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Lt. Commander Heidi Greene didn't hide her distaste from her commanding officer when she noted the eclectic group of assembled captains and fleet sector commanders in the Maranello's Ready Room--while the rest were being displayed on the viewscreen in back of them--behind the captain's traditional seat.

"I'm not sure if this is what I call a good plan, Admiral." She said, before assuming her spot next to her. The rest of the senior staff had already found their respective chairs amidst some seasoned pros and newcomers to the game.

"So noted." Catherine answered in kind, before taking one of her PADD's and activating the small screen. Then she touched one of the table top interface panels and tied in the holographic projector that sat nestled in the briefing table and a large expanse of the current sector snapped into view--with a bird's eye view of Albus II and the surrounding fleet of ships that came with it.

"But ma'am..." The other woman protested.

"We've been over this ground in the last six hours since we got notification from one of our task forces in the Bruindi Sector. This is something we cannot afford to lose--let alone take advantage of."

The First Officer sighed. "But so many ships...that's about 18% of our available fleet." She murmured.

Catherine pursed her lips. "No one said this would be easy, Heidi. But for now, let's get on with the mission briefing. Every second we lose allows our enemy to escape detection and we need every element of surprise if we are to win."

The woman nodded and surrendered the table to her CO.

Catherine Hutchinson looked at the assembled ranks in turn.

"Our time for attack has come." She announced to the room at large. "Thanks to our spies in the Bruindi Sector, we have been able to narrow down a surplus supply and repair depot that we could definitely use in our fight against Khan Noonian Singh. As you know, we've been on a hair trigger and at high alert for the past few months--expecting reinforcements from his main fleet. But in a vain effort to engage us across the galaxy, Khan has left some of his most precious assets relatively unguarded and sparsely protected. Now, I know this seems a bit excessive--given the tactical data I received from Captain Vic Young of the Urduja--but we have detected a weak point in the enemy's detection net surrounding the massive installation that we can take full advantage off with the expectation of minimal losses in return."

"You hope." Came Heidi's unhappy reply--earning her a dirty look from her immediate superior.

"May I continue?"

The other woman shrugged dismissively. "Sure. I always wanted to see some of the Starfleet's finest die foolishly at the hands of a madman. I mean, it worked before at Gate Way--didn't it?"

"We secured the gate, Heidi. It's under Starfleet control."

"That's not what the last communique burst suggested. We lost contact with two of the Knox-class vessels stationed there."

Catherine growled under her breath. "That will be enough, Lieutenant-Commander. Don't make me put you under house arrest for insubordination."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now? I thought it was something else."

The other woman sighed, knowing that these little outbursts weren't from months of tedious patrol and hit and run missions in the Expanse surrounding the Albus II star system. Instead, she turned her attention to the table at large, only to face the subtle amusement of some her officers and those of her friends in waiting and continued with the debriefing.

"At any rate ladies and gentlemen, we have a chance at victory here. And I don't want to waste it." She told everyone listening in. "And I don't want to find out what the alternative may be if we happen to fail."

A hand went up at that point. It belonged to Fleet Captain Amelia Johnson.

"Sir, does this mean we'll be doing an old-fashioned blitzkrieg? That's what I got from this tactical scenario that's on my PADD."

Catherine nodded. "It is. Good eye, Amelia. Yes, it will be a blitzkrieg." She said, before changing the display in front of her--showcasing what she had in mind. "We'll be sending in our assembled ships two units at a time to soften up their defenses--in successive waves. After which, we'll be coming in from behind to knock out their main power station here at coordinates Lamda-34 dash 3. That will cut them off from all contact with the outside."

"Right. No power. No way to send a warning."

"Exactly." Catherine said with a predatory smile of her own. "And no way for Khan to know we've taken one of his most prized possessions out from underneath him."

The other woman nodded. "So who will be the first wave?"

"Task Force 31 and 14--under the command of Captain Frederick Knolls." Catherine ticked off. Then she looked back on the view screen for the man in question. "Good luck and good hunting, Captain."

The young man--recently promoted after the loss of his former CO during a surprise skirmish at Bellis III--nodded.

"Acknowledged. I'll be under way in less than three hours time."

Catherine smiled and turned back to the the rest of the group. "The remaining ship captains will get their orders from me in the next hour. We are on tactical alert. So let's make this job count."

Everyone nodded before she dismissed them in turn.

"Godspeed people."

***
Artwork by Jetfreak-7.

Babylon class ships modeled by TUBhusker.

Description
Lt. Commander Heidi Greene didn't hide her distaste from her commanding officer when she noted the eclectic group of assembled captains and fleet sector commanders in the Maranello's Ready Room--while the rest were being displayed on the viewscreen in back of them--behind the captain's traditional seat.

"I'm not sure if this is what I call a good plan, Admiral." She said, before assuming her spot next to her. The rest of the senior staff had already found their respective chairs amidst some seasoned pros and newcomers to the game.

"So noted." Catherine answered in kind, before taking one of her PADD's and activating the small screen. Then she touched one of the table top interface panels and tied in the holographic projector that sat nestled in the briefing table and a large expanse of the current sector snapped into view--with a bird's eye view of Albus II and the surrounding fleet of ships that came with it.

"But ma'am..." The other woman protested.

"We've been over this ground in the last six hours since we got notification from one of our task forces in the Bruindi Sector. This is something we cannot afford to lose--let alone take advantage of."

The First Officer sighed. "But so many ships...that's about 18% of our available fleet." She murmured.

Catherine pursed her lips. "No one said this would be easy, Heidi. But for now, let's get on with the mission briefing. Every second we lose allows our enemy to escape detection and we need every element of surprise if we are to win."

The woman nodded and surrendered the table to her CO.

Catherine Hutchinson looked at the assembled ranks in turn.

"Our time for attack has come." She announced to the room at large. "Thanks to our spies in the Bruindi Sector, we have been able to narrow down a surplus supply and repair depot that we could definitely use in our fight against Khan Noonian Singh. As you know, we've been on a hair trigger and at high alert for the past few months--expecting reinforcements from his main fleet. But in a vain effort to engage us across the galaxy, Khan has left some of his most precious assets relatively unguarded and sparsely protected. Now, I know this seems a bit excessive--given the tactical data I received from Captain Vic Young of the Urduja--but we have detected a weak point in the enemy's detection net surrounding the massive installation that we can take full advantage off with the expectation of minimal losses in return."

"You hope." Came Heidi's unhappy reply--earning her a dirty look from her immediate superior.

"May I continue?"

The other woman shrugged dismissively. "Sure. I always wanted to see some of the Starfleet's finest die foolishly at the hands of a madman. I mean, it worked before at Gate Way--didn't it?"

"We secured the gate, Heidi. It's under Starfleet control."

"That's not what the last communique burst suggested. We lost contact with two of the Knox-class vessels stationed there."

Catherine growled under her breath. "That will be enough, Lieutenant-Commander. Don't make me put you under house arrest for insubordination."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now? I thought it was something else."

The other woman sighed, knowing that these little outbursts weren't from months of tedious patrol and hit and run missions in the Expanse surrounding the Albus II star system. Instead, she turned her attention to the table at large, only to face the subtle amusement of some her officers and those of her friends in waiting and continued with the debriefing.

"At any rate ladies and gentlemen, we have a chance at victory here. And I don't want to waste it." She told everyone listening in. "And I don't want to find out what the alternative may be if we happen to fail."

A hand went up at that point. It belonged to Fleet Captain Amelia Johnson.

"Sir, does this mean we'll be doing an old-fashioned blitzkrieg? That's what I got from this tactical scenario that's on my PADD."

Catherine nodded. "It is. Good eye, Amelia. Yes, it will be a blitzkrieg." She said, before changing the display in front of her--showcasing what she had in mind. "We'll be sending in our assembled ships two units at a time to soften up their defenses--in successive waves. After which, we'll be coming in from behind to knock out their main power station here at coordinates Lamda-34 dash 3. That will cut them off from all contact with the outside."

"Right. No power. No way to send a warning."

"Exactly." Catherine said with a predatory smile of her own. "And no way for Khan to know we've taken one of his most prized possessions out from underneath him."

The other woman nodded. "So who will be the first wave?"

"Task Force 31 and 14--under the command of Captain Frederick Knolls." Catherine ticked off. Then she looked back on the view screen for the man in question. "Good luck and good hunting, Captain."

The young man--recently promoted after the loss of his former CO during a surprise skirmish at Bellis III--nodded.

"Acknowledged. I'll be under way in less than three hours time."

Catherine smiled and turned back to the the rest of the group. "The remaining ship captains will get their orders from me in the next hour. We are on tactical alert. So let's make this job count."

Everyone nodded before she dismissed them in turn.

"Godspeed people."

***
Artwork by Jetfreak-7.

Babylon class ships modeled by TUBhusker.