Federation Council Log | "Too Chill for a Trill" | FCHC | Ret. Adm Jolias Enor

Posted on 241501.08 @ 5:32pm by President Jolias Enor

Mission: Reconciliation & Reconstruction [Fleet Plot]
Location: Earth
Timeline: Present

[Earth, Copenhagen]

Cold. That was the first thought that entered his mind as he materialized on the public transporter platform. Night had descended over the old earth city of Copenhagen where the streets were bare save for a few late stragglers who struggled against the biting cold by trudging along icy sidewalks. Pulling the fur lined hood over his head Jolias stepped off the platform and into a raw breeze which tugged at the edges of his parka. All around him a thick flurry of white ice petals danced against the wind and swirled vividly around the bright lights of the lampposts lining the sidewalks. Pulling a PADD out of his pocket he glanced at the digital map and then slowly proceeded down the main thoroughfare. According to the map’s locator it would normally take him about ten minutes on foot to reach his destination but factoring in the weather Jolias expected it would probably take him fifteen maybe twenty minutes to get there. As he trudged along the frozen sidewalk he would randomly glance up to find the skyline blurred by a thick haze which eerily appeared to glow yellow as the city lights filtered through.

The walk seemed to drag on for an eternity as the cold angrily bit at his nose and cheeks but the scenery around him was ever changing indicating progress. Reaching an intersection he stopped for a moment to glance at the PADD “another five minutes.” Jolias muttered to himself and then watched his breathy mist flow away from his face like a cloud of cold smoke. Gently brushing flakes of snow off the PADDs display with gloved fingers he continued his journey along the sidewalk before slowing down and making a right turn down a smaller alley. Slowly following the cobblestone alleyway he finally neared his destination and stopped. Just ahead of him seated at a wrought iron table next to a little café was a familiar sight. The slender figure’s ivory trapeze dress seemed to glow golden under the lamplight while her dark teal skin was almost a silhouette. Her two antennae seemed to wriggle slightly at his approach as she turned around to face him holding a glass of steaming hot liquid in her hand.

“You’re late.” She said with a smile that was barely readable on her face in the shadow of the lamplight. “Come sit with me old friend. It has been a long time since we last spoke in person.” She took a sip of the liquid which smoked heavily out of her mouth and steamed across her face.

“It’s not really my element.” Jolias said and walked over to one of the chairs across from her. Reaching down he tried to pull it out but found the legs frozen to the ground. It took a bit of extra effort to finally free the chair and sit. Once seated he pulled on the hood’s draw string tightening the fur lining around his face to further shield himself from the bitter Nordic cold. “So, why drag me out into his hellish freeze Iyaru?”

“Hellish? It feels like home to me.” The Andorian Councillor chuckled briefly and then took a moment to gaze around cautiously. Seemingly satisfied with what she did or didn’t see she smiled “I had a short conversation with Admiral Rahz about working with the Council. It didn’t go very well.”

“Not very unexpected wouldn’t you say?” Jolias sighed heavily creating a thick wave of mist that flowed across the table and past Iyaru. “You are asking a career member of Starfleet to spy on her boss. It was never going to work. I told you that much.”

“So you did.” Iyaru sipped her drink and then shook her head “too much civilian oversight. Do you agree with what Hark said?”

“No I don’t but this the Federation not the Romulan Empire. We don’t spy on our own- or at least we shouldn’t. While the relationship between the Council and Starfleet may be strained we must remember to always act within the bounds of the law.” Jolias leaned forward and rubbed his forehead with his gloved fingers finding them especially cold and damp “I do have my reservations about Hark but there are more pressing issues the Council needs to deal with right now.”

“Yes, unfortunately there are a lot of pressing issues.” Iyaru leaned back and stared up at the clouds. As the lamplight washed over her the Andorian’s brows and hair began to glint from the frozen moisture that had accumulated on them. “Shamefully it seems at least thirty systems are exploring the possibility of leaving the Federation. Perhaps the greatest crisis the Federation has faced in two centuries? So, what is Trill’s position on the matter? Let them go or force them to stay?”

“Let them go. What can we do to force them to stay? Either way any attempt to force them to remain will only further the bitterness which has become a dominate fixture of the council the past few years. We need a fresh start and if there are any worlds that are unwilling to move forward then we should amicably part ways.” Jolias added “and what is Andoria’s?”

“Similar though we can skip the amicable part. If they want to go loose into this universe then we should as the humans say ‘throw them to the wolves.’” She sat up and looked across the table at Jolias “we recently received an intelligence dispatch from the neutral zone suggesting that the Klingons have attacked several worlds along their border with the Romulans. Now that they have fulfilled their obligations to Malone…” Iyaru paused to snort slightly which was an odd sound coming from the Andorian. “I don’t think it’ll be long at all until that new Chancellor sets his sights on our space. Some of the world’s considering withdrawal from the Federation charter are near Klingon territory. Perhaps we should encourage them to leave- build a buffer between us and the Klingons. I have spoken to some of the others within the Security Council and I know that at least Alpha Centauri and Tellar are in agreement.”

“Disgusting.” Jolias frowned deeply at the idea “out of the question. We still don’t know what the extent of those attacks have been. What if the Klingons and the Romulans go to war? Even in its dire state Starfleet would still be able to put up a good fight against the Klingons and especially a KDF weakened by a war against the Romulans.”

“Psh.” Iyaru set her glass down and waved a finger at Jolias “you know as well as I do that the Romulans won’t go to war with the Klingons. It would be beneficial for us if they did but they won’t take such a big risk for such minimal cosmopolitical gains. No, there won’t be a war.”

As much as he hated to admit it Jolias agreed with Iyaru on that point “no, there won’t be a war.” He echoed her words and then stared up at the sky as the snow continued to fall blanketing the table “Since I’ve arrived here I can’t shake the feeling that there seems to be an air sickness surrounding the council. It’s almost as if the moral fibers of this great body are beginning to split. Perhaps soon it will all just come falling down on us.”

Iyaru grinned “hasn’t it already? It’s not just the council- the Federation is sick. Our people are feeling the weight of continued and relentless war. Starfleet’s power has risen to heights unseen. If we don’t act soon all that will be left of the Federation is a junta of Starfleet admiralty. Three centuries of democracy and progress snuffed out.”

“Well, at least now I don’t feel like the negative one.” Jolias grimaced for a moment and then softened his expression into a smile. “It’s cold now- but after winter there will be a spring. We just have to guide the Federation through through the dark and cold.”

“Winter you said?” Iyaru leaned back and stretched out her hands towards the clouds “my people love the cold…”

[End]

Councillor Jolias Enor
Representative of Trill
Federation Council

&

Councillor Iyaru zh'Aniri (apb Thomas)
Representative of Andoria
Federation Council