Negotiating A Base

Posted on Wed Aug 1st, 2012 @ 6:53am by Captain Alexander Gunning & Captain Liarra Von & Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Gifford & Tammy Olinski & Hunab Ku & Buluc Chahtan

Mission: Worlds Away
Location: Archa IV Cabinet Rooms [Capital City - Archa IV]
Timeline: MD01 - 1300hrs.

[ON]

The neck of Gunning's white dress tunic pinched into him as he listened to the Vice President's opening words. He was expressing the concerns of the Archan people in a tone which approached pomposity. The Federation had heard it all before. They were uncomfortable with allowing the Marine Corps unmitigated access to Cizin and its jungles and also had concerns about the militarisation of their planet.

The Captain could see the Colonel's eye starting to glaze over. He shuddered to think of the number of times he had heard politicians pontificate about Starfleet militarisation. His eyes shot quickly back and forth between Commander Von, who was nodding politely and Lieutenant Sophia who, despite her heritage, appeared very keen to hear the concerns of the Vice President.

"You see Captain, the Archan Institute has a number of research stations on the continent which cannot be disturbed by... gun-toting officers."

Tammy wasn't certain what the Vice President's actual agenda was leading. But the research stations were remote habitats. Those stations were funded with private funds some of them were even grants from Federation sources. This could turn out to be a great embarrassment if the funding was cancelled. It was obvious the Marine issue was not seeing any favor with the Vice President.

Sophia had gotten pretty good at reading people over the years and she could tell that the Vice President had an agenda he was trying to forward without being entirely overt. She made a mental note to mention her observations to the Captain at the earliest availability.

The Colonel caught Gunning's glance and smiled. It hadn't been the first time he had been called out. Protocol required he remain silent unless directly spoken to. He waited to hear the Captain's response.

"I do appreciate the need to ensure the privacy and security of the outposts," Gunning replied, "I'm quite sure that the Colonel will take steps to assure that we leave a significant perimeter around the operational area of any studies that are ongoing. We are only seeking to allow our marines to stay at the peak of their battle readiness. I'm sure you've seen the most recent field reports that we've submitted to the Federation; there's a very real threat out there and we're tasked with your defence."

Ku's hand explored his face as the Captain's words settled in his ears. He had read the most recent reports and he knew that he was talking to a man who had lost crewmen to the new threat. The Ritorians were already making diplomatic overtures to The Sojourners following a couple of weeks of intense border skirmishes. Ku had been around long enough to know that overtures from The Ritorian Confederacy usually led to the worst possible outcome for his world.

The issue wasn't whether the Marines being on Cizin was a good idea or not; Ku knew that if it came down to it he'd rather have the UFP Marines ready and willing to fight than having been stuck aboard a station for months on end but it didn't make him feel any less concerned about the future of tourism in the area. After all, things on Pacifica looked a lot brighter now that Archa IV was in the line of fire if The Sojourners and Ritorians decided to expand.

His sigh lingered in the air as he looked wearily at Gunning. "This could put our entire planetary economy into recession, Captain. If our tourism is affected, we have no other industry to fall back on. I appreciate your desire to defend our planet but I do not want to see our children starving in the streets as our hotels and resorts lie empty."

John remained stoic. It was now clear the real issue was tourism. But there would be no tourism the next time the Ritorians arrived. This race would be eliminated outright.

"And I don't want to see Archan children lying in the streets with disruptor burns in their chests, Mister Vice President." Gunning replied bluntly, adding to the palpable air of tension in the room.

Silence gathered. John saw a chance to jump into the conversation.

"Gentlemen, we have seem what destruction can be brought upon your System from the Ritorians. If and when they return your entire race will be destroyed. As we speak Starfleet vessels are holding the line to protect your existence. The USS Overseer and the USS Alabama are currently standing off a possible invasion force a mere 50 light years away from this location. There won't be tourism in this system or anything else for that matter if they fail."

"Unfortunately, the Colonel is correct." Ku conceded. "The Ritorians will not be forgiving to the Archan people should they return."

John looked straight at the Vice President. "The Archan people are only a free race as the Federation sends Officers like us to shed our Blood to keep you safe. But we both can be assured of what will happen the next time."

Ku looked down at the heavy wood of the conference table. Facts were facts and Archa IV did rely on Starfleet protection to make sure that they wouldn't fall under the out-and-out control of their enemies. "That is why we acknowledge the need to have well-trained and drilled soldiers available."

Gifford thought perhaps it was time to start the real negotiations. "Your Excellency, The Fourteenth Marines is a seasoned battalion and can provide you and your countrymen the security needed. Our presence on Archa shall be a deterrent to all who seek designs on this system."

...

[OFF]