Brass Tacks & Boarder Maps

Posted on Sun Feb 27th, 2022 @ 4:12pm by The Narrator & Major Tatiana Skobelova & Major Samuel Braddock & Lieutenant Commander Amie Cerys & Lu'kat & Commander Calida

Mission: S2:4: If Not Like A Mirror
Location: Canopus Station, Confrence Room
Timeline: MD-2 8.30

The morning after the welcoming party came with coffee and danishes, which for some added some bland absorbant food stuff's to stomachs ill-suited to the rigours of real alcohol.

On the Carcosian side of the table was the Red Cap, the crimson oval mask still in place. To his sides sat his military officials; Admiral Shultz, Hauptman-Commander Klaus, Hauptman-Valkir Voss. The three military officers were out of dress uniform and in uniforms starched to within an inch of becoming lethal bladed weapons.

"Diplomat Calida," the Red Cap said. "Before we begin the preliminary talks, I wanted to thank you for providing such a warm welcome to us. The Reciprocity of Carcosia so rarely gets to enjoy the diplomatic niceties of fellowship, something I hope we can explore in greater detail as our two people get to know each other?"

"Of course," trilled Calida's vocalizer. "The Federation maintains generous relations with whomsoever is reciprocal." A faint telepathic surge of humor rippled throughout the room, though it was not without the implied edge of warning against the reverse of Calida's statement.

"To the business of our meeting. I was dispatched by the Steering Committee of the Reciprocity of Carcosia to begin formalizing our relationship. The RoC and the Federation have much, I have no doubt, that can be gained in mutual benefit. And to that end, we would prefer not to start off relations on the wrong foot," the diplomat purred. An underling standing along the back row stepped forward, and placed a device on the table: it unfolded three glass petals, and a detailed hologram of Messier 4 floated into the air. It slowly lost some of that detail, before a small blotch of green appeared at one point of its equator.

"Carpathia, and the current extent of the UFP expedition into Messier 4," the Red Cap said. Near the centre of the star cluster, a cyan blue hourglass shape began to grow, narrowing with a sideways kink towards the core but fanning out towards the poles. "This is the area in which the Reciprocity claims dominion as sovereign territory. It is not to be transited at warp speed under any circumstances."

Tatiana's previous night of indulgence was taking its toll. Her uniform was immaculate and her hair neat but her physical condition was obvious. She hated coffee but was hoping the hot drink would help relieve the pain in her head. So far, the coffee was just making her stomach more upset. "Do you have an idea when Reciprocity territory will expand enough to threaten Carcosian or our Federation colonies?"

Amie understood why she was at this meeting. However, for the moment she only kept quiet. Besides a small headache from the night before, which thankfully was fading, although too slowly for her liking, she was more taking in information than anything else. As she watched the holographic images, her mind started turning. She'd only heard whispers of this, and now was seeing the information first hand. She, of course, could hear everything being said, but inside, the intelligence chief was focused on what she was seeing.

"The Reciprocity of Carcosia is not an imperial expansionist power. From Carcosia we lay claim to a handful of worlds and territories to which we find use, but we don't seek to rule all that we survey. We leave that to the Myriad and the Concordance," The southern hemisphere of Messier 4 began to fill with an orange glow, where as the top began to fill with a noxious green fog.

"The Myriad to the south of us, and the Concordance to the north. The first we have arrangements with that benefit both of our polities, whereas with our northern territories a perpetual state of conflict ensues with the Concordance," The Red Cap turned his head to nod at Admiral Schultz.

"As of departing Reciprocity space, our reports put both the 4th and 8th Frontier Fleet Battle Groups in active combat with large elements of the Concordance Crusader Fleet. Here, and here," the Admiral reached up and touched the border reach between Green and Yellow, portions of the map a few arc degree's from a direct line to Carpathia. "The 9th Frontier Fleet Battle Group is here, attacking the Concordance rear echelon. The Concordance always has numbers on their side, but maintaining that advantage takes resources and a supply train the likes of which I do not envy. Their policy of 'always advance' means they rarely turn to bring their main crusader forces into rearguard actions. Our advanced technology allows us to...'swing' above our weight class, I think is the term of phrase?"

Lu'kat absorbed all of this intel with great interest. It was not often that he was privy to such displays of openness between foreign powers. And therein lay his worry: one does not give away military strengths and positions such as this to just anyone, let alone a potential ally who you have only recently met. How much of this intel was true? And, perhaps more importantly, what was Red Cap leaving out?

"Indeed," Lu'kat commented. "I would guess that the Reciprocity of Carcosia has a strong intelligence wing and an elaborate spy network to supplement its military prowess?" And how many of those spies were on Canopus Station now, and for how long? The Cardassian wondered.

"Given the dangers of inserting operatives in a biologically hostile environment such as the Concordance provides, we instead prefer signal intelligence. The Concordance is not a subtle enemy, it is an inferno," The Red Cap stated.

Sam sat back in his chair, keeping an eye on the Carcosians across from them. The headache he had was a small throb, more from a lack of sleep than anything else. He had avoided coffee in favor of a strong tea that provided just enough of a caffeine jolt to keep him awake without giving him the jitters. After this, he made a note to catch a few minutes of sleep in his office after reviewing the information they were getting here. However, even in his sleep-deprived state, his brain was on a state of alert- people that jumped into your space and had you outnumbered and outgunned didn't typically come to extend warnings- they came to strike deals. It was his hope that this didn't turn sour.

Raising his hand slightly, Sam spoke. "Why don't we engage their supply lines, first with probing attacks, then engage with heavy bomber support and a small Task Group of starships that are fast and heavily armed enough to drop their payload, then run and hide while they rearm and repair?"

"A tactic we have used to great effect over the years. Units within each Battle Group are designated as Wolf Packs, usually a handful of frigates and light cruisers surrounding a single pocket carrier. It is enough to sow confusion among their rearguard and hamper their expansion. In that way, we can...if not control them at least direct them in a way. To that end, we have, over the last two decades, been endeavouring to manoeuvre the Concordance into expanding along a set path of uninhabited systems of little import," Admiral Schultz said dryly.

"To that end, the reason for this tactical briefing is that your arrival has complicated things a great deal," the Red Cap said. On the holographic map, a tendril of green began to stretch down from the Concordance, tentatively brushing up against the sides of Reciprocity territory before slowly jagging towards the edge/surface of the star cluster.

On a path that would see it run right into Carpathia at some point.

Leaning forward, originally just taking everything in, Amie frowned. "Wait...I am seeing that path right, right?" She re-followed the path with her eyes. "Has to go through there, doesn't it?" Sighing heavily, "Okay, so, what is it we can do?"

Life was simpler beyond the mortal plane, but events were more difficult to discern, much less influence, from that point. Residing within her carrier pod as an anchor-point in three-dimensional spacetime, Calida had to constantly resolve her fifth-dimensional parallax within the stream of time in order to make any sort of footprint. Even from this limited perspective, she knew that many potential time tracks hung upon the edge of a proverbial time knife embedded within this moment. She had kept her peace, but now it was time to speak.

"Starfleet has engaged the Concordance before," Calida interjected. "The USS Resolute, while in flight from the Sleepers Bazaar within the Mire, overcame the Concordance flagship. Furthermore, the location of an interment facility perhaps insensitively named Camp Sunshine on Carpathia would be a beacon for Concordance attention even without Carcosian strategems pushing them in that direction. There is but one choice before us: relocation of Landersfell to a more hospitable world and the transition of Canopus Station and the Phase Accelerator along with it. Without such an exodus, the system will become a perpetual quagmire which claims untold personnel and resources better invested in sustainable development elsewhere."

"You did well against a single warship. But you now stand in the path of at least two Crusade Fleets. A Crusader class command ship is at least seven kilometres long, able to transport at low warp hundreds of support ships ranging from cruiser to battleships. Not with the Carcosian Navy could stand for long against such a mass," Admiral Schultz said. "And as for transporting your people to a safe harbour, you'd leave a substantial amount of your infrastructure behind no? This station is not star flight capable is it?"

"Such is my point," Calida replied, all business. "Starfleet bloodied the nose of the Concordance fleet. There is no infrastructure which would withstand the vengeful and perpetual onslaught of a crusade once this system is identified. To wit, Canopus Station arrived to this system in the tow of warp tugs after passage through Phased Space. It can be moved again. What infrastructure cannot make the exodus would convert to a suitable Federation outpost that would inevitably be overrun, but such is the nature of advance warning positions." It became clear she was speaking to everyone, not just the Carcosians. "Future generations hang in the balance of this decision."

"Assuming we can get the station moved before the weight of a crusader fleet hits us, we'll have to decide who gets to stay behind. That will almost be a death sentence." Tatiana told everyone in a somber voice. "Not to mention what to do with the inmates at Camp Sunshine. Relocating them would be a nightmare under ideal circumstances but we can't just leave them to join up with the Concordance."

"Camp Sunshine would not be relocated in this scenario." The tone of Calida's vocalizer stayed the same, but the nonverbal telepathic impetus shifted the vibe of the entire room. "Those individuals are a beacon which will inevitably draw greater Concordance numbers to wherever they are. And, for any personnel stationed in the outpost, Camp Sunshine would serve as the canary in the coal mine, allowing for a tactical and dignified retreat to a rendezvous point, perhaps in Carcosian space, before making an ultimate return to Canopus Station's new location."

"It must be nice to be a computer? You make it sound very sanitized. We can't let those prisoners unite with the Concordance. They know too much about Starfleet and the Federation." Distress was evident in Tatiana's voice. "If we are being honest, we will have to euthanize the inmates."

Calida's vocalizer trilled in rapid succession. While the audible meaning was ambiguous, the telepathic saturation was anything but. "I am no more a computer than you are breathable atmosphere. We are all subject to the medium best suited for optimal communication. Anyone who believes the Concordance does not already possess vital intelligence regarding Starfleet and this very station does not understand the nature of our foe or the danger it represents. Euthanization violates Starfleet General Orders, but my proposal does not."

"It's not the intelligence these inmates have. The danger is that they know how to use it. They know Starfleet's jargon, informal ceremonies, and undocumented procedures. They wouldn't have to train to act like a Starfleet officer, they are Starfleet officers. And if just one of them can make it back to the Federation core worlds, the Concordance will spread like a wild fire." Tatiana replied in a heated voice.

"The Federation is already on guard for Messier 4 elements," Calida replied, "and that is all I am at liberty to say on the matter."

"So let me get this straight. We aren't going to relocate them, they know everything Starfleet." Amie swore in a few languages under her breath. "I swear I need to get more information from Intelligence on all this. They still haven't kept me up to date being out here. So, do we have an actual plan?"

"You understand my proposal," Calida confirmed through her vocalizer. "With approval from station command and the recommendation of our nearby allies, I may record it with the Federation Secretary of the Exterior."

"I wonder how your Captian Ingram will take this news?" The Red Cap thought. "The Reciprocity, of course, will offer what aid we can. The scope of that aid will need to be determined by the Steering Committee upon my return to Carcosia."

Calida's pod hummed for a moment. "Captain Ingram will be far more receptive to this proposal if it were backed by Carcosian leadership. I thank our honored guests for their support in this matter."

Cerys gave a polite nod, though wasn't sure if she could fully back this. She knew she was in for sleepless nights with all of the intel she'd have to dig up that she didn't have previously. She did wish the brass would prepare her for things if they knew it was coming and send her something. But, now it was up to Ingram.