MSPNPC Erbil — Da’aling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue
Yogan Yalu
(( Provincial Government Complex, Tecra, Da’al ))
If only Erbil’s fingers were made out of ziabaco stems. At least that way, he’d have a glass or two full of juice for all the hand wringing he’d been doing in the last few hours. He made the mistake of checking his messages while he awaited the arrival of the Starfleet team. All he got for his time and trouble was an earful of grievances from factions he didn’t even know existed. Instead of presenting their case in a rational and constructive manner, each representative simply barked out demands and then ended the call. What kind of an approach was that?
Things weren’t like they used to be. No, not since Ypartin tried to play the Da’al against one another and sell their planet to the Klingons. Ever since the coup, people seemed to forget how to negotiate with each other in good faith. Storming out of meeting rooms seemed to be the only language people understood anymore.
With so many new factions rising and falling with the tides, Erbil had no way to estimate the public opinion of asking for Starfleet’s help. The interim prime minister wasn’t a bad person, but Erbil didn’t have full confidence in their abilities.
Heh. Erbil always thought the Da’al to be such a sophisticated race. It had never occurred to him that their sociopolitical system—thought to be a showpiece of their species’ evolution—was actually perilously fragile. Who’d have thought that the difference between a functioning society and a failed one was a handful of people simply choosing to do the right thing?
A knock at the door snapped Erbil out of his philosophising, and the big door creaked open slowly. It was just as well. He was an old man, only a few years away from retirement. Fixing Da’al society was far above his pay grade.
MacKenzie: Minister Ebril?
Ebril: You’ve found him. Please, come in.
Two officers of similar complexion and physiology flanked the Human captain. As interim external relations secretary, it was Erbil’s job to interact with the Da’al’s galactic neighbors—although most of his interactions consisted of one-word diplomatic cables. He had no idea how the Federation, a society of societies, functioned. He did, however, know that Humans were fond of a formal gesture of greeting called the “handshake.” The captain predictably initiated this gesture, and Erbil was pleased he had practiced.
MacKenzie: I’m Commander Addison MacKenzie of the USS Artemis, and these are my officers, Lieutenant Dakora and Lieutenant Sydin.
Erbil: Thank you for coming. ::to Sydin and Dakora:: Thank you all.
Sydin: ::inclining her head:: Pleasure.
Dakora: Well met, Minister.
MacKenzie: Bring us up to speed. What’s the latest, and how can we help?
The door the Starfleet officers entered through took a long time to close. Erbil waited. And waited. Finally, when the latch clicked, indicating the door was indeed closed, Erbil pressed a button on the desk to lock it and deactivate the room from the complex’s communications network.
Erbil: I have studied your people’s customs and, to borrow one of your colloquialisms, I’d like to “cut the crap.” Half of the city of Tecra has been destroyed, and the other half has been thrown into chaos by the disruption of energy, transportation, communications, and vital services. Your colleagues at the impact zone and the Palace of Culture have their work cut out for them. ::beat:: But I need you, the three of you, for a much more specific purpose.
Erbil looked at the trio of aliens. Command, Intelligence, Diplomacy. Some factions would contend that he was selling out his people by even speaking to Starfleet. Erbil couldn’t say conclusively that they were wrong.
MacKenzie / Sydin: response
Erbil: Da’al society is, as you know, at a crossroads. The decision to ask for Starfleet’s help has not been universally welcomed. ::beat, scoffs:: Although, you should have heard the ideas the Great Council bandied about before settling on contacting you. One faction advocated for a permanent Exclusion Zone around the entire province, and a few of the Councilors even recommended we ask the–– ::gags:: the–– ::coughs:: the Klingons.
Sydin: And what was your response to that?
Erbil wiped a spittle from his chin with his sleeve.
Erbil: My response was nausea. And then outright refusal. Some on the Great Council might have forgotten the role the Klingons played in our current—what is the Human expression? Winter of Discontent? Thankfully our interim prime minister has more sense than that. Through peaceful negotiation, a rarity these days, our IPM got the supporters of the Exclusion Zone idea to agree to a simpler travel restriction.
The Da’al had a saying: The black eyes find you almost at once. This seemed to prove true for aliens as well, as the intelligence officer raised an eyebrow.
Dakora: When you say you are restricting travel- ::He let his dark gaze fall on Erbil.:: Why is that? Have there been any specific incidents or is it purely a precautionary measure?
Erbil: Both. We have a million different problems, all urgent and competing for our attention. Our rescue efforts must be allowed to proceed unhindered by random disaster-watchers and treasure-hunters. ::beat:: Thankfully, your security team will be able to assist at the impact site. As for the three of you, well, ::long pause:: I want you to appear before a special convocation of the Great Council. To show everyone, politicians, factions, and ordinary people alike, that you’re here to help.
MacKenzie: response
Sydin: Has this occurred before? ::pause:: I am asking because people will expect their government to react in a certain kind of way. If these measures are perceived as a 'normal' response to a disaster, the population will be much more likely to accept them.
Erbil: Frankly, no. The Great Council has not, to my knowledge, ever had a foreign delegation address it. But desperate times call for desperate measures. A command level officer and a mission specialist trained in diplomacy will be perfect representatives of the Federation.
MacKenzie / Sydin: response
Erbil: ::gestures to Dakora:: And you, Lieutenant. I’m sure you have read more than your share of reports about our broken society.
Dakora: response
Erbil: There is a second reason why I would like for you to appear before the Great Council. We have reason to believe an assassination is being hatched, and our interim security minister is one of the plotters. The interim prime minister wants to flush him out, and what better way to do it than live, in front of everyone, during a meeting of the Great Council?
MacKenzie / Sydin / Dakora: response
Tag / TBC
MSPNPC Da’al Erbil
Interim External Relations Minister
Da’al Interim Government
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