Thinking the Unthinkable
A quite restaurant
Valentina Sousa was feeling introspective. she had long ago noticed that above a certain level all Starfleet officers tended to have some special skill or unusual specialty. Something to help them stand out from the crowd of already talented officers. It had taken her a long time to realize what hers was, she didn't hate playing politics. She had assumed for the longest time that grumbling about politics was just something one did, but it wasn't until she had made commodore that she realized that her enjoyment of the games of power was unusual. Sometimes she wondered what it said about her as an officer that her greatest skill was she could schmooze slightly longer and better than most, then again ,she mused as she watched Tales Har make a beeline for her booth, sometimes that what was needed.
"why hello admiral, fancy meeting you here."
"yes, what are the odds? please, sit, it's been too long since we've had a chance to chat." a bit of theater, technically she hadn't expected him. Then again she didn't make a habit of eating at the only restaurant with sound damping booths and automated waiters at the same time each week for the food. She didn't comment on the briefcase Tales set on the table as he sat down.
"so how have things been at the shipyards?"
"busy as always, I don't' think were going to have an empty berth for the next decade."
"it's the nature of fleets to never be done. If you're not building new ships you're replacing old ones."
"true enough, though I can't imagine you're here to talk about how hard my job is."
Tales smiled, "well everyone can stand to have their burdens acknowledged from time to time, though there is something I would like to talk to you about"
"of corse, I always have time for the esteemed members of the councils"
"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Starfleet has become the defacto ship designers for the federation. While members can and to an extent do maintain their own designs, the vast majority of ships built in the federation are Starfleet designs."
"I'm not sure I see the problem councilor, Starfleet hardly designs poor ships" sousa let just a little bit of her irritation slip into her voice. she took insults to her work somewhat personally.
"the problem admiral is that the home fleets are militaries, and Starfleet ultimately is not. A typical Starfleet vessel is a miracle of engineering, but by design, none of them are cost-effective combatants."
"You're asking me to build warships."
"No, I'm asking you to
design warships. For the stated purpose of enabling the home fleets to better guard their people aginst raiders and pirates."
"Tales, Starfleet is not going to get in the middle of a fight between you and Stesk. Especially after the fiasco that was the last admiral. "
"I'm not asking you to. I understand how Starfleet pushing a hawk idea would look to the pacifists, which is why this idea has Somos's name on it."
"The development party? why would they want to build warships?"
"Because a stronger home fleet means safer home sectors, the sheer number of Orion pirates coming out of the woodwork has a lot of people concerned, not to mention the loss of that freighter to Sydraxian raiders. They don't like the idea of having to up gun Starfleet to deal with pirates. Not when the problem can be solved cheaper by strengthening the home fleets, and frankly I think we can both agree Starfleet ships are over built for convoy duty. "
"so you've sold someone in the expansionist party on this lunacy as well then."
Tales just smiled "I can't
say I have, but I think certain members would be pleased by anything that freed up Starfleet ships to keep pushing the final frontier."
"If you have all this support why come to me? It sounds like you have the clout to force the issue."
"Because this is borderline heresy, and no one want's to be seen backing it unless it's sure to pass. I can have more than enough votes to get it through the council, but only if people think it can."
"And a counselor isn't enough for that on their own. You want an assurance Starfleet will go to bat for this."
"Exactly, and while Vitalia has a perfectly understandable allergy to hawks, if she were to contact Somos and let them know she's willing to back her little plan then she'd be able to push this. "
"And just how ambitious is this plan? I can't imagine they would be interested in building battleships"
"I was hoping you would ask." Tals popped open his case and pulled out a datapad, before sliding it across the table.
"so far it's mostly requirements and concept designs, but I'm sure you can get the gist of it's intended use"
sous began looking over the pad, she noted that technically nothing on the requirements was explicit this was a warship, but the only way to meet the required armament on budgets be if it was nothing but a warp coil wrapped in engines and guns. Just enough cover for a politician to claim they had simply been ignorant of the realities of ship building. But she had to admit, The watchman class wasn't the worst idea she'd seen for an escort.
"hrmph, shield requirements are too low, and with the specified cost limits that's where some of the compromises would have to be made. I'm assuming you're going to want us to help with the actual requirements?"
"oh I'm sure Somos would be willing to work with Starfleet to hash out the fine details, thought it would defeat the purpose of the idea if it got too expensive."
"I'm sure it would, but this does raise the question. It sounds like your bending over backward to make sure you're not seen as the main one pushing this idea, so what do you get out of this?"
"I get to go to sleep knowing the citizens of the federation are safer than when I woke up, and that the men and woman of the home fleets won't be called to war riding in ships designed for peace."
"And the hawks set the precedent that Starfleet can keep the home fleets warship designs up to date."
"Is that such a bad thing? Having a core of dedicated warships as a reserve could make the difference between survival and annihilation some day, and we both know that the council would never let Starfleet be the one to build those warships."
"Nor should they, still I will admit I find the idea of the home fleets being better suited to filling a role we aren't is appealing. I make no promises but I'll float the idea past Vitalia."
"That's all I can ask, thank you for your time."
and with that Tales left, leaving the datapad on the watchmen class behind.
requested omake reward: a snake pit option to design a dedicated warship escort for use by home fleets.