JL Beta Quadrant Security Commander & Yadalla Sector Commander | RAdm MacLaren & FAdm Cerywyn

Posted on 241708.22 @ 6:19pm by Rear Admiral Sidra MacLaren

Mission: Reconciliation & Reconstruction [Fleet Plot]
Timeline: 241708.22

Her gaze shifted from the swirl of the slipstream drive outside the window to her own reflection against the clear view port. Her ivory skin skin looked just a smidge paler than normal and Sidra MacLaren could see the pink bags and puffiness under her eyes. She had not slept since speaking with Admiral Archer and knew that the Titan would be falling out of their accelerated speed and emerging at the doorstep of Cold Station Theta soon. She should have slept, but there was much work to do and her thoughts would not have let her rest.

Sidra had been organizing ships and locking down the border, her call to Commodore Jorgun on the Vindicator had not been answered, but she was told they had entered a nebula and may be temporarily out of contact.

Her commbadge chirped and shook her from her ghostly image staring back at her from the viewport in the office in her quarters. “Admiral, we’ll be arriving at Cold Station Theta in twenty minutes.” “Acknowledged. Open a priority one channel to Fleet Admiral Cerywyn on Versailles.”

It was early morning, had they been planetside, it would be the witching hour between the cool dark of night and the first rays of light at dawn. Sidra went to the replicator, forgoing her soothing tea for a dark, rich black coffee. Watching the large screen on the wall as the communication bounced through subspace relays, making the connection, she sipped the black gold, a placebo effect of the warm liquid already making her feel more alert.

Cerywyn was awake early or up late depending on how one looked at things. She was wrapping up notes for meetings later in the day with crew. The USS Timmis would be departing later in the day, enroute to the Gamma Quadrant. She reached up and absently rubbed the bridge of her nose and then looked at her chrono. Asa’s daughter would be bringing the tea trolley up any moment now. As she suspected there was a quiet murmur as she stopped at Lt. Grace’s desk. When her doors slid open she knew who it’d be.

“Good morning, Admiral” she replied. Cerywyn chuckled slightly and replied “I see you’re in better spirits this morning as compared to yesterday.” Grace nodded. “Aye ma’am.” She positioned the tea tray near the Admiral’s desk and then returned to her own. Cerywyn could smell the fruity notes of orange and anise, faint traces of cinnamon and cloves. She poured the pale liquid into her cup and returned to her seat. She had just sat down at her desk when Grace buzzed in. “Admiral, there is an incoming message for you, priority one.” Cerywyn raised an eyebrow. {{Really….now that all the repairs are done, the supplies that we needed located through other avenues….Now, someone calls me?}} she thought to herself. Cerywyn knew how to keep her face neutral and any hint of nerves from her voice. One didn’t get to be 446 without learning something. She did not know who to expect or why. All of her queries to Starfleet Command for the last 2 years had returned nothing but silence. She’d been asked to take over a station that was falling apart and to protect the borders with a skeleton crew and she and her crew had rebuilt the station from the ground up and she’d found the resources to ensure the borders were protected. Quietly mumbling to herself she replied “I’m darn proud of them for that and them.” Cerywyn smoothed the navy blue and silver tunic and checked her heavily braided hair that sat coiled on her head. There was a notable strand of pure white in one of the bigger strands that comprised the braid that now would around her head. Assured everything was in its place, she tapped her desk “Grace, put it through in here please.” Grace acknowledged and a moment later Cerywyn was waiting for the comm link to stabilize and an image to materialize.

Sidra looked up the moment the connection was acknowledged, going through what she presumed was a yeoman before the image of Fleet Admiral Cerywyn had come up. Sidra let the stern, straight line of her mouth soften a touch as she looked over the Admiral, wondering what it was like to have seem so many things in the galaxy over a length of time. Cerywyn was alive when her ancestors had not left their soil beyond their moon, when the United States was squabbling with itself with a super tanned leader whose name was not coming to mind, when the United Kingdom tore themselves away from the European Union.

MacLaren was just starting to understand how fractured Starfleet was currently and the information she pulled from files on the Yadalla sector was indicative of that. This was not the Starfleet she left nine years ago but it seemed to have glimmers of hope again. She nodded in respect, folding her hands in front of her on the desktop as she looked at the viewer. She admired the way the blue tunic set off against the silver strands of hair in her braid, for someone four centuries on in age, even if it wasn’t old in her race, she looked well. “Admiral Cerywyn, I’m sorry for the early hour, but I hope this call finds you well.”

Cerywyn inclined her head in acknowledgment as she replied, “The hour is fine” she replied with a hint of a smile passing her lips. "I’m well into my day, Admiral and I’m as good as can be expected, perhaps a bit surprised to hear from you. What can I do for you?”

Sidra held her smirk back at the reply, explaining the call and her position before delivering the news she intended to relay. “I’m on the doorstep of Cold Station Theta, picking up the duties of Beta Quadrant Security Commander.” She worked at the console for just a moment and sent the Fleet Admiral the information she had on the attack there. “There has been an assassination attempt on Admiral Red. Admiral Archer is en route to Beta Quadrant now.” MacLaren summarized, “The attack was at the hands of a lone wolf, but as more information is gathered, it seems that the pirate group Urtaghus may have been backing him, putting him in place to do this. Information is very little at the moment.”

“I’m sorry to hear that - and it’s the first I’ve heard and glad the attempt was unsuccessful.” Cerywyn mentally stored the information because this might be exactly what she’d been warned about by her mentor. There could more at play with current events she and her team had been addressing of late. She listened as the woman continued. Cerywyn watched her face carefully tracing the small lines around her eyes - unconscious movement that indicated stress. She could relate.

The redhead gathered her thoughts for a moment, feeling the tension through the line and thinking of the right approach, “I know that Yadalla is locked down and secure under your command Admiral.” Sidra swallowed, sipping her coffee as a pause to her thoughts again, treading into waters that felt uncomfortably deep. She had always worked in other areas of Federation space and hadn’t had an experience like this before, “In my limited time since returning to Starfleet, it also seems that the civil war has left some deep fractures throughout our command. You’ve been on your own out there and it’s not right. I’m new to this area of space, but I offer you whatever support you need from my side.”

Cerywyn nodded. “We have been fairly cut off. Resources were scarce to say the least and when I got here the station was more than a little battered. It took almost a year to get all the repairs finished. We adapted and had repairs completed with the help of private contractors.” She leaned back in her chair. “This is my 2nd time commanding the sector and SB Versailles and border defense. I was able to work out an arrangement that allowed the legion ships to pick up some of the slack. Their ships are actually quite suited to be in places where a Starfleet vessel would stand out like a sore thumb.” She paused. “Any assistance you can provide will be appreciated. I need to warn you though. There have been attacks along the neutral zone over the last few months - with no trace of the ship, no survivors that could be found….and very little space dust. The ships attacked have been trade and cargo vessels of non-aligned worlds and some smaller federation planets that are kid of like us and out here on their own. Starfleet has been stretched thing and until ship production is back to pre-war standards, will continue to be so.” She tapped the control. “I’ve sent you the data we have to date. As you can see, it’s not a lot - but that should change in the coming weeks as I’ve dispatched people to find some answers and also provide escort as needed. You’ll also note that the K-13 outpost with its skeleton crew no longer exists. It is one of the more recent targets as was the USS Jarrad which is being repaired in the ship yard here.” She tapped the console again. “I have some suspicions about who it is that’s doing this, but no proof yet and I’ve learned not to operate on suspicions alone. As a result of the wanton destruction, we’ve increased patrols and fighter deployments from the Starbase and the legion -Admiral Korin has being quite an effective job of ensuring no one comes across that’s not supposed to be here. Whatever enemy we’re dealing with here - they know a lot about and how we think. I’ve activated a group of individuals who’ve served with me before in a different capacity. If they can’t find the information we need, we’re all in trouble and not just here - although I get the feeling here is where is where things will eventually come to a head.” She smirked. “The image that comes to mind at the moment is cat and mouse and YaDalla looks a like a very big mouse to someone. They’ll be surprised when the mouse strikes back.”

Sidra grinned at Cerywyn’s boast, but she knew that the Admiral had the teeth to back it up. “It seems like you have things under control there. I’m interested in what you find out about these attacks, please keep me informed. As needed I can send additional resources your way and would like to collaborate information.” She stopped to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear again. “I’m learning this sector of space, but I will hopefully be up to speed soon enough. Have you ever had any dealings with the Urtraghus? It seems that the cleaning up of Cheydinhall sector poked an unknown bee’s hive and made the swarm very angry.”

“I will definitely ask for help - but would like to keep it in reserve at the moment. If Starfleet were to mobilize suddenly, we could tip our hand before we have all the information and while our unknown enemy seems to have the upper hand.” Her face was somewhat grim. “I want him or her to think just that, because sometimes they’ll slip and betray themselves.” As she listened to Admiral McLaren ask about the Urtraghus, Cerywyn shook her head. “No, I’ve not heard of them. It seems we both have information to learn about the other.” She paused “anytime the Federation advances, it seems we encounter some type of hornets’ nest like that. Are they the kind of people who would align with themselves with others?”

Sidra shook her head, “Too little is known about them right now. They considered themselves merchants and we considered them pirates. Much was done to clean up the black market trading and this seems to be the result. I understand about not wanting to bring the armada in. Admiral Archer is storming towards Cold Station Theta currently and I’m curious what the response will be.”

“Ahh, I see” replied Cerywyn. “My last encounter with the Borg in the Delta Quadrant taught me storming in sometimes is costly - sometimes necessary - and such an attempt on Admiral Red warrants a response. I wish you good hunting."

MacLaren nodded to the El Aurian, appreciating her time. “I appreciate the information exchange Admiral. My line is always open to you and once things settle around Cheydinhall I’d like to pay a visit if welcome.”

Cerywyn smiled, a genuine warm smile. “Likewise, Admiral. Information keeps us alive and you’re welcome anytime. There’s always a docking port available."

Sidra returned the smile and nodded, “Thank you Admiral. MacLaren out.”


Rear Admiral Sidra MacLaren
Commander
Beta Quadrant Security

&

Fleet Admiral Cerywyn
Commander
YaDalla Sector