Post #191: Prelude to a Storm

Posted on Wed Feb 5th, 2025 @ 5:28pm by Major Charlotte Thrace & Commander Jordan Haines

1,774 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Secrets
Location: Marine Garrison
Timeline: current

If there was one thing about the current circumstances that Charlotte hated it was the waiting, not that anything could be done about that - there was still testing to be done, information to be shared and preparations to be made. She'd spent most of her time since the briefing in the practically deserted garrison making use of the large training area's holo emitters to run step by step simulations of the plan and to make sure she was sharp and ready for this, twirling her two crystal bladed short swords in her hands as she finished one of the more advanced close combat programs she ran through the plan in her head again, it was tactically sound, it stood a good chance of success, but she also knew the next move - all rescuing the Admiral was going to do was bring this gathering storm down on their heads, this was going to be a long game that much was obvious.

Closing her eyes for a moment to centre herself she smiled when she heard footsteps behind her, footsteps she used to run away from "Let me guess Jordan." Charlotte said without turning "You want to know just how I'm going to pull this one off."

Jordan grinned at her words. "I don't know how I feel about your ability to read my mind. "He was joking, of course. It didn't bother him at all that Charlotte knew the way he thought. It made things easier when they were out there on a mission. "I will be staying on board, Captain Pontmercy feels I am best needed here. What's the plan?"

Charlotte turned and walked to the nearest table and put her two blades on it before turning back to Jordan "In short the plan is a smash and grab, we go into the Synthulans house and come out with the Admiral, of course it's not going to be that easy." she was pressing a few buttons on one of the training area consoles which brought up a few holographic images, "This is the USS Angel, Inquiry class starship." she indicated the ship image "Modified of course, ablative armour, weapon variations she's got disruptors, both cannon and beam, polaron cannons, a Borg cutting beam, phaser arrays, torpedoes, a cloaking device and a Spore Drive. We're treating this as if we're going up against the Borg because they're the closest reference point for us. Step one of this rescue is the Angel travels to the planet El-Adrel it'll take a few days to get there but that will hopefully allow you enough time to get this base moving because the rescue mission either way is probably going to at most take two or three hours jump to jump."

“It sounds like a solid plan.” Jordan nodded. “Like I said I’m a little jealous but the base needs me.” He paused. “I don’t anticipate this move going without any issues and I am the one to think of unconventional ideas.”

"It's not before or during the move that I'm worried about." Charlotte said slowly "We're starting a fight with the Synthulans here and however this rescue goes there's going to be a response and that's what I'm worried about the Synthulans are superior to us and if they come in force they could rip through the Federation and the rest of the Quadrant rapidly. I know you and I know Marius, you're both going to want to do something about it and normally I'm the one talking you both down this time that might well be your job. If this gets to the existential level for the Federation you cannot draw attention - stay hidden, stay safe and when we regroup we decide what to do. For once we have to forget we're Starfleet."

"We have like minds in this." Jordan replied quietly. "Everyone sees me as someone who jumps in where angels fear to tred but I know the value of staying hidden, no matter what the cost." He had a brief thought of a dark time in his past and shook it off. "If Marius objects, I will convince him to stay hidden one way or another. We need to stay on the down low and keep ourselves a secret. The Synthulans will eliminate us and we may well end up being the Federations only chance of survival."

"And here I thought we were usually of like minds." Charlotte said a little teasingly, it would have seemed odd to anyone who didn't know the pair of them but they had their way of working together and this was a fair chunk of it "If you want to get Josiah and Jenna here I suggest doing so quickly and quietly."

"It would be a good plan." Jordan nodded. "I will send for them." He wasn't concerned for Jayden. He was in a safe place. "Anyone you need to come along with them?" He assumed she would have already moved on this but he wasn't one to make assumptions.

"No." Charlotte said "Jenna's the only person I care about who isn't already here and who would potentially be in harms way."

Jordan smiled at her. "Jenna will be glad to be here.” His eyes grew serious. “A word of warning, I almost pulled McMahon, I have reservations on whether he will keep focused. I am allowing him to go but I have told him you are in charge and he is to follow your orders. If he doesn’t lock him up.” His eyes met hers. “I am serious. Don't give him second chances.”

Charlotte took a deep breath, her eyes very clearly showing she was on message, "I won't." she said "The only reason he's going, apart from his engineering ability is that I trust Erin Couldis's professional opinion. There was never a chance of him running the show and there still isn't, he's too close to it and everyone on this mission knows exactly that."

Jordan nodded. He knew Charlotte wouldn’t let him pull anything. “That was my only concern and you have put it to rest.” He thought of how Mike had acted a bit unhinged when he had gone to see him. “He thinks he’s the only one who can save Bradley.”

Charlotte ran her hands through her hair before perching herself up on the table "Come on." she said patting the spot next to her and waiting for Jordan to perch next to her before continuing "I would never fault the academy, I love that place and I wouldn't trade my time there for anything. But there's a difference in my training against every other member of the senior staff." she smiled "You're all trained to follow orders but you're trained to be inquisitive, you're trained to peel back all the blankets and peer into every corner of the wondrous ocean of stars we get to sail in and that's beautiful but it has a flaw - you're taught to think of all the possibilities, me? I'm not trained that way, I'm a marine my job is get presented with the problem, assess the options, make the decision and trust the people that go in there with me to have my back and we'll come out successful, I've had unit cohesion drilled into me from day one no other department at the academy does." she smiled "Am I surprised that Mike, the nephew of the person we're rescuing, thinks he's the only person who can do it? Of course not, if it were Hannah my mind would be going at high warp, if it were you or Celine Joel's mind would going at high warp and if it were Marius the entire senior staff would be exhausting themselves. No one gets into Starfleet unless they can handle a high degree of pressure, Mike's still here, he's not gone off half cocked, he's not commandeered a shuttle and gone after Bradley on his own, he's not snapped. He's going on the mission, Erin's going on the mission, I trust her judgement as a counsellor that he's fit for it and I trust Mike's Starfleet training to keep his personal wanderings from compromising the mission. And you know I don't pull punches in mission reports, heavens know how many times I had to defend myself on Ghost in them, but you know that if he's responsible for something going wrong it will be mentioned in my report. What matters isn't necessarily what he thinks but what he does."

Jordan thought about what she had to say and then he grinned at her. “I agree with you to a point…they are all like that but me. They tried to train me and tried to break me. I am working on being a more level headed officer.” He sighed then. “The truth is if that were one of my brothers I would want to charge in and bust heads but…but you’ve all taught me some things. A good plan of action and working together as a team. I know Mike can do this and I know to a certain extent he is acting normal, there is just something in my gut nagging at me where he is concerned. I’ve been wrong before and I hope I am because I want him to come back in one piece so I can kick his ass.”

"You should see a Counsellor about all that negativity associated with the academy." Charlotte said, again she was somewhat teasing Jordan "As for coming back in one piece, well that'll happen, after all you still owe me dinner and dancing and there's no way I'm depriving the station's population of that sight."

Jordan grinned. “It’s a dinner I look forward to as well.” He really was, Charlotte was a friend and he considered her family as well. She was one of the few people whose company he enjoyed and he knew he could trust and let his guard down. Be himself and not the persona he liked to portray. “It will be a dinner to remember.”

"I'll hold you to that." Charlotte said giving him a playful nudge with her shoulder "Go call Josiah and Jenna, I've got an Admiral to rescue."

Jordan stood up with a smile. “See you when I see you.” He loved that line, it came from one of his favorite movies. He headed on his way, he knew Jenna would come right away, it was Josiah that he would have to convince.

*********

Commander Jordan Haines
Executive Officer
Starbase Obsidian

First Lieutenant Charlotte Thrace
Marine CO
Starbase Obsidian

 

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