This is the message from the weekend that Julie and I co-wrote. CS
-----Forwarded Message----- From: Chris Salmi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sep 30, 2005 2:39 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [SPD] SFC: To Cait we go Moments after Vice Admiral Kitanya and Admiral Lasiter boarded the USS Hartford, the ship departed Starbase McKinley- aka Spacedock. For the first few hours the two admirals discussed the details of the felinid situation. Everything from their tactics to their newly discovered history. All the while Lasiter could see that something was weighing heavy on Kitanya. "Admiral Kitanya you seem to have something else on your mind. A heavy burden. Care to unload it?" She was torn between her duty to Starfleet and to Lasiter, a human she had grown to respect. However, the obligation to help a long separated branch of her own people was also impossible to ignore. Better to get things out in the open.... She took a long, deep breath before speaking her mind. "Sirrr, I mean no disrrrespect, but I am angerrred at how these felinids are being trrreated. They arrre sentient beings, but even morrreso, they arrre, orrr at least werre once, Caitians. They deserrrve a life that has more to it than fighting and dying forrr anotherrr rrrace that trrreats them no better than tools to be used and discarrrded. My hearrrt feels theirrr pain, even if they arrre misguided. But they want to be frrree. They want to to rrrule theirrr own fate, and I want to help them do it." Lasiter didn't need to see her swishing tail to be able to read Kitanya's passion. For his part he understood. Well, he understood as much as a human could. Humanoids were all over the universe, but felinids were truly a rare thing. "Aren't you doing that already? You are directing Starfleet's efforts in combating them, and you are the one that suggested that they go to Cait to reconnect with their long lost culture and people." Lasiter was trying to be sympathetic. She sighed. "But it is not enough, sirrr. Those arrre just half measurrres, with no rrreal meaning." "What else can you do? Just remember that you are the Commander of Starfleet Special Operations. You have access to resources that most could not dream of." "I know, but those arrre Starrrfleet things. I love Starrrfleet - I don't need to tell you that. But sometimes an orrrganization of many rrraces cannot adequately speak to the needs of its individual memberrrs. I can teach them about what it is to be a Caitian. They have been rrrobbed of theirrr historrry, theirrr trrraditions, theirrr ways. They need someone to guide them on theirrr jourrrney thrrrough the new worrrld of frrreedom. A people experrrience uncertainty and anxiety when they win theirrr frrreedom. A frrriend and a mentorrr who has strrrugled with herrr own culturrral identity in ways otherrr Caitians have not can help them find theirrr own identity, and help theirrr neighborrrs avoid misunderrrstanding and conflict. I was rrraised by a Klingon step-fatherrr, and I have fought many battles among my own people and the Klingons to win theirrrr rrrespect. I think that experrrience will aid these people." "But can't you do that from your current post? Remember you have access to all of the resources that Starfleet has at it's disposal," Lasiter asked. She chuckled. "I guess, I should be more clearrr, sirrr. I don't think that I can do this while in Starrrfleet. And, with all due rrrespect, you and I both know that the rrresources of Starrrfleet arrre prrretty well taxed at the moment. This is a perrrsonal cause forrr me, sirrr, and I do not expect you to fully underrrstand, but I can assurrre you that many Caitians will feel the same. As such, the solution should be perrrsonal. It can't be dirrrected frrrom afarrr, and it can't be left to surrrrogates orrr prrroxies." "But why do you have to leave Starfleet? Now is not a good time." "Now is when the situation prrrrresented itself. I am sorry, but I cannot change that. Why must I leave? Well, I have not said that I will, but I don't see how my currrrent position will allow me to do both. I feel a yearrrning forrr home that I cannot quell, a last chance to make a differrrence in the lives of people who need my help, and to help my own people accept these beings forrr who they arrre." Lasiter stood. He did not want to think about losing Kitanya. He needed her. "As I see it, this is not a Caitian problem, and anyone that suggests that it is is an ignorant fool. This is a Federation problem. However, only an ignorant fool would fail to see how necessary the Caitians are a necessary part of the solution to this Federation problem. If you will stay in Starfleet, and lead a team from Starfleet and from Cait, I'll take care of the red tape about your current position. Kitanya, I can't afford to lose you or your counsel, and I'll do whatever I have to to be sure that I keep it." "You flatterrr me, sirrr, and I am honorrred that you think my counsel so valuable." She thought carefully about his offer, and sat silently for a long moment. She stood and walked over to the window, where the darkness of eternal night drifted past. "Samuel, we have gone thrrrough a lot togetherrr alrrready. I value yourrr counsel as well, and I cerrrtainly underrrstand yourrr position. I would do the same thing myself if Captain Aurrrelius came to me with an issue such as this." She went silent again, reviewing the situation in her mind. "I will agree," she began suddenly breaking the silence, "but only on one condition." "What is that?" asked Lasiter. "The team I lead must be mine to do with as I will. I ask that you trrrust my judgment and let me do what I must to help these beings win theirrr frrreedom, and hopefully help brrring theirrr crruel masterrrs to justice. While I would rrreporrt to you, and only you, Samuel - not the Generrral Assembly, not the Council, not the Prrresident - and ask yourrr advice and orrrderrs on things that will impact the Federrration immediately and dirrrectly, the otherrr things must be mine to contrrrol. This is no game, and if they even suspect that I may have a dual purrrpose, orrr myself have a masterrr I must rrreporrt to, they will slaughterrr us all." Lasiter had always been somewhat of a control freak, and her conditions rubbed him a bit the wrong way. It wasn't that he needed control, but had to been in the loop in a major way. For one thing he couldn't run interferrence or deflect heat from up above if he didn't know what was going on. He also knew that her taking orders only from him would cause beings in certain circles to become more than annoyed. However, he knew all too well what she faced in her task of choice. She had to earn their trust, then their respect if she was to have any hope of success. Lasiter also knew what that would take- breaking a few rules. Most of all he knew that while he knew plenty about the situation, in reality he knew nothing. The policy makers knew even less than he did, and would only complicate things if they were involved. For the sake of the felinids and the Federation, he had to agree. "If it were anyone else but you I would say go to hell. Fortunately, it is you.... I will do what I can to give you the space and independence that you need. I will need regular reports on everything. That's non-negoatiable. I can't deflect the unwanted attention or manage the curious if I can't see it coming and plan accordingly." "Then I agrrree." She felt relieved, like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Oh Samuel, you don't know how glad this makes me. I have always felt something like an outsiderrr on my own worrrld, though I love it morrre than my own life. Having the chance to do this forrr my people, forrr these felinids... It has haunted me since I firrrst learrrned who they werrre. But my life has always been devoted to Starrrfleet, and I did not want to walk away frrrom that. You arrre a good, good, man to underrrstand those things and allow me this opporrrtunity to serrrve my people and Starrrfleet." "May it bring this warrior peace..." TBC... Co-GM of the Spacedock Game Characters: Adm. Samuel Lasiter, RAdm. Markus Garibaldi, Emissary Marconis, LCDR Donovan Black, and a host of others. _______________________________________________ Spacedock mailing list [email protected] http://mail.starbase1.org/mailman/listinfo/spacedock_starbase1.org Co-GM of the Spacedock Game Characters: Adm. Samuel Lasiter, RAdm. Markus Garibaldi, Emissary Marconis, LCDR Donovan Black, and a host of others. _______________________________________________ Spacedock mailing list [email protected] http://mail.starbase1.org/mailman/listinfo/spacedock_starbase1.org
