Priorities

[Capt St. John 0]

One of the first things Mikel had changed when he arrived onboard Aegis was the addition of a computer screen added to one of the walls in his office. Something that while certainly not as large as the three viewscreens out on the Control tower but was still bigger then the computer screen on his desk. For the simple reason he wanted something he could pace in front of when he was forced to deal with annoying people via private communications. An urge he's resisting doing in front of Vice Admiral Preuss.

 

Preuss frowns and says "Again, Captain, I do not see the wisdom in sending more ships out into the middle of nonaligned space and risk them getting taken to who knows where by this wormhole your Commander Quark reported. We've already lost two ships to this wormhole. And as you yourself have reported, you've haven't recieved any indication that neither the USS Endeavour nor the USS Pandora's Box survived the trip to wherever they went."

 

Mikel narrows his eyes and tries to keep his tone even as he says "Admiral, with all due respect, you have recieved no indication that they didn't survive the trip. And I find your apparent glibness at throwing people's lives away by not authorizing a rescue attempt appalling."

 

Preuss frowns "If you wish to attempt a rescue, you may do so."

 

Mikel arches an eyebrow and says "With what? A few runabouts and one fighter? When Admiral Goran left he took the USS Lewis with him leaving only the Pandora here. Which is one of the main reasons I want at least a fighter detachment permanently stationed here. And unlike Admiral Goran, I do not have authorization to call in any other ships which is why we're having this conversation. I do not have a flag rank after all. So again, I request that you authorize a rescue attempt. It doesn't need to be the whole fleet or even every ship in the sector. Just a couple of ships will do."

 

If anything, Preuss' frowns becomes darker. "Perhaps if you hadn't been demoted you would have the authority that Admiral Goran had."

 

Mikel blinks and this time he doesn't bother to keep his emotions out of his voice. When he speaks it's as if a parent chiding a recaltriant child. "Might I remind you, Vice Admiral, as I'm quite sure you've seen my service record but that demotion fifteen years ago was purely voluntary on my part. I wanted to Captain a starship again. And considering the depredations that the Battle of Wolf and other wars caused to the ranks of qualified senior Starship officers, I was of much more valuable use doing so then remaining an Admiral. I've been in Starfleet for most of the last hundred years, Vice Admiral. Frankly after spending a good portion of that as an Admiral it was boring me. And I certainly didn't wish to be promoted to the rank of Fleet Admiral. When you live as long as my people do the mundane..doing the same thing for decades ad nauseum has a way of getting to you. The Q are a perfect example of that. They act the way they do because they're terminally bored."

 

Mikel pauses then says "Now, I ask you again to authorize the dispatch of at least a starship to the last coordinates of the Pandora and the Endeavour. They're going to either be lost like Voyager or they're going to die if we don't do anything."

 

Preuss sighs "Very well, Captain, I will see what I can do. Good day, Captain."

 

Mikel frowns as the screen turns itself off. He mutters "Like hell you will. Well, if I can't go through you, Admiral, lets see if I have enough pull to go around you." He says "Computer, open a priority channel to Starfleet Command. Admiral Jenning's office."