Kalkarindji - Not all is as it is -

Posted on 2024, Fri Feb 16th, @ 1:54am by Outpost Captain Savage Ivanov & Rear Admiral Ilyce (Pronounced Ice) Collins
Edited on on 2024, Fri Feb 16th, @ 1:55am

2,147 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Getting Ready (Character Development)OUTPOST
Location: Kalkarindji
Timeline: Overnight - in the wee hours

Commodore Ilyce Collins, stood and began to pace. Right. Left. Right. Left. Nose into the wall. About face. Left. Right. Left.. Whirling around when the door opened, Ilyce went to take a step, caught sight of who it was and stopped.

"Well, I suppose you were up waiting for them."

Sympathy Gibbons headed for the spread set up against the viewing windows, closed her eyes, opened them, closed them, blinked then reached for the coffee pot. While she was dressed, Ilyce was in her pyjamas. Sympathy didn't comment.

"You're a little snotty this morning." Sympathy started to take a sip of the steaming hot brew, when a thud against the window took her by surprise. "God. I could have done without that front and centre. Has anyone thought to point out to Ivanov that not everyone likes to see that sight, at this hour."

"I'll advise him, just as soon as my brain kicks into gear." Jason answered as she stumbled into the room, heading straight for the coffee pot.

Sympathy snorted, dropping several chocolate buttons into Jason's mug along with a few heaped teaspoons of sugar. "Do I need to stir it?"

"No. Is there anything filled with gooey caramel, sticky thick marshmallow and covered in lots of dark chocolate?" One eye open, one closed she leant over peering at the spread.

Sympathy picked up the plate filled with the asked for sweets and handed the entire plate across.

Jason mumbled her thanks and moved to find a seat. "Savage was on the line with Mad, when I came through. He'll be...."

"Ladies." Savage reached around Sympathy taking the coffee pot and filling several mugs, passing them backwards to Nordic and several other men, before taking his own. "You're going to choke on it, if you don't spit it out."

Collins, in the process of taking a mouthful of coffee, choked, until Nordic slapped her several times on the back, replacing her coffee with water until she stopped coughing. "Did you.."

"That I did."

"Do you have..."

"I do occasionally follow orders."

"I nearly had a bloody heart.."

"Not likely. You had to be given a secondary shot when you beamed onto the Yarramoongah."

"Damn! Will you..." Ilyce wanted to throw the coffee... water glass at him. "Fucken Hell! Someone needs to send Kyaron to spend a little time with Black."

"Thank you but she does fine on her own." Savage was not going to let that happen. Despite what others thought, letting Mad near Kyaron was not happening.

"Morning All, how are we this fine morning." The accent was heavily Scottish. The man was not as big as Savage's lot, but he wasn't small.

"I'm getting a bit......"

"Yes, unfortunately this came up rather quickly and I needed you all here together. I've already briefed Maddison." Duncan MacGregor interrupted. "Another large puddle of debris has been located.."

"Garbage?"
"I'm beginning to think one of us upset you MacGregor."

"Another large puddle of debris has been located. The area was scanned twenty-four hours prior and it was clear. Twenty-four hours later and it was there. We've checked as much as we can, and we passionately believe that it was definitely beamed into the area, according to Maddison, that is not the way of, those who are responsible for the ships and their crew going missing. And according to our Miss Maddison, it would require an extremely delicate touch at the beamer controls. Those at Starbase 688, didn't react in time. There was no more than nineteen hours from appearing till making contact with 688. Three life pods made it away, containing babies, two nurses and an armed marine on each. That makes the death count now one hundred and eighty-two thousand, six hundred and thirty-seven. There is absolutely no other way to put it, but someone is using this method to target and destroy Starfleet Stations. We were able to retrieve several items from the site which hadn't been beamed back to whoever beamed it in the first place. But like the others, we are now firm believers, that it is being beamed into range, allowed to impact in two or more waves, then the rest are being retrieved."

""And you want us to do what?"

"We would like to have several interested black element ships and their crews to investigate the remains of the Starbase, and if you can recover the 'black box'." Duncan looked at Ilyce. "We would like you to increase your patrols. We have three Academy ships heading 113's way. According to our Miss Maddison, we should be able to destroy the garbage cloud with phasers or a TBHJM553. Without causing the 113 or Kalkarindji any issues."

"You don't want the debris brought onboard?" Sympathy asked.

"Onboard 113, no. Without knowing what they are using as the explosive, Maddison says under no circumstances is 113 to bring it onboard. She goes as far to say that using anything, but DCE NonAtmos stands a good chance of the explosive element coating the users suit and if enough suits are brought onto the Starbase, you could be in a lot of poo. We have reviewed everything we have so far collected, and whoever they are, targeting only bases with families onboard seem to be what they wish to destroy." He turned to Savage. "We unscrambled the minute amount of voice we recovered from Starbase 986 and 12557, it's a Klingon female's voice, but other than that, we're handing it over to the Ivanov Bratva, since.." Duncan pulled several PADDs from his jacket and handed them across to Savage. "Someone destroyed a large amount of your property, it is natural that you are not pleased."

"We've taken nineteen of ours back, and given you another thirty-seven. You've acquired seven more ships, crew will come with them. Their details are included on this PADD." He handed that across. "And we've sent you two decommissioned Holoships, decommissioned on paper only. There are seventy ships being decommissioned in three months, advise which ones are of use and we'll create the necessary trails."

Duncan turned to Ilyce and Sympathy. "We'd like you to concentrate on getting the HPDOS (Hull Plating Defensive Offensive Systems) onto Starbase 113. We can't offer you any additional people, however, Maddison has communicated with Jason, who has been talking to Dr Glass and Viv and between them have come up with additional non human assistance. Both Dr Glass and Viv have also come up with several other additions, so install whatever else you feel is needed. Kalkarindji?"

"She's gotten every update they've created and some additions, borrowed, acquired and modified from the history books. Both inside and out." Jason answered. "Mad's got a few ideas, which I've passed on to Sugar and Viv. Some of them, I believe, could benefit Kalkarindji and Mad wants to push having Halo, Ross and the other fleet ships get the same treatment. She's also adding that Townsend was able to walk through the new DCPs, and that she recommends additional training for those of his rank. If the DCPs reaction to his actions doesn't have him reconsider."

Duncan nodded. "Maddison was made XO to round out Townsend. I'll wait for both reports and make my own recommendations. You all realise that Townsend and some others will have to be brought up to speed and into the murk at some stage. Next on these PADDs, you'll find the latest updates on those SF and other interested party's desire. Commander Dorna Villersh, Hoof, I believe she is referred to by Maddison, is now CEO on the Halo. The Bad Eggs and Roosters?"

"Alive and kicking." Ilyce answered. "Would you care to know how much waste was used in the gardens?"

Duncan smiled. "I believe I could find that should it be necessary. Would you care for a twenty-four hour amount or a week's total?"

"What I'd like...."

"Any problem getting undetected onto 113?" He asked the men.

"No." Nordic shook his head. "But it just didn't have the same thrill as doing it without the assist."

"Good. There are just some things that we can't allow to become general knowledge. On that subject, Admiral Mike Ward and Captain Mark White, have been cleared for inclusion should they be needed. Your Bad Eggs and Roosters have passed their final exams and have been cleared to go live. Have we got your people active on 113?"

Savage simply gave a single nod of his head.

"And the other ship's in the fleet?"

"In progress." Savage answered.

"Good. The USS Maidenflower, Birchmore and Kempsey have reached final construction phase. Fit out will begin in six days. We'll keep you updated. As usual we'll arrange paperwork for Ivanov Corp to purchase all three and advise when and where you can collect them. You had an exceedingly good quarter." Another PADD was passed. Among other things you won a space junkyard from a drunken SF contractor. By the time you've got it here, there will be a great amount of stores, supplies and parts. There is a list of items to go to 113 and the various ships here. How is your business? Did you pull Janeway?"

"Warlord, Janeway, crew and Deeton are enroute."

"I gave Instruc...."

"And Townsend's plan was sound, it just needed a little toughening." Savage cut Duncan off.

"Townsend needs a little toughening." Nordic stated.

"Very well." Duncan changed the subject. "Do what you need to do. The Bad Eggs and Roosters must be kept in play. Do what you need to do, to see it stays that way."

Another PADD was passed. "The cargo transporter Mollymook, will arrive in ten days, there is a vast number of items that were cleared from a number of SF and other facilities. Amongst them you'll find a hidden load. As I previously mentioned your balance increased. There is an addition to your fleet, making its own way here. Full Klingon crew. Loyal to you. And you've reached an agreement with Yalt for land to increase your food production. We've got a collection of trained workers, to train the Yalt employees, and Douglass McGhasin is your contact there. Oh and SF would like to express its extreme thanks for your part in returning the crew of the White. All but three crew are back on duty. It was decided to give them backline assignments for a few years. Each one is going to be treated individually and all have unofficially been killed and refaced. SF also express its thanks to your people in the recovery of the new tech onboard." With that, he nodded and headed back towards the door, closing it, as he departed.

"And that was that." Sympathy. "Did anyone catch the Miss attached to Mad's name?"

"Ignoring that topic and going back to the......" Ilyce pointed her thumb at the observers watching from beyond the viewing windows. "You could have worked a little harder in stopping the load from coming my way."

Savage looked wounded, clutching his chest. "Do you have any idea how much trouble it took me to find that many dead? Orchid had a near heart attack when I said, she had to cut them up. Apparently, they weren't juicy enough."

Ilyce glared at Savage. "Please tell me, there is no way for it to be determined it was deliberately released."

"What didn't you like my surprise? I'm wounded." Savage answered, keeping his expression blank.

"Next time, put them in clothes. Do you have any idea of what five-year-old girls now want to focus on?"

Nordic roared laughing. "Actually, you should hear what the tweens and teens were thinking. Not to mention the sex services deck."

Ilyce leant closer and lowered her voice. "It's bloody hard to play nice every time."

Savage roared laughing. "Sorry Commodore, but what can I say, you do delicate a hell of a lot better than I ever would."

"Who says you need to play nice every time?" Sympathy asked. "I'm afraid, Savage is right, Starbase 113 would not handle the Ivanov's. But that doesn't mean you have to be totally nice all the time."

OOC: There will be plot ideas mentioned in Kalkarindji posts, Big Boss know he can use them at will. If anyone would like to be involved, please touch base with Karen (me) before using them, just so I can make sure King J hasn't got things planned. If you'd like to join the baddies, on and off, contact Karen. If you fancy owing Savage I'm after information collectors to be on all fleet ships and stations. Not to sabotage, but to gather information. Got a debt and being harassed, don't want SF to know, Savage can make it vanish, if you're willing to pay the piper. Oh and yes if you've been reading Savage and Co work the white, grey and the black, please don't drag them into the white. I'd sorta like to keep them where they are. - Karen

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