Posted by Commander Garinder’Jen th’Jir (Executive Officer) in [AE] - Deck 29 section 14

Posted by Commander Garinder’Jen th’Jir (Executive Officer) in [AE] - Deck 29 section 14
snip

The others. The Romulans? Did they send a ship to them too? “Respectfully I would have preferred the Captain to have addressed you. I am not as skilled as she in this important matter. However she, like much of the crew, myself included, were injured in the .. event, she more than I. She commands the extensive repairs that are being made from the bridge. However, even if she was able, as we did not know at all who was trying to enter our vessel, I would have been sent to see.”

Typical of the Romulans to say that, he thought. “In truth, the others, the Romulans and us have not often agreed. They would consider us rivals.” He looked to the others about him then back to Lothrel. “I will not speak ill of them for you will be placed in a position of judgment with no true criteria but what we say here. We extend our hands in friendship and name a proverb that is common through many of the worlds in our Federation, that wisdom is proved right by her actions. I am hopeful that you will judge us good.”
- Jen, XO

The Narvhalarian leader, Lothrel, considered Jen’s words carefully. His large, expressive eyes blinked slowly as he digested the information, his gaze shifting briefly to the other Narvhalarians around him. The deep, rhythmic cadence of their alien language filled the space once more as they conversed among themselves in tones too complex for the universal translator to fully comprehend.

Finally, Lothrel returned his attention to Jen. “We are a people who hold peace and harmony above all else,” he began, his voice calm and measured. “Our society values life in all its forms and seeks to maintain balance, even when faced with the unknown. We do not wish to take sides in the conflicts of others, for it is not our way to judge or to intervene in disputes where we do not belong.”

Jen nodded slowly. Wise words, if somewhat naive.

He paused, his gaze steady as he continued. “Our people are divided. There are those among us who wish to remain isolated, hidden from the wider galaxy, content with the lives we have built beneath the waves. Yet, there are others who see the stars and dream of exploration, who believe that we have much to learn and much to offer.”

That too was a constant among nearly all peoples. Some wanting what was and to stay put. Others seeking the stars, in this case literally.

Lothrel’s tone softened, a hint of something like sadness or regret creeping into his voice. “We will offer you our help, as best we can we know your technology is far superior, as we have done for the others—the Romulans, as you call them, we believe we know what has happened to your ship and we will be willing to share our findings. But after that, you must leave our system until the day comes when we are ready to take our place among the stars. Until then, we cannot risk the peace and harmony we cherish so dearly.”

“We welcome your help, and, in the interaction I hope we may find a rapport between us, that while it is momentary, would not be forgotten.”

The finality in his words was unmistakable, and yet there was no malice in his tone. Lothrel was not issuing a demand or a threat; he was simply stating a truth that his people had agreed upon. The Narvhalarians would assist the Atlantis to the best of their technological abilities, but they would not be drawn into the conflicts of the galaxy beyond. They would remain true to their ways, until they were ready to step out into the wider universe on their own terms.

Gamemaster Narwhal the nefarious
GMT
USS Atlantis

“We will, of course, honor your wishes.” Jen was thinking hard. They would honor them but the Romulans. Would they? Would they see what happened as a way of configuring it into a weapon? Or to use the resources of the Narvhalarians to benefit them? Sometimes he detested the prime directive but he felt there was a foot in the door. They had undertaken a successful warp flight. They had met them. They were not infringing upon them, and engineering could replicate an older model subspace transmitter that would be nearer to their own technology so as to not be giving advanced tech. “Lothrel, would it go against your wishes if we were to offer you a transmitter, a communications device, for you to have, that, should you come to wish to step out, you may contact us.” Jen was also thinking of the Romulans should they come a knocking they may find they need help.
- Jen, XO

Lothrel took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered Jen’s proposal. The Narvhalarians conversed once more, their melodic voices filling around again. It was clear that they were deliberating the implications of accepting such a gift.

Lothrel finally spoke, his tone measured and deliberate. “We understand the spirit in which you offer this device, Jen of Atlantis. But before we can accept such a gift, we must bring the matter before our Council. It is they who guide our people in matters of such importance. We will need to discuss whether accepting this transmitter aligns with our commitment to peace and our desire to remain apart from the conflicts of the wider galaxy.”

“Of course,” Jen said. They were evidently a more collective of a people. Jen had thought he was the voice of the council to speak for them but apparently it did not go that far.

He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. “In the meantime, my crew will show you our energy casing technology. We believe it will prevent any further damage to your vessel from the Aethrilium’s effects. It is a solution that has served us well for many cycles, and we hope it will help you as well.”

“You again have our gratitude for this,” Jen said sincerely.

Lothrel then added, “To address the Council directly, we will need to establish a communications portal. I assume you have a technology to reach ours if you possess a powerful enough transmitter to reach your home?.”

Gamemaster Narwhal the nefarious
GMT
USS Atlantis

Jen winced. “We do, if our external communications are working,” he said. “Please, allow me a moment to check.” This will look real bad if we don’t have something that can get to the planet, he thought.

He tapped his communicator =^= Bridge, Engineering. Do we have external communications. I am speaking with a Narvhalarian delegation here. Lothrel, their speaker, would like to speak with their Council. Are we repaired sufficiently to do this?=^= He paused for a moment =^= Additionally, Lothrel offers assistance in repairs. Please begin coordinating engineering teams to work with theirs. =^= He wanted to say more but for now that was all he felt he could say.
- Jen, XO

Engineering replied .. =/\=Engineering here. I do not see why we would not have external communications unless the material is causing it not to work. I requested to have someone speak to the Narvhalarian to see if they had any advice on how to counteract the material from effecting our systems.=/\=

Jen frowned. He was utterly out of the loop of ‘material outside’. He had left the bridge prior to any such revelations. Sighing and feeling a headache returning from where he had struck it, he addressed Lothrel. “I’m unaware of any of this. Do you know what our engineer is saying and if it would impede communication?”
- Jen, XO

Lothrel tilted his head slightly, considering Jen’s words. “Your engineer is correct in their concern. Aethrilium’s unique properties can interfere with standard communication systems, particularly those not shielded against its specific frequencies. However, there should be no issue if you re-angle your communication array toward the outer perimeter of our city. We have a long-range sensor communication platform that should be able to receive your signal clearly.”

If done the signal would be as clear as they could make it with the odd scrambling of words and video.

Gamemaster Narwhal the nefarious
GMT
USS Atlantis