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B E F O R ET H EG A T E S
Propylaea Station, Alpha Quadrant — circa 1372 XS
B E F O R ET H EG A T E S
Propylaea Station, Alpha Quadrant — circa 1372 XS
Civilization had left its mark among the scattered Stones of Sciron, as the Perseids called this place. Among the rocks of a particular dense cloud of asteroids, fixed in an orbit around a moderately bluish-white star as if by an unseen hand—probably the work of Nephos or the equally enigmatic forces of the laws of physics that govern the cosmos—there was an unusually enormous and moderately irregular planetoid that was hollowed out and converted into an enormous space colony. It was one of the largest asteroids in the belt, measuring 15 kilometers on its longest axis. From the outside, it looked like this monolith’s rocky shell in its unrefined and immaculate appearance was crumbling away to reveal the lustrous silver skin of the station. There weren’t any metallic appendages that projected from the rock, and instead there were rectangular cavities able to accommodate a wide-bodied ship.
To most sophonts, setting up a waystation in such a dangerous place—let alone an important trade center that was meant to straddle the Sivulon Trade Network—was discomforting at best and outright suicidal at worst. There was always the danger of a random space rock that happened to have its path intersect with the station. Fortunately for the ships that were to dock at this gateway to the Omospondia, a path had been cleared through the asteroid field, marked by pulsating buoys to help pilots navigate what could be a treacherous part of space. And indeed one could observe there were many ships that were docking here at Propylaea Station and her satellite asteroids—civilian shuttles, hyperfreighters, and military corvettes were among the kinds of ships in mooring. Yet those weren't the only vessels berthed at port—in fact there was an unusual rise in the number of government vessels docked here recently, along with an increased number of corvettes that were patrolling the star system.
Propylaea was where the Perseids were trying to convene the nations of the galaxy again, and it seems as if they’re doing it at their own expense again. They’re doing so despite the predictions of the naysayers who had foreseen the failure at Icosakhilos. The Great Displacement was still as pressing to them as it was years ago, and so was the rising prevalence of piracy, terrorism, and general lawlessness in deep space. With a greater number of nations attending the Propylaea Summit, it was more apparent that they shared the same concerns with their hosts. Hopes were high for this 2nd International Conference on the Great Displacement.
A long high-profile meeting had concluded on this 2nd day of the conference, but despite the passionate fervor that the Perseids and others had shown in pressing the urgent need to accept refugees, there had been little progress made. As with the previous summit, some delegates didn’t like having to work together with other states, for they saw no reason to agree to coordinate their efforts with distant star empires they never heard of that were located hundreds or thousands of light years away just to provide sanctuary for waves of refugees that were farther by a few hundred light years more. To add to their reservations, they didn’t want any terrorists to take advantage of things and cause havoc in their respective countries once they were in. Despite these, the Perseid hosts remained optimistic for the following days—the other delegates were going to have to agree to something eventually. They knew that they can’t keep the displaced wandering aimlessly or the lawless pirates and terrorists at bay forever through their inaction.
Among the more prominent members of the Perseid delegation, there were a couple of old faces that were present, such as Foreign Secretary Taxiarchai Milonos and Atalante Katsiavria, the neophyte Archon of Xenia—and new ones such as Kypros Onassis, who was serving his last term as Archon of Servitus, and Defence Secretary Herodotos Eliades. Their delegation had grown since Icosakhilos, and some had commented that they were more committed to achieving something more comprehensive and concrete this time. But there were some who believe the Omospondia’s just playing its soft power cards through their privilege as hosts, seeking to use the summit as a platform to promote their expanding trade network to interested parties. Regardless of the opinions given, they all seemed to agree on one thing: this may be one of the Perseids’ last chances to influence the troubling course of the galactic refugee crisis. Having just exited from the conference room, the Perseids proceeded to the next portion of their itinerary—their meeting with the delegates of the signatories of the Nassau Accords.
The Accords had come about during the Icosakhilos Conference but not through any agreement brought about by the major meetings. The signatories who first agreed to the terms of the document had already worked out a comprehensive deal that would help stabilize the Beta Quadrant, a quadrant already beset by other problems of equal magnitude and scope to the refugee crisis. Whilst it was not a galactic-wide solution to the Displacement at large, it was the first example in years of a multinational effort to curb violence and help displaced populations in that section of the galaxy. It was hoped that if people could see that agreements could be reached with more states, then there was hope for a wider galactic-wide initiative.
The hallways that separated the rooms of the diplomatic floor were long and moderately narrow corridors that occasionally intersected with another corridor crossing it. The walls displayed a more subtle pattern of interlocking geometric and angular shapes compared to the ones that were on the other more commercial floors, indicative of the nature of the activities done here. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the other floors, it provided delegates with the environment needed to focus on the matters at hand. For this occasion the hallways were filled with more foreigners walking to and fro.
Kypros was a little amused from glossing over today’s itinerary, barely suppressing a combination of outward chortling and inward bafflement. “Good grief,” the Servitan dragged his finger on his slate. “It’s as if the other nations here have decided to organize secondary meetings today at the same time.”
“Well we can’t really blame them for such,” retorted Atalante as Kypros began to read over the schedule. “After all, tomorrow’s going to be quite cramped with two meetings on the Displacement that will go on for longer. I just don’t know how long I can tolerate the more disruptive delegates.”
“Ah yes,” Kypros nodded. “Depends if you have the stamina to bear with the other delegates for five hours, especially with the Gamman xenos.”
“Hey, I can manage,” smirked the Xenian. “It’s not like the Gammans are the most demanding sophonts in this galaxy. Or the most cranky.” Kypros could sense that she was contradicting herself.
Herodotos’ eyes widened after a swipe. “Speaking of cranky,” he redirected his gaze to Kypros, “I believe it’s time for us to be heading to our meeting with the representatives of LOTUS. I may have heard from a birdie that they may start demanding our heads if we aren’t punctual,” he quipped.
Atalante couldn’t help but snicker. “Gods, have the Usidians taken over the organization?” She believed those humans were never very adept in the art of diplomacy, instead preferring to let their guns do the talking. But there wasn’t anything that she was going to do about it, for that was the Defense Secretary’s problem now. “But regardless,” she added, “I believe you two might irritate them more if you keep them waiting.”
The meeting room where the signatories of the Accords were convening was one of the more modest rooms in the floor, with very little to get distracted by save for the floating crystalline chandelier that illuminated its geometric pieces with a faint yellow-whitish ambience. It provided the five figures sitting around the table to think clearly and discuss important issues without getting completely distracted by one thing or another. In contrast, the Perseids had built the rest of the station’s floors and even some of the other meeting rooms with an ostentatious appearance that rivaled Icosakhilos. The Accords had only been around for a short time, but it had been making waves ever since it was ratified. It had made some progress in its goal to provide security to destabilized regions of space as well as giving displaced sophonts sanctuary from lawless elements, but as with many multilateral treaties, there was still a lot to be done.
The delegates were in a heated discussion when the door to the meeting room slid open to allow the Perseid delegation entrance. “Apologies for the wait, ladies and gentlemen,” Atalante entered the room, accompanied by Taxiarchai. Her feet clipped faintly with every step against the polished marble floor.
David Triggerman, the United Star Commonwealth’s chief envoy to the Propylaea Summit, looked up and smiled as the two Perseid delegates sat themselves down. He had met them both before some time ago during the first Perseid conference where the nations of the galaxy convened to create a course of action to resolve the Great Displacement—and failed in their attempt. But what he did gain from them was a personal friendship, something that he knew will prove useful. He smiled and stood up as they entered and shook the Perseid delegates hands one by one before they took their places at the table. The other delegates just remained in their seats and looked at the Archon and the Foreign Secretary.
At least the Perseids get to keep their heads.
“Ah, excellent,” David spoke with a warm smile on his face. “Our guests have arrived.” He stood there in momentary pause—his eyes glazed over as if his mind was elsewhere before a small note popped up on everyone's computers asking for their refreshments order. David’s eyes came back into focus as he smiled again knowing a few in the room would be wondering what just happened. The delegates began to mumble among themselves—what was the Perseid delegation doing here? Was not this room only reserved for them?
After Taxiarchai had sat down, a holographic name tag appeared in front of them, showing the Perseid Federation’s name in the native Perse script before rendering it in the approximate Galactic Standard equivalent, and then the translation in the galactic lingua franca, with a small holographic flag next to it. “Now that that is out of the way, let me introduce everyone. Some of you already know our Perseid friends from the previous conference, but let me introduce you all again. Accord Members, these fine sentients are Archons Atalante Katsiavria and Foreign Secretary Taxiarchai Milonos of the Perseid Federation.” The Perseid delegates bowed in response to the introduction.
David then turned back to the Perseid delegates and bowed his head in greeting. Gesturing his hand to a certain delegate he spoke, “This here is Archduke Rudolph von Hapsburg from the Imperial Federal Union...” Rudolph was a thin man with short cropped hair and a rounded face partly disguised by the full mustache that sat upon his top lip. His eyes were a piercing blue that seemed to look deep into the soul of mortals and measure the fortitude of a person at times. A man seemingly of deep philosophy, the Archon thought. But perhaps I might be deceiving myself. Usually when a man’s eyes are sparkling more than usual, that would mean he had been drinking too much wine.
The next delegate was Mistress Xia’xaal A’vaen’yatuur’isa of the Auracexian Hegemony, as David introduced her. “I hope I pronounced that correctly,” he remarked as he motioned to the female Accord delegate next to him. The Mistress was a tall and amazonian creature—standing at 7 feet tall, as tall as the Perseids were. She had tan skin and cyan eyes that complimented her devilish smile. Her clothing consisted of a skin weave that accentuated her breasts and hips, along with a small cape that hid her tentacle-like appendages protruding from her back.
The final two delegates to be introduced were delegates from the original Accord signatories and had been present during the first summit the Perseid Federation had conducted. Mr. Howard Stern was very much like his last name described—an unwavering man with an almost stoic expression that was unreadable much of the time. He was an aging man—his most notable feature being his gray hair with only a few flecks of color left. He also sported a rather impressive mustache immaculately combed and looked after. His expression remained impartial as he was introduced by David, standing to shake the Perseid delegates hands before sitting back down—running his index finger and thumb over his mustache to smooth it down.
To end the introduction, he directed their attention to Joanne McDonnell, Earth’s Delegate to the Nassau Accords. Joanne wasn’t your normal human, she sported a tail and cat like ears and eyes that seemed to sparkle when you looked into them. And for the sake of putting it on record, those ears were real. As he introduced her she gave a small squeak and rushed to her feet to shake their hands, a massive smile adorning her face. “Pleased to meet you both,” she bowed, earning a mild blush from Taxiarchai. David could only smile to hold back a chuckle.
Gesturing to himself he added, “And I am of course David Triggerman, but we have already had the pleasure of meeting during the first conference.”
“Indeed we have,” Atalante concurred. She smiled, “It has been a pleasure seeing you again, Mr. Triggerman.”
David sat himself down in the middle of all the Nassau Accord Delegates, just as the doors slid open and his Personal Assistant Astra joined the meeting. Placing the refreshments on the table, Astra gave a curtsy and took up a place beside the entrance to the meeting room.
Having received the Perseids to the discussion, the Solarian adjusted his microphone and leaned forward. “So…” David began, “we have invited you here because we feel that the Nassau Accords could help achieve what the Perseid Federation is trying to accomplish. As you are no doubt aware the Commonwealth and its partners have been busy setting up safe havens throughout the Beta Quadrant as allowed for by the Accords, and we are starting to see some positive results. Some areas are seeing an economic upturn and a decline in piratical activities. The stations also are helping to encourage trade between nations previously cut off during the Great Betan Collapse, which is a very welcome development. Whilst the bulk of our efforts are still going to be focused in the Beta Quadrant for the foreseeable future, we are currently looking for partner nations that can drive the initiative in other areas of the galaxy. Our goals are the same—we simply believe that the terms that are enclosed in the Nassau Accords are a more pragmatic approach to the problem that faces the galaxy at large.”
Atalante and Taxiarchai nodded at David’s words as the latter caught them up to speed. However, it seemed that the Accords were the most pragmatic solution to this crisis because it was the only thing that featured a concerted international effort to resolve the Displacement, as every other effort fell out of favor or was undertaken by individual countries in their own ways. Perhaps the Propylaea Conference seemed like it was finally going to fulfill its purpose.
The Archon flicked her stylus around her fingers and placed it on the desk. “Indeed they are. We recognize that the effort placed in this initiative has benefited millions of lives, and we believe that it will continue to do so in the future. However, we do not wish to involve ourselves in this partnership without knowing exactly what roles we need to fulfill. The Omospondia does not wish to invest time, effort, and resources into a cause with unclear objectives, after all. What do you seek among partners that may fulfill those initiatives, and what can the Perseid Federation gain from this arrangement?”
David sat there for a moment considering his next words a little more carefully. The good done by the Accords was undeniable but diplomacy was a fickle thing and even a wrongly placed word could mean the Perseids walking away from the table and potentially never coming back. “The Alpha Quadrant has seen its fair share of refugees, mostly from Gamma and the work yourself and your partners have already done has been astounding. ”
What the Solarian said was true, and she agreed that the refugee problem in the Alpha Quadrant was still a big issue. Atalante didn’t think it was necessary to hear what she already knew—she thought that he must be using flattery. But then it was probably not the right time for her to say that to his face, no matter how tempting that sounded.
David seemed to be clueless on whether he had struck the right sort of chord with the Archon after having spent minutes of discussion, talking point after point about the treaty he sought to promote to them, but he carried on in explaining the Accords’ position and how he felt the Perseid Federation would be able to fit in all of this. “We in the Accords want to help lift the burden somewhat from your nation's collective shoulders—the stats speak for themselves. For each Stepping Stone constructed in the void of space there has been an uptick in trade and a negative trend in piracy and other illegal activities. This is in part thanks to the Accords’ provisions that allow its signatories to root out the criminal and hostile elements that have forced the galaxy at large to have to deal with this crisis to begin with.”
“I believe you mean stations, correct?” Taxiarchai wanted to make sure he followed along with what the Solarian was saying.
“Yes,” the USC delegate nodded. “We as a collective want to expand our remit from simply just the Beta Quadrant to the rest of the galaxy, and we here are in agreement that the Federation is the right partner to help us reach that goal.” David paused for a moment to meet his audience's gaze. “So on behalf of the Commonwealth and its Accords partners, we would like to formally submit an offer to bring the Perseid Federation into the Accords. I realize there is much to discuss and work out moving forward should you accept, but think of it as taking the first step.”
That was sudden. She thought that they would want to cooperate with the Perseids multilaterally in addressing the refugee problem that the Alpha Quadrant also had, at least that was what David’s opening statement suggested. She didn’t think that they would want the Omospondia as a signatory to this agreement. Taxiarchai, looking a little concerned himself, whispered something into Atalante’s ear—but the other sophonts in the room couldn’t tell what he was saying. Atalante did a tiny nod and turned her gaze back to David. “I’m quite surprised to hear that, Mr. Triggerman,” she spoke, letting a smirk appear on her face. “But I believe you haven’t answered my question entirely. Forgive me if I do sound condescending, but allow me to rephrase. What can we do to help?”
David leaned forward again. He was eager to make this work, to get them on board and make the Accords truly a galactic organization. It was to spell new trade opportunities for everyone and go another step further to showing those who were watching the Commonwealth was serious about its pledges.
“That answer is simple really,” David replied. “Sign the Accords and grant us access to your trade routes and stations to set up outreach points for anyone who may need or want them.”
David paused to wonder if he was being too forward, but he had gotten this far and had been playing the diplomacy game for a long time now and would continue to do so well into his career to come. Right now he gambled that being forward was the best bet to get the Perseids on his side.
To make sure that they wouldn’t refuse, he then added, “The economic and political benefits to the Perseid Federation are deeply significant should you sign. With the influx of foreign migrants and refugees arriving at its core dominions and extant territories, this treaty will offer these sophonts a stable source of living, fulfilling part of the stipulations the Perseids are committing themselves to in order to solve the refugee crisis and sharing the cost of it between all members of the Accords rather than just the Federation. It will also provide the Perseid labor force with an infusion of sophont capital and enrich its economy. On top of that access to Accord members markets is going to go a long way to help enrich the Federation economy even more. And I think everyone in this room wants that.”
Atalante paused to consider the deal laid out before her. Surely the offer of more expanded trade relations with the USC and the other Accords members was enticing, as it would mean a more advantageous position in the economic dynamics of the interstellar community. And the possible benefit of sharing resources and capital to alleviate the burden imposed by refugees was a sensible choice given the costs that were already wearing the Perseid government down. But there were some concerns that continued to persist in the Archon’s mind. She knew very well that the Ecclesia, and quite possibly her fellow Archons, would not want to contend with a treaty that would entail the allocation of taxpayer Axias to other nations to prop them up against the Displacement—not to mention any possible economic strings attached that would place the Omospondia under the influence of other powers. But these can perhaps be ironed out when she gets back to Xenia. Yes, yes, this just might work, actually.
Maybe that was all the convincing that she needed, and all the treaty reading that came along with it. “Very well,” the Archon leaned in towards her microphone and nodded. “Despite the reservations that I have with the Accords and its terms, perhaps you may have convinced me well. These concerns can perhaps be straightened out in any potential meetings that the Omospondia may have with Accords signatories in the future. Therefore, in recognizing the potential benefits that the terms of this treaty offers to its signatories, and in pursuit of the interests of the interstellar community and in the best interests of the Perseid Federation, on behalf of the Omospondia I hereby resolve to approve the Nassau Accords and begin the process of inclusion as a signatory of this agreement.”
David smiled and audibly breathed a sigh of relief as the other Representatives happily applauded the decision. He passed the document to the Archon, and she sat down to affix her signature to the Accords. Their applause continued as Atalante stood up with Mr. Triggerman and firmly shook his hand. It was going to be a long way before the Omospondia itself was going to ratify the treaty, but he had firm confidence that the upcoming meetings will help speed the process. But perhaps that can wait until the time comes. Now that he had finally brought the Perseids into the Accords, the Solarian could now cross that off his list and sleep soundly tonight.
To most sophonts, setting up a waystation in such a dangerous place—let alone an important trade center that was meant to straddle the Sivulon Trade Network—was discomforting at best and outright suicidal at worst. There was always the danger of a random space rock that happened to have its path intersect with the station. Fortunately for the ships that were to dock at this gateway to the Omospondia, a path had been cleared through the asteroid field, marked by pulsating buoys to help pilots navigate what could be a treacherous part of space. And indeed one could observe there were many ships that were docking here at Propylaea Station and her satellite asteroids—civilian shuttles, hyperfreighters, and military corvettes were among the kinds of ships in mooring. Yet those weren't the only vessels berthed at port—in fact there was an unusual rise in the number of government vessels docked here recently, along with an increased number of corvettes that were patrolling the star system.
Propylaea was where the Perseids were trying to convene the nations of the galaxy again, and it seems as if they’re doing it at their own expense again. They’re doing so despite the predictions of the naysayers who had foreseen the failure at Icosakhilos. The Great Displacement was still as pressing to them as it was years ago, and so was the rising prevalence of piracy, terrorism, and general lawlessness in deep space. With a greater number of nations attending the Propylaea Summit, it was more apparent that they shared the same concerns with their hosts. Hopes were high for this 2nd International Conference on the Great Displacement.
A long high-profile meeting had concluded on this 2nd day of the conference, but despite the passionate fervor that the Perseids and others had shown in pressing the urgent need to accept refugees, there had been little progress made. As with the previous summit, some delegates didn’t like having to work together with other states, for they saw no reason to agree to coordinate their efforts with distant star empires they never heard of that were located hundreds or thousands of light years away just to provide sanctuary for waves of refugees that were farther by a few hundred light years more. To add to their reservations, they didn’t want any terrorists to take advantage of things and cause havoc in their respective countries once they were in. Despite these, the Perseid hosts remained optimistic for the following days—the other delegates were going to have to agree to something eventually. They knew that they can’t keep the displaced wandering aimlessly or the lawless pirates and terrorists at bay forever through their inaction.
Among the more prominent members of the Perseid delegation, there were a couple of old faces that were present, such as Foreign Secretary Taxiarchai Milonos and Atalante Katsiavria, the neophyte Archon of Xenia—and new ones such as Kypros Onassis, who was serving his last term as Archon of Servitus, and Defence Secretary Herodotos Eliades. Their delegation had grown since Icosakhilos, and some had commented that they were more committed to achieving something more comprehensive and concrete this time. But there were some who believe the Omospondia’s just playing its soft power cards through their privilege as hosts, seeking to use the summit as a platform to promote their expanding trade network to interested parties. Regardless of the opinions given, they all seemed to agree on one thing: this may be one of the Perseids’ last chances to influence the troubling course of the galactic refugee crisis. Having just exited from the conference room, the Perseids proceeded to the next portion of their itinerary—their meeting with the delegates of the signatories of the Nassau Accords.
The Accords had come about during the Icosakhilos Conference but not through any agreement brought about by the major meetings. The signatories who first agreed to the terms of the document had already worked out a comprehensive deal that would help stabilize the Beta Quadrant, a quadrant already beset by other problems of equal magnitude and scope to the refugee crisis. Whilst it was not a galactic-wide solution to the Displacement at large, it was the first example in years of a multinational effort to curb violence and help displaced populations in that section of the galaxy. It was hoped that if people could see that agreements could be reached with more states, then there was hope for a wider galactic-wide initiative.
The hallways that separated the rooms of the diplomatic floor were long and moderately narrow corridors that occasionally intersected with another corridor crossing it. The walls displayed a more subtle pattern of interlocking geometric and angular shapes compared to the ones that were on the other more commercial floors, indicative of the nature of the activities done here. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the other floors, it provided delegates with the environment needed to focus on the matters at hand. For this occasion the hallways were filled with more foreigners walking to and fro.
Kypros was a little amused from glossing over today’s itinerary, barely suppressing a combination of outward chortling and inward bafflement. “Good grief,” the Servitan dragged his finger on his slate. “It’s as if the other nations here have decided to organize secondary meetings today at the same time.”
“Well we can’t really blame them for such,” retorted Atalante as Kypros began to read over the schedule. “After all, tomorrow’s going to be quite cramped with two meetings on the Displacement that will go on for longer. I just don’t know how long I can tolerate the more disruptive delegates.”
“Ah yes,” Kypros nodded. “Depends if you have the stamina to bear with the other delegates for five hours, especially with the Gamman xenos.”
“Hey, I can manage,” smirked the Xenian. “It’s not like the Gammans are the most demanding sophonts in this galaxy. Or the most cranky.” Kypros could sense that she was contradicting herself.
Herodotos’ eyes widened after a swipe. “Speaking of cranky,” he redirected his gaze to Kypros, “I believe it’s time for us to be heading to our meeting with the representatives of LOTUS. I may have heard from a birdie that they may start demanding our heads if we aren’t punctual,” he quipped.
Atalante couldn’t help but snicker. “Gods, have the Usidians taken over the organization?” She believed those humans were never very adept in the art of diplomacy, instead preferring to let their guns do the talking. But there wasn’t anything that she was going to do about it, for that was the Defense Secretary’s problem now. “But regardless,” she added, “I believe you two might irritate them more if you keep them waiting.”
The meeting room where the signatories of the Accords were convening was one of the more modest rooms in the floor, with very little to get distracted by save for the floating crystalline chandelier that illuminated its geometric pieces with a faint yellow-whitish ambience. It provided the five figures sitting around the table to think clearly and discuss important issues without getting completely distracted by one thing or another. In contrast, the Perseids had built the rest of the station’s floors and even some of the other meeting rooms with an ostentatious appearance that rivaled Icosakhilos. The Accords had only been around for a short time, but it had been making waves ever since it was ratified. It had made some progress in its goal to provide security to destabilized regions of space as well as giving displaced sophonts sanctuary from lawless elements, but as with many multilateral treaties, there was still a lot to be done.
The delegates were in a heated discussion when the door to the meeting room slid open to allow the Perseid delegation entrance. “Apologies for the wait, ladies and gentlemen,” Atalante entered the room, accompanied by Taxiarchai. Her feet clipped faintly with every step against the polished marble floor.
David Triggerman, the United Star Commonwealth’s chief envoy to the Propylaea Summit, looked up and smiled as the two Perseid delegates sat themselves down. He had met them both before some time ago during the first Perseid conference where the nations of the galaxy convened to create a course of action to resolve the Great Displacement—and failed in their attempt. But what he did gain from them was a personal friendship, something that he knew will prove useful. He smiled and stood up as they entered and shook the Perseid delegates hands one by one before they took their places at the table. The other delegates just remained in their seats and looked at the Archon and the Foreign Secretary.
At least the Perseids get to keep their heads.
“Ah, excellent,” David spoke with a warm smile on his face. “Our guests have arrived.” He stood there in momentary pause—his eyes glazed over as if his mind was elsewhere before a small note popped up on everyone's computers asking for their refreshments order. David’s eyes came back into focus as he smiled again knowing a few in the room would be wondering what just happened. The delegates began to mumble among themselves—what was the Perseid delegation doing here? Was not this room only reserved for them?
After Taxiarchai had sat down, a holographic name tag appeared in front of them, showing the Perseid Federation’s name in the native Perse script before rendering it in the approximate Galactic Standard equivalent, and then the translation in the galactic lingua franca, with a small holographic flag next to it. “Now that that is out of the way, let me introduce everyone. Some of you already know our Perseid friends from the previous conference, but let me introduce you all again. Accord Members, these fine sentients are Archons Atalante Katsiavria and Foreign Secretary Taxiarchai Milonos of the Perseid Federation.” The Perseid delegates bowed in response to the introduction.
David then turned back to the Perseid delegates and bowed his head in greeting. Gesturing his hand to a certain delegate he spoke, “This here is Archduke Rudolph von Hapsburg from the Imperial Federal Union...” Rudolph was a thin man with short cropped hair and a rounded face partly disguised by the full mustache that sat upon his top lip. His eyes were a piercing blue that seemed to look deep into the soul of mortals and measure the fortitude of a person at times. A man seemingly of deep philosophy, the Archon thought. But perhaps I might be deceiving myself. Usually when a man’s eyes are sparkling more than usual, that would mean he had been drinking too much wine.
The next delegate was Mistress Xia’xaal A’vaen’yatuur’isa of the Auracexian Hegemony, as David introduced her. “I hope I pronounced that correctly,” he remarked as he motioned to the female Accord delegate next to him. The Mistress was a tall and amazonian creature—standing at 7 feet tall, as tall as the Perseids were. She had tan skin and cyan eyes that complimented her devilish smile. Her clothing consisted of a skin weave that accentuated her breasts and hips, along with a small cape that hid her tentacle-like appendages protruding from her back.
The final two delegates to be introduced were delegates from the original Accord signatories and had been present during the first summit the Perseid Federation had conducted. Mr. Howard Stern was very much like his last name described—an unwavering man with an almost stoic expression that was unreadable much of the time. He was an aging man—his most notable feature being his gray hair with only a few flecks of color left. He also sported a rather impressive mustache immaculately combed and looked after. His expression remained impartial as he was introduced by David, standing to shake the Perseid delegates hands before sitting back down—running his index finger and thumb over his mustache to smooth it down.
To end the introduction, he directed their attention to Joanne McDonnell, Earth’s Delegate to the Nassau Accords. Joanne wasn’t your normal human, she sported a tail and cat like ears and eyes that seemed to sparkle when you looked into them. And for the sake of putting it on record, those ears were real. As he introduced her she gave a small squeak and rushed to her feet to shake their hands, a massive smile adorning her face. “Pleased to meet you both,” she bowed, earning a mild blush from Taxiarchai. David could only smile to hold back a chuckle.
Gesturing to himself he added, “And I am of course David Triggerman, but we have already had the pleasure of meeting during the first conference.”
“Indeed we have,” Atalante concurred. She smiled, “It has been a pleasure seeing you again, Mr. Triggerman.”
David sat himself down in the middle of all the Nassau Accord Delegates, just as the doors slid open and his Personal Assistant Astra joined the meeting. Placing the refreshments on the table, Astra gave a curtsy and took up a place beside the entrance to the meeting room.
Having received the Perseids to the discussion, the Solarian adjusted his microphone and leaned forward. “So…” David began, “we have invited you here because we feel that the Nassau Accords could help achieve what the Perseid Federation is trying to accomplish. As you are no doubt aware the Commonwealth and its partners have been busy setting up safe havens throughout the Beta Quadrant as allowed for by the Accords, and we are starting to see some positive results. Some areas are seeing an economic upturn and a decline in piratical activities. The stations also are helping to encourage trade between nations previously cut off during the Great Betan Collapse, which is a very welcome development. Whilst the bulk of our efforts are still going to be focused in the Beta Quadrant for the foreseeable future, we are currently looking for partner nations that can drive the initiative in other areas of the galaxy. Our goals are the same—we simply believe that the terms that are enclosed in the Nassau Accords are a more pragmatic approach to the problem that faces the galaxy at large.”
Atalante and Taxiarchai nodded at David’s words as the latter caught them up to speed. However, it seemed that the Accords were the most pragmatic solution to this crisis because it was the only thing that featured a concerted international effort to resolve the Displacement, as every other effort fell out of favor or was undertaken by individual countries in their own ways. Perhaps the Propylaea Conference seemed like it was finally going to fulfill its purpose.
The Archon flicked her stylus around her fingers and placed it on the desk. “Indeed they are. We recognize that the effort placed in this initiative has benefited millions of lives, and we believe that it will continue to do so in the future. However, we do not wish to involve ourselves in this partnership without knowing exactly what roles we need to fulfill. The Omospondia does not wish to invest time, effort, and resources into a cause with unclear objectives, after all. What do you seek among partners that may fulfill those initiatives, and what can the Perseid Federation gain from this arrangement?”
David sat there for a moment considering his next words a little more carefully. The good done by the Accords was undeniable but diplomacy was a fickle thing and even a wrongly placed word could mean the Perseids walking away from the table and potentially never coming back. “The Alpha Quadrant has seen its fair share of refugees, mostly from Gamma and the work yourself and your partners have already done has been astounding. ”
What the Solarian said was true, and she agreed that the refugee problem in the Alpha Quadrant was still a big issue. Atalante didn’t think it was necessary to hear what she already knew—she thought that he must be using flattery. But then it was probably not the right time for her to say that to his face, no matter how tempting that sounded.
David seemed to be clueless on whether he had struck the right sort of chord with the Archon after having spent minutes of discussion, talking point after point about the treaty he sought to promote to them, but he carried on in explaining the Accords’ position and how he felt the Perseid Federation would be able to fit in all of this. “We in the Accords want to help lift the burden somewhat from your nation's collective shoulders—the stats speak for themselves. For each Stepping Stone constructed in the void of space there has been an uptick in trade and a negative trend in piracy and other illegal activities. This is in part thanks to the Accords’ provisions that allow its signatories to root out the criminal and hostile elements that have forced the galaxy at large to have to deal with this crisis to begin with.”
“I believe you mean stations, correct?” Taxiarchai wanted to make sure he followed along with what the Solarian was saying.
“Yes,” the USC delegate nodded. “We as a collective want to expand our remit from simply just the Beta Quadrant to the rest of the galaxy, and we here are in agreement that the Federation is the right partner to help us reach that goal.” David paused for a moment to meet his audience's gaze. “So on behalf of the Commonwealth and its Accords partners, we would like to formally submit an offer to bring the Perseid Federation into the Accords. I realize there is much to discuss and work out moving forward should you accept, but think of it as taking the first step.”
That was sudden. She thought that they would want to cooperate with the Perseids multilaterally in addressing the refugee problem that the Alpha Quadrant also had, at least that was what David’s opening statement suggested. She didn’t think that they would want the Omospondia as a signatory to this agreement. Taxiarchai, looking a little concerned himself, whispered something into Atalante’s ear—but the other sophonts in the room couldn’t tell what he was saying. Atalante did a tiny nod and turned her gaze back to David. “I’m quite surprised to hear that, Mr. Triggerman,” she spoke, letting a smirk appear on her face. “But I believe you haven’t answered my question entirely. Forgive me if I do sound condescending, but allow me to rephrase. What can we do to help?”
David leaned forward again. He was eager to make this work, to get them on board and make the Accords truly a galactic organization. It was to spell new trade opportunities for everyone and go another step further to showing those who were watching the Commonwealth was serious about its pledges.
“That answer is simple really,” David replied. “Sign the Accords and grant us access to your trade routes and stations to set up outreach points for anyone who may need or want them.”
David paused to wonder if he was being too forward, but he had gotten this far and had been playing the diplomacy game for a long time now and would continue to do so well into his career to come. Right now he gambled that being forward was the best bet to get the Perseids on his side.
To make sure that they wouldn’t refuse, he then added, “The economic and political benefits to the Perseid Federation are deeply significant should you sign. With the influx of foreign migrants and refugees arriving at its core dominions and extant territories, this treaty will offer these sophonts a stable source of living, fulfilling part of the stipulations the Perseids are committing themselves to in order to solve the refugee crisis and sharing the cost of it between all members of the Accords rather than just the Federation. It will also provide the Perseid labor force with an infusion of sophont capital and enrich its economy. On top of that access to Accord members markets is going to go a long way to help enrich the Federation economy even more. And I think everyone in this room wants that.”
Atalante paused to consider the deal laid out before her. Surely the offer of more expanded trade relations with the USC and the other Accords members was enticing, as it would mean a more advantageous position in the economic dynamics of the interstellar community. And the possible benefit of sharing resources and capital to alleviate the burden imposed by refugees was a sensible choice given the costs that were already wearing the Perseid government down. But there were some concerns that continued to persist in the Archon’s mind. She knew very well that the Ecclesia, and quite possibly her fellow Archons, would not want to contend with a treaty that would entail the allocation of taxpayer Axias to other nations to prop them up against the Displacement—not to mention any possible economic strings attached that would place the Omospondia under the influence of other powers. But these can perhaps be ironed out when she gets back to Xenia. Yes, yes, this just might work, actually.
Maybe that was all the convincing that she needed, and all the treaty reading that came along with it. “Very well,” the Archon leaned in towards her microphone and nodded. “Despite the reservations that I have with the Accords and its terms, perhaps you may have convinced me well. These concerns can perhaps be straightened out in any potential meetings that the Omospondia may have with Accords signatories in the future. Therefore, in recognizing the potential benefits that the terms of this treaty offers to its signatories, and in pursuit of the interests of the interstellar community and in the best interests of the Perseid Federation, on behalf of the Omospondia I hereby resolve to approve the Nassau Accords and begin the process of inclusion as a signatory of this agreement.”
David smiled and audibly breathed a sigh of relief as the other Representatives happily applauded the decision. He passed the document to the Archon, and she sat down to affix her signature to the Accords. Their applause continued as Atalante stood up with Mr. Triggerman and firmly shook his hand. It was going to be a long way before the Omospondia itself was going to ratify the treaty, but he had firm confidence that the upcoming meetings will help speed the process. But perhaps that can wait until the time comes. Now that he had finally brought the Perseids into the Accords, the Solarian could now cross that off his list and sleep soundly tonight.
Written by Stormwrath and Intersteller Terra.
