First Strike, Dallas

Posted on Thu 13th Jun, 2019 @ 11:48pm by Lieutenant Commander Dallas Briggs
Edited on on Sun 11th Aug, 2019 @ 12:38am

1,286 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Near Breen Border
Timeline: Backstory

Captain Barstow, the Commanding Officer of the Typhoon received an urgent message from Star Fleet HQ. He quickly took the message in private in his Ready Room. He sat in his chair and waited for the screen in front of him to turn on, wondering what it could be. An image of an aging Admiral appeared. The admiral once had thick dark hair, and it was still thick, just mostly gray. His face showed of hard times, but was still handsome and his blue eyes were still just as penetrating as always. The Admiral smiled. "Ah, Captain Barstow, how are you doing on this fine afternoon?" he asked, then quickly added, "I'm Admiral Thomas."

"Admiral Thomas," Barstow replied, "your reputation proceeds you." He returned the smile, very aware of Admiral Johnathan Thomas's reputation. He was firm, strict even, and ruthless to a point ... at least that was the rumor that had always circulated. Nothing could ever be proven. It was also known that he had the Federation at heart and would do anything for it. "I'm sure it's afternoon somewhere, Admiral, but I'm in space. It's always dark out here." Barstow smiled again.

Admiral Thomas chuckled, "Yes, I suppose it is, and I'm sure you are wondering why I sent you an urgent message. I need your help, Captain.."

"Of course, Admiral, what can I do for you?" Barstow asked.

The Admiral gave him a concerned look. "We've received creditable intel that the Breen are nearing completion of a weapon that, when detonated in the atmosphere of a planet, will destroy all human life and will leave all other forms of life intact."

"A designer bomb just for humans?" Barstow thought out loud.

Johnathan nodded, "Yes, and I need two of your people to go in and take it out covertly, Lieutenant Victoria Briggs and Lieutenant Dallas Briggs. They will go in a Valkyrie fighter with Breen explosives and Breen disruptors and level the Breen lab. That should get rid of the weapon and all information on it. The lab is located just inside Breen space in an asteroid field near the planet Tri'ner. Find the largest asteroid and that should be the lab. I am also sending you the blueprints for the bomb and disruptors. Engineering shouldn't have any problem constructing them.

Barstow shook his head, "Admiral, we have much more qualified people that can do this mission."

The Admiral held up his hand to stop Barstow right there. "I know you do, but these two are going to be the ones who go. That's an order." The Admiral paused then added, "I hope I don't need to remind you that if anything goes wrong, we cannot help them. You are to remain on our side of the border, is that clear?"

"Perfectly, sir," Barstow replied.

"Good, get it done." The screen went from the face of Admiral Johnathan Thomas to that of the Star Fleet insignia before Barstow could take a breath. Then he sighed and relaxed for a moment. He had to call in two of his crew to go on a tough assignment that he had no control over.

---

After calling the Briggs couple to his office, the captain studied the orders that appeared on the PADD he held. Official Starfleet orders for two, and yes, he thought they were good officers, but these orders were just so specific. What is going on? he thought to himself as he waited for them to report to his Ready Room.

Dallas approached the door to the Captain's Ready Room and caught movement out of the corner of his eye. It was a familiar form, and he would know her anywhere, since it was his wife, Victoria. He always liked to call her by her nickname, though. He turned to her and smiled, almost forgetting that he had been called to the Ready Room. "Hey Vick, what are you doing, I thought you were getting ready to head back to our quarters?"

"The captain ordered me to meet him up here," his wife said. "I have no idea what's going on, but I'm guessing by your presence that he ordered you here, too." She grinned at him, "What did you do this time, and why am I in trouble, too?"

Dallas raised both his hands in submission and chuckled, "I haven't done anything, you're my witness." He turned back to the door in front of him and pressed the door chime. "I guess we will find out what this all about. Ready?"

Victoria nodded, turning completely serious as they waited.

Barstow looked up from his desk and called out, "Come!" Now he would find out what was going on with these two.

The door slid open with a soft hiss and Dallas waved his arm for Vick to enter first then whispered, "After you, milady."

It wasn't often that Victoria Briggs was in the captain's office, and she couldn't recall ever being there with Dallas. She went straight for the front of the captain's desk and stood at ease, waiting to find out whatever she was there to learn. They hadn't applied for a transfer, so that couldn't be it. Their jobs were in different departments. She simply couldn't imagine why the captain would want to see them together.

Dallas approached the desk and stopped beside Vick. Neither of them had been in front of the Captain unless it was something good. To Dallas' knowledge they haven't really done anything good or bad. Dallas also stood at ease until directed to do otherwise. "You wanted to see us, Captain?"

Barstow threw the PADD across the desk, it slid nearly falling off before Dallas stopped it with his hand. "What the hell is that and what are you two into. Those are official orders for you two. It looks like some type of covert mission and for you two specifically."

Dallas picked up the PADD and scrolled down, viewing the information with Victoria. He glanced up at the Captain after a long moment of studying the information. "I have no idea why this Admiral would want us to go on this mission. Surely there are others more qualified."

Barstow's eyes shifted to Victoria, and his look demanded answers.

"I agree with my husband, Sir. There have to be many more qualified than we are. It's true we had success on a minor mission for Starfleet right after we graduated from the Academy, but that's been a number of years, so I really can't think why they would want us now. We haven't made a career of detached missions like this. I can't begin to guess how our names came to this admiral." She shrugged her shoulders, looking him in the eye, but her mind was going rapidly from thought to thought, racing to find something that made sense.

"Well, its not up to me. You two are going on this mission and, if anything goes wrong or ... if you're caught, you're on your own. Your disruptors and explosives should be ready in Engineering within the hour and the Valkyrie should be ready for you in Shuttle Bay One. Any questions?" The Captain still didn't have his answers and he still had to order them on this mission which could go terribly wrong, quickly.

Dallas shook his head and said plainly, "No."

Victoria had about a dozen, and she suspected her husband did, too. They weren't going to ask them, and they'd probably never know the answers. She only hoped they'd get the job done and return in one piece ... or two pieces, since there were two of them. The thought made her smile as she shook her head at Barstow. "No questions, Sir."

 

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