Day 9-Who's in charge here?
"The United Federation of Planets is located Spinward and Rimward of the region of space the USS Prosperity is currently exploring and patrolling. The Romulan Star Empire lies directly Rimward of these sectors. In between these two peoples is a wide expanse of stars and planets, nebulas and spatial phenomena.
For our purposes, here are the people whose decisions influence the overall status of this frontier. In truth, if I may be so bold, it is the sharp minds, brave hearts, and steely determination of individuals that make the biggest impacts on the lives of those who dwell where no one interstellar power truly holds sway."
Admiral George Bankroft
A decorated Starfleet Officer who previous to his appointment to the Admiralty commanded the USS Colin Powell, a Hermes Class Scout/Destroyer. Presently he is the commanding officer of Deep Space 5.
Bankroft met Capt. Anne Fletcher when she was still a young lieutenant and was very impressed with her ability and attitude. Believing she was destined for a meaningful career in Starfleet, the Admirl periodically checked in on how she was doing. When Bankroft learned of the impending deployment of DS5, he placed himself on the top of the list of possible C.O.s, knowing that the USS Prosperity, Anne Fletcher's vessel, was intended to be assigned to DS5 as its homebase.
Now I know what you're thinking and you aren't completely wrong; off the record, George Bankroft is a man who sometimes bends the rules to get what he wants. The thing is, it's hard to argue with his results. He can be pushy, even manipulative, but he gets things done and has a remarkably good eye for finding the right people and putting in the right places.
He can be tough when necessary but is generally a very likeable man; he's the 'cool uncle' who strongly believe in the spirit of Starfleet and the UFP, if not the rules of them.
Commodore Alastair Strickland
If Bankroft is the 'cool uncle', Strickland is the annoying neighbor who will not hesitate to remind you that your hedge have grown over his property line by exactly seven centimeters and insist you take care of it before he's forced to inform the neighborhood association.
A career 'desk jockey', Alastair Strickland is nonetheless very good at his job. He's developed the skills of an extremely effective administrator over the course of his long career. Strickland follows the letter of the law and he isn't just by-the-book, he's memorized the book and probably submitted many of the regulations inside it.
Strickland and Bankroft have a friendly rivalry that dates back to their Academy days apparently. Their careers took two very different paths but they are still competeing to this day. At first, Strickland was skeptical of Captain Fletcher and her crew but was eager to see what they were capable of and why Bankroft spoke so highly of them.
Impressed by their successful outing on an assignment he gave them, Strickland negotiated with Bankroft to have them do a few more missions. Instead, Bankroft recommended to Starfleet Command that they should temporarily transfer the Prosperity to Deep Space 4 as the Romulans had become more active of late and that fell more closely under Strickland's jurisdiction. Starfleet Command agreed.
Strickland is no fool. He knows Bankroft did him a favor but he isn't sure why. Still, he would be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth. It should be noted that though he is a strict and unwavering fellow in general, Strickland is not completely inflexible. Give him a good enough argument supported by sufficient evidence and he will consider changing his mind. He can adapt as well, he just prefers not to.
Romulan Commander Enria
Formerly the commanding officer of the Romulan U-8 Albatross Class Scout vessel, 'Keen Vision'. Enria impressed her superiors when, even though she failed to retrieve or destroy the prototype VX-012 Venator Cruiser, she did obtain enough hard data on the ship and its experimental weapon system, a Rapid Fire Plasma Torpedo Launcher, to allow for further development of project. Additionally, she was able to obtain quite a bit of intel on the Ventura Class Mark III and the Prosperity in particular, a ship that has been a thorn in the Star Empire's side for some years now.
Still, it is surprising that she didn't face punishment for her failures, which by all accounts are quite significant. Starfleet Intelligence believes Enria might be connected to an influential noble family and/or that she may have caught the eye of one of the Emperor's sons.
Either way, Enria was made a Commander and became involved in several important missions for the Romulans, including retrieval of the Beacon of K'atraha, a holy relic according to the Mazzulan people and a potential weapon in the eyes of the Romulans. While she once against failed to obtain her target, she deemed it an unworthy effort and a waste of the Empire's resources to pursue.
Commander Enria remains an active, ambitious member of the Romulan Star Empire's Navy and one with a personal grudge against Captain Fletcher and the Prosperity. They seem to keep thwarting her endevours. Enria is not 'in charge' per se but she is definitely an influential individual and someone to keep an eye on.
"Aside from these key figures, there are probably more persons of note that we are not yet aware of. As has been stated already, we are on the frontier of space; while some of this region is well established, many parts have not been explored by Starfleet at all. We are still learning the 'lay of the land' as Humans say.
Who knows what personas may dwell in the vast darkness that have yet to reveal themselves?"
AD
Barking Alien
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