Not Flying Blind

[Saylek 0]

A joint log with Savros.

 

In the Main Briefing Room of the USS Columbia, enroute to the Azure Nebula, ten hours after the conclusion of the 11/23 sim...

 

The senior staff stood for the arrival of Captain Saylek. As he took the head of the table, they all returned to their seats. "I trust that you have had sufficient time to accomplish your tasks," he spoke evenly. He looked around the table and saw no objection. "Sciences," he commenced.

 

"Yes, sir." Lieutenant Ryan Marx straightened in his seat to be better seen. "Our department has looked at the data provided by Captain Koloth. The scans are amazingly detailed and reveal an effort that represents months, if not years of work."

 

"But are they authentic?" interrupted the Caitan security chief.

 

Mr. Marx looked across the table at Kal'don, "Everything matches information Starfleet has on the nebula. There's no way to know for sure, but it would be an elaborate ruse if it was faked. And then there's this," he inserted a memory card and pressed a button on the table. "Computer, bring up section 126 by 18."

 

"Working," indicated the male voice of the computer as it accessed the data. A moment later, the center screen showed a picture of the requested section.

 

"The most compelling evidence of authenticity is the pattern of stellar drift," Marx flipped a toggle and the cloud moved slowly in time. "Klingons aren't known for their science, but this clearly shows how the gases within the nebula are affected by existing gravitation forces. With this information, you can predict and avoid the worst concentrations. Since this matches exactly with every known scan, I would say that at least this part of accurate."

 

At the other end of the table, Raumuk's antennae twitched, "So the Klingons have advanced computer simulations of the Vodrey Expanse?"

 

Lieutenant Marx turned his chair to face the Andorian executive officer. "If you think about it, Commander, it's just the sort of information you'd need if you were spending a lot of time in there."

 

"Thank you, Mr. Marx." The Vulcan captain prompted the next speaker, "Mr. Kal'don, you also analyzed the data."

 

The Caitan leaned over and removed the memory card, replacing it with his own. He pressed a button and a new image appeared. This one did not show the previous detail, but an expanded view of the diffuse nebula. He pressed another button, causing red and green dots to fill the expanse, followed by blue lines and orange areas. "I focused my efforts on navigation and tactical areas within the nebula. Now, our Klingon friends tell us that the red dots are mines, the green ones are buoys, the blue lines are safe travel locations and the orange areas are likely positions for large groups of ships. Of course, the notes indicate that the buoys only respond to a very narrow band with frequency."

 

Lieutenant Marx nodded, having seen this information before.

 

Kal'don continued, "To determine the authenticity, I looked at the information to see if it makes tactical sense. The data is very thorough on this, too. The mines are set up to reduce an enemy's progress through the nebula. The areas of safe travel are set up to ensure minimum interference with ship's systems. Although it is unlikely that shields, communications, and other systems will work perfectly, we can detail a plan for outages." He looked around the table. "That's assuming the data is accurate. For all I know it could be an elaborate trap."

 

The captain merely nodded. He did not believe in hunches, but the Caitan tendency to predict trouble bordered on precognition. This sounded more like healthy caution. "The probable success of such a trap is conditional on Koloth's complicity in it," Saylek noted. "The question is whether past experience suggests his motives are genuine. Ms. London?" The Vulcan looked down the table toward his senior communications officer.

 

The auburn-haired human started her turn with the push of a button. A profile of Captain Koloth appeared on the central viewer. "Koloth, distinguished command officer in the Klingon forces. Numerous encounters with Starfleet. A key negotiator at Korvat, where he was known for his implacable temperment – earning the name Ice Man from Ambassador Dax. If the comment was meant as an insult, Koloth took it as a badge of honor. His current command, the IKS D'akturak, translates from Klingon as 'ice man'."

 

"Interesting," Saylek interjected. "This is not a Klingon one would describe as a pacifist. It's unclear why he would support the Azetbur regime over the rebels."

 

London nodded, "Klingon politics are tied up in ancient loyalties and strained definitions of honor. Several of his peers have declared themselves loyal to the Chancellor, so it's not unbelievable he would, too. Captain Kirk recorded a couple logs concerning him. He believed Koloth to be 'a strict disciplinarian who is as honorable as Klingons come'. Given the late captain's general distrust of Klingons, it's about the most positive thing that could be said about him." She paused and breathed deeply.

 

"So our assessment of data and motives is at best, inconclusive," Saylek summarized.

 

"I think we're right to trust him," Raumuk spoke again, softly from the other end of the table. "He didn't have to reveal himself. We were already on our way to the nebula."

 

"Unless he was worried we could detect his ship," Kal'don countered. "Or he needed to steer us to the prime location for an ambush."

 

"But he practically warned us off," London argued. She gestured to the screen. "His history favors maneuvering over aggression with the Federation."

 

"What, like poisoning the grain on Sherman's Planet?" the Caitan noted, his tail lashing behind him.

 

London pressed her point anyway. "He was there for the Korvat summit even before the Gorkon initiative. That détente paved the way for the Khitomer Accords."

 

"After Praxis forced the need," Kal'don noted. He turned to the captain. "We all know the Klingons think diplomacy is just saying 'Nice doggy' until you can find a rock."

 

Several members of the senior staff reacted, some stifling smiles.

 

Humor aside, the meaning was not lost on Captain Saylek. "And your question is whether Koloth thinks he's found a rock?" he asked rhetorically.

 

The security chief looked as if he had something to retort, but the Vulcan silenced him with an upraised hand. "Your points are well taken," he relented, "but I have already made the decision to trust Koloth and his data. This briefing has offered nothing conclusive to dissuade me."

 

Kal'don looked down, lowering his ears.

 

"However, our faith is not blind," Saylek offered. "Challenger is converging on the same destination and should arrive less than an hour after us. Ms. London has advised Starbase 24 of a need for reinforcements – they are attempting to reach the Ushaan and the Ardent." He paused. "Having expected a trap, I expect the use of all your skills to avoid it. See to it. Dismissed."

Edited November 30, 2008 by Saylek