The Commandant of Starfleet Academy, Rear Admiral Certunn Guk, has been around so long he has effectively become part of the furniture. Over a decade in the seat, he had possessed an uncanny knack for avoiding the attention of old father time. But with yet another class of bright eyed cadets graduating into Ensigns, it had come time to make his own graduation into private life and retirement.
When you arrive at the Academy for the steering committee meeting, you take the time to meet with Rear Admiral Guk in private, and thank him for his dedication and service. He plans to return to his native Miracht and form an education advocacy group to help push additional policies that a decade and change of leading the Academy has taught him. First, however, there is a very relaxing landship cruise awaiting him.
===
Current Personnel Pool:
Standard Starfleet: 9.75 Officer, 18.8 Enlisted, 32.2 Techs
Explorer Corps: 5.5 Officer, 6.7 Enlisted, 5.9 Techs
Starfleet Academy:
Officers (O): 18.10pts (+4.00 Explorer Corps)
Enlisted Crew (E): 22.40pts (+3.45 Explorer Corps)
Science Techs (T): 23.25pts (+3.20 Explorer Corps)
(Emphasising one type will transfer 0.5 from both of the other types to the type you choose)
[ ][ACADEMY] No Change
[ ][ACADEMY] Emphasise Officers
[ ][ACADEMY] Emphasise Enlisted
[ ][ACADEMY] Emphasise Techs
[ ][ACADEMY] Custom - Shift up to 1 pt any Crew type
[ ][EXPLORER] No Change
[ ][EXPLORER] Custom - Shift up to .25 to any Crew type
I have the list of billets that are being redeployed and reassigned.
[ ][EC] Commander, Explorer Corps (Vice Admiral)
[ ][GBZ] Commander, Gabriel Border Zone (Rear Admiral)
[ ][GBZ1] Commander, Task Force 1, GBZ (Commodore)
[ ][ACA] Commandant, Starfleet Academy (Rear Admiral)
Bonuses will be discovered after appointment
-
Additional Starfleet Academy Candidates:
Commodore Alanyth th'Kaeller
Andorian Thaan, 52
Current Posting: Director, Starfleet Academy Diplomatic School
Commodore T'Priat
Vulcan Female, 54
Current Posting: Director, Starfleet Academy Tactical School
[X][ACA] Michel Thuir
[X][GBZ] Nash ka'Sharren
[X][EC] Rachel Ainsworth
[X][GBZ1] Rosalee McAdams
[X][ACADEMY] Shift 1pt from Techs to Enlisted
[X][EXPLORER] Shift 0.25 from Techs to Enlisted
Starfleet Personnel - Promotions Board
2317.Q4
Highlighted Officer's Summary
Promoted to Chief Petty Officer
Layiil - Assigned to Security, USS Opporunity
Promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer
Sallek - Assigned to Office 24, Starfleet Intelligence
Commissioned as Ensign
None
Promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade
Orgot - Assigned to Junior Officer, USS Challorn
Promoted to Lieutenant
Zwicky - Assigned to Junior Officer, USS Bull
Ratray Aronn - Assigned to Junior Officer, USS Sappho
Dash sh'Rinboq - Assigned to Gamma Shift Helm, USS Spirit
Shayla Fluttrax - Assigned to 40 Eridani A Design Team, Ship Design Bureau
Jacquelin Appel - Assigned to Junior Officer, USS Spirit
Mitchie Peh - Assigned to Junior Officer, USS Opportunity
T'Wilit - Promoted to Alpha Shift Sensor Officer, USS Sappho
Promoted to Lieutenant-Commander
Tiberius Kahurangi - Assigned to Officer, USS Tarrak
Omirri - Assigned to Lecturer, Starfleet Academy Astrosciences School
Unid Okeg - Assigned to Security, USS Winterwind
Liacross - Assigned to Chief of Security, USS Atuin
Promoted to Commander
Lafriebh - Assigned to Chief Engineer, USS S'harien
Othar Yelea - Assigned to Chief Engineering Officer, Mission Control, Starfleet Explorer Corps
Robert Yang - Assigned to CMO, USS Opportunity
Hugo Church - Assigned to XO, USS Epiphany
Olanev Panora - Assigned to CMO, USS Atuin
Khiwuolo - Assigned to Chief Tactical Officer, USS Atuin
Vinon - Assigned to Chief Engineer, USS Rru'adorr
Promoted to Captain
Charity Yancey - Assigned to Captain, USS Hope
Krabad - Assigned to Deputy Director, Starfleet Science Academy
Promoted to Commodore
Langa Mbeki - Honorary
Min-Jee Lee - Assigned to Member World Coordination Divsion
Diego Zaardmani - Assigned to Chief, Field Research Division, Starfleet Explorer Corps
Promoted to Rear Admiral
Jessica Rivers - Assigned to Director, Operations Division, Starfleet Explorer Corps
Erzath zh'Darlyth - Assigned to Director, Support Division, Starfleet Explorer Corps
Thraan th'Marlaas - Assigned to Chief of Staff, Starfleet Shipyard Ops
Nash ka'Sharren - Assigned to Commander, Gabriel Border Zone
Promoted to Vice Admiral
Rachel Ainsworth - Assigned to Commander, Starfleet Explorer Corps
Commander Aaron Wolfe - Assigned to Lecturer, Starfleet Tactical School, Starfleet Academy
Captain Abigail Taggart - Assigned to Captain, USS Endurance
Captain Adele Chatsworth - Assigned to First Officer, Starbase 1
Captain Jeanette Devereaux - Assigned to Captain, USS Sojourner
Captain Shurg kap Klasch - Asssigned to Captain, USS Reason
Commodore Rosalee McAdams - Assigned to Commander, Task Force 1, Gabriel Border Zone from Apinae Task Force, Apinae Sector
Commodore Saavik - Assigned to Supervisor, Explorer Squadron 1, Starfleet Explorer Corps
Rear Admiral Michel Thuir - Assigned to Commandant, Starfleet Academy from Director, Starfleet Security Command, Starfleet Tactical Command
Rear Admiral Revak - Assigned to Deputy Chief of Staff, Starfleet Command from Commander, Vulcan Sector
Rear Admiral T'Lorel - Assigned to Director, Shipyard Support Command, Shipyard Operations
Changes to Explorer Panel of Captains
Out: Langa Mbeki
In:
Political Rewards
25pp, 10rp from OrionRatification
-
USS Courageous
----
+5pp
+10rp
+20br
+10 relations with Honiani
Reduced Horizon influence
Gain colony option, Tolinar VII, 5 rp/yr
USS Sarek
----
+20pp
+25sr
+25 with Laio
Saved Vulcan crew
Gain colony option, An Arai V, 10sr/yr
USS S'harien
----
+15pp
+10rp
+35br
USS Stargazer
----
All Federation Members and Affiliates gain +10sr/yr income
Current whereabouts unknown
USS Odyssey
----
+25pp
+10rp
Negotiate effective end to conflict in Caldonia
Orion Shipyard Issues resolved
USS Atuin
----
+15pp
+50 relations with Lamarck
Fiiral buy-in to Federation increased
Heavily reduced Hishmeri Septs raid chance
Advanced Lamarck political development
USS Voshov
----
+5 relations with Sydraxians
Neutralise Cardassian influence in Sydraxian space
Cripple Obsidian Order Assets
Safely delivered Starfleet Intel package to Sydraxian Space
Sydraxian Cruiser Sdranach Incident
USS Tarrak
----
+25pp
+10rp
Gain +10 with Sydraxians
Obsidian Asset destroyed
New colony option: 2 Curacao VII - 20 (25) sr/yr
Other Ships
----
USS Avandar - +20pp, +15rp, +25 with Yan-Ros, Tauni, +50 with Honiani, reduced Horizon influence in Rigel, stalling Horizon influence in Rigel, Liberator identified
USS Blizzard -
USS Bull - +15pp, +5rp, Qloathi readiness improved
USS Calypso -
USS Challorn - +30sr
USS Cheron - +25pp, +10rp, +40 with Sydraxians, gain Ranger Team 37, Padani envoys delivered to Earth, Sydaxian embassy established
USS Cloudburst -
USS Defiant -
USS Docana - +15pp, +30sr, new MWCO options
USS Dryad -
USS Eketha -
USS Endurance - +5pp, +10rp, +20sr
USS Excelsior -
USS Gale -
USS Hawking -
USS Hood -
USS Huascar -
USS Inspire -
USS Kearsage - +35br, new colony option, Fornost VII-19 40 (45) br / yr
USS Korolev - +5pp, +15sr
USS Lightning -
USS Pathfinder - +20pp, +25sr, +25 with Laio
USS Pleezirra - +20rp
USS Reason - +15pp, +25 with the Ashidi
USS Renaissance -
USS Rru'adorr - +10rp
USS Salnas - +10pp, avoid conflict escalation
USS Sappho -
USS Selaya -
USS Sojourner -
USS Stalwart -
USS Suvek -
USS Thirishar - +10pp, free war update report
USS Thunderhead -
USS T'Mir - +5pp, +10rp
USS Torbriel - +10rp
USS Typhoon - +10pp, +20sr
USS Valiant - +5pp, +5rp
USS Vigour -
USS Winterwind - +10pp, Orion readiness improved
USS Yukikaze - +5pp, +25 with Ashidi
USS Zephyr - +10pp, +10sr
Ships Lost
None
Ships Damaged
None
Ships Scrapped
None
Ships Laid Down
Excelsior-A, NCC-2027
Excelsior-A, NCC-2028
Constellation-A, NCC-1826
Constellation-A, NCC-1827
Renaissance, NCC-2620
Renaissance, NCC-2621
Renaissance, NCC-2622
Renaissance, NCC-2623
Refit - USS Excelsior, Excelsior-A, NCC-2000
Refit - USS Kumari, Excelsior-A, NCC-2005
Refit - USS Kearsage, Constellation-A, NCC-1811
Refit - USS Vigour , Constellation-A, NCC-1804
Refit - USS Dryad, Miranda-A, NCC-1631
Refit - USS Calypso, Miranda-A, NCC-1632
The launch of the new USS Comfort, name-class of the next generation of Hospital Ships, is an occasion that draws in the best and brightest of Starfleet Medical, Shipyard Operations, and the Design Bureau. You enjoy catching up with your old shipmate, Rear Admiral McCoy, who taunts you mercilessly about how much the Admiral's starburst rank pin must weigh. A beautiful ship, based off of the Renaissance hull-form, she has a grace and nimbleness that puts her older sisters to shame. You get the guided tour of course. Ward after ward of state of the art medical facilities, a general hospital sailing through the void, able to provide all the medical support needed to minor colonies, as well as disaster support.
Councillor Stesk is present and though he doesn't smile, you have been around Vulcans enough to pick up on the glow of affirmation coming off of him.
As per Starfleet Regulations IV-12 (a) and United Federation of Planets Edict, as Superintendent of this Shipyard Berth, I herein certify that the project under my command, the construction of the USS Comfort (Comfort-class Hospital Ship, Fleet Order NCC-3501) is complete, assessed, and ready to be presented to the Fleet Register.
Sincerely,
Commander Irnoor Afriebh
Ships Commissioned:
Starfleet Hospital Ship, NCC-3501
Refits Completed:
USS Excelsior, Excelsior-A, NCC-2000
USS Dryad, Miranda-A, NCC-1631
USS Calypso, Miranda-A, NCC-1632
==========================
[ ][BUILD] Submit a Build Plan
To make a plan, pick a ship you would like to build and put it in one of the available berths that can handle the mass. All ships have a price in materials and time that are noted in the square brackets after the word "Cost". You can now build Excelsiors in any of the large berths at San Francisco, 40 Eridani A, Ana Font, Utopia Planitia, Intazzi, or Lor'Vela shipyards, while the small berths can make all of the others.
The amount of resources you have right now are listed below, as are the classes you can make, and the shipyards you have available.
-
Up to 2 Cargo Ships may be scheduled for 2yr builds for free, with each additional costing 5pp
Up to 1 Freighter may be scheduled for 3yr builds for free, with each additional costing 5pp
Up to 1 concurrent Super-freighter may be scheduled for 4yr builds for free, with each additional costing 10pp (you have 1 underway)
Up to 3 concurrent Hospital Ships may be scheduled for 3yr for free, with each additional costing 5pp
Active Starfleet Shipyards
San Francisco Fleet Yards - one (1) large 3mt Berth, two (2) small 1mt Berths
40 Eridani A Shipyards [Vulcan] - two (2) large 3mt Berths, two (2) small 1mt Berths
Ana Font Shipyard [Tellar] - one (1) large 2.5mt Berth, one (1) small 1mt Berth
Lor'Vela Orbital Construction Facility [Andor] - one (1) large 2.5mt Berth, one (1) small 1mt Berth
Utopia Planitia Shipyard - four (3) large 3mt Berths, four (3) small 1mt Berths
Oreasa Starfleet Yards - two (2) small 1mt Berth
Intazzi Shipyard - one (1) large 3mt Berth, one (1) small 1mt Berth
Current Resource Stockpile
1458 Bulk Resources
993 Special Resources
458 Political Will
381 Research Points
Current Personnel Pool
Standard Starfleet: 18.75 Officer, 28.8 Enlisted, 40.2 Techs
Explorer Corps: 11.5 Officer, 11.7 Enlisted, 10.9 Techs
ETC = Estimated Time of Commissioning. The bays are clear and new ships can be created as of this date. Crews are deducted 1 Year before Commissioning date to begin specific training and shakedown work.
Assignments
None
Available Non-obsolete Ship Classes Explorers/Cruisers Excelsior 2287-Now [511m, 2.3m t]
The productivity among the member and affiliate fleets has been very strong recently. Most notably, the Qloathi effectively cleared their shipyards, launching their next-generation capital ship, a third Torqui Leb Lagan capital, plus another cruiser and a frigate. Other notables include the Honiani, who launched a number of starships, including a mighty Basilica. In upcoming production, the Seyek Space Forces have selected initial crews for a new Battleship, set to launch next year. Other capitals a year from completion include the Gaeni Tech-Explorer, the first of its kind, and an Orion Union Embpor Orbitals Exploratory Battleship - or Orion Explorer as it is more commonly known.
The Amarkians and Apiata are setting on large warchests, funded in part by their adventures in the Gabriel Expanse, and fleet-watchers within the Federation have been polling the official news sites of those fleets waiting for the Build Order announcements.
UP Berth A (3mt) – Berth free 2318.Q2. Commence construction of an Excelsior-A using 'parallel construction' industrial park bonus and 1qt off build time from Admiral Sirvk bonus. (ETC 2321.Q1)
UP Berth B (3mt) – Occupied with Ambassador prototype as dual build using Chen's bonus. (ETC 2321.Q4)
UP Berth C (3mt) – Berth free 2318.Q2. Commence construction of an Excelsior-A using 'parallel construction' industrial park bonus and 1qt off build time from Admiral Sirvk bonus. (ETC 2321.Q1)
UP Berth D (3mt) – Occupied with Ambassador prototype as dual build using Chen's bonus. (ETC 2321.Q4)
UP Berth E (3mt) – Berth available 2318.Q2. Commence Hospital Ship, in 2318.Q2 (ETC 2321.Q2)
UP Berth a (2mt) – Berth available 2318.Q4. Leave open.
UP Berth 1 (1mt) – Building Renaissance using 'parallel construction' industrial park bonus. (ETC 2319.Q2)
UP Berth 2 (1mt) - Building Renaissance using 'parallel construction' industrial park bonus. (ETC 2319.Q2)
UP Berth 3 (1mt) - Building Renaissance using 'parallel construction' industrial park bonus. (ETC 2319.Q2)
UP Berth 4 (1mt) – Building Renaissance using 'parallel construction' industrial park bonus. (ETC 2319.Q2)
UP Berth 5 (1mt) – Berth available 2318.Q2. Begin refit of Selaya (ETC 2319.Q2)
Member World Coordination Office Report
Admiral,
A relatively quiet year for the Member World Coordination Office, as most of the fleets are continuing on existing agenda, or otherwise quiet after their crew stocks were invested in the completion of multiple Renaissance-class cruisers.
Most notable are the sweeping changes being instituted with the Amarkians, where a long-standing project to refit the two-decade old Riala-class battlecruisers has come to fruition. In addition, a pair of upgrade packages are also being deployed to Brieca and Calac class frigates, aimed to give them an extra decade of relevance to buy time for the next generation frigate program to bear fruit.
End Report
The research project into synthesising key EPS components has completed successfully. With this component now becoming plentiful, a key bottleneck in several fleets has been removed, expanding potential shipbuilding.
[Per Year Increases - UESPA +10sr, TSF +10sr, VHC +5sr, BDF +5sr, Gaeni +5sr]
[ ][PRIORITY] Pick One Member World Priority to change
[ ][PRIORITY] Change nothing [Weighted 1.5x]
Suggested possible priorities can be things such as:
Focus on building a particular ship type/class
Focus on more cargo shipping
Focus on increasing resources/recruitment
Set a target for Combat or Defence
Start designing a new ship
Prepare a refit of a ship
Interest in the GBZ * Set to something from the War Readiness Reports
The Magen Chalel, the fleet of the Ked Paddah, are planning to retire quartet of last generation battleships now that the war with the Arcadian Empire is over. However, they are willing to trade with some of the Federation affiliates - if the Federation is willing to vouchsafe for their suitability - for non-starship materials. This would provide a number of fleets that would under normal circumstances be unable to design or build such a ship a chance at having a potent flagship.
[ ][KP] Split the four ships up
(Each ship assigned will require 8pp to facilitate the transfer, ships left over will be scrapped - there is no need to distribute all ships - Starfleet cannot take them)
Starfleet Medical Command recently brought up in meetings of the Chiefs of Staff that they want to develop extensive medical facilities on Leas Akaam and Celos, where they will serve as major casualty receiving hubs in the event of a war with the Cardassians. Their modelling shows that it is likely that their system of casualty management will net a ten percent reduction in fatalities and medical discharges on a yearly basis during war time.
[ ][MEDICAL] Make the arrangements (30pp)
[ ][MEDICAL] This is not the time (will be added to future Snakepits)
The Orion Union has a modest fleet, consisting mainly of light frigates, with a quartet of cruisers and trio of heavy frigates to provide the spine. However, though their individual ships are acceptable, their crews and command structure are anything but. Considerable work needs to be taken to help pick them up from the post-Syndicate purges and remould them into a proper spacegoing fleet.
[ ][ORION] Arrange for promising Orion officers to spend a year attending Starfleet Academy
[ ][ORION] Exchange executive officers - two Commanders will be picked to exchange with the Orions
With their focus on the Gabriel Expanse and infilling towards the Amarkians, the Apiata have slackened on the use of Foragers in the Adrazzi Gulf. It would be a good idea to exert some influence with them to start finding defensible systems there.
[ ][BEE] Push (8pp)
[ ][BEE] No
In the event of a Cardassian War, Lapycorias is likely to become a ferocious frontline. To best enable that front to be supported, repair infrastructure will be important. If the Indorians can be persuaded to invest, it will benefit the Federation as a whole.
[ ][INDORREP] Support the Indorians (15pp)
[ ][INDORREP] Don't push
The Indorians have been working on preparing for fleet refits for several years now and, especially with the experience of building Renaissances, they are ready to start rolling out new refit packages. However, they are taking on suggestions at the moment as to what they should focus on first.
[ ][INDORFIT] Refit the Frigates
[ ][INDORFIT] Refit the Cruisers
-
After a conference of Member World fleet commanders held at Selindra, a number of older ship models are being retired from fleets. These include:
As a side note, Admiral, the Gaeni Tech-Cruisers are to be turned over to Starfleet engineers for safe decommissioning of their powerplants, which I have on good authority are "contraptions from the stygian depths of nightmare." I suspect I won't need to give many guesses on who was responsible for that assessment.
[x][BEE] Push (8pp)
[X][ORION] Arrange for promising Orion officers to spend a year attending Starfleet Academy
[x][INDORREP] Support the Indorians (15pp)
[x][INDORFIT] Refit the Frigates
[x][MEDICAL] This is not the time (will be added to future Snakepits)
[X][KP] Split the four ships up - (8pp) Indoria (8pp) Tauni (8pp) Tauni (8pp) Laio
Rear Admiral Michel Thuir, Commandant of Starfleet Academy, +5% to Standard Enlisted and +10% to Explorer Corps Enlisted intake (via increased survivability)
Vice Admiral Ainsworth, Commander of Starfleet Explorer Corps, 1 re-roll per year
2318.Q1
From: Vice Admiral Rachel Ainsworth, Commander, Starfleet Explorer Corps
To: Admiral Hikaru Sulu, Starfleet, Commanding
Subject: Explorer Corps Panel of Captains
Hello Admiral,
I appreciate your continued faith in my services leading the Explorer Corps.
The USS Odyssey is going into refit after completion of their Five Year Mission, so we will not be deploying them yet. However, next quarter, we will be launching USS Opportunity, the Explorer Corps half of its pair with USS Spirit. We have lost a few officers off of our Panel of Captains due to promotions.
One officer I'll especially miss, for all we seemed to be at loggerheads during our political debates, is Commodore Mbeki. We gave him a rousing send off when he hopped a quick visit on the USS Challorn to return to Earth for his retirement. I am confident that he will do very well in his political career - in fact, he mentioned to me that he may even be able to nominate for the Council in the upcoming old four elections if he decides on his leanings quickly. I think he will go pacifist myself. I may even vote for him if I get the chance.
Captain Jeanette Devereaux
Human Female, 43
Current Assignment: Captain, USS Sojourner
A science division officer at heart, Captain Devereaux is in rare company among officers for protesting being assigned the brand-new Typhoon over the old Suvek. +1 S, +1 to First Contact missions
Captain Percival Amin
Human Male, 44
Current Assignment: Deputy Director, Mission Control Room, Starfleet Operations Command
A man with a surprising knack for finding himself in dangerous areas, but who learned much from Rear Admiral Uhura. One of the very few fluent non-Vulcan speakers of that language. +1 L, +1 to any internal diplomacy.
Captain Huth fop Makpol
Tellarite Male, 51
Current Assignment: First Officer, Starbase 4 [Tellar]
A man with experience on a Miranda, an Excelsior, and a Starbase. Gain +1 to Medium DC events.
Captain Shurg kap Klasch
Tellarite Female, 49
Current Assignment: USS Reason
Possesses a legendary devotion to her crew, keeping them safe no matter the odds. 50% chance of nullifying a crew casualty, +1 to any event involving medicine.
Captain Jennifer Zhang
Human Female, 40
Current Assignment: Captain, USS Challorn
A talented veteran of exploration who spent two years far afield with the Honiani. Re-roll any failed diplomacy roll, +1 P, +1 H
Captain Alexandria Kuznetsova, Starfleet Tactical, regards the tall glass pillar with curiosity. She tilts her head slightly to the side as she regards the image of a blue-skinned woman inside. The woman smiles gently back at her.
"Okay. What's your story again?" the Starfleet Captain asks at last.
"Hello Human! I am a Horizonian. We are artists, diplomats, and doctors. My people are blueskinned Humanoids with red eyes and dark hair. And we are traditionally known for our calm manner and artistic bent." the hologram says with a chipper tone and a smooth, practiced, voice.
Kuznetsova's head remains tilted as she watches the Horizonian. She can feel the presence radiating off of the virtual agent as the Starfleet officer wonders if the pillar is even necessary. This Hologram looks so much more natural and refined than even the latest Gaeni offerings.
The Horizonian continues, shifting into a male form of blue-skinned, red-eyed Humanoid, the voice shifting with the image to a polished, almost velvety, rumble, "My people are often considered the face of the Harmony. This is not surprising as it was our people who were the founders of the Harmony long ago."
Kuznetsova turns her attention to the Horizonian's clothing. She's all but certain that the clothes contain s some sort of wearable tech, and she thinks that she saw one of the blueskinned diplomats project a small hologram from her shirtsleeve earlier. At the very least Horizonian fashion involves heavy use of glasses and other individualized decorative technology.
The holo-Horizonian gives her a slight grin, "In fact, my people are named after our capital and homeworld, the world of Horizon, as we have sadly long forgotten the name of our ancestors that originally settled our world." The hologram shifts to an orbital image of a vibrantly blue-green world wreathed in white wisps. Around it dance thousands of pinpoints of light.
Alexandria considers that line carefully. It seemed impossible that a people could forget everything down to their species. And yet… the colonists of the failed Terra Nova expedition had forgotten they were Human to the point of hostility against the crew of Archer's Enterprise. Within a single generation even. The Horizonian claim was unlikely, yet plausible.
"We do know that our ancestors were natural artists with an interest in preserving the awesome beauty of their new colony." The matching image is of a verdant countryside that slowly morphs into an almost impressionist style painting as the camera slowly zooms out.
"Sadly some disaster befell these brave colonists and they fell into a time of conflict and despair. This period was ended when the first Singers arose to help knit the disparate and scattered survivors and their children into the peaceful union that would become the Harmony." a ring of highly simplified and stylized blue Humanoids hold hands as they encircle a Horizon that has changed into a similar simplified form.
From what Kuznetsova had gathered from the official first contact information this was centuries ago. The disaster happened in the same era that saw the destruction and ruin of so many other starfaring civilizations a millennium ago. Very plausible.
"With our society having rebuilt itself, we dedicated ourselves to peace, science, and art as we flung ourselves enthusiastically back into the stars." The hologram returns to an image of the planet from earlier, except that rapidly shrinks, the points of light flying away as it does so, the image becoming that of a massive area of space, stars in the thousands upon thousands surrounding the center spot where Horizon presumably still was.
The male Horizonian steps out from around a nebula into the middle of the starfield, a trail of stardust following in his wake, "But we have never forgotten what it was like to live in fear and need; so now we have dedicated ourselves to always being the first to help in whatever way we can whenever we are called on by our neighbours." The Horizonian woman returns, her own stars in tow, stopping to stand next to the male as both reach a helping hand down towards someone outside of the field of view.
The hologram seems to cycle back to the beginning, "In the modern Harmony, Horizonians are still the most populous species and form the backbone of the Harmony itself."
Kuznetsova tilts her head the other way as she wonders exactly how many Horizonians there are. A few Billion? Tens of billions? Trillions?!
"My people can be found in every profession and at every level of society. Speaker, Invector, and Singer, all count us amongst their ranks." More blue skinned humanoids, all in different dress and equipment, all smiling and waving at Kuznetsova.
The image returns to the original Horizonian woman again, "On behalf of my people, I would just like to say how much we are looking forward to entering into a fruitful and open exchange of art and ideas with your people"
Alexandria briefly starts as she feels a presence lurking over her shoulder, "Mmphwaht hweu" the presence begins, "Umf, watching?" says Anne Usha, swallowing, her cheeks briefly bulging out like those of a chipmunk.
"Cultural Introduction Kiosk" Alexandria says, gesturing to a row of glass pillars, each with a different species displayed in it. Many surrounded by curious watchers from the FDS or in Starfleet uniforms, "Basic introduction to the Harmony's member species."
"Neat!" says Anne, stuffing something else into her mouth, "Hey. Have you been to the buffet table yet?"
"I've been busy,"
"Wow! Neat!" Anne's eyes bulge in sudden amazement, as she catches sight of the advanced holograms, "Hey! Here. Have a chip!" she shoves her plate towards Kuznetsova, "Well they're not real potato chips, but like a sort of baked wood chip thing? But somehow good? Oh!" she holds out her other hand which has some sort of bowl filled with orange...paste, "Dip too! But the bowl is made out of the same sort of edible wood! It's so neat!"
Kuznetsova hesitates briefly, "I can get my own. Aren't you eating for two anyway?"
"For three!" Anne says happily, "This is my fourth dip bowl actually. Go ahead. Put some chips inside you!"
Kuznetsova holds out an arm perpendicular to her body and rotates it slightly, "Twisted my arm." She says as she relieves her friend of the plate and bowl.
"Listen. I'll find you again real quick." Usha turns around, "Lot more stuff I want to try!"
Kuznetsova makes an awkward half-wave as she tries to find a clear spot on her newly acquired plate to place the bowl, "How did she even manage this?" she mutters to herself as she weaves past an FDS woman excitedly chatting to an avianoid... man?
Speaking of which.
"Okay Tell me about your people?" she asks to a holographic bird man.
The hologram nods happily, "I am a Tseskiya! We Tseskiya are a mischievous, friendly, and quick-witted people. We are a black-plumed avianoid species who are always looking to trade, explore, and learn. And most of all; we love to have fun while doing so!"
He certainly is avianoid, thinks Kuznetsova to herself, the Tseskiya man is covered in black feathers and has a short, sharp beak of the same colour. Honestly, it looks to Kuznetsova as if the Tseskiya is a human-sized and shaped crow or raven. Well if corvids wore scattered tech and pouches on a harness under a red cloak anyway.
Another holo-world appears inside the glass pillar, this one mostly green and grey, with a small smattering of blue dotted across the surface and a ring of decent sized inland seas near the equator (though Kuznetsova has no idea how 'inland' works with such a ocean devoid world?) "Originating on the mountainous and river crossed world of Stickine, we Tseskiya built a prosperous and progressive Interstellar Republic built on honest trade, cunning thought, and lively political discourse." a row of presumably happy bird people now stand next to a broad river, as twinkling lights and soaring buildings come into view across the water.
"Sadly, our people were struck with a debilitating and deadly disease, called the Red Death, a crisis that was on the verge of destroying our people forever." the same row of Tseskiya as before, but decidedly less jolly and with red patches of almost fungus like material on their bodies poking out from under their cloaks.
"This is when our desperate calls for help to our various neighbours was answered by the Horizonians. They aided us with whatever we needed to survive and were even able to cure the Red Death within a few years of their arrival." Horizonians are now in streets thronged with Tseskiya, delivering food and medicine to a joyous crowd.
"In recognition to the links forged during the crisis our people joined the Harmony becoming the first new species admitted to the young Harmony of Horizon." A Tseskiya and Horizonian stand side by side, smiling and waving at a mostly unimpressed Kuznetsova.
"In the modern Harmony we Tseskiya make up the backbone of the Harmony's commercial and financial culture and are the first to trade with our new neighbours. Many of our people are found among the ranks of the Speakers or Invectors as we use our education and instincts to enrich and defend the Harmony."
Invectors. Alexandria thinks that's the Harmony's term for a member of the military. Though it could just be a generic term like "Soldier", or "Peacekeeper", or "Warrior". Or maybe some sort of formal slang? It's been hard to parse exactly what it means.
"Our natural avian instincts also make us natural spacefarers and my cousins are often found amongst the crews of Peacekeeper and Science Directorate ships."
That does seem true. Harmony crews didn't seem like they were segregated by species, several Tseskiya (and others) being part of the crew recovered by Courageous from the wreck of the "HSDV Ameela zee Vesoley"
That ship, identified as having belonged to the "Science Directorate" had been destroyed by Courageous. And possessing only a single plasma beam emplacement it certainly didn't seem like something that had been designed to be a proper warship.
Which does indicate that maybe the Captain was an irrational actor like the Harmony's Ambassador, "Singer" Leera vee Alona, claimed.
Once again, the Harmony's official story is plausible, but unlikely.
"On behalf of my people I would just like to say how much we look forward to trading and making friends with you"
And indeed there were a few Tseskiya as members of the Harmony's diplomatic mission in Sol.
Horizon certainly wasn't acting like a secretive totalitarian regime like some of the evidence could be read.
They certainly wouldn't have made an open invitation to members of the Federation's political class, the Diplomatic service, and to Starfleet itself to attend an open house celebrating the opening of Horizon's new embassy in Paris.
No totalitarian power interested in good relations with their neighbours would ever do that!
It certainly was plausible that the Harmony was merely a misunderstood but ultimately friendly neighbouring great power.
Something in Kuznetsova's gut told her otherwise however. Of course she was also the woman who still received some mockery for then-Ensign Kuznetsova's enthusiastic proposal of the Augmented Cat conspiracy that perhaps ruled Humanity.
...Or her well researched thesis that the Licori war was a carefully orchestrated trap put together by a superior social sciences mentat. A comprehensive and well supported theory that was not… fully…. borne out in reality.
There is still hope for her civilization of changelings living deep in the Delta quadrant however.
Alexandria moves on, stepping past a crowd of mixed FDS people and Harmony diplomats, coming up to the next Holopillar in the sequence, "Hello. Give me your talk" she says to the virtual agent inside as she picks out a particularly crunchy looking chip to stuff into her face.
He looks uncannily like an albino Klingon, in much the same manner that an Orion looked like a green Human, "I am of the Lintrids. We are an industrious, orderly people. You might recognize us by our pale skin and plated skulls, but more likely you will know us by the ornate masks that we traditionally wear in public." he reaches out of frame and produces an elaborately decorated and coloured mask that he holds out for Kuznetsova to inspect before he slides it over his face. She wonders if there is tech on the inside? Some sort of glassware type HUD or something?
"Our homeworld, Tiriad, is efficiently managed to maximize both material productivity, and aesthetic beauty. The taming of Tiriad is one of my people's greatest accomplishments." the opposite of most heavily be-oceaned M-class worlds, Tiriad is majority green with small blue oceans. The viewpoint swoops in to show vast continents of delightful rolling green hills and open forests.
"Our Republic had already been a spacefaring power for two hundred years before we made contact with the Harmony. After decades of friendly contact and cultural exchange with the Horizonians and Tseskiya, we became the third species to join the Harmony." a masked Lintrid is joined on boths sides by a Horizonian and a Tseskiya.
"Much of the Harmony's industrial needs are supplied by our hard work and efficient management.", a brief shot of a warehouse filled with goods, industrious Lintrids walking to and fro at a size that gives an impression of a industrial production of massive scale "You can find Lintrids employed in mines, arcologies, and factories throughout the Harmony of Horizon, and crewing many of its freighters and cargo ships. We are often found as Invectors in service with the Peacekeepers and Public Safety we often prefer more hands on roles."
"On behalf of all Lintrids, I look forward to a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship with your people."
"Roo awwwlll theemff eeing had" Kuznetsova mutters into a mouth full of half chewed snacks as she continues stuffing chips and dip into her mouth.
"You all keep saying what?" She hears as an arm slips around her waist
"Hey Cam" says Kuznetsova, swallowing her food quickly, " 'I look forward to such and such with your people'. The holograms end every spiel with a version of that line." she says, leaning into her fiance and former subordinate slightly.
"Everything is tightly themed and on message." He grabs a chip from the plate, "Even the diplomats. They're all on task. All of them, all the species, are staying on their shared playbook to an almost scary degree."
"I'm not that surprised. We expect our own diplomats to stay on message." says Alexandria, a reflexively contrarian instinct coming to the fore, "The FDS would start having actual non-Caitian kittens if their diplomats just said whatever."
"The Harmony representatives are good though" Commander Camille Alexander says, "Even the service staff and, hell, the cooks, everyone I talk to is on message, or can bring a conversation back onto message" he gestures with a chip that is about to lose dip containment at the milling FDS and Harmony DIplomatic staff, "I think we're actually in danger of losing some of our people, if only out of admiration at the Diplomacy game being so well played"
Alexandria Kuznetsova's favoured Diplomacy game involves a map of the pre-Coalition of Planets federation space and wooden pieces bouncing off of each other in an endless thirst for systems with supply depots.
"You've been talking with them then?" says Kuznetsova, snatching Cam's chip away and shoving it into her mouth moments before the dip begins to dribble off of the side.
"Yup. Just thought I'd come and see how you're doing over here before I head back into the jaws of overwrought rhetoric as I try to preserve Starfleet's honour in an endless battle against both the FDS and the Harmony's own Diplomatic corps." he says with a sly smile.
"I'm just watching these for the third time." she pauses for a moment, "It's basically the same thing each time. There's so much here that I'm sure that I'm not quite getting." she shakes her head, "And it has to be deliberate, this is too slick for it not to be"
"You know, I can't get a straight answer on how their system of government works?" says Cam.
"What? I thought they were some form of popular E-Democracy. There is some sort of 'Sovereignty Committee' acting as the elected executive."
Cam purses his lips, "Yeah. It's just… hard to understand. The system seems so mutable, committees being elected and disbanding constantly, the chain of command shifting between different elected communities and groups."
"I put it in the same mental category that I leave the Apiata, Turkana IV, or the Yrillian government in. It's confusing, it somehow works, and the people doing the voting can spend literally days giving you endless talks about the finer details of factions and policy and you're even more confused at the end as you were at the beginning."
"I'm not ashamed to admit that my eyes glazed over when a Moy attache was talking to me about vertical Horizontal voting districts and double voting representatives to the All Harmony Council Committee on Internal Trade Commissions" Cam says in agreement, a faraway look appearing on his face. "Oh, well, back to the grind" says Cam, gently touching his forehead to his fiance's before stepping away with a heap of chips in his hands.
Kuznetsova turns with an air of disappointment and shuffles to her next destination, "Right. Your turn again." she says to another odd looking Humanoid hologram. This one looking like a cross between a leech and an orangutan, combining the least aesthetically appealing traits of both inspirations, "Go ahead. Talk about yourself"
The creature nods as its facial tendrils move with apparent meaning followed by an audible translation, "I am a Moy. Cunning, resourceful, and patient, we owe our particular strain of ingenuity to an ancestral history as opportunistic arboreal predators."
"Our homeworld is called Mist, after the heavy fog that flows across its turbulent oceans and through our forest homes. Though it was once ruined by reckless industry and warfare, the Harmony has helped us restore our home to its original wild splendor."
That's an arboreal planet as seen from orbit alright, Kuznetsova thinks to herself. That or just a swamp planet. Mist is all blue seas and dark green forest coverage. Though lines of grey did breach that cover in places; bringing to mind the back of an undersea leviathan breaching the surface with the merest hint of its bulk.
"We were once a fractious, warlike people, divided into nation states who fought against each other and against our interstellar neighbors. Many of our factions during this chaotic era were little better than pirates." The holopillar abruptly became a chaotic mess, constellations of stars with a cacophony of symbols and lines, red numbers ticking ever upwards at an accelerating pace.
"When Moy raiders began preying on Horizon frontier colonies, the Harmony sent peacekeeping missions to help us restore order, and diplomatic envoys to assist in unifying our people under an equitable interstellar government. Though there were many Moy who fought against these changes, reason ultimately prevailed." Cheering Moy lined the streets of a war torn city, cheering for a line of (presumably) Harmony Peacekeepers marching in casual fashion, their bright white and red armor resplendent in the sunlight. Transparent faceplates let Kuznetsova see that Horizonians, Tseskiya, Lintrids, and yes, even Moy were part of this liberating force.
"Today, we are proud and satisfied members of the Harmony of Horizon. You will find many Moy among the ranks of the Speakers: scientists, bureaucrats, and peacekeepers all count us as part of their numbers as we try to give back to this great society." A brief montage of Moy follow.
Sadly, none Of those Moy are wearing a lab coat. Kuznetsova being the sort of woman who thinks all scientists should wear lab coats for easy identification.
"On behalf of my people, I would like to express my excitement to meet you, and my hope that we will enjoy a future of peace and mutual understanding
Yup. That refrain again.
"You too" Kuznetsova says, wishing that she had somewhere to set down her plate so she could take another look at her earlier notes from her last three cycles through these virtual agents.
Kuznetsova sighs as she walks towards the next glass pillar. This plate was probably going to reduce her efficiency by half until she found someone to pawn it off on.
Oh well. It's not like she had to be here. And had to be on top of her game tonight.
She wasn't even expected to be here. But some instinct told her that as soon as her team finished their current work on Klingon analysis they'd be plunged face first into the world of the Harmony of Horizon. It never hurt to start personally gathering information and letting it muck about in your head as early as possible.
The final holopillar species is, perhaps, the most controversial.
Well. No 'perhaps' about it. It was the most controversial. And was also the reason for the hundred or so protesters outside, a quite enthusiastic and boisterous group of sign holders, a group loosely and deniably organized by the Tauni embassy located only a few blocks away.
"Hi. I'm Tauni." says the Tauni. He's a pretty normal, if attractive, example of his species. Mostly humanoid, though his hair is a very bright white-blond like the rest of him. And he does have the other common Tauni feature: glasses.
For some reason that not even Kuznetsova can guess, the Tauni love to wear glasses. She can't figure out if it's a cultural thing, if Tauni have weak eyes, or what. But they like glasses. Odd fellows.
The Tauni continues chipperly, and way more enthusiastic on the subject of the Harmony than other Tauni (with the exception of the few she'd met tonight) that Kuznetsova had had the pleasure of meeting.
"Our homeworld of Kelowna is a world of Islands, temperate rainforests, and rocky mountains." Yup That's a nice M-Class world alright. A nice M-Class world that could plausibly pass as any other M-Class world with the right set dressing.
"Our people were a pre warp culture experimenting with with basic computing technology when we were first discovered by the Harmony. Our benefactors were unable to stand by as disease and disunity ravaged our world. The Singers revealed themselves to us and offered to lift us up to join them in the Harmony of Stars." This honestly matches part of the Tauni's own description of events to start.
"Poverty, disease, and inequality were eliminated virtually overnight and my people were even able to settle a number of colony worlds with the help of our Harmony friends. We even began to jointly excavate several precursor archaeological sites across our worlds" this also matches the Tauni accounting… from a certain perspective. The Tauni explain that from their perspective it was a trade of precursor ruins access for interstellar tech.
The Horizonians for their part seem to have decided that meant full membership in the Harmony with all the benefits.
"Over time part of our population decided that they would prefer to live outside of Harmony space. And while we miss our wayward cousins, we wish them all the best." And here is where the narrative tends to sharply divide, with the Tauni government claiming to be a resistance against callous and overinvolved masters, who use trickery, seduction, and guile to make you give up your traditions and freedoms.
For the Harmony, the official story is that when they realised that the Tauni really did want independence they granted it as fast as possible. Apparently so fast that most of their interstellar and spaceborne infrastructure went with them.
Unofficially, even the Harmony ambassador herself officially talks about "disagreements" and privately whispers of dark deeds done by both sides for the right reasons.
Which, in Kuznetsova's opinion is why the Harmony and Tauni should probably go into the Academy syllabus at some point as example A1 of "Why we have a Prime Directive".
It's not just plausible, but unlikely. It's actually a very good and very probable story. And yet….
"Today, the Tauni that remain in Harmony space, enjoy a level of peace and prosperity unknown to our people even mere generations ago. We are known across the Harmony for our broad imaginations and curious nature. Many of my people are found in the entertainment industry or even as Speaker students and scientists." interestingly there is no mention of how many Harmony citizens are Tauni.
The Harmony has provided few concrete numbers, tending to imply the bulk of the Tauni population live in their borders. While the Tauni government itself seems unable, even unofficially, to give a number that isn't bogged down in controversy and political infighting.
"On behalf of my people I would just like to say how much we are looking forward to sharing our stories with you."
They sort of already are, Kuznetsova muses, crunching heavily on a chip, the trick lies in figuring out to interpret those tales.
Lt. Commander Temari appeared in a the shimmer of a transporter beam. The bright sunlight and heat of the Tauni homeworld made a jarring transition from the artificial lights and carefully controlled temperature of the Korolev's transporter room. She was in a courtyard immediately in front of the massive headquarters of the Tauni space agency. For some reason it was built within a mountain, a massive rock edifice towering overhead with a doors and windows marking an entrance to the complex within.
A Tauni woman wearing the light blue uniform of her service stepped forward and saluted. "Lieutenant Commander Temari, I presume? I'm Major Cym Drayer, your liaison officer for the duration of your time here. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You have identified me correctly, Major. I look forward to a productive working relationship," answered Temari. She didn't attempt to return the salute, unsure of Tauni customs.
"Let's get inside and get started. Welcome to Space Gate Command," said the major.
Temari studied the other woman as she led them through the headquarters entrance. Drayer had a slender build, with the typical whitish-gold Tauni hair cut into a short bob. Her glasses, another ubiquitous Tauni feature, had stylish gold frames. Looking carefully, Temari was able to see occasional lights flickering across the lenses from some internal source.
They quickly arrived at what was evidently going to be their workspace. Once sitting across from each other, Major Drayer opened the meeting. "So tell me about these Egillah-class battleships the Federation is arranging for us to buy. What are we really getting there? Some of us here at the SGC are a little worried about taking on second-hand alien technology just when we're finally getting to be able to build our own ships."
Temari ran through the specifications of the Egillah in great detail over the next hour. She was pleased to find Drayer was an intelligent and engaging conversational partner, quick to grasp details and often asking insightful questions. In fact, Temari was forced to consider whether the other woman was in fact her intellectual superior. Hampered by a less advanced education, yes, but still a great mind.
Temari was never one to let an insight go unvoiced. "You are no standard liaison officer. I cannot believe you are anything less than one of the foremost experts in your organization for starship technologies."
Drayer smiled, slightly smug. "Well of course. The top brass needed someone to tell them if what they're buying is worthwhile while there's still time to cancel the deal."
"And your judgement?"
"Oh, they're great ships, no question. Very nearly up to Horizon standards. Honestly blows the ship technologies that you've shared with us out of the water... though to be fair those designs are half the size of an Egillah. And you're getting the Ked Paddah to sell us two of these ships? They must have a lot of faith in the Federation to be willing to hand over such dangerous pieces of technology on no more than your say-so that we can be trusted with it."
Temari raised one eyebrow. Drayer's tone was casual, but her words implied a willingness to engage in a refreshingly honest conversation. Temari was no explorer corps captain, but she was a Starfleet officer and her first commitment was to the truth. "The decision to push this trade came from the highest levels of Starfleet. Despite the skilled diplomatic efforts of the Harmony of Horizon, Admiral Sulu believes your claims that you require protection from them. Certainly two Egillahs will not hold back the Harmony, but they would increase the investment required for... forceful measures."
"And they have a lot of uses outside of combat too. The stellar surveys I could conduct with one of these things..." said Drayer, trailing off. Suddenly she smiled fully, warmly "It means a lot, that you would would believe us. Colonel Anneal, my immediate superior, always says the Horizon is slipperier than a snake dipped in oil or some such colorful metaphor. Your Admiral Sulu must be quite perceptive."
Temari carefully relaxed her control and smiled back. "Major, I will tell you this. The unclassified portions of Admiral Sulu's Starfleet service record involve encounters with alien powers ranging from the humble but friendly to the great and terrible. With beings that claim to be gods and make a credible case. With wonders sublime and horrors beyond our imagining. Daring war and averting war. No, he is not a man easily fooled, and he believes you. Which is why I am here today arranging delivery of two still quite formidable battleships."
"Two ships that you're handing over to us and trusting us to use responsibly. No demands that you place your officers on them to watch our every move. It's enough to make me believe that the United Federation of Planets might actually be what the Harmony of Horizon pretends to be," said Drayer.
Temari said nothing, considering where the conversation might go next.
As she considered, a small dot of light appeared on the interior of Drayer's glasses and she looked off to the side, then rolled her eyes as if seeing something unpleasant. "Excuse me, Lt. Commander," she muttered. Flipping open a communicator, she punched in a code. "Hello Colonel."
Whatever the reply from the other side was short. "Yes, I think I'm about done. Yes, I'm going to approve the deal. The only thing that really bothers me is that we'll probably have to beg the Federation for a repair berth if the ships ever get badly damaged, but there's not much we can do about that. As for the other matter, I'm giving a yea to that as well. We have to trust someone, and the Federation is trusting us." She paused. "Well I know it's not up to me, but you made it up to me when you said you were going to- Hah-hah, very funny sir. I'll see you in 10."
Temari raised an eyebrow.
"That was Colonel Anneal. He has some things to show you, so he'll be stopping by here shortly," said Drayer.
"Acceptable," said Temari, quietly allowing her curiosity to burn while her other emotions were carefully tamped down. "While we are waiting, I wanted to inquire. Your eyewear is obviously for purposes other than vision correction, but details in my cultural briefing were lacking."
Major Drayer touched her glasses in response to the question, then carefully removed them. "It's no secret or anything. We use them for what you would call augmented reality, interfacing with local computer networks to add an extra layer of information to our field of vision. For example, I have these set to display your name every time I look at you so I won't forget it."
"Fascinating. Federation worlds are of course capable of similar technologies, but I believe most of our sapients find the distraction not worth the convenience."
"Hmmm." Drayer once more looked off to the side, but with her glasses still off couldn't be consulting anything but her own memories. "The Harmony of Horizon is largely responsible for the info-glasses. They love their integrated wearable technologies, and glasses were already popular... a high percentage of our population needed vision correction, and medical eye correction was still being refined when they showed up. Just another mark they left on us."
The Major looked back at Temari. "So I have a question for you. I apologize if this is socially awkward, but... are you a human or a vulcan? Maybe I'm not good enough at telling the two species apart yet, but-"
"I am both. My father is a human, and my mother is a vulcan," said Temari with the same words she had used to explain on many previous occasions.
"Is that a usual thing? Are there a lot of mixed species individuals in the Federation?"
"Not usual, at least with regards to vulcans and humans. While mixed species relationships do occur, many such find the degree to medical intervention required for a genetically combined child to be too stressful and the risks of an unfavorable outcome, though small, to be unacceptable. My parents came to a different conclusion.
"If my appearance and mannerisms are confusing to you, it is because I strive of my own choice to maintain a balance between my dual heritage. I do not pretend to be only vulcan, but nor do I ignore the strengths of my vulcan heritage in favor of my humanity."
===
Soon enough they were joined by Colonel Anneal, a tall Tauni with an irreverent air. After introducing himself, he pointedly looked at Temari, then at his subordinate. Drayer nodded back.
"All right then, we're doing this," said Anneal.
Most mysterious, thought Temari.
Anneal began leading the both of them deeper into the building, confident in his steps as if he had walked the path many times. As he walked, he spoke with Temari.
"You've heard the basic story about how contact between us and the Harmony began, correct?"
"As I understand it, there were precursor artifacts from a previous advanced interstellar civilization found here on Kelowna. In exchange for the rights to these artifacts, the Harmony agreed to advance your technological level and aid in resolving many long-standing societal issues," said Temari. She neglected to add the Harmony version of the story painted it as a purely humanitarian effort with the precursor artifacts serving as a mild bonus that would never have justified the required resources in a purely mercantile trade.
Anneal nodded in response. "Yeah, well it's a little more complicated that that. Talking with your Federation scientists we can identify this precursor civilization, what we used to call the Ancients, as what you call the Iconians. It looks like they made Kelowna some kind of a major base or colony hundreds of thousands of years ago, with ruins all over our world. Long before we had recorded history, so we have no idea what relationship if any existed between them and our pre-agricultural ancestors.
"We knew about the ruins for a long time, of course, and there's a lot of strange stories throughout history, but it was only with the advent of computer technology that we were able to reactivate them in any controlled way. What we discovered was that the Ancients had created a network of portals connecting different worlds across interstellar distances. It was possible to travel through these portals and go to different worlds without a starship."
Major Drayer jumped in. "Exploration parties were sent out. Most of the destinations were local to this part of the galaxy, though some we're still not so sure about."
Temari interrupted. "You were able to reactivate Iconian gateways? I am not an archeological expert, but the Federation's knowledge of Iconians is highly limited. Records indicate they were supposed to have portals capable of instantaneous transport, but no functional examples have ever been discovered."
Colonel Anneal picked back up the story. "The Harmony was pretty impressed too when they found one of our exploration parties on a world they were surveying and realized what was going on. They played rough at first, but once they realized what we had they were eager to cut a deal. Made all sorts of promises to the governments of the day. There were protests at the idea of trading away our heritage, but when someone is dangling fusion power and the cure to lethal diseases in front of you it's hard to say no.
"So we made the trade, and the Harmony carefully removed all the Ancient- the Iconian ruins for study, and the rest is history."
Temari raised an eyebrow. "If the Harmony removed all the Iconian artifacts and the rest is history... where are we going?"
Anneal turned to Drayer. "Oh she is sharp." They stopped in front of a secure door with a guard, who waved them through on Anneal's order. The room they stepped into was a monitoring room set high up over a vast stone chamber below. Inside was a hive of activity, with personnel and machinery passing back and forth. All of it was centered around a giant archway, glowing with an energy field in the center that seemed to consume several individuals as they walked through and did not emerge out the other side.
In an amused voice, Anneal said, "So it turns out we didn't hand over every portal to the Harmony. Oops."
"Why are you revealing this to me?" asked Temari.
"Because Starfleet showed a lot of trust in cutting the deal for these battleships, and the government and Space Gate Command decided that it's time to show some trust back," said Major Drayer.
"That and we're reaching the limit of what we can do with it on our own," added Colonel Anneal.
"What do you mean by 'the limit of what you can do on your own'?" asked Temari.
"It's a big portal, but we can't exactly fit a starship through it. The best we've been able to manage is shuttles to be reassembled piece by piece. So poking around the other side with only shuttles is slow, frustrating, and dangerous, and there's no hope of reaching it the long way."
"I don't-" began Temari.
Major Drayer touched her shoulder. "The Gamma Quadrant, Lieutenant Commander Temari. The other end of this portal is in what you call the Gamma Quadrant, on the literal other side of the galaxy. But it's a frustratingly small hole to see an entire quadrant through. We were hoping Starfleet would have some ideas."
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Omake - So You Want To Be A Councillor - Iron Wolf
Filed Under: Politics, Guest Post Every week on Outside Perspectives, we invite a guest to contribute a piece on politics from outside the pundit-sphere. Last week was Forewoman Yaniir and her searing piece on the symbol N'Gir has become for the affiliates looking in.
This week, we're lucky to have Commodore Iorin Grann writing a piece on the pathways our young audience might have to Councilorship. Grann currently serves as the Director of Operations for Starfleet Explorer Corps. Before that, he was the Captain of the Yukikaze, and worked alongside many of the new councilors from Orion during the long struggle with the Syndicate. Some of you might be wondering what insight this Starfleet bureaucrat would have to bring; others of you might have recognized the last name and realized he's the son of the legendary former councilwoman from Ord Grind Duk, Zanet Grann.
First thing's first, since I'm told they're going to mention my Orion service -- congratulations to all the incoming councilors from Orion. I worked alongside many of these newcomers, in particular Councilor Holena, and I expect good things from them all.
(You should remember this Orion reference, by the way, it will come in handy later.)
But you didn't come here to read some Starfleeter give sycophantic laudits to his proverbial bosses' bosses, did you? You came here because you're either a bright-eyed future politician, freshly degree'd and here for practical advice, or you're a political enthusiast and want some inside baseball knowledge to wow your friends with come election season. Or you're here for some other reason, like you misclicked and are now engrossed with this amazing prose. Whatever the case may be, welcome. Let's get with the dispensing of wisdom.
Our goal here is to make you a candidate good enough to win a party nomination contest and eventually, a Council seat. So to do that, we're going to discuss two pillars on which you can build your career in politics. And since this is a publication with a primarily Earth audience -- which gives me double outside perspective points, I might add -- I'll try to keep my analysis to your political touchstones rather than rambling about the Tellar Free-Associational Model of 182. Luckily, the political development of humanity has long been a personal interest of mine.
There won't be much in the way of practical campaign advice. The process of running a campaign for hundreds of millions, billions in a post-scarcity economy, after the Great Political Awakening, is worthy of its own post entirely. And probably not by me either, unless you bombard the editors with comments saying you enjoy my quick wit and irreverent style, wink wink.
The two pillars we're going to examine are Work Your Way Through Politics and Become Famous. It's important to keep in mind that in most cases, these pillars will twist and twine around each other, as we'll discuss at the end. It's also important to know that both of these are broad, but not exhaustive categories, as there are a variety of ways to make it to Council. So don't @ me with your dozens of fiddly exceptions to the rules. As Casey Wang is fond of saying, 'There are two paths, until you make a third.' If you're up to hacking your way through the proverbial political jungle, be my guest.
But I'd keep reading so you know what you're up against!
Pillar One: Work Your Way Through Politics
If you plan to follow this route, you need to be involved in local politics yesterday. That, or be an incredibly active go-getter starting now. This route is all about making friends in established political movements, getting elected in smaller, more local levels of government to establish a base, and then slowly expanding it as you get elected to broader and broader positions. Today's district chair is tomorrow's United Earth Parliamentarian is next year's Councilor, as the saying I just made up goes. Note that you don't have to do steps sequentially, like ticking boxes off - you don't need to add the titles Chair, City Councilor, Mayor, Member of Sub-State Assembly, Minister, Governor/Premier, Member of State Assembly, Prime Minister/President, Representative of the United Earth Assembly, Secretary, and Secretary General of United Earth to your resume to have a shot for running as a Councilor. If there's an opportunity to jump to one level or another of responsibility, take it as long as you gain visibility and allies. In addition, it can be more advantageous to be a powerful politician at a lower level than a backbencher higher -- consider the influence the African Union President has compared to the average UE Representative.
Next: if you're going to be this ambitious, you need to be good at your job -- really good at your job -- and pulling in excellent vote share. The point is to expand the number of people willing to vote for you, after all. Eventually, on planets like Earth or even Mars, you will need to convince hundreds of millions, billions to vote for you. You've gotta be looking pretty hot at the smaller-scale to appeal to an audience that large.
There's a major hazard to this process, although not the one you might think -- you might decide to get involved at the local level, and never want to leave. There's a real joy in working with neighbours and friends to improve your community, and it's what draws in future politicians. As your electorate gets larger it becomes harder and harder to feel connected to your constituents; their pains and struggles. You might begin to wonder why you'd want to debate the finer details of Feeder Loop Optimization for a few extra tons of duranium efficiency when you could work directly on your constituents' behalf to commission a new park, or deliver new services, or attract new and exciting performance groups to your community.
You may also feel the risk of defeat is too great to move higher, and choose to remain comfortable at your level. After all, a defeat can be psychologically exhausting even in these more happy times. It's a bitter pill to swallow to have others vote against you, no matter what era you're in. And then that comfy seat you vacated may not be able to be taken back, and the entire pillar you climbed seems to vanish with a poof, leaving a void. My advice if that happens is to take up knitting or something, keep busy.
However, you may find defeat less exhausting than victory. Your responsibilities get larger, your days measured out in smaller and more precise increments as you rise up the ladder. You go from being able to take an extra five minutes with your coffee after a committee meeting to finding that time tightly budgeted and regimented, replaced with any number of briefs or meetings. Many burn out, or look at the more daunting responsibilities and decide it is not for them. These are more enlightened times, and rare now are the egotists who crave power for power's sake. You will recognize when you've reached your limit, and it is okay to accept that.
But for the sake of this piece, we're going to assume you'll always want to be councilor. If you fall short of that rung, take heart. You're still doing good work.
The end goal of this is to be relatively popular with a subset of the voting population of the world you want to run on, but just as importantly, popular with the membership of sub-Federal political parties. On smaller colony worlds this doesn't matter as much, but if you're serious about the more developed member worlds, there is simply no way you can brighten the doorstep of a billion plus sentients. It became difficult enough for late-Earth democratic leaders to reach out to hundreds of millions of people, let alone an entire planet. So you'll need help. But first, avoid the obvious trap: the original four member states have strong norms against political parties campaigning directly for one councilor or another, in order to prevent the politics of the member states unduly affecting the politics of the Federation. Voters tend to follow this norm, and will punish any would-be councilor who is seen as too much of an extension of 'politics as usual'.
It's interesting to note that despite fears to the contrary, this norm seems to hold in the newer member states. In the Orion Union council elections (told you it'd come back) CA and TuP campaigned openly for their preferred candidates -- and saw many of them lose. Heavy hitters like Ventil Oyana, Joletta Cam Ye Sonna Bel, and Dawind Byis went down in flames, despite intense campaigning on their behalf by CA. Eliasyn Yathcha had the full backing of TuP and an energetic team hoping to make up for her narrow presidential primary loss, and hers was still a hard-fought, close campaign.
By contrast, third place in the CA Presidential nomination, Maxieme Sierre, sailed relatively easily to a council seat, boosted by her intense popularity on Broken Chains and her dedicated and loyal personal following. Tooph Ye Holena, who never held an elected position, ran a breakneck campaign presenting herself as a fresh, neutral option, free of the petty squabbling that threatened to tear apart the Union, and shocked everyone with her win. Similarly, Canada McLaren shed the branding of Ascension, a party that saw numerous Syndicate defections and a high-ranking member become the self-styled Vice-President of the Celosian Corporate Republic, and instead ran on his immense popularity on Celos, having been one of their elected representatives for decades.
So it is in your best interest to gain the endorsement of individual, popular legislators and luminaries and have them stump on your behalf. This is an incredibly potent tool, particularly if you can gain the praise of members of opposing political parties. So be nice to them in the cafeteria. Assemble a big enough constellation of popular politicians independently endorsing you, and you'll be set to run an incredible campaign. Remember, of course, to offer some of them prestigious staff positions when you're elected.
In short: climb the ladder, and each step add endorsements, popularity, and visibility.
Pillar 2: Get Famous (And Ideally, Respected)
This is, by necessity, a much shorter section. It begins with you being interested in politics but pursuing a career in something else instead. That might be joining Starfleet, getting ahead in a productivity commission, becoming a particularly notable journalist, or an artistic creator with considerable reach. I'm not going to lay out the details of the process, as all that really matters is this: wherever you end up in your career, you become noted, either through impeccable skill and judgement or just managing to get your face in front of enough holocameras. Even in this more enlightened time, sheer recognition matters, but of course it won't win you a campaign alone. Unless you're literally the return of a major religious or mythological leader, you're going to want to back that notability up with dazzling accomplishments, particularly ones that are relevant to good governance.
The logic behind this is similar to the logic behind the first pillar, only instead of starting right from the grassroots and building your trust up among larger and larger pools of voters and colleagues, you sweep onto the political scene with an impeccable, attention-drawing resume and a fresh celebrity sheen. I would be remiss as a Starfleeter if I failed to mention how attractive this makes former Starfleet officers in some quarters, particularly dashing Captains with headline-grabbing exploits and experienced flag officers with a breadth of experience under their belt and the occasional appearance in the news.
However, I would be more remiss to not mention their incredible competition in the form of other notable functionaries. Political journalists of all stripes come with political connections, their thoughts collected and in the public eye, and a social media following tailor-made to be turned into dedicated volunteers. Diplomats from the FDS, equipped with deliberate rhetoric, deep understanding of how the Federal government works, and friends with high places. Doctors and lawyers, pushed into the spotlight to make more of a difference. Commissioners and deputy departmental heads of particularly powerful agencies, with their deep experience in civilian government and delivering on the policy that most directly affects people. All of these carry a lustre of accomplishment, and in particular the latter, while not always glamorous, can always fall back on delivering what the people want. By contrast, while Starfleet is popular with Expansionists, they are seen in some quarters as holding a stench of militarism; in others, spineless inaction and meal-mouthed double speak. In short, Starfleet figures can be surprisingly divisive. While their adventures capture the imagination, many Federation voters are concerned with what can be delivered more practically, and those on the civilian side of things have an advantage in this area.
What I'm saying is, don't join Starfleet with the idea you'll get to Rear Admiral, retire, and make an easy win as a councilor somewhere. You've got to stand out, and life accomplishments will only get your foot in the door. And getting your foot in the door is incredibly important -- parties will reach out to particularly notable figures to recruit them ahead of elections, but then you have to survive a nomination competition expect in extraordinary circumstances. And nomination competitions to be formally made a Council candidate are incredibly competitive 99% of the time. You'll often be up against multiple opponents who have dug themselves deep into the political fabric, and will have a head start in organization. But take heart: in these tight-knit competitions, some level of star power can still go a long way.
And so we come to our final point: Try to be on both pillars at once. There have been historical cases where a career politician went from District Chair up the ladder all the way to Councilor -- oh wait, that's not a historical case, that's literally the life story of Rob Langford. On the flipside, there have been powerful civil servants who made a jump right into Federal politics without ever holding an elected position before -- one is our current President. However, many will be a hybrid of the two. You might lose an election at one level but take up a prestigious posting elsewhere to gain skills and experience, before running for an entirely different level of government a decade down the line. You might be constantly engaged in politics even as you pursue a career independent of them, rushing home from work to get ready for an endless parade of cocktail dinners and policy discussions, as was the path of the late and great Hans Carmichael. Some professions, particularly Starfleet, require you to be more circumspect about your political affiliations, but you can always find time to cultivate friendships with more partisan allies.
You can also ascend to the rarefied heights of one pillar -- by say, being appointed to lead a flagship institution of the Federation -- and then mismanage the trust given to you until you threaten to collapse the entire organization, and all the people who believe in and work for it, under the weight of your own hubris. My advice to you in this case is to gracefully fade from public life. But if you're an egomaniacal piece of scum, what you could do instead is dab your eyes on camera and then try to climb the other pillar entirely. No doubt this is a misguided attempt to inflate your crushed ego and salvage the tatters of your pride and public image through the glorious path of an intense popularity contest, turning our entire democracy into a carnival where your revenge on the institution that rightly fired you is the main attraction. You'd have to be a certain kind of narcissistic tool to do that, though.
Sorry, here was I? Right, getting elected. So if you follow this advice, making sure to be flexible for real world developments rather than treating this as an 'I Win' manual, you will have a head start on your confused collegues with vague aspirations and ideas of how to advance. Most importantly, just get out there and start the work. And with that--
Wait, I want to run on an Apiata world.
--No you don't.
Yes I Do. Please help me understand how to do so.
Let's be clear, if you're reading this, and you're an Apiata, there is likely nothing I can tell you that you don't already know. Generally as a worker or a drone, you know who to vote for, and this is the highest political aspiration you have. As a queen, you're either whipping the votes of your hive on orders from a higher hive, or you've been studying the political relations and aspects of various hives your entire life and are marshalling your sisters and daughters in a great campaign. There is no wisdom I can offer you that hundreds of mothers, aunts, and cousins have not already. In some ways, you're enviable, because you'll learn at a young age where exactly in the hierarchy you will end up; unlike some in our society who are perpetually dissatisfied with how their goals remain maddeningly out of reach.
However, for the rest of the member species, I understand that the Apiata system can seem quite daunting. The reason for this is primarily because it's a throwback. I said I wasn't going to discuss campaigning, but I'm going to sneak it in here. Most campaigns are based on intense grassroots organizing, identifying voting demographics and attempting to sway them with targeted messaging, and constructing an energetic and motivated field team to extol your value in person.
Apiata have no conception of this. Or at least, they don't yet. The Mercantilists are allegedly experimenting with an Ozzira candidate in the next election, and I wish them luck. But for the most part, the Apiata prefer old-style brokerage politics, where aspiring politicians approach a succession of community leaders who promise them their community will support them with a certain number of voters. Flatter enough of these leaders, and you secure the voters, no doorstep visits required. On Earth and most other planets, this style of electioneering fell out of practice in the 21st century, and has remained dead since. But Queens have bases of intensely loyal workers, giving them tremendous blocs of voting power they can then bargain with in dizzying political horse-trading, some of which is driven by long-standing loyalties to other hives. A dedicated Hawk-seeming hive of warriors and comb staves might vote overwhelmingly Pacifist if the High Queen of a hive they are pledged to protect says to vote that way. I'm sure in a few years we'll get a grasp of it, but for now understanding it is like handing a modern person some leather and an awl and asking them to make you some breeches -- just too backwards to make any sense without specialized training.
Anyways, I'm already past my word limit, so thanks again for reading, and good luck! A life in public service is frustrating, rewarding, maddening, and fulfilling. You'll sometimes feel simultaneously naked in the public eye and also impossibly far from their understanding. It is not a calling for everyone. But if you see that previous sentence and aren't the least bit discouraged, take up the challenge. We will always need leaders, no matter how big or small.
--Your Pal, Iorin Grann
This is an opinion piece. The ideas expressed here are not endorsed by this publication, nor are they endorsed by the author's employer. For more on our Opinion policy and our complaint process, click here.
Captain's Log, USS Courageous, Stardate 26598.5 - Captain Sabek
A Tauni minor colony world, Alfa, issued an urgent distress call. Power and environmental systems, originally installed by Horizon, but poorly maintained since their withdrawal, have begun to fail. It is only a matter of time before there is a catastrophe. The Tauni are facing something of a capability gap as their old ships go off-line before the new ships come online, so we are closest available forces.
The Courageous will thus effect a relief operation. My engineering crew has been doing very well fine-tuning the drive systems to improve subspace performance, so we should arrive in excellent time.
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Captain's Log, USS Atuin, Stardate 26598.8 - Captain Vol Chad
We recently made contact with a Qloathian frigate, whose Captain mentioned to us a report of subspace signals coming from within the Straits of Themis on what may have been Cardassian channels.
If there are Cardassians this far past the Mouth of the Themis, then Command will certainly want to know about it, so I've advised Explorer Corps mission command that we'll be investigating this.
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Captain's Log, USS Lightning, Stardate 26599.3
While making a survey of the coreward approaches to Gaeni space, we encountered an unusual metallic webbing pattern that spanned large vacuum-exposed crevices in a moon orbiting a hell planet. When we took a closer look, this webbing was veins of tough duranium ores that had held together through whatever had generated the crevices. There is potential for mining, but due to its proximity to claimed Gaeni space, they will develop the mine. We have, however, obtained decent samples.
[Gain +20br]
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Captain's Log, USS Zephyr, Stardate 26599.7
A Gretarian ship has approached Klivvar Proxima, asking if they could speak to government representatives. Being a border zone, we took on the initial contact, with support from the Gale. Apparently the turmoil in Sydraxian space has removed their control of the Gretarians to at least some degree, and their envoys would like to see trade open up with Irrizizza and Tales Har. Their extreme pacifist views are still in evidence, but we made considerable progress in creating future avenues of discussion.
[Gain +25 with Gretaria]
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Captain's Log, USS Courageous, Stardate 26600.2
Alfa colony is powered by a pair of chained fusion power planets, one per major continent on the world. The plant on the southern continent is failing, though thanks to logical design choices it is doing so in a safe manner. The power plant's ability to generate the necessary heat for fusion reactions has been compromised by component failures. My engineers are down below, and are productively investigating the civilian-grade Horizon technology. Although there is a clear difference in basis, they believe they will be able to produce suitable replacement parts to return the colony to operational.
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Captain's Log, USS Lexington, Stardate 26600.6
Alongside the FDS and the Torbriel, we have been overseeing the exchanges with the Ked Paddah for their Egillah-class spaceships. These ships saw service alongside the Federation during the Arcadian War, and I confess I am glad that they will continue to ply the stars faithfully rather than say goodnight at the breakers. The Torbriel has been a surprisingly useful help for both sides by carefully scanning the ships for any signs of accidentally left behind material, and reassuring the recipients that they are in perfectly serviceable condition.
The negotiations themselves have gone surprisingly smoothly, drawing on some of the good will of Starfleet-Ked Paddah shared operations at Ixaria, and some generous terms in cultural and personal technology exchanges.
[Gain +25 with Ked Paddah, +25 with Tauni, +25 with Laio]
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Captain's Log, USS Atuin, Stardate 26600.9
Well, we found the source of the transmissions, and the technology was Cardassian, but the operators were Bajoran. It appears that a Bajoran off-shoot group, looking to live according to their more traditional caste-based culture. I'm not a big fan of this, but at the same time, it is the height of interventionist arrogance to swoop in on a people-group and attempt to reform them according to our own sensibilities. In fact, I probably have a few Apiata crew members who would sharply disagree with any such attempt. We have made contact, however, and let them know that we are aware of them.
They've provided us with information regarding the situation in Bajor, and the forced cultural shift underway there, and my social scientists will be preparing a report.
[Gain +5 with Bajor, Intel report, +5pp]
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Captain's Log, USS Winterwind, Stardate 26601.3
An urgent call for medical resources on the Orion minor colony world of Bradia, site of some fierce fighting itself during the Syndicate War, reached Starfleet. With a problem in some of the hypercorps supply chains, a variety of medical supplements needed for ensuring safe diets on this planet had to be sourced from Federation protein resequencers, and Winterwind managed to deliver it in time.
[Gain +10pp]
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Captain's Log, USS Courageous, Stardate 26602.5
The utilities of the Alfa colony have returned to full operation. In order to facilitate future responses, the local inhabitants have been shown how to craft the most frequently required replacement components for the reactors.
Our science officers and engineers have taken away the Horizon components and begun to examine them in depth. At present, it appears very likely that the Harmony of Horizon holds a minor technological edge in a number of areas.
