A Mission Post by Lieutenant Commander Alexander Canaris
Mission: Coil of Darkness
Location: Bridge - USS Crazy Horse
Timeline: Current
The captain's chair felt different somehow as he shifted within its fitted yet comfortable confines. Sitting in the chair at the center of a starship bridge he felt heavy as if he were subject to the high gravity back on his home planet whose gravity was twice that of Earth's. Captain Kanryth had been injured in the explosion on the surface, but had safely been transported back the the Horse only to receive orders to return. Commander Agron had insisted on accompanying the captain back to the surface. That left him in charge of a starship in a crisis situation as third in command.
He had been in far more dangerous and life threatening situations in his past intelligence work. He had survived ambushes, firefights, and undercover operations gone bad and yet despite the many scrapes and brushes with death itself this situation concerned him in ways he couldn't quite define. His emotions were confused floating between uncertainty, excitement, fear, and trepidation. He could keep the jumble of feelings in check, but he couldn't ignore them.
Perhaps being responsible, if only temporarily, for hundreds of lives were the cause of his unease as he sat in the big chair for the first time in a serious crisis situation outside of a holodeck simulation. In intelligence if he made a mistake usually the only victim was his own well being. He seldom had to concern himself with repercussions as the danger was his to face - usually alone. Up until recently he had preferred it that way, but serving on this ship, even if undercover, had changed his perspectives. He knew many of the crew quite well something that didn't occur much in intelligence circles. It wasn't safe to know too much about other colleagues as anyone who was compromised could too easily be compelled through various means to turn against those with whom they served. The less intelligence team members knew about one another the safer they usually were in their particular brand of work.
He shifted uncomfortably in the chair again trying to find some measure of comfort unable to assuage his uneasiness. The tension on the bridge was also palpable given the circumstances. The Romulan delegation to Earth had been attacked and their status was unknown. So far they had yet to make a statement or take any actions. The one thing anyone could be sure about was that the Romulan quiet currently being observed would not last for long. A response was coming.
Someone had manipulated events with the skill and finesse of a master puppeteer. To what end? Was the explosion an act of terror by Romulan hardliners hoping to derail peace negotiations? Were the perpetrators of this heinous crime isolationists seeking to maintain the status quo? Was this the work of Starfleet insiders, hardline hawks, itching for a chance to settle old scores with the Romulan Empire? There were so many possibilities and so few hard facts.
"Transporter room", Canaris stated tapping the comm button on his armrest. "Maintain a constant lock on the captain and first officer at all times. At any sign of trouble I want them pulled out of there. If you need clearance to get around Earth security measures in light of recent events let me know."
"Aye sir", came the firm reply.
"I want all communications channels monitored. Recruit personnel if needed to monitor the comms. If there is any news or updates on the situation I want to know about it immediately."
Canaris continued his issuance of orders. The act of giving the orders helped take the edge off his own anxiety and would help focus the crew which would also aid in reducing some of the tension that was evident aboard the ship.
"Engineering, this is the bridge. I realize we're still in spacedock, however circumstances on the surface have complicated matters for everyone. I want all efforts focused upon completing repairs and maintenance related to getting the Horse underway on her own power. If we need to move out or break orbit during this crisis I want that capability sooner rather than later. Additionally, I need the Horse battle ready in the unlikely event we are forced to defend ourselves or defend the surface below from Romulan retaliation."
"Sickbay, please put all onboard medical personnel on alert. We may need to receive wounded or send down medical teams. We'll keep you posted on developments. Bridge out."
Leaning back in the chair Canaris felt a slight sense of control trickle through him amidst a situation where he had little to none to begin with. He had tried to contact several intelligence sources but given the severity of the situation no one was responding or had no new information to provide. His usual well of information, access, and clearance was useless in this situation. He was as much a victim of circumstance as everyone else and that fact annoyed him far more than he was willing to admit to himself. In intelligence it was his job to know more than the average person however given the fluidity of current events there were few if anyone people who had a full grasp on this situation and its ramifications.
"Tactical, place the ship on yellow alert. I want security posted to all decks, transporters, shuttlebays, and engineering. All suspicious persons and activity should be reported immediately. We will remain on alert until further notice."
Earth spun slowly on the viewscreen like a fine glass marble. It was so close and yet with a veritable information blackout it might was well be a billion light years away. What was happening down there on the surface? He felt powerless despite having a starship and its many facilities and personnel at his disposal. No doubt other starship captains were mulling over the same concerns, thoughts, and questions as he himself was currently.
For an instant he wondered what that insane ambassador was doing on the surface given the chaos of the situation below. Was Ian Lamont wrestling with the aftermath of the tragic events or was he simply looking for some angle in this sad affair to leverage for his own uses? Had he been injured? Killed? It didn't matter. One unorthodox ambassador wouldn't make much difference given what had happened. He doubted any amount of talking could, at the moment, sooth the open wound that had been torn open by an explosion perpetrated by some as yet unidentified party or agent.
His thoughts turned to the missing trilithium and the cracks that had been exploited to obtain it from right underneath Starfleet's own nose. It was clever. In fact it was too clever. Such an operation would require high levels of funding, people well versed in Starfleet operations and procedures, someone with knowledge of Starfleet security protocols, waste disposal methodology, security clearances, and finally personnel records so that vulnerable persons could be identified and exploited. This catastrophe wasn't carried out by some homegrown or amateur individuals, on the contrary, this was a well-planned and expertly executed tactical operation.
Canaris put his money on Romulan hardliners as the best possible educated guess given little information. Who else would have the resources, capital, and motive for such an operation? His inclination was to discount the Klingons, but they also stood to gain by damaging Romulan Federation relations. If they were involved would they not attempt to sway Federation and Starfleet hawks to join them against their current aggression against the Romulans?
Romulan duplicity, Klingon guile and deceit, or some unknown third party working for goals yet to be identified? Who was to blame and what was their motive?
He leaned back in his chair and contemplated the possibilities. Until the captain returned there was little else he could do other than prepare the ship and crew for possible contingencies. Grabbing a nearby padd, Canaris pulled up all the information available on the Romulan delegation. If he couldn't do anything to help at present at least he could review the current facts. Perhaps there were some clues to what had happened and who was responsible. Locating answers to these and other vital questions could be the difference between war and peace.
~ Fin ~
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Lt. Commander Alexander Canaris
Chief Operations Officer
USS Crazy Horse
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