Prelude to the Klingon Alliance
This post, written by J Trout, details the first Battle of Geneva and the arrival of the first Klingon delegation to the 52nd Fleet. It is continued when Ambassador Miador Tane goes to Qo'Nos to speak with the Chancellor of theKlingons
Stardate: 2406.11.25
(Steel Talons - Admirals Office - Admiral Robert LoDona - 2310)
Robert's face was a scowl as he slammed his fist into the table. The metal of his implants clicked ominously against the holo-table and the man standing with him looked over, his face just as grim.
"There is nothing more we can do for the moment," he finally said. "Dismissed, report back to the 'Watch."
"Sir," the man said quietly as he departed.
Robert remained standing before the map, which showed the Strategic situation as far as the 52nd was concerned. All other fleets that had signed on were far enough away that they couldn't provide any assistance to his position; all of them were doing their own general thing. One fleet had even folded already, it's Admiral in Command having been over-thrown by several of his aides.
He shook his head as he shut the map down, his lines were as strong and mobile as they were going to be for the time being. Most everyone had a lot to learn about guerilla-style fighting. The doors opened behind him, and only the hint of light perfume indicated who it could be. He turned on his heel, slowly, to behold the Captain of the Talons. "Captain," he said to the bajoran woman. She was every inch the warrior, as it should be considering the Talons had been a combat vessel long before he'd had it retro-fitted to be his headquarters and Flagship. Considering the nature of their missions, he had retained her as Captain and kept the weapons-systems on the ship untouched. He expected they would trade torpedoes before too long.
She stopped just before him and put her hands behind her back. She wasn't old, but had just enough age to remember older friends and family fighting Cardassians and their Occupational army before liberation. Her religious ear-piece was simple, her bearing was completely military. She took nothing from anyone that wasn't deserved; it was lucky she was good at what she did and required very little correction. Robert, a long-time warrior himself, was glad to have her aboard.
"Admiral," she said simply. "We have a date."
The Admiral's eyebrows flared slightly, though one raised slightly higher then the rest as he looked at her in askance.
"You've been on duty far to long, you're abilities as a Strategic Commander is going to be useless if you don't unwind, and get some sleep, in that order." Her own eyebrow quirked ever so slightly, her face was relaxed but her posture booked no argument. Robert didn't feel like giving it to her, in either case, he realized he had been working too long without enough breaks. Such was the nature of war, however.
"Then by all means, Captain, let's unwind. I assume you have a destination in mind?"
(Steel Talons - Ten Forward - Robert LoDona & Noël Rhia - 2340)
Robert took a sip of his drink... the bartender called it something absurd, it was Andorian and phonetically sounded something like 'hammered dawn'... and carefully put it back on the table. Ten-Forward was hopping and lively, even if two dour battle-commanders happened to be in the room (or perhaps, in spite of it).
"So you were saying," she said in continuing. "That it felt like a cold liquid running through your veins?"
Robert had never fully gotten over the memory of his partial assimilation. It was a morbid subject to be speaking about while they were supposed to be relaxing, but neither had ever pulled punches. With his hand still wrapped around the mug, he nodded soberly. "It can't accurately be described. They surged through my system, and I could feel some of the changes they made to me."
He shrugged. "I was lucky."
She was about to answer when the Captains communicator chirped. =^=Captain to the bridge, multiple bogies departing the river and in route for our position! They are confirmed as Starfleet, but they aren't ours, and they aren't broadcasting as friendlies!=^=
The Bajoran was on her feet in an instant calling for red alert and all hands to battle-stations. In one shocked instant, everyone who had heard the communication was already on the move.
"Oh God, LoDona to fleet communications!" he bellowed as the ship came to Red Alert.
-/\-Sir!-/\-
"Get on the horn and pull the 225th Tactical Wing to the coordinates of the incoming battle group, along with a general battle call to anything else in the area, Move it!"
-/\-Siryessir!-/\- and the line broke off.
There were 24 ships in the 225th, which was the only Tactical Wing anywhere near Geneva, simply because they were in for repairs at the shipyard. There were a handful of other ships, maybe, that could join the fight.
Everyone was moving around them, officers and crew going to their battle-stations mostly. He broke off from the Captain so he could go to the Office, he wasn't needed to fly the ship, but he had to coordinate the attack with all the other Captains. Besides, he had to figure out just how Doenitz had snuck a battle-group past his sensor nets. He ran into his office just behind a few others of his staff. Strategic Operations, his Marine Divisional Commander, Tactical Command planners, and various other aides.
"Get real-time communications up with the 225th and all the stragglers!" he bellowed, "And warn every ship in the fleet, warn em that Doenitz is slipping in ships somehow and to be on their toes!"
"Yes Sir!" said one of the underling Stratops personnel.
"Sir, the Trident is reporting her warp drive as in-operational, taken down at the yards for repair. It won't be up for at least five hours."
"Which is just about the time we make contact," LoDona mused as he came up to the planning table. "Alright, have her fall back." He folded his hands and looked at the map. "Numbers?"
"Thirty ships Sir, Various classes, but they tend towards cruiser and battle-cruiser."
That wasn't good; not considering that half of the 225th's strength was Destroyer or Frigate. They were smaller ships mostly, part of the exploratory fleet before this mess. They had other ships around though, they would come up about even in fire-power, not the least of which because the Talons herself was en-route, along with the Firebrande and the Night's Watch and some other heavy-hitting ships that were near Geneva or the Shipyards for various reasons.
"Alright, let's get a battle-plan together people. We've got slightly over five hours before contact."
~So much for rest.~
Stardate: 2406.11.26
(Steel Talons - Admiral's Quarter, Admirals War Room - Robert LoDona - 0834)
Red Alert blinkers were still going off, though Robert had the sound long-since disabled within his quarter. He rubbed his eyes, and as if that was a herald, a moment later the ship stood down to yellow alert.
"Sir, we've grabbed the Indifference, her captain just surrendered to our boarding parties." said one of his aides, in as tired a voice as he himself felt.
Robert took the PADD proffered him, "Transfer over a prize crew from the..." he looked at another PADD, "The Nighthawk, and escort her under guard with the others."
"Yes Sir." came the weary response, and the PADD was taken from him. He sat back in the chair and looked at the room-monitor. Of the original 32 ships that had gone into battle on his side, fourteen had been destroyed. OF the enemy ships, five had been captured, two had managed to escape... the rest had been destroyed or were life-less hulks that -possibly- could be retrieved later. There was still an active boarding party on one, but with the bulk of fighting over, more marine and security teams had been beamed over. CE's had disabled her self-destruct; it was only a matter of time. Six new ships to cover fourteen, whatever Doenitz had done to sneak this battle-group in was effective. They couldn't fight like this for very long.
"Sir, we are getting a transmission from the 'Watch, Lee requesting visual communications."
The Admiral nodded and turned to his wall-screen. The image that came on was one he had come to know well, the long, carefree face of Rich Lee. Currently however, Lee wouldn't win any prizes for masculine beauty. His face was covered in soot, there was at least one blown out console within LoDona's visual range. He had a small cut over one eye, but it didn't look serious. The Night's Watch was a Keltoi class ship, a born Tactical Battle Cruiser; she had been in the thick of fighting... Stratops Command ship or not. Lee's expression, LoDona noted, as utter stone.
-/\-Sir, we've just gotten more transmissions from assets inside the Federation. There are two more battle-groups en-route, and at least two fleets are assembling.-/\-
Robert's own face went to stone as Lee continued, -/\-They made it official, Admiral. We're traitors, this is a Civil War. Earth has been placed under martial law and the fleet is being 'purged' of traitors to the cause. They are also launching something interesting, there have been whispers among the echelon about something called 'Operation Mystery Train'. Ill advise you to that when I have more information, its being kept curiously quiet, it might have something to do with out this group snuck in.-/\-
Fleet Admiral LoDona's eyes closed on their own accord. This is what he had hoped to avoid, now it -was- a civil war, not a quasi-military action. And in the resulting political chaos, Doenitz would be able to achieve total control. Thousands, Millions maybe, would die within the next year.
-/\-And there is more, Admiral. Three Klingon ships are en-route to our position. One Negh-va, two vor-cha.-/\-
Robert groaned, "Dare I ask..."
-/\-Nothing more is known, Sir-/\-
"Very well," he tapped a button on his desk, "LoDona to Captain Rhia, disengage the cloak, we have visitors coming. Three Klingon ships, heavy hitters all."
-/\-Understood Admiral, Rhia out.--/\-
"Just when things couldn't get worse," he muttered. "Thank you Captain Lee, Talon's out."
He closed the connection and sat back for a brief moment.
"Sir," one of his Stratops people said, "The Klingon Vessels are coming into communications range."
"Put them on screen."
He turned in his chair to a large-size screen hung from the bulkhead. The image of the Klingon Arms appeared on the screen, and then was replaced. =^=Steel Talons, this is IKV Ja'Cho. Ambassador Plak'Ta of Qo'Nos. Requesting permission to beam aboard, once we're close enough.=^=
Robert frowned slightly, "Be advised, Ambassador, you are entering a combat area. You are welcome to come aboard, but be aware of your safety."
The Klingon waved disdainfully, -/\-You've cleaned up this mess, I've no fear for my immediate future. Ill be there in ten minutes, Ja'Cho out.-/\-
The screen blinked off, leaving the federation Seal on the screen. In that moment, it struck Robert as almost humorous, claiming the Great Federation Seal as his own. The amusement washed away a moment later when a PADD was thrust into his realm of vision. "Sir, updated casualty reports."
Robert took them and turned back to the room. "Very well, contact the appropriate people on the ship and make ready for an Ambassadorial visit... here, now." He frowned again, this was no time to be entertaining Ambassadors. The war had just taken a major upscale, he had plans to make.
(Steel Talons - Transporter Room 2 - Robert LoDona - 0848)
The image of a Klingon with entourage beaming onto his ship wasn't one of the strangest things he had seen, but considering the circumstances and the timing... he was willing to put it well within the top five.
"Ambassador, welcome to the Steel Talons. My apologies for the minimal welcoming committee, we are still on full battle alert."
The Klingon, who had both hands on his belt (and close to weapons), nodded. "I am a man of battle, Admiral. I don't need fancy ceremony." He stepped off the PADD with his entourage, "Steel Talons, mmmm, a fine name, it rolls off the tongue and drips strength; even in your watered down Starfleet common tongue. And she did fine; we watched a good portion of the battle to see how you would fare. Our Chancellor is most interested in your little rebellion."
In the game of diplomacy, Plak'Ta had pretty much slapped down with the word 'rebellion' that LoDona's fleet was in the wrong. The Federation had a great many treaties with the Klingon Empire; such a distinction could mean the 52nd's death.
The Fleet Admiral gestured to the door, "I can assure you we didn't do this for our health," he said as the door opened. "This is our last stand against the true traitor in the fleet."
"So your propaganda says, Admiral." The Klingon agreed, "I've been sent to ascertain your part in this, and the validity of the statements you made. As well, there is a certain man in your employ that my Chancellor wishes to speak too."
Robert said nothing for a moment, though he finally said; "You've come to decide if your obligations to Starfleet include wiping out a rebel band of ships and their commander."
"Very astute, Admiral."
It was better then nothing, they hadn't decided to do so out of hand. That, at least, was a start.
Plak'Ta further surprised him by saying, "In the mean time, I'm to give you every aid my ships can afford without utterly compromising my safety." His tone indicated how well he intended to follow the last part of that statement, but it was still surprising as hell. Robert looked over, long years keeping the shock from his face.
The Klingon almost grinned, "I love long odds, they make glorious songs."
(Written by Trout)
