Now the interesting thing is that the Pacifists did not actually get any more councillors, it's just that the Expansionists lost their majority to Development and Hawks.
I think that will influence the decisions of the councillers. The Pacifists know that they mostly came out ahead due to other peoples losses, so I'm hoping they'll do their best to get some serious sucesses, even if it takes compromises with the actually rising factions, otherwise the voting trend will continue and they'll loose the next election to Development and Hawks.
I have to say I am not the biggest fan of this scene - it feels a bit too much like a stereotypical rom-com to me and nearly all of characters really act and sound like 20 somethings which clashes a bit with their actual age and positions. I also felt a bit strange by how relaxed they all were, considering that the people getting elected are the ones setting Starfleet policy I would have expected a bit more personal investment/involvement from the top brass of the Starfleet. I think it would have worked better if you had made this a story about a few (low ranked) Starfleet officer coming together instead of the full brass since that is what it feels like to me.
Edit:
In regards to actual effects, I doubt much will change but by god I hope that somebody finally decides to do something about the Sydraxians (and to a lesser degree Cardassian) conflict. I mean what the hell is the diplomatic service/fed council so busy doing that we still have no actual coherent plan on how to handle proceed with either of these factions?
I can certainly sympathize with the position of the Hawks and Development parties.
As shown by the Kadak-Tor crisis, the Federation's territorial growth has significantly expanded ahead of Starfleet's ability to protect it. The same is true in regard to our infrastructure;
The Pacifists, well, are Pacifists. Presumably their factors are led by the ongoing Orion-Syndicate thing, which I'd say is closer to a police enforcement in Mexico for drug cartels than anything else.
I wouldn't actually worry about being forced to cut military capability. The Pacifiists don't have a clear ascendancy here. The only two factions which can't do a Voltron with anyone and vote them down are the Hawks and the Mercantilists, and that's only because those two combined are one vote short.
Development is probably reasonably happy with us. We are developing the hell out of Starfleet. Expansionists likewise. The only way to beat that voting block is to get the Pacifists and Hawks to vote together (and the Mercantile faction too, but the hard part would be the Pacifist/Hawk thing).
We...actually don't know that anyone beyond the original four has gone to a post-money economy. (I mean, even during the TOS era there were a number of references to money, and that wasn't that long ago.)
I'm actually fine with this. I've already called for consolidation anyway, and we've been cooling down and turning towards building ourselves up for a year or two already.
As far as the pacifist go... I'd only be worried about them shuttering the Orion intervention, except we thought ahead and brought them aboard. We've actually got the strongest faction in our corner there! It'll almost certainly reduce bad PR in the Orion Union as our most powerful faction becomes the one least likely to take any tricksy moves.
Blood Sacrifice The Syndicate has always been a danger. But how far will the Federation go to fight it?
By Ayanna Zenavik
Four years ago, a vessel warped into the Yvresse system. It took all precautions to maintain secrecy, arriving under low warp, restricting active sensor scans, and dampening all transmissions. The plan was to assault an outpost in the system, using a daring raid by shuttle.
Fifteen minutes later, the vessel struck an antimatter mine, placed there by the crafty planners who had built the outpost. Soon, attack vessels arrived. Hundreds on the stricken vessel died, including the executive officer, her Captain captured and sold to the highest bidder.
The name of the vessel was USS Courageous, and for their navigational blunder, Celos has paid in blood. And this is only the beginning.
***
The story, of course, begins slightly before that. In the years before the Courageous Disaster the Syndicate had been more active than usual, with several instances of piracy or slaving stopped only by quick intervention of Starfleet crews. The increased tempo of Syndicate operations is difficult to pin down, coinciding with the sweeping majority granted to Congress, and difficulty in determining if better patrolling simply revealed what was always there or if the Syndicate did ramp up operations. At some point, however, the Cardassians had been using the Syndicate as part of their covert war with the Federation, and the Syndicate would be used in a much more dramatic fashion. The Amarki ratification was attacked by a Syndicate vessel, reportedly crewed by Cardassians, which threatened the lives of the Ambassadors until the Enterprise intervened. Despite this assault, the mitigating and lingering problem of the Cardassian presence meant the Federation did not feel pressed to take action. The ill-armed vessels of the Syndicate proved no match against the Federation, and incidents involving the Syndicate generally turned well for their public image and for the long term goal of building relations with those the Syndicate preyed on.
This all changed when the Courageous struck an antimatter mine on a black operation. Suddenly, one of the Federation's most popular officers was dead, along with hundreds of others. The outpost was quickly raided and destroyed, the Federation's bloodthirsty Amarki playing an important role in the slaughter. The government of Ventil Oyana, meanwhile, viewed the sudden public outrage as the perfect opportunity to forge closer ties with the Federation, publically opening the door to Federation assistance in bringing the Syndicate to heel. Admiral Vitalia Kahurangi immediately dismissed the intelligence Admiral responsible for the operations at the behest of the Expansionist faction as a show of deference. But at the same time she sent in Vice Admiral Valentina Sousa to push her own agenda, teaming up with the Expansionist faction to bring in a host of security measures in an effort to quell the gaping, bleeding wound felt by those in Starfleet at the loss of one of their own.
***
Hayley Singh and I are in Paris. She's drinking coffee from a large disposable cup, her blond ponytail occasionally waving in the sunlight as she speaks. Her personality comes across as friendly and open, but that is the feeling one gets from most politicians. She becomes much more guarded when I press her on details of the Anti-Slavery Act of 2309, a bill she co-sponsored.
"It was, and is, necessary," she says. Behind her I can see one of her aides tapping on a PADD, possibly to look up her previous statements for consistency and feed them to her, "It was more than the Courageous. The Syndicate had been growing as a threat before that."
"Mostly after they paired up with the Cardassians," I say.
Hayley's smile is as placid as before, but now I can see the corners of her mouth turn down slightly, "Okay, but Ayanna, you can't just pass it off on the Cardassians." The ponytail swings side-to-side, "Certainly the alliance with the Cardassians brought them profit, but you can't prove they actually were behind the increased tempo." She shrugs slightly, "And if you could, then is it so bad we countered an avenue of attack?"
I think, then, of gunfire in the halls of the Government tower, of a bomb that nearly kills a president, of men without wives and children left to duck disruptor fire on the way to school. I think now of the burned ruins of Celos.
I decide to press her: "The Anti-Slavery act authorized massive surveillance of our ships, the ability to fire on vessels if they fled for any reasons…"
"Authorizations your government lifted from its own draft legislation…"
"...And lead to the wholesale purge of our security forces, and free reign given to Federation black operations teams to raid and harass targets as they saw fit. Women and men with years of service turned away at the slightest suspicion of Syndicate ties. Grey-suited troopers kicking in doors. Why on our planets and not…" I gesture to the milling crowds alongside the Seine, "Here?"
Hayley's frown is more obvious now, "I think you might be exaggerating the impact of Federation forces."
Perhaps I am. Certainly it is true much of the operations carried out on Celos and other worlds have been our own forces, police and soldiers supposed to protect us turned to bloody killers. I wonder how much of it is incompetence and poor control due to the forced retirement or arrest of senior officers for minor offenses. I wonder how much of it is the Federation prodding them to go where they won't.
Elsewhere, the Caitian war machine makes peace under immense pressure from the Federation, as the Syndicate begins to strike back. A few small raids are easily repulsed, and an attempted hijacking of the USS S'harien is thwarted by Starfleet officers on an inspection tour, a major disaster averted. It seems things are going well for the Federation, the breezy confidence of its Council and Starfleet in its ability to easily roll up the Syndicate confirmed.
The Syndicate scuttles this feeling as they use the opening granted by Caitian ratification to launch a bold operation, that ends with one Councilor dead and two others wounded, stopped only at the last second by a Starfleet officer. Valentina Sousa is soon in Paris once more, rallying more support for increased operations, even as the Syndicate makes it clear that more interference will mean more blood. Shrewdly reading the mood, she forges a partnership with the Pacifist faction, to the surprise of many. But it is a wise move, undercutting accusations from the free press of militarization and neutering Starfleet's more capable critics by bringing them into the mix. The resulting bill is diplomatic enough to pacify some members of the public, while containing important provisions for the deployment of further ground forces onto Orion planets and increased surveillance.
And so, barely drawn down from their deployment against the Daiwar, the Caitian Frontier police are sent in to enforce the will of Starfleet, under President Oyana's watch. Caitain troopers fill the street to 'Go Forth And Keep The Peace', and the idea of surveillance soon extends to the mind as the Rixx Scrutineers join the hunt. After decades of territorial integrity, now foreign boots are fully on the ground.
***
"It is, in some ways, an occupation without a shot fired." Those are the words of Golq Motarr, a congressman for Truth and Prosperity. He's the atypical face of the new TuP, a young man with shoulder-length hair, sparkling purple eyes, and an easy grin. He's among the favorite to win TuP's presidential primaries later in the year, and with the atrocities on Celos, the presidency itself.
"Here we are, a people who've thrown off the invisible shackles of anarchy and corporatism to own our freedom, and what have we done? Without even a meep of protest, allowed the Federation and its member states to do whatever they want, when they want." He shakes his head, "And their Admirals push so hard, Congress make mistakes. They don't get the right people in place, they launch hasty offensives in an attempt to impress their benefactors in the Federation. And I think the people are getting pretty sick of it."
Motarr, I suspect, is trying to say he's sick of it. His younger sister, a bright-eyed young officer, was killed in crossfire on Alukk as her unit was ambushed. Her picture hangs on the wall behind him, looming.
"But the Syndicate needed to be curtailed," I said, "They've undermined the Union government…"
"Exactly. Exactly. The Union government." Motarr shakes his head, "The Federation wasn't really being undermined by the Syndicate. Not until they provoked them. We were dealing with the problem. Or we were, until the Oyana administration."
I see he can't avoid a partisan aside, but I brush it off, "But then you agree something must be done."
"You shouldn't listen to Sierre's unpatriotic speech, Ms. Zenavik." He says, "Despite her repeated insinuations, TuP is not the party of Syndicate Surrender. We merely believe in carefully assessing our options before we act, which we try to do with minimal disruption to day-to-day life."
"So what would you have done?"
"We would have welcomed a partnership with the Federation to that end to curtail the Syndicate." He lets out a weary sigh, "But the Government didn't want to do that. Instead of a partnership they eagerly signed everything away. It's a bad deal for the Union and for the average citizen." He jabs a hand emphasizing his point, "We need in-Union solutions to in-Union problems. We need the Federation to back off. And we need a government that doesn't get the details wrong because they are falling over themselves to fulfill the agenda of bureaucrats in Paris. We need to stop pretending that Oyana doesn't know what she's doing -- she knows exactly what she's doing. She's trying to make Federation membership seem inevitable. And maybe it is, I won't rule that out. But I'm not going to do it while we're occupied."
***
I think about rushed operations as I walk through the rubble of a street on Celos. I'm in the city of Ferini The air is heavy with the smell of ozone, and the scent of death by disruptor clings to the concrete of what remains of the buildings. Picking absently through the rubble, I find a discarded boot -- nothing so gory as a foot inside, just simply tossed aside. I wonder about the police trooper who wore it. Had it grown hot and he took it off? Did he die because he didn't have it? Propped up in the corner is the half-melted tube of a disposable antiproton launcher. I glance out the window and see the burned wreck of a Security Services MRAP. Maybe the boot didn't belong to a trooper at all.
I'm joined on this somber tour by Asen Lessam. He's a small business owner, a shrewd and feisty man with close-cropped red hair. He looks out over the ruined street. I watch his eyes pass over the burned out buildings, hesitating on one, passing it over, and then coming back in disbelief. He walks over and I follow, and he stands there in front of a building, metal warped and concrete half-melted from disruptor fire.
"This was it," he says, booming voice dropped to a whisper, "This was my everything."
The building that used to be the Blue-Eyed Bandit is unrecognizable now, the table that hosted hundreds of patrons and the bar that was the backdrop to thousands of blooming young romances nothing more than another casualty of war. He walks through the rubble, stopping to pick up a picture frame. Whatever it held is gone, and it has melted out of shape. Still, Lessam carefully sets it aside.
"I can't believe it." He says, "I can't believe it."
I inquire if he has insurance, mention that he could rebuild. But he shakes his head.
"A place like the Bandit -- it's more than the… stuff." He said, "Those walls had seen so much. There was one that always smelled like roses after some scientist accidentally dropped her latest experiment. Those pictures… all the patrons that came through… all gone. We made 'em on one-time flash media. That's a decade of memories right there gone."
He looks over the burned-out walls, "I could rebuild, but it just wouldn't be the same."
Across Celos, thousands are living the exact same nightmare as Lessam -- homes and businesses consumed by a war disguised as a police action. On Alukk the windows of the Presidential Tower rattle with the distant detonation of a ruby-red explosion. In Paris, Hayley Singh and her councilors sip tea and gaze out over the peaceful, but muddy waters of the Seine.
The consequences of the Federation's revenge for the Courageous are more clear, however. Already Celos has paid the price, for a few hundred lives, thousands of Orions bleeding sacrificial blood to the Starfleet monster. For now, all we can do is bury the dead.
I have to say I am not the biggest fan of this scene - it feels a bit too much like a stereotypical rom-com to me and nearly all of characters really act and sound like 20 somethings which clashes a bit with their actual age and positions. I also felt a bit strange by how relaxed they all were, considering that the people getting elected are the ones setting Starfleet policy I would have expected a bit more personal investment/involvement from the top brass of the Starfleet. I think it would have worked better if you had made this a story about a few (low ranked) Starfleet officer coming together instead of the full brass since that is what it feels like to me.
I'll admit I was trying to show a more relaxed/civilian side to the senior officers and give them a bit of exposure that way. Guess it didn't work quite as I had hoped.
The Romulans must have a collective freak out every election, because of the specter of the whole Federation exploding into violence; dragging them and the Klingons in unprepared. (Their own elections, of course, always have the right people and families win. More stable that way)
The peaceful transfer of power in a FULLY Democratic system must give them migraines. (The Romulan Star Empire could probably be best described as an Authoritarian Illiberal Ethnic Democracy)
I'll admit I was trying to show a more relaxed/civilian side to the senior officers and give them a bit of exposure that way. Guess it didn't work quite as I had hoped.
The Romulans must have a collective freak out every election, because of the specter of the whole Federation exploding into violence dragging them and the Klingons in unprepared. (Their own elections, of course, always have the right people and families win. More stable that way)
The peaceful transfer of power in a FULLY Democratic system must give them migraines. (The Romulan Star Empire could probably be best described as an Authoritarian Illiberal Ethnic Democracy)
I have to say I am not the biggest fan of this scene - it feels a bit too much like a stereotypical rom-com to me and nearly all of characters really act and sound like 20 somethings which clashes a bit with their actual age and positions. I also felt a bit strange by how relaxed they all were, considering that the people getting elected are the ones setting Starfleet policy I would have expected a bit more personal investment/involvement from the top brass of the Starfleet. I think it would have worked better if you had made this a story about a few (low ranked) Starfleet officer coming together instead of the full brass since that is what it feels like to me.
I think what it's missing is high-level political operators like the Admirals -- because at that position, merit or not, you basically are a politician -- not having favorites and worrying about them. But that's probably because so many councilors are basically faceless.
Agreed. I absolutely think that Sousa has the political chops to use Starfleet as a kingmaker of sorts to the factions. We picked the right woman for the times.
I think what it's missing is high-level political operators like the Admirals -- because at that position, merit or not, you basically are a politician -- not having favorites and worrying about them. But that's probably because so many councilors are basically faceless.
True, but they're also among friends. Might take the form of teasing, "Oh, such and such is going down in flames, I know Sulu liked her."
I mean obviously Sousa isn't going to go into the streets and give a press conference where she screams "YOU ALMOST GOT RID OF SINGH?????? THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH Y'ALL?" ................ right?
edit: in any case I don't mind it, and I can't really judge the realism because I haven't yet had the chance to watch election night coverage in the company of the senior defense staff of my country
Agreed. I absolutely think that Sousa has the political chops to use Starfleet as a kingmaker of sorts to the factions. We picked the right woman for the times.
True, but they're also among friends. Might take the form of teasing, "Oh, such and such is going down in flames, I know Sulu liked her."
I mean obviously Sousa isn't going to go into the streets and give a press conference where she screams "YOU ALMOST GOT RID OF SINGH?????? THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH Y'ALL?" ................ right?
Klivvar Proxima, Development -> Hawks
Shrantet III, Expansionist -> Hawks
Joburg IV, Expansionist -> Development
Lalande, Expansionist -> Development
Hagelan, Expansionist -> Pacifist
Ord Grind Duk, Hawks -> Development
Andoria, Pacifist -> Development
So the Hawks actually gained a seat overall while the Pacifists broke even, yet we're talking as though the Pacifists won. In actuality, what it means is that the Council is simply more balanced between the factions. I count 38 votes overall, which means that the magic number is 20... 19 if the President is the tie-breaker. How can you get to 20 votes?
Pacifists + Development = 21... this is the most stable voting block and the only one that doesn't require three different factions.
Development + Hawks + Mercantile = 20... if Development decides they don't want to pair with the Pacifists on a vote, this is how they can get to 20.
Development + Expansionists + Hawks/Mercantile = 23/21... is unlikely but possible.
Pacifists + Expansionists + Mercantile = 22... If the Pacifists don't want to pair up with the Development, they can get the Expansionists on board along with Mecantile
Pacifists + Hawks + Mercantile/Expansionists = 21/24... is unlikely but possible.
Those combinations are the only way you get 20 or more. So what does this tell us?
1. You can't get a winning vote without either the Pacifists or with Development.
2. Because Development/Expansionists and Pacifists/Hawks represent opposed axis and are unlikely to cooperate, the Mercantile represents a critical swing vote for any vote where the Pacifists and Development are split.
3. The Hawks can only make a play as a junior partner for Mercantile and Development if they want to have influence. Despite having more seats than Mercantile, they can't credibly threaten to embrace the Pacifists like Mercantile can.
4. The same is true for Expansionists in reverse. They can only make a play to come in with the Pacifists and Mercantile, because they have nowhere else to go.
I wonder if the PP cost of various things will change, it should technically be cheaper to build a starbase now cause it's development, defense, and protecting trade routes and the like.
But really Rigel only joined late last year and only barely settled in. (Most importantly for our purposes, we haven't had a Snakepit with Rigel's Mercantile Councillors.) So under what we're familiar with there were only 34 votes, and the critical vote threshold was 18... 17 if you had the tie-breaker.
So under this the critical alliance was the Expansionists and the Pacifists, with Development able to step in and provide enough votes for the Pacifists if they disagreed with the Expansionists No one needed the Hawks for anything, as any two of the other factions could scrape up enough votes without them.
Thus, what is the actual political change here?
1. We go from "Peaceful Expansion" to "Peaceful Development" as the overriding political philosophy.
2. However the Pacifists have arguably lost power because there's now a viable political alliance (Development + Hawks + Mercantile) that does not include them. This was previously nearly impossible, because Development and Expansionists were opposed on the same axis and would rarely team up.
3. That same viable alliance gives the Hawks an opportunity.
So the major question is what issues would cause the Pacifists and the Development faction to split?
1. Expansionist sympathies on the part of the Pacifists is likely one cause. They have had a lot of success with peaceful Expansion.
2. Hawkish tendencies on the part of Development is another. They want to build up defenses.
3. This leaves "What does Mercantile actually want?" as a key question. Do they favor expansion to new markets, or are they worried about keeping internal trade routes safe?
Which means all eyes are on the Rigellians.
I really ought to turn this into an actual FBS Broadcast omake.
I'm less worried about the Syndicates resilience, and more concerned about the Orion Unions feelings on the take down so far, bout on a civilian level and the political level.
