On approach to the CO

Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2021 @ 1:08pm by Captain Maia Sterling & Lieutenant JG Jason Barton

Mission: The Thorion Conundrum Mission Brief
Location: TBA
Timeline: TBA

(OOC Jason/Barton: Hello, I'm used to a meet & greet with the CO being the first thing you do when coming aboard but if you'd prefer not to feel free to let me know that's not how you do it here. I'm sorry I've been so unresponsive, I hope it will improve as time goes on.)


Jason yawned and stretched, rolling out of the uncomfortable fold-out bed and getting blearily to his feet. He looked around the small, spartan room for a moment, temporarily disoriented before he remembered where he was. Checking the clock against a live diagram of their flight path he saw that the runabout was making good time and they should reach the transfer point soon. A bit too soon, Jason still had to get into uniform, and he was meeting his new CO for the first time, everything had to be perfect. He lurched into action, rushing to get ready before time ran out, he hoped he didn't miss any of the details in his haste.

A short time later, Jason stepped into the runabout's transporter arch and materialized aboard the Leto in one of the ship's transporter rooms.He looked about the room in a swift motion and greeted the officers at the console. Shouldering his bag, he made his way over to a wall console and asked the computer for directions to the CO's office, sending a notice ahead that he was on his way. He strode through the corridors at a healthy speed, overtaking a few slower moving officers as he gathered his confidence for this meeting. Reaching the CO's door, he drew in a breath and rang the chime to announce himself.

"Enter"

"Ah Mr. Barton how are you I trust your trip went well? I am commander Maia Sterling Commanding the Leto." Maia said extending her hand.

"Commander Sterling, thank you sir. I'm Lieutenant, junior grade Jason Barton, here to fly the Leto. Though you knew my name already so I suspect you've been reading my file." He took the offered hand and shook it amiably, expression brightening a little as he warmed up at his own joke. His eyes widened fractionally a moment later and he hurried to add, "Or, sir, would you prefer I keep my behavior to a more professional standard while on duty?" He looked to his new commander now just a little apprehensive.

"Excellent we've been needing a good pilot for quite some time. At the moment we are dry docked at space station liberty which is in orbit of Throrion 4. How are you at piloting smaller vessels Lieutenant? We have reason to believe that pirates have set op shop in the asteroid field near Thorion 3 and are attempting to jump claims there. The claims I am referring to are Pergium claims. Ever since Pergium was discovered there minors and the syndicate have been trying to get rich quick. I need a hair on fire pilot to get troops there quickly and back again. Right now we have a landing party of Thorion 3 investigating irregularities."

"Sounds like a tough situation Sir. Fortunately for you I'm better with small craft than starships." Jason answered, confidence returning as his suspected faux pas never turned into an issue. "Would I be taking a runabout over there, or a shuttlecraft? Are there likely to be hostile flyers to avoid, or just natural hazards?" Jason started to get a bit of a far off look in his eyes as his mind began painting pictures of flight operations in an asteroid field. "I don't know if I'll light any hair on fire, but I can get a security team anywhere in system and back before they have time to make sure their holsters are on straight." He grinned.

My gut tells me you will encounter pirates Mr Barton. but you will be taking a runabout with you, augmented with about 20 Thorion Javelins and 12 Ballista's. That should be an effective fighting force against anything you might run into. If I were to make an educated guess I dont think the pirates are using starshios, I believe they are using smaller craft such as armed freighters and armed shuttles. They must be attacking from a base in the asteroid field between Thorion 3 and Thorion 4. Perhaps even a carved out asteroid. Starships even cloaked would be detectable to the Thorion sensor nets.

"You can't hide your ships, so you pretend to be a harmless rock instead, I guess I can see the logic there." Jason thought out loud. "I know there's going to be a briefing for all of this, but, your intelligence seems a little, vague, if I can say that. Are we going to be finding out as we go, or are you playing your cards close to the vest on this one, sir?" He didn't like the thought of going into a defended position without a clear idea of the defenses he'd have to face, but, braving the unknown was what he'd signed up for too. Sometimes reality didn't allow for perfect preparation.

That's essentially correct Mr Barton, Also the space in this area acts as a sort of sandbar for larger starships, So warp drives are not generally used. Starships would be a tactical mistake in this region. Even a ship like the Leto is limited to a maximun of warp .5 in the inner system. That is only 1/10th the speed of light as enough to get around quickly in the inner system but I can assure you starships are not going to be warp in and out of this region. Its one of the main tactical reasons the Thorion's were able to drive away the Dominion during the war. You will notice that the Thorion Balista's and Javelins don't even have warp drives. They use a sort of Paragravitic drive that can take them from standstill to lightspeed but that is all.

"This drive is superior to our own Impulse drive systems and is a technology that is currently beyond Federation technology. Maia continued.

[End]