Briefing on Faltan Station

Posted on Thu Feb 13th, 2025 @ 9:22pm by Captain M'Mira & Colonel Jack Patton & Captain Brina Tracy-Hall

2,459 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Mission 5 - The Cold War Ends
Location: Briefing Room
Timeline: MD01 - 1315

Screens throughout Faltan Station had tuned in as "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow blared on the holo in front of the three remaining people in the room. Candy's head bobbed to the music happily until all the lights fully hit her. Dramatically, she shook her head to the side and all of her long blonde hair obediently swished behind her, as if it was all on a string.

She paused for a solid moment as she looked straight into the camera, her dark brown eyes drawing her viewers in. "Good afternoon, my name is Candy Templeton and I am bringing you the Sweet Truth."

Candy smiled and then continued, "The Raeyan Sector Block has been in a state of tension for the last 8 years while the Falteans have blocked nearly all access to their planet. However, is that going to continue to be the case? This morning a new detachment of elite marines called the Kingsmen have arrived at Faltan Station. Just an hour ago, Captain M'Mira had a full briefing with her Chiefs of staff. Is this a sign of coming military action by the Federation? Or are they preparing for an attack by the Falteans, Union, or Raeya? Whatever the case may be, it does appear that something has changed and those on Faltan Station should brace for it. Of course, I will continue my coverage of these developments and give you the Sweet Truth. This has been Candy Templeton reporting."

"Well, I suppose that we could start the brrriefing with that," M'Mira started. "Ms. Templeton and her people arrre everrrywhere. She has a knack forrr news and is rrrarrrely wrrrong. She also is the only perrrson who Goverrrnorrr Taga allows to visit. I suspect that Taga enjoys it when Candy makes us look bad. Still, she has herrr uses."

Brina watched the gossip news brief, her eyes narrowing slightly, the woman reminded her of someone, which she couldn't place a finger upon it yet. "She seems to have a nose for finding out something. What is this Govenor Taga like?" the red head having had her arms across her chest as she listened to that flash.

The Caitian considered the question. "Outwarrrdly, she is calm, cool, and collected. Howeverrr, she is like a spiderrr. She may look harrrmless, but she is always stalking herrr prrrey. Always calculating. Verrry little can actually be trrracked back to herrr. We arrre fairrrly cerrrtain that she murrrderrred the prrrevious Goverrrnorrr to obtain his position."

Jack rolled his eyes as the gossip columnist signed off. He had little to no patience for sensationalist journalism, well actually he had no patience for journalists period but that was for another time. "Captain, as of this moment the Candy Templeton should not be given any information in reference to our strategy for Faltan. Hell, she should not be given any information at all. If she is having meetings with Taga, then it is distinctly probable that she is discussing what happens here. I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and not call her traitor or accuse her of sharing secrets. But, even accidentally she could share something. As such I must strongly advise and insist that no one speak with her." He turned to Brina. "Captain Hall, as of now no one from the Kingsmen is to speak with anyone from any media without my expressed authorization." Jack may not be able to make such an order for the station, but for his Marines he was well within his rights.

Brina gave a nod towards Patton.

M'Mira's laugh was more of a hissing sound than a true chortle, "If you think that's going to worrrk with Candy, then you'rrre sadly mistaken. We've trrried that before. She gets information. It is just what she does. She has inforrrmants and sourrrces. But she does like herrr rrreporrrts and often times we get good information out of her rrreporrrts that we would not obtain otherwise. I have no doubt as to wherrre her loyalties lie, which arrre mostly with herrrself, but she would neverrr harrrm the Federrration. Life is not black and white out here, Colonel. You would be wise to learrrn that."

Her eyes narrowing towards the CO of the station, Brina rasied a hand, with a respectful tone she uttered, "Captain M'Mira, before we go any further on this discussion. Have we checked to see if there are any listening devices in this room?" directing her gaze towards the Captain. "I mean no disrespect, however, the place that we came from, and how we are, we have never nor assume things to be black and white, there are always different shades and hues." she glanced over towards Patton, then back towards the CO.

"I have perrrsonally checked this rrroom myself," M'Mira answered. "I used to be an Ops Chief, so I do not mind my paws getting dirrrty." She paused for a long second before adding, "Of courrrse, I would need to clean myself shorrrtly afterrr."

She then favored the new Marine XO with a toothy grin. "I would verrry much like to hearrr wherrre you came frrrom and what you experrrienced."

Jack was in no mood to reminisce at the moment. Not when there were potential threats to discuss. It slightly amazed him that the Captain would be interested in the past than the present. "Captain, if this reporter has sources and as you said ways of learning information. Then it is our job to sniff out who these sources are and shut them down. Any information that she gains from our side should be vetted by you before she learns it. Otherwise, you have a leak, and while this journalist may be innocuous enough, I would not put it past someone to use her for their own ends. Permission to open an investigation into who is speaking with her." He needed the authorization to use station's resources for the investigation. However, Jack took a note on his PADD. He would run the investigation with just the Kingsmen if he had to.

"Denied," M'Mira answered simply. Sympathetically, she looked over at the Marine Colonel and said, "I've found Ms. Templeton to be most helpful when needed. You just have to underrrstand how she operrrates. Perrrhaps you should meet with herrr, though, I suspect she might attempt to seduce you to get inforrrmation out of you. She is loyal to the Federrration but the thing she is most loyal to is acquirrring the trrruth. Perrrhaps in a strrrange way, she also is loyal to Misterrr Turrrner, ourrr acting Chief Engineerrr. They used to be a couple. It is complicated and even I am not cerrrtain that I know the whole storrry. I don't even know why he stayed or why she did afterrr they concluded theirrr relationship."

She sighed, which quickly turned into a yawn. Nap time was getting near, but she needed to make sure that these two understood the complexities of Faltan Station. "We have focused way too much on Ms. Templeton. Therrre arrre also Reayan and Union, the two otherrr independent planets that have alliances with the Falteans. They arrre much less trrrouble. Unlike Faltan, they have neverrr overrrtly acted against us, at least that I am awarrre."

Brina was also making notes as well, "Questions had be asked Captain where Miss Templeton is concerned. Moving to another subject, how often has the Falteans attacked the station? Were they able to breach the station itself?"

M'Mira answered, "They have not attacked this station yet. They've only attacked the planetarrry station and took some inforrrmation from it. Since then, they've basically orrrderrred that we'rrre not to be in theirrr space."

Jack sat lost in thought for the moment. Having a leak on the station would not due, it would not due at all. He knew that Captain M'Mira was not like Harrington. Neil would have let Jack take the ball and run with it, making sure that no information was leaked. There may be a chance that he did not know enough about Faltan, but Jack Patton did not want to take the chance that he was right. He decided that he would have the Kingsmen and perhaps Aer investigate this Candy Templeton and shut her down if needed. This would be done with or without the Captain's blessing.

Jack quickly looked up as he came out from his thoughts. It was only about thirty or so seconds that he was in thought. "I would recommend we adhere to their order. Thus far it seems that this is an internal Faltan matter and should remain as such. We should take measures to secure this station and our people. But, protocol dictates we stay out of the internal matter."

"We have not interrrferrred with anything on Faltan and won't unless they do something to us. As you say, that is prrrotocol. Howeverrr, I do like to be inforrrmed on theirrr issues. Now, I would cerrrtainly be happy to hearrr how you believe that the station needs improved security measurrres," M'Mira answered.

"To start I would recommend daily explosive sweeps of the station. Security and The Kingsmen working together can perform this. It would possibly allow us to learn of any terrorist style attacks before they happen. Any visiting dignitary regardless of government is to go nowhere on this station without an escort. They should be allowed their own guards with our people augmenting. I believe that would be a good start." Jack explained. What he did not say was exactly how he was going to investigate this reporter and make sure she was given false information, or no information.

The Caitian Captain squinted at her new XO. Why was he so paranoid? Had she just become so accustomed to the way things were that she was missing something? Not likely. Certainly he came highly recommended but he seemed very high strung. Perhaps, in time, he would learn to relax or accept that not everything here would function the way that he wanted. Considering everything she decided that his suggestion would not hurt. "I thinkthat you may find the Rrromulan Ambassadorrr will rrreject yourrr assistance. Howeverrr, I see no harrrm in the otherrr suggestion. Feel frrree to implement it."

"Captain, you mentioned that some information had been taken from the planetary station, was that station staffed with Star Fleet officers? And what sort of information had been taken? And am I correct in that the planetary station was on Faltan?" Brina having concerns about this.

"The planetarrry station was indeed on Faltan itself. The Federrration was leasing it frrrom the Falteans. Rrrememberrr that the station was attacked and we all evacuated to save lives. We cannot be cerrrtain about all that was taken. Howeverrr, we arrre fairrrly cerrrtain that nothing that was confidential was obtained by the Falteans. I led a team down afterrr it was deemed safe and we scuttled the rrremainderrr of the records and station."

The Caitian looked at the pretty Captain, her eyes narrowing. She could be a threat to attracting an appropriate mate. Grrrr.

Noticing the glare from the CO, Brina gave a mental sigh. It seemed to her that Captain M'Mira had a little bit of chip on her shoulder about something, possibly it was was her or could be just her imagination. Another look, nope not Brina's imagination. "I will agree with the Colonel about not getting involved in their strife. "

"We don't," M'Mira responded somewhat curtly. "But we keep an eye on it. Things have a way of spilling overrr."

"That is so very true Captain M'Mira. At times when a person least expects it." Brina thought back to the other ship she had served on, a saboteur had managed to sneak on board having taken the place of one of the crew. She frowned slightly at the thought of that.

M'Mira tilted her head curiously at Brina. Is she trying to pacify me in some way? I need to watch her. "And now that all of this new staff has come in, what betterrr way to sow some chaos? Though, I cannot be cerrrtain how much the Falteans know."

Brina gave a nod towards M'Mira, "Thank you Captain, I do appreciate you answering my questions. I do apologize for my directness, it's of my desire to find out what we are facing. This is due to my husband and my boys being here as well. And not only that, I care about others on the station as well."

The moment that Brina mentioned a husband, M'Mira smiled at Brina unreservedly. The toothy grin was warm and yet could be terrifying at the same time. No threat. She's no threat at all. "I care about everyone on the station," M'Mira replied in a practical coo. "How old are yourrr cubs and when do I get to meet them and yourrr husband?"

Captain M'Mira's questions sort of took Brina aback, she was more used to being asked personal questions when it wasn't during a briefing. She glanced towards Patton, giving an apologetic expression, it hadn't been her intention to have things get informal.

"Captain, I can arrange a meeting, once we get a bit more settled," she replied with a friendly smile. "And also my boys are almost ten years old."

"Lovely," the Caitian replied. "I look forrrwarrrd to it. Now, wherrre werrre we? Have I answerrred everrrything that you wish to know, Colonel and Captain?"

Jack thought for the moment. There were a lot of things that Jack wanted to say. However, this was neither the time nor the place. "No, Captain I have nothing to add."

"It has been sufficient at this time, Captain M'Mira." Brina felt it was going to take some getting used to, having a Caitian in command, who seemed to be a bit rather loose in her command style. Brina kept her thoughts to herself, having a congenial smile. Different people tended to have their own style of running a station.

"Wonderrrful," M'Mira answered. "Then, you arrre both dismissed. Come see me if you think of anything else."

"Yes Captain." Brina giving a nod. Being dismissed, Brina rose from the table and exited the briefing room. There was a lot to be done getting settled in.

Jack stood and and came to attention as was the custom of the Corps. He performed an about face and left the room. In truth there was not much that he had learned from this meeting. However, there was the situation with the reporter and the fact that the Captain seemed to disregard the threat that it posed which troubled Jack. He would be talking to Aer about keeping an eye on this Candy.

 

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