Chapter 57:
[In the Expanse]
The fleet flew around the expanse during their time away from Xindus, mapping the subspace anomalies. They think they found the central node, but three others were possibilities. The fleet returned to Xindus and setup the conference center again.
The Avian announced, "The Xindi have worked out their differences. Territories and rights on Xindus are now agreed to. All external wars require the agreement of at least four of the six Xindi species. There is Xindi Council observation of all Xindi activities making sure that agreements are upheld.
Xindi will cooperate in fighting against the spheres."
The Reptilian said, "The unknown species that you call the sphere builders told us that we would have an opportunity to strike the Alliance fleet while it hunts the spheres. They said if we succeed we will be in charge of all Xindi. We could see that they were lying to us and only wanted to defend the spheres to our long term peril."
The Alliance fleet headed towards the suspected central sphere node. The Xindi sent fleets to each of the other three suspected central nodes. The Alliance fleet would attack first. If in three hours from the planned time, if the other three nodes were not destroyed in a cascading failure, then they would each be attacked at the same time. After all four nodes would be destroyed, if the rest of the spheres still survived, they would each be individually attacked.
As in canon, the Sphere-builders distorted space around it. We had warp drone ships prepared for this. Our starship design had extra fold-out warp nacelles in the saucer section. This design including the ability to detach a part of the saucer as an uncrewed drone ship or to being able to detach the entire saucer section as a starship. The deflector array attack that was used in Canon was part of the ship's design, and would not cause an overload.
Two of these warp powered drones were sent into the anomaly around sphere 41, the central node sphere.
We all watched live video from the drones. There was a chain of repeaters sending the signal in case the distorted space made communication difficult.
Sphere builders appeared on both drones. Automated defenses used those attacks that worked in canon. In one drone the Sphere builders got into the plasma electric converter where the automated weapons couldn't reach them. They caused an overload causing the drone to explode. The information was sent to the other drone, and the artificially intelligent Nomad controlling it setup an active barrier of attacks that worked against the sphere builders in Canon, around components that carried high power flows.
The deflector pulse attack on the sphere continues until the sphere exploded. As in Canon, the sphere-builders lost access to our dimension, and a spreading failure of explosions destroyed every sphere.
[At the Xindus star system]
The Alliance met with the Xindi again. The Avian said, "If your attack had not succeeded, all of our ships would have proceeded with their attacks, even knowing that it might not be survivable.
Now that we have been allies, how can we ensure that we do not become enemies?"
Renée Picard answered, "To not be an empire. The removal of the spheres will provide enormous opportunities for peaceful economic development in this region. It will take a while before this region can contemplate good will and not taking what is needed from each other as the physical environment becomes less hostile.
Just as the Xindi have discovered the advantage of ensuring the peaceful behavior of individual species within Xindi, with the implicit threat of attack by the others, so has the Alliance. If Xindi were part of the Alliance of Civilizations, each would uphold the requirement to defend each other, not only against external threats, but against unsanctioned attacks within the Alliance. The Alliance has never sanctioned attacks within the Alliance and does not expect ever to do so.
An Alliance has an economic and military advantage over a similar sized empire. Each new member works to build Alliance strength. An empire needs armed forces to control each member, and less efficiently coerces building and military recruitment."
The Avian answered, "I speak for Xindi, but any agreement must be ratified by at least four of the Xindi species. Come back in one Earth year and we will speak further about joining this Alliance."
The Alliance fleet then tried to verify if the subspace vortexes still existed. As best they could determine, they did not. The fleet then split into groups, and would contact Vissia, Neubilia, Lyssaria, and then all go to the Starbase at Terra Nova for minor upgrades until it was time to return to Xindus.
[Back on Earth, 2031]
After we all watched again the Enterprise episode Cogenitor, I met with Khan, his son Juan, and his grandson Balram Singh. Balram was born in 2014 and was accepted as a future successor to his father and grandfather. Draco, Daphne, and Armand were also present.
I said, "Vissia might be the key to extending the powers of the Alliance in a more Federation-like way."
Balram answered, "It is the wrong hill for a decisive battle. Yes, their treatment of their cogenitors would be unacceptable on any Alliance world. They also have much useful technology. You would expect the entire Alliance to accept denying ourselves that technology in order to add intrusive rules? Even magical humans might object that house elves could be covered in that rule."
Daphne said, "Or perhaps you want Vissian membership to be rejected, and the rule to be imposed."
I answered, "Perceptive as always. The Vissians will not quickly accept changing their entire society. They have been independent for many centuries and have kept close to their homeworld. They might not even be interested in joining the Alliance.
We can establish the rule with them as an example.
To the Vissians themselves, we tell them that we can only offer them specific agreements, rather than an Alliance, similar to the arrangement with the Orions. Meanwhile the first rule that applies to the domestic arrangements of civilizations in the Alliance becomes established."
Khan smiled and said, "We will offer enforcement of this rule on Earth as a precedent. This is how to get the camel's nose in the tent."
[Alliance meeting]
Hermione started, "Now that we have reviewed the Enterprise episode Cogenitor, we need to decide on the parameters of our contact with that civilization. Captain Picard's starship should be arriving there in 12 days. She will get an encrypted subspace briefing before arriving."
A Vulcan said, "The immediate utility of Vissian technology, in a situation that I must point out is not desperate, should not preclude the values of our civilizations. In other words, there is utility, but not survival at stake in coming to an agreement with the Vissians.
An Alliance is also in a way an endorsement, a friendship with other members of the Alliance. Furthermore there is a certain freedom of movement that has been established as part of the Alliance, meaning that objectionable aspects of a civilization's system of laws cannot be safely hidden away on another planet."
A Tellarite quipped, "I am most impressed with my Vulcan colleague's impassioned emotional defense of the rights of sentient beings and I am in full agreement."
A Denobulan added, "We Denobulans also have a complex family arrangement, perhaps more similar to that of the Vissians than with other species. However, we do not approve of slavery, nor of mistreatment of any sentient life. Our culture is quite the opposite in fact."
A Lorillian said, "Let us be clear, that we are not agreeing to a conflict to free slaves. Our neighbors, the Enolians, are also guilty of these offenses. We should agree to peaceful coexistence with civilizations with objectionable practices, and even agree to trade, just not an Alliance."
An Andorian said, "There would have been material advantage to enslave the Aenar on our planet, but we would never do so. If I might ask about a peculiar practice on Earth, I understand that house Elves require a symbiotic relationship with Human magicals which they are bonded to. However their status seems to be that of being owned, and would some of them prefer to be bonded to other willing Human magicals?"
Khan answered, looking troubled, even though he was pleased by the question, "While we already regularly interview them to make sure that they are well treated. We will add a question as to whether they want to continue with their present bonded magicals. Earth and other Human habitations will welcome observers from other members of the Alliance to verify this."
The same Lorillian added, "The Enolians use their legal system to justify slavery. They arbitrarily convict travelers of crimes and sentence them to labor. Perhaps we should make sure that nothing similar occurs in the Alliance?"
A Vulcan answered, "Indeed. We should make sure that criminal incarceration or other severe penalties are handled logically."
An Andorian asked, "What about cultural practices of expected labor or military service? I think these should be allowed with some careful definitions."
After much more discussion, an Alliance department was setup to check enforcement of these new rules. A set of tribunals were setup to handle disputes as to what is allowed. The Alliance just become much more like the Federation than a simple Alliance.
[Visit to Vissia]
Captain Picard met with planetary leaders. After a pleasant meal together, Picard said, "The Alliance of Civilizations would wish to engage in trade with Vissia, both in materials and in technology, as would be agreeable to you.
However we cannot ask you to join the Alliance at this time. While the domestic relations between members of your society would seem normal to you, for the members of the Alliance it is considered illegal to treat sentient life in the way that your cogenitors are. We understand that this is your way, and our ways are different.
To join the Alliance of Civilizations is to a small extent also a joining of ways and laws. If at some time they are given full rights as sentients, we would welcome discussions of Vissia joining the Alliance."
[At Starbase Terra Nova 2031]
The Starbase was built before the colony, and was designed to maintain the eight starships expected. The planetary habitations were all designed with easily accessible deep shelters. Shields were also installed. Sometime around 2083 a dangerous radiation exposure would be expected. Everyone at the planet watched the Enterprise episode, Terra Nova.
Some of the crew visited the planet, some stayed on the Starbase, but most of those not on duty visited other planets, often their home planet.
Captain Renée Picard was given a briefing of what upgrades the ships were getting.
"The smaller breakaway part of the saucer, to create an uncrewed ship has now been added to the general design of starships. The replacement for the destroyed breakaway ship is being built. Some small changes have been made based on the telemetry of your usage of this feature.
Automated defense beam weapons now cycle through frequencies and check for apparent immunity of a target. Other weapons are more quickly brought into use if a frequency sweep does not result in an effective attack.
Permanent shielding of high power sections of the ship is being added. The attackers quickly determined how to create an overload explosion. Those areas are now being more robustly defended.
Deflector feedback attacks are now also part of the general design. The deflector can now handle as much power as a beam weapon.
Control stations throughout the ship now contain beverage holders and are themselves spill-proof. We determined that most of the Alliance species operate more efficiently if some equivalent to coffee or tea is available at the workstations.
The combat training rooms have been lengthened to facilitate practice at longer ranges.
Here is what is not in your upgrades. The vulnerability of the EPS interface being overloaded, exploding the ship. Various ideas are being explored to be able to handle these extreme power flows without risk, but so far we have not been able to do so. Perhaps at the end of your five year mission, a rebuild will have this problem solved."