"In short, your formation of an alternative Federation government was premature. By all means, do your own research..."
"That will not be necessary," K-oth'rek admitted, not looking up.
"Why?" Eladra asked defensively.
Greer had been staring down the Norican ambassador ever since he first appeared on the Enterprise. He folded his arms and cocked his head to one side. "You already knew, didn't you?"
For a moment, K-oth'rek's face remained hard, but quickly softened as he realized he had been found out. "Well, I knew it was a defense you could have used. I wasn't sure there would be anyone left who would have thought of it."
Apparently, Admiral Greer didn't care for the answer. As the rest of the participants stared in shock at the norican's answer, Greer stepped towards him, his face angered and red. "Were you responsible for these attacks?"
K-oth'rek looked genuinely shocked. "Absolutely not... not in the slightest. Noricans detest violence in any form. I would have gladly terminated my own life if it would have saved your world. What happened to your worlds is inexcusable."
Eladra shook her head in disbelief. "Then why do all this? Why would you rush to claim the Federation for yourself and forsake the rest of us... knowing it was neither necessary or legal? Why?"
"Isn't it obvious?" K-oth'rek countered. "Your worlds were targetted for a reason! All the founding members of the Federation were destroyed. Something about the Federation, as it was created, angered someone... someone with very long arms. I was trying to protect my people!"
"This is how you protect your people?" Greer demanded. "By curling up inside a shell and hoping they go away?"
"For the time being, yes," K-oth'rek replied flatly and indignantly. "I figured they'd eventually make themselves known and then we could negotiate with them."
Greer stomped away to the other side of the room. "Negotiate?" he asked rhetorically, spinning back around. "You would actually consider negotiating with whoever this is? My god! They committed genocide to over a hundred worlds!"
"At least until we were able to secure our sun," K-oth'rek replied desperately. "My system is as defenseless as your's was. Almost all the rest of the Federation is. We need to do something that will buy us time."
"And you'd rather live in fear for the rest of your life that, in a whim, they may target you, anyway?" Greer asked defiantly.
K-oth'rek stood tall, even more indignant than before, and pursed his small lips. "It is my intention to restructure the Federation so it isn't as threatening or intrusive. I had always had issues with the far-reaching nature of the old ways. By demonstrating we weren't like the Federation of old..."
"Ha!" Greer interrupted, walking back towards the conversation. "You don't even know what set them off in the first place!"
"The new General Assembly agrees with me. By adopting a more pacificial approach to our policies, the likelihood of this happening again becomes virtually nonexistent." K-oth'rek countered, folding his arms.
"This is all immaterial, ladies and gentlemen," a soft, French, female voice stated from behind the two. It was the voice of Catherine Maggette, the deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Her frame was short and somewhat stocky. Her hair was brown with a touch of gray. Her face was wrinkled but her eyes reflected wisdom befitting her age. She and her two compatriots had been visiting a conference on Deep Space Twenty when they heard news of the attacks. "Vega is an Earth colony. Due to a lack of someone of higher position, I am the leader of what remains. Because Vega exists, Earth exists. Because Earth exists, the Federation, as it stood before, exists. Your formation of this 'new' Federation is illegal. Eladra Khent has requested asylum on Earth and it has been granted. She is now a citizen of Earth and can, therefore, continue her duties as the acting head of the Federation Secretariat."
Unknown to the rest of the group, Admiral Greer's image had been completely still for the past several seconds. Enterprise was aware of the fact he was engaged in another conversation. Therefore, his virtual image was not being controlled. The person, or persons he was talking to and what he was talking about, however, was unknown.
"I can't allow that," K-oth'rek stated quietly. His expression looked almost of remorse.
"What do you mean?" Eladra asked, looking suspicous.
K-oth'rek tried to sound sympathetic. "A lot has happened over the past day. Whether you believe it was out of necessity or not, we have moved on without you. I cannot let you back into what we have started. I won't let you put the rest of us at risk."
"I fail to see how you have a logical alternative," Ambassador V'Driss commented. "True Federation leadership is present. By law, you must submit to it unless you plan to start your own coalition of worlds."
K-oth'rek looked up, his black eyes narrowed. "I don't have to do anything," he stated flatly. "I have already informed MY fleet not to accept any transmissions from any of your people. You are officially regarded as a rogue element... desperate and dangerous. We've also been off-loading your species from MY fleet for the past several hours. No one will hear you and even if they do, no one will be able to act."
A separate communication came in aimed at the Enterprise. It was from the USS Archimedes, Admiral Greer's ship. It was labelled as 'Private' and 'Priority One.' Enterprise turned off its audio connnection to the virtual meeting. "Enterprise here. Go ahead."
The image was of Admiral Greer. "Enterprise, I need you to send me a copy of this meeting." There was a sparkle in his eldery eye.
"Of course, Admiral," Enterprise replied obediently. It began transferring the meeting file to the Archimedes. "Would you like updates as well? If so, please designate your preferred update inter..."
"No, no," Greer interrupted. "I've got enough."
Eladra was stunned. "You can't be serious. At a time of crisis like this, you're actually staging a coup?" Her eyes looked desperate.
"It's not a coup... it's a rebirth. The Federation will finally be what it should have been all along." K-oth'rek replied with a stern look.
"If you don't mind my asking, what do you intend to do with that information? Ambassador K-oth'rek is making it rather clear that the fleet is no longer under your command." Enterprise commented. At least now Enterprise's priorities were clear. Earth still existed, and it original command structure was still intact. Admiral Greer was, truly, its commanding officer. That was quite a burden removed from it.
"Oh, I still have connections with the bulk of our fleet. After all, several of them were officers under my command at one point or other. They'll listen to me. Several have been already," Greer replied with a nod and a wink.
"But the crews are being offloaded and replaced by members of the illegal Federation," Enterprise offered.
"Oh, that's not going very smoothly," Greer countered. "Most captains are refusing to hand over their vessels. That's another reason why I know why many of them will listen to me. Right now they're torn. This little piece of information will settle their confusion. I hope it's settled yours."
"It has, indeed, Admiral," Enterprise replied brightly.
Greer nodded, relieved. "I'll return to the meeting in just a moment. I have a transmission to make. That presumptuous loudmouth is about to get the shock of his life. Greer out." The image faded.
"Surely you can't expect this to go unchallenged," V'Driss commented with a raised eyebrow.
"I expect you people to go on with your lives. I expect you to leave this alone. While Noricans abhor violence, Fleet Admiral Littek rather enjoys it. Since your fleet is already hopelessly outnumbered, I expect you to let this happen peacefully. We will let you keep five starships and all the civilian vessels. You honestly don't need more than that to protect one, little system." His expression became suddenly softer, as though he was not only trying to rationalize his behavior to them, but to himself. "Eladra, you have many larger worries ahead of you than trying to keep the Federation pieced together. Let us exist in peace while you rebuild your cultures."
Admiral Greer's image came back to life. "And leave what our ancestors fought and died for in YOUR hands? You've got to be kidding."
"You'd rather risk losing more people just for the sake of gaining ships you can't maintain and an outdated ideal?" K-oth'rek asked.
"It's not an outdated idea," Eladra countered. "The ideals of peace, cooperation, freedom, and defense are NEVER 'outdated.'"
"And once we present the truth to the rest of the Federation worlds, they can decide for themselves who they want to follow." Greer added defiantly.
K-oth'rek waved his long, thin, three-jointed arms at the group. "No one will hear you and if anyone else dies over this, it is on your heads."