Tactical Problems
Posted on Sat Jun 14th, 2025 @ 7:46pm by Lieutenant Commander Drevas & Commodore Elias McEntyre
1,342 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Prologue
Location: Bridge
Timeline: January 2389 - Deep Space 12
The last piece, the Head of Tactical Department. Elias had found Drevas in a pile of records and a recommendation from the Commandant of Starfleet Academy that he more than eagerly cut their transfer orders from their present posting on the U.S.S. Merlion.
A Kelpien. A rarity in Starfleet. Most don't leave Kaminar. Some do. Drevas has a stack of commedations and citation for original thinking that struck out at him that he was more than ready to pounce before someone else found them.
Standing at the docking ring aboard DS-12, he waited for the flight from Earth. Guin was docked nearby and as soon as they were back aboard they would be ready to cast off for a Six Month Expedition to the Former Neutral Zone on patrol and flag showing duties.
He wouldn't need to wait for terribly long. The airlock hissed open, rolling out of the way to admit the tall, lanky Kelpien officer. He looked well-rested, at least, for someone who'd been plucked from the Merlion just days ago and summoned here. Such are the difficulties of career advancement.
Drevas seemed a little bit shocked, actually, that his commanding officer, a flag officer no less, would want to greet him in person. That usually meant one or both of two things - either that he really, really liked to get to know his heads of department, or there was a departmental fire aboard the Guinevere that needed to be put out urgently. IN a vacuum, neither of those things was particularly good.
"Commodore." He stopped in front of the somewhat shorter Caitian officer. That's kind of the norm when you're almost seven feet tall. "It is good to meet you, sir." He held out a hand to be shaken. Crisis or not, there was usually nothing wrong with a proper greeting and a good first impression.
Elias accepts the offered hand of the slightly taller man, shaking it firmly for a moment before releasing it.
"Commander Drevas, Welcome to Deep Space 12, gateway to the Briar Patch. I'm actually afraid we can't stay long on the station. You're arrival was just by the skin of our teeth on our departure schedule. I'll show you to Guinevere." Elias gestured down towards a different end of the Docking Ring Terminal.
"I am glad you're here though, Our last Tactical Officer got recalled to The Triangle so I was scrambling for someone to replace them. You come with some glowing recommendations." Elias commented as they walked.
"I need you to get up to speed on the situation in the Romulan Front, or what's left of it. The Supernova still lingers and the situation in the former neutral zone is tense. Starfleet has already had some engagements with remnant Romulan forces and their are reports of Breen and Nausicaan dealings on Freecloud. Our job is to show the flag."
Elias turns his head towards the Kelpien as they continued on.
"If you got questions, now's the time. " He posed to the Tactical Officer.
Drevas doesn't comment on the recommendations. His Starfleet career, as far as he cares, has always been about taking opportunities given - or thrown, on certain occasions - to him and doing the best he can with them. Whatever awards, commendations and decoration he has earned during that process are merely secondary.
The rest of what he's being told gives him pause, however.
"To project presence." Drevas responds. "How long ago was the last engagement, Commdore?" He doesn't add that this hardly sounds like the mission he was briefed on. The data packet sent to him 'to be read from cover to tail' (as instructed) had contained a grand total of three pages of content, some of it redacted so that he received only a rudimentary idea of the Guinevere's mission. Something something monumental discovery, something explore uncharted territory something.
He couldn't imagine finding out about Nausicaan-Breen trade relations to be 'monumental' at all - but maybe there was more to it than meets the eye.
That, or they were having this conversation due to a lack of available ships, as happened to be the case more often than not.
“A Remnant raid was pushed back about a month ago. To that end, Starfleet Command dispatched a Galaxy Dreadnought to the Zone.” Elias started as they reached the gangway to the Guinevere.
“Our main concern however is a sector near the old Neutral Zone Outpost 11. The researchers at the Borg reclamation project found records of a dormant project that was of great interest to the Borg Queen. Something referred to as “Gate to Home.” Obviously meaning the Delta Quadrant. However exact coordinates were corrupted and we’ve only been given a star sector for which to look. Several. A search pattern we think will take us several months to chart.”
The docking port opened. Elias gestures onward.
“Our job is to locate this “Gate”. There is more information on the tactical main frame and a star chart of the area. I want a grid pattern plotted en route and recommendations on how to speed up our search. The area is littered with supernova remnants and planetary debris so a full long range survey is out of the question. Any questions?”
Few things gave Drevas the chills nowadays. This information, sadly, was one of those things. No wonder the briefing packet had been so cagey about details. Damn you, operational security!
"I will liaise with Astrometrics to expedite the process, Commodore, that much I promise with certainty." Drevas replies, as they step through the airlock to the sound of an electronic bosun's whistle piped through the ship's intercomm systems. "As much as I am familiar with star charts, navigating them is where the expertise of Astrometrics lies. How long do we have to produce this grid?"
“Based on the size of the sectors and the instability of the region, a good 4-6 months. I’m hoping to find this thing sooner though. Get with Dr. Tyris, he’s our Chief Science Officer.” Elias explained as the pair got to the turbolifts and stepped on. Elias ordered the lift to the bridge.
“Even with Guin’s advanced sensor suite, it’ll still be a hard slog. Needle in a haystack sort of thing. Your other duties is the readiness of the ships weapons systems and armories. Security duties on ship is handled by the Ground Force detachment led by Colonel Llewelyn so that’ll be off your plate. Other than that, if you got anything else, now’s the time” Elias turned to the Kelpien.
“I’m sorry that we seemed rushed. This came on us fast. We were expecting to be going back out into the Briar Patch but Starfleet was insistent on a ship with a senior sector officer and Guinevere had one of the best sensors and computers in the fleet since Helena was ordered off the line.”
Four to six months is, indeed, a pretty long time - but Drevas knows that the work will, with quite a bit of certainty, take up the greater bulk of that time. When an entire day can be spent just seperating the debris from the not-debris on a map, you'd wish you had six months to get it done too.
"Understood. We will keep you regularly updated. Though I make no promises on swift completion." Drevas replies with a decisive nod.
“All I ask” Elias said as the turbolifts announced that they arrived at the bridge and the doors swish open.
“Let me show you your workstation and then you can get settled in, sounds good?” Elias asked as he gestured for the Kelpien to step out first.
"Gladly, sir." Drevas cracked a smile as he made his way out of the turbolift first.
Elias was confident he finally had the crew he needed. Everything fitting into place and the ship feeling complete. Ready for its next adventure.
—————
Commodore Elias McEntyre
Commanding Officer
U.S.S Guinevere
&
Lieutenant Commander Drevas
Chief Tactical Officer
U.S.S. Guinevere
RSS Feed