~\\_               
          \\\\_             
          `\\\\\            -----------------------------------------
           |\\\\\           Starfleet Command, Eighth Fleet (OOC)    
            \\\\\|__.-~~\   
         _--~         ~~/   Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone"  
       /~         _-~~~'    Embarked on U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901   
      ('-//////-//          Rear Admiral Tebrun Lora Kor, Commanding 
       ////// }}-)          -----------------------------------------
     /////~                 Simulation Teaser                        
  _///~                     Stardate 240304.26                       
 `                          
 _______________________________________________________________________ 
/ Simulation Teaser                                                     |
/ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 

 =.\= December 24, 2404 =.\=

 "Reactor energy holding steady at 107 percent Catapult threshold,"
 one of the technicians said, looking over his shoulder at Commander
 Jim Owens.  "We're ready to initiate."

 "Thank you, Tech," Owens said, then looked over his own shoulder at
 Todd Marshall, standing behind him.  "Admiral, we're ready to initiate
 on your mark."

 The Second Chamber Catapult Control Room was set in the crystalline
 pillar linking the Second and Third Chambers.  At one time, the
 control room had offered a spectacular view of the twin singularities
 that ran down the zero-G hub... and below and above and on all sides
 of the singularities, the Jjaro city Alexandria.  The singularities
 were now gone, of course, but Alexandria was still there, lit by the
 high-energy plasma tube that had replaced the singularities as the
 Second Chamber's primary light and heat source.

 And hanging near the crystalline pillar was U.S.S. Vladivostok and a
 half-dozen medium size transports of a type very common in M64.  At
 one time, of course, large starships had been frequent visitors to the
 Second Chamber.  But Vlad was the biggest ship that had been at the
 zero-G hub in several months.  As ungainly as the freighter was, she
 looked surprisingly pretty.

 "What's your target, Commander?" Marshall asked.

 "Six hundred thousand kilometers outside the Mars defense perimeter,
 Admiral," Owens said.  He smiled.  "Let's hope they haven't altered
 the planet's orbit."

 Marshall smirked.  "We've had all the bad luck that we deserve on
 this," he said.  Then he added more quietly, "we've already paid for
 this trip.  Paid in spades."  And without the singularities, he didn't
 add, at least there wouldn't be a price to be paid for future trips. 
 "Set it up.  Initiate," he said.

 Owens nodded.  "Initiate Catapult activation sequence," he said. 
 Turning to the Lieutenant nearby, he added.  "All Alexandria defensive
 teams, stand by."  Almost at Owens's orders, the Third Chamber
 machinery began to sing its song of power.

 And for 36 hours, the road to the Milky Way was open.  The first ship
 through: U.S.S. Vladivostok, carrying 400 metric tons of pure crystal
 dilithium, courtesy of the L036/L037 system, the first pure dilithium
 crystal the Milky Way had seen in nearly 60 years.

 Payment in full for the purchase four former Starfleet starships.

\_______________________________________________________________________ 
\ End Simulation Teaser                                                 |
 ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ 

 Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone" Staff:
    Commanding, TG 85.3:       RADM Tebrun Lora Kor      (Jester)
    S-1, Group Adjutant:       Capt. Sieven Drexler      (Brad)
    S-2, Group Intelligence:   Capt. Jarod Bentall       (Alffred)
    S-3, Group Logistics:      Capt. Savant              (Savant)
    Commanding, M64 Ground:    Brig. Jeremy Ironside     (Fraser)

 U.S.S. Coronado Crew Roster:
    Commanding Officer:        Como. William Daren       (Chris)
    Executive Officer:         Cmdr. Velorna Tal         (Aggie)
    Chief Flight Operations:   LCdr. Maiko D'Rall        (Farrell)
    Command Yeoman:            PO/1 Zachery Prentiss     (Prill)
    Civilian Liaison:          Zunite Oswald             (Sonya)
    Battalion Commander:       LCol. Jacob Prescot       (Prescot)
    Flight Leader:             2Lt. Edward Somansky      (Somansky)
    Flight Leader:             2Lt. Amy Dillon           (AlexJenson)
    Chief Tactical Officer:    Lt. (JG) Derek Canterbury (Spuzzum)
    Chief Engineer:            Cmdr. Jack C. Farley      (CCC)
    Assistant Engineer:        LCdr. Aramis Skylooker    (LewisSharp)
    Assistant Engineer:        Ens. Brandon Gannsen      (Lefty)
    Chief Science Officer:     Lt. Anna Brooks           (Kari)
    Chief Medical Officer:     LCdr. Rachel Kennedy      (Santiago)

 On Extended Leave of Absence:
    None!

 Positions Available:
    Watch Tactical Officer:                              (---)
    Assistant Medical:                                   (---)

------
Jester

Rear Admiral Tebrun Lora Kor
Commanding, Defenders Task Group 85.3, "Whitestone"
embarked on U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
http://www.jestertrek.com/coro2400/