Back to the Table

Posted on Wed Dec 29th, 2010 @ 3:02pm by Commodore Samantha York & Colonel Damon Raine & Lieutenant Commander Delon Tovan & Lieutenant JG Nava & Lieutenant JG Randall "Iceheart" McGraw

1,667 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Peace, or Something Like It
Location: Council Chambers, New Paris, Turkana IV
Timeline: Current

ON

Sam contacted the leaders of the three factions and informed them she had important information they needed to hear before deciding what to do about the peace talks. Or lack thereof.

This time, she waited for them to arrive and be seated before entering the room.

She strode in, dressed in her regular Starfleet uniform. She wanted to make a point that she was no longer herein a formal diplomatic position. She stopped at the head of the table, choosing to remain standing. She slid a PaDD to Xon, Teenan and Lumiya.

"You've been pawns in a very clever game and you were so busy fighting amongst yourselves it almost worked." She looked at each one in turn. "A mercenary group backed by a member of the Orion Syndicate has been using your people as guinea pigs to test a new form of mind control."

Lumiya didn't speak she picked up the PADD and looked at the information. A lot of it she already knew just from being aboard the Calypso. She had one of those things in her neck. She knew it very well. She continued to read the report anyway. She was waiting for one of the other leaders to speak up. She wanted to know what they thought of this information.

Nava watched the group as they were given the information. She had been made aware of the situation and had been gathering diplomatic information. She was interested to see how the leaders would handle the situation.

Teenan carefully read over the report, pausing numerous times to read select sections over again. Very little emotion showed on his face despite what he was reading, in fact very little of anything could be read off any of his movements. He was eerily calm and deliberate.

After a while his eyes finally departed from the PADD and instead rested on the other leaders within the room.

Very slowly his left hand moved to his right forearm and, with a click and scraping sounds, slowly removed a concealed knife. He gave the blade a once over before leaning forward and savagely driving it into the table, rattling the glasses of water and PADDs on the table.

Once again, his face betrayed no emotion whatsoever as he leaned back into his chair. "I've had enough of this. I want answers from both of you. Right now."

Xon raised an eyebrow. "I think it only logical to say that before one can have the answers he seeks, he must ask the appropriate questions."

Sam looked at Xon, her gaze steely. "The appropriate question would be: why. Why take away someone's freedom when time and time again history has shown that it invariably ends badly?"

Xon looked at her, unruffled in the least at her gaze or demeanor. "Captain, I do believe, if memory serves, that even the most liberal of governments on your planet, and even the Federation at times, have employed in the most secretive of manners, things that would violate these freedoms you speak of. I believe that the concept is referred to as the 'Greater Good.' I could not in good faith leave these people to continue on in such a violently emotional state, much like my own home world of Vulcan was, before the coming of Surak."

Xon looked around the room to gauge everyone's reactions to his words.

"Surak himself would never have condoned such actions," Sam said softly.

"And neither do we." Teenan said while staring at the blade embedded in the table. He seemed to be weighing his options which, giving his present demeanour, looked like whether to kill Xon now or later.

Sam pulled her knife out of her belt and embedded it next to Teenan's. "There's been enough killing. Xon can be tried according to your laws, or we can try him according to ours. Prove that you're better than the mercenaries who used your people as guinea pigs. Stop the killing. You don't need to be friends. Just decide you won't kill today." She looked at the others. " If you won't do it for peace, do it to keep your people from being killed. Do it to keep the mercenaries from coming back."

Lumiya looked at Xon from across the table and smiled. "I must applaud you. You managed to implant the devices on key figures on this planet without anyone even suspecting anything. I admire that." She leaned forward placing the PADD on the table in front of her than leaned back. "You probably would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for the fact that the Captain got taken."

Lumiya turned her attention to the Captain. "Captain, the mercenaries are not the problem. We have dealt with them for years and we can continue to deal with them. The problem is people like Xon who come to our planet with promises of peace."

"I have no interest in seeing my people die in some pointless war, but I can't also sit back and let my people be conquered. Peace is a wonderful idea and I'd love to achieve it but I fear that a true peace between our two factions will not be achieved in my life time."

"True peace may not, but a tenuous peace is," Sam said. "You have to remember that the mercenaries took advantage of your mistrust of each other and Xon's desire for peace at any cost. You were all wrong. Now it's up to you to decide if you're going to go back to what you had or try and make something better out of the situation."

"Captain," Teenan spoke as he just noticed her recent change of rank "I will have you remember that you have no right to tell our people what is right or wrong and your opinion is not welcome in that regard."

He next addressed the table. "Moving forwards, I plan on instituting an aggressive campaign to rid our territories of mercenaries. I have grown rather tired of them as of late. I'm sure Lumiya and I can come to an agreement on that. Perhaps it may even lead the way to a joint campaign in the future."

"Speaking of our current situation, it has already improved." He looked towards Xon "As of today we have one less faction to think about. The second the people of Turkana IV hear about what you have done they will cry out for a public trial. As much as we are all tired of war you will find the notion of slavery sits worse. What is left to discuss here is under whose law he is tried."

Sam nodded. There was a lot of truth to what he said. "If he's a member of the Federation, he should be tried by Federation law." Unless, of course, they insisted.

"While it is true that he is a Federation citizen he committed the crime on our planet and as such he should be dealt with as according to our Justice system." Lumiya stated from across the table.

Much as Sam disliked it, Lumiya was right. "So be it. On the condition that he receives a fair trial and you stop fighting."

Lumiya smirked. "Captain, while I do understand your motives, you have no room to be making any kinds of conditions regarding his stay here with us. Like I have already stated he will be dealt as according to our Justice system."

"You're right, I don't," Sam replied complacently. "However, I represent the Federation. The people who are willing to help defend your planet when you stop fighting each other. Or we could simply leave you to your own devices -- and those of the mercenaries who seem determined to use you and your people as test subjects. The choice is yours."

"Captain, I don't think that is your choice to make. You do represent the Federation at this table today but that does not mean that you will be representing it tomorrow or the day after." Lumiya said.

"You're right. I just send in a report. And my recommendation for any future action in this sector." Sam shrugged. "It's entirely up to you." She nodded to the PADDs. "You also have information on how the neural implants work, the location of the devices and how to deactivate them. It will keep the Orions from trying it again any time soon."

She looked around the table. "For what it's worth, I agree with the Grand Marshal. You've already made steps towards peace. Work together to remove the mercenaries. Try Xon according to your laws. If the Alliance and the Coalition join forces, you will achieve a great deal in your lifetime. I am willing to help you, if you ever need it."

"You can take your help, Captain, and leave." Teenan said confidently. "We have always been a self sufficient people and can take care of ourselves," He turned briefly to look at Xon with disgust on his features "and we will deal harshly with those who try to take that power away from us." Looking back to the Starfleet officer, he continued. "I echo a statement Lumiya made earlier, though in different context; one day this idea of joining the Federation may be revisited, but it 'will not be achieved in my life time.'"

Sam nodded, pulled her knife out of the table and sheathed it. There was nothing more to be said. She'd done her best, but this was their world and their decision. "Very well. You know how to reach me in the future if the situation changes." She nodded to the others that it was time to go. "I've said my peace. I wish you all the best."

OFF

Captain Samantha York
Commanding Officer
USS Calypso

Lieutenant JG Nava
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Calypso

Grand Marshall Teenan Varik (NPC)
Coalition Leader
Turkana IV

Lumiya Onasi (NPC)
Alliance Leader
Turkana IV

Xon (NPC)
Union Leader
Turkana IV

 

RSS Feed