09-30-2025, 11:30 PM
"Shuttlecraft Aura is prepped and ready to disembark whenever you...uhm, we,...are ready Lieutenant."
Mara nodded to Hally, and then looked around and did a quick mental head-count. She hadn’t been expecting 2 Engineers but she also wasn’t going to turn away Omdor’s experience and expertise. It would have been all too easy to let herself get unsettled and insecure at the prospect of leading a team consisting of so many officers who technically outranked her, but the Security Chief was made of sterner stuff than that.
“OK, we’re all here. Listen in please, because I’m not goin’ over this again,” she said with a feral grin. “And don’t judge me for how I gotta talk to make sure everyone understands me for the briefin’.”
She beckoned Pearson over with the holo-projector, and at her touch it sprang into life with a representation of the base on the planet below. 3 buildings inside a compound fence, and another half-finished shell on the other side of the barrier.
When Mara spoke, her accent had disappeared. From the expression of distaste she wore, she wasn’t happy about it, but she understood the need to be clear and concise.
“This is where we’re going. If the planet has a name, it’s not on record. But what it does have is a Dominion-era cloning facility,” she began. “Evidence collected from the freighter qoH indicates that this facility is producing Vorta and Cardassian clones, and it’s under Klingon control. Our mission is to infiltrate it and find out who’s really calling the shots. Are the Dominion making a comeback, or do we have a rogue Klingon faction that’s just got lucky?”
Calleja pointed to the buildings of the compound as she spoke.
“These 3 buildings inside the compound are all Dominion constructed and date back to the Dominion war. Scans indicate that we’ve got a barracks here, the cloning facility itself here, and the pen where the clones are held here. The building outside the compound is much more recent and it’s a Klingon construction, but it’s not even half-finished yet.”
Mara paused to give everyone time to take in what she’d said.
“For my many, many sins, the Captain has asked me to lead the away team. We’re to go in via shuttle whilst Artemis covers our approach. I want to put that Klingon shell between us and the base itself, try and keep the shuttle out of sight as much as possible. We have 2 Security officers carrying powered cutters and a sapper so that we can breach the fence. Once we’re in, we split into 2 teams.”
She looked up, dark eyes moving from person to person.
“Team 1 is under my direct command. We’re going into the building where they’re keeping the clones, because that’s where we believe the command centre is. Coming with me are Omdor, Han, Maxas-Darl, Svenson, Howland and Vedlar. Team 2 is under LCdr Miller’s command and is going to the clone lab. That’s Miller, Devereaux, Mayfair, Yordan, Pearson, Coyn and Partik. Each team has a fluent Klingon speaker. Team 1, that’s me. Team 2, that’s Partik.” Calleja nodded to the male Klingon hybrid stood next to Miller.
“Everyone needs to be equipped with full tactical armour and a weapon. If you’ve got your phaser certifications, you get a type II. If you don’t, you get a type I. The armour is equipped with experimental tech to mask our lifesigns from casual scans, but we don’t know how effective it will be so time is of the essence. We need to be in, out and gone as fast as possible. If we get in a fight, follow the orders from the Security team and get out of the way. We will bring you all back. Help us do that by not trying to be the hero. I’m authorising kill shots because the priority is the mission and a swift evac back to the shuttle. Keep open comms between the two teams and if either finds the answer to our questions, we leave immediately.”
Calleja paused again.
“Does anyone have any questions? Now’s the time to speak up. Please don’t be afraid to ask if you’re unsure. I’d rather you say something now before we get down there.”
She turned to the odd Security officer out.
“Sansum, you’re sitting this one out, sorry for getting your hopes up,” she said. “Can you contact Okehampton and start getting the armour and weapons down here.”
With the evidently disappointed CPO moving away and contacting the Security Office, Mara looked back at the assembled officers.
== Tags all! The experimental armour tech was cleared with the Captain earlier. ==
Mara nodded to Hally, and then looked around and did a quick mental head-count. She hadn’t been expecting 2 Engineers but she also wasn’t going to turn away Omdor’s experience and expertise. It would have been all too easy to let herself get unsettled and insecure at the prospect of leading a team consisting of so many officers who technically outranked her, but the Security Chief was made of sterner stuff than that.
“OK, we’re all here. Listen in please, because I’m not goin’ over this again,” she said with a feral grin. “And don’t judge me for how I gotta talk to make sure everyone understands me for the briefin’.”
She beckoned Pearson over with the holo-projector, and at her touch it sprang into life with a representation of the base on the planet below. 3 buildings inside a compound fence, and another half-finished shell on the other side of the barrier.
When Mara spoke, her accent had disappeared. From the expression of distaste she wore, she wasn’t happy about it, but she understood the need to be clear and concise.
“This is where we’re going. If the planet has a name, it’s not on record. But what it does have is a Dominion-era cloning facility,” she began. “Evidence collected from the freighter qoH indicates that this facility is producing Vorta and Cardassian clones, and it’s under Klingon control. Our mission is to infiltrate it and find out who’s really calling the shots. Are the Dominion making a comeback, or do we have a rogue Klingon faction that’s just got lucky?”
Calleja pointed to the buildings of the compound as she spoke.
“These 3 buildings inside the compound are all Dominion constructed and date back to the Dominion war. Scans indicate that we’ve got a barracks here, the cloning facility itself here, and the pen where the clones are held here. The building outside the compound is much more recent and it’s a Klingon construction, but it’s not even half-finished yet.”
Mara paused to give everyone time to take in what she’d said.
“For my many, many sins, the Captain has asked me to lead the away team. We’re to go in via shuttle whilst Artemis covers our approach. I want to put that Klingon shell between us and the base itself, try and keep the shuttle out of sight as much as possible. We have 2 Security officers carrying powered cutters and a sapper so that we can breach the fence. Once we’re in, we split into 2 teams.”
She looked up, dark eyes moving from person to person.
“Team 1 is under my direct command. We’re going into the building where they’re keeping the clones, because that’s where we believe the command centre is. Coming with me are Omdor, Han, Maxas-Darl, Svenson, Howland and Vedlar. Team 2 is under LCdr Miller’s command and is going to the clone lab. That’s Miller, Devereaux, Mayfair, Yordan, Pearson, Coyn and Partik. Each team has a fluent Klingon speaker. Team 1, that’s me. Team 2, that’s Partik.” Calleja nodded to the male Klingon hybrid stood next to Miller.
“Everyone needs to be equipped with full tactical armour and a weapon. If you’ve got your phaser certifications, you get a type II. If you don’t, you get a type I. The armour is equipped with experimental tech to mask our lifesigns from casual scans, but we don’t know how effective it will be so time is of the essence. We need to be in, out and gone as fast as possible. If we get in a fight, follow the orders from the Security team and get out of the way. We will bring you all back. Help us do that by not trying to be the hero. I’m authorising kill shots because the priority is the mission and a swift evac back to the shuttle. Keep open comms between the two teams and if either finds the answer to our questions, we leave immediately.”
Calleja paused again.
“Does anyone have any questions? Now’s the time to speak up. Please don’t be afraid to ask if you’re unsure. I’d rather you say something now before we get down there.”
She turned to the odd Security officer out.
“Sansum, you’re sitting this one out, sorry for getting your hopes up,” she said. “Can you contact Okehampton and start getting the armour and weapons down here.”
With the evidently disappointed CPO moving away and contacting the Security Office, Mara looked back at the assembled officers.
== Tags all! The experimental armour tech was cleared with the Captain earlier. ==