Picard woke up as he often did, flat on his back, with a book still in his hands. He had fallen asleep reading "Gamma Canaris IV: War History As Told Through Pre Warp Archeology." It wasn't exactly a page-turner, but it made for a good bedtime book. For Picard, his passion for archeology was a welcome distraction from the stress and pressure of being a starship captain. He felt the new day pushing the hazy halo of sleep away from his mind. Picard removed the sheets that half covered his body, and sat up on the side of his bed.
"Computer, what time is it?" he asked.
"Oh five fifty-nine and fifty-five seconds," the computer said in its stern female voice.
"That means -"
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Computer! Turn my bloody alarm off," Picard said. A hot feeling crawled across the back of his neck. Picard usually woke up right before his alarm. So why bother even setting the thing in the first place?
He walked into the small ensuite that joined his bedroom and looked in the mirror. Thin flecks of grey stubble pushed through the skin of his cheeks, and around his jaw. The top of his head was as bald as ever. It had never bothered him - at least he didn't have the young, boyish looks of his number one, Commander Riker. He didn't mind the older gentleman look. As long as people respected him as captain, he didn't much care at all.
The communicator on the bedroom wall bleeped. He walked over to it and pressed his thumb against the plastic button.
"Sorry to interrupt your forty winks, Captain," came the voice over the line. The voice was dry and to the point. He noted the use of the outdated Earth colloquialism 'forty winks'. Picard knew it was Data speaking to him, and that Data was trying to perfect the subtleties of friendly earth chitchat. "We have arrived in Eutanian space. As expected, we've received a less than friendly welcome."
"I managed about twenty winks last night Data, I guess that will have to do. On my way," Picard said.
After a quick sonic shower and an even quicker shave, Picard dressed and headed to the bridge.
"Captain on the bridge!" Ensign Taitt said.
"As you were."
"Sir," Data said, speaking in his fast Android voice. "The Eutanian chief of security has been waiting to speak to someone with (and I quote) 'sufficient authority to deal with this matter.'"
"And can anyone enlighten a starship captain about the nature of this matter?" Picard asked. He noted a stony silence from the crew on the bridge.
"He would not disclose that information," Data continued. He cocked his head to one side. "Although the tone of his voice and the subtle muscle movements of his cheekbones suggest that he is getting quite impatient."
"Okay then, on screen," Picard said.
Above him, the ships huge viewport screen flashed. A big, pale green humanoid face burst onto the screen. There were thin ridges above the man's eyes, but no eyebrows. His mouth was set with large, flat teeth and his heavy breathing echoed around the bridge. Data was right, he did not look happy.
"Good morning," Picard said. "I am Captain Jean Luc Picard of the-"
"Finally!" the Eutanian chief of security said. "The captain is out of bed. So nice of you to make the time. My name is Security Chief Duyk."
Picard noticed Data lean over to Ensign Taitt. Data whispered, "I believe that is called sarcasm."
"I apologise for the delay," Picard said. "But I do excel at solving problems. So tell me your problem and let's see if we can solve it."
"My problem, Captain, is that your security chief will not allow my security team to board your ship. They must give it a thorough safety screening before our Ambassador takes even one step on board. These are delicate times for the Eutanian people. Many would like to see the Ambassador off to meet his makers. You must have a very stern word to this Lieutenant Worf and have him allow our team on board at once. Or else we demand he is relieved of duty and is replaced with someone less… obstinate."
Picard ran his hand over his head and felt a slight dampness on the palm of his hand. Dealing with this sort of thing wasn't the most pleasant start to the day. But he must show calm composure to both the Eutanian security chief and his own crew.
With a calm voice and a level smile, he said, "Have you ever tried to relieve a Klingon of duty, sir? They don't take that sort of thing lightly. But I can have a word with him. How about this. We will have your security team come on board as long as they have Mr. Worf accompany them. If he sees something that needs my attention, I will be available."
Picard noticed Duyk scrunch up his face. The thin ridges above his eyes flared, and a darker green color flushed across his cheeks.
"Very well," he said. "We give you permission to include your security chaperone. Ensure he does not get in our way."
With that, the screen blinked and Duyk was gone. The Enterprise's view of the three M-class planets that made up the Eutanian system flashed back onto the screen. The planet closest to their sun was the smallest and had a husky red colour that resembled Mars. The middle planet and the furthest planet from the sun were 1.5 times bigger. They also had a bluer colour to them, suggesting more liquid water.
"Sir, if I may ask, what is the nature of our mission here with the Eutanians?" asked Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge. "I'm guessing this isn't a vacation system giving out free back rubs."
"Our mission here is of great importance to Starfleet's ongoing deep space strategy. Our mission is to facilitate the peace agreement between two of the three planets. For a decade now, all three planets have been at war. But now finally two of the three are ready for peace. We are an independent third party. A common ground on which the two parties will meet. Once they sign their peace treaty, the Eutanian system will join the Federation.
"As you know, this region is a stone's throw away from Cardassian space. And tensions between our Federation and the Cardassian Empire are ready to burst like a neutron star. Having the Eutanians in the Federation will give us access to considerable amounts of intel. Cardassian ship movements, fleet sizes, you name it."
Geordie got up from his seat and walked towards the captain. "How sure is this peace treaty?"
"As far as I know they only have to sign on the dotted line, and it's done," Picard said. "Both parties have agreed to mutually favorable terms. This decade-long war has both planets exhausted. An informal ceasefire has been in place for almost a year now."
"It sounds like the two sides are getting along OK. Why then is the Eutanian Security Chief acting as if he is boarding a ship full of rattlesnakes and booby traps?"
"I can answer that, if I may?" Data interjected. Picard gave Data a nod of approval, and he continued in his android voice. "I'd like to note that Earth's rattlesnakes have been extinct for hundreds of years."
Picard watched Geordie shake his head and smile.
"The second and third planets, Eutania Prime and Eutania Alto have laid down their arms. But the first planet, Ostross, has not come to the table. Ostross is the least habitable of the three planets, being so close to the sun. Ostross' population consists of a small band of terrorists and criminals. These are people who have fled the other two planets, to escape court trials and jail time."
"Right," Geordie said, "I think I understand now. The Eutanians worry that an Ostross terrorist is going to sneak on board. This terrorist will crawl through one of the Jeffry Tubes and slip an extinct rattlesnake into the Ambassador's quarters. One dead ambassador later, the peace treaty is dust, and the war rages on."
"That's exactly right Geordie," Picard said. "So we will be polite and smile, no matter how much we'd like to give them a lesson in manners. This peace treaty is good for the Eutanians, and it's even better for The Federation. It must succeed. We will have both Ambassadors on board from both planets seeking peace. A threat from the Ostross planet is unlikely, but we must be ready for anything."
Picard walked over to Geordie and Data. He said in a quiet voice, "Now I better squeeze in a cup of tea and work up the courage to inform Mr. Worf of our new arrangement."
Data looked at Geordie, who was smiling from ear to ear. Picard noticed Data open his mouth, pause, and then close it again.
#
Both ambassadors from Eutania Prime and Eutania Alto arrived on board without major incident. Worf had accompanied both security teams as they scanned the ship and their ambassador's quarters for possible threats. Picard did not introduce himself to either party, as he did not want one side to feel like he was favouring the other. Instead, he would meet them both at the reception dinner that night. And then, the next morning, the two parties would sign the peace treaty, and sign their system officially into The Federation.
"Tea. Early grey. Hot," Picard said into the food replicators microphone. A soft shimmering light appeared and a hot cup of tea appeared in the replicator tray. He took the teacup and saucer and headed to the desk in his ready room. He had a report to finish regarding chronoton emissions from Romulan ships. And The Federation wanted constant updates regarding the peace treaty. Right then his door buzzer chimed. Great, another interruption. He sat down with his cup of tea, composed his face into something friendly and said, "Enter!"
"Captain, sorry to interrupt," Data said. By his side was Ensign Taitt. Picard noticed a concerned expression on Taitt's face. She stood in the doorway with one fist clenched, while her other hand held a PADD. Ensign Taitt was an attractive young woman, in her mid-twenties, with smooth light brown skin and dark hair tied up in a formal, Starfleet approved bun. Picard typed something into his computer with swift fingers, and the pair sat down.
"Not at all Mr. Data," Picard said and motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. "My door is always open." Picard smiled at Ensign Taitt, but it only put her more ill-at-ease. Data looked at Taitt and nodded.
"I have found some troubling information regarding the Eutanian system," she said. Picard placed his hands into a finger steeple and held them to his chin. "I was scanning for nearby multi-subsonic emissions that may be used to mask warp signatures. In case anyone from the Ostross planet was trying to sneak up on us. But in doing so, I heard a recorded message transmitting on an unusual subspace frequency. It sounded like a couple of hyenas yelling at each other, but I sensed something in it. So I asked Data here to help me decode it."
"And what mysterious secret did this encrypted message reveal? I'm guessing it wasn't a recipe for homemade Eutanian soup," Picard said.
"They're asking for our help," she said. Picard noticed the young Ensign swallow hard.
"Our help?"
"They are seeking asylum from Eutania Prime and Eutania Alto. They are asking The Federation for protection."