Yet another bonfire extinguished

Posted on Wed Jun 29th, 2022 @ 11:24pm by Commander Sthilg

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Gorn Embassy, Earth
1318 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Vanessa sat calmly in a more business casual women's suit and skirt with a small briefcase containing the reports from Gorn Colony. She was there to clear up any questions concerning Daphi's little Salvage operation, which certainly was truly heinous even by Ferengi standards. Downright grave robbing. Vanessa had talked with the Ferengi Ambassador and convinced them, rather than the course of Disavowing her, that the course of cooperation in the investigation would callm the aftermath of this incident.

The door raised in the gorn way as the gorn ambassador stepped through. Unlike Sthilg ,Krazin was showing his age being near forty-seven years old and showing. Dressed in the gorn robes of the diplomatic guild he took a seat opposite the diplomat. " Vanesssssa it's lovely to meet you." He spoke calmly as he offred his hand across the table.

"Indeed... It is a privilege to meet you. Your excellency." Vanessa shook his hand and then opened her briefcase. "I'm here to personally deliver information that may be critical in defusing tensions from a extreamly heinous act committed against the Gorn. Apparently this incident may have far-reaching repercussions." She placed the PADD on the table for the Ambassador to read.

" Asss the humansss say that isss putting it politly. Half the hegenomy'sss religiousss ordersss are demanding a crusssade, as are many of the admiralty. My people and the Ferengi have never had a good relationssship ever sssince they stole the warp drive from usss, but ssstealing from the dead is going to far even for them. " The lizard replied calmly as a younger assistant brought a tray of snacks and drinks.

"i can reassure you we conducted a through investigation of Daphi's ship, the people in her employ, and her rather insidious career. Which I dare say is quite insidious. According to what I've been told, Daphi had spend the majority of her life enduring the maxims that Ferengi society demanded of women. She decided to go into 'business for herself' with far less scruples than any Ferengi Daimon." Vanessa handed the Criminal Records to the Ambassador. "I'm afraid Daphi is your Villian. She came up with the Graverobbing scheme.. Unfortunately, Her plan didn't go as she expected. Suffice to say, she survived some twenty years on the planet, but her sanity did not." Vanessa noted. "She is in no way mentally stable enough to stand trial. You've read the human novel 'Lord of the Rings?' Well. The character of Gollum is a case study for Daphi."

Vanessa continued. "We have Daphi in custody. At the mental treatment facility on Elba II." Vanessa slid a new PADD to the Ambassador showing a recording of Daphi's cell and one of her bouts of pure insanity. "Once you see her, you can't help but to pity her. And when I watch it.. I'm reminded of the ancient times when my people's averice.. became self-destructive.. In the times before the First Empress."

The gorn took the report and pulled out a piar of his people's eyeglasses which he clipped around his eyes before reading. Tapping the desk as he read he was clearly disturbed by some of the content. " Murdering her own brother. The ferengi are a truly sssoul sssick race. " He said placing the paper down. " Thisss isss very interesting ambassador, but it will do little to quieten many of my people. The fact that the ferngi themssselvesss are hiding behind the federation isss ssseen asss an admisssssion of guilt and the Followersss of Dawn will demand her blood be ssspilt to allow their dead to ressst."

"Actually I've convinced the Ferengi government to cooperate fully in this situation. Nagus Rom is reasonable when you show him reason." Vanessa noted. "The Alliance is willing to assist in the investigation and turn over all of Daphi's associates for trial. Daphi herself however.. I may convince all parties involved to hand Daphi over.. But I doubt she will be coherant enough to understand her crimes.. Either way, the Ferengi do not want a war over this woman, and if there is a war, it would invole Gorn forces crossing Federation Space or areas nearby." Vanessa noted. "I don't think this poor Ferengi even remembers her name, her mind's too degraded by years of degraded solitude. The Followers of the Dawn would be killing what only could be described as a animal." Vanessa mentioned. "I realize it's not the justice your people wanted. But we have undertaken some small tolken that would bring your people solice." Vanessa mentioned. "We reinterred the Gorn remains on this world carefully and accordance to Gorn traditions and religious beliefs, and we've forbidden travel to this world until the Hegemony makes policy."

" I will have to sssend all thisss back to the homeworld and sssee what the ruling council and his majisssty have to say on the matter. Hopefully, they can mange to calm everyone down. The followersss of the Dawn on the other hand will need sssome convencing." The ambasador replied with the tact of one who had been doing this for many years.

"Then tell them they'll go to war against a the Ferengi over the most pitiful of women who robbed graves and then languished on an empty world for twenty years. Wallowing in the trash she collected on her own ship." Vanessa noted. "How a war begins will be remembered, how it's fought especially, and most certainly how the war ends. That could depend if the Followers are seen as heroes... or villians.. War is never straight-forward, and its horrors are endless. Do they want blood on their hands over the crimes and madness of one woman?"

The gorn paushed obviously putting it through his head. " No, we do not. It will take a lot of convincing to ssstop the followers of the dawn from sssacking a Ferengi holy site, not that i can think of any other than their beloved banksss."

"I have guarantees from Grand Nagus Rom for full cooperation for any investigation the Hegemony desires into this situation." Vanessa stood. "Your excellency. This has been a terrible and shocking development. One that cannot be repeated. And the repercussions will be long lasting. We need to put some effort into identifying the burial sites other cultures and I suggest a unilateral effort to protect such sites in the future. Such an effort will protect the interests of all parties involved." Vanessa mentioned. "We can do better to not have tragedies compound on each other until we end up in a situation where we have no idea how our hostilities began."

The lizard chuckled slightly. " They sssaid the sssame when the ssstole warp drive from usss. The word of a ferngi is worth very little amoung my people, but you are right more doesss need to be done."

"I'm afraid the Ferengi's position is not as simple as it used to be." Vanessa noted. "Years of dangerous unregulated capitalism has resulted in consequences that has hurt Ferenginar. Including their aspirations for profit. They are beginning to understand that unregulated markets are as dangerous as orwellian totalitarianism. Their economy benefits few.. excludes many... even amongst the Ferengi, and there's a voice they suppressed for years that is rising to 'opportunity' in Ferengi Society. I have a feeling that equality may prove to be simultaneously a blessing and a curse in Ferengi society. We will have to monitor this change in their society... for good or ill." Vanessa stood and gathered her PADDs. "You will find all I the data the USS Elysium recorded graciously gifted to you, your excellency. I have to return to my posting. Good afternoon."

" Good afternoon to you asss well." The ambassador said as he picked up the data and began to look through it. Homeworld was going to need an excellent report on this. He didn't want one of his last acts to be the start of a war.

 

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