03-02-2026, 03:27 AM
To say that the lack of official response from Starfleet regarding the alleged blockade of Starbase 214 was...irritating...was an understatement. Jenny had once again found herself astounded yet unsurprised by the lack of reaction from the Federation Council, who were rumored to be in emergency session, or from Starfleet Command beyond "stand by". At last report, Starbase 214 had somewhere in the region of five thousand people aboard - a lower number than many bases, but a significant number of innocent people now trapped by the Cardassian blockade.
People who had done nothing wrong except live or work too close to occupied territory.
Though Jenny knew that the blockade would not starve the occupants out, as a siege might have done before Replicator technology was developed, it would prevent legitimate arrivals and departures of personnel and supplies. It would also prevent reinforcements arriving should the blockade become a full-scale assault.
Jenny's initial response to the situation had been pretty typical, given her reputation. Technical specifications had been consulted, intelligence reports reviewed, and local asset distributions investigated, all in the name of staging a breakthrough to disrupt or disperse the blockading forces, and ensure the spacelanes remained open. Fortunately, reason overrode instinct; the amount of verified detail on the situation was precisely zero. A distress call had been broadcast, but no ships had been close enough to get within sensor range, and Starfleet's contingent of reconnaissance probes had their sensors turned towards Cardassian and, recently, Tholian territory, and could not be retasked.
Starfleet had, therefore, broadcast an advisory. No orders, no details, just "be advised that...", as if that made the situation acceptable.
Someone would need to get close enough to the system to get a detailed scan and send that to Starfleet Command, and without getting caught. Of all the ships within range, the Yeager was the fastest and most capable, but was no harder to detect, which risked provoking the Cardassians - there would be no point trying to save Starbase 214 and its inhabitants if their actions forced the Cardassians to destroy it.
As she reviewed the data on the screen in front of her, Jenny scribbled notes onto her PADD with a stylus. She was well short of formulating any sort of plan, even the ideas she was jotting down were more like concepts that required further refinement. Even those were likely to be torpedoed by Starfleet Command, and for the same old reason - diplomacy first. Unfortunately diplomacy with the Cardassians had never really been successful, and Jenny was firmly in the "peace through superior firepower" camp when it came to dealing with belligerant neighbours.
Glancing at the chrono on the wall, Jenny frowned; she'd been working longer than she'd expected, and her time was almost up. Her officers would be gathering in the Briefing Room soon, and all she had to tell them was the bad news. Hardly an inspiring command performance.
With a grunt as she reached for her coffee and discovered it had already gotten cold, Jenny determined she had another five minutes to get her ideas organised. Placing the mug back down, Jenny went back to scribbling - it wasn't going to be enough.
People who had done nothing wrong except live or work too close to occupied territory.
Though Jenny knew that the blockade would not starve the occupants out, as a siege might have done before Replicator technology was developed, it would prevent legitimate arrivals and departures of personnel and supplies. It would also prevent reinforcements arriving should the blockade become a full-scale assault.
Jenny's initial response to the situation had been pretty typical, given her reputation. Technical specifications had been consulted, intelligence reports reviewed, and local asset distributions investigated, all in the name of staging a breakthrough to disrupt or disperse the blockading forces, and ensure the spacelanes remained open. Fortunately, reason overrode instinct; the amount of verified detail on the situation was precisely zero. A distress call had been broadcast, but no ships had been close enough to get within sensor range, and Starfleet's contingent of reconnaissance probes had their sensors turned towards Cardassian and, recently, Tholian territory, and could not be retasked.
Starfleet had, therefore, broadcast an advisory. No orders, no details, just "be advised that...", as if that made the situation acceptable.
Someone would need to get close enough to the system to get a detailed scan and send that to Starfleet Command, and without getting caught. Of all the ships within range, the Yeager was the fastest and most capable, but was no harder to detect, which risked provoking the Cardassians - there would be no point trying to save Starbase 214 and its inhabitants if their actions forced the Cardassians to destroy it.
As she reviewed the data on the screen in front of her, Jenny scribbled notes onto her PADD with a stylus. She was well short of formulating any sort of plan, even the ideas she was jotting down were more like concepts that required further refinement. Even those were likely to be torpedoed by Starfleet Command, and for the same old reason - diplomacy first. Unfortunately diplomacy with the Cardassians had never really been successful, and Jenny was firmly in the "peace through superior firepower" camp when it came to dealing with belligerant neighbours.
Glancing at the chrono on the wall, Jenny frowned; she'd been working longer than she'd expected, and her time was almost up. Her officers would be gathering in the Briefing Room soon, and all she had to tell them was the bad news. Hardly an inspiring command performance.
With a grunt as she reached for her coffee and discovered it had already gotten cold, Jenny determined she had another five minutes to get her ideas organised. Placing the mug back down, Jenny went back to scribbling - it wasn't going to be enough.