Station Log
Stardate 53180.9
First Minister Shakaar has just departed Deep Space 9 for Bajor, following another round of negotiations about Bajor's admittance to the Federation. Following speculation that Bajor would soon become a Federation member, there have been widespread protests on the planet, from people who believe Federation membership is not right for Bajor. As a result, station security has been stepped up, however we have still not found a replacement Chief of Security following Constable Odo's departure to the Gamma Quadrant two months ago.
Colonel Kira Nerys finished her log and sighed, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. Since the Dominion War had ended, the number of personnel on the station had dwindled, leaving those remaining with more work than they could handle. Chief O'Brien had gone off to Earth, Odo back to his people, the Founders, and Kira was exhausted.
Since Odo's departure, security on the station had been struggling to deal with all the minor incidents even Odo's presence had deterred. Yesterday, security had arrested two Bajoran youths for throwing eggs at Starfleet officers, calling them 'alien scum'. They were 8 and 10 years old. Evidently something they picked up from their parents.
"Dax to Kira"
"Go ahead"
"There's a disturbance at airlock 5. Some Bolians are claiming a Romulan stole some artefact from their ship in the night. They're saying they found Romulan blood at the scene. One of the Bolians is quite… distressed."
There was a loud screeching noise in the background, evidently the distressed Bolian was screaming, or wailing.
"Can't security handle it?"
"Most of the station's security officers are still trying to deal with the situation at Quark's where a group of Nausicaans drank too much Romulan Ale and got in a fight with several Klingons."
Kira groaned. Since the end of the war, there were fights breaking out over everything. All the tension and anger left over from the war was coming out and being directed at whoever was within range. She pushed herself up from her seat and headed to the door.
"On my way."
o0o
Jake Sisko was on Bajor. He was in a press meeting organised by the Bajoran Provisional Government, where First Minister Shakaar was due to be giving a speech. He was here representing the Federation News Service. Most of the people in the overcrowded room were Bajoran, however he also saw a Ferengi, a Bolian and someone on the far side of the room who was probably either Vulcan or Romulan, he could only see an ear. They'd been kept waiting for over an hour now, and Jake was starting to get too hot. He was on the verge of giving up when a Bajoran woman came out to say the First Minister would arrive shortly.
Almost everyone in the room expected Shakaar to announce Bajor would soon join the Federation. According to all the major Bajoran news networks, something between 49-54% of Bajorans were in favour, with a sizeable amount undecided.
Following his father's death, Jake had tried to stay busy. He didn't want to think about what had happened. He had remained on DS9 with Kasidy, and her pregnancy was coming along without any issues. But waiting in this room had given him more time in his head than he cared for. He was more relieved than anyone else in the room when Shakaar made his way into the room.
Everything from tattered Bajoran voice recording devices to holocameras were shoved in his face as he began his speech.
o0o
Ezri Dax sat down on a stool in Quarks after she had finished dealing with the distraught Bolian who had found the 'Romulan blood' (turned out to be a squashed pile of some green fruit that originates on Bolarus) and ordered a glass of synthale. Quark had a screen set up to watch a live broadcast of Shakaar's speech. Kira had returned to ops following the incident, but Ezri knew she would be watching from there.
"How am I supposed to run a business here once this becomes Federation territory, hmm?" Quark came over, handing her the synthale.
"I seem to recall you having similar trepidations when the Cardassians left, about Starfleet running the station. How would Bajor joining the Federation have any more of an effect?"
"And look how much business I lost because of Starfleet regulations! But that's nothing compared to operating inside Federation territory! At least just now Starfleet runs this station under Bajoran law. But Federation law? With their 'post-capitalist society' and their ideals…" Quark shuddered.
"After all this time, you still view the Federation with such disdain? I don't believe it. The last time Bajor was going to join the Federation you were all ready for the celebrations!"
Quark opened his mouth to respond but a hush fell over the bar as the Shakaar broadcast began.
o0o
"People of Bajor, three years ago, following years of talks and negotiations, Bajor was offered a place in the Federation. However at that time we chose not to accept the offer. Now, after the end of a destructive war we are faced with the same choice. I know opinion is split, and many feel that after fifty years of Cardassian Occupation, Bajor needs more than eight years of independence. However I believe the Federation has much to offer Bajor, from trade to new technologies and we should accept the offer.
However I recognise I was elected to speak for the people. And considering the importance of this decision, and the variety of the opinions, I have decided to let the people decide - in a referendum."
The room erupted with reporters pushing forward and screaming questions. Jake was stunned. There had been no rumours hinting at this, and barely any precedent this century.
Shakaar's aides managed to get the room to calm and he continued.
"Six months from now, a referendum will be held where all Bajoran citizens over the age of 18 will be asked the question: 'Should Bajor join the United Federation of Planets?' I look forward to a peaceful, democratic campaign. Thank you."
The room erupted again as Shakaar left the stage, and Jake was already writing the article in his head.
o0o
Ezri was stunned, and judging by the silence that befell Quark's, so was the crowd. Even Quark, an expert in playing the odds and predicting the future couldn't have seen this coming.
Quark was staring into space, his face not giving anything away about how he was thinking. Ezri got up to leave. The crowd had started to talk again, Bajorans everywhere starting to get into heated debates, others seeming uncertain of what stance to take. She couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the whole thing when she saw a Bajoran husband and wife yelling at each other outside the turbolift.
"The Federation are no better than the Cardassians! If we join, our culture will be gone before the end of the century, our religion lost to their scientific coldness…"
"Karn, you cannot possibly think the Federation would obliterate our culture! There's so many different cultures in already, and they still exist and benefit from the interaction - from the Vulcans with their logic to the Tellarites with their insults…"
Ezri tried to squeeze past the arguing couple, earning a glare from the husband, Karn, and entered the turbolift.
"Ops." She commanded and it began to move.
As the turbolift entered ops she could see Kira pacing around. Kira turned and saw her.
"Dax! I need your help." She turned and went back into her office. Ezri followed.
"We need a new chief of security, and now. This referendum," Kira practically spat out the word, "is going to cause havoc. I don't know what Shakaar was thinking!"
"Referendums have often been used throughout the history of the quadrant to make significant decisions. They're an excellent exercise in democracy. On Trill in the 20th century, a referendum was held granting unjoined Trills the same rights as joined Trills, ending the discrimination and pressure to be joined that had plagued my world for centuries. In 2014 in Scotland on Earth they held a referendum on whether or not to become independent from what was then the United Kingdom. On Andoria…"
"I get the point, Lieutenant." Kira snapped at her. "But right now I need less of a history lesson, and more a chief of security. This 'exercise in democracy' is going to pose a substantial threat to the safety of this station. I would like a shortlist by 1900. Dismissed."
Ezri had never seen Kira so stressed. She was reminded of when Jadzia first met Kira, fresh out of the Cardassian occupation. Kira had been very anti-Federation eight years ago. She didn't want to be on the receiving end when all the anger that was building up got loose.
o0o
Quark sat in the back room, pretending to count latinum. He had not seen that coming. He prided himself on being prepared for every contingency, but a referendum? He was barely familiar with the concept. He was half minded to believe Shakaar had been replaced with a changeling. A 'peaceful, democratic' referendum on Bajor!? They could barely select a new Kai without descending into civil war. A polarised debate that a yes/no question would bring, and Shakaar thought they could get through it peacefully!?
It was only a week ago that Kai Ungtae had been elected by the Vedek Assembly. Quark wondered what Ungtae would have to say about this 'referendum'.
Quark put his latinum back in his safe and sat down staring at the wall. Perhaps it would be best if he got out now. But then again, this referendum offered a chance for the Federation question to be decided once and for all. If the people of Bajor voted no, then he'd never have to worry about his bar ending up in Federation territory again…
Making up his mind, he sent a transmission to his contacts on Bajor, absentmindedly tracing the Bajoran symbol for 'No' on the surface in front of him.
o0o
Kira remembered when the Alliance for Global Unity, commonly known as The Circle, had kidnapped her. After her whole life under the Cardassians, Bajor had finally got its independence and now were fighting amongst themselves.
It had hurt to see Bajorans doing this to Bajorans, and now with this referendum she expected to see it all over again. How did Shakaar think Bajor would make it out of a six month polarised debate without a civil war breaking out!?
After the devastation of the Dominion War, Kira had been looking forward to having some peace at last. And Shakaar seemed determined to ruin that. She felt Bajoran society didn't need to be divided any more.
Exhausted, she picked up the padd which contained the list Ezri had put together for her earlier, and went back to her quarters. She prayed to the Prophets, asking that they help Bajor get through this peacefully, then sat down and read through the list.
o0o
"Computer, what time is it?" Jake yawned as he entered his quarters back on DS9.
"The time is 2503".
Bloody Bajor and their 26-hour day, he thought. On the transport back he'd written and submitted his article and now he was looking forward to some sleep. But standing near the couch was Nog, covered in what looked like the remnants of an egg.
"Hi, Jake," said Nog, trying to dig something out his ear.
"What happened?"
"I was trying to fix a plasma conduit in the habitat ring when a couple of Bajoran children started pelting me with eggs, yelling 'Starfleet scum!'" he pulled a bit of eggshell out his ear and threw it on the ground, "then one of the Bajoran security officers came around a corner and they scarpered. I'm telling you, this referendum thing is going to be dangerous."
Jake held in the snigger that was close to escaping when he imagined some Bajoran children sneaking around the habitat ring with a box of replicated eggs. But judging by Nog's demeanour he wasn't in the mood for Jake's amusement.
"Come on Nog, it's just a couple of kids being stupid. Just take a sonic shower, everything will be fine in the morning."
Nog looked at Jake with an expression that Jake considered slightly patronising.
"We can only hope."