----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 12:40
PM
Subject: SPD: Moving on... the
Ambassador
"I understand, Commander."
Golan paused for a few moments. What he was
about to say next would put
him in great danger. He was cautious but knew
that it
had to be
done. "Commander, what would you say if I told you that my people
may not be completely in the dark about the matter?"
'Well the Cardassians not being completely honest about something. Who
would have thought?' M'Rrenn thought to him self. "How do you mean,
Ambassadorrr?" he finally said his curiousity tweaked just a bit.
"Well, I received an interesting
communique a few days ago from an
old... 'friend.' I was not left
feeling comfortable after the conversation."
"And....."
"I can't put my finger on
it. It was not much more than an arrogant
Gul flexing his muscles,
but it reminded me of some of the feelings I had
when I heard our
government representatives speak prior and during the
Dominion War."
'So this is all supposition and conjecture. Damn, I
thought he may of
had something more tangiable.' M'Rrenn thought to
him self yet again. He
replied, "I see. So you feel that
yourrr people may be moving back towarrrds
theirrr old ways of militarrry
agrrression, and away from the peacable
government that preceeded the
Dominion take over."
"There has always
been a power struggle on Cardassia Prime between the
civilian, military
and intelligence leaders for control of Cardassia. We are
at our
darkest when the military and intelligence hold greater sway. I think
we are moving into another period like that. This is the reason why
I have
worked so hard to formulate the Council."
" I
see."
"I think my people may have, in
fact, been involved in the attack on
Admiral Lasiter ... and perhaps in
even more that I feel is undesirable."
"Ambassadorrr, I
thank you forrr yourrr candorr in this matterrr. It
means morrre to
us than you could imagine. In that spirrrit, I must ask
these harrrd
questions. Please underrrstand." M'Rrenn replied.
"I would
expect no less from a fine officer such as yourself, Commander.
Please, ask what you must."
"What proof, if any, do you have
that yourrr people arrre involved? I
underrrstand this may cause you
some trrrouble at home, but we must know. You
must also know, that the
going belief is that this was 100% a Carrrdassian
assult on the UFP's
Starrrfleet Commanderrr in Chief. The people of the
Federrration
will demand a strrrong reprrriasal if the investigation
indicates that it
was an attack backed and supporrrted by Carrrdassia
Prrrime. While
this is not the opinion of Admirrral Lasiterrr, the
investigation is
almost complete, and his actions will be dictated by
the outcome of that."
"Commander, I knew the danger of the situation I was getting myself
into when
I decided to broach the subject. It played a great deal in
my decision. I
am sure tht you must know that Cardassian politics
has never been easy to
follow. I must admit that I do not have
direct evidence. But I do know when
something is afoot, Commander.
How many Ambassadors do you know have an
Obsidian Order-like
representative watching over them?"
"Well, now that you mention it... You would be
the first to tell me about it." M'Rrenn replied.
"Well, I do.
My assistant Melora Damesh is not the operative she think she
is.
I have known for some time that she was assigned to watch over me.
The
people in power of the Order don't trust me because of my
beliefs. They
would not have assigned an operative if they didn't
think I was a threat to
their actions."
"I see. Well, that being an interrrnal
matterrr to yourrr goverrrnment I can not do much there, but if you can think
of something that we could do to help you on station obtain some prrrivacy,
that I can arrrange
"About this Council and yourrr goverrrnment
leanings. What can we,
Starfrrleet do to help? "
"Well, I would appreciate you using whatever influence you have in
trying to
convince the Federation Council to appoint a representative to
sit on the
Council. So far the Ambassadors of the Venasians, the Aqualish,
and the
Romulans have voted to sit on the Council. Some of your
member worlds sit on
the Council as well."
"I will do
what I can. It does sound like something worth being a part
of."
"Please do nor misunderrrstand my questions. I am not
indicating the
supporrrt forrr you orrr governmental rrreform of
Carrrdassia Prime, orrr of
this Council. I am only trrrying to get
the inforrrmation that my
superrriorrrs will want. They will decide
wheitherrr orrr not to give
public, orrr prrrivite, supporrrt."
M'Rrenn did not want to speak for
anyone, nor did he want to paint anyone
into a bad spot. however, he did
want the information. The
Ambassador knew this. He knew that the Caitian
was asking to be
better able to answer those questions that Lasiter and other
may
have. To be better able to relay the message.
"I expected no
more, Commander. I am well acquainted in the Starfleet and
Federation custom of not getting involved in other people's internal
struggles, though, I would like to point out the assistance Starfleet gave
Damar during the Dominion War. Starfleet is more than willing to
involve
themselves in internal politics if it suits their
needs."
This
ambassador was no fool, and was not afraid to mince words. Had M'Rrenn
been the overly proud and devoted sort he may have taken offence to that last
comment, but he was not. He had spent too many years working in and
around the backwaters of Starfleet to have developed such a
thing.
"Ambassadorrr, I will pass
along what you have told me. I will not and can not prrromise anything,
except that I will be speaking to Admirrral Lasiterrr soon. Now with the
currrent crrraziness up in Ops at the moment, I would not expect to hearrr
anything immediately, but soon."
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