The Science of Defense

Posted on 13 Aug 2022 @ 9:35am by Commander Calliope Zahn
Edited on on 15 Aug 2022 @ 8:42pm

Mission: M3 - Into the Deep
Location: Science Lab
Timeline: MD05 1230HRS
1474 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Calliope was licking her fingers from the sauce on her hasperat and being thankful that greasy fingers had no affect on holographic displays as she was walking and working from the projection of her wrist unit. She'd switched to the device and away from the use of most padds long ago in her career. It always bothered her that in the 24th century, people still operated with cluttered desks. At the very least clutter could be practically infinitely piled up in a digital format, and still relied on for the computer to index and organize in multiple formats and arrangements.

She was far from caught up on the unveiled Pyrryx documents. Although the verifiable encounters with Pyrryx had been few, the depth of comments, debriefings and expert analysis would be more than enough to keep her reading for the entirety of their flight

As Calliope arrived in the science lab she minimized the display and looked up from her reading, seeking out the Science and Ops chiefs.

Cale walked in just after Commander Zahn and cleared his throat allowing her to know that he had arrived. "Commander Zahn, I believe?"

"That's me." She confirmed. Commander Zahn closed the gap between them as he entered and offered a hand to shake in greeting, seeing as they'd had no chance to meet in the rush to launch and accounting for his sudden appearance. "Nice to meet you, Mister Llwellyn. Do you have any questions for me before I begin?"

"Uh, just what the Hell is actually going on here. To be honest, I'm confused as all get out, Commander," Llewellyn said "And I want to apologize for what happened when I walked on the bridge."

"It's understandable, seeing as you must have been redirected from your assigned post to us on arrival. It was as much a surprise to us as to you. "

"That having been said, am I being assigned to this ship or to the station? My orders were for Starbase 201, or so I thought. But, that works for me. I'm not used to being in the dark about anything. Having an eidetic memory doesn't usually lend itself to me not knowing anything," he smiled out of the corner of his mouth.


"I'm... glad it works for you." Calliope was a little uncertain about how the man had come to have orders to be aboard the Pathfinder and be so confused about it. "Just reading your orders tells me you were initially assigned to lead the Science Department of Obsidian Command, but that on your arrival, you were directed to our recon mission. That would mean, just as the other Department Heads serving on this special mission, you'll be able to assume your duties on Obsidian Command following the return of the Pathfinder. The workings of any away mission assignment on any billing essentially function just the same. In your absence from the station, other lead personnel of the Science department will fill in for your station duties. I'm not sure why that's unclear."

"Thank you, Ma'am. This is my first starbase assignment, so you can see why I'm a little confused. Commander Zayne didn't seem to want to even waste his time with meeting me. What do you suggest I do about that situation?" Cale asked truly wondering if there was anyway to rectify the situation with the Exec.

"Commander Zayne doesn't coddle anyone even in the calmest of times. You met him in the middle of a transfer of Command and during the careful management of a new yellow alert status for the station. Don't take it personally." Calliope explained. "Anyways, as for here on the Pathfinder, I expect there will be some in-flight adjustment we all have to make as a crew. So. While we wait for Lt. Haille to join us, let me reiterate the briefing Captain DeHavilland gave moments before you joined us on the bridge."

"For almost everyone on this crew, much of what's going on is very recent, so you aren't alone in being new to our mission details. You may have gleaned much of what I'm about to summarize in the last thirty minutes of bridge duty, but I'm going to do my best to catch you up. Everything I share with you is not to leave the Pathfinder or to be transmitted in any matter abroad. Only share what is necessary with subordinates in order for mission parameters to be met." She paused, looking for Llewellyn's affirmative acknowledgement of the secrecy of the matter at hand.

"Aye, Commander."

"A few days ago, on a local cruise the captain took aboard the Pathfinder, Captain DeHavilland recovered some alien ship wreckage, from a species, to her at the time, previously unencountered. The wreckage showed evidence of the use of multiple banned weapons technologies, including protomatter, subspace weapons, and a thalaron bioweapon. She recovered the remains and brought it to Obsidian Command for further study. While we were evaluating the technology aboard the station, Admiral Sepandiyar and some higher ups in Strategic Operations of Obsidian Fleet were scrambling. They knew of other classified encounters with this species."

Confirming that no one else was nearby, Calliope opened the footage on her holographic display.

"This is the debris the Pathfinder brought back—" Calliope spun through an overall camera view taken in space as the Pathfinder's tractor beams collected it and brought it together. The computer aided sensor compilation brought the parts into detailed topography. "And this, second image, is an intact warship taken by the USS Ardeshir."

Here Calliope played a voice clip of DeHavilland on the Bridge records and the voice over repeated what the bridge crew (minus Llewellyn) had heard a mere half an hour previous. "They are called the Pyrryx," said the recording of DeHavilland, "An aggressive, xenophobic and totalitarian regime that hails from beyond the Aurelian Belt, well past the fringes of known space in this quadrant. Our mission is to follow the last known path of this destroyed vessel, and ascertain where they are, where they've come from and, if we can, where they are going. Now. Starfleet has engaged the Pyrryx on multiple occasions, which is the source of this particular image. And only the strongest and most tactically suited vessels have survived the encounters. This was taken by the Luna-class USS Ardeshir which fought against this vessel and only just survived. By the Captain's account, had the USS Atlantic not answered their distress, they might not have. "

Calliope cut off the audio replay and continued. "As you're aware the Theseus is en-route with us. DeHavilland is commanding our mission, but Captain Callum of the Theseus will be directing should we have any heated encounters with the Pyrryx." Calliope closed her holo-display. "I know that's all a broad overview, especially as you were an added bonus, last minute to our mission." Calliope said with some understanding. "If there's anything I can clear up for you, please do ask."

"That was a great idea whoever made the call. I mean about having a Prometheus-class starship escorting us. Do we have a Defiant-class escort at the starbase? Just curious. I'm not yet familiar with the base compliment," Cale asked.

Calliope gave a small shrug before explaining. "Obsidian Command has multiple ships of various classes in the Loki system and on local regional patrol, although ship movements and assignments are presently not something I can speak to, as I'm not senior Starbase staff. It's not my purview. Admiral Sepandiyar has taken over Starbase security and management concerns while Captain DeHavilland and much of her senior crew have been assigned here to the Pathfinder. I would imagine the Admiral has called on whatever additional resources he can for potential station defense, since ordering the alert and dispatching this reconnaissance mission."

"Ah, I was wondering what was going on with that. So, you're just the Fist Officer of this ship only?" asked the Chief Science Officer.

"This is my only assignment." It was a fair enough question, Calliope thought, seeing as most of the other senior personnel of the Pathfinder had primary assignments on Obsidian Command. "I have no regular posting aboard Obsidian Command— I'm on special assignments only. I call the station home as my husband, Lt Cmdr Quinn, is serving as Chief Engineer."

"Most interesting, Commander. But, I sense something more beneath the surface of your words," Cale said.

Nodding, she smiled, if a little sadly. Having worked with enough Betazoids, Calliope had a growing suspicion that she was dealing with at least an empath of some stripe. "I'd just like for it to be that simple." She said genuinely. "This is a very important mission. A lot may hinge on it and I'm honored to be given the chance to serve."

"As am I, Commander. As am I."