Peace can be hard sometimes, Part One

Posted on Sun Aug 27th, 2023 @ 4:22am by Consul Andrinn Orin

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: USS Zander
Timeline: 2280, 0300 hrs
776 words - 1.6 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

Andrinn was working the Delta Shift onboard the USS Zander, watching out for some comms to come through from Starfleet Headquarters and from the Federation Council about the possibility that the Federation and the Klingons were possibly making some diplomatic overtures between their respective governments.

Andrinn was surprised that the Klingons and the Federation were starting talks about anything. Heck, he wasn't even sure that there were truly talks between either galactic superpower. But, if there was anything, Andrinn was glad to be watching it unfold in front of his very eyes.

Downloading some information onto one of the new datapads that the Federation and Starfleet decided to call a PADD, Andrinn's fellow diplomat called Eric Hernandez was looking over some of the comms that were received earlier in the day and categorize it by what it was, what government it was relating to, and how much priority it was. He threw the PADD onto the desk in front of them and began rubbing his eyes before yawning rather loudly. So loudly that Andrinn wondered if it could have waken up the rest of the ship.

Andrinn looked over at Eric and asked, "They keeping you up too late? Oh, wait! We're Delta Shift. It's literally half past 3 AM already. What's got you all riled up?"

Eric looked over at Andrinn and thought about what he was going to say, so that it didn't come off insensitive because he was tired at this early morning. He let out a sigh this time, but it wasn't as loud as the yawn that he had mere moments prior. Eric looked back at Andrinn and replied back, "Did you hear about the Federation trying to make peace with the Klingons?! The Klingons! Of all people. The Federation Council has some nerve in trying to make peace with the freaking Klingons. My parents were on one of the ships at the Battle of the Binary Stars. They were lucky to survive the Klingon attack there and the war that followed that. I'm just....upset, I guess for what the Federation might be doing."

Andrinn listened to everything that Eric had to say and allowed himself a few moments to reflect on what Eric was saying. Andrinn thought back to when he was a young man and how the Trill felt about anyone that was an outsider, including Andrinn himself. He could remember clearly about all the wounds that were still fresh from his classmates from all over the capital City of the Trill homeworld.

Andrinn looked over at Eric and asked, "Why would it necessarily be a bad thing? Think about it. We've been at odds with the Klingons since the days of the NX-01 Enterprise and that's been over a century ago. While it wasn't a full out war, like your parents saw twenty years ago, but the Klingons and the Federation haven't been friends since before the Federation was even a glimmer in Captain Archer's eyes."

Eric shrugged his shoulders before they slumped back inwardly. Andrinn could tell Eric was having a bit of a hard time with the whole concept of making friends with a warrior species like the Klingons. Andrinn reached over and gently gripped the other man's shoulders before going on.

"Think about it like this too. The Klingons, just like the Humans and the Vulcans, have different ways of viewing things. It's our jobs as diplomats to make everyone see other's perspectives and come to a common ground. If we can't do that, are we doing our jobs to the best of our abilities?" Andrinn said, watching Eric's eyes come up to meet his. Andrinn offered up a small smile to the other man, hoping that he got through to Eric.

However, before Eric could even comprehend a reply and actually reply back to Andrinn, the ship shook and the two young men could feel something was wrong deep within themselves. The on-duty bridge officer came over the comms and said, "Red Alert. All hands to battle stations. This is not a drill. Once again, Red Alert. All hands to battle stations."

Andrinn got up to his feet and offered a hand to Eric, so that they could head up to the Bridge. While Andrinn wasn't sure if they'd be needed up there, he wanted to make sure that if they could offer some assistance to Bridge Crew, they would.

Eric took Andrinn's hands and pulled himself up from his seat and the pair headed to the nearest turbolift and head up towards the bridge to see what they could do.

[To Be Continued]

[OFF:]

Consul Andrinn Orin
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Elysium