>Lasiter nodded, taking a sip from his coffee.
Lorin nodded at M'rrenn, "Captain." > "Well," she began, setting her tea down. "Firrrst, let me inforrrm > Admirrral Rrrenaud that the Klingons have signed on boarrrd." "Outstanding...this is a perfect operation for a joint experience." > "They had a few conditions, like rrrequirring the ship we'rrre > 'borrrrowing' to be staffed by morrre than just a skeleton crrrew; they > want aprrroximately half the ship's compliment to be theirrrs. I don't > think this will be a prrroblem." >Lasiter was agreeable to this. He simply nodded his agreement. Lorin nodded, no problem there. > "Secondly, they want joint rrreporrts, not just second-hand Starrrfleet > info. This also, I don't think, shall be a prrroblem." >Lasiter was agreeable to this as well, but this time he added a stipulation. "Agreed, just so long as the good will extends both ways. If >there is any hint that they are holding back anything, and I mean *anything* the information sharing stops, dead. Make sure that message >is understood by the Klingons. Also, let our people know that if they break our part of the bargin, then they will be face dire consequences." "This a unilateral must...absolute agreement here." > "Finally, they have rrrequested that I be the trrraining and overrrseeing > officerrr forrr this mission, at least this earrrly parrrt of it. With > Admirrral Lasiterrr's perrrrmission, I will be leaving tomorrrrow." "Well obviously with your heritage you can give excellent examples of fighting techniques Admiral Kitanya...your strength in battle is well known in my family from your time served with Admiral Peter Boulay." He smiled a bit at the thought of the officer <is he officially dead yet?? Can't remember?> > "Now, to answerrr Admirrrral Lasiterrr's questions, the operrration I > intend on doing will depend, in parrrt, on the Klingons. They arrrre > having even morrre of a prrroblem with this species than we arrre, > perrrhaps much morrre of a prrroblem. Theirrr stakes arrre higherrr, and > this is a joint operrration, so they have to have input. Howeverrr, I > intend forrr now to simply make it an intelligence gatherrring > operrration. Hopefully, we'll be able to install some deep coverrr > agents. Then, depending on the time frrrame forrr escalation, to begin > phase two, which is a coverrrt sabotage and strrrike operrration, > strrriking prrrimarrily at the hearrrt of theirrr operrrations. 'Cutting > the head off the serrrpent' as you humans sometimes say. The > inforrrmation suggests that this larrrgerr operrration these beings arrre > rrrunning has a verrry small centrrral corrre of the new felinid species. > If we can get to those beings and capturrre orrr liquidate them, the > orrrganization should crrrumble. These arrre not fanatics that arrre > involved in this, these arrre pirrrates and merrrcenarries. They have > nothing morrre than a monetarrry interrrest, which means they should > abandon it as soon as the top falls." > She picked up her mug and took a sip, then set it back down. "The > contingency plan will depend in larrge parrrt on the Klingons. It is > theirrr ship we arrre going to be using. I am not prrrivvy to how they > perrrforrm theirrr extrrractions, but they have a verrry highly developed > intelligence operrration, so I am going to rrrely on theirrr experrrtise > at how to use theirrr cloaking capabilities to extrrract theirrr > operrratives. The ship they arrre sending is a coverrrt operrrations > vessel; the crrrew will be well trrrained at this type of thing. The > teams arrre small, and therrre arrre only two at this time. This helps > us limit ourrr exposurrre and ourrr time needed forrr emerrrgency > extrrraction. When we get therrre and look at the situtation firrrst > hand, we will have betterrr inforrrmation on how to do this." > "Finally, I prrropose having a Klingon as the lead officerrr on the > otherrr side. This is a joint operrration; I don't see any way arrround > it. The Klingons will not accept anything else. The most rrrecent > communication I rrreceived told me who they werrre sending to captain the > coverrrt ops ship, a Birrrd of Prrrey. He is known to me, a grrrizled > old commanderrr with morrre line experrrience than just about any otherrr > Klingon in the Imperrrial Fleet. He's rrreliable, he's honorrrable, and > his rrrecorrd above rrreprroach. He is also a consummate prrrofessional. > What he tells us will be rrreliable and accurrrate." >M'Rrenn winced ever so slightly at the mention of a Klingon commanding the mission on the other side. One had to wonder why until... >In the chair next to him was Lasiter, who had just set his coffee cup down from mid sip. It was this part that he took exception to. >He did not say anything at first, just took a deep breath. Then released it slowly. "Admiral Renaud do you have any comments that you >would like to add." Lorin stopped his thought cold, "Grizzled, with all due respect, can also mean stuck in the old ways. He may be honorable but does he hold any past grudges against Federation personnel for past experiences? Who is it?" <if answered does he know of him?>
