Negotiating a Minefield

Posted on Thu May 16th, 2024 @ 5:09pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Commander Jörgen Leed & Crewman Thyra Kevensdotter

1,967 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: DS18 Diplomatic Suite, Deck 17
Timeline: 24 August, 2396- 0100 Hours

[ON]

The mix of new synthetic fabric, sweat, and blood in an enclosed space was quite powerful. The other people in the room were a blur to Jörgen. Mere background at the moment. Kneeling beside Kalil, he scanned the diplomat with a tricorder. He had learned more medicine than he wanted to know while aboard the USS Hinotori, but now he wished he had learned more.

"You owe me a drink for the trade negotiations on Rigel X and I am not letting you off so easily. We also found Lyxis alive, by a slender margin, on our way." Jörgen glanced back at Thyra and the aide, nodding at the empty floor. "Please do what you can for her. Now, what happened?"

"We got sucker punched," Kalil said with a hoarse laugh that turned into a grimace of pain as the other two began working on his injury.

He continued in a softer voice. "About five months ago a ship arrived at DS18. It had a group of new species. They said they were members of a non-aligned worlds union and they demanded the Federation stop construction of the station immediately," Kalil said and then gritted his teeth in pain. He went on after a moment. "The station commander at the time, heard their complaint and assured them that we would forward their complaint. Let's just say they were not pleased. They threated dire action. I guess this attack was that action. I've been trying to contact them on the same frequency that they used before and finally got through after you lot arrived. I'm supposed to talk to them soon but... well I had a run in with one of those four mouthed types and they don't negotiate well."

"The station commander should have attempted a peaceful contact with the aliens. This station must be for mutual outreach as much as for trade. How are they communicating? Were linguist specialists involved?" Jörgen sighed back onto his heels. "My apologies, Kalil. I will give you some more pain killer, and then you should have water and some rest."

Thyra placed Lyxis on the deck next to the medikit that the Lieutenant was using to treat Commander Kalil. She rummaged through the bag looking for something that she understood how to use. She finally pulled out some bandages and began placing them on the Bolian’s lacerations. She wished that she had some kitkerä root to sterilize and bind the wounds.

Miksa looked at Thyra quizzically. “Why don’t you use the dermal regenerator?”

Thyra flushed. “I don’t know how to use it,” she admitted.

Miksa shook her head and reached into the medkit to take out the regnerator. "It's quite simple. You have the settings here and here and then you just have to make sure the wound is clear of debris and clothing." The regenerator hummed softly as the beam of energy washed over the wound.

"I am trained as a security guard, not a medical officer," Thrya objected, "I don't know what those runes mean and wouldn't know where to set them if I did. I really wish I had my needle and thread."

"And I am a diplomatic aide. But we both are Starfleet and basic first aid was part of your training. Dermal regeneration is easy enough that children can do it. Why would anyone use ancient techniques?" Miksa asked as she finished with the wound. She picked up a hypospray and injected Commander Kalil with a light pain medication. The entire time, the two Commanders continued to talk.

Thyra began to form a retort about what the Lieutenant planned to use if she didn't have her fancy toys or power to operate them, but remember that Federation officers were much more fragile than their Odinskus counterparts. She would likely be offended by the objective critique from a crewman so she kept her mouth shut and passive-aggressively waved the dermal regenerator over Lyxis' wounds.

The medication and the dermal regenerator eased Kalil's discomfort. He nodded at Leed.

"I agree with you wholeheartedly, Jörgen. I could have retired and gone into the diplomatic corps for the Federation. But this station represents the biggest diplomatic opportunity of my lifetime. So I came here," he said. "They communicate through a burst of cohesive light. They developed it so that they could communicate with each other. My understanding is that there are ten or twelve different species, each with their own goals. I was speaking to the ones called the Kaptai when the attack occurred. I though I was making progress."

Thyra was listening to the exchange between the diplomats while she finished with Lyxis. She knew she was expected to keep quiet in front of the Federation officers but her upbringing urged otherwise. "If you were making progress, why did they attack? Did you deny Kaptai something he wanted?"

"First contact diplomacy is notoriously challenging. Having little frame of reference, the attack could have been precipitated by a misunderstanding, a perceived new threat, or a challenge to leadership" said Jörgen. He would love to have a team of engineers, biologists, and linguists working on this. Sensors might have picked up traces of communications between the species. However, they were all split up on other tasks. "Kalil, do you have a way to make contact with the Kaptai again? What details stood out to you from that interaction?"

Kalil's color was coming back and he sat up a little straighter, listening to Thyra and Leed's questions. He answered them in order. He looked at the young woman.

"I was just beginning to build some rapport with the coalition negotiator. I was working here in the diplomatic suite but was tied into the Command Center. The negotiator was within range of the station's sensors and I'd been informed that there were two alien life forms each of a different race. The conversation started out with them making demands. I was bringing them around to true negotiation when the station sensors detected another ship, a very large ship. The Commander ordered Red Alert and that set them off."

He glanced over at Leed. "I have their specific light frequency and, if they are still monitoring it after what's just happened, we should be able to make contact. The representative I spoke with was of a race they called Wuc. I've got some images saved in my database if it is operational. Once we'd worked through some of the hostility, I had the sense that they were under stress and they kept looking at the other alien, which was, well it looked quite like a floating jellyfish if I am being honest. It spoke rarely and when it did it was in a lilting voice."

Miksa began cleaning up the area around where the two diplomats were talking. The routine, for she often took care of such things for the Chief Diplomat, helped calm her nerves.

Thyra, lacking any other security or medical duties for the moment, listened intently to the diplomat's conversation. A trait inherited from her father, she had a curious and analytical mindset. Her mother said that she thought too much and would be better served by taking action more immediately. "So, is the 'jellyfish' is the real leader? And how to the black ants fit into the scenario? Aside from trying to kill us, that is."

"A fair question I would like to expand on. Do these species have a unified governing body or voice? Based on reports of the jellyfish-like species that attacked our chief engineer, your communication with the Wuc, and the abrupt attacks this appears more of a loose coalition." Jörgen turned to sit on a square side table near Kalil. He stared a moment across the antiseptic room.

"Miksa, you will help me make contact with the Wuc using the frequency Captain Kalil has recorded. I would like you, Thyra, to review the diplomat's logs for evidence of when and why the clawed species launched an attack. Kalil will hopefully provide support while remaining lying down." Jörgen's mouth curled in a slight smile indicating the latter did not seem likely.

"Miksa, check the recent communications log. It should help," Kalil said. His aide nodded and moved further into the diplomatic suite. The communications console was as impressive as any Starfleet vessel. "And you can use our main viewscreen to review the logs, Crewman," Kalil said.

"As to their structure, Commander Leed, it is definitely not a unified body, which makes negotiations very difficult. I fielded four comms requests at the very beginning and I asked for a single representative and the Wuc were the coalition's selection but the Jwala, those jellyfish types, were silent observers. This coalition doesn't have one reason for disliking us. They each have their own issue. But they all agree that this station is offensive and had to be removed one way or another. That last part is why they are acting in different manners. They each have their own idea of what that removal looks like."

"A coalition united by a common enemy is not unexpected," Thyra replied thoughtfully, "Perhaps there is a way to fracture their unity. Dealing with them individually would be easier that doing so a united group." She had intended to use the word "defeat" but believed that "dealing with" would be more palatable to the elder diplomat.

"Separate and penetrate, as one old saying goes," said Jörgen as he stood. He walked to a console to see what Miksa had found for him. "Indeed, we need to learn how each faction defines removal and tailor a response and action to that definition. The key is staying away from hidden barriers and the dangerous edge of the storm while maneuvering around it. Many doors have been opened through sudden access to greater knowledge, trade, and technology. Kalil, do you know if any coalition member has strong history of any kind, for good or ill, with any other? "

"The amazing thing about this coalition is that they set aside their own disputes to focus their forces against the Federation. Having said that, there is a race called the Lorcan, which I would describe as feline in nature. Their system, is also home to a race called the Ygin and the two are ancient enemies with a spate of wars between them. They do not work well with each other," Kalil said.

Miksa nodded as Commander Leed stopped near her. "Sir, I have been able to access the latest communications log," she said, pointing at the screen. "I've reversed the positar wave and I think that we can broadcast in the Coalitions light channels in a broad beam that should connect to their transmitters if they are in range. What are your orders?"

"Excellent work, Lieutenant Miksa. Open a channel to all groups in the coalition. We acknowledge the diverse interests and grievances they each feel, and we agree that there are potential areas of mutual benefit and cooperation. This station can offer advanced medical, science, and engineering opportunities. Tell them we appreciate those who have agreed to meet with us tomorrow but all are invited to attend." Jörgen paused to let Miksa prepare his message. "Let them each wonder who has agree to meet, and go from there. Then, I want to contact the Lorcans and Ygins and offer them a similar chance."

Kalil nodded. "Excellent plan, my friend," he said and then his eyes grew heavy and he slumped over.

[OFF]

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

Crewman Thyra Kevensdotter
Security Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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