Post Number: 225 *Staff Update*

Posted on Fri Feb 28th, 2025 @ 3:33am by Captain Marius Pontmercy & Lieutenant JG Celine Quinn & Commander Jordan Haines & Lieutenant Commander Michael McMahon & Major Charlotte Thrace & Lieutenant Jude Haines & Lieutenant Josiah Haines & Lieutenant Marty Stokes & Lieutenant T'Shas Cruz & Lieutenant JG Lirian Tarel & Lieutenant V'Lar

3,549 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Secrets

ON:

Captain Pontmercy asked Jordan to set up a meeting with the senior staff so that they could speak on all that had happened. He had sent out the meeting notice, brought in refreshments and there were also some snacks should anyone want something. He helped himself to a couple cookies, grabbed a bottled water and took a seat, next to where the captain would sit when he got there.

Mike walked in and nodded with a smile to Jordan. He then sat quietly, casually nibbling on a cookie as he waited for the meeting to begin. He couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation. The events of the past few days had been chaotic, and this meeting promised to bring everything into focus. The snacks and refreshments were a small comfort, but Mike knew the real work would start once everyone gathered around the table. He glanced at the clock, hoping the captain would arrive soon to start the discussion.

V'Lar, carrying yet another stack of PADD's walked into the room, she'd had a long night sat monitoring what activity they'd been able to get at, to call it sketchy would be a significant overstatement to the point of flattery. It was somewhat irritating, it was her job to know what was going on out there and here she was barely able to see or hear anything of that sort. Taking a seat she tried to recoup some of her energy while she waited for the meeting to start.

Mike slid a padd over to V'Lar. "Came up with this bit of information and idea. Commander Haines agreed that I could start to work on it. Figured you'd be interested"

Josiah and Jude came into the room together, Jude was showing something to Josiah on a padd.

“I’m telling you this will work.” Jude said with excitement. “We need to test it out of course which is where you come into play. It could cut our response time in half.”

Josiah grabbed a mug of hot tea and passed up on the cookies. He didn’t have much of a sweet tooth. “Let’s put it in to practice and we will go from there.”

Celine quietly entered the room, her eyes showing worry and exhaustion as she took her seat. She smiled slightly, but it did not reach her eyes.

Once Jude had grabbed a cup of coffee and some fruit he walked over and sat down next to Josiah and looked around. “Morning.”

Marius finally strode into the room, a data padd in his hand, and a serious expression on his face. He grabbed a cup of black coffee from the replicator and took a seat beside Jordan.

Quite how Charlotte didn't trip or bang into the conference room door or wall she didn't know, she was pinning her new pips on as she walked in. Heading for the replicator she got herself her synonymous hot chocolate and took her seat. She was starting to envy Okan's genetics in that he never had to sleep.

"We'll give it a few more minutes and then we will begin," Pontmercy said. He was going to show a little more grace today...with everything that had been going on.

T'Shas entered and took a quick look around before she grabbed a hot black tea and took a seat at the table. She took a sip of the tea to ground herself before putting the tea down.

Jordan grinned as he noticed Charlotte’s new pips. “The shinies look good on you, Major.” He said with a wide smile. “It’s about time.”

Marty and David were in mid conversation as they entered the briefing. “I’m not agreeing to that,” Marty said as David looked frustrated. “They’re my kids too!”

“Let’s talk about this later,” David said as he and Marty took their seats.

As the last few people filtered into the room, Marius turned to address the room at large.

"Alright everyone, I am not going to sugar coat this- the Federation is in peril...and it looks like we are one of the last remaining intact crews to survive the devastation." He let that sink in for a moment. "I have chosen to keep us in dark mode for the time being, and I suspect that it is one of the only things keeping us alive at the moment. We are still getting in a few reports, but from the looks of it, all of the Federation Command, the Academy, the Council, drydocks, ship nursery's, and outposts have been destroyed." He sighed. "Admiral Olvera is now the Commander in Chief of Starfleet, and we have the laborious task of rebuilding, while trying to keep a foothold in this quadrant and keeping the peace. I am not going to lie, I am not quite sure how we are going to do it." He looked around the room. "I know this is a shock, and we have grieving to do, but I am going to ask you to do it later. We have work to do. I want to go around the room, and everyone give reports on not only their departments, but what they know." He leaned back in his chair, exhausted.

"Guess I'd better start." V'Lar said "Following the attack on the Federation we've been monitoring what sensor posts we have left, the primary objective being survivor search, however we noticed that in the aftermath of the attack on the Federation that certain factions were massing on the borders, whether it's conspiratorial or opportunistic remains unclear at the moment." she paused "We're continuing to monitor for further activity but it's quite likely in my opinion that in the next few hours to days that we're going to see those factions cross the border and start carving up Federation territory."

“I’ve had some contact from sources.” Jude spoke up next. “Though we have been hard and they targeted and eliminated key personnel, there are survivors and once we come up with a plan I believe they will be some help.” He paused. “There are going to be some we considered allies before this that we are not going to be able to count on.”

Jude’s eyes met Marius’. “I won’t sugarcoat the state of my department. We are still operating on a Skeleton crew. When you say the Acadmey are you including the ones off Earth, Captain?” He wanted to have a clear answer.

“Tactical is in the same condition as Security.” Josiah spoke up. “I have minimal crew to work with but they will put a hundred percent and then some into anything we ask of them.”

“That is good to hear.” Jordan spoke up. “I am certain in the days to come, we are going to find ourselves stretched to the limits.” He looked to his brother and his nephew. “If you need an extra hand I will fill in where I can.”

Mike took in the information with a deepening frown, his usually relaxed demeanor tightening into something far more serious. The Federation was in shambles, their leadership decimated, and enemies were circling like vultures.

He set his padd down, his fingers drumming lightly against the table as he processed everything. "Commander Haines is right," he said finally, his voice even but firm. "We’re going to be stretched thin, and we need to be smart about how we deploy our resources. Security and Tactical are already short-handed. We need to start thinking about cross-training personnel—engineers, medical staff, even scientists who can handle a phaser might need to step up."

He exhaled sharply and leaned forward. "If factions are moving in, then we need to be proactive. We should be running predictive modeling on likely incursion points based on past border conflicts and any intel we can scrape together. If we can’t hold the line everywhere, we at least need to know where to focus our efforts."

His blue eyes flicked toward V’Lar. "If you've got limited intel, maybe we can change that. I’d like to start reaching out to some of my own contacts. We need better eyes on the ground—covert or otherwise." He paused. "That is, if you don’t mind sharing the intelligence work."

There was no sarcasm in his tone, just a practical understanding that whatever tensions he and V’Lar had in the past, now was not the time to indulge them.

Then, he glanced toward Marius. "I was thinking what about keeping us in the shadows while we set up hidden relays and secure communications to link up with survivors. The goal is to create a hidden infrastructure outside of what the enemy expects. They think we’re scattered, broken. We use that to our advantage. Small, mobile units, low-profile outposts, coded transmissions—everything off the standard Starfleet grid."

He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "It’s not perfect, but it gives us a chance to regroup, gather intelligence, and start figuring out our next steps without painting a giant target on our backs."

His gaze shifted back to Marius. "We’re in survival mode now, Captain. We’ve lost almost everything—but we still have this ship, this crew. That means we still have a chance to fight back."

“If I may?” Jordan looked to Marius who nodded. “I have a deep concern for reaching out to people. Not because I don’t necessarily trust them or your Judgement.” His eyes met Mike’s. “At this point we really don’t know who we can and cannot trust. I am of the belief we need one central person who vets anyone we contact and that would be Lieutenant V’Lar.” Marius held up his hands.

"First, Lieutenant Haines," he said addressing Jude, "Yes, unfortunately I do mean Earth. If there are survivors, we haven't learned of any at this point. The Admiralty is going to have to figure out an Academy or training center at some point, but unfortunately that is not our priority right now." He glanced around the room between McMahon, Haines, and V'Lar. "Right now secrecy is our necessity. We will have communications monitoring all emergency and non emergency bands, but setting up relays puts everything at risk- if any are found it will lead them right to our door. Survival is the goal now. Right now I want everyone to work within their departments. Without outside assistance, we are all we have."

Celine Quinn spoke up then.

"I have tried to reach out to my contacts on Federation worlds. As of this moment, I have not heard anything back. I know that Bajor was attacked, but seems to be the least affected out of all of our allies."

Mike listened intently to the back-and-forth of the room, weighing each person's input carefully. When the discussion turned to trust and who should be vetting their contacts, his brows furrowed slightly.

Jordan had a valid point, and the weight of the Federation’s collapse hung heavily on every decision. The risks were high, and vetting any outside contact was paramount to avoid the trap of an enemy infiltrator. Mike knew it was a difficult task, especially with the already limited resources and personnel.

He looked toward V'Lar and gave a subtle nod, his voice calm but deliberate. "I agree with Jordan," Mike said, "Our survival depends on keeping any contact or outreach tightly controlled. V’Lar, I think you’re in the best position to vet anyone we come across. I trust you to make sure we don't end up with anyone turning on us from the inside." He paused, letting the weight of the words settle.

Then, turning to Marius, he added, "In the meantime, Captain, I think we need to keep our efforts in check. We’re still operating at half capacity. We have to be mindful of how much we stretch ourselves thin. Every decision counts. I know you said secrecy is the priority, but if we don't start making headway on rebuilding communication with the survivors, we’ll be blind." His voice remained firm but grounded. "Let's make sure we have contingencies in place that we can rely on if the worst happens."

Mike leaned back in his seat, his gaze sweeping across the room. "It's a tightrope we’re walking, and we have to be careful with every move we make. But I believe we can make it through this—together."

"Lieutenant Commander," Marius said, trying to keep his voice calm, "I am well aware of our status. That is the very reason we are remaining dark at this time. The Admiralty has already initiated the survivor call, and as I said- we will be monitoring for their hails. We have enough to do here to make sure we are safe; when the survivors start arriving I want to make sure that they are met with safety, not another catastrophe. Do not presume too much, Commander. I will be meeting with the Admiralty this afternoon, and we will go from there. Who else has a report," he asked?

“Medical staff is at full capacity Captain,” Marty said as she put her pads down. “Casualty count isn’t even worth mentioning.”

Charlotte had deliberately been keeping quiet so far and with good reason, her report was likely to be the hardest to hear so it was helpful to her if she was last up "Lieutenant Cruz? Lieutenant Chambers? Counselor?" Charlotte asked "Anything to report?"

Lirian, who had been quietly observing the discussion with her hands folded in front of her, finally spoke, her voice steady and composed.

“We must also acknowledge the psychological toll this has taken on all of us,” she said, her gaze moving across the room. “Every single person here has suffered an immense loss—family, friends, colleagues. That grief doesn’t simply vanish because we have work to do. It lingers, whether we acknowledge it or not.”

She leaned forward slightly. “I understand the need to push forward, to focus on survival. But if we do not address the emotional strain, it will wear us down. Fear, paranoia, exhaustion—these are just as much a threat as any enemy ship. People make mistakes when they are overwhelmed. If we are to function at our best, we must recognize that our mental state is as critical as our physical survival.”

Her eyes met Marius’. “Captain, I strongly recommend regular check-ins with the crew. Private sessions if necessary. I don’t expect people to pour their hearts out, but we need to make sure they are not running on empty. A fatigued and emotionally compromised crew is a liability we cannot afford.”

She turned to Jordan and Mike. “And I agree with both of you. Trust is fragile right now, but if we let fear dictate all our decisions, we will isolate ourselves to the point of no return. We must be cautious, yes, but also remember that we are not alone in this fight.”

Her gaze softened slightly. “And that includes each of you in this room. You are all carrying the weight of leadership, of responsibility, but you are not machines. You are people. Let’s not forget that.”

She settled back into her chair, waiting to see how her words would be received.

Marius nodded at the Counselor's word.

"I agree, let's make that happen."

T'Shas spoke up. "The Science Department is gathering as much data as we can about our new surroundings. Ensign Galaway is working with Dr. Ryan to figure out what the Synthulans did to the Admiral."

Jordan looked over to Pontmercy and nodded. The crew was hurting in ways that they never expected to but they were also working together. It was encouraging to see this. He had been afraid they might all be so lost in grief they couldn’t focus.

"What I'm about to say is going to be the unpopular view, but it's also the truthful one." Charlotte said slowly "The tactical situation we have right now is not brilliant, we got a victory in rescuing Admiral Bradley but all the way through that there were indications that the Synthulans wanted that to happen, that the Admiral was immaterial it should never have been as easy as it was, a facility of the size we went into should have been crawling with Synthulan patrols and we saw none. Couple that with the fact that the Synthulans are a hive mind, when you fight a hive mind you can't really use the same move twice because the hive adapts to it and the next time you try it they have a counter move waiting for you. It feels like we walked right into a trap."

Running her hands through her hair she took a breath before continuing "As for our current situation we are no condition to fight a battle against anyone at this point, I have less than fifty marines on base including myself and General Jackson and we do not have the ships, if V'Lar is right and other factions, other states are about to move in on Federation space then that is a battle we cannot win right now. In short if she's right then the Federation just lost the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, but the Federation isn't just worlds and people it's ideals, it's a way of life, I'm sure Marty could metaphorically describe it as a component of blood in our veins. The Federation isn't destroyed simply by laying waste to our worlds and obliterating Starfleet, that only knocks it down to the ground, you still have to ensure it doesn't get up and if V'Lar's correct then that is what's about to happen." She was thankful that she was sat at the foot of the table so had everyone in her eyeline "We're in the Hellaspont nebula, we're right next door to Tzenkethi territory, if we take a stand now then it won't be long before our enemies start hunting us and the Alpha Quadrant is not a big enough haystack. We need room to move, we need room to grow, we need room to recover, we need a safe haven and none of that is likely to exist here. Captain, Commander as far as I can see it's time to consider losing the battle to win the war."

Marius gazed at the Major before speaking, seeing the truth behind her eyes.

"You want us to go through the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant." It wasn't a question, he knew that's what she meant. He sat quietly for a moment as he contemplated it. "By doing so we risk DS9"s safety everytime someone goes through it to reach us. What are your plans for that?"

"If V'Lar's correct Deep Space Nine will be under Cardassian occupation within a week. That is inevitable whatever we do. If we're going to run and I believe we should then it's a choice between the Gamma Quadrant and the Delta Quadrant, and the path to getting deep enough into either of them lies through the Bajoran wormhole and I'm sure that Lieutenant Chambers can advise as to the feasibility of equipping the bases newly minted warp cores with quantum slipstream capacity." Charlotte said "However using the wormhole repeatedly would draw attention this is one of the reasons why the Delta Quadrant may be the better bet."

"All right," Marius said, thinking. "If we can assume DS9 will be overrun, then I want to pick up any survivors from there on our way through. I will also want to go over everything from Admiral Janeway and the Voyager crew. Hopefully we will have somewhat of an easier time then they did. Engineering, I want a plan from you ASAP in regards to a quantum slipstream." He looked around the room. "Anything else?"

"Given we're running I'd like authorisation to do something a little unconventional with our computer system and the Federation network." V'Lar said "In short I'd like to isolate our system from the Starfleet and Federation networks and then initiate a wipe of all information relating to our personnel, the base, our ships and so on from Starfleet and Federation computer systems. I'd like Commander McMahon's assistance in doing that if approved." Marius nodded.

"Agreed. Make sure it's done quickly and notify me once it's done. Anyone else?" After moment of silence, the Captain nodded. "Alright everyone, get to work. Dismissed."

Off:

Captain Marius G. Pontmercy
Commanding Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Commander Jordan Haines
Executive Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Commander Michael McMahon
Chief Operations Officer/2nd Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Major Charlotte Thrace
Marine Commanding Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Charles Andrews
Chief Flight Control Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant David Chambers
Chief Engineering Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Jude Haines
Chief Security Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Junior Grade Josiah Haines
Chief Tactical Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Junior Grade Marty Stokes
Chief Medical Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Junior Grade T'Shas Cruz
Chief Science Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Junior Grade Lirian Tarel
Chief Counselor
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Junior Grade V'Lar
Chief Intelligence Officer
Starbase Obsidian

Master Chief Petty Officer K'Ral De Bruinhiena
Chief of the Boat
Starbase Obsidian

Lieutenant Junior Grade Celine Quinn
Chief Diplomatic Officer
Starbase Obsidian

 

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