SIMULATION HISTORY
2364 | 2367 | 2375 | 2378 | 2378b
Jorel stood hunched over a railing looking down at the construction of his ship, the U.S.S. Odyssey. The ship was being christened in memory of the USS Odyssey lost in the Federation’s first battle with the Dominion. The Odyssey was still three weeks away from completion and Jorel had made it his personal mission to harass and harangue the construction leads responsible for completing his ship. When he was not bothering station personnel on Utopia Planitia he was laying the groundwork for his mission into Romulan space. Jorel heard heavy footfalls approaching him and he turned to see Admiral William Ross with a not too happy look on his face.
“Admiring the view, Captain?”
Jorel shrugged, “Not so much. There’s a lot to do and my ship still isn’t ready. Half my crew transfers still have not been approved AND I’ve yet to hear from either you or Nechayev on whether my plan has been approved.”
Ross looked disapprovingly at Jorel and handed him a padd, “While I don’t like it, your plan has been approved. We agreed at our last meeting this would be your show. You’ve been given approval to do whatever you feel is necessary to complete your mission. That said… I can’t say I fully agree with your assessment on this.”
Jorel reviewed the padd then stuck it under his shoulder, “You don’t seem to care for this mission much. Something I should know.”
Ross curtly replied, “No.”
A smile spread across Jorel’s face, “I don’t need to be a telepath to know you’re being less than honest with me.”
Ross walked up to the railing and turned away from Jorel, “You gonna read my mind to know for sure?”
Jorel shook his head, “No. Keep your secrets then.”
Seeking to change the subject, Ross pointed his hand towards the Odyssey, “She’s a totally different design. My flagship, the U.S.S. Cerberus is one of the earlier models of the Prometheus Class, she’s slated to go in for a refit in a few months.”
“I’ve studied the specs, design theory, and read reports from those Prometheus Class vessels deployed during the war. She’s got the firepower but… why assign her to what is meant to be mostly a mission of exploration?”
Ross replied, without taking his gaze off of the Odyssey, “Because that’s what I ordered. Starfleet’s attitude before the Dominion War was focused too much on defense. It allowed the Dominion to cause a lot of damage before we stopped them. We mustn’t let that happen again.” Ross now turned and met Jorel’s gaze, “We’re sending you into Romulan space. For all we know, this grand mission we’re sending you on will end there. You may need all the firepower you can get. If this mission turns out to be something more long-term… well then… that’s what all those upgrades are for.”
Jorel nodded, “You’re talking as if you don’t expect to see me return from Romulan space.”
“There’s often a difference between what one hopes and what one expects Captain. That’s all I’ll say. I would advise you to get the rest of your crew together; your senior staff will need to be briefed on your game plan. Dismissed”
Jorel nodded and headed for the turbolift for another round of haggling for crew members. Although he couldn’t help feeling as if there was something Ross wasn’t telling him.