[ ] Air your concerns to Council
(This should be the issues you want the diplomats to keep fore of mind. The fewer things, the more forceful. Is there an area you want off the possible concession list? Do you want a particular undertaking? Well, let us know)
So I should say, I don't really like how The Closest Border gives a bit of a laundry list of five points (even if the first two support the third). The fewer things, the more forceful.
We could give up all of Enio if we wanted. I don't think that's particularly terrible if we do. However, keep in mind that 26 Enio's proximity to the Badlands means that whichever side of the border it's on makes for a very much indefensible border on the other side. For example, if we own 26 Enio in the final settlement, we have the entire Badlands at our back to hide fleets in that the Pact can't know about. If 26 Enio goes to the Cardassians,
they have the entire Badlands to hide fleets in that we can't really easily find.
I'm less concerned about a route coreward. We're going to be negotiating passage through ISC space anyway even if we had a narrow corridor (why would we avoid them?), and unless relations really take a tumble they're going to let us through. If we did become hostile to the ISC we'd have far more to worry about. It's not really viable to expand the Federation that direction anyway, how would we
possibly support an affiliate in 5f or 6f or 6g? They'd be instantly cut off in the event of any major escalation.
e: Plus any small corridor would be a DMZ, through which we wouldn't be allowed to pass ships
anyway.
[X] A Pair Of Considerations
-[X] 26 Enio holds the key to the Badlands, and whichever side possesses it can hide activity in the sensor shadow of that area freely. Defensively speaking it the key installation in preventing strategic surprise going forward. It would also keep the border shorter and avoid protruding/intruding subsectors.
-[X] Much like Athos V has done much for our relationship with the Romulans, shared research colonies, outposts, or stations with Pact species within the DMZ could do a lot for thawing relations going forward. Much like the Themis deal, the more that can be done to relax or create exceptions to the "no contact" rule the better.
If nothing else, this reduces the # of concerns from 3 to 2, and the number of subpoints from 5 to 2.