The Best Defense

[Chirakis 1]

The Best Defense
Cayne & Chirakis

In contrast to Command and Control, Aegis’ Security Complex was fairly calm when Captain Chirakis entered. After a cursory nod to the Master at Arms, she turned down the corridor toward security’s Command Center, where Commander Cayne had been working for the last hour. The USS Byron, one of Starfleet’s elite Zumwalt Class Stealth Destroyers, had gone missing near An-Ward. With the instability created by the Breen’s disappearance and the subsequent formation of an alliance by Breen subjects (referred to by command as the Alien Alliance), Chirakis believed that an attack on Sky Harbor Aegis was not so much a matter of “if” but of “when”.

 

Chirakis paused just inside the door, allowing it to close and seal while she took stock of the situation. Display screens encircled the room, their situational and tactical data shifting constantly, their flickering light casting eerie surreal patterns on the ceiling and across Commander Wyatt Cayne, the officer now manning the main console.

 

Slight motion with either hand changed data views on any screen or accessed and shifted information on the main screen. For the present, the main screen displayed the known elements that might be available to Aegis in the event of an attack.

 

“What do we have, Commander?” said Kirel as she stepped toward him. Though she was reluctant to break his concentration, time was a luxury in this situation.

 

"I'm having the computer analyse the data about our missing ship, the Byron, though no doubt you have done this already. That ship loss is hurting our spread in the sector." Cayne was moving all around the sector as one would in a game of Risk, rolling the dice for any blip or contact. "I'd like all of our vessels to patrol in such a way we are keeping all we can in focus, but I also don't want to create predictable travel vectors. Tell me, are efforts underway to increase our eyes in our sector and beyond?" He moved to other points of data as he awaited an answer.

 

“Yes, to your last, Commander,” she said, standing to the side and slightly behind him, giving him plenty of space to maneuver. “Sensor upgrades are in the process. Though SubCommander Jorahl’s upgrades were considerable when the new station was built, he is working on improving whatever can be improved. I am sure his creativity will prevail."

 

"As to your first, no, I have not done any analysis. Yours of the Byron and the debris that has been found will be merged with Lieutenant Commander Lawliet’s science scans to….” She broke off on a sigh as her gaze dropped for a moment. “Though the debris may be the Byron, they also may not be. Hopefully the Byron has reason to be in full stealth mode, and has therefore gone dark. She is not a ship that is easily found or destroyed.

 

“As to our patrol vessels? What we have on Aegis is all we might have at our disposal during an attack. The Border Patrol may not be available. Given the political situation in Starfleet, the Federation, and the Allied Powers, I am sure that thought has not escaped you.”

 

Cayne sighed. "Starfleet and others can only allocate so many ships to our sector, no matter how valuable the station. I have been running simulations where I place new listening posts throughout the surrounding area. So far it is out an additional ten light years." He dimmed the current ships and scanning devices, highlighting what he had added. "In some cases I have added new points we did not cover, in others I overlapped in case of failure. I also made sure our current fleet could deploy, or be ready to deploy, when they get there. All off the shelf components, as much as I'd like new toys out there." The display was a loop showing a timelapse of his additions coming online as if a cold front was rolling across the sector.

 

"I read about an interesting tactic used during the Dominion war at Deep Space Nine. A then engineer Ferengi Rom installed a series of replicating cloaked mines. Could we do this with our sensor net to be more resilient in case of compromise? I figure this change could take a bit of time."

 

“Um…” she mused. “That would be SubCommander Jorahl’s area of expertise,” she continued as she settled into a chair and retrieved her PADD. “It is an excellent idea, but we will have to consult him.” Her legs crossed, she rested easily while jotting notes on the PADD in her lap. “Commander Coleridge and SubCommander Korjata should be consulted as well,” she added, omitting ‘and I am sure that Commander Coleridge will be excited to have something else to do’. “How many ships does the shipyard have ready for immediate deployment?”

 

"Ever since the attack, the shipyard has been running double shifts to finish what they had. Last I saw they had the Aegean undergoing a tuneup and two others of the same class. One should be ready for shakedown in three days and the other one has experienced a setback in its hybrid power system. So...." He looked at the latest schedule. "Two weeks on the long end. We can add engineers, but too many spoil the brew."

 

Cayne looked at Chirakis. "What do you know of this Nero fellow, a Rihan?"

 

“Nero?” She straightened in her chair, regarding him quizzically. “He is a loyal Rihan who has amassed quite a fortune mining the asteroid belt,” she said offhandedly. “He and a few others have joined in consortium to find and extract some of the best metals in the quadrant….” Here she paused, lips parted, as his question began to make sense. “They also have a formidable defense force, in case others should desire ‘a piece of their action’, as they say.” She leaned away from her PADD. “Continue, Commander.”

 

"Do we have any sway to get Nero to help us further in our defense effort, perhaps in a somewhat off the record manner?” He asked with a lifted brow.

 

Kirel’s lips curled slightly, and if her eyes were not so dark, one could have seen a glint forming in their depths. “This is their home, Commander. Their home world is uninhabitable. Their families live on the station. Their children attend the school. I doubt they will need much convincing. He and the consortium have much to defend, and one always fights more fiercely when defending his home.”

 

He nodded, "We need the most qualified person to approach them, which begs another question. In my walks on the commerce level there are a surprising number of Ferengi." He pulled up local data on that alliance. "How is their stance with us? Could they supplement the shipyards? I'm totally unsure of their fleet capabilities."

 

“The Ferengi can be a formidable foe or a treasured ally, Commander. Their ships are advanced, both in weaponry and construction. As a species, they are clever, fiercely loyal to their families and their assets, and crafty in negotiations. If there is profit to be made, they will be the first to appear. And….” she turned to face him, “...unless Ferenginar itself is threatened, they might want to negotiate for defense of Aegis. We must tread lightly, or at the end of the conflict, we could be renamed Sky Harbor Dabo.” Her smile was cautious and devoid of amusement. “That said, we do have certain personal allies among them who might come to our aid. I will give you a list.

 

“Have you considered TKR-117 in your calculations?” Her attention moved back to the PADD.

 

"Contact with them is rather limited from what I've read. I placed an orbiting listening post in simulations, but that was about it. Was unsure of how a move like that would be taken. Feels like approaching them would amount to a first contact scenario. We could at least lay out our case to them as see what they say. A small group should suffice."

 

“TKR-117 has been our satellite colony for several years, Commander. Many of our civilians have relatives who live there. Also, the Deosi, whom we rescued from the Breen, are their main agriculturalists. Dr. Nagi, Director of Archaeology at the archaeological site will understand the situation. I will contact him. At the very least, they should be made aware of the situation so they can prepare for a siege.”

 

Planning continued for the better part of the next hour. Not all their options were on the table, but a strategic plan was taking shape. Together, Cayne and Chirakis listed prospects, ranking them from definite allies to least likely. Aegis’ ships and defenses were at the top, and TKR-117 was at the bottom. That colony might become more of a liability than an asset.

 

Left out of the equation were the Sindar, who were known to ally with no one, though they could mount a daunting defense if threatened. Also left out were those connected to Rendezvous October. Their concerns were covert and internal. Their purpose was to restore the integrity of the Federation and the Allied Powers, whose governing bodies had sunk deep into corruption over the last year. However, if the entire quadrant were threatened, Kirel had no doubt that they would join the defense. After all, their concerns would be moot if the quadrant were overrun.

 

Commander Cayne’s intense focus continued while Kirel formulated a synopsis for Captain Ramson. She had been surprisingly impressed with Cayne. SI-6 was known for its rogue operatives, but Cayne was proving to be a valuable asset—beyond ensuring job security to the owners of his favorite haunt on the commerce deck, The Thirsty Mule.

 

“Carry on, Commander,” she said on her way out. “Keep me informed of your progress. I will be in Command and Control, reporting to Captain Ramson.”