Diplomatic Pressure

Posted on Thu Aug 30th, 2018 @ 3:02pm by Commander Abigail Prescott & Captain Horatio Refelian & Commander M'Mira & Telhas thu'S'Terion Sa-Shasol'kor t'Cheleb-Khor
Edited on on Mon Sep 3rd, 2018 @ 3:14pm

1,840 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: The Return to Faltan
Location: ISV Kaiell, in Orbit of Faltan / Command and Control, Command Deck, Faltan Station
Timeline: MD05 - 1300

After the investigations had started to run on the destroyed embassy building site, Telhas had returned to his ship. His inner fire had changed into a cool hatred. And although at first sight he seemed to be emotionless and well under self-control, it was this state where he was most dangerous. He entered the bridge.

"His lordship, the Duke!" came the call of an enlisted guard to announce his presence.

"Lord Telhas," Commander Jaeithe, the ship's CO, rose from her chair and offered it to Telhas. Typically he did not take it, but this time was different. He settled in the command chair. He sensed their thoughts. Everybody was aware of what had happened, but nobody dared to say anything about it.

"Shields up, charge weapons," Telhas ordered. "If an orbital defense satellite powers up, destroy it at once. Hold cloak on standby. Hold warp on standby. Jump destination just outside the system. Load torpedoes."

Without hesitation, all his commands were put into action.

"Target locks, Lord?" the weapons officer asked.

"Not yet." Telhas tapped his fingers on the armrest for a while. "Get me a full analysis of our routine scans during the time of the attack. I want to know as much as possible."

"Yes, Mylord!" the sensor officer replied.

"No, not you. You will have a look at what happens now. Knight Commander Maiek shall do the analysis." The elder man was his head of security for the embassy and a member of the Order of the Kae'raktar, one of his House orders. As the embassy was just under construction, Telhas had kept him on board the Kaiell. "He is in lead of the investigations. I need information. I also need access to the orbital defense controls. Someone shall hack them. And I need to talk to Faltan's government. Open hailing frequencies."

"Frequencies open, Mylord."

"This is Senator Telhas thu'S'Terion of the Imperial Senate Vessel Kaiell. If you should take any hostile action against my ship, I will not hesitate to retaliate. Keep calm, talk with me, and we can get along without further escalation. You have five minutes to respond. If you do not, I will consider you protecting terrorists, with all consequences."

“This is Governor Taga, Romulan vessel why are you threating us and what are you talking about? We are peaceful people we don’t harbour terrorists.” The new Governor replied after a few moments of silence.

"My embassy has been attacked, and it was on your planet," Telhas replied and did not hide his anger, "This gives me every right to threaten you. Indeed, you can be happy that it is me. Others would have retaliated immediately with orbital bombardment." He controlled his anger again. "But as you are not giving shelter to terrorists, you will definitely not have any trouble allowing my investigators to access your criminal investigations database."

“Forgive me, Senator, but I don’t know what you are talking about. I presume your so called embassy is within the Starfleet base. We, the Faltan’s don’t have anything to do with the Starfleet base. If you are looking for people who shelter terrorists you should look there.” Taga said firmly. “Our Governor was found dead this morning. A Starfleet phaser was found at the scene. Surely both events have a common demeanour, Starfleet.”

This was an interesting piece of information. Although something was odd. Telhas knew SF Intel, and they were too professional to make such a mistake and leave the evidence against them at a crime scene. But he decided to play the game. "My condelence, Governor." Should I congratulate him for his promotion to governor? Probably not yet. "Nonetheless, your planet, your problem. If this should end in a war against the Federation, I have no problem with that. I expect you to be willing to host a Romulan base in that case. However, currently we are at peace and I also have no problem with that." He paused for a second to allow the Governor to process this information. "Note that I will investigate in all directions. I expect you to fully cooperate. If you should try anything funny, I will open fire without warning. If you should refuse cooperation, I will make sure that you will cooperate. And, by the way, more ships will come to assist me in my investigations. I checked your defenses, they will be no match for the arriving ships. So let me say this clearly and without any diplomatic cordiality. If you support my investigations as I expect you to do, we can be at good diplomatic relations after this incident, your government will receive proper compensation for the inconvenience, and I guarantee that you will be left alone. If not, well..." He shrugged with a predatory grin. He allowed the grin to stay for a moment before he continued. "What you should know is that I have sympathy for your people. You want to be left alone. I totally understand that, we are not different. The better you cooperate, the earlier we leave your planet. I hope that I have been clear."

“We have nothing to cooperate over. We are doing our own investigation into Starfleet’s involvement, as should you. Other than that I don’t see the need to speak again on this matter.” The Governor said defiantly as she pushed her hair behind her ear. “There is no need to threaten us, we wish to simply be left to our own devices.”

You are walking on very thin ice, Madam Governor. And you are a little bit too keen to have me investigate only Starfleet for my taste, Telhas thought. "We will talk another day, Governor," he said and terminated the conversation.

"They are hiding something," Commander Jaeithe commented.

"At least they act a little suspicious," Telhas replied.

The communications officer interrupted them. "Duke, our investigations team found traces of radiation decay. Typical for beam weapons. Uhm... phasers, Starfleet type they say."

Telhas nodded and considered the new information for a while. "Call Faltan Station."

"Yes, Mylord."

"Faltan Station, this is Senator Telhas thu'S'Terion of the Imperial Senate Vessel Kaiell. I have my ship battle ready of various reasons, and I advise you not to take any hostile action. You would not like my reply. Due to the attack on my embassy and the death of my wife I have some questions. Respond, or face the consequences."

Lovely. Just lovely M'Mira thought to herself. They're going to love it more when they find out that I was the last person to see the Ambassador's wife alive. She sounded the yellow alert for the station. She hoped that there would be no hostilities but Romulans were an unpredictable sort.

"This is Lieutenant Commanderrr M'Mira, Senatorrr. I assurrre you that we have no intention of taking any hostile action. In fact, I believe that we have verrrry similiarrr interests. I would invite you down to the station, if you desirrre but I must check with Commanderrr Prrrescott. I hope that she will be coming herrre to continue this converrrrsation soon."

"I will not leave the safety of my ship. However, Commander Prescott is welcome to be my guest." Telhas showed no emotion, but the lack of his usual politeness told more than enough.

"I will inform Commanderrrr Prrrescott of yourrr request. Please give me a few moments to located herrrr." Where are you, Mint? She cut the sound to the signal and called out on the comm, =/\= Commanderrrr Prrrescott to the Command Rrroom. =/\=

Mint rushed into the room, out of breath and turning brownish. "Sorry," she stopped to catch her breath. "I was in the middle of meeting with the diplomats again. What's going on?"

M'Mira pointed to the viewscreen. "We have one upset Imperial Senatorrrr. Specifically his name is Telhas thu'S'Terrrrion. It seems that he has come forrr an explanation of the missing Ambassadorrrr's wife (he says she is dead) and rrrequests your presence on his ship. He says he comes in peace and only wishes to ask questions but he is rrready for battle, as you can see," she said pointing to the scanners. "Would you care to speak to him herrre or on his ship orrr both?"

"Do we have any more information on what happened?" Mint asked, rubbing her temples and trying to decide what to do. "And I will go to his ship to speak with him. It's best if I go alone, and unarmed. I have, or at least had, a good rapport with him, I trust that he will not do me any harm. But I need to know all that we know about this incident before I go up there to speak with him."

"All that I know is that I talked to herrr this morrrning, making plans for the Embassy. I left to do some work and when I rrreturned, everrryone was dead and she was missing. Somebody has gotten beyond ourrr defenses or let them in." She growled frustrated. "Cerrrtainly would not look good for me if I were a Rrrromulan."

"Was there any surveillance out there?" Mint started pacing again, yet another new habit she was picking up in this stressful time. "Any video we can review? Any witnesses?"

M'Mira growled, now annoyed. "No. Nothing. I'm irrrrritated. I still have my team looking into your theorrrry of sabotage. This seems to make it morrrre likely."

"I hate going into these things blind," she muttered. Then Mint ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. "Right, guess I'm going up there empty handed. And we've left him waiting long enough."

"Don't get yourrrself shot," M'Mira warned. "While I have always wanted to have my own command, I cerrrtainly would not desirrre to get it this way. Besides, they would prrrrobably send someone else to take overrrr and I just brrrroke you and the Captain in," she said with a purring laugh. "Besides, the way things arrrre going, I might be killed in a week. I don't look good dead."

Mint actually laughed at this. "Hun, no one looks good dead," she pointed out. "And if you think you don't, can you imagine me? I'd probably turn some foul shade of yellow green, and there'd be orange blood everywhere," she chuckled and shook her head. "Don't worry, I will not be shot, not by the Ambassador anyway. The Faltan's new Governor maybe, but not the Ambassador."

She motioned for the signal's sound to be resumed and moved so she could be seen. "Ambassador thu'S'Terion," Mint hoped she hadn't totally butchered his name, but pushed on, "first, let me pass on my deepest sympathies. Second, I will attend your ship to discuss this matter. I shall come alone and unarmed. Do you have any further requests?"

"No," Telhas replied, "Except that you should not waste time." With that said, Telhas terminated the communication. Their transporter chiefs would handle the task of getting her on board.

 

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