. I could not be frank with you over an open channel because Commander Geroff's work has been...set aside by desk bound administrators who have never seen the business end of a Borg cutting beam."
Kenneath let out a hearty laugh at T'oi's words regarding Marietta's work. "Don't I know it Admiral. I was the officer who endorsed her work to Starfleet Command. But should you not have spoken over a secure channel? don't misunderstand me, I vastly prefer face to face conversation, but considering the current tasks at hand... Time is a luxury we are short of."
"No, I needed to have you here. You see, I have ordered certain supplies laid in for your ship, my ship, and Captain Umax's ship. When we depart our three ships will start drilling Marietta's tactics."
"Ah, the specifications for the 'upgrades' Marietta's work calls for yes?" Kenneath said as more of a statement then a question.
"Yes....the 'upgrades."
"I've already seen the theoretical writings and implementations. It shouldn't take too long too move those into practice and not theory." Kenneath looked towards the various datapads, trying to figure out what they were all about and how he was keeping track of it all.
"Excellent, I was hoping you would give me a more detailed briefing, since you are familiar with the Commander's work, sometimes written reports fail to convey the heart and essence of plans."
Picking up a datapad, T'oi looked up to Kenneath. "In the meantime, this is the list of the ships in the Task Force, it is yours to take with you." T'oi picked up two pads and placed them in his safe. "These two are in the event that I die,do me a favor and provide your voiceprint to my Yeoman before you go, a nice young Andorian by the name of Shras. One is my last wishes and the other is my final set of orders." His hand accidentally brushed Reaver's briefly as he handed the pad to him, and he suddenly saw Narciso smiling...his beauty overwhelmed T'oi, his posture stiffened and he struggled to regain his composure. Damn the Pon Farr and damn his Vulcan biology! Suddenly, it occurred to T'oi that Reaver was a Betazoid, and that he was fully open, he tried to control his bond to Narciso, struggling with it. The incident took less than a few ticks of the chronometer but T'oi succeeded. "I am sorry, Reaver..it did not occur to me that you were from Betazed...although I am certain I read that in your file. I hope my...distress...did not make you uncomfortable." T'oi felt a tear running down his face, which he hastily wiped away. "Excuse me, I will be right back." He quickly went into his private alcove to freshen up.
After splashing some water on his face and reestablishing control, T'oi returned to the Ready Room. He realized that if they were going to have any success against the Borg, laser sharp focus was required of him. "Admiral, I need your tactical and strategic assessment of the Borg front."
"Personal opinion or my official assessment, sir?" Reaver asked as he watched the admiral return.
"Personal, please."
"Wherever the Borg appear, Death travels in their wake. I do not expect this to be any different. But, I do think that we will be able to turn the tide of this confrontation. The Borg have many more vessels than we do, the sheer amount troubling. Thus far they out number us, roughly five to one. And that was the estimate pror the last battle reported in from the Front."
"Are Commander Geroff's tactics and systems sufficient to even or shorten the odds?"
"I believe they are Admiral. Her plans allow us to effectively disable or even destroy Borg vessels without expecting casualties on our side. Though the troubles will be with the execution of said plans. So we can't rule out any possibility of such events. After all, these are the Borg we will be fighting."
"Indeed. Once our ships drill these tactics and install the necessary equipment, how long will it take to implement everything task-force wide?"
"That is a difficult question. Only a few of the ships within our entire task-force will have the proper modifications and upgrades required to perform the manuveurs properly. But those that have the capability, such as our flagships, shouldn't take long at all. It depends on the individual crew of course. I am sure with some simulations and field practice, we will be ready. We have time between our launch and reaching our destination to make many attempts and get it right."
"Now, what may I do to give you the political cover necessary to make this task easier for you? I quite dislike politics, but I am responsible for the task-force and I want your hands free to do what is necessary to ensure our success."
"I do not think that any political cover will be required. We will be executing these tactics within Federation Space proper. Not to mention that the Front against the Borg has yet to be met with any other organization. At least not fully. But, should we be required to do this outside Federation Space... Well that's tricky. I guess the 'political' response to our actions would be: 'It doesn't exist'. Sir. As far as the others are involved, we are simply a task-force fighting the Borg wherever they show up. That should give us freedom enough."
"Agreed. Very well, Admiral. I have kept you from your preparations long enough. Report back to your ship and continue preparing your ship and crew. I suspect we both will have our hands full in the next few days. Good luck, Reaver. Oh...Reaver? You can use one of my shuttles...you're discomfort with being transported is in your files."
"Thank you sir. But it's alright, I have... faith in my transporter chief. Besides taking a shuttle now will only delay preparations further." Reaver took a few steps back and tapped on his combadge. "Reaver to the Evita-" before he could finish his sentence a voice called back over. "Admiral Reaver! The Nezita Nile has picked up a distress signal! It's coming from the Crateris System! It reports a Borg fleet in the area. The Remans have sent out the distress call." Reaver's eyes shot to T'oi and he looked him dead in the eyes. "You know if we send aid from our task-force, we delay ourselves from the front as well as our implementation of our tactical plans."
T'oi closed his eyes. Either decision would result in deaths... "We have a responsibility to save as many lives as we can, Reaver. Is there any close by element other than us?"
"Our task-force is the only one within range with the capacity to take on the Borg in full force, even splintered. Spending other Federation Ships would be a waste."
"Very well, give the orders Admiral, we go to save the Remans today. Maximum warp."
"Sir you wish to send the entire task-force?"
"Only what is necessary to do the job if possible. We have to withold our ships."
"Understood. I know exactly who to send Sir." Reaver hastily tapped his combadge, "Beam me back Evita. Red Alert." He turned his head and sent a nod towards Admiral T'oi before being taken by the transporter beam.