Joint Log | FAdm. Malone & Gen. Sharpe | "Confrontations"

Posted on 241405.19 @ 6:19pm by Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone & General Richard Sharpe

Mission: Insurrection [Fleet Plot]
Timeline: Following: "Discoveries"

The blue rematerialization effect faded, leaving Sharpe standing on the transporter platform of transporter room 4 of the USS Ticonderoga. As he stepped down off the pad, he was greeted by a young female officer in command red, sporting Lieutenant pips. "General Sharpe sir?" She asked.

"Yes." He said simply. She couldn't be much older than his own daughter Sarah, something that made him feel a little disquiet. Were they really so young these days? or were they always that young, and he was just that old?

"If you'll follow me sir, the CinC is waiting for you." She smiled in a warm and inviting way.

"I can hardly wait." He replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He noted that she ignored this, and began escorting him from the transporter room, and along the corridor.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a large set of double metal doors, with frosted glass inlaid between metallic spokes. The seal of the Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet was set into the glass rather attractively. Two marine sentries stood on either side of the doorway, both armed not just with standard hand phasers, like security would be, but sporting phaser battle rifles.

Both marines snapped to attention at the sight of Sharpe, as discipline dictated. It was obvious that the Lieutenant passed through regularly enough that the courtesy wasn't extended to her - or she'd asked that they not do it each time she came through. Either way, it was interesting to note whilst she allowed her hand to be scanned by the palm scanner. The doors opened, allowing them access to the ship's CiC.

This large circular room resembled on some level a starbases main operations centre, but a bit smaller. There were a ring of stations all around the exterior of the circle, except where doorways intersected leading to various rooms off the main circle. There was an outer ring of inward facing consoles for various positions, leading to one central 'pool table' that had a bank of large monitors above it, which were obviously the forward viewscreens slaved from the bridge. This was where Malone commanded the fleet, it was apparent.

He was led through this room across the outside ring, to another guarded door, which also had frosted glass and crests inside the glass. A single security officer stood outside this door, who tapped the chime when Sharpe arrived. He noted that this officer didn't snap to attention like a marine - a bitter disappointment in Sharpe's view, but then the navy didn't really run strict discipline did it?

The doors opened, and Sharpe stepped into the rather large office space. In the middle was a large-ish desk, not as large as the desk Malone had in his office back on Earth, but larger than a standard one none the less. It was made of a polished black wood, with mahogany trim, so it appeared quite fancy. It was covered with PADDs and a few ornaments, but otherwise the office was devoid of many of the creature comforts that Malone often had back on Earth. It mostly contained standard Starfleet furnishings, with the exception of the large painting on the aft bulkhead, clearly of Bajoran origin.

"Sharpe." Malone said, looking up at the marine general. He didn't bother getting up, and didn't exactly look pleased to see him either. "Good work on the St. Helens boarding operation. Glad you got your head in the game. Please, have a seat."

"Spit it out Admiral." Sharpe said, remaining standing. "I know about Sarah. Denterius told me."

"Oh really?" Malone said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, she wasn't supposed to." He really was going to have to have a talk with that woman about information control.

"I know, so clearly you know I have to go get her." Richard said, firmly. "I'm assuming that this is the point where you will tell me I can't go, for many reasons I'm assuming you think are important, and you know I won't give a rats ass. So for expediency's sake, shall we move this conversation to the point?"

"I have already resigned myself to the fact that you're going to go." Malone said. "I'm a father myself, Richard. If they had my baby girl, I'd take the whole damn fleet to Earth, and to hell with the consequences. But I have to view the bigger picture, and you know that."

"You have a Federation to restore, I know that." Richard said. "I'm not asking for the fleet. I'm not asking for anything."

"Well, with General Taylor back with us, you leaving won't be quite such a blow to marine discipline and morale." Malone said. "But I do have to tell you something Richard, before you make your final decision."

"What's that?" Richard asked, wondering what he'd use to get him to give up this folly.

"Firstly, have you considered that this might be their plan all along? To draw you out, put you where they want you, and get rid of you?" Malone asked.

"I've considered that. I'm hoping to use that to my advantage. See if I can do some damage on my way out." He smirked. "Either way, they're going to know where I am, because I'm not going to keep quiet doing it."

Malone nodded, considering the strategic implications, and deciding how best to use his maverick. "Secondly, I have received information through my network, that Starfleet Intelligence have worked out where your other daughter is being held."

That got Richard's attention. "Panda?"

"Indeed. If you go racing off after Sarah, who protects Panda?" Malone asked.

Richard frowned. "Leave that with me." He said, trying to cover his seething rage.

"Very well." Malone said. "You can take a small team of marines with you when you go. I'm also detaching the USS Hawk to your service. She's a Defiant class fitted with a cloaking device, which might be of some considerable use to you. Its an experimental type, where you can fire whilst cloaked. Pretty nifty, got that from the Klingons would you believe?"

"That'll be handy." Sharpe nodded.

"Since I can't dissuade you from this course of idiotic madness, I wish you all the best, General." Malone said, raising from his chair, and offering his hand.

Richard accepted the hand, nodded briskly once, and left the office.

= End Log =

Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone
Starfleet CinC

&

General Richard Sharpe