A Tale of Two Species (What if...?)
Posted on Thu Jan 27th, 2022 @ 5:51am by Kyle Cragen [Reece] & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar
Mission:
MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Alindar Homeworld
Timeline: What If...
3016 words - 6 OF Standard Post Measure
***Note to Reader, what you are about to read, never happened in your dimension. But, there are uncountable others out there where, a single choice, can create an entirely new reality. Sit back and let's enjoy looking through the folds of time and space at yet another reality.***
Empress Marina Althir II presided over a critical diplomatic issue with the El-Aurian Republic. A matter had been brought to the counsel that El-Aurians were masquerading in the societies of protected species... integrating with them.
"Senators, mi'lady Empress." The Acamedician of the Scholars College noted. "The reason we do not interfere with the development of the younger races... is that we cannot predict what will transpire when they learn they are not alone in the universe. They may see us as gods or even invaders... Leading to tragic consequences."
Marina nodded. "The Senate and the Throne will heed this councel. Ambassador..." The Empress looked at the El-Aurian Ambassador. "Our imperium has long protected the younger races from interference and exploitation. Meddling in their development is dangerous.. We've known this for some time, and millennia ago... we were the conquerors of countless races that are memory to our hubris.. You understand the obligation we hold as the mediators and protectors of our part of the galaxy."
Heaflin Gratis, the El Aurian Ambassador to the Alindai Homeworld, stood and bowed in respect to the crown, before replying. "We do, your Magesty. And the El Aurian Confederacy feels much the same as the Alindari do. As you know, my people are one of the Old Races. We have been traveling these stars for several millenia, even longer than our esteemed allies, the Alindari." He bowed slightly again, before continuing.
"We, as a people, have no interest in interfering with the young, developing, races. However, we are interested in listening to them as they grow. That is why we have research teams sent out when we discover a new world. We yearn for new stories to share." He paused before adding, "However, should there be individuals that go beyond their mandate and actually interfere with how a young race is progressing..well...that is something that we cannot abide. If your agents have proof of these accusations, I ask that they be presented to this court, so that I may relay that information to my King. He will ensure that any guilty parties are dealt with swiftly and discreetly."
The Empress responded. "The point of contention is from the scholars collarge, our laws forbid any interaction and interfearance whatsoever." Marina noted.
"Your highness." The Academician from the College of Philosophy spoke. "We of the Philosophers have an opinion on this matter."
Marina nodded. "The contention is from the scholar's discovery that indeed the El-Aurians do have a presence the younger races. Perhaps we should explore the reasoning behind this. We believe a misunderstanding has occurred between both our people's procedure and laws. I'm calling for a diplomatic reconcilliation. There is much we need to understand from a diplomatic standpoint before we proceed with enforcing a legal opinion."
"The College of Artisans agrees with the opinion from the College of Phillsophy." The Academician of Artisans noted. "Before we cast judgement, we must understand the crime, if a crime has been committed. Currently there has been no incident of cultural contamination... but the El-Aurians do have some of their peoples masqurading in the younger races. The report on this matter is clear."
The Acadmedican of Philosophy responded. "We do indeed place many of the younger races under our surveilance. This is no different than the surveilance the El-Aurians undertake. I suggest we approach the El-Aurians and request to review the methods they use before we take any action we may regret."
"The College of Scholars agree." The Acamedician of Scholars noted.
"The College of Artisans agree."
"What say the Senate." Marina noted.
The Chancellor stood. "The people are of the opinion we should maintain our diplomatic channels with the El-Aurians. This is a grave misunderstanding indeed, but one we cannot jeopardize our relations over. But this misunderstanding can be overcome with patience."
"Ambassador... we have decided to revisit this situation after consultation with your people. We lack knowledge on your people's methods of surveilance and the protection of the younger races. Would your people be inclined to allow us to study the methods your people use in the protection of the younger races. We lack context to understand this situation." If there was one thing to know about the Alindari.. They thrived on knowledge, understanding, and context."
Heflin stood and bowed again. When he straightened up, he produced a PADD and handed it to the court runner. "On that PADD, Your Majesty, you will find the current methods which the El Aurian Science Commission trains its research operatives with. Before any operative is even allowed to board one of our transports off world, they must pass each and every test put to them with perfect scores. Even if a prospective operative misses a perfect score by one point, they are failed and forced to retake the entire courseload again."
"Detailed as well, in the files, are how each operative is prepaired for their respective assignments. Before any teams are sent down, a cloaked watcher team will remain in orbit of a world for five of our years, perfoming noninvasive scans of the planet and its people. Then, when the Science Commission is satisfied with the findings, they determine is the operatives will require any cosmetic surgeries, to aid in their blending in to the populous."
"Once a team of operatives, we never send in anyone alone, they are always in pairs, sometimes same sex, other time opposite sex. It depends on what the cultural norm is on the world to be studied. We do this, to help eleviate any accidental...romantic contact with the species being studied. Each team is left in place for a period of fifty local years, gathering all the intelligence they can. Then, the team is extracted and returned home, so the Commission can go over the gathered information."
"If a species is deemed too young, the Commission will put a moratorium on further investigations for a period of, no less than, one thousand local years. Then a new team is sent back to try again. However, if a world seems to be on the cusp of great change, not only will the team be returned, more teams will be sent in." The ambassador paused to take a breath. "Thus far, the only world that has fallen into this latter category, is Planet 36281, located in grid 17, in System D-45399. The local dominant species in a mammalian species, that calls themselves, Humans. They call their world, Earth."
"The Commission has had teams on Earth for the past thousand local years. The species seems to be building up to become a space-faring race by the end of their second millennium, which is amazingly fast!"
The Alindari Empress nodded. "Thank you Ambassador. We request that you leave for the moment. We must ponder this information in Counsel."
After bowing respectively, the El Aurian Ambassador left the council chambers.
---
"Ambassador... it is the opinion of the Senate, the Throne, and the Scholar's College that no laws have been violated in our imperium. Thus our affiliation with your people will continue." Marina noted.
Heflin bowed to the Empress. "Thank you, Your Majesty. My King will be very pleased to receive this news. Let our two great peoples forever stand elbow to elbow, in both the defense of the younger races and the continuing accumulation of knowledge from the universe."
---
*Fifty Years Later.*
The Borg needed a massive fleet to try to take the El-Aurian home system. The battle lines were holding in the mid system, but the borg kept on bringing in more and more cubes. Things looked dire.
High Admiral Dralta Hergamma sat in the command shair of her flagship, Wind Talker, as she read reports of the battle. While the Home Fleet had initially held the Borg at bay, the Borg Queen kept sending more and more cubes at them. The latest were the battle armored war cubes. They were eight times the size of the regular cubes, and equipped with weapons powerful enough to destroy whole moons and planets. Already, the five outer planets of the home system were turned to rubble, as well as the nearly two hundred moons that had orbited them. Dralta, a seasoned warrior with nearly eight hundred years of combat command experience, knew that it was only a matter of time. Thankfully, the core worlds were already being evacuated. Her job, and the job of her fleet, was to hold the line as long as possible, to ensure enough of the El Aurian species would survive. Unfortunately, she, and her crews, would never see if they were successful. The way things were looking, this would be her last battle in this life. She hoped that she would have peace, when she entered her next reincarnation.
"Sir... New ship signatures approaching from outside the system." One El-Aurian Crewmember noted. "It's the Alindari."
Almost five thousand Ascendant Class Cruisers emerged from warp with destroyers, frigates, and many other ships. Onboard. Lord Admiral Kirosius Vanaran an Pantel looked over the situation. "Set our shields and weapons to randomly remodulate. Forward Alindari... Destroy these living machines!!!"
Dralta could feel a grin start to cross her face. Perhaps life wasn't done with her yet. "Comms!" She shouted as A few consoles exploded behind her. "Notify the lead Alindari vessel that their arrival is most appreciated! Request that they divert some ships to shepard the escaping civilians!" The messages were quickly sent. Now she could really start to fight. "All hands, stand by for full offensive maneuvers! Tactical, lock weapo....." Her words were cut off, when her flagship, complete with over three thousand souls aboard, exploded, when a War Cube moved into the El Aurian fleet, turning its devastating weapons on the ships nearest it. The Borg Queen, seeing the threat of the newly arrived ships, ordered her drones to advance with no delay. She would wipe the El Aurian threat from the universe once and for all. Next, she would assimilate every Alindari alive.
Admiral Kirosius reorganized the El-Aurian Fleet. "Forcus on that war cube. Task Force Shield. Move in and continue to evacuate the survivors on the El-Aurian Homeworld. Escort the El-Aurian Refugees to Alindar immediately. Task Force Omega... You are cleared for Operation Desolate."
As the Alindari forces joined the fray, a massive battle ensued, which seemed to go on for hours. Slowly, however, the Borg, with its larger force, started to gain the momentum. By the end, when the last El Aurian supercarrier, the Nebula Blossom, was destroyed, the Borg began to advance on the Homeworld.
The Alindari fleet managed to evacuate nearly ninety percent of the El-Aurians from the homeworld before the fleet managed to retreat from the system. However, as they did, the Alindari left something behind near the star. The Borg Queen would know this when a dampening field began to envelop nearly the combined total of the Borg fleet and its many spheres, cubes, and other ships. A transmission was then beamed to the Borg Queen.
"Borg Queen.... I am Marina Althir of the Alindari Imperium. We have evacuated the El-Aurian People. And ceased your genocide. Now you will answer for your crimes. If you would take note.. A system-wide dampening field has enveloped your entire fleet. This field has been specially calibrated for the Collective's transwarp coils. You are trapped in the El-Aurian System. "
Through their highly advanced technology, the Borg Queen, safely deep in the Delta Quadrant, replied. "We are the Borg. Your technological and biological distinctiveness will be added to our own." She then ordered her closest ships towards the dampening device, intent on assimilating its technology into the Collective.
"We are aware of your plan to assimilate that technology, which brings me to the second device we have left in the system; one trilithium warhead. It has already been launched towards the El-Aurian Star. You have approximately thirty seconds to prepare yourself for oblivion." Marina noted. "The El-Aurian Civilization shall live.. You will not."
Without hesitation, the Borg Queen ordered her ships to evade the imminent disaster. Some ships, those on the outer reaches of the dampening field, managed to activate their traswarp coils and jumped to safety. The rest, nearly two thousand ships of varying classes, simply exploded when she activated their self destruct commands. The resulting explosions were spectacular. They were dwarfed, seconds later, by the explosion of the El Aurian star, the resulting shockwave completely obliterating everything in its path.
---
*New El-Auria*
Marina Althir walked with the El-Aurian Head of State as the Alindari aided in settling their new homeworld. "The Borg will trouble you no further... It was because of our alliance that we noticed their fleet heading towards your former homeworld. I regret with all my soul we couldn't save your home." Marina noted. "Using the Trilithium Device was the only way we could defeat a Borg fleet so massive, and we determined Operation Desolate was the only way we could destroy them. The Alternative was to sit back and watch as they consumed race upon race." Marina noted. "But this world, matches El-Auria closely.. It is yours now. We welcome you here as brothers and sisters." Marina bowed to the Head of State."Forgive us... there was no other way to stop them."
Queen Herena Daggerstone, newly elected leader of what remained of the El Aurian people, a race that had numbered in the hundreds of trillions, but now was down to roughly two billion, reached out and placed her left hand gently on Marina's shoulder. With a voice that seemed almost ethereal, she responded. "No apology is required. Your actions saved my people. While our home was lost, we are a patient race. We know that change is important for a culture to survive. Unfortunately, sometimes change can be very painful."
She moved to look out over the balcony of her new palace, which was still being constructed, and gazed out over the small town that was rising up around it. "We will survive, thanks to your actions. In time, we will also reestablish contact with our scattered countrymen, out there in the vast cosmos. For now, though, we must rebuild." She turned and moved over to stand in front of Marina, taking hold of her hands and raised them up between them both. "Perhaps, you would help in the start of that rebuilding. You should know that the El Aurian heart is a very powerful thing. When it finds one that beats just as strongly, it knows that it has found its other half." She took a breath and continued, smiling softly as she gazed into the Alinadi's eyes. "In the weeks that we have been working side by side, I have come to sense that you, my dear friend, are that other half to my heart. So, I ask you now, here in front of this company, if you would honor my heart and become my partner in all things, until the Fates separate us by death?"
Marina Althir smiled at her... "You desire to unite the house of our greatest teacher and hero with yours?" Marina bowed. "You honor us greatly. This day we unite our people as one... This day the Children of El Auria joins with the Children of Tirielle forever. We will stand forever, and stand strong against the Living Machines as a guardian and protector of the galaxy. Yes, we defeated them.. Severely.. But we know well they are not destroyed." Marina embraces Queen Herenna. "Let our blood lines combine..." She put her head on Herenna's shoulder. A pivitol moment was happening for the galaxy.
The following wedding was the largest in El Aurian memory. While both worlds had been allies for generations, this was the first time there was a bond so complete. Following the wedding ceremony, Marina was granted the title of Crown Consort to the Queen, and Queen Herenna was recognized as Wife and co-founder of the first Alindari/El Aurian University, located on New El Auria.
In the following decades, both women bore several children, using donor material from the best men of both worlds. Then, one hundred years after they wed, Queen Herenna was finally able, with the use of advanced medical technology from both worlds, to give birth to a child that had both of their DNA, along with the material required from a male. The child was a girl, and upon her birth, both worlds celebrated like never before. The day became a national holiday for both people, and finally solidified the bond, permanently, of both races.
For the next thousand years, the combined Alindari/El Aurian people, who now referred to themselves as Cassandrianites, in recognition of the child that made them one people, Princess Cassandra an Althir Daggerstone, stood firm in protection of the rest of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Their combined military might finally eliminated the Borg threat, once and for all. Then, they remained vigil against any outside threat to the galaxy, all the while acting as mediator and teacher to the younger races of the newly created United Federation of Planets and various other space faring races. While there was still struggle between the younger races, the Cassandrianites stood firm in their noninterference with nonwarp-capable worlds.
----
*April 5th 2063*
After the launch of Earth's first warp driven vessel. The skies above Zefram Cochrane's missile silo glowed as a ship descended to touch down. The ship landed in a clearing and a ramp extended. The ship's door opened and a man emerged, walking towards Dr. Cochrane.
Once the man reached the bottom of the ramp, he lifted off the hood of his jacket and looked around at the startled faces, looking back at his human-like appearance!
Cracking a friendly grin, the man spoke aloud. "Who's the pilot?"
~FIN~
