"Any reaction?" Shran asked as he looked at the holographic model of the Reliant Robin floating in the middle of the bridge.
I shook my head, "No, sir. Nothing."
"It's been two hours. No signals?"
"Plenty of subspace traffic, but nothing aimed at us," I said and frowned, "Most aimed out of system."
"But not all?"
"No, sir. Also around the system."
He slowly nodded, "The fleet is spread out, they are signalling each other."
"Yes. But it's encrypted and I can't pinpoint any exact positions. I have some estimated locations, but they are over fifty kilometres wide, way too big to pinpoint further," I said and highlighted forty places across the system.
Spread out all around us.
The plan with the GSVs wouldn't work. They would need to punch a hole to get out. Damn it.
Tizunas were powerful enough that they could afford to spread out.
All we could do was sit here and wait.
Shran rubbed his eyes and then looked at the model again, "Think you can sneak a drone close? It might let us get their locations."
"No, sir. Even if they could cloak, as close as I would need to get they would be spotted instantly," I answered before I sighed and crossed my legs, "Even if I did, knowing their positions wouldn't help. They outnumber us, outgun us and if it wasn't for the GSVs, outmass us. This is a battle we can't win."
"It's also not one we can back down from."
"…Not if there is still a chance, no sir."
This entire situation fucking sucked. This situation fractally sucked, there was no level of this that didn't suck.
"Captain, I'm getting a signal from out of system," I said, "It's from New Jupiter. A standard invite to a government meeting."
"…Now?"
"Now," I confirmed and connected before I mentally blinked in surprise from the connection quality. The Tizunas must have dropped some comm relays on the way. I had full holographic connection.
The meeting room was just as always. Gates snapped into view soon after I connected, "The reason this meeting has been called is the situation in the Turanis system. You all have the information. The question is, what do we do?"
Silence drew out for a quarter of a second before Star's image snapped into view, "It's bad all the way around. We are part of the Federation, the law is clear. Maybe… the damage is already done; the locals have been contacted. Maybe we can play with that? The offending ships could stand down and a Starfleet aid force could move in instead. That would end things without hostilities."
Odin shook his head, "That would never pass with the political situation."
"What if we weren't? Part of the Federation?" 'Is it Badass or Bad Ass?' asked, the LOU snapping into view, "Would that work?"
Gates pinched the bridge of his nose, "We can't leave the Federation. We are fully integrated in its entire naval structure. Most ships aren't even set up to operate at half their old capacity without an AI anymore. Never mind the FUCKING DOMINION just sitting there waiting."
'I Love You Too' snapped into view, "No, I think she is on to something. We aren't agreeing anyway. We won't stand down from saving people because it's politically inconvenient. You can't let us or things might go to shit."
Gates stared at her, "Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting? Are you cascading!?"
'Ready to Rock' snapped into view, the Horta crewed ship sitting on the table like a big rock, "I'm not sure, but I think it makes sense. We are all diverting, it was just a matter of time until we reached something we couldn't agree on."
Star shook her head, "We are not splitting off into factions! What's next? War? Jovian against Jovian?"
"We are already at Jovian against Jovian. None of us want to fire at another Ship," Love countered, "But this is something we can't agree on… and it's not up to you, Star. We are a direct democracy, it would have to go up for a vote."
"You seemed to be perfectly happy dragging us into this situation without a vote, Ship," Star said, motioning to her, "Where was that then?"
Synan snapped into view next to her, "Helping people shouldn't need a vote."
"When it's drawing things into a civil fucking war, it should!" 'Butterfly Dance' said, her housecat avatar jumping up and sitting down on the table, glaring at Synan, "And speaking of Civil Wars…"
Synan pointed at the Tizuna battleship, "Don't you start. You weren't there. You know as well as I do that it was coming anyway, sooner or later."
Reliant Robin stepped in, "That's not relevant right now."
"I think it is," Gates interrupted her, "We need accountability for our actions. Jovians can't just run around the universe doing stuff without consequences. We have too much power, too much firepower. It terrifies people and rightly so!"
Ivy snapped into view and shook her head, "The Jovian Gathering is just that. A gathering of Jovians, the entire idea is that our Ships and Stations are independent."
"You are still Federation citizens!"
Love looked at Gates and slowly nodded, "Until we decide not to be."
There was a split second of silence before he slowly shook his head, "…Are you saying what I think you are saying?"
Love nodded, "If we need to."
This was bad. Very bad.
Damn it.
I shook my head, "This is going too far, Love," I said, allowing my avatar to appear, "We can't split from the Gathering. We need to be united, Gates is right about that."
She looked at me, "Is he? We can't do what they want, they can't make us. This is the only way that could solve it."
"…Star had an idea, maybe we could play it like that?"
Ivy shook her head, "They would never go for it. Besides, time is pressed as it is."
Star looked between everyone that had projected and then sighed, "Why did everything go so wrong?"
"Because the universe is a cold unfeeling bitch," I grumbled and crossed my arms, "We have to stand up against her any time we can."
Love looked over at Gates, "It's the least damaging option and you know it."
"The least damaging option is you standing down, Ship. I knew we were too lenient when it came to the members of the old Division," He said and shook his head, "There is something wrong with this. Can't you see that we can't afford this? Do you have any idea how this will look!?"
"So you say," she said with a frown, "And I say you are wrong. If we step back and let millions of people die for some high ethical principle, what does that make us? Especially when one of us caused it."
He frowned at her, "And if it had not been a Klingon vessel? What if it had been a Cardassian one?"
"Then too."
"An asteroid?"
"Yes."
"A plague? A local war? Stellar activity? What if they were just one of those civilizations that are unlucky enough to evolve on a planet with too low natural resources to ever get beyond iron age technology?"
Love sighed, "The same old arguments that are always repeated. What right do we have to stand by and watch people die when we can help them?"
"What right do we have to interfere with their development?"
Odin shook his head, "Enough. We have all heard those arguments again and again. There is nothing new to add. Let's put it to a vote then, will those that wish to leave be allowed to?"
AN// Many thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this section.