=Federation Council=
=San Francisco, Earth=
In the massive building that housed the Federation Council were a number
of sub-chambers. These rooms, much smaller than the large main chamber,
were used by the various committees and sub-committees that decided
specific legislation to be brought fourth to the council of the whole. On this
day, it wasn't a committee that was meeting in one of the sub-chambers,
but a small gathering of a different sort.
It was a request that would have normally fallen on deaf ears. It would have
been seen as an unsuitable waste of council time. But one council member
had decided to take this meeting.
Turan So walked down one of the wide corridors. While the Andorian wasn't
the head of the council, there was no doubt that he wielded the most power.
He had influence ... great influence that he used whenever he felt necessary.
It was Turan So that had seen to the mutual defense pact between the
Federation and Erassians when other council members were either undecided
or set against war with the Romulans.
Even with this power, there were times when he had to sit back and accept
things for what they were. He had wanted to go to Erass himself and secure
the passage of Federation starships through their space, but President Spock
wanted him to remain on Earth. Even when other council members toured the
starbases and facilities near the front, because of his importance, Turan So
remained behind ... again, at the request of the president. The only time he
ever left Earth these days were his visits to his home on Andoria.
Turan turned and entered one of the sub-chambers. Already, there were four
other council members, including Gabriel Meeker of Earth. He took his place at
the center seat of the large conference table.
On the other end of the table sat Ambassador Qalvalor of the Nenon Planetary
League. For Qalvalor, this was a rare honor. He was the first official
representative of his people to ever step foot on Earth. It was only three days
ago, while sitting in his office on Starbase UNITY, that he had learned of this
trip from his government.
"Ambassador, why have you asked us here today?" Turan So asked.
"First, I would like to thank you for accepting my request for an audience."
Turan nodded.
"As for my being here," the Nenon picked up a glass and took a sip of water
before he continued. "My government is grateful for the council's willingness
for improves relations with my people. We have commenced in trade with
various member and non-member worlds and it had benefited all of our
peoples. Even so, in these difficult times, we would like to contribute more."
"How so?" Meeker asked.
"Militarily, sir," Qalvalor answered.
"I don't see how," the Tellarite representative Lor said. "Your weapons
technology, for the most part, is far behind our own. Only your handheld
weapons are on par with ours."
"No, sir, you do not understand. We wish to join you in your war with the
Romulans," the Nenon said.
Qalvalor received strange looks from the council members, as well as the
council aides and the small security detachment overlooking the meeting.
"Ambassador, I don't think I understood you correctly," Meeker said.
"I thought I made myself clear," Qalvalor was a little perturbed. "The Nenon
Planetary League wishes to declare war against the Romulan Star Empire."
Meeker coughed, getting a stern look from Turan.
After a long silence, and when it seemed as nobody else was going to
respond, Turan leaned forward.
"Why?" was all that Turan said. It was all that he need to say.
Qalvalor asked the same question himself when his government spoke to
him three days earlier. They had caught him off-guard with the request. He
had no idea that they were even considering action against the Romulans.
"Because the Romulans are as much of a threat to us as they are to you,"
Qalvalor answered. "It is only our distance from Romulan space that protects
us. If you lose this war, then they will turn their attention to us. We
embarrassed them when we drove them from our star system."
Qalavlor took another drink of water.
"Also, we feel that we need to prove ourselves in battle. It's not that we enjoy
war, but we have no problem fighting, if necessary."
"How do you expect to contribute to the war effort? You don't have the
technology or experience in interstellar combat to match the Romulans," the
Lor spat out.
"When the Romulans pulled out of our system, they left behind numerous
technologies. We have 60 ships armed with disruptors and other Romulan
weapons systems."
"Sixty?" Meeker looked stunned. "Our intel had you only capable of arming
three ships ... four at the most."
The Nenon smiled, "We have 60 combat ships ready to contribute to the war.
All they need are improved warp drives so we can get them to the front."
"So that will be one of your requests," Turan said.
"A minor request, all things considering," Qalavlor countered. "Besides that,
we will have an additional hundred ships armed with more advanced weapons
within the next six months."
Turan nodded. While the Nenon ships were quite small compared to Federation
or Romulan capital ships, he knew that they could use any help they could get.
As the council members considered the ambassador's words, Qalavlor spoke
again, "We can also provide ground troops."
Turan returned his focus on the ambassador, "How many?"
"For now, 15 million. They are ready to mobilize one we are provided with the
proper transports to move them. The Federation could help us move them, or
you could provide our transports with improved warp drives. And, within the
next few months, we can easily double that and perhaps more. A total of 40
million troops are possible."
The Tellarite shook his head, "Even so, your people do not know how to fight
a real war."
"It is true that we have a lot to learn when it comes to space combat and we
are willing to learn through experience. But, when it comes to ground combat,
we have few equals. Even the Klingons or the Dominion would have to take
notice. The Federation could even learn a thing or two from us."
"That may be so, ambassador, as I'm sure you know, the Romulans don't exactly
play clean. They have their own way with dealing with forces on the ground,"
Meeker said.
"I take it you are referring to the Romulan's Thelaron weapon?" Qalavlor asked,
receiving a simple nod from Meeker. "We understand the risks. But we also know
that if the Romulans could use this weapon at will, then this war would be over
by now. It is this weapon, and the Romulan's indiscriminate use of it, that will
rally my people to support this war."
The ambassador finished off his glass of water and poured another from a pitcher.
"We do not need your permission to declare war against the Romulans," Qalavlor
continued. "But we do need to be able to move our forces through Federation
space to get to the Romulans. All we ask is the means to do this. In addition, our
own generals will lead our forces. We will follow allied battle plans, and in joint
missions, be led by the overall allied commander, but we insist on allowing our
own commanders in the field to enforce those plans."
"So, all you want is improved warp technology and your own command structure,"
Lor said. "Why should we? We are not certain that we can even trust you."
"Sir, with the exception of a few ... isolated incidents that, I may add, were not
supported by the current government, we have been quite friendly with the
Federation. Even though you chose to shut us off from the rest of the galaxy with
the embargo you placed on our system," Qalavlor politely said. "We are ready to
take our place in that galaxy if you will give us that chance."
Turan thought for a moment, again considering the ambassador's words.
"I will discuss this with the council as well as starfleet command. If you will hold
off your declaration of war for the next few days, we should have our decision by
then," Turan said before he stood. "Now if you will excuse me, I have other matters
to attend to."
Turan walked out, followed by the other council members and their aides and security.
Qalavlor was left alone with his own security detail. He wondered what his
government's real reason was for going to war, if there was one.
Councilman Turan So (npc by Rick)
Head of Security and Special Operations Committee
Federation Council
and
Ambassador Qalvalor (npc by Rick)
Nenon Planetary League
and other npcs by Rick
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