Chapter 7
Counsellor Trent and Security Chief Lt. Hant helped the medical team sent down from the ship move the scientists to the second shuttle. Hant also passed on everything they had learned to one of the officers. He told them that the Kenzatons believed that Starfleet had attacked them and to pass on that the Kenzatons built with organic material.
Once they had finished and the shuttle had left, their guards escorted them to a smaller room where the president was seated on his own. Trent was intrigued. Most world leaders would have locked them up for what they had been accused of, not set up meetings.
"You can wait in the outer office," Makell nodded to the guards. "My secretary will make you something to drink."
One of the guards looked ready to object but Makell stopped him, "I don't think these people will hurt me when they are trying to prove their innocence. If I need you I will call."
The guards shrugged and left. Makell indicated for Trent and Hant to take a seat. They gave each other a cautious look before sitting down.
"I'm going to be straight with you." Makell confided. "My people are stuck in a rut. A rut between deep sorrow and the need to punish. My people have had very little need for punishment and so again they are stuck. They just don't know how to deal with you."
Trent frowned at this, "You still assume that we are guilty for attacking you and we still don't know why. We cannot help you unless you give us more information."
"Isn't the fact that we discovered your people spying on us evidence enough?" Makell shook his head. "The truth is my people would rather we were just left alone. The main reason I asked you here was out of curiosity. I was surprised when we first met. You didn't seem like the type of people who would carry out such an attack. Tell me about your Federation."
Trent was pleasantly surprised by the Presidents interest. Perhaps this mission was salvageable after all. "The Federation is made up of many planets and cultures that are united with goals of peace and exploration."
Makell nodded, "A sound philosophy but you've told me this already. If those are really the goals of your Federation then why were your people spying on us?"
Trent looked to Hant to see if he objected to his answering this. Since he didn't appear to Trent decided to go ahead, "The Federation has had many disastrous first contact encounters and has since learned from them. We have learned that studying the culture of the race first can ease some of the problems. This is why our scientists were here."
"Why would you wish to make contact with us now?" Makell asked.
Trent was again unsure whether or not to answer this but saw no way around it, "When it comes to races which have not yet encountered other life we have learned to wait until a certain level of development has been reached before making first contact. Your ship will take you further that you can imagine. It's inevitable that you will meet other forms of life and so we believe now is the best time to make that contact."
"You know about our ship?" Makell gasped, eyes widening in horror.
Trent just nodded in answer.
"And so you know that it was scheduled to set off in two weeks?" Makell asked in a resigned tone.
Trent again nodded, "The truth is we normally would wait until after your flight before making contact. However, we lost touch with our people and so we had to investigate."
Before Makell could continue asking questions he was informed that the Pegasus was contacting him. Trent looked on curiously as the transmission was patched through and the bridge of the ship appeared on the screen in the president's office.
The Captain smiled grimly, "President Makell, I want to thank you for returning our scientists to us."
Trent had known Alex Larenzo for too long. Something in his eyes told him that there was something wrong. The Captain hadn't called just to thank the Kenzaton President for sending back Federation personnel.
"I trust they are well?" Makell asked.
"Perfectly," Larenzo answered quickly. "My reason for calling is that we have since come to understand that we are not the first alien race that you have come into contact with."
Makell's eyes narrowed and Trent looked on in shock. "Yes that is true," Makell replied with suspicion.
"As a friendly warning, you should know that the Cardassians are not always completely open. Their reason for being here will have been kept hidden from you, "came the grim explanation.
Trent could see Hant sit up straighter at the mention of Cardassians. Trent himself was surprised but groaned inwardly. He was going to have to have a friendly word, counsellor to Captain, about threatening new races.
Makell's face had grown a deeper shade of blue and he glared back at Larenzo. "I hardly think that Cardassians are my biggest worry right now. Your people are still being held responsible for this attack," he seethed and then cut off the transmission.
Trent grimace knowing that being cut off again was only going to anger Larenzo further. Trent sighed, he really thought they were getting somewhere until now. He knew something had to be behind all this but Cardassians? That really was a shock. Weren't they supposed to be allies now? Trent gave a mental shrug and looked to Makell to see what he could salvage from this.
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Johnson had been just as moved as Dr Munroe over the Kenzaton way of life. It seemed so perfect. The kind of life Earth had only just achieved in the last few hundred years. He would have been interested to study Kenzaton history and make comparisons to Earths. The Kenzaton way of life made what he saw hit home all the more. It brought back memories of his past. The day when his settlement was attacked and almost obliterated. That one event was the reason he had joined Starfleet. He swore to protect others from what he had suffered. Now his new family was being held responsible for a similar attack.
Johnson was determined to find out who was responsible for this. Within seconds he had his tricorder out and was scanning the area. The energy readings from the weapons had dissipated considerably. There was still enough to get a reading and work out who had done this. Cardassians! After explaining what he had discovered to Doctor Munroe he moved quickly back the way they had come.
He slowed only when he realised that Dr Munroe was having trouble keeping up. He glimpsed at her face to see her reaction to his revelation. She appeared to be shocked and a little upset by what they had seen but nothing more. He was pleased that she was handling this well. Her CMO had been killed by Jem Hadar. It was true Cardassians were no longer allied with the few rogue Jem Hadar out there. However, the two had been affiliated at one point.
The journey back seemed to be quicker. This time they weren't taking the time to take in their surroundings. They soon reached the Presidents building ad were shown up to his office. President Makell was alone with Trent and Hant. Something had happened. Makell looked furious, Trent looked concerned and Hant was alert.
"I trust you found what you were looking for," snapped the President.
Johnson didn't see much point in beating around the bush, "Correct," he answered briskly. "We discovered from the energy readings that it was done by a race we know as the Cardassians."
Trent and Hant didn't look particularly surprised with this revelation. Makell on the other hand not only looked angry but confused.
"I suppose you have evidence to support this theory?" he asked.
Johnson narrowed his eyes wondering why Makell wasn't asking to know more about the Cardassians. "Only that the energy readings match those of Cardassian weapons," he replied.
"How am I supposed to believe you?"
"I'm sure your own sensors can differentiate between energy types," Johnson snapped back. He had just about had enough of these accusations.
Makell appeared to think for a moment. "Commander I'm sure you can understand my need to confer with my people." He then signalled for the guards who had entered with the commander to have them taken back to the conference room.
Once they were gone Makell then put a call through to his secretary, "Larret please inform Gul Sherat that I wish to speak to him immediately."
Counsellor Trent and Security Chief Lt. Hant helped the medical team sent down from the ship move the scientists to the second shuttle. Hant also passed on everything they had learned to one of the officers. He told them that the Kenzatons believed that Starfleet had attacked them and to pass on that the Kenzatons built with organic material.
Once they had finished and the shuttle had left, their guards escorted them to a smaller room where the president was seated on his own. Trent was intrigued. Most world leaders would have locked them up for what they had been accused of, not set up meetings.
"You can wait in the outer office," Makell nodded to the guards. "My secretary will make you something to drink."
One of the guards looked ready to object but Makell stopped him, "I don't think these people will hurt me when they are trying to prove their innocence. If I need you I will call."
The guards shrugged and left. Makell indicated for Trent and Hant to take a seat. They gave each other a cautious look before sitting down.
"I'm going to be straight with you." Makell confided. "My people are stuck in a rut. A rut between deep sorrow and the need to punish. My people have had very little need for punishment and so again they are stuck. They just don't know how to deal with you."
Trent frowned at this, "You still assume that we are guilty for attacking you and we still don't know why. We cannot help you unless you give us more information."
"Isn't the fact that we discovered your people spying on us evidence enough?" Makell shook his head. "The truth is my people would rather we were just left alone. The main reason I asked you here was out of curiosity. I was surprised when we first met. You didn't seem like the type of people who would carry out such an attack. Tell me about your Federation."
Trent was pleasantly surprised by the Presidents interest. Perhaps this mission was salvageable after all. "The Federation is made up of many planets and cultures that are united with goals of peace and exploration."
Makell nodded, "A sound philosophy but you've told me this already. If those are really the goals of your Federation then why were your people spying on us?"
Trent looked to Hant to see if he objected to his answering this. Since he didn't appear to Trent decided to go ahead, "The Federation has had many disastrous first contact encounters and has since learned from them. We have learned that studying the culture of the race first can ease some of the problems. This is why our scientists were here."
"Why would you wish to make contact with us now?" Makell asked.
Trent was again unsure whether or not to answer this but saw no way around it, "When it comes to races which have not yet encountered other life we have learned to wait until a certain level of development has been reached before making first contact. Your ship will take you further that you can imagine. It's inevitable that you will meet other forms of life and so we believe now is the best time to make that contact."
"You know about our ship?" Makell gasped, eyes widening in horror.
Trent just nodded in answer.
"And so you know that it was scheduled to set off in two weeks?" Makell asked in a resigned tone.
Trent again nodded, "The truth is we normally would wait until after your flight before making contact. However, we lost touch with our people and so we had to investigate."
Before Makell could continue asking questions he was informed that the Pegasus was contacting him. Trent looked on curiously as the transmission was patched through and the bridge of the ship appeared on the screen in the president's office.
The Captain smiled grimly, "President Makell, I want to thank you for returning our scientists to us."
Trent had known Alex Larenzo for too long. Something in his eyes told him that there was something wrong. The Captain hadn't called just to thank the Kenzaton President for sending back Federation personnel.
"I trust they are well?" Makell asked.
"Perfectly," Larenzo answered quickly. "My reason for calling is that we have since come to understand that we are not the first alien race that you have come into contact with."
Makell's eyes narrowed and Trent looked on in shock. "Yes that is true," Makell replied with suspicion.
"As a friendly warning, you should know that the Cardassians are not always completely open. Their reason for being here will have been kept hidden from you, "came the grim explanation.
Trent could see Hant sit up straighter at the mention of Cardassians. Trent himself was surprised but groaned inwardly. He was going to have to have a friendly word, counsellor to Captain, about threatening new races.
Makell's face had grown a deeper shade of blue and he glared back at Larenzo. "I hardly think that Cardassians are my biggest worry right now. Your people are still being held responsible for this attack," he seethed and then cut off the transmission.
Trent grimace knowing that being cut off again was only going to anger Larenzo further. Trent sighed, he really thought they were getting somewhere until now. He knew something had to be behind all this but Cardassians? That really was a shock. Weren't they supposed to be allies now? Trent gave a mental shrug and looked to Makell to see what he could salvage from this.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Johnson had been just as moved as Dr Munroe over the Kenzaton way of life. It seemed so perfect. The kind of life Earth had only just achieved in the last few hundred years. He would have been interested to study Kenzaton history and make comparisons to Earths. The Kenzaton way of life made what he saw hit home all the more. It brought back memories of his past. The day when his settlement was attacked and almost obliterated. That one event was the reason he had joined Starfleet. He swore to protect others from what he had suffered. Now his new family was being held responsible for a similar attack.
Johnson was determined to find out who was responsible for this. Within seconds he had his tricorder out and was scanning the area. The energy readings from the weapons had dissipated considerably. There was still enough to get a reading and work out who had done this. Cardassians! After explaining what he had discovered to Doctor Munroe he moved quickly back the way they had come.
He slowed only when he realised that Dr Munroe was having trouble keeping up. He glimpsed at her face to see her reaction to his revelation. She appeared to be shocked and a little upset by what they had seen but nothing more. He was pleased that she was handling this well. Her CMO had been killed by Jem Hadar. It was true Cardassians were no longer allied with the few rogue Jem Hadar out there. However, the two had been affiliated at one point.
The journey back seemed to be quicker. This time they weren't taking the time to take in their surroundings. They soon reached the Presidents building ad were shown up to his office. President Makell was alone with Trent and Hant. Something had happened. Makell looked furious, Trent looked concerned and Hant was alert.
"I trust you found what you were looking for," snapped the President.
Johnson didn't see much point in beating around the bush, "Correct," he answered briskly. "We discovered from the energy readings that it was done by a race we know as the Cardassians."
Trent and Hant didn't look particularly surprised with this revelation. Makell on the other hand not only looked angry but confused.
"I suppose you have evidence to support this theory?" he asked.
Johnson narrowed his eyes wondering why Makell wasn't asking to know more about the Cardassians. "Only that the energy readings match those of Cardassian weapons," he replied.
"How am I supposed to believe you?"
"I'm sure your own sensors can differentiate between energy types," Johnson snapped back. He had just about had enough of these accusations.
Makell appeared to think for a moment. "Commander I'm sure you can understand my need to confer with my people." He then signalled for the guards who had entered with the commander to have them taken back to the conference room.
Once they were gone Makell then put a call through to his secretary, "Larret please inform Gul Sherat that I wish to speak to him immediately."