Xindi Council World, Beta Quadrant, 2381
The walls were red. The supports ended in talons. This was the architecture of the extinct Xindi-Avian species. Their extinction, not long after the destruction of Xindus, had played a major role in uniting the remaining Xindi species in their search for a new homeworld, to avoid their fate. It was appropriate that this Avian citadel was where the Xindi Council met. Every decision of historic significance took place here: the decision to attack Earth, the decision to make peace with Earth, the decision to join the Federation. Even as Federation members, the Xindi Council still had control of internal Xindi matters. It was the appropriate place for this new treaty which would legalize the Xindi's separation from the Federation to become a Voth protectorate.
The Xindi peoples had not asked to leave the Federation, true.
The Voth were forcing this meeting of the Council, a fair point.
But none of that real mattered to Tal Haius. He'd read about the symbolic value of the Council and he was determined to go down in history as the Liberator of the Xindi-Reptilians, Insectoids, and Aquatics after nearly a century of Federation-backed Primate and Arboreal dominance.
The truth of the matter was that he sent a cloaked Voth fleet to overpower the Xindi Worlds' defense systems. Starfleet was already putting together a response force to drive the Voth out, but Haius had already taken that into account. He wanted the Federation to come. He had an unpleasant surprise waiting for any ship that approached his fleet's perimeter.
He looked at the forcibly assembled Xindi Councilors: two Reptilians, two Insectoids, two Primates, two Arboreals and, behind glass windows, two Aquatics.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Council, it is my privilege to be here at this decisive moment in your history."
"This meeting of the Council is forced," the auburn-haired female Primate Councilor spoke. "The Federation will never accept the legality of what you have done here."
Haius strode around the Council table. "The Federation can come to grips with reality when it chooses. The fact of the matter is that Xindi Space is under Voth Control. The Voth, however have no wish to change the daily lives of the Xindi in any fashion whatsoever. We will even have our ships protect you—"
"—Cull us you mean."
"No, they are here for two reasons and two reasons alone: To protect the Xindi Peoples, no matter what your opinion of us is, and to hold our lines in the Beta Quadrant. We are only fifty light years from Earth; less than that from Vulcan. In just two more bloody pushes, we and our Romulan allies can end this conflict. We naturally cannot have the Xindi hinder our war efforts, but we have no wish to rule you when the fighting is done. All that we ask is that the council votes to declare independence from the Federation, and accept Voth protection."
"And what of the Xindi who are currently serving as Starfleet Officers?" The Senior Reptilian Councilor asked?"
"They will have one Xindi month to resign from Starfleet and come home, or forfeit Xindi Citizenship. But ask yourselves, for the seventy years that the Xindi have been Federation Members how many Xindi of each species have served aboard Starfleet vessels? I know that significant lifespan differences between Xindi Insectoids and other lifeforms in this quadrant prevent them from going to the acadamey, and having the necessary tenure to attain command." Haius looked the Insectoid Councilors directly in their compound eyes. Then he broke his gaze.
"And what of the Reptilians? Nothing about their lifespan should prevent them from serving, yet, for seventy years the highest rank a Xindi-Reptilian could get in Starfleet was Lieutenant-Comander." Haius was deliberately bending the truth. In theory a Xindi-Reptillian could become a full Fleet Admiral, but they had opposed Xindi membership in the Federation when that vote was taken. With their long lifespans and long memories, few wanted to enlist. One of the aforementioned Lieutenant Comander's was first officer on a ship and about to be promoted to a full Commander.
Haius looked behind him to the Aquatics' tank. "Body shape and breathing conditions would make service difficult for the Aquatics." He made sure the councilors caught that look of regret that Xindi-Aquatics could read so easily in his eye. Then he turned to the Arboreals, and adopted a look they'd read as anger.
"You voted 'yes' to Federation membership, but there has not been a single Xindi-Arboreal captain in Starfleet's history. You were mammalian enough, but not 'human' enough."
The Senior Arboreal Councilor rose and spat back, "My people are scientists. We have not been interested in command."
"Then you should have no objections to anything this council decides?"
"You are twisting my words. Command of a starship and self-determination as a species are two different things!" The Arboreal slammed his fists on the table.
"Then I recommend speaking with words too grounded in fact to be twisted." Haius looked at the Primate female.
"I speak the truth as it plainly exists. Primates are the galactic face of the Xindi. They have become captains—they are not too alien for human tastes—why I even believe humans and Xindi Primates can mate and produce viable offspring!"
"That is irrelevant," the auburn haired Senior Primate Councilor said.
"No, it is very relevant. Seventy years ago the Primates sold out, convinced the Arboreals and Aquatics to give up their own freedom—"
"I see you are trying to have us replay our war with the humans, pit the Reptilians and Insectoids against the Arboreals and Primates," The Reptilian Councilor said.
"I know that Xindi Reptilians have been made to live with the guilt of what Dolim did for two centuries now. You doubted that they would forgive you. That's why you voted 'no' in 2310, and why your old allies, the Insectoids, did the same."
Haius stepped back and addressed the whole council. "We seek not to rule you, but to end the Federation backed dominance of the Primates over their Xindi brethren! The Humans are my people's own brethren! We will have our day of reckoning on Earth. I beg you, have yours here!"
Romulus, Beta Quadrant, 2381
Forra Gegen sat at a table in the gery-colored faculty dining hall at Tarmek Universtity. He was waiting for his new friend and colleague Vreetak, a professor of astronomy to join him.
He saw the graying, slightly portly Romulan academic enter the room and get in line for the replomat.
In, five minutes he was sitting across from Gegen.
"So how have your students been?" Gegen asked.
"Diligent, as usual. One asked if the government had any contingency plans if our star goes nova."
This was shocking to Gegen.
"Is there evidence that your star is going nova?"
"Too soon to tell at this stage. We Romulans are a proud people. We will certainly try to keep this a secret from our enemies as long as possible, and probably from our allies too."
By the tone in Vreetak's voice, Gegen could tell he meant the Voth specifically—almost naturally. Gegen supposed this explained why his students in xeno-paleontology seemed both fascinated in and intimidated by Gegen. For almost the entirety of their existence, the Romulans had been the most technologically sophisticated species in the known galaxy. The discovery of the Borg changed this. And now to ensure that they continued to have technological superiority to the Federation they had entered into an alliance with the Voth, the most technologically advanced species after the Borg. For the first time, the Romulans were junior partners in an alliance. They couldn't claim any age or technical advantage over the Voth. Many had probably rationalized this disparity with the Romulan mandate of unending expansion by thinking that they could learn Voth technology over time and use it to conquer the Voth later. But the facts were that the Voth were giving the Romulans transwarp tech, shielding improvements and little besides. If the planet Romulus was destroyed, there was risk of the Romulan Star Empire becoming one big Voth dependency.
Unless the Voth offered to help now, before Romulus was destroyed….
"If further studies confirm that your star is going nova, you might want your ally's help."
"And risk becoming a Voth dependency?"
"There is less risk of that if Romulus still exists," Gegen said and pointed his knife to Vreetak, "Think on it."
Vreetak pondered Gegen's word's as he chewed his salad. There would be massive population displacements, and the Voth as allies would offer relief efforts in relocating the Romulans and Remans. The Romulans would have to decide on a planet to flee to, and may have to pull out of the war so that their own military could handle the internal crisis. By then the war might be over though, and they may have retaken their ancient homeworld, Vulcan. Unless…
"No, Forra, I fear the worst that could happen is that you take Vulcan and give it to us."
"A race of conquerors living on hand-outs? I fear that would break the Romulan psyche."
"As I said, that's the worst thing that could happen."
USS Titan, Anmazat System, Alpha Quadrant
The Tholians, Breen, and Tzenkethi had entered the war on the Voth's side, and the Titan was under orders to patrol this uninhabited system near the Tholian border should their now self-declared enemies set up a base in what was technically Federation space. Anmazat was uninhabited but adjacent to three inhabited systems that were Federation members, one being Dr. Ree's homeworld. Riker knew that given the Voth's recent annexation of Xindi space, putting them in striking distance of Earth, their allies might feel emboldened to strike elsewhere. Riker had given Tuvok orders to report the first thing that even remotely resembled a Tholian vessel. After seven hours of scanning, the captain and crew were growing restless. They were right now in orbit of the fifth planet in the system.
Science Officer Melora Pazlar noticed something on her scanners that didn't seem right.
"Captain, either our scanners are malfunctioning, or something truly bizarre is going on here."
Riker ran toward the Elaysian Lieutenant Commander.
"What is it?"
She arched her eyebrows making the arcs of her head ridges seem even more exaggerated.
"I'm reading a single Borg and a single Cardassian life sign on the fifth planet's moon."
Riker thought for a minute. He knew that there were isolated niches of Borg that survived the Unicomplex's destruction, but an individual? The only individual Borg that he knew of Seven of Nine, and Hugh's cooperative. Seven was on Voyager; Hugh's cooperative was light years away. This area had never been a hotspot for Borg activity. But the Borg was only one half of the equation. What was a Cardassian doing out here? It was just then that intuition hit Will. This could be the source for the genomic weapon that Leyton had unintentionally given the Voth.
"Take us in to the orbit of the fifth planet's moon, Ensign!"
Riker returned to the captain's chair.
Deanna could sense his emotions.
"Well, what do you think this could be honestly I don't know, but it's worth sending a landing party, and I think I'm going to need you along."
"Did Melora say that there were a Borg and a Cardassian down there?"
"It almost sounds like something the Obsidian Order would've cooked up before the Dominion put them out of business."
"And like something Section 31 would be revolved with now."
Riker stood up and said, "Counselor Troi, Commander Tuvok, come with me." He then pressed his comm badge and said, "Dr. Ree, Please meet us in transporter room one and bring a medical tricorder with you."
He knew that they were going to find something unusual down there? Could it prove Section 31's hostile intentions toward the Voth—possibly. Would it help end the war if they could get a living 31 agent to divulge everything about the agency? Probably not.
