Unique Perspectives

Posted on Tue Mar 25th, 2025 @ 12:02am by Captain T’Kal & Lieutenant Megosho Gehente

1,428 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X01: Bound for Cold Frontier
Location: Starfleet Intelligence Annex, Berlin

ON

The door to the Starfleet Intelligence Annex in Berlin opened, permitting the newly promoted Captain. T’Kal access. Still, this was one of the most heavily controlled buildings on Earth. She may have rank and clearance, but crucially she also needed reason.

Thankfully she had that.

“May I help you, Captain?” asked a young ensign at the reception desk.

“I have a meeting with Lieutenant Megosho Gehente,” she answered plainly. “Room three-zero-five, at 1400 hours.”

The receptionist nodded and entered some information into his computer. “Security will escort you inside, ma’am.”

The security guard at the entrance held out a box toward her. “Communicator and sidearm, ma’am.” T’Kal complied and the box was secured. “Follow me.”

The corridor was all transparent aluminum on one side. Beyond it sat dozens of Starfleet officers of all ages, most with their uniforms trimmed in communications grey, many wearing ear pieces. Starfleet’s Signals Intelligence apparatus hard at work receiving, decryption, analyzing, and reporting on signals intercepted by countless listening posts across the Federation frontier.

' ... as you can see, Signals Intelligence can have a crucial outcome on a battle or a war. We have seen in our case study today that Room Forty, similar to Echo Hall down the corridor, was essential in determining the outcomes of the battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland between the British Royal and German Imperial Navies during the First World War.' Meg paused, and cleared her throat, pleating her hands in front of her. 'These represent the infancy of our field, and over the coming weeks we'll see how Signals Intelligence in all its forms - communications, electronic, and foreign instrumentation - allow Starfleet, and therefore the Federation, to gain crucial insights into the actions of adversarial powers.'

She looked up from the students sat in rapt attention in the rows in front of her. The door to the lecture hall opened admitting an unknown officer and her security escort. Meg returned her attention to the students and smiled, 'but we'll leave it here for today. Please ensure you've read chapters three and four of Ishehraan Th'vhovir's Shadows of P'Jem: Vulcan Signals Intelligence in the period of the Vulcan-Andorian Cold War, and two journal articles of your choice on early-twentieth century British signals intelligence history, either army or naval, from the reading list.'

As the students dutifully shuffled out, Meg began tidying away her lecturing materials, sealing everything in a worn leather briefcase. The security escort and the captain approached her dais. Smoothing down the front of her black blouse, and adjusting how it tucked in to her knee-length pencil skirt, Meg arranged her features into a friendly smile. 'To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?'

“An assignment,” T’Kal said plainly. “I am T’Kal, newly promoted Captain of USS Ark Royal. And I am in need your services.”

Arching her eyebrows, Meg cocked her head to one side, and brushed a lock of hair behind a green ear. 'Oh? I was to understand that my assignment here would last til at least the end of the semester - has something changed which hasn't been communicated?'

“I expect the formal orders are still working their way through the bureaucracy,” T’Kal said, just a touch wryly. “As for developments…” She thought a moment and then accessed the nearest available computer terminal. “Computer, open latest SIGINT, HUMINT, and MASINT analysis reports regarding Sector 262, summarize and display.”

The room was clear of students, and by this point the security guard had left them alone, so it was no issue for the nearest screen to activate and display a summation of a handful of reports concerning the distant Sector at the tip of the Neutral Zone. It includes graphs and sensor displays showing the odd blip that the listening posts had picked up from deep behind the border. It also summarized intelligence showing Klingon military posturing and diplomatic activity in the region. Along the bottom were links to the source reports, so the raw data and full text of the analyses were accessible.

“What do you make of this?” T’Kal asked.

She looked over the screen, and noted a few quite obvious signs. 'An unclaimed area of space - but a lot of Klingon activity in the recent past.' Meg said quietly. 'The signals traffic is consistent with Imperial Navy vessels communicating with a coordinating outpost or Starbase.' Folding her arms, she held her hand to her chin. 'I'm not overly familiar with the sector, ma'am, so I can't be more specific than that.'

'But, at a guess, these moves are quite obvious - almost as though it was designed to catch our attention. Have they given you any data on House Fleet movements? Or even Klingon Intelligence ships? That could point to priority missions.' Picking up the report on the blip, Meg shook her head uncertainly, 'not a comm signal it seems. They could have been trying to distract attention from this?'

The Captain raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. We had not considered that it might be a feint. We understand this blip merits investigation, but an aggressive move meant to distract from it makes such an investigation all the more important.” She relaxed in her stance. “Regrettably our intelligence on House ships as compared to the Defense Force is spotty at best, though signals traffic suggests at least two of the K’t’Ingas in the sector may be handlers for Intelligence activities.” She stepped closer to the Orion. “Lieutenant I am taking the Ark Royal into Sector 262, in part to increase our understanding of what is happening in this region and counter Klingon moves. I would like you on my staff,” she added plainly.

Meg raised her eyebrows, 'I suppose it makes sense - my skills would probably lend themselves well to such an assignment.' She knew she was probably being considered as she was the officer who was in closest proximity to the Ark Royal with the requisite qualifications. 'I'm assuming the basics of comms work, with added signal intelligence analysis and all that jazz?' she asked.

“Correct,” T’Kal confirmed. “Communications, including our signals intelligence apparatus. All that jazz, as you say.”

Agonising for a moment, Meg finally nodded. She had hoped that her next assignment would be on an exploratory cruise. She had been lucky enough to be involved in one First Contact, and was selfish enough to want more. But this was where Starfleet needed her now. 'I'll be happy to serve as your Deputy Chief Comms Officer, of course,' she replied with a reluctant smile. 'Do you know who will be heading the department?'

T’Kal nodded. “I do. However, it is difficult to answer the question without first correcting an earlier mistake. I do not want you to serve as Deputy Chief. I am asking you to report as Chief Comms Officer. A well earned position, I might add.”

'Chief!?' Meg squeaked in a much higher voice than one would assume was possible for a six-foot tall woman. 'I... Thank you, Captain. I honestly wasn't expecting to be put in charge of a department at this stage.' She stood a little straighter. 'Just let me know when you need me to report in - I'll have Operations know they need to move my things, and I'll clear up the remaining module lectures with the Academy so they're not left in the lurch.'

“The ship launches in five days,” T’Kal informed her new Comms Chief. “Stardate 8950.1, 1900 hours. You have until that morning to report in. Take the time you need to make the necessary arrangements to avoid hampering Academy classes.” She raised her hand to offer Lieutenant Gehente the traditional salute of her people. “I look forward to working you, Lieutenant. We shall do good work for the Federation in Sector 262 together.”

Meg moved to mirror her Captain, offering the Vulcan salute in return. 'You can be assured I'll have reported in before that. It won't take long for me to make the necessary arrangements here.' She smiled, and offered the traditional farewell of T'Kal's people. 'Peace and long life, Captain.' She briefly wondered if she could keep the lease on her Kreuzberg apartment for downtime between tours on the Ark Royal. Something to think about.


END

Captain T’Kal
Commanding Officer, USS Ark Royal

Lieutenant Megosho Gehente
Chief Communications Officer, USS Ark Royal

 

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