The Good Of The Many
He sat in his office, eyes closed, his hands steepled in front of him, waiting for the appointment time to arrive. A knock on the door brought him out of a meditative trance, drawing his eyes to Soran.
"The ambassador from Verellian III is here, sir."
Sarek stood by his conference table and gestured to the chair when Ambassador Fol'vin entered the room. He waited until the very moment Fol'vin began to fidget in his chair as his long tail was sweeping slowly across the floor behind him. Sarek then gently pushed a PADD across the table. "Access this, Ambassador."
Fol'vin reached out with a scaled, three-fingered hand and opened what he recognized to be intelligence photographs of Verellian IV, immediately following a raiding sortie. He looked at each of the images – brutal documentation of the atrocities of war. He paused at the last one. It was all that remained of a school building, razed to the ground. Scattered carelessly about were the cruelly damaged bodies of more than one hundred children - no survivors, no prisoners – clearly butchered where they stood. They were innocents, not trained soldiers. Fol'vin's snake-like eyes flickered and re-opened, his gaze fixed upon the picture.
Sarek watched his pupils dilate slightly, and then spoke quietly. "Do you have any children, Ambassador?"
"Yes. Three sons and a daughter," he replied, the universal translator effortlessly converting his own language to Standard. "They are all grown, except my daughter. She is fourteen." He continued to look at the dead children, as his tail fell still.
"Are they on Verellian III?"
"No," Fol'vin answered. "My sons are working in a colonization effort of Verellian V. My daughter attends her schooling off-planet. It is safer that way."
"How fortunate you are able to provide that luxury," Sarek answered. "What is her name?"
A moment passed as his eyes remained upon the photo. "Ghil'aan. She is a delightful child, creative and gentle."
"Any more so than the children you have yet to look away from?"
Fol'vin finally set his gaze upon Sarek. "When did this happen? I know of all activities authorized within our military. This is unfamiliar to me, and most certainly the handiwork of my military."
"This took place eleven hours ago. I am compelled to ask you a question." Sarek paused, choosing his words carefully. "Why did you attend the ceremony Monday?"
"To sign the agreement."
"How did taunting Ambassador Veled serve peace? How did that reflect upon those who selected you to represent them?
Fol'vin looked at Sarek quietly. "Your point being?"
"How many thousands have perished in the decades of battle between your peoples? How many children lay slaughtered? How many women enslaved and violated? Are you willing to assign another generation into such simply because you cannot hold your tongue for a personal moment of bigotry that passes through your mind? Those children would be alive at this very moment had you possessed any self-restraint. You stand to gain or lose everything depending upon the success or failure of this treaty. I will return to my wife, and we shall continue to prepare for the birth of our child. Each day, I will conduct my government's business, but in all things, I will not have the blood of innocent children to account for. If we have nothing further to discuss, I will attend to other obligations. Peace to you, Ambassador."
Without waiting for a response, Sarek stood and walked out of his office, retreating to the meditation chamber.
Fol'vin sat quietly for a moment, and then went to Soran. "I would use a com-unit," he said.
After a short and direct message to his military commanders ordering a cessation of hostilities, he dialed another com-code, waiting for her. His daughter appeared on the monitor.
"Daddy!"
"Ghil'aan. How are you?" he asked gently.
"I am fine. Mother says you will be home for the Forefather's Day Celebration," she exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes," he replied.
"I can't wait to see you. I made something for you." She held up a small, intricately carved wooden vase in the monitor for him to see. "Do you like it?"
"I will proudly display it to those who visit me," he said, realizing those children would never talk to their parents again. "Ghil'aan, I have a request of you."
"Anything," she replied.
As he observed her, he could see she had the look of her mother. He wondered how many of those children had that same tendency. "I ask your forgiveness…"
After the call to his daughter had ended, Fol'vin placed a call to Veled of Verellian IV, who regarded him suspiciously.
"Have you come up with more ways to question the legitimacy of my mother's hatching? Perhaps you would like a shot at me from behind? Or would you like coordinates to another schoolyard?" Veled hissed angrily, his voice elevating beyond control. Honestly Fol'vin, this is a new low, even for you. You murdered one hundred seven children!"
"Veled, I authorized a reconnaissance operation, not a raid. I have already ordered our armies to stand down. My ancestors will hold me accountable for the deaths of those children. I formally request that we resume negotiations for peace. I will sign the treaty today if you wish it. This violence will not continue."
"You are serious? No tricks, no games?"
"No games, no tricks. I swear it," Fol'vin replied.
"On what will you swear such that I can believe your words?" Veled asked skeptically.
"My daughter's life, for it shall be preserved to the loss of my own."