> > "Without giving up all of what I have in store, you and your
> > department will be getting a big boast in the prestige and authority
> > department. In order to make sure that SF takes exploration seriously,
I
> > plan on making the exploration division higher up in the food chain that
> > some other departments. In fact I plan on making some of the other
> > departments more subject to the missions of Galactic Exploration. But
> > that is not official just yet. Perhaps tomorrow....." Lasiter said.
> >
> > "I always knew you had a flare for the dramatic..." Garibaldi
> > replied.
> >
> > Lasiter just smiled.
>
> During their exchange, a concerned expression crossed Bedru's face. She
> had suffered severe emotional difficulties after a Romulan agent had
> kidnapped and nearly succeeded in brain-washing her. The agent had taken
> her greatest strength--her assurance in the love and faith of her family
> and friends--and turned it into her greatest weakness. Piece by
> agonizing piece, he had destroyed that assurance and nearly wrecked her
> mentality.
>
> Lorin, Lauren and Hunter rescued her, but she had withdrawn into herself.
> It had been a slow recovery process. Eventally, however, she had been
> able to accept her husband's embrace as an expression of his love and to
> contemplate returing to duty.
>
> She accepted Lasiter's offer to become head of Galactic Exploration. For
> many years, it had been a backwater position with little professional or
> political prestige or pressure; yet, the offer had come with the challenge
> to develop a new exploratory mission. It had been perfect for her. She
> could put in the work to meet the challenge and still keep in background.
>
> She could recover at her own pace, like dipping her feet into the water
> without being thrown into the deep end of the pool. She had come to enjoy
> it, had even taken to swimming quite comfortably in the shallows.
>
> But now,...
>
> Bedru's momentary disquiet was quickly replaced by a neutral expression,
> the best she could do at the moment. Looking down at her drink, she said
> softly, "I see."
>
Lasiter noticed the change in expression, even though it was short
lived. He added, as if to ease her mind some how, "Well I plan on making my
proposal to Starfleet Command very soon, but I do not anticipate it going
into action in the near future. My goal was to announce it, privately, to
SF Command. that way I could drum up support for it within the top levels
of Starfleet and to polish the plan. Once that is done, I hope to deliver
it to the President and to the Federation Council for their stamp of
approval. I hope to get support from the political leaders, as this will be
a major change to the structure of Starfleet. Given that I want to have
just about everyone to support this plan, it will take some time to
implement." Lasiter said downplaying the effort a bit.
Gariabldi knew better. He had talked to Lasiter at great length (to
say the least) and this was a blueprint. He knew that the real plan was to
get support for a slow process, but to push it into a high gear as those
crooked and corrupt officers were arrested and their croonies were taken out
too.
{response}
