Priority message

From: Bravo Fleet Operations

To: Captain, USS Dragon

Fleet security level: Red

Mission threat level: Amber

Captain,

As you may be aware the Deptrock system houses one of the largest dilithium mining operations within the confederacy. The mining operation is located on the sixth planet of the system (see attachment one). With the hostilities between the confederacy and the federation the call for dilithium has increased within the confederacy; as such we have deemed that the mining operation on Deptrock 6, being of vital importance to the confederacies logistics system, is now a priority one target.

Bravo fleet intelligence has received information that the mine is worked by slave labor. The mines hold a small Breen security force and camp administration unit. According to the intelligence assets Deptrock 6 has, three interceptors assigned that are mainly there to act as convoy escorts within close proximity to the planet. The size of the slave camp is unknown at this time; an increase in the number of slaves has been noted as the need for dilithium has increased recently. As you are aware the federation has mandated a no tolerance for slave labor policy, as such then you have been tasked with the freeing of this slave labor force. Intelligence has noted that the convoys arrive and depart on a weekly schedule with departure roughly twenty-four to thirty-six hours after arrival. It is believed that the incoming convoys bring supplies and additional slave labor and depart with dilithium ore.

This mission is twofold.

The destruction of the mining operation.

 The freedom of the interred slaves

How this is accomplished is up to you and your crew. At this time, we cannot guarantee the assistance of any federation ships. If the slave labor is more than you can handle on the Dragon, the procurement of additional ships is allowed.

An Intelligence report on known planetary defenses is attached.

Remember captain – Trust Only Bravo Fleet.

End of priority message

********************************************************

Aryanna looked around the command table as she read the message, taking in everyone’s faces as the news sunk in on the task that had been laid in front of them. “As you heard just now the message was rather short on information. What we now have to decide is just how we conduct this operation. “

“That’s easy lass; we go in free those slaves and then rain fire and brimstone down on the mine.” Skagath said as he followed the captain with his eyes as she walked around the room.

“Not that easy, Skagath. What the report did not say is that the mine lays several hundred meters underground. There is a transporter inhibitor shield around the planet.  There is a gambit of defensive platforms and spread around the system are, at least, three known minefields.” Aryanna said as she retook her seat at the table and reached for a glass.”

“Aye, of course, it’s never as easy as they make it sound.” Skagath chuckled.

“Do we have any idea on the number of slaves?” Doc asked from her seat as she looked up from her PADD.

Aryanna shook her head.

“Damn it, they don’t think that is something that would be nice to know.” Doc let out under her breath. “Captain, we are not exactly set up to be a hospital ship, you know. My team and I should be able to handle triage and the most serious cases. But these people will need medical care beyond what we can provide.”

“I understand doc, and i am working on that. I’m going to send a message to the USS Olympic, I understand that she is part of the Mackenzie squadron now, for assistance once we are back in federation territory and clear of any threats.” Meadow said from her seat.

Doc nodded, “Yes, they would be able to handle the slaves and see to their needs till they were able to get them to a station. Do you know who her Captain is?”

“Not yet, but when I find out I’ll let you know.”

Doc nodded and then quickly started to type something on her PADD.

Yatokkii looked up from his PADD and blinked several times. “Captain, I did not see this in the report but do we know where the transport inhibitor is controlled from? Is it platform based or ground based?”

Aryanna looked over toward Scamandrius. “Lieutenant?”

Scamandrius sat upright in his chair a bit. “We believe it to be a ground based system, probably an older model but still effective.”

Yatokkii blinked a couple more times, as he thought. “Captain, according to the report the camp is split into two sections. One side houses the guards, infrastructure, operations and administration of the mine while the other half houses the slaves. Both of these are located just outside of the mine’s entrances.” a rudimentary map comes up over the center of the table.

Skagath leaned forward and pointed out the points with his swagger stick as he looked and nodded at Yatokii. “Meaning that the first thing we need to do is locate this inhibitor’s operation console and shut it down. Well besides the obvious part of getting into the camp to begin with. Then we move on to freeing the labor and then bringing the roof down on the mine.”

Skagath, you make it sound so simple. “Zhaishi chuckled

Yatokii looked over at Scamandrius “does the intelligence have anything on when or if all of the slave labor is in one location?”

Scamandrius shook his head.

“Well, that makes things a bit more interesting.” Yatokii looked at the map, blinked several times and nodded. “Captain. We may have an asset that would be able to help in this situation.”

Scamandrius looked over at Yatokii “I think we are on the same page, this is the type of mission we put them in pace for. Are we sure they are ready?”

“Only one way to find out for sure.”

Yatokii looked at Scamandrius for a moment then turned toward Aryanna. “We would like a few minutes of your time to discuss this mission and a possible asset we could use.”

Aryanna nodded “Very well, we will meet in my ready room after this meeting if that works for you.”

Yatokii looked at Scamandrius who nodded in reply, as did Yatokii.

Aryanna looked at the map then types something on her console making the map zoom out to show the overall system. “At this time we do not have the location of the defensive platforms or the minefields. Both of which need to be handled somehow before we can take the Dragon in.”

Viameli cleared her throat “Unless we can figure out the route that these convoys take, I am willing to bet that it is well clear of the issues that those two things present.”

“The lass has a point. If I designed the defenses for this operation, I would place those items along the most likely routes to the planet. Making it difficult for anything much bigger than a small freighter to get through.” Skagath added.

“Unfortunately we are a bit bigger than a small freighter, Skagath,” Viameli said from her seat.

“I know, but if we could…”

“I’m guessing this is where we come in. ” Commander Thornton stood and leaned over the table to get a closer look at the map, pipe in one hand pointing out different aspects of the system to himself. “The angels could take care of the platforms and the planet-based interceptors, what we would need to worry about is they damn mine fields. One thing to note though and I am sure everyone is thinking it and just not saying it, once we start this the whole region and I am willing to bet the entire confederacy will know that something is going on at their little mining operation. This will need to be one of two things either very quick or very stealthy.

“Not to mention one pissed off fleet that technically is not too far away as far as stellar distance goes.” Meadow added

“There’s that, too,” Thornton nodded. “Captain, if we could get within a couple days of travel of the system for a brief period of time we could launch the two Arrows and use them to scout the system. See if we can find the platforms and minefield locations and maybe notice any signatures that could lead us to the routes that the convoys use. “

“That’s easy enough.” Aryanna made a note on her console and looked back up at the staff.” sounds like we have the first phase set up, the recon will play a vital role in what we do next.”

Doc looked up from her PADD. “How long will it take to use the transporters to get possibly hundreds if not a few thousand people off the planet’s surface?”

Several of the staff sat back in their chairs and let out a long breath as if they had not thought of that particular issue.

Sustram looked up from his PADD. “I figure we could handle 200 to 300 an hour.”

“So we are looking at five hours for a thousand people, if we used the lower number of the two.” Doc shook her head.

Meadow looked at Aryanna then at Skagath and Yatokii. “Better come up with a plan B, just in case.”

Skagath sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “Scamandrius, did your little birds have any idea on when the next convoy is?”

Scamandrius looked at his PADD. “According to the report, they should be arriving sometime in the next 24 hours.”

“Not enough time for us to act now. But that would mean we have roughly a week till the next convoy?”

“Give or take a day, yes,” Scamandrius nodded.

Aryanna smiled, “I think I know where you’re heading, Skagath. Get with Viameli and anyone else you think you need to and work up a plan for me to look at. You have twenty-four hours to have something on my desk. Commander Thornton, get the Arrows ready we should be entering warp any minute to head towards the Deptrock system. We will stay long enough to launch your two ships and then we will need to keep moving to try and cover our plans.”

Thornton nodded.

Aryanna stood from her seat. “Very well then, I think we all understand what we have been asked. Now it is time to make it work. I hope that by this time next week we will have a ship full of what would then be refugees and we will be on our way to Farpoint station. That is all.”