The Mirror Scaled Serpent - Part One

Posted on Tue Aug 4th, 2020 @ 4:54am by Division Admiral Thomas Lasky & Fleet Captain Racheal Yamaguchi & Captain Marrik F'enu & Captain Ariel Gilmore & Commander Victoria 'Enyo' Yamaguchi & Commander Ethan "Hardcase" Duval & Commander Drigon Haro & Captain Duran Jerrold & Commander Duncan Mitscher & Commander Connor "Reaper" Maxwell & Commander Marie Fordragon & Lieutenant Commander James O'Malley & Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer Tarleton Ravin

Mission: Mission 105: The Mirror, Shattered
Location: Admiral Lasky's office - Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 0800Hrs - September 25th, 2393

Division Admiral Lasky had sent this notice out rather late the previous afternoon and he knew he was interrupting two Captain's of their leave time and while he hated doing it, he wanted them involved in the situation, to ensure they knew of what was going on and that they were involved and in the loop. Several of his Captain's had already shown up and now they were waiting on the last three arrivals. As the thought went through his head, the door opened and in walked Commander Victoria Yamaguchi, her sleek and supple figure was accented by the uniform as she wore a skirt and boots rather than a pair of pants and shoes, this was something new for her as she normally never wore anything that could be called feminine on any lever whatsoever. "Come on in Commander, help yourself to the replicator and then take a seat..."

"Yessir," Yamaguchi answered as she went to see to her various needs, as she did so, the door opened and in walked Commander Connor Maxwell who held the nickname of Reaper, he regarded Lasky with a nod before he noticed everyone else present. "Something going on skipper?"

"Yeah, I'll explain when everyone is here, for now, however, help yourself to the replicator and take a seat," Lasky answered with a nod of his own.

"Yessir." and Maxwell went over to join Yamaguchi near the replicator. The door then opened for the third time as the last member of the group who was late., "I apolo...What's going on?" Commander Marie Fordragon inquired as she glanced around. "Sir?"

"Help yourself to the replicator Commander. Now that we are all here, I can begin." Lasky commented evenly, as he went over to the wall monitor that he used for events such as this, he produced an isolinear chip from one of his uniform pants pockets. "Alright, everyone. We've been asked to sever the gateway portal between pour universe and another universe." he regarded Yamaguchi directly. "Your original universe to be more specific."

"Oh." Yamaguchi paused. "I didn't think Starfleet would ever do it, sir," Yamaguchi added in a quiet tone of voice after a moment.

"Neither did I Commander." Lasky paused. "We've tried explosives, we've various technologies and various known ways of collapsing wormholes, yet this one has a subspace matrix that's so stable, even trilithium explosives won't bring it down. We've been asked to go and find out what they know about these portals, so we can find a way to break them." Lasky explained. "The Ninety-second is going to send one ship... Through the portal and use stealth rather than brute force. In an attempt to take what we need to get this done." he looked around the room at his assembled Captains. "I asked for Captains with rather specific backgrounds, people who prefer to be a little more independent, are not so hidebound to the rules and regulations and people who are not afraid of telling the system to fuck off every once in a while," Lasky explained. "I asked... and I was sent all of you." Lasky paused a moment, letting his statement sink in. "The USS Infinity is going through... We are the backup plan and now we are here to plan out this assignment and then decide who is going and who is not."

"Sir, we can't send all of us." Duncan Mitscher said in a light tone of voice.

"No. One ship Captain will go. I prefer it to be one of our three Capital ships." the second Yamaguchi spoke up, she was Lasky's exec and was a lot older then she looked. "Captain Gilmore, if asked... Would you go?"

"I'd be first in line Captain," Gilmore answered. "But what about either Commander Duval or Commander Yamaguchi?" she inquired as she regarded the two officers she had named with a wave of her left hand. This reaction elicited something of a reaction from the rest of the personel gathered, including Yamaguchi herself. "May I ask why us sir?"

"Well, the Infinity is taking you two along as a part of her strike team. Ethan, you will be assisting as her second officer and Victoria, you'll be going as an attachment to her security troops." Lasky explained. "The main reason, however, is because you are intimately familiar with this space... It used to be your home before you came here." Lasky explained evenly.

"Won't this all leave us shorthanded?" Duval inquired, his bass tone contrasting with the concerned look in his eyes. "Could I request that Commander Bowman handle the command of the Gaarni while I am gone?" he paused. "I do not wish to offend him."

"You won't be. He can look after your command while you look after the other matter. If that's alright with you Admiral?" Gilmore answered.

"If he's qualified, then I have no objection," Lasky answered. "Who would replace Victoria?" he indicated Victoria who was sitting nearby.

Gilmore considered it a moment as she slowly smiled. "What's your usual specialty?" she inquired of Yamaguchi. "I came up the ranks through tactical, security and special forces before I got a command. USS Shield of Vega before it was renamed to ISS Shield of Vega," she explained. "But... There is another matter I'd like to address.." she commented as she expected to be told no outright. "I'd like to search for a group of political prisoners... More specifically, while we're searching for information regarding the gateway project. I'd like to also look for any survivors of the USS Shield of Vega... I owe them a debt sir... and I would like to try and save them... I also have two children in the system sir and I want to try and recover them."

"What!?" Captain Marrik F'enu complained. "You can't go... You'll compromise the mission."

"Send her Admiral," Fleet Master Chief Tarleton Ravin said bluntly. "Yamaguchi will ensure the mission is accomplished if she goes."

"Wait," Lasky said evenly while he raised his hand to stop the argument before it started. "Master Chief, would you mind elaborating on that for me please?"

Ravin regarded Lasky with a nod before he began. "Commander Yamaguchi won't risk the outcome of the mission as she has a lot riding on its successful outcome. She did tell us what was at stake for her and she said so publicly, rather than undermine the mission with her own side quest and her children will be a powerful motivating factor."

"Mmm... A fair, if somewhat uncomfortable point Master Chief... Very well." he turned to the younger female before him, as she finished her drink. "What say you?" Lasky inquired of Yamaguchi in a quiet tone of voice. Yamaguchi found herself was suddenly uncomfortable with the matter at hand, she had expected to be rejected outright but this was all unexpected. "Whatever it takes Admiral. This mission will succeed... Even if it means I do not get my children back..."