Posted by Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby (Diplomatic Officer / CNS) in Main sim USS Brave-Cargo Bay

Posted by Lieutenant Nicholas Foster (Chief of Security) in Main sim USS Brave-Cargo Bay

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Lyndzie Angel (Chief of Operations) in Main sim USS Brave-Cargo Bay
Posted by… suppressed (17) by the Post Ghost! 👻
DaVinci was walking down the corridor alongside Admiral Sinclair. They were headed to the upper level of the USS Brave’s cargo bay on deck 2.

“All the volunteers should be assembled in the cargo bay, Admiral. I think you’ll be pleased with the crew. In fact, I had to deny some of the volunteers due to the ship size. I’ve got the best of the best here, sir.”

The doors shwooshed open and the pair stepped in. Gathered below, on the deck, was the assembled volunteers. . . .

Captain Daniel “DaVinci” Colter
CO/CIO USS Saracen

Ally stood off to a corner leaning against the wall. She looked at the door as it swooshed open. Colter was with someone else. She had been informed that this was a volunteer-only mission and details would be given when one arrived. Guess it was time to find everything out.

Allison Scott CMO

The Old Man nodded. “You never disappoint, Captain,” he said, a hint of approval in his voice. Admiral Sinclair swept his gaze over the assembled crew below. The cargo bay wasn’t an ideal place for a briefing, but it would have to do.

Once everyone had filtered in, he steeled himself. “Welcome to Operation Silent Vigil,” he began, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. “Recent encounters—like the one in the Farsinia System, or the skirmish the Memorial just endured—indicate that something is stirring in Cardassian space. They’re pushing out, encroaching on our territory, sniffing around where they shouldn’t be. They’ve got new ships, new tech—some of it stuff they’ve long scoffed at, but now they’re deploying it. Something’s shifted in the dark over there. After the Dominion War, we were mostly forced out, leaving them to recover on their own. It seems they’ve more than recovered.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the crew. “Which brings us to this operation. We need eyes inside Cardassian space—deep inside, behind enemy lines. We need to see behind the iron curtain. The crew of the Saracen has the most situational awareness in the region, which gives you the best intel we have. That makes you the ideal team for this mission. Captain Colter’s experience in these matters makes him the perfect choice to lead this op, and I wouldn’t dream of separating him from his crew.”

“The operation itself is black bag—off the books, under the radar. If it goes sideways, it never happened. That’s why it’s volunteer only. It’s crazy dangerous and could very well be a one-way trip. Or worse.”

Sinclair took a breath before continuing. “So, what’s the job? You’re going hunting. The Saracen was attacked by newer ships with advanced weapons systems. And as you saw, they had cloaking devices. We’ve encountered the same—right down to fighter-sized ships with cloaks.” He let the revelation sink in. The Cardassians had never used cloaking technology before. Now, armed with it, they were a deadly new threat. “Your primary objective is to locate where these ships are being built and get a count on them. Secondary objectives: gather as much intelligence as you can—signals, transmissions, sensor readings, anything. It’s a sneak and peek.”

“We’re sending you out on a Brazen-class ship, the Brave. It’s small, nimble, naturally stealthy, but over-engined and over-gunned, much like the Defiant-class of old. It’s more than capable of handling this mission. But given the stakes, I’ve called in a favor.”

He gestured toward a nearby hatch that led to the walkway above. The doors slid open, revealing a new figure. A Romulan woman in her mid-thirties, with jet-black hair pulled into a tight bun and dark lips. She wore a casual duty uniform—mostly black with subtle hints of dark purple. It was vaguely Starfleet, but unmistakably Romulan. She moved to stand beside Admiral Sinclair. “Let me introduce Subcommander T’Reya,” he said. “She’s here to lend us a little help, in the form of a toy on loan from our Romulan friends.”

T’Reya stepped forward, her voice cool and measured. “I’m sure some of you are concerned about the Treaty of Algeron,” she began. “Rest assured, it’s still in effect. That’s why I’m here. You won’t be using the device—I will. The Romulan Star Empire shares your concerns. After the destruction of Romulus, we find ourselves in a precarious position. The Federation is our strongest ally, so it stands to reason that we should work together on this matter. Any intelligence we gather will benefit both of our peoples.”

Sinclair nodded in agreement. “To that end, Subcommander T’Reya will operate in cooperation with Captain Colter. In his absence, she’ll take orders from Commander Kolar. She’s your mission specialist and ally for this run.”

The Admiral paused, letting the information sink in. “Any questions so far?”

GM Rei, GM

Kolar looked up at Colter and gave the man a nod. Part of him wondered how well the Subcommander would take orders from a Federation officer but that was a scenario for the future.

Harri took a step forward.

“Chief Engineer Sato, Sir,” she said, as way of introduction. “Is the Romulan cloaking device installed on the Brave, and who is responsible for its maintenance?”. In truth, she wasn’t expecting an answer, but sometimes these little details were important, especially if the crew was going to be able to work well with the Romulan.

Lt. Cmdr. Sato
Chief Engineer

“Commander Sato,” Sinclair said with a nod. “Excellent question.” With one hand he gestured to T’Reya.

“My expertise is in the use of the cloak. I know a lot about it’s workings, but I’m no engineer. My focus is primarily in Intelligence. We’ll be working together to ensure it installs and runs smoothly. To that effect, we’ve already got a coupling and interface system ready to go. We’ll have to test it under way. I’m sure you’re eager to get a peek under the hood.”

GM Rei, GM

“With that being said,” DaVinci added, “you, Lt. Cmdr. Sato, will still be serving as chief engineer. You and your engineering volunteers need to familiarize yourselves with the Brave as quickly as possible. Her Chief has left you notes and information on her kinks and quirks. I suggest you get used to them. We don’t need any surprises popping up at the wrong time.”

Harri nodded, trying to suppress an excited grin but failing miserably. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on the Brave.

Sheleah watched the room intensely. She was looking to see how the crew took this news and what they might be thinking of the mission ahead of them. She was also interested to see if she might know this Admiral Sinclair. Did he perhaps attend one of her mother Elizabeth’s court hearings? As Elizabeth was a JAG officer she was in and out of many Federation holdings and Sheleah had traveled with her frequently. Perhaps had she attended one of her father Ambassador Colin Ruby’s parties and seen the Admiral across the room? Nothing would surprise her at this rate, not even things that she had seen on her posting thus far.

• Sheleah, CNS/DO

The Ensign in front of Flynn had quietly sucked in their breath as the Admiral detailed what their new assignment was going be. The NE sounded excited but Flynn was not quite as thrilled. Flynn had assumed when they’d asked for volunteers, they’d been looking for the boldest and the bravest of the crew. The ones who weren’t afraid to put their names forward and throw themselves into a mission where they could shine. He had thought putting his name forward he would be given a chance to show his loyalty, to show his skills and receive recognition for it. How was he ever going to receive valour on a mission that ‘had never happened’? He wanted to snarl.

Instead, he kept his body stiffened into position as he had been trained to stand, his face as carefully schooled as it always was. He had volunteered now, and he would be as dedicated and diligent as the best of them. Just because he would have liked a more glorious assignment, was no excuse for poor performance. He would

At least, he consoled himself, off the books or not the mission was a dangerous one and there was every chance he could find an opportunity, to show off his combat skills. Even if it was only to a few select members of the crew.

Lt. (j.g.) Fraiser Flynn (Sec).

Ally surveyed the room and noticed the security officer looking less than thrilled. Moving up next to him, Ally kept her eyes forward and whispered, “don’t worry. I am sure there are going to be plenty of excitement with this mission.” Gently hip checking the officer, Ally hoped Flynn would read it as her teasing. Due to the height difference, her hip bone hit him below his so the hip check was more like hitting a brick wall for her. Luckily, she didn’t hit him too hard or too noticeably. Her voice was low and reminiscent of the volume used when talking in the back of a class in a lecture hall.

Ally Scott CMO

Flynn looked and the CMO and the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk. It was impossible to tell if he was because of Ally’s teasing or the failed hip bump. He was going to reply but the Captain beat him to it.

DaVinci looked over the group of volunteers and felt a great amount of pride and loyalty. So many of his crew had volunteered that he had to turn some away. Because of the Brave’s size, he could only accept about 10% of the Saracen’s crew. He, Kolar and the department heads had briefly gotten together to choose those best suited to the mission. The CO was certain his team had put together the best the Saracen had to offer.

“Also, for this mission, Lt. Foster will be pulling double duty as Tactical Chief, and Lt. Flynn will serve as my chief of Intel. Gentlemen, I have faith that you will both perform these duties admirably.”

Captain Daniel “DaVinci” Colter
CO/CIO USS Saracen

“Aye, Captain,” Foster said, stepping up from the side of the group. He wasn’t expecting the dual role to cause too much stress as he already had tactician experience with the Cardassians in the previous mission.

OOC: Fixing a split. ~ Kate

Fraser made eye contact with the Captain and gave him a firm not, doing his best to maintain professional composure despite the thrill of excitement he was feeling at the prospect of acting as Chief of Intel. In a mission like this he knew him and Lt. Foster were going to play a critical role in this mission. He had to wonder how the Security Chief felt about the situation, given pulling double duty was hard, although if anyone could do it, it was Foster. Foster was one of the most dedicated Security Officers that Flynn knew, and he swore to himself he would do whatever he could to make pulling double duty easier on his Chief.

Lt. Cmdr. Sato
Chief Engineer

As the new Chief Operations Officer came on board she had noticed that the crew has been assigned their duties on the Brave. “Sir.” She spoke up. “What about me? Where will you need me at sir?” She asked the captain. However, this is an unusual mission for someone new like her in board.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Angel

“Lt Angel, just as you were about to do on the Saracen, you will serve as Chief of Ops on the Brave. You’ll be working closely with Sub-commander T’Reya and the engineering crew making sure that cloaking device is running at optimum. A large part of the success of this mission is linked to THAT device.”

“Yes sir. Understood. I’ll try and talk to the Sub-Commander T’Reya and the engineering chief and see what I can do to help out with their end.” She said with a smile.

Once the Captains attention was focused on the COO, Flynn let himself relax just in the slightest and still facing forward his eyes flicked to Ally, wondering if the woman was secretly a fortune teller, as no sooner had she teased him about finding excitement than the Captain had announced Flynn’s duties in Intel.

Lt (j.g.) Fraiser Flynn, acting CIO

“See,” Ally said looking forward and barely speaking above a whisper. “I told you so. Wanna know how I know?” She let her voice trail slightly.

“We are meeting in secret in a hangar with an Admiral?” Turning to look at Flynn she gave him a sly smile before patting his arm playfully. “Buy me a drink later and I will give you some more spy tips.” She winked at him before directing her attention back to the men talking. It was hard not to like Flynn. He had an easy going way about him which probably made him perfect for his new job. He didn’t have the dead pan menacing stare plaster on his face full of distrust and suspicion. Ally was sure it was there and in the correct environment such as in a back alley when giving someone their comeuppance it probably showed up. Lucky for her, there was a good chance it wouldn’t be directed at her: Well at seventy/thirty chance at least it would not be directed at her if she played her cards right.

Ally Scott CMO

“Hello Lieutenant Flynn.” Lieutenant Angel said to the Lieutenant. However, smiling to let him know he doesn’t have to do her job anymore. Noticing that she might’ve missed a few things but at the same time she’s comfortable here.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Lyndzie Angel
Chief Operations Officer
U.S.S. Saracen

Kolar XO

Admiral Sinclair watched the way Colter handled his crew, seeing the swell of pride in the man’s eyes. He’d definitely made the right choice. They were a tight crew, with all the right mix of skills. While only human, he could almost feel the anticipation swirling about the room, which was far better than the dread he might expect. That same pride echoed in his own chest. To be that young again and standing on the edge of something Big.

T’Reya cleared her throat, bringing him out of his reverie.

With no further questions, he nodded. “So infiltration into Cardassian space using the cloak is the first goal. There is no time limit for getting in.” The admiral turned to a large wall display for managing the cargo manifest, as well as storage positions of cargo, and quickly switched it around. The star chart for the region popped up, large enough to see from the lower deck. “We’ve two suggested approaches: either entering in the region around Deep Space Nine, or going around to the south and entering through the Hugora Nebula. Which would give the most cover. Though we haven’t heard from Outpost 47 in a a while.” He stepped back to the railing to address all the crew and captain more easily. “The choice is yours. It will take longer to go through the south way. The third option is to go straight through the demilitarized zone.” It wasn’t like there were a lot of great options.

“Once you’re in, the first order of business is to recon the McAllister C-5 Nebula. They’ve hidden fleets there before. The Tong Beak nebula is likely too dangerous for them to operate in as it doesn’t react well to dilithium.” He turned to zoom in on another nebula in the middle of Cardassian space. “The Amleth nebula is an emission nebula, so hiding anything in there is next to impossible.”

Moving back to the railing again he studied them all for a moment. “So, first order of business is to get over to the McAllister nebula, see what’s there, and what intelligence you can gather. There may be other locations to look at as the operation goes on. Captain Colter, you will also have operational discretion to follow leads and see what’s what. This is what you do, and contact is going to be intermittent at best.”

“Understood, Admiral,” Colter replied.

“Which brings me to the R.O.E. This is a reconnaissance mission, not a combat operation. Avoid engagement with Cardassian forces unless absolutely necessary for self-defense. The success of this mission depends on our ability to remain undetected. If you are detected, do not fire unless fired upon. If you do come under fire, it’s up to you as to how far you take it. But it’s hard to be detected with no witnesses.” He let that grim line sink in. This operation could get very dark and dirty very quickly depending on how things went.

“That being said, you and your crew may be called upon to sabotage various facilities if located and deemed enough of an immediate problem.”

“Reporting will be relaxed to every twelve to twenty-four hours, but if we haven’t heard from the Brave or it’s crew by forty-eight hours, we’ll consider the operation compromised. We don’t have a rescue plan at this time, and this operation never happened.”

GM Rei, GM

DaVinci stepped up to the railing to address the crew once again.

“Thank you, Admiral. You know what we have to do people. You know what’s at stake. I have faith that each one of you will perform your duties at 100% efficiency. We can’t afford mistakes people. Failure is not an option.”

The CO checked his watch. “It’s 1200 hours now. We pull out at 1500. Dismissed.”

Captain Daniel “DaVinci” Colter
CO/CIO USS Saracen

At the dismissal, the admiral turned to regard Captain Colter. “Any other sub objectives will come down the wire of course.” He extended his hand for a shake.

“Godspeed and good hunting, Captain.”

GM Rei, GM

Lieutenant Junior Grade Lyndzie Angel
Chief Operations Officer
U.S.S. Saracen

Lieutenant Nicholas Foster
Chief of Security

Sheleah Hung back. She wanted to speak to Captain Coulter about how she would be handling the next few days. Dealing with the crew during this time would be different than if they were on the Saracen. The Brave was much smaller and everything would be more compact, and due to the mission situations and emotions would be much more heightened and much more compact. This implied using a different strategy.

• Sheleah, CNS/DO