Deliberations

Posted on Thu Oct 29th, 2020 @ 5:48am by Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly & Commander Runyon ( Barclay de Tolly )

Mission: Side Mission: The Aftermath of Kronos
Location: Sena Alindar, The Great Hall of the Senate
Timeline: Current
1495 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

The Alindari never built anything simple. Everything had to conform to their elegant artistic tastes, even the great hall of the senate. It was a large rotunda across from the avenue of the martyrs of Alindar. A magnificent obelisk that stood as a memorial to those lost on the homeworld.

The Rotunda itself was polished synthetic marble, with decorated tables and chairs circling a raised platform with the podeum at the center. Five chairs on the lower part of the central platform near a altar and a chair next to the Empress' throne for the Chancellor. Alena suddenly entered the hall with the Chancellor and the Acamedicians.

"All rise for her Imperial Highness." The Senators and Observers stood as Alena carried a scepter to the altar in the middle of the room. The Scepter represented the Senate's authority and the Empress' approval of their rule. She placed the scepter on the altar in the center of the room. and moved to her throne. The Chancellor took the podium first. "Hear Ye, honored Senators and Observers. The Senate is now in session. Keep all conversations low, and respect the authority her highness has bestowed upon us for this session. The Chair recognizes Commander Runyon who has brought a matter to our attention concerning shuttlecraft with the ability to traverse time to our attention. Commander Runyon. You may speak."

"Thank you all," Runyon says to them as he stood. "Those who do not know who I am, I am Commander Runyon, an Al Aurian who works for The Department of Temporal Investigations. My responsibility is to preserve the timelines. Speaking as an Al Aurian, we know when the timeline changes. Recently we had an incident where we were able to retrieve three shuttlecrafts capable of time travel as well the drugs humans would have to use to use the shuttlecrafts. One of the three who we trusted thought he could rewrite the timeline but what he did was causing the ship his father was on to perish. Yes in that timeline the Borg were wiped out but it was not the true timeline. I smile putting my trust to your race to safe guard these shuttlecrafts into your good care."

One of the senators spoke. "We understand your position, Commander. However, tell us, why shouldn't we simply dismantle these shuttles?"

Runyun heard the question as felt the one asking was testing him. "The Philosophy we commit to is to perserve the timeline. If it is altered it is up to us to make it right."

Alena spoke. "And the reason why you do this?"

"There are several reasons why we do so," Runyun continues. "First case which some of you might remember the Star Trek Enterprise under the command of Captain Picard encounters another Enterprise pulled out from the past that change the time line. Once the ship the ship was returned to the past, the time line is restored. This same case happens on Deep Space 9 when young Jake Sisko had to stop his father being caught in space that exists out of time. Once Jake was able to restore the timeline, it went back to normal."

"There is no guarantee of that Commander. You may end up creating even more alternate futures."

"Good point," Runyun says, "That might cause a new timeline. If someone goes back in time and makes a major change plus no one corrects it, you now have two realities."

"This would be dangerous. One moment you in one reality, the next you are in another." The Acadmedician of Scholars noted.

"Speaking for my species," Runyun responds, "We know in the first cases but not the last one. Imagine when a time line shifts, people you know disappear or in the case that happened recently, a person who has Temporal Immunity now finds himself in a new reality and it is hardly like the original one for them. That is why I trust this race into the care of the shuttlecrafts."

The Chancellor walked up to Shlom, Kayana, and Soran. "And this happened to you?"

Kayana nodded. "Yes. Six months ago... I went to bed with my husband Shlom. Something happened and I woke up a borg drone. Complete with a link to the collective. I had to survive. They did not know I had the ability to disobey, and if they discovered it... They'd reassimilate us. I had to comply... It hurt so much having to be borg.. to assimilate..."

The Chancellor was awestruck. "These shuttlecraft are dangerous. I propose to the senate that these dangerous spacecraft be taken to Facility 4011 and placed under the most stringent of security."

One male senator stood. "The honorable gentleman from Vantar seconds this motion! These shuttlecraft must be withheld from all but the ADF and the Starfleets Department of Temporal Investigations. Under the pain of memory purge."

Memory Purge was the Alindari's highest punishment for offenses against the Imperium. Reserved for treason and the highest crimes. It involved the personality being completely erased, and a new personality being implanted. In a way, it was a form of execution, but more humane.

"Commander." The Chancellor noted. "Does the Federation have any objections to the punishment for using these shuttlecraft being the Memory Purge? Know this, we only sentence traitors and murderers to this punishment."

"That would be acceptable," Runyun says smiling. Runyun's communication badge beeped. It was his assistant.

"Commander," Yeoman Helena says, "I would have not have interrupted you but this concerns the Alindari. A group calling themselves The Syndicate have genetically altered an Alindari. His name is Flava Rayne. Flava has been arrested and that is how we found out. Problem is it is in the Badlands and if any Federation Officer goes in there, it could provoke a war with Cardassia."

Runyun breathed a bit. "First Senators we need to finish the matter at hand and then we can proceed to this matter."

The Acamedician of Defense spoke. "This is a task best suited for the Special Institute of Defense Intelligence. We could also involve Starfleet Intelligence."

"It's better if we take care of our own problems, if the Commander wanted Starfleet Intelligence involved, then we'd have a representative here already. No. The fewer who know about this, the better. Especially given the Federaiton's history with genetic augmentation, We'd be looking at somewhere near a witch-hunt. That and Genetic Augmentation is more horrible than Borg Assimilation. The Augment should be helped, not eliminated, as learning how to use Alindari telepathy takes years of mental training and meditation."

"I have just the two agents, Chancellor." The Acamedician noted.

"The Federation gets involved officially," Runyun says firmly, "It will cause a war. I will help you as much as I can. So who do you have?"

The Acamedician of Defense sighed. "Ilya Torain an Vok and the Bounty Hunter known as Cassius Blaire."

"Are you insane?!?" Another senator muttered.

"I have used the one called Cassius, the Talosian Betazoid who was born in a Marquis camp in the Badlands in 2370," Runyun says, "The Maquis was hoping for a formidable weapon but they folded in 2374 I believe. His Betazoid Mother Captain Addison Blaire works from time to time with us until she disappeared."

"Cassius has his own ship," Runyun says, "Thanks to his mother. It can get up to Warp 9.8."

"Are you all insane? You would send Ilya on this mission? Plus using that Roque called Cassius."

"Well some call him a roque but that will help him where he is going," Runyun answers.

The Acamedician spoke. "Ilya is our finest infiltrator. She's not very social because she felt the Orions enslave her family. One by one. Then she killed each one that broke into being a slave. Except her sister."

"She killed her own house. Alindari don't do that." Another senator barked before the murmuring started. "Alena stood up. "There will be order in this senate." The young empress stated with her sharp voice. "Would any of you want your house to live when they've kneeled and begged for a collar around their neck. Ilya did not kill her house. She killed the broken Aeas the Orions made. It's bad enough that one is broken into a slave, but when an entire Alindari House desires slavery because of some riddle we'll truly never understand? She deserves our compassion. Is it no wonder her heart has turned to ice because we condemned her?" Alena turned toward Acamedician of Defense. "Send Ilya to Cassius immediately. I insist. These fools have no idea what they're doing." Alena noted. 'It takes a lifetime to master our telepathy and mental discipline. It is not something that can be taught, and these people are a danger to themselves. And maybe after Ilya has regained her honor, you'll think of her better, honored senators." Alena rose from the throne and walked forward to pick up the scepter.

"The Senate is Adjourned." The Chancellor noted. Alena walked carrying the scepter.

End Post