Chapter 5: Game Plan (part 3)

Chapter 5: Game Plan (part 3)

Captain’s Log. Stardate 5721.3

Having just met with Captain Turrah for the second and final time before our departure, we are now only moments away from what should be the final part of our journey to Khii. The Romulan commander and I have negotiated a rather convoluted pathway to get to our destination… and like the rather erratic flight of a butterfly, it should make it virtually impossible for an adversary to predict where we will be at any given moment during our voyage. There is also a greater level of preparedness and support that I sense with the Blackwing shadowing our movements and providing additional offensive and defensive capabilities if needed.

An encrypted memo outlining all of the events that have transpired since our last transmission in addition to our warning about the direct involvement of Sela according to the deciphered message from the Leahal were sent to Admiral Kelek on Starbase 39. We have yet to receive a reply from the Admiral or anyone from the Starbase.

All departments have reported system-wise they are in optimal status. Tactical teams have completed multiple rounds of training exercises in rigorous military-like style with all departments and all shifts. Security teams have swept through the entire ship and through all personnel records to ensure that no additional internal surprises emerge at any time through the remainder of this journey. We are primed for this last leg of our excursion, yet an ominous cloud of peril continues to hover over my head. I can’t seem to shake it off and no matter how prepared we appear to be, it just doesn’t seem to be enough to allow it to dissipate.

Sterling walked out of his Ready Room and headed back to the main bridge. He walked over to the helm station and addressed the Romulan helm officer.

“Sub lieutenant Falcar,” Sterling spoke in low and quiet tone “We are modifying our path to our destination. We will be following a series of unusual course variations that will be revealed in segments. This is part of our advanced security protocols and therefore you are not to reveal anything about our coordinates to anyone at anytime. Here is the first course segment along with a specified warp speed. Follow these precisely Mister Falcar, and as we approach the conclusion of this part, the next segment will be revealed to you. Based on what we have experienced so far during this journey, I’m sure that you can understand why we are implementing these additional precautions.”

"Yes, Captain." Falcar began tapping his console, and entered the first of many courses.

The Captain then turned around and stated to Commander Hartzer “Thank you for minding the store Number one… please assume your position at the Ops station.

The Sigma Iotian First Officer immediately stood up and acknowledged the Captain’s comment and subsequent order with a “Yes Sir!” as she tipped her hat in respect and stepped down and over to her Ops station.

Captain Sterling sat down in the center seat and after a moment of visually scanning around the bridge, engaged the ship-wide communication switch.

“Crew and dignitaries of the USS Icarus…” Sterling allowed a brief pause before he continued.

“We are mere moments away from embarking toward the final destination of this mission. You have worked tirelessly yet efficiently throughout this journey. I commend you all for the dedication and teamwork demonstrated throughout every challenge we have faced and overcome thus far.”

Sterling allowed the last statement to linger in suspension for a moment before he proceeded.

“But our work is not yet finished. I need all of you to remain vigilant to your highest capacity as we continue on our voyage. Everyone is to maintain communication silence from this point forward. We must do everything within our power to make this journey and this mission a success.”

After a deep reflective breath, Sterling concluded with “All hands… stand ready for departure. Captain out.”

* * *

Sa'arvik studied the communique closely, noting especially the reference to warp fields.

The logs from the sensor stations along the Federation Neutral Zone had been delivered minutes before by the arriving first air wing commander, Centurion T'lan. Of particular interest were the three warp signatures recorded at the Leahal battle, not two. A simple diagnostic would give Sa'arvik much information toward the identity of this mysterious third combatant at that engagement.

Sending the information to his security officer, the aged captain of Rhihansu's newest acquisition to the Empress's fleet, the IRW Sienae, ordered the ship underway once again. The first air wing's arrival completed his fighter complement and he was anxious to see these new craft. Unlike the second wing; a complement of Reman Scorpion class fighters, these newest fighters were actually part of the Sienae's original complement, were five times the size of a Scorpion and were warp capable fighters carrying over a dozen crew. Sa'arvik was confident in his crew's training on these new fighters, and their eventual blooding was not far away.

"T'lan, ready your ships for launch in pairs.We will set up a blockade and allow the enemy to announce themselves. I will be down shortly to see you off."

As the Centurion saluted and turned to comply, Sa'arvik turned his thoughts inward to once again go over his orders from his Empress, given to him in person by Sela herself. They caused him some grief at their ruthlessness, but ultimately, he agreed with the planned outcome. The Romulan empire must survive in it's own right, not as a pawn of the Federation and it's lackeys, the Thaessu who mistakenly consider themselves equals of the Rhihansu race.

* * *

Shortly after the Icarus and the accompanying Blackwing were underway on their first in a series of elaborate paths toward Khii, a coded subspace message arrived to the Icarus.

The Half-Orion, Half-Human Counselor Ray Pasqual operating the communications station notified the Captain of the awaiting classified message.

After masking a somewhat perplexed expression, Sterling notified the Counselor “I’ll take this message in my Ready Room.” He then signaled for Commander Hartzer to resume her spot in the center seat while he addressed this confidential communiqué.

Walking back into his ready room, he sat down into his leather chair. After completing the formalities of computerized security checks and passing the retinal scan, the likeness on the viewscreen changed from a blue UFP logo to the live image of a large bearded Klingon who he recognized as the newly promoted Captain Duron aboard the recently damaged Vor’cha-class Battlecruiser the IKS WovHaqtaj. The figure of the tall and threatening-looking warrior was indeed menacing, but Sterling assumed that the reason for this discussion was anything but hostile; at least toward him.
After the preliminary salutations and conversation was concluded, the Klingon Captain jumped right to his reason for contacting Sterling.

“I’ve been notified by the Klingon counsel that your Federation contacted them in regards who was responsible for attacking my ship... and Sterling... I have got a score to settle with that Romulan bitch …for what she and her and her spineless lackeys did to my ship and my crew… especially killing my former Captain and our Chief Medical Officer.”

The rage that emanated from Captain Duron’s appearance was as palpable as his harsh words and the intensity of their inflection.

“By explicit authorization directly from the counsel, I’ve just taken over as temporary Captain of the Negh'Var… while the WovHaqtaj is in spacedock undergoing extensive repairs… and this badass warship was just recently refurbished and upgraded with the most advanced weaponry in existence… along with an extensive inventory of defensive modifications.”

Duron was clearly postured for retaliation and was now thoroughly equipped to bring his intention into fruition. Sterling recalled that the Negh'Var warship was among the largest and most deadly class starship known to operate in the Klingon Empire.

“Initially, I didn’t give a damn about your mission of mercy Sterling,” Duron confessed “however despite my original indifference, and while my ship is being restored back to fighting condition, I will assist you with destroying any more of Sela’s scumbag pahtaks who dare to interfere and strike again.”

This wasn’t an offer; it was more of a declaration.

Then with an intense sinister expression he growled “If only I could get my hands around the scrawny neck of that verengan Ha'DIbaH…” and Duron held his hands and motioned the clinching of his fingers as if he was actually strangling the neck of this imagined Ferengi dog named Sela.

Then after a silent moment of lingering hatred, Duron composed himself somewhat and continued with his scheme.

After this, the two Captains conversed back and forth, and a plan was eventually hatched to implement a meticulously coded and designed rendezvous point. Even though Sterling initially didn’t want to run the risk of arranging another meeting point or cause an ensuing war, Duron and he worked out an arrangement that wouldn’t be solely vengeance-based or delay the mission by much additional time, and ultimately provided their operation with the tremendous benefit of having another powerful ally to accompany them. This alone would be worth any perceived inconvenience.

Just as they were concluding their discussion, a signal came in from the bridge. Sterling ignored it in an attempt to complete his conversation with Duron, but the signal persisted. Finally in a bit of exasperation he engaged the switch.

“What is it?”

“Sir, you have an urgent call coming in from Captain Terrah.”

When it rains it pours Sterling thought to himself and then stated “Request Captain Terrah to hold for a few moments while I conclude my other conversation.” Sterling didn’t wait for a reply and instead just disengaged the communications switch.

He swiftly finished his conversation with Captain Duron and then engaged the awaiting call from Terrah.

Captain Terrah notified Sterling that they need to meet again immediately and invited him to transport over to the Blackwing. Sterling agreed and then began to make preparations for heading over to the D’Deridex-class Romulan warbird.

After notifying Hartzer, Archer and Pasqual briefly and confidentially of his communication with Captain Duron and his upcoming meeting in person with Captain Terrah aboard the Blackwing, Sterling headed down to transporter one.

Sterling made arrangements to beam directly into what would be considered the equivalent to the Blackwing’s Ready Room and moments later he re-materialized several meters away from the Romulan commander.

After a moment of informalities, they each sat down and the Romulan commander began his dialogue.

“The reason I asked you to meet so promptly Captain is that my chief engineer has just decoded the mission logs of the Leahal.”

Terrah then presented the files on his viewscreen to examine the deciphered information together.

What they were truly surprised to discover as they carefully scrutinized the records was that Sela and her lowly minions were somehow able to obtain accurate readings of the warp fields of each of the damaged vessels; including the Blackwing. They also had readings on the Icarus, which could not have been gathered by the Leahal alone. How they were able to accomplish this they did not know.

“They must have some type of sensors stationed throughout this region… those cowardly bastards.” muttered Captain Terrah as he perused through all of the information in the Leahal’s decoded files.

Sterling then began to formulate a game plan to compensate for this dangerous situation.

“All right” Sterling began. “We can possibly balance out this temporary advantage that these adversaries now hold.”

He thought again for several minutes and then proceeded.

“First, we’ll remodulate the plasma injectors to suppress both ships overall warp signatures. Second, we’ll realign Icarus's warp coils to reproduce a faux warp signature of… let’s say a Valdore class vessel and the Blackwing’s coils to reproduce an imitation warp signature of a Romulan class science vessel. Then we’ll modify the alignment of both ships again just prior to reaching each subsequent course variation. This way if they are somehow still able to read warp coils signatures, they won’t know what ship they are actually detecting. We’ll keep the signatures off of all displays and restricted to our command authorization codes, just as our course variation ciphers are stored”

Sterling thought for an additional moment and then declared “We could also launch a succession of modified unmanned probes that would be able to send out a series of neutrino emissions once they are dispatched… which could also emulate additional fake warp signatures… creating even more false leads and targets.”

As the plans and preparations volleyed back and forth, Sterling offered another proposal that just came to mind.
“We could also modify and prepare multiple shuttles on both ships with increased weaponry and other tactical improvements. We could get these small vessels battle ready with designated crews trained with simulated battle plans and offensive strategies… should the need arise to expand our offensive and defensive line.”

Captain Terrah just grinned as he noted “You are a rather ruthless strategist and tactician for a captain who is on this mission of peace Captain Sterling.”

“What can I say” Sterling responded with a bit of a smirk, "I’m just not one to turn the other check when a bully comes around; especially one that hides and attacks from the shadows!”

Terrah nodded in agreement “Indeed.”

“Defensively, we should also be prepared to modulate our shield frequencies at random intervals” Terrah added in.

“Agreed” Sterling replied.

Once this section of the meeting concluded, Sterling informed Terrah of his contact and conversation with Duron. At first, Captain Terrah was adamantly opposed to having the enraged Klingon join in on this mission.

“That Klingon lunatic will jeopardize this mission and our safety! Plus this imposition will delay our journey even longer… which neither of us can afford!”

Once the passion of the Romulan commander began to settle down, Sterling seized the opportunity to take his time and calmly discussed the tactical advantages of having Duron and his imposing ship on their side during any potential confrontation.

Sterling then explained that the rendezvous with theNegh'Var would be just beyond their second stage of their planned out course changes. This would not affect their intended route, but instead temporarily reduce their warp speed to allow time for the Klingon Warship to meet up with them. Fortunately, the Negh'Var was already travelling at high warp in their direction when Captain Duron contacted Sterling.

Eventually, Captain Duron yielded to the prospect that having such an impressive additional firepower accompanying them would actually make them that much more of a formidable force to be reckoned with. Terrah even smiled toward the end of their meeting contemplating this outlook.

After Sterling arrived back on the Icarus, he scurried up to the bridge and summoned Hartzer, Archer, Pasqual and Hanson to follow him to the Ready Room. He had quite a bit of information to share with them and a lot of new plans to implement in a very short period of time. As he imparted the offensive and defensive steps that each ship would undergo and why each of these were necessary, he also conveyed that it would be up to his team sitting in this room to determine how these procedures would distributed and successfully accomplished.

Ray listened to his commanding officer's strategic briefing with attention, and waited until he finished with all the details before speaking up what was going through his mind.

''If you would allow me, Captain... I am not the tactical authority here on this ship... but I can speculate some as to the enemy's way of thinking.''

Acknowledging the tactical analysis to Chief Archer with a polite nod, he then explained:

''If our foe can detect us, surely at least the Icarus as she is the only uncloaked vessel here, masking her warp signature to Romulan signals will most assuredly fail in disguising us and in fact will point to us like a torch in the night.''

Exposing flaws in a commanding officer's strategy was not a good way to endear yourself with most of them. But the stakes were too high here for Pasqual to worry about a career he would have ended months ago anyway. And as long as he would be on duty, he would do this duty to his best ability, whatever personal consequence. And he knew Sterling was now quite aware of that...

And so he elaborated:

'' I must remind you that, by virtue of the Treaty of the Neutral Zone, no Romulan ship whatsoever is allowed in Federation Space; the Blackwing and her escort were the only ones allowed, on a precise authorized plan and only for the purpose of getting ambassador D'Tan on board the Icarus. So, if I was the commander of an enemy ship, I would immediately recognize this Romulan signal as a fake that only us, his intended target, would benefit from... or think us as being the Blackwing herself, nullifying incidentally any surprise advantage from her being with us under cloak.''

Letting a moment of silence pass so that the Captain could understand what he was getting at, he finished his comment by saying:

''And since we are now purposefully off course, something he will soon guess when his first intercepting attempt will fail, I can tell you exactly where he will pounce on us... because, Captain Sir, if I was him, there would be one place I would be absolutely sure to find the Icarus and at a precise time, since both can't be changed...''

His green thumb pointed to his right.

''He will ambush us at our destination at the appointed time: at Khii, for the Peace Talks.''

Sterling listened attentively to the Counselor’s tactical assessment. After Pasqual had concluded with his thoughts, Sterling responded.

''Thank you Counselor for the tactical appraisal and for also providing me with an opportunity to be more specific. For clarification from what I explained earlier, the masking of the Icarus warp signature to Romulan signals will occur initially during the brief interval while we travel through our first set of coordinates. This will give our engineering team an opportunity to test, tweak and substantiate the effectiveness of our subterfuge. Then we will be switching both of our warp signatures to match that of simple types of Federation vessels; a different class of vessels as we approach each change of coordinates. We will recommend the same course of action to Captain Duron commanding the Negh'Var when we meet up…if he is willing. In addition, both support ships will remain cloaked and strategically positioned within our proximity, but not too close throughout our journey. Then once we have crossed the neutral zone and entered Romulan space, we will be going back to simulating our Romulan signatures once again, to blend in and not stand out so easily… like the torch in the night as you metaphorically articulated Counselor.”

Sterling then thought about the other comments and predictions Pasqual presented.

“Yes in all hope Mister Pasqual our next set of adversaries will find their first attempt at intercepting us resulting in them seizing and ambushing nothing but empty space. But I do not underestimate their tenacity or determination. Also, they may not settle for merely waiting for our arrival at Khii. If the Romulan Star Empire has been notified of Sela’s unauthorized attacks and they’ve addressed these concerns to her, then it is to her best interest personally and politically to prevent us from ever arriving to this planet then it would be having to confront us in the open… figuratively in front of all of the Romulan representatives. Knowing Admiral Kelek, he has probably also requested both air and ground support all around Khii…pending our arrival. Despite her renowned ruthlessness, this could also be a bit of a deterrent for Selea’s forces as well.”

The Captain leaned back in his chair for a moment and tried to gather his thoughts about what he was trying to convey. He then continued.

“Therefore officers of the Icarus, I am presuming that we are going to be engaging in a deadly game of cat and mouse with our unknown adversaries while we are employing any means of cloak and dagger that we can come up with throughout journey to throw them off of our trail as we head indirectly toward out destination. Where they will next strike? We do not know. But it should be our intention to throw them off course and disrupt their game plan in every way conceivable. Counselor Pasqual has attempted to place himself into to the shoes and the mind of our opponents. This is something that we all need to strive to do throughout this remaining mission.”

Sterling paused for a moment and looked around at each officer intently.

“This is obviously not an ideal situation… but it would seem that the stakes will run higher and deadlier the closer we continue to move toward our destination. Therefore, each of you… carefully contemplate this situation… and if any of you have additional recommendations that we could discuss and consider… well now is the time to speak up… as our Counselor has demonstrated.”

The Captain looked around at his officers once again and awaited a response.

''Well I'm no tactician, Captain Sir, the counselor commented with a smirk, but I am an expert in how people think.''

His smile faded quickly however.

Just keep one thing always in mind, Sir, added the Orion hybrid; these are Romulans. To them, dying doing their duty is but a matter of course; all the more if they can take you with them. Only Jem'Hadars dare go as far as they do and with the same decisiveness.''

His eyes fixed the captain steadily.

''Sir, they know we are unto them; they will soon know that we are doing everything to confuse them. But they do know when and where exactly we will end up. With that inbred mindset of theirs and in such circumstances, the easiest and sure way for them to succeed would be quite simple: once we arrive, a ramming attack at maximum warp while cloaked.''

Ray opened his arms and his hands as he explained with a dark tone:

''Too far to be detected, too fast to be fired upon, to sudden to be evaded; there would be no chance of stopping them in time, even if there was the whole of Starfleet and of The Romulan Navy combined at Khii.''

His eyes turned as dark as his voice.

''With Romulans, expect the worst... and then, they will surprise you with worse still. They failed too many times now already and we are making it harder for them even now. They will be desperate. And nothing is more deadly than a desperate Romulan who had vowed to kill you.''

Archer listened to the back and forth between the counselor and the captain with a frown on his face. It was interesting to him to listen to two men, neither of whom was a tactical officer, discuss possible enemy tactics, and friendly responses to them. The Orion was right though, the countermeasures the captain had developed in conjunction with the Romulans might work for a little while...but eventually their adversaries would figure it out. Not only that their enemy almost certainly knew that Starfleet, the Romulan military, and the Klingon Defense Force were hunting them which made them very dangerous indeed. When the counselor mentioned the possibility of a ramming attack Brian's mood shifted...he'd watched the Jem Hadar ram numerous vessels during the Battle of Cardassia Prime and in countless other battles before that. Pasqual was indeed correct, even the mightiest warship was defenseless against a ramming attack.

"The counselor is right," Archer said quietly but firmly "A suicide run would be impossible to defend against. I watched the Jem Hadar effectively wipe out entire squadrons with their suicide runs. Sir, the only solution to prevent such a thing if the subterfuge you're planning doesn't work is to shoot first and ask questions later. If we detect a ship that isn't where it’s supposed to be we need to strike, and disable or destroy it or allow our allies to intercept it to the same end. At the same time, if possible I would recommend that Starfleet set up a tachyon detection grid near Khii...If the Admiral is sending us backup Sir..that is where he needs to send it."

Sterling listened intently as Counselor Pasqual and then chief security and tactical officer Archer each added their individual insights and recommendations to the discussion.

The Captain nodded approvingly to their input yet despondently to the situation as he replied.

“Indeed Counselor… their desperation to succeed in fulfilling their destructive vow coupled with their previous failed attempts to stop us certainly results in the most dangerous of circumstances for all of us.”

Sterling paused despairingly for a moment.

“Yet we are duty bound to proceed.”

Sterling despised the Kobayashi Maru scenario, yet he seems to have found himself facing it once again. He and his team must somehow come up with a way to navigate through this apparent no-win situation.

Basically thinking out loud the Captain then added “Our ship’s limited ability to detect cloaked vessels could very well prove inadequate once we approach the planet and potentially face multiple enemy ships cloaked in various locations.”

He then looked at his tactical officer.

“Regarding your recommendation Lieutenant Commander, I will contact Admiral Kelek on Starbase 39 and see what specifically Starfleet and the Romulan Star Empire can do about setting up a tachyon detection grid along the perimeter of Khii… in addition to any other countermeasures they can manage and arrange.”

Sterling then looked at a projection of a mapped out diagram of the planet Khii on his viewscreen, which he then turned to share the view with his attending bridge officers.

“Since the specific site of the meeting on Khii is still classified and unknown even to us at this point, our adversaries won’t know from which direction and at what latitude and longitude above the planet we will be specifically approaching to beam down our delegates; although obviously not from a straight line from our point of origin. Not that this is of much consolation… but we have to figure out ways to utilize every conceivable advantage that we can possibly envision.”

The Orion shook his head.

Pasqual then added ''Captain Sir, the worse mistake we can make is assuming the enemy is blind to what we do. So far, they managed to call out every single step of this so-called classified operation. Assuming that they would, of all data, ignore the time and place of the meeting is... unwise.''

Shifting around in his chair trying to find a comfortable position that seemed to be eluding him at this time, Sterling finally settled into an acceptable arrangement and continued.

Acknowledging the input from the counselor responded “Which is why we’re striving to be off of the grid in terms of expectations of our location at any given moment. Adding to this premise, it would certainly also be beneficial to somehow present our adversaries with multiple potential targets to stretch their focus as wide as possible so that in the event of prospective ramming ships and other types of offensive strikes, there could be any number of varying erroneous targets drawing their attention. Another consideration for us to dabble with could be having our delegates stowed somewhere other than on the Icarus before we approach the planet. I realize that this is equally risky and basically could be perceived as a violation of our order and mission to personally deliver these delegates… but this is exactly why I’m putting this on the table… we need to be less predictable and more sly.”

The Captain looked sternly at each officer sitting around the table and then exclaimed:

“We need to be cunning beyond expectations! I don’t care if we use illusion or prestidigitation in conjunction with a multitude of other unorthodox tactics… as long as we are able to continuously mix things around like some multifaceted spatial shell game and keep our adversaries off-balance, delayed and unsuccessful from accomplishing their mission as they have so desperately tried to do with ours.”

Sighing, the counselor looked outside by the transparencies at the stars and said:

''I see only one way to off-balance them: run like a bat out of hell and reach our destination sooner than expected... and before they do.''

Again the counselor makes a sound recommendation Sir," Brian Archer said. "Have Falcar put the 'pedal to the metal' and go in fast and hot. I will keep the torpedo tubes loaded, and work on setting up a point defense phaser targeting program. If we didn't have to be at warp I would say we could run tachyon scans ourselves..I know this though Sir, the Romulans are like the Jem'Hadar in that they are not going to stop until we kill them or they kill us. Sela is ruthless, I've read her dossier, and she is ambitious, bloodthirsty, and has no qualms about killing anyone in her way."

'A crude but accurate psychologival assessment, '' approved Ray with a smile. but then he became serious again. ''Mister Archer is certainly the best among us to evaluate our most favorable tactical options while Mister Falcar shows us this piloting prowess that got him to the helm of this ship... and time to see if all that was done to this ship was more than just cosmetics.''

Captain Sterling sat there in his leather chair rather perplexed by the statements agreed upon by each of his officers as he leaned back and mentally toiled to gather and arrange a multitude of thoughts bouncing around in his head.

After several moments, he inquired “So… to clarify… your overall tactical recommendation gentlemen is to charge headlong at full speed to Khii in the hope that we catch them off guard?”
With a raised eyebrow and a look of concern he followed up his interrogative.

“I have no issue with testing the limits of this ship as mentioned, and I’m sure that our allies would have no trouble keeping up with us if we were to implement this procedure. But I am concerned that by heading directly toward our destination at maximum speed that we become a more predictable target for any adversary aiming to intercept us while we are enroute.

Sterling then leaned forward and rested his arms onto the desk.

“Perhaps it appears that I’m being overly cautious in my approach… and maybe I am. But I believe that measured precautions, calculated tactics and unpredictability are fundamental tools that we must utilize to prevail throughout this endeavor... in addition to the implementation of our firepower.”

After another moment of reflection and several really deep breathes, Sterling continued.

“Look… I’m not disregarding your recommendation… if anything I’m trying to evoke additional ideas from each of you. We need to fully use our brains in conjunction with our brawn. If our Romulan adversaries are ultimately going to rely on overzealous desperados willing to ram us upon our arrival, then it will be up to us to plan out and put into action strategic countermeasures to compensate. We’ll have two additional ships nearby as we approach Khii. Surely there are ways to utilize and incorporate their capabilities in addition to any that are put in place by Admiral Kelek’s request as well.”

Captain Sterling then reflected back to the recommendation of his officers and added “Also to shed a bit more light on the limitations of details regarding this summit, due to a number of circumstances, there has not been a specific day let alone time set and provided to anyone for this summit; only a month and a planet. The rest has remained classified and undoubtedly flexible in regards to date, time and specific location. One reason is that no one was certain when we would actually arrive to the planet; including us. The other and even more important reason is due to overall security factors related to this information. Therefore, part of our strategy and opportunity could also include making our recommendations regarding the specifics of the summit itself.”

"As I said Captain, there is no effective defense against a suicide run. Did you see the Jem'Hadar in action Sir? Even expert piloting at impulse speeds likely would only reduce the severity of the damage and at warp..." Archer trailed off and allowed his lack of words to speak to what such an attack would do. " Perhaps we could change the location of the meeting Sir, or in keeping with the theme of subterfuge perhaps we could use the collective intelligence networks of the Klingon Defense Force and Starfleet Intelligence to spread some misinformation, and make it seem as if we've changed the location. Could we convince Starfleet to dispatch another vessel to a different planet? A decoy of sorts? Maybe if Sela thinks we're going somewhere else she will divert her attention. She can't have enough resources to track two vessels."

Brian let himself a moment to think before he continued "My biggest concern is the security of the delegates once we arrive. I would not be surprised if there are people within the Federation who don't want this little endeavor to succeed. If you know your history Sir then you know it was a Starfleet-Klingon conspiracy that almost undid the Khitomer Conference before it began. If it hadn't been for Captain Kirk and Ambassador Spock the Khitomer Accords might not exist. I've been trying to work on security solutions, but there are a lot of variables Sir."

Sterling nodded affirmatively as Archer began to expand the extent and diversity of his recommended tactical techniques.

“Changing the location of the summit itself was a thought I was mulling around in my mind as well, Lieutenant Commander.” Sterling acknowledged as he responded to his chief tactical and security officer’s suggestion.

He continued. “Coupled with additional misinformation by the use of the collective intelligence networks as you suggested Lieutenant Commander, could add to the continued uncertainty and misdirection of our adversaries; a tactic that we should be obliged to sustain.”

The proverbial wheels continued to spin around in the mind of the Captain.

“We also need to continue to perceive and manipulate this shifting circumstantial puzzle like that of the Rubik’s cube mentioned previously. Each time our adversaries believe they are on to our plan, we rotate another axis and present them with a different set of complications.” Sterling deduced as he proceeded with his thoughts.

“As Archer indicated, we may not truly know who to trust; even within the Federation itself. Therefore, we may ultimately need to go off of the grid with our actual procedures yet work through official channels with Starfleet to implement our subterfuge. For example, requesting to have Starfleet dispatch other vessels to various locations in the region along with a series of differing instructions could at least raise the suspicion and attention of Sela and her cohorts as Archer expressed. At the very least it would add additional allies somewhere relatively closer to our region of space.”

Looking intently at each of his officers sitting around the Ready Room desk, Sterling elaborated.

“Based on our experiences so far during this mission, it would seem that having all of these representatives and delegates gathered into one stationary location could regrettably prove to be a disastrous scenario; such as the multitude of events surrounding the Khitomer Accords. However, if we were to consider somehow procuring the Romulan delegates off of the planet itself on our own, we would need to devise a relatively failsafe methodology for accomplishing this risky undertaking without the knowledge or consent of Starfleet or the Romulan Star Empire; not an easy task viewed from any aspect or by any means. But unfortunately as we have seen, playing by the rules apparently just isn’t going to cut it… and perhaps a mobile summit in an undesignated shifting location may be the only recourse to allow the foundation of this process toward peace to finally begin.”

Ray sighed and shook his head.

''Sir, you are the commander of this vessel. The final decision is yours. But I must do my duty as well and so, make you aware that you could be making a serious error in judgment here.''

The Captain quietly inhaled several times in response to yet another negative response from Pasqual. He then turned to face the Counselor as he spoke.

“Considering our current circumstances Counselor, I am open to constructive suggestions as to the 'errors in judgment' which you are referring to regarding the proposed solutions and procedures.”

Before a response was given, Sterling then added “At this point, nothing is cast in stone. These are possibilities and alternatives that we are exchanging within this meeting. Offering additional ideas or modifications to these suggestions could eventually prove beneficial. Condemning ideas without offering potentially viable alternatives merely seems to cycle us back to square one. Yes, the final decision on how we proceed will be mine. Nevertheless, I am trying to construct a feasible game plan here together.”

The Orion almost lifted eyes to the ceiling but refrained himself out of respect for his commanding officer, even if it was obvious by the venom in his voice and the choice of his words that Sterling had no more respect for him than before. He still refused to listen to what he didn't want to hear.

''Respectfully, Sir I did... but you rejected it out of hand with this error in judgment I am referring to. But since you ask, I will explain it. It relies on not one but three things, Captain Sir.''

He lifted fingers as he enumerated his points.

''First, you are treating Romulans as if they were but Humans with pointed ears. This ruthless, merciless approach, this total disregard for life, even their own, this savagery of thought and action, all solely for the sake of duty, is not the act of ''overzealous desperados'' as you say; this is what makes them Rihannsu; This is what it means to be Romulan. It is their fundamental mindset, the core of their being... and has been so for thousands of years, since they left Vulcan to reject Surak's teachings and embrace their emotions and martial spirit. But make no mistake, Captain Sir: they are no more Klingon than they are Human; they are not berserkers lusting for blood and glory for the sake of it. In their ruthlessness, they show all the intelligence, the focus and the thoroughness of their Vulcan cousins on top of it. All that makes them far more efficient and dangerous than you obviously realize.''

He made a pause to let the captain digest the seriousness of it and to prepare him for what he had to say next.

''Second; assuming ignorance from the enemy is the worst mistake one can make. It is obvious our ignorance of things is not shared by them. However they did it, these Romulans did manage to intercept us and our allies at every turn so far. Any secret, any security measure can be countered; Mister Archer here had excellent security measures for this ship and yet, one man almost destroyed it in minutes even before we left. No fault of the chief here; he did not know yet who we were facing. Don't willingly blind yourself, Captain Sir. They might already know exactly where we are, what we will do... but they do know where we are heading... and when we will be there: for the meeting. So, if they want it easy, they are probably rushing to get there and set the trap and patiently wait while we play hide and seek in space.''

He paused just enough to let that sink in also, then resumed his explanation.

''And third; with all your efforts to confuse the enemy, you are confusing everyone but the enemy. I am no Romulan master tactician for sure; but even I would know exactly what to do to stop you: again, rush to the meeting site and ambush you there. You heard Mister Archer's evaluation of the possibility; I could add almost half a dozen ways as well. The best plan is always the simplest... and this is so easy as to paint them as fools if they overlook it. Romulans are no fools, Captain Sir.''

The counselor sighed before concluding:

''Sir, I suspect that all the previous attempts to stop and delay us were calculated so that, if they failed, as they did, they would still provide such time as needed for them to beat us getting there. Romulan ships are slower than ours after all. And consider, Sir, that we are here assuming that they have only one ship left... another dangerous assumption.''

Pasqual frowned suddenly, looking away at the stars through the small window.

''And, come to think of it, instead of running around the cosmos trying to stop one brand new, fast, well-armed capital ship with a few representatives on board, killing all the delegates at Khii would be much more effective and... ''

The eyes of The Orion counselor suddenly widened in sudden insight.

''Sir, they could be doing this right now... and making it look like the Federation planned the whole peace talk as a trap to kill those Romulan delegates. People of the Federation would never beleive so; but Romulans would. Even more if the blame went to our allies; framing the Klingons with an assassination of their hated Romulan enemies would look even more beleivable... and send everyone at each other's throat... while Sela sits back and watch. Typical Romulan ploy.''

He stared again straight at the captain.

''I am sure of it. Whatever their real plan is, it will unfold at Khii, Captain Sir. And it is already in motion as we speak. My... constructive... recommendation still stands, now more than ever: let's get there before they do or, at least, before they are ready to destroy us all... and any hope for peace.''

The mixed messages of the half-Orion Counselor continued as he politely talked down to the Captain again with perceptible disdain; as if Sterling were both ignorant and foolish. He claimed before that Sterling was unwilling to listen to his recommendations; yet ironically he ignored, dismissed or mocked just about every idea, proposal or suggestion that the commander himself presented during the meeting. Meanwhile Pasqual at times sighed and presented several physical expressions of disregard to his statements. They had discussed similar issues during a pivotal meeting previously, so why was this occurring again?

Nevertheless, the Captain persevered in trying to turn this situation around once again.

“Counselor, as you are aware we have a Romulan serving onboard the Icarus as our Helm officer, and another performing as an Ambassador to the Federation in our VIP section, along with the Romulan delegates awaiting our arrival on Khii. Going back through history, we find examples of other Romulans who over the centuries have worked to some degree in conjunction with Federation and other personnel despite a proclivity toward violence due to a fundamental mindset forged after millennia of raging wars and conquests; and despite great personal or at least professional risk to themselves. Through these examples and others, I also recognize the obvious: that not all Romulans are the same. Nevertheless, I do indeed respect the capabilities of our adversaries as I have been pushing to come up with a variety of possible strategies. Yet you imply that I underestimate their cunning adeptness, intelligence, and other aptitudes along with their very nature… in part perhaps because I seek to consider additional options on how we may proceed? You point to my ‘errors in judgment’ and state that I carry on as if our adversaries are perceived by me to be Klingon-like or humans with pointed ears. Seriously?” Sterling asked this rhetorically and therefore did not pursue these accusations any further.

“To clarify another claim, I clearly stated that I wasn’t rejecting your recommendation but instead trying to evoke additional ideas from everyone before proceeding. Going back to your second point, I have not been meeting, contemplating and planning the direction of our mission based on ignorance about Romulan intelligence, efficiency, lethalness, along with their other abilities. However at the same time, I am not going to proceed or limit potential strategies as if they are omniscient and omnipotent. If that were the case, we might as well turn around and head back to Starbase 39… which by the way is not an option.”

After a slight pause Sterling continued. “Our Romulan adversaries have had the advantage up until recently of being able to procure information from perhaps several leaks from within the Federation and other possible sources; possibly Romulan and Klingon. Yet this was used against them when they tried to go after D’Tan and the Blackwing… so again, they are without doubt highly intelligent but not absolutely infallible. This is why I previously suggested that we take matters into our own hands and make our own decisions to ensure that no leaks occur from this point forward.”

Repositioning himself in his chair, the Captain struggled on multiple levels before continuing.

“I certainly concur that all of the previous attempts to stop and delay us were calculated. Perhaps this was also to have us reach the conclusion that we were being stalled with the intention of having us hastily racing to beat them there. Who’s to say that our Romulan adversaries haven’t been present and awaiting our arrival at Khii since before we departed Starbase 39? They may likely be positioned there hoping that we perceive this as a mere race to the finish line. If I were to put myself into their shoes as well, I certainly wouldn’t wait until the Icarus left Starbase 39 to have a presence already there. If so, I’m sure that they would have a not so welcoming prize awaiting us as we rushed to cross the finish line. But in reality, all of this that we have presented is merely conjecture. I am therefore not disagreeing with your assessment of this situation but merely presenting another possibility to consider.”

Shifting gears slightly, Sterling proceeded.

“Your statement Counselor about our adversaries possibly apprehending or killing the Romulan delegates on Khii and making it look like the Federation planned the whole peace talk as a trap unfortunately is quite possible as well. Then framing our allies would indeed really turn this into an interplanetary quagmire. The question is… even if we were to proceed at maximum warp at this very moment to Khii, what will we do once we arrive there?”

He is not ready to command, immediately thought Pasqual with a heavy inner sigh, listening the the emotional ramblings of long winded justifications and contradictions of the captain, blatantly frustrated by seeing his bold, valorous tactics disputed.He takes this all way too personally, again, and not at all professionally... again. Bottomline; he wants his plan applauded and approved, nothing else. He does not discuss; he lectures. He does not seek our counsel; he seeks our admiration. And how dare I dispute his word? I'm just the counselor... and he needs no counsel. never did...

This time he sighed openly.

''You have my recommendation, Sir.''

He looked again straight at Sterling.

''But since again you ask, Captain Sir, I can add this: while this ship would get immediately there to ensure the safety of the delegates from any such ploy as I supposed, escorted discreetly by our cloaked ally out there... we would also ensure the complete safety of the delegates on board.''

And in a few more words he explained his idea.

Straightening up, he then concluded:

''The decision is yours, Captain Sir... and so is all the responsibility.''

As the Captain listened to the counselor speak in a similar tone as before, it was a bit of a contradiction between messages and messenger. The salutations were respectful and crisp, while the tone, body language and statements were essentially peppered with arrogance and impatience. He continued to contemplate this incongruity in his thoughts for a moment longer.

Pasqual in his condescending tone throughout this meeting continued to act as if it was a waste of time to have such a discussion among these bridge officers at all. He conveyed frustration repeatedly as to why we did not just automatically do whatever he recommended…period… and immediately end this pointless meeting… since his strategies were apparently superior to anything others could possibly offer or modify.

Sometime his recommendations were spot on, but at other times his thinking was linear; just like the straight line he was proffering to Khii. It was a paradox on several levels and left ambiguity and conflict in its path. On one hand he postures as if he were the only one to know everything about a species such as the Klingons or Romulans, and at other times acts as if anything they would decide on board would be foolhardy and already known or predicted by their omniscient adversaries… except for his plan apparently.

He presents the CMO as unfit for his position as a doctor, yet as the ship’s counselor his psychological and personnel skills at times are outright aggressive, spiteful and impatient.
This was an unfortunate enigma… especially coming from the ship’s counselor whose professionalism was also at times evident and at other times unclear.

The meeting in the Captain’s Ready Room continued for a while longer as additional ideas and suggestions were eventually presented and discussed. The exchange eventually reached a point where the Captain knew that he would need to contemplate these options and determine this aspect of the final decision on his own.

The meeting was adjourned shortly afterward. While the other officers departed to attend to a variety of obligations, he remained in the Ready Room; to continue working out possible tactical scenarios. That was until he received a message from Falcar notifying him that they were approaching the end of their first section of their journey.

Several moments later, Sterling walked out onto the bridge and presented the helm officer with the next set of encoded coordinates and the change of warp speed. These sets of codes on the PADD were set specifically for Falcar to decrypt and implement.

It would be during this next part of the journey that they would meet up with Duron, the commanding officer the Klingon ship Negh'Var. Sterling needed to have his procedures and alternatives clearly prepared for when this upcoming get-together occurred. Therefore he immediately headed back to his Ready Room.

As he entered back into the room, he took a moment and gazed carefully around its form; the contours of its walls and ceiling and its blatantly unfinished decor. He realized that this area would soon become their makeshift, miniaturized Neutral Zone; a place where they could hopefully overcome their initial conflicts and differences, and perhaps minimize the palpable tension as they discussed tactical plans while they headed toward their destination. Their input could potentially be interesting if not inventive and unique. The most feasible proposals would hammered out between all three Captains; although ultimately since this was his mission and they were there of their own accord to assist, he would be the one to determine the ultimate stratagem.

But before any of this could occur, he would need to devise and set some essential ground rules before all three of them came together into this singular room. Interestingly though, the occurrences of diplomacy and decorum has been prevalently challenging throughout this mission thus far, and yet they weren’t even half way to their destination of the actual summit. This upcoming scenario would certainly be no exception to these already taxing circumstances.

* * *