Chapter 62:

At the Picard home we got our sample of Kaferian fruit and also Andorian berries. They were kept under stasis, and we remove a small amount and then magically duplicate it. There is a limit to how small a sample is useful, so magicals still purchase food, and in many cases do so without stasis charms and food duplication spells.

Ekdotis was writing an article for the Quibbler about his impressions of these foods. Xenophilius wrote a preliminary article speculating about the functions of the Andorian antennae. He planned to ask them about it when they would have a press conference.

Jean-Laurent was talking to his grandfather Maurice about various ways to prepare the fruits and if they would be suitable for making juice and wine. He also asked about buying some land in a cold place to try to grow them, and maybe also try to grow some Vulcan fruits in a desert area.

Luna told him that even though by Earth law it would be allowed, we must consider Andorian trade law before doing so, "Sometimes you can start a war, not by aiming weapons at them, but by violating a trading custom. We would need to determine the fine print of their trade contract with the Kaferians before trying to grow what they sold to them, and understand Andorian culture better."

After trying the fruits, we all concluded that there was something extraordinary about Kaferian fruits, and could see why other civilizations traded for them.

Ekdotis asked "Why do we have a full vineyard instead of growing only a little bit and then duplicating it?"

Maurice answered, "Quality. There is detectable difference in quality between original and duplicated."

I added, "In Star Trek canon many, including a future Picard, said the same thing. Replicated food is just not the same."

Renée said, "We should do a double blind study. Is it the knowledge that food is duplicated versus original that is valued, or something intrinsic to the non-duplicated food?"

Xenophilius replied, "I would agree not to discount the knowledge of its origins being a significant factor. Upper class fashion includes the rare, the difficult to make. There is an assumption that it is therefore better. Let us do the study and I'll publish the results in the Quibbler."

At another Starfleet meeting just before the Andorian arrival, I said, "In canon we learn that there is a second sub-species or related sub-group on Andoria, called the Aenar. They would not be contacted until the next century, and they appear to be magical, with strong mind arts, and some seer abilities. They are blind, and pacifists. In canon, Romulans seized one to operate a remote drone."

Luna added, "There would be no advantage in informing the Andorians of the Aenar."

Quahog said, " As far as the Andorians themselves, in the canon Star Trek Enterprise episode the Andorian Incident, they casually brutalized humans just on the appearance of them being allied with the Vulcans. Even after that, Starfleet informed the Andorians of a secret Vulcan listening device setup to keep track of a fairly dangerous people, the Andorians.

I would not have done the same thing. Between the two I would have favored the Vulcans."

Luna said, "In that history, the Vulcans had been holding back Earth technology, and acted like Earth's controller. Starfleet felt common cause with the Andorians, despite their violent reactions towards Starfleet."

Lu Jian, Director of Starfleet China speculated, "Maybe the Andorians are the type of people either at your throat or at your feet. If so, it would be important to show resolve and strength."

Director Morozov replied, "In canon, they were brawling with Vulcans even though weaker. Maybe at your throat, or in your debt. They did seem to appreciate Starfleet taking their side."

Starfleet Chief of Staff Quahog said, "Most of us here were there at the beginning of Starfleet. Its entire existence was motivated by a vision of this exact people, the expletive-deleted Andorians, showing up on Earth and kidnapping our people. If there is one founding principal of Starfleet, it is that Earth will never be vulnerable to the Andorians. Now that we have expanded we can add all Starfleet controlled systems and all Starfleet ships to what will never be vulnerable to the Andorians.

We also have a principle that a war dissuaded is a war that does not need to be fought. Therefore, our approach with them should continue to be showing them that they would not want to fight us. After that we can cooperate with them, maybe even be friends in time, but I for one do not want to give up our friendship with the Vulcans in order to be friends with the Andorians."

I said, "I fully agree. Another area to consider, is the direction of our future expansion. Their home system is Procyon. I think that after we run out of unclaimed system in a small sphere around Earth, we should concentrate on expansion away from the direction of Andoria, Tellar, Vulcan, and for that matter Kronos. We could gain resources without having Starfleet controlled space be a sphere, and have fewer potential conflicts with existing space-faring civilizations. The direction of Andoria and Vulcan is also the same direction as the Orion homeworld."

Starfleet USA Director Ace Castillo replied, "I agree with both statements. However, if there are unclaimed systems in the direction of the Andorians, we might as well claim them first. Once they have any sort of legitimate claim, then it makes sense to avoid causing offense, and not try to claim those systems ourselves. We want to dissuade them from attacking, not provoke them unnecessarily."

After some discussion there was consensus to be tough with the Andorians, but avoid invading their legitimate claims, such definition to be clarified later. Also it was agreed to focus Starfleet expansion in directions away from existing civilizations, except where there are unclaimed worlds ready to be claimed first. There was also emphasized the need to redouble efforts to increase maximum warp speed, since we would be traveling further distances.

Another plan was to have the new inhabitants of Tau Ceti build a Starbase with a ship building ability, using materials found in that system, with only missing elements being sent between systems. Then Tau Ceti could start building ships for further exploration and recruiting crews. Starfleet crews would still go to the Starfleet Academy on Earth, probably always. Starfleet should have a unifying experience of going to the same Starfleet Academy campus, even if sentient insectoids from Kaferia wanted to join Starfleet. So far, the only exception were the Ions, since there was no common physical environment to exist in.

Meanwhile, we were building Starbase 1 just beyond the orbit of Jupiter. With that base, we could have ships travel at warp speed almost up to Starbase 1, and not need the slower trip to go to Earth. It would be a more efficient use of warp capable ships, to pick up and drop off cargo and passengers, as well as to refit and repair, at Starbase 1, not Earth. Around Tau Ceti we would be building Starbase 2.

Starbase 3 would be near Alpha 3 orbiting Sirius. Its construction would only begin after Starbase 2 would be completed.

The Andorian embassy arrived on an Andorian warship. We flew an honor guard with shields up on their way to Earth after they reached the distance of the orbit of Jupiter. By the time they arrived, we each could speak each others language, what the Andorians called a trade language. For Starfleet that was English.

They were brought to a conference room. A lot of polite welcoming remarks were made, and toasts were made, and then the actual negotiations started.

The Andorian ambassador Kyrelal "Are you going to take a side on our disputes with Vulcan?"

Quahog answered, "We will not rule that out. However, in all probability we will remain neutral. The future of our region is our paramount interest, and we hope to have eventual cooperative relations, and even a joint alliance with both Andoria and Vulcan. All of us can thrive in eventually facing more distant threats by cooperating with each other."

Kytelal asked, "What about Tellar?"

Quahog answered, "We stand by our allies. If we became your ally we would stand by you as well. Tellar is our ally."

Kytelal asked, "How strong an ally would you be?"

Quahog answered, "We believe some strategic ambiguity is in our interests. There is a limit to what we will reveal, but for much we are quite free with our information. Your embassy will be able to view our publicly available information."

Kytelal said, "We appreciate that. Your embassy will find that there is less publicly available information than you are used to, but our government will help keep them informed. They will learn about our unfortunate geographic location of being very close to Vulcan, and how they try to reduce our strength."

Quahog said, "At the moment, our only enemy is the Orion Syndicate. Would you consider joint action against them?"

Kytelal said, "To defend trade, yes. Beyond that is not something we are ready to contemplate at this time."

Quahog replied, "Speaking of trade. What would you like to trade? Lets skip past the obvious which is unique planetary foods, plants, cultural items."

Kytelal replied, "Magical devices. Services of spell casters. Potions. In exchange we have some materials which you do not seem to have used, and some technologies we haven't seen you using."

Quahog replied, "Spell caster services will only be available on Starfleet controlled worlds. Potions if there is an export permission. We'd need to verify the safety of the end user biology before approving individual potion types. Magical devices similarly based on export permission. We'll look at the list of what you have to trade."

Kytelal said, "Our list will depend on your list. The more useful items you include, the more that we include as well."

Quahog said, "Very well. We'll have ongoing negotiations. For much of what you want that is approved, you'll need to negotiate privately with providers and then sell to acquire our currency to pay for it."

Kytelal said, "We are not your potential enemies. We do not see any issues with Starfleet or Tellar that cannot be peacefully negotiated. The Vulcans are afraid of us, and their logic might see us destroyed before becoming a threat. The same status applies from the Vulcans to Starfleet. Andoria and Starfleet can divide up territory peacefully."

Quahog said, "What you say could make sense, but I have never seen the Vulcans accepting the concept of a preventative war, and we present no cause for war with them or you.

However, we should make it clear that we are more than capable of taking care of threats. If anyone tried to seize our personnel, they would find us a formidable enemy. You might point to the Orions, and say they are still unbothered by us. There will be a time when that will be remedied. Starfleet does not forget."

Kytelal said, "We see the potential for cooperation with Starfleet. We should each strive to not cross lines to cause enmity between our people. Our embassies can help resolve situations before they develop.

Trade between us of significant technology would help us both. We are not in a position of being in conflict with each other. Neither of us likes being outclassed by the Vulcans or the Orions. Combining our different technologies would improve the relative standing of both Starfleet and the Andorian Empire."

Quahog said, "There might be room for cooperation. We still would not want to be providing the means to attack ourselves or the Vulcans. Dissuading conflict with Vulcan is favorable to our interests, but not encouraging it by helping you to have the ability to attack them."

Kytelal said, "You might be naive about the Vulcans. Think of their sense of emotionless logic. If a potential enemy is getting stronger, would they refrain from preemptively attacking it? If they did decide to attack the Andorian Empire, would they then refrain from later doing so against Starfleet? Would not both actions be logical? Our intelligence on Vulcan, and perhaps your intelligence as well, shows that the Vulcans are afraid of you."

Quahog, "Perhaps. I still think that a four way alliance would be a more internally stable configuration than a two way alliance. Furthermore such an alliance would better position all four of us against the larger, stronger, more distant threats, of which the Orions are only one example of.

I again would offer our service to mediate disputes between the Andorian Empire and the Vulcans. We would do so in a way that would make preventative war unfeasible."

Kytelal said, "We should continue these talks and our trade talks."

Afterwards, Starfleet leadership had a meeting.

I said, "A war dissuaded is better than a war fought. Everything that Chief Quahog told the Andorians is true, and we might just find a way to keep that balance until a later time that we are all united against other threats."

Luna added, "We can avoid the Vulcans feeling threatened by explaining the logic of the plan. They are being implicitly threatened, but only as a deterrence."

Castillo said, "I am uneasy at working with the Andorians who are capable of great evil."

I replied, "In canon, so were the Vulcans capable of evil, simply by an infiltrator ordering attacks. They showed they can follow brutal illogical orders."

Catillo said, "But we warned them about that infiltration and told them how to prevent it."

Luna said, "Yes, but we can see the potential. We also cannot give a complete assurance that the logic of a preventative attack would never override the Vulcans strong belief in peace."

I added, "It is fairly apparent that the Vulcans have a slow rate of technical progress, while we have a fast rate. We do not know the Andorian rate, but the fact that they have not been warp capable for long, but have advanced since then implies that they could also overtake the Vulcans, or at least the Vulcans might believe so."

Dumbledore said, "It seems a rather critical area to consider is whether to ally with people who can, under certain circumstances, be volatile, violent, and cruel. Also whether to ally with people who while generally peaceful and good, are capable of being ruthless and heartless. If the circumstances can be arranged where despite the potential for evil, a people find it in their interests to behave well, is that an outcome to be avoided, simply because under other circumstance they could have become evil?

If that cooperation could not be accepted, then what is the alternative? A war that could kill millions or billions? Would that be the preferred outcome?"

Quahog answered, "I am inclined to agree, despite my deep misgivings of the Andorians. When I said that the founding principle of Starfleet is to prevent the Andorians from attacking us, that does not necessarily mean a military method of preventing that attack is the only method allowable. A dynamic balance of three main powers, Starfleet along with its allies, with Andoria and Vulcan, could potentially result in a situation where no one power would feel able to get away with attacking any other, even as the relative strengths of the three change over time."