A Fragile Peace

Posted on Thu Apr 24th, 2025 @ 3:48pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Commander Jörgen Leed

2,560 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: DS18, Sickbay

[ON]

The dimmed overhead lights softened the harsh edges of sickbay but could not dull the sharp sounds of battle. While Jem'Hadar ships, Jörgen stood near Harren’s biobed, hands clasped behind his back as he observed the shallow rhythm of his aide’s breathing. Leed exhaled slowly, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose as distant impacts shivered through the structure of DS18. His mind was already shifting to the next problem, the next move, when he noticed the Klingon in his periphery.

“Chief B'rala, I understand why you are here, but perhaps there is a higher priority?” Jörgen gestured vaguely toward the muted sounds of station-wide alerts echoing through the corridors. “I am a diplomat, not a tactician. Unless the Dominion suddenly wishes to negotiate terms, I see no need for the Firebird's Master-at-Arms to be here.” His tone was measured but stretched taut, not from her presence but from the fact that they were once again under siege. “Surely there is more honor in fighting the Jem'Hadar than shadowing a diplomat in a sickbay.”

B'rala shifted her stance. She was uncomfortable around Commander Leed. She had a hard time being around people who talked so much. Some of that was because he spoke about things that she didn't always understand.

"Sir, Captain Llwyedd specifically told me to stay with you. He believes that your life is still in danger. I will die before I let anyone hurt you," B'rala said in a harsh voice. And she meant it. Captain Llwyedd was her commander, and she respected his personal bravery. She would not fail him.

"I do not doubt your resolve, Chief, nor your willingness to lay down your life if necessary," said Jörgen. He noted the tension in her stance and the edge in her words. She was uncomfortable, but she was resolute. That, he could respect. He inclined his head slightly. "Very well, I trust Commander Llwyedd. Death is not the objective. You are here to ensure that neither of us dies. That means thinking before striking and measuring the battlefield before engaging. I trust you will act accordingly."

"I cannot die with honor if I act foolishly, sir. I am a trained warrior of House Seeth. I know when to fight and when to withdraw," B'rala said and then paused a moment before continuing. "Captain Llwyedd said much the same to me as well."

The Chief Warrant Officer cocked her head and moved closer to the closed door. "I heard that your aide fought valiantly. You should take solace in knowing that if he dies, he has earned a seat at a table in Sto'Vo'Kor. Is his battle prowess common in diplomats?"

"No, most diplomats are too busy, or they view martial training as a secondary skill." Jörgen's fingertips barely rested on the edge of Harran's bed. "Harran is a bonded Trill, which grants him a tremendous source of knowledge--useless in battle without courage, and Harren fought bravely. My training has lapsed from when I lived among the Klingons."

B'rala frowned. "You lived among my people? Where did you stay?" She asked, trying to imagine the Chief Diplomat living anywhere in Klingon space. The aide, perhaps, but the aging human?

"I was stationed on Starbase 234, my mission was diplomacy, but I quickly learned that words alone do not open Klingon doors." A degree of coolness entered Jörgen's voice. "After some events on Narendra III, I trained with General Krel epetai-Marak and Captain Vekta, daughter of Koth, both veterans of the Romulan invasion. Why is my being stationed there so surprising to you?"

B'rala shrugged. "I've been aboard the Firebird as long as you have, and I've never heard a word about this. Did you not enjoy your time among Klingons?" She asked, but before Commander Leed could reply,y there was a loud banging noise and the sound of yelling outside the door.

The Master-At-Arms drew her phaser with one hand and a wicked-edged knife with the other. "Commander, I am going to ask you to step away from the biobed and move to my left so that if anything comes through this door, you are out of the line of sight."

Heeding B'rala, Jörgen sidestepped back and to her left. He noted that the medical staff stayed at their stations, alert and poised to move. Quickly. Jem'Hadar weren't likely to knock or yell; they would have made a hole in the door by now.

He listened more closely and made out the word vrekkal more than once, with the vocal tonality the Ygin called chree-Vak, which Ygin might use to inflect emergencies. As Jörgen understood it, the speakers called for peace with urgency. Help. One also called out the word gorthann. Jörgen huffed.

"These are not raiders, B'rala. Open the door," said Jörgen. "They are asking for help."

B'rala didn't like the situation. Commander Leed assumed everything was negotiable. She knew otherwise. Sometimes you had to stick your batleth in someone and watch the life drain from their eyes. That was how you protected people under your protection. She looked at Commander Leed. His gaze never wavered. She sighed.

"Very well, sir. But I will not allow them inside without checking them for weapons." She didn't wait for a reply. She tapped on the access panel, and the door slid open. B'rala moved to block any entrance, taking in the sight of four aliens clustered together. Each of them was a different race. She had been briefed on the different members of the coalition. There was a boxy-looking alien in a metal suit from the Bendix, A small Ygin, with two heads and four arms, a tall, willowy alien from the Ambza,n and behind those three was a large alien called a Wuc, which looked like a beast of burden.

B'rala growled. "If you have any weapons, drop them now!"

The Bendix unhooked a tube from its armor and dropped it to the ground. A clatter of metal echoed through sickbay as the Wuc dropped a spear-like weapon. The Ygin and the Ambzan stood still.

The Ambzan's willowy arms moved. "We come in peace. We seek your chief negotiator." B'rala's universal translator made the Ambzan's voice sound lyrical. She looked over her shoulder at Commander Leed and waited for his orders.

Jörgen studied the four aliens, his gaze sweeping over each in turn. They created an interesting mix of viewpoints in this region. He strode to the nearest corner, motioning for the aliens to follow. This kept them away from the biobeds and gave him a small defensive advantage.

"I am Jörgen Leed, Chief Diplomatic Officer for this sector." He clasped his hands behind his back, making it clear that he was in command of the conversation. He glanced at B’rala, acknowledging her concerns with a slight nod before addressing the group again. "Your weapons will remain outside. If you have come in good faith, you will understand the need for caution." His tone left no room for debate. "Now, what do you want with me?"

B'rala followed Leed but slowly, so that when the diplomat took a position in the corner of the room, she was situated behind the four aliens. She stood with her back to one wall so that she could see the door that opened into the sickbay and the aliens, without exposing her back to an enemy. Her hand rested comfortably on her phaser.

The small, two-headed, four-armed Ygin bowed. "Diplomat Leed, I am Iril, representative for the Ygin. This is A'aurol, representative for the Abmzan Alliance. This is Bes 1, representative for the Bendix, and this is Deres Alpha, representative of the Wuc Ascendency," Iril said. "We have come to you in hopes that our peoples can negotiate a permanent peace with the Federation."

Jörgen inclined his head, his eyes moving from one alien to the next with careful precision. His face relaxed into a practiced calm, his hands folded neatly before him; his gaze was sharp, evaluating.

“Iril, A’aurol, Bes 1, and Deres Alpha,” he said, his pronunciation careful. Respectful. “Your presence here, in the midst of battle, speaks to your urgency. I am prepared to listen to your proposals and facilitate understanding; however, we have discussed peace with the Coalition more than once. What compelled you to seek me out at this moment? What assurance that this carries the endurance to see peace through to the end?”

Iril's eyes expanded as Leed spoke, as if he were attempting to see the words the diplomat spoke. When the human finished talking, the Ygin bobbed his heads.

"I will defer to A'aurol to answer your question, sir," Iril said and turned to bow to the Ambzan representative.

"Thank you, my friend," the Ambzan said in a soft, lilting phrase, and then turned to the diplomat. "Your question is pointed but fair. In order to answer it, I must needs give you some background on the Coalition." The tall Ambzan said, waving its long limbs.

"The Coalition was formed to object to the Federation's construction of this station. That part of the story you know. But it was the Lorcan and the Kyverians who came to each of us with the offer to band together. We are a peaceful people, despite what your eyes might tell you from our past encounters. The Lorcan and Kyverians are predatory races, and all of our species have fought them before. But they brought gifts of technology that were beyond what we knew. They gave them freely and asserted that they were changed peoples." The Ambzan's long face grew somber. "We had no idea that the Jem'Hadar were behind it all. Those beings are also known to us, and we have no trust in them."

The large Wuc stomped its forefoot. B'rala started and nearly drew her weapon. "The Wuc love battle. But we do not fight with Jem'Hadar. They have raided our planet continually over the past seven star cycles. We cannot carry them or any that stand with them."

"I appreciate your candor. These troubling attacks have revealed a deception not only aimed at the Federation but at your worlds as well. The Jem’Hadar and their manipulation of the Lorcan and Kyverians is a deeply troubling revelation." Jörgen nodded to A’aurol.

"I understand how you could view the construction of this station as a threat, presented to you in the guise of a hostile act. Deceptions and lack of communication have cost us all more than I care to count." His voice softened. He was not yet assured of their motivations, and some of their reactions were still hard to read. He kept to careful ground. "In the past, our attempts at negotiation were marred by suspicion and aggression. But now, with our mutual enemy revealed, the possibility of cooperation is no longer just idealism. Now it is survival. One moment while I confer with my aide." Jörgen nodded to B'rala as he stepped a few feet away. When she had joined him, her attention still on the Coalition, he said, "Klingons have an acute sense for honesty. What are your impressions of these interactions that I have overlooked?"

B'rala was surprised but pleased that the diplomat was taking the time to consult her. She let her eyes rest on the group of impromptu delegates.

"They are afraid. I can smell it on them. Some more than others. They are risking their own destruction if they are discovered here," she said, and paused to observe more. She turned her eyes back to Commander Leed. "They are sincere in their request, sir. I wouldn't go so far as to say I trust them, but I would say their interests are now aligned more with ours than with the Jem'Hadar, Kyverians, and the Lorcan. A deal with them could swing the battle in our direction."

Jörgen gave B’rala a short nod. "Thank you. Your instincts are valuable, Chief.” He turned to the waiting Coalition. His tone shifted from private consideration to formal address.

“Representatives, Chief B’rala and I agree that you show courage in coming. Your presence may be that force that shifts the tides. If peace is your intent, then you have arrived at precisely the right moment." Jörgen gestured around the room. "You know a good amount about things we might share with allies. What exactly are you prepared to offer the Federation, and what do you seek in return?”

Iril spoke again. "We fly when the winds allow. Now, we fly here to you so that we can be heard by the Federation. We will agree to peace and an exchange of cultures. We propose that each of our races be granted on deck on DS18 that we may use for our embassies and for our people to come and intermingle with. We want to be involved in your expansions into our space," the Ygin said. His eyes whirled. "We are prepared to share the location of the Jem'Hadar outpost that is not far. We will give you detailed information on their weaponry and we will fight alongside you to drive them out."

Commander Leed clasped his hands behind his back as they spoke, his attention embracing them all while centered on Iril.

He glanced briefly at B’rala, his voice taking on an edge of certainty. “My tactical officer spoke to your sincerity. That means more than you may know. Your offer is heard, honored, and accepted.”

“Prepare your forces. We will need to speak with others to explore and coordinate our efforts,” he said after the Ygin had finished. “When the fight is done and the Jem'Hadar vessels are driftwood, you will have your embassies aboard DS18. Embassies not just for diplomacy but as spaces for culture exchange and mutual learning--and with them the opportunity to shape this space with each other, not around each other.”

The Coalition Ambassadors looked pleased, although they each expressed it in a unique way. "Your words bring us hope and determination, Commander. Thank you for your graciousness. We will communicate our new path to our peoples."

The group bowed and made other gestures of appreciation as they backed out of the doorway. There was a silence that felt... different to B'rala.

"Sir, is that how diplomacy usually works?" She asked.

Jörgen watched the aliens leave, then slowly turned to B’rala with a faint smile.

“No, Lieutenant,” he said quietly. “Most times it ends with both sides claiming victory over the other, or with one side storming out.” He glanced back at the doorway. “If you can tack into the wind--that is, you shift tone or strategy to get results in a hostile environment--if you listen carefully, and keep your d'k tahg sheathed a little longer than you’d like...” he gave her a meaningful look. "You might end with a stronger base than you started."

[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Jörgen Leed
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Chief Warrant Officer B'Rala Of House Seeth (NPC)
Master-at-Arms
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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