Mission briefing

It had been twelve hours since their departure from Starbase Lotus when the expected announcement came through the ship's internal channel.

"All senior officers to the main conference room."

Captain Kheren was already there when he voiced the announcement. As usual, he was facing the wide transparency that opened to the warped field of stars receding from them at one hundred and twenty-five times the speed of light, starlight leaving only thin streaks of white accross the infinite blackness. From this position, he discreetly watched as usual the entrance of his officers, noting their attitude, their behavior, their conversation, their facial expression, their stares. It was a habit born out of decades of duelling practice and teaching, in a world where even your mother or your daughter could kill you. Of course there was little risk of such a thing here; nevertheless, Kheren still liked to let people come without immediately feel that they were under the gaze of their commanding officer. A lot could be learned about them this way... about what might come later... and about how he should himself deal with both.

He was not alone in the room. His yeoman was already finishing to prepare the old-style triangular conference table with it's definitely state-of-the-art holographic center display for the twelve people that would sit around it. The Andorian watched her with appreciation for all the work she did for him. On a starship, especially one that could literally act as a small space station, the administrative work alone was a constant full time job; so heavy in fact that it would interfere with the normal responsibilities and activities of a starship commander. Yeomen were standard personnel on Starfleet vessels, but here such an officer was all but indispensable; and Ensign miramanee Blackbird did it with a professional efficiency that completely freed him to be just that which he wanted to be; a starship captain. 

And thanks to her, all was ready for the briefing.

Already being on the bridge and with their preparations long done, several officers entered together; Counselor Lyrya, Chief Flight Officer Aguk Snow and Chief of Operations Thankuun Cheonghi entered, each with a PADD in hand. The Aenar counselor went to sit on the side of the table usually dedicated to the Sciences departments, facing the transparency, while the Inuit man and the Edoan sat on the opposite side, the security and technical department section, facing the wall and the immense screen covering it. The viewer was currently showing in real time their progression throughout the mapped Hromi Sector of Federation Space, including the sensor-recrded postion of every ship, space installation and inhabited planetoid, allied or otherwise.

The command staff, Exec Redding and Strategic Operations Officer Oseno, would sit on the last side with their captain... and of course with the actual leader of the whole mission, Governor Sufra.

Them and the others, held by either distance or last minute responsibilities, would not be long in coming.

And then, they would be joined by the command staff of the USS Phoenix. They would sit on their respective sides also of the table among the Horizon's own senior officers. 

They would all be committed to this. Together.

The Horizon's engineer walked in, PADD in hand. He had just been sent a report starting that Baoule and Blakely still had not solved the Anomaly's turbulence issue, but they had made progress. He would be assisting them after the briefing...assuming nothing more serious happened. He had heard the Governor's comments about the Captain 'relinquishing' command, and reports had surfaced over her intrusion into his ready room after the Deck 5 incident. This, such a simple mission technically and mechanically, would be one of the more strenuous mental missions, S'Tan could tell. 

The engineer sat down at his chair and greeted the officers that were already seated.

Redding along with Governor Sufra entered the room together, apparently finishing a discussion they had started earlier .

"You'll be sitting right over here Governor, next to me." and motioned at a chair.

He glanced up at the captain, paused to look at him staring out the window, his look was one of curiosity. Then he smiled and greeted the other members of the group before sitting down.

The way his first officer guided the governor, Kheren saw that the center seat on the command side of the table would be given to her, with the Execs of both ships between her and the captains. Sisko would sit at the left end beside the Andorian and Oseno, being himself also an acting captain since he commanded the integrated escort vessel of the Horizon, would sit at the far right. THis way, the Federation representative would be given her due honors and able to converse with both ship commands with the Execs positionned to miss nothing... and even to intervene if the discussion became... lively... while the last two most experienced officers at both ends would be able to discreetly observe and even recommend if necessary.

He subtly nodded his approval with his own reflection facing Redding as the large Human glanced at him.

Jureth had made his way to the Horizon's briefing room from the Strategic Operations Center where he and his team had all but finished their plans for assisting the Phoenix in the system mapping mission. The Orion science specialist Ji'lan had gone to the Polaris to work on some sensor modifications and to the briefing with him Jureth had brought the diplomat Adira Yiral, and the intelligence officer Variel Palos. Palos presence wasn't so much necessary as it was an interesting idea. Oseno wanted the brash officer to profile Governor Sufra in person and to observe her in the setting of the official mission briefing. He also wanted Palos to present Starfleet Intelligence profile on Sufra and her people to the captain after the briefing was over. 

As Oseno entered the room followed by his subordinates he noted several officers already present including the ship's XO and of course Captain Kheren standing in the spot that Oseno had seen him in prior to their maiden voyage. Jureth motioned for Yiral and Palos to take seats on the periphery of the room while he moved to his position on the command side of the table and nodded to Commander Redding.

"Commander, ready to tackle the Azimuth Horizon?"

As Jureth waited for the XO's response he thought back to Operation Horizon and everything he and the rest of Lotus Fleet had gone through to try and quarantine the expanding anomaly and literally save the galaxy. Klingons, Romulans, Undine...he hoped this encounter the phenomenon was not nearly so eventful.

"In an odd sort of way I am Jureth" Redding replied. 

"I had vary little to be with the original event if you'll remember." He mused slightly. "I was still considered.. well, not physically fit enough to be in active service." Seeing as he was in his late 80's at the time, but he couldn't relay that in front of the Governor.

"This time around I'll be able to take a more direct hand in events."

Doctor Nasaro-Myth came in  to sit besides the Counselor, nodding and smiling to everyone with his usual charm, even to the captain who's mirror trick before meeting he was all too aware of from his long familiarity with him. He respectfully greeted governor Sufra and his dazzling handsomeness quickly caught her attention. Without even using his pheromones as he used to, he immediately brought her into a state of calm and ease with charming conversation.

Thank you Doc... glad to have you aboard, thought Kheren then.

The main transporter room glowed with an almost rainbow hue as the Phoenix senior staff beamed aboard the flagship of their Fleet. David himself had not been aboard the Horizon. He was however, somewhat intimately familiar with the deck layout of a Lotus class ship. Putting aside his thoughts, he quickly turned to his right, verifying the safe arrival also of the Phoenix’ chief medical officer, Lieutenant Commander Gray.

Naturally, the emergency medical hologram program itself was safely within the main computer of the Phoenix currently keeping pace some twelve hundred meters port side of the Horizon, but David smiled inwardly at the EMH’s wish for a physical appearance at the briefing. Thus, as soon as the staff had fully materialized, the grey haired countenance of Doctor Theodore Gray winked into existence alongside his crewmates.

 Turning slightly to his left, David awaited Captain Syntron’s movement to lead the way as he also noted the two security personnel stationed to either side of the exit, their weapons not quite elevated but obviously activated and split-second ready.

The door to the transporter room opened and a very large Jem'Hadar clad in a Starfleet uniform strode purposefully into the room followed by two more security officers. He stopped in front of the transporter pad and immediately began scanning the arriving Phoenix crew members while speaking with the transporter operator.

"Their identification checks are satisfactory?"

"Yes Sir," the operator replied "IDs confirmed and subatomic scans verified, forcefield is in place awaiting your orders." 

"And the hologram?" 

"Origination point verified as USS Phoenix, onboard emitters are secured and ready." 

Aron'Son looked at the tricorder and then up at the officers "I am Lieutenant Aron'Son, Chief of Security. Please identify yourselves for voice verification." 

Once the forcefield had been deactivated, the Vulcan commanding officer stepped off of the transporter pad and positioned himself before the Horizon's Jem'Hadar  security officer.

"Captain Syntron" the Vulcan announced succinctly and then patiently awaited verification as protocol required.

Aron'Son looked at his tricorder and then again at the Vulcan captain of the Horizon "Voice ID confirmed Captain...welcome aboard," he stated though his emotionless voice was not particularly welcoming making the greeting sound more like a formality and less like an actual greeting.  "You may wait for your officers if you wish, or one of my people can escort you to the briefing room"

 During his life on the Marauder of his step-father and also his tenure at Utopia Planitia fleet yards on Mars,  not to mention Star Fleet Academy and subsequent service with Lotus Fleet, David had had the opportunity to meet many divergent life forms. But he had never met a Jem’Hadar!

 The sight of the enemy, dressed in a Star Fleet Lieutenant’s junior grade uniform no less, raised the hackles on the nape of his neck, and he needed to pause and take stock of the situation. Having fought Klingon’s hand-to-hand on an away mission back in time that could not be mentioned here, David knew the Founder soldiers were an equal to or better match then the Defense Force minions and although he knew they were safely aboard Lotus Fleet’s flagship, his muscles tensed in what the purely human called the Fight-or-Flight reflex.

 But then Captain Syntron stepped off the transporter pad and placed himself in front of the Horizon officer, and David felt himself relax somewhat, thinking abstractly.

Meeting two new life forms in one day was quite exciting enough for the start of this mission. I hope it doesn’t get too much more exciting.

The other lifeform the engineer was thinking about was the tall X'Ell standing behind him. Jonathan was eyeing the Jem'Hadar with obvious curiosity but without the instinctive fear the Caitian security chief of his own ship evoked in him, especially so close on the transporter pad. To him, a Jem'Hadar was as much a historical figure as the Borg or the Augments that he had learned about during his intense Academy crash course. His isolated and secluded world had never even heard of them, nor any other sentient species in the galaxy... until the Klingons found them by chance and tried to conquer them. That's when his people discovered the universe outside their immense aritficially enclosed star system... and then the so various people of the United Federation of Planets.

As it was, Lieutenant Livingstone's mind was more on the upcoming meeting with the People of the Artemis. He had learned that most of the crew aboard this vessel were of the former starship that had saved his own kind from the Klingons and in doing so, freeing them from their self-imposed isolation. It was because of them that he was now out here, with an entire universe to see and discover and experience; to him, they were legends he longed to see in the flesh.

His impatience showed by the way his massive beak stayed half-open and the feathers on his head sublty trembled, the lights in them blinking even faster than his enormous golden eyes trying to look everywhere at once.

Beside him, the powerful Mriin M'ata noted with appreciation the level of security worthy of a flagship and the expert thoroughness of it's security department. She too eyed the Jem'Hadar with a strange mixture of curiosity and apprehension and a hint of confusion at seeing one wearing the same uniform and rank as she was. Instinctively, when her captain stepped down, she followed with silent, smooth effortless grace to stand a step from him. With her innate ability to pounce instantly over ten meters, she knew that even a Jem'Hadar would not have time to raise his weapon or bring a hand down on her commanding officer before her own clawed and fanged lithe muscular body would slam into his.

And she made sure this way that he would know this as well.

After finishing with the captain of the Phoenix Aron'Son focused on the human standing on the transporter pad and noted the heightened sense of alertness in the man, but Aron'Son was used to people reacting adversely to his presence regardless of the fact that he wore the same uniform they did.  The Jem'Hadar also noted that the man was not entirely human, he appeared to have Vulcan or Romulan features and the tricorder confirmed that observation listing him as Commander Rogers, Chief Engineer of the Phoenix and half human, half Romulan.

"Please voice verify Commander." 

 Of the eleven occupants of the room, only four were purely human and Rogers, stepping forward to answer the summons of the Horizon’s security chief, noted that this might be as diverse a collection of Star Fleet uniqueness as had ever beamed aboard a Federation star ship. In addition to the human Commander Riker, the two human security officers and the human transport officer, the room held an Orion, a Caitian, a Vulcan, a Jem’Hadar and a X’Ell... plus a holographic sentient! Putting aside David’s own half Romulan genetics, the species represented in this large transporter room was only likely to be surpassed once the Phoenix command staff reached the Horizon’s briefing room, where-in awaited a few more distinct species to supplement the varied one’s now present.

Stopping beside his crew mate M’ata, David gave the required voice recognition response to the scaly security chief before him.

“Commander Rogers, USS Phoenix chief  engineer.”

Following his lead, the holographic doctor and the Orion officer came each side of him.

"Lieutenant-Commander Theodore Gray, USS Phoenix, Chief Medical Officer."

"Lieutenant Elisha Lêone, USS Phoenix, Chief of Operations."

Then so did the Caitian woman and , unconsciously putting himself on the other side of her with just about everyone else between her and him, the X'ell stepped down with the others.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Mriin M'ata, USS Phoenix, Chief of Security and Tactical."

"Lieutenant Junior grade Jonathan X'Ell Livingstone, Chief Science Officer."

"Commander Joshua Riker, Executive Officer."

One by one Aron'son checked the tricorder reading against each officer and after Lieutenant Livingstone's verification was complete the security officer addressed the group in general. 

"Your voice IDs are confirmed. If you will follow me I will show you to the briefing room." 

He turned on his heel and led the contingent out of the transporter room and the two security officers that had followed him in fell into step behind the group. In the turbolift, they were silently greeted by Commander Ke'Leysha who rode with them deep in her own thoughts up to deck 1.

With her, Captain Syntron and his team traveled to the main conference room. While the Illythirii woman sat with Counselor Lyrya and Doctor Nasaro-Myth, the bearded Vulcan acknowledged the Andorian commanding officer as he entered and took his place around the main table.

"Your ship appears to have arrived to this rendez-vous point intact, Captain Kheren. Have your guests managed to adapt to their temporary residence within this vessel while your task to establish their new dwelling awaits?"

"That would be for Governor Sufra to say," Kheren answered still standing between the table and the huge window.

"Transportation is but the last ordeal of our purgatory before we set foot in paradise at last," then offered the Bajoran woman in greetings to the Vulcan captain. "And I hope, Captain Syntron, that your remark is not expressing your position about the... potential risk my people and I are judged to be by your colleague here."

With a slightly raised brow the Vulcan commanding officer responded.

"The coordinates confirmed by both vessels indicate that Captain Kheren has fulfilled that aspect of his obligation Governor Sufra by transporting you and your civilian followers to this locale."

"We're not there yet, Captain Syntron."

The impatience and the resignation in her voice were clearly heard.

Then with a subtle smirk, Syntron added "If my understanding of that antiquated theological designation is applicable, then perhaps this purgatory you referred to is merely part of the process to undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of your imminent paradise. In addition, the Horizon's medical team has also ensured the biological health and optimization of every passenger on this vessel. Set side-by-side to the exodus of theological followers throughout recorded history, Governor, it would suggest that your sojourn was rather brief and luxurious by comparison."

"The worst may be yet to come... may the Light guides us and the Fire warm us then still," Sufra uttered with fervor.

Seated at the table Jureth couldn't help but smile at the Captain Syntron's response to the governor. It appeared that the Vulcan had indeed learned much from his time under Captain Kheren though he doubted that even Syntron's not so carefully concealed jab at Sufra would make the woman be quiet. Oseno had no desire to engage her in a theological discussion but he wondered what might have made her renounce the Prophets in exchange for the dogma of the Horizon's Children. 

And then, the air shimmered and the form of Joey Sisko appeared in the middle of the room.

Instantly, the Governor went to her knees and lowered her head to him.

"Prophet! Your Holy Presence blesses this gathering and this humble servant!"

Sisko would have sighed, had he not already known what his coming to this meeting would provoke with the cultist Federation representative's mandatory presence. He had obvioulsy prepared for it as his holographic form showed.

"Governor Sufra; I am not here. This is just a projection so that there will be no risk of any incident while I attend to my duties as a Starfleet officer. Please rise and attend to your own. And you will please address me as Commander Sisko from now on."

The woman stood up slowly but kept her eyes downcast.

"As... you command..."

"Governor Sufra; I do not command here; Captain Kheren does. I follow his orders. I hope, not command, hope, as every officer here, that you will help him help you and your people in achieving your goals, which are our duty, mine included."

She froze for a moment then finally nodded, obviously confused yet definitely acknowledging the words of the most revered person in her heart. Sisko's hologram walked and sat at the opposite end of the table from Oseno Jureth's as if he was indeed in the room. The engineer was such an expert in holographic technology that he could achieve this feat like a professional illusionist in order to not stand out in the room.

He had already done so too much for his taste already. 

Let's get this over with, he thought, nodding in return to Counselor Lyrya's nod of approval for his honorable attempt to handle properly both his obligations as an officer and his delicate standing regarding the situation.

For her part, Sufra simply stood at her central place with serene dignity. She evidently felt blessed and priviledged to be at the same table as the one she considered the living guide of her faith; but she would not dare sit in his august presence. So she stood, hands folded before her and waiting with a small content smile on her face.