>"So, what can I do forrr you?" she asked Jora.
>
> "I wanted to pass along some news and events to you. As you know, I,
and a few others, had a meeting with the CinC a while back. He outlined
some of his initiatives, and the group discussed them. I was rather
impressed with what he had to say. If I am not mistaken we discussed this
before while you were on assignment..." she said pausing to confirm.
Kitanya nodded.
> "Well, the news then is that he and I have been in contact several
times since then. We further discussed some of his initiatives, and spoke
of some of the things that I was doing in my command to make change in
Starfleet. I have learned that he had done similar things with other in
the original meeting, and that his personal involvement has largely been
welcomed.
>
> The point that I am trying to make is that he is developing a small
following, and I have come to believe that our group's current course,
while still holding promise, could do more harm than good. At least short
term. Admiral Lasiter is not the out of touch, outsider that Kettering
thinks he is. I believe that Admiral Lasiter's approach, while admittedly
slow and plodding, offers Starfleet something unique. Change and reform
without fracturing the fleet. Admiral Kettering is planning on announcing
his plans this evening, at least in part. Plans on taking down the CinC
and much of Starfleet Command. Kettering intends to begin with character
assassination and shoring up ties with other 'factions' within the fleet.
Once that is well underway, he will start to openly defy the CinC,
stripping him of credibility, and then making a move for the top center
chair. For all the good that Kettering is trying to do, I fear that he
will not hesitate to trample good officers in the process of his power
grab. Frankly, the longer I listen the more I think that a power grab is
all that this is about."
Kitanya grew madder and madder at her words, her tail moving from a twitch
to actively slashing the air behind her. Kettering was a fool, and what
he
planned was a coup, nothing less. This was not how Starfleet was run.
"I would have expected this in the Klingon Imperrrial Fleet," she growled, "but not in
Starrrfleet. What he's suggesting is mutiny, plain and simple. And if he goes ahead
with it, even if he wins, the Federrration Council will have him arrrrested and
courrrt-marrrtialled. Ketterrring forrrgets that we arrre not the goverrrnment; we
serrrve the goverrrnment. The
Council makes orrr brrreaks us and the Prrresident decides who is CinC. That is,
unless he intends to overrrthrrow the Federrration as well and declarrre himself
suprrreme dictatorrr." She was angry, not at Jora, certainly, but there would be hell
to pay that night. If they were Klingons, she would just call him out and fight him
to the death, but
things just weren't that simple in the Federation.
"I don't think he has the stones for quite all of that, but he does have ambition.
He is counting ont he fact that he commands the largest operational fleet, the 9th
Fleet, his popularity. That may well carry him with the fleet and with the Council.
He can be delayed, but not for very long. If only there was something that could be
done to show what Admiral Lasiter was doing. To show that he was not just sitting up
in Spacedock handing out edicts, but actually *doing* something. That combined with
an opposition group would put Kettering's plan in neutral. If nothing else it would
polarize the group enough to stall action of any kind. Possibly isolate him and his
devoutee's where they could be better dealt with."
{response}
*****
Chris
GM- SPD & JSOC
