Built on Hope

Posted on Tue Dec 17th, 2019 @ 10:25am by Captain Enalia Telvan & Az'Prel & Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Deihu (Senator) Verelan t'Rul
Edited on on Wed Dec 18th, 2019 @ 12:25am

Mission: Neutral Zone Neutrality
Location: Mol'Krun'chi Colony - Government Headquarters
Timeline: 2396

As the ramp to the Runabout lowered, the waiting delegation of reunificationists came into view. There were three Rihannsu, two men and one woman, standing proudly in the center. They wore goldish-gray tunics and leggings with a tight, diamond pattern across it and deep green, sleeveless robes that extended to their knees. The robes were hooded, thought the hoods were down and along the seams near the front were Rihan characters on the left lapel and Vulcan characters on the right. Each one wore a medallion that appeared to be a stylized Rihannsu IDIC - the gold ball at the top with the green wings of Althindor spreading up around it and the claws clasping two globes, yet instead of looking down, the great bird was looking up to the third globe.

On either side of the group was what appeared to be a security officer in similar goldish-gray uniform tunics, but with blue checkerboard sashes over their right shoulders that extended below thick black belts to their mid-thighs. They appeared unarmed at first glance, wearing uniforms unusually similar to those worn by the Centurions of Rita Paris' era.

The man standing in the center stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. He looked a bit older than the others, in his mid-seventies, with salt and pepper hair cut in a traditional Vulcan style, though a bit longer as if he needed a trim.

Stepping forward, Rita Paris eschewed the traditional Vulcan salute as a form of greeting. As there were representatives of two cultures here, her role was mediator and facilitator. Thus she stepped forward, offering her open hand in the style of her own people- the offered hand to be clasped, to show there were no weapons in the hand, and to connect physically to signify a coming together in friendship.

"Hello! I'm Rita Paris, representing the United Federation of Planets. We thank you for welcoming us to your home, and we look forward to facilitating these talks. This is Mnhei'sahe Dox, here as a representative of the Rihannsu Senate. This is Sonak, here as a representative of the Vulcan High Council. Lieutenant Oulette is here on behalf of Starfleet to record this historic meeting for posterity, and this is Az'Prel, who is here as a cultural observer. We come in peace," she finished with, waiting to see how her introduction would be received.

While she usually clasped her hands behind her back, Dox folded them in front of her here, wanting to reinforce Rita's gesture of friendship and being unarmed. As such, she nodded to return the offered bow and gave the simple cultural Rihannsu greeting of "Jolan'tru."

Sonak raised his hand to them in the time-honored salute of his people.

''On behalf of all of Vulcan, Peace and Long Life, to you and to all of your people, here and afar. In the purest tradition of the IDIC philosophy, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, we welcome your wish to expand yourselves into a larger universe.''

As Az'Prel also gave the traditional Vulcan salute, the Mol Krun'chi delegation gave their greetings. The female of the group clasped hands with Rita, a polite smile on her face while the younger of the two men gave the Rihannsu head bow. The lead male took a moment to make sure he had his fingers right before holding his hand up in the Vulcan salute. "Jolan'tru and welcome to ch'Saithe, the capital of our colony, Mol Krun'chi. In the name of peace, we offer our support and hope that this becomes a lasting endeavor that... erm..."

With a look of consternation on his face, the elder Rihannsu pulled out a small paper notebook and glanced over it a moment. "Well, I planned to go on a while, but it's just us so... This is my wife and the secretary of the council, Avilh. This is the minority leader in the council, Okhala. I'm the majority leader, Khaiell. If you need anything, then please just ask one of us or Karl. He's Captain of the watch this season." With the last name, he motioned towards one of the security officers who smiled and nodded pleasantly.

"It's good to meet you, and I think I speak for us all when I say that we look forward to discussing the possibilities with you moving forward." Paris beamed one of those smiles that could warm a Grinch's heart, then inclined her head towards their hosts slightly. "Which, on that note, we're quite refreshed. If you're willing, if there is somewhere we can talk? I'll admit, we're rather excited and eager to get started. Assuming that's alright with you?"

Keeping the tone friendly, the extradimensional explorer sought to direct the opening of negotiations rather than spending time on refreshments and social niceties. Neither race, in this case, was particularly fond of it, so she reasoned it might be the appropriate expediency. The smile was because it was friendly, and tended to be disarming.

"Of course," replied Khaiell with a wave of his arm towards the governmental plaza not far off. "We have a meeting hall reserved and one of our few portable replicators there if you want anything unusual."

Avihl cleared her throat before interrupting. "Husband, dear... Refreshments seem to be the last thing on their mind right now. However, when the time should arise, we have a variety of local beverages, should you require them. As for supper, we have a small banquet planned, if you don't mind. The harvest has been kind."

"Ah, of course, my wife. I would be lost without you," The smile on his face was a bit goofy as he scratched behind one ear. "If you'll follow us then, please?"

As they left the landing bay, it was Okhala's turn to speak up. "I will have to ask you to be wary of protesters and to avoid them. There are some that oppose revealing our location to anyone and think that this is all a trick to get us to expose our location so the Tal'Shiar can wipe us out. Alternatively, there are some that are too young to know the dangers of the Tal'Shiar at all and feel we should be out in the open."

"Those are both very real concerns and aspirations," Paris replied as they began following their hosts. "Our hope is that we can find a way to move forward which would not endanger the colony, yet move forward with reunification possibilities to explore the feasibility of the movement. Clearly there will be some who distrust the policies of the Star Empire, which is entirely reasonable given their past position, and rightfully so. Although I must say it's very good to hear that the next generations hold hope... for it is upon that hope that we may yet build the future."

As she spoke, the assemblage made their way from the landing bay towards the government plaza across the small, open-air courtyard separating the two. The sky above them had a light teal quality to it. Not as purely turquoise as ch'Rihan itself, but not quite as blue as Earth. The building ahead of them looked older than it likely was, with walls of a weathered green metals rather than the same reddish clay most of the buildings seemed constructed with, and large, ornate wooden doors. It was the tallest building in the city, yet was at most, four stories at the top of the greenish copper dome that sat atop it.

"Beautiful, isn't it? It was built from the colony ship. Most of the systems still work, though there's no way she'd fly again. The engines are all gone and the power plant's been reconfigured completely. Heck, we've put so many holes in the hull to expand the building..." Khaiell stared up at the great building before them as they came up to a set of hand-carved double doors.

"You'll have to excuse my husband. He was one of the apprentice pilots when we landed." Avilh added with a gentle pat on her husband's arm.

"Psh... Ancient history now, my love. I'm happy with you and the grandkids," he replied, looking for a way to change the subject. "We figured since you're all spacers, we'd use one of the old conference rooms. They're a bit more... Ah... Modern?"

Okhala couldn't help but pipe up with a chuckle as they passed through the large doors and into the green and tan dimly lit halls of the old Rihannsu colony ship interior. "What you mean to say is the chairs are padded and your back hurts, don't you? It's fine. I'm sure our guests wouldn't mind sitting on wooden benches, but for an occasion like this, I too agree." He then turned towards the Starfleet delegates as they walked. "You see, the majority want a few more amenities but the desire to remain hidden outweighs those desires since the larger our energy footprint is, the easier we are to detect. We in the minority want to eschew technology altogether, other than the system defenses, to maximize our chances of not being discovered."

"There are other differences, but that's the main one that we worry about daily, I think," Avilh chimed in, punctuating the point with a finger in the air.

The elderly man, Khaiell, stopped before a set of octagonal autodoors and tapped at the door controls for several moments before they finally opened, seemingly in pain from age. "And here we are. It's a bit old and worn, but we've done our best to take care of it. It's also one of our last uncracked skylights."

"I love that you recycled the colony ship so efficiently, and incorporated it by making it the center of the city." Paris marveled, genuinely appreciating the starship skin repurposed to serve the colony, and appreciating their lack of resources. "It's a bit brilliant and ingenious and shows fluidity of thought, adaptability and yet a desire to preserve history. All the earmarks for a healthy culture," Paris remarked. "Your desire for comfortable seating notwithstanding, we're honored and flattered to be allowed into the central hub of your government. We'll do our best to validate your trust in us all."

Sonak nodded approvingly.

''Simple and efficient; a tribute to both your logical thinking and to your pride in what you are and what you can achieve. You build your future from what is useful of your past, neither denying nor clinging to it as you look to control your destiny. It is...promising.''

As Khaiel moved over and poured himself a cup of strong black tea and grabbed a couple of blue pastries and a napkin from the refreshment table, he went on a bit about how they governed themselves. "Thank you. We do our best to combine practicality with heritage as logically as possible, all while protecting the people as a whole. It doesn't always work out, and we don't always agree; hence why we have an elected council of twelve councilors, the longest standing majority and minority leaders acting as the de facto leaders of the council, and the secretary breaking any ties."

When he finally paused for breath, Okhala interjected. "We do have to import things from offworld now and then, of course. Even the staunchest of conservatives among us know that. For that, Commander Vara does her best, but we owe a great debt to the Artans and Maenek t'Luin personally. She's even brought us some refugees from time to time, once properly vetted, of course."

Listening, Dox had been admiring the remains of the starship that had became the capital of the people, running a hand along the nearest bulkhead. For someone raised on a freighter for half of her life, it touched a chord, but there was more to it. For while she might not have been born there, she had been well versed in the history of her people. She appreciated the symmetry to the structure as the original refugees who took the generation ships to found ch'Rihan and ch'Havran used those ships to build the first capitals there as well.

"Hopefully Maenek t'Liun vetted us as well. Apparently, much of her crew is made up of refugees I helped deliver to her and she has pledged her service to us in this matter, which I hope will speak towards our sincerity here." Dox said, a twinge of nervousness in her voice as she interjected, hoping she wasn't completely out of her depth as she noticed how Khaiel was drinking his tea very noticeably.

Realizing that she was among fellow RIhannsu, and knowing her people's predilections well, Dox felt it was quite possibly a message. A way of showing them all that the refreshments were safe. So, as a show of trust in the interest of things moving forward well, the young Lieutenant Commander stepped over and poured herself the offered tea and took a sip with a smile

Gesturing towards the offered seating, Khaiell smiled lightly at the returned gesture as she replied to Dox's statement. "Maenek t'Liun is trusted here, and she informed us of her trust in you all. Had she not, this meeting would not be occurring. That said, we are glad it is. There is much to discuss, so let us begin."

As the diplomatic delegation from the Hera took their seats, so too did the ruling council members of the Mol Krun'chi government. Taking a sip of his tea, Khaiel gestured towards the Starfleet officers across from him and began. "We, of course, have many concerns. But those cannot truly be addressed properly until we have heard your proposals." And he looked at Commander Paris with an open expression, ready to listen.

"Ah! yes, that would be my cue. All right." Repressing her urge to get up and pace as she spoke and talked her way through her idea with them, this was a diplomatic negotiation. Body language, rules of decorum and the literal interpretation of 'everyone coming to sit down at the table' for negotiation all applied here. Instead, she uncrossed her fingers, and talked with her hands, emphasizing her points as she spoke.

"This is a beautiful colony. And as soon as it's location is known, that means that sooner or later, the Tal'Shiar are going to find it. or religious zealots, or conservative republicans or someone who has a grudge to bear against reunification. I think we can all agree on that, given that you've remained hidden until now, working to avoid being detected by said agency." Paris waved an acquiescence, then pressed on.

"Exposing this colony would endanger it, and the Federation is loathe to do that if they cannot offer the colony protection. Which they cannot, because it is across the Neutral Zone, and this space belongs, according to their militarily enforced claim and the treaty we both signed, to the Romulan Star Empire. My being in Romulan space makes me a wanted fugitive, as I am considered to be committing an act of war, thus I am a war criminal in the eyes of Romulus. Which, I understand, is not the name of your motherworld. I'd like to qualify that I use the term as that's what's on all of the treaties. Apparently, no one cared enough about the treaty to correct Starfleet?" Paris shrugged, coughed, then continued meandering to her point.

"The point being that we- the Federation, Starfleet- we can't help you if a political enemy goes after you once you are exposed. Not unless a lot of policy changes come about. But I do have an idea which I think might just work. Something we could use to prove logically that reunification can succeed- hopefully thrive, but we'll see. I propose... an experiment."

Brows arched, Paris smiled, that smile that could sell a used hoverlift. "We have the greatest scientists in the galaxy on planet Vulcan. We have a planet very close to the neutral zone, only three-quarters of a light-year away. Avoided for just that reason. A binary star, if there's some poetry to be found in the cosmos. Its name on our star charts is Beto 569. We have a mixed lot of idealists who want to give living with the Vulcans a try. If we set the experiment on the Federation side- as Vulcan is a Federation founder after all- we can protect the colony and give the experiment every chance. We can see if the two cultures can get along together on a small scale. Because if the two cultures can mix once more, and do so successfully..."

Spreading her hands, Paris made her point. "The logic and knowledge of the Vulcans with the intuition, passion and drive of the Rihannsu?"

"That could change a world."

"That could change an empire."

"That could change the galaxy."

"Maybe. Possibly. Or you might not be able to stand one another, and you might remember why the Great Schism came about in the first place. Might be disastrous, we all admit. But," Rita Paris waved that finger in the air. "I think we owe it to the galaxy to find out. That, with lots of ancillary material that I can hand you for review, is the core of the federation's position and proposal. Thank you." With that, Paris sat back, crossed her legs in scissoring motion and smiled demurely. Raising her brows, she turned to Sonak, as the representative of the Vulcan High Council.

The Kolinarh master waited a moment before speaking.

''History tells us that the Sundering occurred because the teachings of Surak had been rejected by some, and these chose to move out and build their own society away from an inevitably changing Vulcan. Now, what we are seeing is the descendants of those dissidents wishing to learn more about what their forebears had rejected. What would be changed, if it is that it could change anything, remains to be seen.''

He was looking at his colleagues as well as he was looking at the Romulans.

''To learn about a way of life is one thing; to accept it is another. To embrace it is an even bigger step. Since the teachings of Surak is fundamentally based on the denial of emotion as a driving force, it is illogical to assume that such teachings and the... passions of the Rihansuu will merge; only that they could at best coexist within a given society, just like Vulcans and Humans do within the United Federation of Planets.''

He paused to let that sink in before continuing.

''There will be individuals who will wish to learn of Vulcan and it's ways; some might even wish to embrace it, if only for a time. others will want to ignore it and continue on with their lives will others will reject it outright; just as there are some Vulcans who wish to part from the ways of Surak or simply to experience something else. As an enlightened society, we all should allow, even support this; thus, the real objective here should be to promote and uphold overture, exchange, and sharings as freely and as openly as possible, within the constraints of all cultures involved. To employ an image, all should be allowed to do in Rome as the Romans do... and that all roads that can lead to and from Rome should be open.''

He took the time to let them reflect upon his words before concluding.

''The Rihansuu will never become Vulcans, nor Vulcan turn into an extension of the Empire. Neither is foreseeable nor desirable. But just like Vulcans, Humans, Andorians, Tellarites, and over a hundred different cultures learned to share and follow common goals in common ways without abandoning what they were, so can the Rihansuu join the brotherhood of the stars... on their own terms... starting with their distant cousins.''

Listening intently, majority leader Khaiell glanced to Okhala and Avilh and they nodded to each other. As they did, Khaiell tented his fingers and raised an eyebrow. “We are Rihannsu. We acknowledge our roots and we have spent over forty years here studying them and seeking a balance between our passions and the logic we have come to accept is needed to temper that passion. Ultimately, all we seek is the freedom to live as we have chosen.”

Then, he looked at Dox, whose expression was one of hidden but evident anxiety as she knew the floor was going to be hers. “While we expect that continued negotiations with all parties will be difficult, our primary concern is the august body that you have been sent to represent, delegate Dox.”

Taking a light breath, Dox swallowed. Her throat was dry and the room seemed inordinately quiet as she began to speak. “The… the Tal’Shiar has thrived in many forms on ch’Rihan for generations. And many times, it’s influence has been curbed by the will of the Rihannsu people for a time until old fears resurface and fuel the conditions that allow them to return to power.”

“Right now, that… that pendulum has swung back towards the people realizing that the Tal’Shiar is a representation of a problem that has been ingrained in… in our people since the sundering. The reunification movement was halted during Shinzon’s uprising, but the people of ch’Rihan know that much of their current freedoms are owed to the Federation for removing him from power and asking nothing in return.” Dox’s voice was hoarse and gravely as she started, building in strength as she spoke.

“The Tal’Shiar push the belief that any change or growth will rob us of our sovereignty and what makes us Rihannsu. That peace will weaken the Empire and take away our individuality. They believe the Federation is no different from the Borg and seek to assimilate cultures. History shows that to be a lie. The Federation peace with the Klingon empire show that we can all co-exist and take nothing from each other.”

“These are relationships that only strengthen us all, and the Tal’Shiar want to keep that reality from the people of ch’Rihan. But the Tal’Shiar is not ch’Rihan. The Tal’Shair is not the Senate. The people want peace and freedom. But as long as the fear of the other is ingrained in the Rihannsu heart, the Tal’Shiar and their kind will always have roots on the hearthworlds.” Dox said, her voice growing in strength. “I, and many others, believe that the principles of logic can help to allow us as a people to move past old fears and xenophobia. Logic as a candle in the dark against old fears.”

Taking a moment to sip her tea and wet her painfully dry throat, Dox glanced at Rita, trying to remind herself that she could do this and not make the situation worse. With a breath, she looked up at the light coming in the dome and nodded. “This world is thriving. There is peace here and cultural growth that I would… very much like to see more of while we’re here. Because the Senate and the people need to know that the great experiment can succeed.”

“There was a proposal that passed in the Senate. The vote was slim and not without protest, but in the end, the Senate has approved efforts to foster the reunification colonies. They are viewing this as an experiment to witness for themselves if our cultures can coexist. If we can benefit from such a lifestyle. If other can benefit from such a union opening what we have created as a culture being something that can finally be shared.”

“Legally, all reunification colony worlds have been granted provisional legally protected status in the Senate, pending further talks and data. I…” Dox wanted to rub the tip of her ear nervously as she stammered slightly. “I am here to deliver that message. That the Rihannsu Senate wishes to open communication towards the goal of seeing if the efforts of this world can be expanded and eventually included as a protected world in the Imperium.”

“That said, what will be done on ch’Rihan will depend on the message that… that I will have to deliver back to the Senate, and I agree with Commander Paris’ proposal and the reasoning. Currently, there is… conflict between the Military and the Tal’Shair, and opening this colony while that conflict remains unresolved would result in disaster. If the success already apparent here can be replicated on Beto 569 or a world in Federation space that can be actively protected for the Rihannsu people to see, it will give the Senate more leverage to claim ch’Rihan from the grip of the Tal’Shiar, perhaps for good this time. This is what I’d like to tell them.”

Putting her hands flat on the tabled, Dox waited to see what the council had to say, her heart in her throat. And the wait was more than a little drawn out as the three councilmembers took in the young Starfleet officer sent to represent the Senate that once had outlawed their very existence.

The female Rihannsu secretary of the colony's council, Avilh, was the first to speak as the other two thought over what they had heard. "Those in the senate may see it that way... And so may the people... But I worry that they'll see it as a trick by the Federation. Lies, deceit, and distrust are ingrained in many Rihannsu hearts and I worry that that is what they will interpret reports of a new colony with a different way of life to be. Especially one in Federation space."

"I can see this is going to be a difficult vote, split between hope and worry," Khaiell replied with a soft smile and a pat on his wife's hand. "I think I'll hope for such a future, whether it be here or at Beto 569."

"Well, the idea is to experiment with a colony. Representative Dox raises valid points that will be against it being in Federation controlled space. Since it's so close to the Neutral Zone we might seek the grant from the Federation Council an aisle of approved traffic into Federation territory, which would likely involve some sophisticated scanning emplacements to insure no sneaking. All hypothetical at this stage and all of it still needs t be ratified by the august body that I represent in these proceedings." Pausing, Rita considered if the Captain had been here. She would have been distrustful in herself, ever feeling herself the outcast. But this sort of out of the box problem solving was her specialty, and Enalia would have had a good idea or two for this. Wish you coulda been here, Cap'n.

There would always be a next time, at least for now.

"I propose that we seek volunteers from both cultures- here on Mol Krun'chi, from interested parties with Vulcan and... " The amateur diplomat wagged that finger again. "In a perfect world we invite some from Romulus itself, in order to balance the experiment. But to invite that is to invite the interference of the Tal Shiar. Which may very well sabotage the experiment because it is highly probable that they would literally sabotage the experiment to turn it into a propaganda win."

"But in all fairness, is it wrong of us to exclude anyone from your homeworld itself, out of fear of the opposition? Should we, from a moral standpoint include them, to show that their ideology cannot withstand the blending of cultures? I mean, it really makes the experiment a longshot, but..." Sitting back in her chair again, the time-tossed temptress spread her hands, fingers splayed. "Would it be the right thing to do?"

Turning to her shipmate who was representing her planet in diplomatic negotiations for the first time- A career of firsts. Next time mention that to them when they start figuring things out. Eh, I probably said something like that to her somewhere along the way.... "Miss Dox, this is your bailiwick. Your thoughts?

The young, politically inexperienced Starfleet pilot looked over at Rita, and then back to the delegates. "I have to say, thinking of your point, that in my heart I agree. We need to exercise considerable caution here, but if we exclude Rihannsu from any proposed initiative, I feel like we would be... undercutting our efforts. Like Representative Avilh said, there will be too many that will disbelieve any successes of what we're doing. I hate to admit that it's true, but distrust is too ingrained in us culturally over too many generations to discount."

"Somehow, we will need to include direct representatives from ch'Rihan that the people will trust the words of. Or at least listen to. There are a great many reunification supporters still wanting to get away from the Hearthworld, but..." Dox swallowed hard at the implications of the thought that was occurring to her as she forced out the words. "Senator... Senator t'Rul made this proposal. I... I may need to consult with her... and the Senate... regarding a standard by which candidates from ch'Rihan herself for any proposed new colony could be vetted. She is as invested in NOT allowing the Tal'Shiar to sabotage these efforts as we are, I believe. That all said, you're right. It would be the right thing to do. If we aren't willing to stand for our ideology here, how could we expect others too?"

"An excellent point. Representative Dox. Well said," Paris beamed at Dox in genuine pride and admiration. "Ambas- Representative Sonak," Paris mended as she redirected, after a slip of the tongue from a possible future she'd heard once. "Your thoughts, as pertains to the perspective of Vulcan?"

Sonak nodded.

''As far as Vulcan is concerned, the Planetary Council wants to support all means of exchange that would be deemed satisfying to those in the Empire wishing to do so; be it only a simple transfer of data. Of course, there are security concerns even if it were merely for subspace communications, let alone actual movements of people. I imagine a secured lane of contact, similar to the current Treaty of the Neutral Zone, would have to be implemented within both territories and managed by each government. In our case, that would be the specific concern of Starfleet Command within Federation territory. Therefore, it is imperative that both our governments be in full knowledge and agreement with this effort. As part of the founding members of the Federation, Vulcan has a significant voice, and a favorable one to this endeavor. We are ready and willing for contact. The work must now be emphasized on the Rihansuu side.''

"If I may redirect," Paris qualified, "more to the issue of adding peoples from Romulus itself, Mister Sonak. As there is the markedly high probability of inviting Tal'Shiar influence to the experiment, what is the perspective of Vulcan on that matter is more our interest in this specific case?"

''Vulcan has now centuries of experience in direct contact with emotional species. It is fully open to any people wishing to share in the Vulcan way of life, culture and customs. On the specific issue of security, that is what the Neutral Zone corridor I suggested refers to. In these matters, Vulcan defers to Starfleet, as is the rule in the Federation. But that is only pertaining to Federation territory and citizens. For the Romulans themselves and their territory, it can only be, and must be, addressed by them. Anything else would be direct interference with their society, a stance that is not acceptable either by Federation or Vulcan laws and principles.''

“A very valid point, Representative Sonak,” Paris replied, seeing the subtlety of the statement. “All right, that seems to be agreed then, at least by the delegates. What are your thoughts, Mol Kru’nchi Council? As we concoct our possibilities and plans, your input is very much necessary to these proceedings.”

"I think that at this point, with all the arguments that you've made, we have a very good starting point," Khaiell said with a warm smile. "I don't foresee there being an issue with any of these propositions passing through the council, or there being a lack of volunteers on our side. In fact, I'd also like to propose the director for this new colony, at least initially, be elected from here by the colonists of Mol Krun'chi. I think it would foster more trust and understanding that way."

"I'd also like the new colony to be declared a sort of exclusion zone," Okhala added, folding his hands in front of him. "The safety of the colony must be taken seriously and thus I would prefer that a third party be responsible for it. The Federation and Empire should have embassies, yes... But I propose actual colony and system security be handled by the locals and by those that we've trusted since the founding of this colony. The Artans."

While she was there as a representative of the Rihannsu Senate, Mnhei'sahe was also still an Artan Baroness, and felt confident in replying in this instant, "I can say with confidence that Maenek t'Liun would agree to this and we can present this proposal to the Queen Regent as well if all parties agree."

"I believe the Federation can cede to a third party, and given the proposal that the colonist volunteers from Mon'Krun'chi be directing the efforts, the request for third-party mediation from a party outside the Federation does complicate things somewhat, but not unduly. In regard to the relationship the colony has enjoyed with the Artan fleet, it seems like a logical evolution of their relationship. Mister Sonak, your thoughts?"

It was obvious by his fixated stare that the Vulcan had been thinking. His facial expression did not alter, however, when he spoke.

''To be effective, a neutral third party must be recognized as such by all parties directly involved in a dispute or negotiation. There are direct connections between the Artans and the Federation; our own Captain, serving in Starfleet, attests to that. Logically, anyone opposing these talks would see this as a disqualifying factor, regardless of the fact that some of the Artans might even be serving in the Imperial Navy. Both indicate direct interest in what happens here.''

He looked at everyone, finishing with Rita, as he concluded.

''What you would need is someone recognized by both parties as incorruptible; someone having absolutely no direct interest whatsoever in what happens in or to both the Federation and the Empire; and someone who is indubitably interested that both galactic powers benefit equally from such talks.''

"I can see your point, Mr. Sonak. Have you such a neutral third party in mind?" Paris asked.

He looked pointedly at her.

''The first one that comes to mind are those who planted the seeds and predicted the current friendship between such seemingly opposing societies as that of the Federation and the Klingon Empire.''

Raising an eyebrow, Mnhei'sahe was confused for a moment by the cryptic reply. But she was curious and ran through her academy training as best as she could and nervously interjected "Commander Sonak, please forgive me, but who are you referring to? My first thought from history would be... the Organians? The beings that ended the war between the Klingons and the Federation?

Sonak nodded.

''Of all beings in the universe, they are the most dedicated to universal peace and totally detached from our material existence, yet, still concerned about the well being of all living things. No one would accuse them of taking any side but that of peaceful coexistence for all. And they have the power to instantly stop anything or anyone that would try to interfere in an effort to promote galactic peace and cooperation. They are the most logical choice. The difficulty however would be to convince them of the necessity to get involved. When they did so on the eve of the second Federation-Klingon war that in the end never happened, it was because their own chosen space was to be in the middle of it and they had been dragged into it. Those circumstances are not present at this time.''

"It's an interesting proposition, Representative Sonak, but..." Paris chose her words carefully, the out of date explorer attempting to define without appearing to undermine. "Do we have a means of contacting and communicating with the Organians? I'm a bit behind the times, but I don't believe they maintain embassy representation of any sort in the Federation, nor to they particularly respond to entreaties for intervention in matters such as these. Or has that changed since the last report I read about them which was, admittedly, a very long time ago, and may not have played out the same way locally."

''Contacting them is easy enough; they never barred anyone from going to Organia, '' Sonak pointed out.'' In fact, they made this world expressly in order to interact with our material form of life. Proposing to them to arbitrate in the interest of galactic peace might appeal to them as they abhor violence even beyond this made-up world. That is the whole point of the Peace Treaty Zone that makes for the borders between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Then again, they might wish to have nothing to do with our affairs. There is no way of telling except go and ask them. They make the best logical choice as arbiters and moderators; but their thinking may not deem itself bound by any such logic. Again, we can only ask them.''

"That is an intriguing prospect, Representative Sonak. All of these are fascinating options and we can certainly discuss all of these as potential directions further.” Avilh interjected with a raised eyebrow, clearly invested in the many directions on the table. “But with all that said, the specifics of how we choose to move forward can be worked out in detail as we go. Right now, the decision we must make is if we choose to go down this path or choose to remain hidden as we are. These decisions will not be made with only we in this room, but must from here go to our council of twelve and to the people themselves. And to that point, we have questions to ask and additional concerns to address to ensure that Mol Krun’chi may maintain it’s sovereignty, humble though it may be.”

And with a nod from the majority and minority leaders, the questions began. The leading councilmembers of the Mol Krun’chi government ran through a gauntlet of questions that stretched throughout much of the day, with Rita, Sonak and Mnhei’sahe keeping pace, answering where they could and doing their best to represent the interests of each of the governments involved. Ultimately, each would have to structure reports on the meetings to send to the Federation, the Vulcan High Command, and the Rihannsu Senate, summarizing the relevant details of the meeting so that each government could decide how it chose to go forward.

As day turned into afternoon and then into evening, the meeting eventually reached a conclusion for the day that all involved was satisfied had been productive as they created the first steps on a plan that, as Rita Paris had suggested, could eventually change the face of the galaxy as it had been known. But for now, the time for such discussions had ended as The Council Leader rose from the humble table. “Representatives, Majority, and Minority leaders, I thank you for your great efforts here today. I am confident, that in spite of the many obstacles that we still face, that what we have discussed here might well be the building blocks of something unique. But for now, I’m sure we all hunger, and we have made arrangments for… something of a banquet.”

The majority leader, Okhala, interjected. “Indeed. We have met as representatives and as officials. Now, let us break bread as friends.”

"That sounds perfect," Paris agreed. "We've covered a lot of ground today, proposed some very interesting ideas, and we've all got a lot to think about, and to transmit to our respective bodies. But after the first day, I must say, I feel... hopeful."

Looking around the table, the unlikely diplomat hoped to see agreement. In the faces of the assembled representatives, all talking in the attempt to build a better future, she saw that hope reflected, which encouraged her. If things continued on this path, it seemed they might just have a rendezvous with destiny after all.

Built on hope.