Klingons and Conspiracies - Part I

Posted on Thursday March 31st, 2022 @ 12:29am by Lieutenant Commander Curzon Bennett

Mission: EPISODE 1: SHAKEDOWN
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: MD04 1615

On:

Jason had a pad in one hand and yet another coffee in the other, the captain had requested a follow up on the Klingon movement and order of battle, for the lack of a better term. Jason had spent the time away from sick bay buried deep in the latest reports from the last 30 plus days, despite this there was no real patterns, well too the untrained eyes. Jason had also had time too look over his CO's file, while extensive and even had an extensive service record within intelligence. Jason looked around as he waited for the turbo lift, a maintenance crew was finishing up something a few meters away, Jason played ignorant but he concluded it was a scheduled check of the ODN systems or something to do with power. The hiss of the doors opening interrupted his thoughts. "Bridge," Jason grunted.

The chirps and whistles of the computer followed by the magnetic noises of the lift beginning it's ascent through the ship, Jason wondered if the captain knew about the one part of his past, that of was about his brother. Jason had lost track of his brother in the last few weeks, but he knew that there was indications he was somewhere near Bajor or the old DMZ, but that was a massive area. Far as the Federation and Starfleet knew he was missing, but that was a cover for something else. The door hissed open, Jason again stepped on the bridge, he looked toward the command chair only to see the watch officer sitting there, he looked too his left and walked too the door for the ready room depressing the door chime.

'Enter,' Bennett called as he looked at the chrono built in to his desk. Must be our Chief Intelligence Officer, he thought earlier than expected too. He had had a satisfying working lunch with the transporter captains, and was feeling drowsy. An intelligence briefing, long his area of expertise, would do him the world of good.

'Enter!' he called out.

Jason entered the ready room, "Reporting in sir, along with the Klingon movement reports and the other information that you requested." he spoke, he saw a mild haze probably from a rather large meal "I also have two more updates on Romulan movement that were available."

Getting to his feet, Bennett smiled, 'excellent, then - please take a seat on the sofa or chair.' HIs Ready Room was big enough to accommodate a small area for more relaxed discussions. It had the advantage of being in front of a wall mounted viewer. There were various shelves and alcoves around the space, but they were bare. Bennett knew that many Commanding Officers had keepsakes from previous tours there, but he had yet to accumulate anything to place there. He had however put down a luxurious Persian rug under the coffee table. 'A drink?'

"Just a coffee, semi-sweet," Jason said then looked down at his notes, "The Klingons have only added one ship to our mission area, The Tr'ag, no biography on the commander Vor'Cha class fourth generation is the only data we have at the moment." Jason figured getting the point was in order.

'A Vor'Cha class vessel?' Bennett wondered around, heading to the replicator and ordering two sweetened black coffees and bringing them over to the coffee table, placing one in front of where the Intelligence Officer had set up. The Captain himself settled in the armchair, and crossed his legs as he observed Elliott, 'and that's to supplement the two squadrons of Birds of Prey the Minor Houses have patrolling the area?'

"Modern ships don't normally, that is to say, ones this fresh out of the ship yards get frontline deployment, so this is abnormal." Jason said as he adjusted his sitting to get comfortable.

'Is it Imperial Navy, or a House vessel?' Bennett quirked an eyebrow thoughtfully, 'even Great Houses have limited resources. Pressing a Vor'Cha cruiser into service this quickly is ... troubling as you say.'

"For the moment we'll call it aggressive posturing, usually new ships rarely get deployed this deep especially ones as new and advanced as this rarely leave Kronos let alone with a full crew, I'm still working up a details package on the commander, but this ship is not house its definitely navy, even has naval markings from the long range images that I've reviewed so far." Jason paused too drink the coffee "There is one red flag with this ship, it's significantly more heavily armed."

'Can we confirm if it's Klingon Intelligence?' Bennett asked, making a note on his PADD. 'I'd like to know. And those Birds of Prey, there should be two squadrons of three out there somewhere- local Houses?'

"Klingon intelligence rarely use anything larger than D'kora class maybe older Bri'el class so that can be scratched off the list, the local houses who have territory in the area far as we know don't have anything this new, this is where it gets sticky, there's been some friction between Kronos and the locals which might indicate that there's more in play than we know. I'm throwing lines in the proverbial water too see if I can flesh out some specifics, I have reached out to a liaison from the Empire but that could take time."


[To be Continued ...]

::OFF::

Lieutenant Commander Curzon Bennett
Commanding Officer
USS Oberon

Lieutenant Jason Elliot
Chief intelligence officer
USS Oberon