Captain Lataro sat in his place in the Hornet's briefing room. He was looking around the table noticing the different officers. Some he knew from the Virgo, such as the Chees, but the others he only knew them by record. Finally, the Commodore came prancing into the room. Someone in the back yelled, "Commodore on deck." The room popped out of their seats. Lataro also in turn rose, but slowly, without purpose. It wasn't too long ago, Commodore Wallace was under Lataro's command.
"At ease. As you were," Wallace replied taking his seat at the head of the table. The table was long and seated ten easily.
Next to Wallace and to the right was his Executive officer. To the left was the Intelligence officer. To Commander Wolf's right were the senior officers and department heads, Commander Chee, Commander McAllister, Ensign Okul. To the left of Captain Lataro, the former Virgo XO and now chief Intelligence officer, was Lieutenant Chee, Lieutenant Redinium, and Commander Carter. They were senior officers but not in the command level. Warrant Officer Matthews was not at the briefing -- he was overseeing the supplying of the Hornet. At the end of the table were two civilians.
"Afternoon, I am Commodore Richard Wallace. Some of you may or may not know the nature of this mission." Lataro tuned out as he remembered earlier on the Intrigue....
Virgo Return + 15 days....
...Captain Lataro sat in the Intrigue's forward lounge; his son, T'lan, sat in a modified chair with a booster seat that allowed him to see on the table. Lataro fed his infant as he himself tried to eat. It had been a few days since he actually left the Virgo causing Lataro to feel like there was something missing. Something really missing was his wife, who he had to bury along with his first officer's assignment on board the Virgo. Lataro realized after spending some time with the Chee's that he must go on. The final straw was the shuttle bay accident that almost cost Lataro his career, but for the compassion of Captain Maruu, he now was captain in Starfleet Intelligence.
Starfleet Intelligence, as in any word where military, government, or even civilian intelligence, combined with each other, is a complete oxymoron. There is no intelligence in the military and Lataro imagined himself being in such an elusive organization -- as elusive as the feared Section 31. The PADD he had in front of him allowed him to examine the dark history of intelligence, and it was a 50-page chapter on Section 31 and their recruitment 'drive'. Someone who interested him most was an operative by the name of T'Kul Rashad, a Romulan-Bajoran. Her vast experience in computers and her seemingly rehabilitation put her on the Leviathan under the command of Captain Marcus Devore. Devore himself has had quite a record intermixed with operative 001 and the Triumvirate. Lataro put the PADD down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. How can any organization be some overwhelmed with one man enough to try have assassinated? Lataro couldn't understand. One day he will meet the crossbreed woman, but until then he must concentrate on the mission at hand and report to the Hornet.
The Hornet is an interesting story -- not the ship, but rather the commanding officer. Commodore Richard Wallace. He must have really made a name for himself, for not too long ago Wallace was Lataro's tactical officer. Now he went up the ranks to Captain and is now a Commodore. It was weird to hear the word 'commodore', because Lataro thought that the rank of commodore was abolished in 2278. He punched a few buttons on the PADD and noticed why Wallace is a commodore. It is the time in grade. Wallace had not been a captain for too long, but with the engaging conflict at SB-901, he deserved to be recognized and promoted, so Starfleet command re-enacted the commodore grade for Wallace. Now he is in command of a starship and not a supply base -- a step up.
Lataro finally finished the briefing on Section 31 and Wallace, but now he had to read over his mission. Lataro scoffed a little bit as he read the first part of the briefing:
Captain Lataro from Starfleet Intelligence.
Your eyes-only!
Captain: Congratulations on your promotion. You have been given a precarious assignment which basically entails babysitting, which your experience and knowledge of command puts you in the perfect position to do.
"Captain, may I get you something else?" A waiter interrupted Lataro.
"No thank you," Lataro said.
The waiter left and he looked over the mission, skipping over the formalities.
Morristown: Second attempt at a Federation Colony
Opposition: Mullurans
Mission: Gather as much information regarding the disappearance of the original colonists. Hornet's first mission is to help resettle the second colony in this sector: Morristown.
Background: The first attempt at settling the colony ended in complete disaster. The Mulluran conflict started there. Federation's first offensive action during the conflict.
Old Communication relay
Location: 12 kilometers northeast of the old site
The PADDs' thud sound as it hit the table redrew Captain Lataro's attention to the briefing.
"...Communication relay. Really not old just abandoned. I want Ensign Okul and Mister Matthews to get it up and running and see if it can be used for the colonists in any way."
Communication array..., Lataro quickly thought. "Sir." 'Sir'. I can't believe I am calling this guy 'sir'! "May I accompany the second away team?" Captain Lataro asked.
"I don't see any reason why not. I must tell you, there isn't anything of value in that relay," Wallace replied.
"With all respect. I'd like to be the judge of that," Lataro replied making a note on a PADD in front of him.
"Mister Adama, you're excused. I have some other information I need to go over that needs to be heard only by my officers." Wallace paused and waited until the two men left.
Lataro drowned out the rest of the meeting. T'lan was at the nursery and he began to think of him, then his mind drifted to K'Lara. He missed her, both of them did, but they had to go on as the Chees advised.