Senior Staff Briefing, Ataran Update Part 1

Posted on Fri May 24th, 2024 @ 12:22pm by Captain Remy Johansen & Lieutenant Commander Razka Kas & Lieutenant Commander Maxun Spello & Lieutenant Commander Nash Winters & Major Clay McEntyre III & Lieutenant Jules Mundy & Lieutenant Eirly Andersen & Lieutenant Chrysanthe Capulet & Chief Petty Officer Nevan Kayto & Petty Officer 3rd Class Grexx & Petty Officer 3rd Class Cormus Fletcher

1,636 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: What We Do With Second Chances
Location: Bridge Conference Room
Timeline: Day 10 0300 Hours

With the away team safely back on board the Astrea, Captain Johansen called for an immediate senior staff briefing despite the hour. Most everyone was on the Bridge already except for Dr. Ta'Feel and those that Commander Razka and Lieutenant Anderson had just retrieved from the Serenity, so everyone was quick to gather.

Kas entered the room and got himself a coffee from the replicator and took his seat.

Considering the situation that had transpired, Nevan didn't have much information and as a result had been talking with Grexx and Cormus as soon as they returned to attempt to get a quick debrief, but it hadn't been enough. When the order came for the meeting, he had brought the pair in tow with him into the briefing room as they would have more first hand knowledge to answer anything directly at the moment. After they had ensured him the site had been secured before they left, he felt a better for the time being. The trio entered and their leader found himself a seat at the table while the two younger men stood off to the side. They were tired but excited to be there.

Commander Winters stumbled groggily into the conference room. “Sorry for being late, Captain. I was checking in with Sara at home. Making sure Brunel was settling in ok. He’s a good boy, just very curious and …..energetic. The perfect match for my daughter.”

Clay came in, still awake, cup of coffee in his hand as he sat at his customary chair at the table with groaned slightly at the size of the Chief Tactical officer, leaning back into it.

Jules Mundy entered the briefing room, nodding to the captain.

Eirly Andersen came in to the briefing room next. She could feel the last of the adrenaline wearing off from getting the away back safely so she was starting to get tired, but fixing her hair into a loose side plait, she walked over to the replicator and got two coffees (one for her and Nash because he looked like he definitely needed one), then sat down next to Clay and starting drinking it.

She nodded to Nash and raised the other coffee to signal it was for him.

Winters reached over to fetch the cup from Lt. Andersen. “Thanks, Lieutenant. I needed this,” he whispered.

Captain Johansen started, "I know it's late, so this will be a brief meeting, and we'll follow up with something more thorough where we talk about our next steps after everyone has had a chance to rest. Before we get started though, we are going to have a promotion ceremony tonight at 1800 hours. Among a few others, we need to officially announce that Lieutenant Commander Spello will be stepping into the First Officer position, and that Chief Petty Officer Nevan Kayto will be filling our open position as Chief of the boat." Neither officer had been given their new rank pips yet, as the presentation of them was going to be part of the ceremony.

Maxun nodded to everyone who gave him a smile, following the Captain's notice of his promotion in both rank and position. He then waited for more of the briefing.

Grexx was surprised to hear the captain's words and gave his buddy a jab in the ribs, something Cormus hadn't been expecting as he gave a slight wince that was barely noticeable, managing to contain it. The shift in mood however was easily felt by the Betazoid who glanced over at them. This immediately caused the two to straighten up and put an end to an additional shenanigans that may have ensued. Otherwise Nevan simply waited for the briefing to continue.

"Also, Lieutenant Cyn has agreed to step in as Chief Intelligence Officer," Remy added nodding at Phaedrae.

[TAG Cyn]

"Lieutenant Capulet, I know it's late, but if I could catch you briefly after the meeting about tonight," the Captain requested.

"Of Course Captain. I am a night owl anyway." Chrys replied.

"Like I said, everyone needs rest, but we need to hear from Lieutenant Commander Spello's team. We've had some encrypted messages back and forth, and some guesses based on what we've heard from our refugee requests. Commander Spello," Remy said, turning to him to take the floor.

Maxun nodded and began speaking, his gaze starting with the Captain, then moving around to those that weren't on his away team. "It has been confirmed, by the ruling council of my people's new homeworld that the Atarans are a slaver society. Millennia ago, they had a vast empire, covering nearly a dozen systems. Each time they entered a system, they would subjugate the locals. Any who fought back were executed slowly and publicly."

He took a breath and continued. "Nearly five thousand years ago, my people, whom the Atarans respected, some even idolized us for our prolonged lives, finally put and end to their advancement through the stars. There was a massive, yet nearly one sided war, and the Atarans lost handedly. As punishment for their deeds of cruelty, my people, along with the Organians and Originators, exiled the remaining few million surviving Atarans to the world they had when the Romulans found them." He shook his head sadly. "While there are those that are victims to the Ataran aristocracy, knowing now what we do, I strongly recommend that the aide we were going to give them be rescinded. At least until such time as the true remaining victims are pulled from the upper class's clutches. Those freed individuals should be granted safe haven, for as long as they want it. The ruling class, those still choosing to live as slavers, should be sent away from Federation space."

"What did you find on the Serenity?" Captain Johansen asked.

"Fear, and people who wallow in the pain of others" Chrys replied. "Not pretty"

"Several examples of the ruling class already subjugating their own people. Plus, we found numerous devices and systems, whose sole purpose is to torture individuals."

Remy interjected, "And those who have spoken with Jheva and Brunel have heard similar accounts. What our away team experienced shows that they intend to continue in the lifestyle that the El Aurians reported."

The Captain continued, "We are in our rights to free the enslaved people under the First Amendment to General Order One, for as long as they remain in Federation Space, and that is our goal. As we devise a plan moving forward, colony preparations should proceed as planned. One of my biggest concerns right now, is that there are an unknown number of people on the Serenity that are essentially hostages, and if we make a misstep before we can ensure their safety, we could find ourselves in a hostile situation with even more lives at stake."

"They should be made to answer for their crimes," Kas said. The Hybrid avoided eye contact with Remy as he spoke, in his opinion if they wanted to continue enslaving people they shouldn't be allowed to live.

"If I may, Captain?" Maxun asked. When he got the nod, he sat forward, placing his elbows on the table. "What no one outside of this room will know, my people are already making plans to deal with them. I have been authorized to say that to his group alone. If word gets out, not only will my people deny it, I have been told that it would greatly damage the trust that the El Aurian Council has, in both Starfleet and the UFP." He paused a beat to let that sink in, then added, "Have patience. I know many of you don't know me from the proverbial Adam, but believe me when I tell you, when an El Aurian says he or she is going to do something, our word is sacrosanct. Once those that wish to leave the Serenity are safe, and the slavers, themselves, are on their way, my people will deal with them."

Commander Winters listened intently to Spello’s plan. Nash considered his response carefully and threw the Captain and Lieutenant Andersen a troubled and worried look. “Excuse me for a moment, Commander. This suggestion of yours scares the hell out of me. Regardless of the El-Aurians’ past dealings with the Atarans, no one species should take it upon themselves to deal with whatever possible threat may or may not exist. We are Starfleet Officers and serve the Federation. We take the problem to them. I do not support your proposal. The El-Aurian race may be long lived, but they are not vigilantes. You can’t just take justice into your own hands.”

Maxun shook his head as he replied. "You misunderstand me, Nash, I'm not doing anything. My people have simply relayed a message to me to reveal here. I gave them my word to do so. Just like I gave my word to the United Federation of Planets, when I backed one of her citizens, and Starfleet, when I became one of her officers. I swore to protect Federation citizens against all threats, both foreign and domestic. We all did when we put on this uniform. The slavers, on that ship, are a foreign threat. By not acting, we are allowing them to continue to be a threat. However, the El Aurian Council, who are not members of the Federation, in dealing with the Atarans themselves, also a species that is not a member or protectee of the Federation, would be fulfilling a promise made long before nearly ever civilization represented at this table even knew life existed off their respective worlds. This is not vigilantism. It is a reminder of justice that had been meted out a very long time ago, with the promise that it would again, should the need arise."

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