"The Day After..."

Posted on 241403.20 @ 1:36pm by Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone

Mission: Insurrection [Fleet Plot]
Location: Old Admiralty Building, London
Timeline: Following: "Cause and Effect"

The past twenty-four hours had seem some frightening events occurring across the entire United Federation of Planets. Hundreds of Starfleet officers - mostly high ranking ones, as well as civilians, had been arrested or executed. In the cases where execution had occurred, nearly all had been silent and unknown - but a few had been noticed.

With his usefulness at an end, President Ryan was arrested and moved to a 'secure location', along with the Vice President and the Speaker of the Federation Council. Anyone else who wasn't on the 'team', as it were, also found themselves in a difficult situation. The time had come for people to pick a side, and in a lot of cases, that was just too terrifying. Those who opted for neutrality, were treated no better than those who voiced opposition.

Secretary of Defense Ian Hutchins was sworn in as the new President of the United Federation of Planets, with the vow to bring Starfleet and its militaristic fanaticism under firm civilian control. This address was heralded with considerable enthusiasm from people who didn't know any better. Quickly, the cabinet and other senior government posts were filled by people who were part of the 'organisation'.

The 'organisation' was quickly coming to the attention of some, and one name kept coming back to the front - Terra Prime. This was a fanatical group of extremists which dated back to the birth of the Federation over two hundred and fifty years previously. Back then, they'd been strong advocates for Earth going it alone, without alien intervention, or any alien presence on Earth for that matter. That all aliens should be subservient to the Human race. Thankfully, Terra Prime had been thwarted by then Captain Archer and the crew of the NX-01 'Enterprise'.

But groups such as these didn't really die out. Their evil was inherent to human nature, even in a highly evolved society as the UFP had become. The more enlightened a civilization became, the more hardcore those of dissenting opinion became. This group had lived on, in secret, for over two and a half centuries, becoming nothing more than a myth, a footnote in history. Secretly they'd worked, they'd changed, they'd adapted.

This new group, giving themselves the political party name of "Federation First", was nothing more than a rebranding of Terra Prime, and their ideologies and methods were draconian and underhanded. They had masterminded the greatest political coup d`etat in Federation history, and had now managed to do what no other political group had ever managed - they had toppled the UFP Government and Starfleet Command all in one day.

Now they were ready to impose a strong and overbearing government on an unsuspecting universe.

Former Under Secretary of Defense Peter Robins, now Secretary of Defense, arrived at Sandringham House - the home of the President, ready with his report. Being one of the ring-leaders, Robins had worked with Hutchins to bring this masterpiece off, and now the followup was needed.

"Morning Robins." Hutchins said, as he entered the private study, where the new SecDef was waiting.

"Good Morning Mister President." Robins said, in deference to his boss, who had 24 hours previously, had held the job Robins now held.

"What news?" Hutchins asked, as he served himself tea from the fantastically ornate tea service.

"We're still getting in information, but I have enough here to present you with." Robins said, as he opened up his leather binder with the Department of Defense crest on it. "Of the eight hundred and sixty seven arrest warrants issued under the Establishment of Order Act passed on Tuesday, six hundred and eighty seven people were arrested or otherwise removed."

"So one hundred and eighty people escaped?" Hutchins asked, taking the news rather well, Robins felt.

"Its looking that way sir. The numbers are still preliminary, and we'll have a final figure in the next twelve hours or so, but these numbers will only change fractionally in either direction." Robins said.

"So someone leaked." Hutchins said. "Well, that was to be expected, but we got most of them. What about our Starfleet arrests?"

"That's where the greatest number of escapes occurred sir." Robins replied. "Somehow Malone was ready for us, and managed to get almost all our high-profile Starfleet targets off Earth. Sharpe, Tyris, Taylor and Towers are gone."

"God Damn it!" Hutchins exploded. "That was the last thing we needed! They're rogue elements, elements we can't control or predict. They'll be trouble, and they'll rally support."

"Malone's already done that." Robins replied. "He managed to get off an encrypted message to the fleet, which is being relayed through the communications network, something we've been so far completely unable to stop. Every single long range communications buoy has been locked out with a complex algorithm. Its taking the tech boys time to crack, but these buoys are relaying Malone's last message to every single Starfleet vessel, facility, outpost and starbase across known space."

Hutchins face looked dark and with thunder. "And what... was this message?" He asked, his voice heavy with impending doom.

"We've not been able to break all the encryption, but what little we've been able to parse, it looks like he's told the fleet that Starfleet has been taken over, and for all personnel to either side with him - or run silent." Robins replied, shaking a little at this point.

"SON OF A B****!!" Hutchins exploded, and upended the tea trolley in a fit of rage, causing everything on it to crash onto the floor and smash into pieces. "What's the damage?" He snapped.

"Of eight thousand three hundred and thirty five Starfleet vessels in service, five thousand eight hundred and eleven are not responding to communications from Starfleet Command, leaving us with two thousand five hundred and twenty four vessels under our control. A lot of those had replacement CO's under our previous efforts, so they're loyal."

"Marine assets?" Hutchins demanded next.

"With the loss of Sharpe and Taylor, especially the botched attempt at assassinating a very popular Marine Commandant - and how universally unpopular our replacement is - we're looking at an eighty-five percent loss of marine operational assets, rallying under Sharpe's and Taylor's combined flag. They're both the most popular marine generals in Starfleet service, and they command the loyalty of the men." Robins said. "Those units we do control, we replaced the officers prior to all this happening, but we focused more on the naval than the marine side."

Hutchins braced himself against the antique desk, as he leaned over it. "Anything else?"

"One last thing sir." Robins said. "The Klingon Empire."

"What about them?" Hutchins asked.

"They've withdrawn from the Khitomer Accords, and recalled their Federation delegates, and have closed the borders. KDF vessels are lining the borders - but are accepting refugee ships from the Federation of any displaced persons under the 'hostile governmental take over' as they've said in their news release." Robins said.

"Well, they're weak and useless anyway." Hutchins said, dismissing the news.

"I'm sorry Mister President, but I have to disagree. They're stronger now than they've been in nearly two decades. They just crushed a civil war, and they're united and proud. They also respect the crap out of Malone - because he stood by them when the Federation Council expressly forbid him to intervene, he did so anyway, and he sent Hark out there to work with them. They're honor bound to support Malone now." Robins said.

"Well, at least we know where Malone will be, if we want to get rid of him." Hutchins smiled. "At least this gives us an excuse to kill off the Klingons. I've always said you can't trust Klingons."

Robins didn't necessary agree completely, but didn't say anything.

"How goes the re-organisation of Starfleet?" Hutchins asked, turning back to face out the window that looked out onto the rolling countryside of the Sandringham Estate.

"Going as instructed sir. Most roles performed by Starfleet are being absorbed into the Department of Defense, with the CinC role being merged with your office. A new Chief of Staff has been appointed, who is one of our people. He likes his new Fleet Admiral rank." Robins said.

"Fleet Admiral James Jackson." Hutchins smiled. "Good choice."

"Well, he helped us out with the arrests, being Deputy Chief of UFP Security." Robins said. "Also, he has all the mental acuity of your desk. He's a perfect puppet leader."

"Did we get anyone important from our Starfleet arrests?" Hutchins asked.

"Director Ascari." Robins responded quickly, glad of some good news. "Seems he didn't get the memo. As for anyone else, we're still sifting through the chaos."

"Well, getting the Former Intelligence Director will be handy. Might stop that investigation into the Sol attack. That was getting dangerous." Hutchins said. "That can't get out, am I clear?"

"Very, Mister President." Robins said, nodding. "What do you want done with Ascari?"

"Take him to Rexilon Nine." Hutchins grinned evilly.

"Wow. Okay, yeah, sure." Robins replied. Rexilon Nine was a secret detention facility in the Rexilon system. There was a planetoid being held on the verge of a black hole, that acted as a prison for dangerous dissidents, and on which... all kinds of illegal interrogations were performed 'off the books'.

"Keep me updated, Mister Secretary." Hutchins said, dismissing Robins.

"Yes, Mister President."

= End Log =