Fleet Log || Adm Hark, Vokar & Cpt Jarnaut || "Choose your fate..."

Posted on 241410.19 @ 12:55am by Admiral Alexander Hark & Captain Vokar

Mission: Insurrection [Fleet Plot]
Location: Approaching Vulcan

=/\= Qo'noS Orbital Facility =/\=

Standing on the deck of a Klingon cruiser felt a little alien to Xander, he'd transferred what little belongings he had and looked around at the mostly Starfleet crew on the bridge, the Empire had ships to spare and this one was one of the new breed, a Jor'ech class cruiser, smaller than the old Negh'var but much more sleek and nimble, it carried enough shuttles and assault boats to drop entire units of Marines into the very depths of enemy territory while sacrificing none of the firepower of the larger ship.

"Admiral, Wings three and six are formed up, Marine units are deploying to their assigned ships and battleplans have been distributed," the Strategic Ops officer called out from the rear of the bridge, his hands flying across the console next to the Tactical officer, "The USS Spitfire, Damocles and Tracker are also prepared, their crews are relieved to be taking action and have poured everything into the preparations, we should be able to set course for Vulcan well within the timeframe."

"Very good Lieutenant," Xander replied as he looked down to the helm console and gave the young enlisted man a nod and a smile, "Take her out Lieutenant Kuvn, thrusters till we clear the station and then quarter impulse until we reach the outer edge of the system."

"Signal all ships to form up on our six and distribute coordinates, estimated time until the edge of the system?"

"Four hours, give or take a bit, until we reach the edge of the system, Sir." A young Andorian Lieutenant looked up and nodded heavily. It was about time they'd rallied and about time they'd gotten the in they were so desperately looking for. To serve this mission was an honor. The ship was far from the big cumbersome beasts he was use to handling, she purred as her thrusters came online and backed her carefully away from the station, her impulse engines humming as they too prepared to engage.

"When we're clear of any major traffic, punch it to full impulse, cut that time and prepare for Warp," the Admiral replied as he ran his hand over the singular command throne and stepped up to take his seat, "Signal all ships to follow suit."

"Yes sir, on the double, sir!" The Lieutenant called and slid the impulse bar to full the moment sensors showed they were clear and far from being on a collision course with anything. The smaller personal ships would know to get out of the way of a beast like the one he was piloting. At least he hoped so.

"Sir, We're being hailed, Klingon fleet decloaking to port, the lead ship is the IKS Ya'Vang, flagship of the House of Ch'Krang." the communications officer called out with a slight smile.

"On Screen." Hark replied as he looked forward.

"Admiral Hark, my family owes you a blood debt," Ch'tan stated as his face appeared on the viewscreen, he was flanked by his first officer, the hulking warrior Jaktor, the champion of the Empire, "My father has asked that my ships and I attend to your needs and make sure you face no problems on your way to Vulcan."

Kuvn almost gasped at the sight of the Klingons schmoozing with Hark across the view screen. The Andorian's antennae straightened out, betraying him as he sat and tried to covertly watch and listen while fiddling with the controls. It seemed he wasn't the only one surprised by the Klingon's pledge to help liberate the core worlds.

"Very well, Ch'tan, Son of Ch'Krang." Xander replied with a wide grin, "I shall welcome the additional ships, we'll transmit our flightplan soon, we have a few stops to make on the way to Vulcan."

"Qa'pla!" Ch'tan roared before the channel closed, to be replaced by the image of two full Klingon squadrons forming up either side of the Admiral's small fleet, the Ya'Vang swung around and came alongside Hark's flagship.

The word made Kuvn's antennae curl, hope soaring that their mission would be successful - not that he ever doubted it would be. So many lives depended on it, it was a rush. A massive rush. "Reporting clean space until the edge of the system, Sir, looks like everyone is giving us a wide berth." He grinned.

"Very well, signal full warp flight, match speed to the slowest ship in the group." Xander replied as he leant back in the throne and listened to the excited chatter from around the bridge, he felt the same, it was about time that they took the fight to the false Federation and he was hoping Malone would take Earth quickly.

"Aye sir. Preparing to engage warp engines on your mark, sir." Kuvn's grin spread wider across his face as he programmed what was needed and allowed his fingers to twitch as they hovered over the controls, the ship humming in anticipation all around them.

"Engage." Hark called out, watching on the viewscreen as it snapped to show the rest of the fleet following them.

The sound of the warp engines whining for that split second before they threw the ship into speeds nearly unimaginable played like music to the Andorian's ears. He smiled as he punched it, allowing the ship to smoothly leap for the stars and towards freedom as a whole.

It was poetry in motion.

One by one, each ship in the group streaked off into the distance at warp speed, their destination was the Vulcan homeworld and the first planet to break out into open rebellion against the Federation since the coup had forced Starfleet into exile, it was also the world with the greatest number of reports concerning the Vanguard and their presence in Federation space.

=/\= Approaching Vulcan, Three Days Later =/\=

Travelling to the core of the Federation had passed with very little in the way of trouble. Xander was getting restless on the bridge of his command ship. They had stopped multiple times to access the comm links in the area and gain any vital information it may hold, even managing to tap in to the fleet deployments of the UFP and find out what was being arrayed before them.

"Admiral, all eight ships are running hot with shields up. We're being hailed." Ops looked up from their console briefly before digging back into the readings coming back. None of the ships appeared to be Romulan, but they sure as Hell greeted like it. "They're demanding we surrender or be fired upon."

Standing from his chair, Xander stretched and yawned, it had been a long day and felt like it was only going to get longer, the small UFP flotilla laid out before them was demanding the surrender of his force.

Who or whatever was driving these men forward must have been powerful, all told, Klingon squadrons included, Hark's fleet out numbered them ten to one, they weren't even in modern starships, hastily retrofitted versions of mothballed ships

"Tactical, estimate how long it will take if we have to engage them? Can we still make our landfall on Vulcan within the schedule?" the Admiral asked as he looked over at the weapons station.

"Short answer? We'd reach Vulcan on schedule." They were no match to the fire power and size of the fleet that spanned out on the other edge of celestial main street. He half expected tumbleweed to coming blowing through between the two groups of gunfighters. High noon was fast approaching. "Long answer? It would be a cake walk, sir. They're nothing more than a piece of gravel in the road."

"Put them up on screen." Hark replied with a slight nod to the tactical officer, "Let us see who drives them forward."

"Aye."

The screen lit up with the haggard face of a stern looking man who's dark eyes immediately found Hark and who's lips quirked into a strange sort of smirk that was likely one of satisfaction. "Ah, Admiral Hark." He greeted, "How nice of you to join us. I suppose you're here to negotiate the terms of your surrender?"

"Yours perhaps... Captain," the Admiral replied as he scanned the collar of his opponent quickly, "Surrender to us now and you will recieve a fair hearing before the people of the Federation, decline and you will be swept aside."

"Oh ho! Big words from the Admiral!" The Captain showed his hands and wiggled them in mock fear, "See... This is the reason why you're going to fail. You don't see the bigger picture, Admiral!"

"Or perhaps your bravado has blinded you to what is going on around you, Captain," the Human replied as the tactical stations began screaming with another contact coming up behind the flotilla, unidentified and running with no transponder, it appeared to be Starfleet in design but with only a single running light on the top of the saucer.

Flanking this newcomer, six ships of various design, one clearly Vulcan, one Andorian and a couple of ones Klingon in design, they fanned out to cut off the retreat of the flotilla.

The Captain could feel the panic welling up within his crew, it didn't take a Betazoid to sense it, either. There, written across the faces of his young and relatively under schooled crew, was fear. True fear. "Ah." He responded, his mind quickly working over the possibilities and choices presented. While his side had sub-space weaponry, they were grossly outnumbered.

In front of them? Klingons and Starfleet. Behind them? Vanguard. He was sure of it. While the ship was easily the size of the Vindicator, she certainly was not the big monstrosity. She was something else. Something worse. The Pendragon wouldn't play by the same rules. It would be a blood bath, but the heaviest casualties would be on his side. Hell, they'd be like a swarm of love bugs all splattered and plastered against the grill and windscreen of some big, speeding, redneck pickup truck. "You have me at an impasse, Admiral."

"Stand down and prepare to be boarded, you surrender to us, or to them, you have five minutes to make your choice." Hark replied quickly before signalling for the channel to be cut with a small gesture of his hand.

"While the Captain works over his options open a channel to Pendragon." the Admiral added as he stretched and looked over at his weapons officer.

"Aye sir." The screen cut back away from the protesting face of the Captain to the flotilla spread out in front of them. "Pendragon is responding, Admiral."

"Admiral Hark, I have not had the pleasure," Vokar stated as his visage popped up on the viewscreen, his patch covering his bad eye and lessening the effect of his appearance, "I am glad that Starfleet have taken advantage of our signal."

Slightly taken aback by the look of the man before him, Hark recognized him instantly from the personnel files that had been placed across his desk multiple times from Starfleet Intelligence. This man was Vokar, a leading member of the Vanguard and Commander of the largest and most powerful ship they had under their control, "Former Captain Vokar," the Admiral addressed the man before readjusting his posture, "It would seem that we have a common enemy, I ask that you allow us to take them into custody and proceed with freeing Vulcan."

Terrorist... That was the word that came to mind when the bridge crew looked upon Vokar's haggard countenance. Murderer, rapist and thief were the close second, third, and fourth adjectives that they'd have used. But they knew better than to say anything. The enemy of their enemy was their friend by necessity -- however fleeting that friendship may be.

"I would be inclined to agree Admiral," Vokar replied with a slight smile, "Their grip has loosened on the populace, the Vulcans are in open revolt and will welcome your forces with open arms, I would make it quick before the Federation seek to make an example of them, the ships you are about to take are equipped with Subspace weaponry, just think what they would do to my home if we let them."

"Admiral... We're being hailed by Captain Jarnaut." The Andorian looked up, his antennae shifting across his head in intrigue.

"On Screen," Hark replied after signalling for the communication with Vokar to be paused.

"Admiral Hark," The once snide Captain greeted in a much less haughty tone. His voice spoke of defeat and having been force fed a slice of humble pie and side of crow. "I'd like to discuss the terms of my surrender."

"There is no discussion, your ships will power down immediately and we'll beam security teams on board, they will assume command and rendezvous with the Klingon forces assisting us, you and your crew will be transferred to transport ships until we are done with Vulcan." Hark replied with a slight nod, "None of you will be harmed and you will all receive fair treatment once peace has been restored."

Jarnaut swallowed hard and heaved a petulant sigh. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. They weren't supposed to be beaten! They'd promised victory and promised success and glory and and and... Power. "Consider it done, Admiral." The Captain felt sick to his stomach, but motioned for the orders to be carried out anyway.

"Thank you Captain," the Admiral replied with a slight smile as he gave a gesture to his Chief of Security, "We know what weapons you are carrying, you have to understand that the orders you were following broke treaties that the Federation used to hold in the highest regard,"

"What was done was done for the greater good of the Federation, Admiral. We were stepping away from this candyland bullshit you people called justice. You're all pawns." The Captain spat furiously. While he was resigning, running up the white flag, he didn't have to like it. "Come take the spoils of your war, Admiral. I'm done with chit chat."

"Subjugation and corruption are never for the greater good, they only seek to benefit the individual interests," Hark replied with a slight frown, "Hark out." he added as he signalled to cut the channel again.

"Signal the fleet to continue with our objectives, ask Ch'tan to take command of the prisoners and stress to him that they are to be treated carefully." the Admiral stated as he leant back into his chair, "Helm, move to Vulcan."

(End Log.)

Admiral Alexander 'Xander' Hark
Chief of Staff
Starfleet Forces

&

Vokar
Commanding Officer
VCD Pendragon & Vanguard Commander

&

Captain Jarnaut
Commanding Officer
UFP Flotilla
NPC apb October