Edward Jellico

Edward Jellico was a career officer in the Federation Starfleet in the late 24th century. He served as commanding officer of the USS Cairo (NCC-42136) for over ten years, also serving as Federation Starfleet Academy Dean of Students, commanding officer of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), and commanding officer of Federation Starbase Deep Space 5, culminating in a short tenure as Starfleet Commander-in-Chief during the Borg Invasion of 2381. 

Early Career
Jellico was born in Houston, Texas, on Earth in 2311. At the age of 18, Jellico entered Starfleet Academy, and he graduated in 2333 in the 85th percentile. Ensign Jellico was assigned as a shuttle pilot on the Jovian Run between Jupiter and Saturn.

However, by the end of the year, Jellico was promoted to lieutenant, junior grade and assigned to the USS Memphis as a junior conn officer. By 2344, Jellico was still serving aboard the Memphis but had risen to the rank of full lieutenant. That year, the Memphis suffered heavy damage as a result of an attack by Cardassian forces. During the battle, the tactical officer was killed, and Lt. Jellico assumed her position, successfully devising a strategy to defeat the Cardassians. 

In 2349, Jellico took a year out of space service to attend tactical training on Earth. Following the completion of his training in 2350, Jellico was promoted to lieutenant commander and was assigned to the USS Cairo (NCC-42136) as tactical officer.

In early 2354, Jellico was promoted to commander and assigned as first officer aboard the Cairo, when the former first officer was killed during an away mission in which he was ambushed by Cardassians.

Dean of Students, Starfleet Academy
After some time aboard the Cairo, Jellico took a position at Starfleet Academy as the dean of students. Also at the Academy at that time was young Mackenzie Calhoun. (ST game: Starship Creator and NF novel: Stone and Anvil)

USS Cairo and the Cardassians
By 2357, Jellico was once again serving aboard the Cairo as first officer. In that year, Captain Ashford was killed during a Cardassian attack, and Jellico was promoted to captain for his "efficient, demanding style of command". However, Jellico still had time to consider creating a family, and in 2359 he married a human woman named Deborah, and two years later, their son, Franklin Paul Jellico was born.

In 2366, Captain Jellico was called into aid the negotiators to end the Federation-Cardassian War, because of his vast experiences with the Cardassians. 

After commanding the Cairo for many years, he assumed temporary command of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) in 2369. During that mission, he was assigned to negotiate an agreement with the Cardassian Central Command to defuse rising tensions between the Cardassian Union and the United Federation of Planets. Jellico butted heads several times with Enterprise executive officer William T. Riker, eventually relieving him and replacing him with Lieutenant-Commander Data. Despite these tensions, Jellico devised a plan to plant mines amongst the Cardassian fleet hiding in the McAllister C-5 Nebula. Demonstrating to the Cardassians his ability to destroy their ships at will, he successfully forced a withdrawal of the Cardassians to their nearest starbase and the return of captured Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who shortly thereafter resumed command of the Enterprise. Jellico then resumed command of the Cairo. 

Admiralty
By 2373, Jellico had been promoted to Admiral. That year, he was part of the delegation at Deep Space 5 that formulated the Federation's response to the collapse of the Thallonian Empire in Sector 221-G. He later supervised Starfleet operations in that sector, including the mission of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the USS Excalibur (NCC-26517), from his office in San Francisco. He and Calhoun often came into conflict over the next six years. (, et al)

Starfleet Command
In 2379, Admiral Jellico was assigned to Federation Starfleet Headquarters on Earth. That year, he was one of five Starfleet admirals who along with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Ambassador Lagan Serra decided the fate of Federation President Min Zife after the disastrous Tezwan affair. Jellico was initially unsure that they had the right to do anything to Zife nor was he sure that they even should do anything. But eventually he was persuaded by the others that they should force Zife, Koll Azernal, and Nelino Quafina to step down. 

In 2380, Admiral Jellico was one of the chief organizers of Starfleet's response to the Borg supercube crisis. 

Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet
The next year, Jellico was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Starfleet, placing him in overall command of Starfleet's response to that year's Borg invasion. Although Jellico's demanding command style and 'get-it-done' attitude ultimately served both Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets well during the crisis, he was reluctant to accept the promotion; he wished to be on the front line, in command of a starship. He spent many nights in his office at Starfleet Command Headquarters, so many that Alynna Nechayev found it necessary to convince him to delegate Starfleet's planning tasks and get some rest. Jellico was also involved in a high-level Starfleet Command meeting that included Admirals Hastur, Nakamura, and Nechayev, as well as government representatives Jas Abrik and Seven of Nine. Jellico agreed with Seven's declaration that Picard's plan was fatally flawed, and dismissed her suggestion to abandon the Milky Way Galaxy through one of the subspace tunnels discovered in the Azure Nebula. Feeling her points were not being taken seriously, Seven grabbed Jellico around the neck and extended her assimilation tubules. Jellico had her escorted out for her demonstration. 

In the final hours of the Invasion, as the Federation was being systematically exterminated by the Collective, Admiral Jellico issued an order countermanding Admiral Nechayev's ban on over-reliance upon transphasic torpedoes, transmitting the design specifications for the weapon throughout the Federation Starfleet and to the Klingon Defense Force in a desperate attempt to stop the invasion force. Acknowledging that this was a gamble, Jellico simply noted that if it failed and the transphasic torpedoes were rendered useless due to Borg adaptation, there was no one to blame but himself. Jellico also issued the Enterprise and USS Aventine new orders after contact was reestablished with the two vessels at the Azure Nebula; their orders were essentially to do anything that they could, as Starfleet had run out of ideas. He urged the two captains to prepare an exit strategy, should Earth fall. Jellico also deployed the USS Tempest (Sovereign class) and its battle fleet to aid the Klingons in defending Qo'noS, but Fleet Admiral Leonard James Akaar was doubtful it would arrive it time. He, along with Admirals Nechayev and Namakura monitored the attacks on Vulcan, Andor, Coridan, Rigel, and Qo'noS from the secure bunker in Starfleet Command Headquarters, hoping that history remembered that at least they tried to fight the Borg. They enjoyed a momentary swing of momentum when the Borg began to suddenly fire upon each other; Jellico issued orders for all assets to engage, but this advantage was short lived. 

Following the invasion, Admiral Jellico tendered his resignation to Federation President Nanietta Bacco, believing that his personal honor demanded it.