[snip]

After a pause she continued, =/\= We have heard the First’s account of what happened, though we would like to hear your own if you do not mind? Also give you and your crews thoughts on what might change or be done different were our two peoples to join more closely. =/\= She asked.

Glen found himself thrust forward, effectively into the spotlight, with little really to add than he had already told the First. Glen was very good at blather and prattle but this seemed like his final chance to make a persuasive argument to the Council to file for membership of the UFP. So, he needed to be coherent and succinct for once. He walked up to the front of the council chambers and he gathered his thoughts together. He stood at the front, keenly aware that he had the attention of the Alstairean Councillors and that what he must say had to be a really hard sell if this mission was to be successful. He paused for a few seconds before he began speaking. The emotion of the occasion running high.

He took a few seconds and then he began to speak to the Council. =/\= Good Evening. You all now must know who I am and where we come from, but I’d like to tell you I’m here. I’m excited. And I’m here to answer your messages to Space that were sent to the United Federation of Planets. We heard your calls, and now I’m here to help you to achieve the extraordinary changes that would be possible if you were to join the Federation. We’ve crossed the Galaxy to find you and now we are here. I’m really excited to get to know you, and to work even more closely with you.

The Federation that I represent is an interstellar union of multiple planetary nation-states that operate semi-autonomously under a single central government. It is founded on the principles of liberty, equality, peace, justice, and progress, with the purpose of furthering the universal rights of all sentient life. Federation members exchange knowledge and resources to facilitate peaceful cooperation, scientific development, space exploration, and mutual defence.

I been asked to comment on the event that we witnessed earlier. What I saw was your population and your emergency services reacting extremely well to circumstances that few other worlds that I know have to cope with. Some worlds need to deal with earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes, but it usually has had some impact on their development. It must have restricted you economic growth. It must be a very shocking thing to live with, causing worry and fear.

It is obvious to me that you have many problems on Alstair that we can help you with. We’ve had to rescue two of your spacecraft. Your spacecraft are dangerously primitive. We can give you access to more advanced ship engineering, safer drives, safer ships, ships that can travel further and faster. Alstair is bombarded regularly by meteorites that cause deaths and structural damage. We can protect you from these meteorite strikes both with our advanced detection systems and with the deflection or destruction of any that could be a problem. As a member you have access to Starfleet to maintain exploratory, scientific, diplomatic, and defence functions.

I understand that you have concerns about getting involved in interplanetary wars, but you have already joined the interplanetary community now. You cannot turn back time and pretend that you are alone now. Unlike its imperial rivals, who derive power from a single species subjugating other races, the Federation’s member worlds join voluntarily and are equals in the Federation’s democratic society. Your best defence is to join as an equal and to have strength in numbers as one member of the most powerful interstellar states ever known and encompassing thousands of light years. In addition, we are now at peace with our main adversary from the previous century, the Klingon Empire. Following a conference held a decade ago, we signed the Khitomer Accords, which effectively ended hostile relations, and have begun an unprecedented period of peace.

Now, I appreciate that you will require time to think about the offer I bring. You will need to consider carefully how Federation culture, values, technology and ideology may clash with your own, but I urge you to join us sooner than later. However, whatever you choose, we won’t leave you stranded should you decide not to join. We will always hold out the hand of friendship to you, member or not. And we can still provide the help you need for your space fleet and against the meteorite strikes.

So, I ask you only to go back to your communities, discuss this with your peers, and let’s get your world admitted as quickly as possible. Thank you for allowing me to speak here today. =/\=

-Glen, CO

Hal waited until he was absolutely sure that the open channel was closed and that it wouldn’t broadcast his remarks.

“Captain,” he said softy so that he wouldn’t get overheard, “Those dangerously primitive spacecraft represent the cutting edge technology of these people.”

CoS

“They have Warp Drive,” Glen replied to Hal, “that’s the only criteria we use! Don’t ask me why. Blame the Vulcans! They do have a great rapid transport system and wonderful architecture. They just haven’t made the same advances in other technologies… and we can help there. The Klingons know of a species from a planet called Pakled. They have significantly less advanced technology and no one can quite understand how they’ve got into space at all. The Alstaireans are not Pakleds. They will learn quickly.”

-Glen, CO

There was a long pause before the UT translated the speech for the Council speaker. =/\= Thank you Captain Glen for that concise and though speech on the advances your Federation could bring to our people. =/\= She said.

After another pause the UT picked up again. =/\= It is the decision of this Council that your offer for aide given our current long standing troubles with asteroids, comets, and such hitting our planet, would be a welcome gift. In exchange we are prepared to provide an exchange of unknown word, possible mercantile good name, the UT stated and other commodities that we have much surplus in. As well as stellar records of this region near out home system dating back 200 of our years. We would also be open to a limited mercantile exchange and visitation of both our peoples with certain conditions which can be discussed at a later time with your superiors. =/\= She went on.

Again there was a pause before the UT picked up again, =/\= However, the other decision of this Council is we need to better evaluate how our presence in your stellar community and more would impact us and any alliances more deeply we would make. Please understand this is not a dim view of your people or presence, we simply are slow to make large scale changes without fully judging their impact in much longer terms given our extended life cycles to your own shorter lived races. =/\= She went on. =/\= Perhaps in 30....maybe 50 or more stellar cycles provided things which we previous mentioned have gone well we can revisit your offer of joining your Federation. Do you have any other questions, comments, or concerns?=/\= She asked.

GM CockRoach