[snip]

”..Well not unless you think your medical folks can cure brain damage? I suppose it wouldnt hurt for someone to take a look but we got surely more important things to discuss first off.” She said.

“We have advanced quite a bit since we began sharing our medical knowledge within the Federation. We may be able to do something but yes, lets keep moving.”

”..Well like I said if you think you can help her then go ahead, but you are also right let us discuss such minor things later..” she replied

Entering around a corner the trio came into a large rectangular room with a half moon shape contour overhead. Along the 9 row seat table were 6 men and 3 other women. All running from age of late 30s to early 50s. The folks they had met earlier were present but also some new faces. Taking her seat at the end of the table, Carolina gestured for the pair to sit in one of the six visitor chairs opposite the Council. “..Please sit..” she offered.

”..Councilors may I pres—..” She began but one of the new men present spoke interrupting.

”..Mayor Carolina surely these, folks can introduce themselves. I for one would prefer it rather then have you do so..” he said all eyes turning to let the pair speak first. “..As well as in their own words why they are here..”

“I can handle it,” Naana nodded at Carolina before turning to the others at the table. “I am Lt Cmdr Naana Bav Glindorsh, First Officer of the USS Unity. The last time this planet was contacted by us, we were the Coalition of Planets. I’m happy to say that after the war, Andoria, Vulcan, Earth and of course Tellar decided that intergrating further would make us stronger. So I am now here before you as a representative of the United Federation of Planets,” she then paused to gauge the reaction of the room.

Silence was the initial response, visually they seemed mostly indifferent, though a few flashes of soured looks were in some of the eyes of the council members.

Breaking the quiet Carolina said, “..Please go on Ms Gilndorsh..” She said

“After the war with the Romulans, this planet became Independent. We are now here to see what assistance we can render and whether you would be interested in once again opening up diplomatic channels and joining us in the Federation.”

One man to the far right of the table spoke, “..And what makes your ‘Federation’ so sure they could protect this colony any better then the Coalition did in the War? It seems every time we had contact with Earth we have had nothing but problems!” He said getting a few nods from the others.

A woman to the middle left spoke, “..Fire Marshall Councilor Mr. Charles is right, the first time Earth found us their ‘landing team’ woke up those alien drone ships from the forth moon! That little ‘mistake’ of theirs killed 23 of our own and damaged beyond repair our only remaining inter system colony ship! Then when we grudgingly agreed to provide supplies for the war effort the Coalition couldn’t muster the ships to repel the Romulans from landing their troops to our colony and killing almost 100 of our own! Good men, women, children! Not to mention then the orbital bombing! Killed 300 more miners on our mining facilities in system!..” She said. “..They ran when we needed them most! And it was only by the mercy of the Star Empire they didn’t do worse to us after we sued for peace!” she said.

Carolina spoke up, “..Councilors, with all respect, as we saw the Star Empire had better supply lines at the time during that war. Then what the Coalition did, not to mention they were trying to fight on multiple fronts as you all knew!..” she said.

”..Oh come now Mayor.” Another man said, this on the former Lord Byrons they met earlier. “..The Vulcans from what we heard with their ‘great ships’ hardly contributed to the war effort! Wanting to remain neutral, the Andorians and Tellarites from what we heard were mostly keeping to their own system this Coalition was hardly united as they tried to put up, and Earth’s Starfleet and their MACOs surely werent cut out for defending us alone! I personally can not believe this Federation is any different, same faces, different name, same sad ending if you ask me!” He said.

Carolina it seems didn’t have much to reply with and the grumbles and mutters of the other Councilors in agreement with Byron, the woman and Charles seemed to be putting the meeting against the offer of help.

Naana was getting irritated. Did they think that she and her people did nothing in the war? “Councillors, there are countless families from Andoria, Tellar and Vulcan who have lost people in the war so please stop acting like humanity are special. Perhaps the news didn’t reach all the way to this backwater here but we gave it our all at Cheron and managed to force the Romulans to negotiate. We did that together. Vulcan, Andorian, Tellarite. Human. Infact, that is why the Federation exists. Because it is better to work together than it is to not. The Coalition was an alliance. This is a political and military union. An attack against Andoria is an attack against Earth. An attack against Earth is an attack against Tellar. There are people back home who would love to connect and meet with you again but if you are content to stay alone here then that’s fine. Don’t come crying to us if someone else takes a shining to your world.”

It seems for a moment Naana’s words had so shocked the assembled Concilors into silence!

The doors opened just as Naana was finishing up. Myasnikov took a look around, gauging reactions and trying to assess the overall mood in the room to the Tellerite’s somewhat ‘unconventional’ diplomacy techniques. He assumed by the terseness in her word choice the discussion was going… well, not easily. He moved next to her and said in a normal tone loud enough so those around them could him hear “Um, hey Commander. What did I miss while I was fixing the sensor and comm systems? They are fully functional now, Ma’am. Oh, and the derelict ships are being towed into stable orbit as we speak. That should help these fine people salvage much more efficiently.”

Myasnikov’s entrance seemed to break the sudden dead silence, and Carolina took the moment to speak up, “..Ah Councilors you see? These folks are already helping us with asking for nothing in return. The salvage alone being moved to a stable orbit would mean an easier time for us to stand on our own in the future. Now too with the long and short range comm and sensor systems online we can better prepare to protect ourselves too if we wanted. I am sure their efforts elsewhere would also bore fruit to help us would you not say?” the Mayor said.

There was a moment of mumbling among the Councilors across the table from them, one of the men who had not yet spoken stood up taking the center of attention for now, “…If I may speak then,” He said getting nods from the others, the man seemed in his late 80s maybe early 90s even. Yet still seemed quite hearty for such an old man. “..I remember unlike many of you the days growing up on Earth, times and years not long after the Vulcans first made contact with us. These were times as our history books in the school here at the colony Earth and humanity was still recovering from World War 3 that had almost wiped us out from existence by our own stupidity. Now..” he said hitching his fingers in his worn suspenders, “..I admit I was one of the first to balk at helping the Coalition in the War with those Romulans, and I also admit after the attack felt justified in our agreement with them to remain isolated once more. But it seems to me unlike the Coalition that wanted us to join whether we liked it or not if you ask me, given how forceful that Captain Stimpits was on the SS Colly was. These folks…” he said with a gesture, “..seem a bit more hospitable to me.” he said pausing for a moment.

”..What is your point Councilor?” Lord Byrons said.

”..My point Lord Byron, is that whether we choose to join this new Federation of there’s or not shouldnt matter, what does matter is what form our colony takes in the galaxy around us. Whether we join or not the galaxy will move on around us. We lack any sizable means of expanding without help, and you must admit if the Orions or those Naussicans ever chose to act on their strong arming ‘words of peace’ they keep saying the past months when they ‘were just passing by’, we are ill equipped to defend ourselves. No matter how much you think otherwise..” He went on.

”..Bah, the Orions are but merchants! Tough I admit, but they just want to see their bottom line met, a bit of true negoiations with them would see us cut a fair deal for both parties I am sure!” Byron said.

”..Maybe so, but what about the Naussicans? What if they are not so willing to tow the line that their seemingly Orion masters set hmm?” the old man challenged.

”..Bah, those brutes hardly had the ships to challenge a decently armed Earth Merchant ship before we came out here! Only in groups or whatever were they a threat. We can handle them..” he said.

The old councilor was about to reply again when a chirp came from the XO’s communicator....

GM CockRoach