Episode 2.03: The Trill Question

[Davy, aka GM]

Stardate 8889.6
Terra Four Diplomatic Complex, Alpha III

Lt. Cmdr. Tobin Les, Lt. Miguel de Costaluna, Lt. Durham Cole, Lt. Voshen, Ensign Chev ch'Valk, Chief Yeoman Waymire, and select members of the Drake's security department materialize in two groups in the courtyard of the Terra Four Diplomatic Complex. The complex rests on a small island in Alpha III's southern tropics, isolated from the colony's thriving metropolitan regions - a veritable beach-side resort in the Terran Caribbean style.

Tobin, Miguel, and Cole were requested by name to come to Alpha III to assist with discussions between the Trill and Novan delegations ahead of a Federation Council conference that could result in the lieutenant commander's homeworld's admission to the Federation*. Their requestor? None other than Curzon Dax of Starfleet Intelligence Command. Commodore Santiago immediately signed off on their secondment to the Federation Council Advance Team, forcing Tobin to quickly assemble a team and leave Maria del Vecchio in command in his absence.

* I'm not going to follow the statement from Star Charts that Trill joined the Federation in 2285. - Ed.

Why them? Was it just because Tobin was Trill and Miguel was Novan? Was it because they were both Starfleet? Dax gave no reasons in his formal request, and a brief text communique on their transit said all would be explained once they arrived.

The heat of the local afternoon is cooled by a slight breeze running through the courtyard, making it marginally tolerable to Chev and downright pleasant for the others. The naturally-cut stone deck is framed by local plants and trees, with an outdoor seating area attached to what appears to be one of the resort eating establishments. The building just behind them appears to be some sort of clubhouse, and the tops of other buildings can be seen in the distance to the east, north, and west.

The security team looks around, while Chief Waymire pulls out a data padd and consults it.

"I think we're in the right place, sir," she says. "But where's Mr. Dax?"

"Oh, I'm not far," a jovial voice responds as Curzon Dax emerges from the restaurant interior, sporting fashionable leisurewear. His thin, loose fitting shirt and trousers are perfect for the setting, but a far cry from the analyst's more formal attire at their last meeting at Starbase 24. He extends a hand to the lead officers, greeting each one by name through a broad smile. "It's good to see you two again," he adds to Tobin and Cole.

"Now, I know you have a lot of questions, but first, the rules: No uniforms when you're not on duty, and never after sundown...with a few exceptions," he says. "So, I'm going to have the staff show you to your rooms, and we'll meet back here in -" he looks at his watch "- about 30 minutes. I promise you I'll give the full rundown, and why I asked for you all to help me."

[Nolmir]

Tobin smiles as he greets the Starfleet Intelligence operative.

"It's good to see you again as well, Mr. Dax. But you do seem to enjoy being enigmatic, sir. I think I speak for us all in saying we've been wondering the whole way here what this all about. Not that I'm complaining about the locale, but I must admit I've never understood why we hold important events at these leisure resorts."

[Renny]

"It's good to see you two again," he adds to Tobin and Cole.

"Sir." Cole nods politely in response to Dax's greeting.

As Tobin speaks, Cole's eyes are roaming across the other members of the landing party. The involvement of Starfleet Intelligence always makes him nervous.

[Davy, aka GM]

Tobin smiles as he greets the Starfleet Intelligence operative.

"It's good to see you again as well, Mr. Dax. But you do seem to enjoy being enigmatic, sir. I think I speak for us all in saying we've been wondering the whole way here what this all about. Not that I'm complaining about the locale, but I must admit I've never understood why we hold important events at these leisure resorts."

"Well, there's the isolation of it all. Get the diplomats away from distractions - the familiarity of San Francisco, the press, and the pomp and circumstance of the Council Chambers. Also, the aesthetics of the place - sets the mood, helps facilitate discussion. And, Federation Security decided to move conference venues around since the Orions infiltrated the Babel Conference in '68." He pauses to look over his shoulder - the only thing the others can see is some sort of fruity concoction sitting on one of the patio tables. "As for the other part - get settled, get changed, and be ready to eat some of the best food this side of the quadrant. We'll discuss your roles in all this then. Thirty minutes."

With a smile and a nod, he heads back the way he came, picking up that fruity drink along the way.

*~*~*~*~*

The rooms are quite nice - not so luxurious that they outshine the rest of the resort, but definitely a comfortable place to rest after a day's leisure. It's enough to make one wonder if this place is being run by a Risan. The senior officers - Tobin, Miguel, Cole, and Voshen - each have their own room (and Voshen's is somewhat separate from the others - a cabana with a sealed airlock that allows him to breathe his special gas mix without the need of his respirator); Chev shares a room with Ensign O'Neil, Ensign Tann-Tyra and Waymire each have their own rooms (on opposite ends of the building), and the rest of Cole's security team are paired up.

OOC: Feel free to post impressions and even interact with others as you're getting around.

About a half-hour later, the officers (O'Neil and Tann-Tyra included) gather back at the restaurant, meeting their host in a small side room. Curzon nods approvingly at the civilian attire (and, as usual, Tann-Tyra looks incredibly alluring, even as she's attempting to downplay any form of sensuality in her dress*). The Trill rises to greet her "properly" - which each man had done at least once when they first met the security officer; however, the crew have been around her long enough to acclimate themselves to her pheromones, and no longer become foolish around her. Dax hasn't had that opportunity. (Also of note, Chief Waymire, who was invited to attend as the "acting-captain's" yeoman, begged off, citing her allergies^ - i.e., she doesn't want to pass out in front of everyone.)

* Deltans - Ed.
^ Also Deltans - Ed.

A member of the wait staff comes by to take orders. Once that's out of the way, Curzon clears his throat to quiet the small talk.

"Thank you all for being patient with me on this. As you know, the primary focus of this conference was originally to approve Trill's application for Federation membership. With the death of Council President Fergus, they're also going to be electing his replacement. One of the candidates to replace him is the Novan ambassador - Davar Errickoa, who has been public about his opposition to Trill joining the Federation," he explains. "Because of this, I was asked to arrange for the Trill and Novan delegations to meet for a few days before the conference opens.

"Now, because this is all off the books, so to speak, and the rest of the FCAT** is busy prepping for the conference itself and the arrival of the other delegations, I was authorized to bring in my own people to facilitate those discussions."

** Federation Council Advance Team - Ed.

"Okay, but why us?" Miguel chimes in.

"Oh, that's easy: You and Tobin are a Novan and a Trill working together as department heads on the same ship, and I know you all are trustworthy - saw that in the Schrepfermann affair. And, bringing in Cole and his security team will take a burden off the Federation Security detail as they do their own prep work." Curzon smiles broadly. "Tobin and Miguel will each be the primary liaison for their respective delegations; Voshen and Chev will be your primary aides in that regard, and Cole and his team will provide security for both groups. Not a bad assignment for a couple weeks in paradise, eh?"

[Patrick Goodman]

There are worse gigs.

[Nolmir]

Curzon nods approvingly at the civilian attire (and, as usual, Tann-Tyra looks incredibly alluring, even as she's attempting to downplay any form of sensuality in her dress*). The Trill rises to greet her "properly" - which each man had done at least once when they first met the security officer; however, the crew have been around her long enough to acclimate themselves to her pheromones, and no longer become foolish around her.

Tobin chuckles quietly to himself as he observes Curzon's interaction with his Deltan crewmate. But who can blame him? No matter how many lifetimes of experience he has, he's still mortal, he thinks to himself.

"Okay, but why us?" Miguel chimes in.

"Oh, that's easy: You and Tobin are a Novan and a Trill working together as department heads on the same ship, and I know you all are trustworthy - saw that in the Schrepfermann affair. And, bringing in Cole and his security team will take a burden off the Federation Security detail as they do their own prep work." Curzon smiles broadly. "Tobin and Miguel will each be the primary liaison for their respective delegations; Voshen and Chev will be your primary aides in that regard, and Cole and his team will provide security for both groups. Not a bad assignment for a couple weeks in paradise, eh?"

"Staying in a resort, taking an active role in a pivotal moment of history for my world? Could be worse," Tobin says, grinning. "But you're making this sound like a cakewalk, as the human expression goes. With respect, sir, there must be a catch."

[Davy, aka GM]

"Staying in a resort, taking an active role in a pivotal moment of history for my world? Could be worse," Tobin says, grinning. "But you're making this sound like a cakewalk, as the human expression goes. With respect, sir, there must be a catch."

"The catch is what I mentioned earlier. Ambassador Errickoa is popular among the delegations - he has a good number of supporters for council president, enough to make him a real factor in the election. If he remains opposed to the admission of Trill to the Federation and wins that post, it may set back our membership efforts for a decade or more."

He continues, "On the Trill side, Ambassador Voliax is coming here with a very, very thin mandate - she's fully authorized to withdraw the membership application on her own judgment. If that withdrawal comes, what will soon follow is a recall of all Trill home. You know our laws - they can be stringent when it comes to offworld travel. That's a lot of our people who would be required to return to Trill to reapply for travel visas, or face permanent exile.

"Our job," Curzon adds, "is to change hearts and minds. That's why I brought you and Miguel in. I need you to sway them by word and example. Show Voliax what it means to be a part of something bigger, something important. And show Errickoa that the Trill can be an asset to the Federation - that Trill and Novans already work together, and do so well. We in Federation service - and Starfleet, especially - are supposed to represent the best our worlds can offer to the galaxy - let that part of us shine for the greater good."

OOC: A couple things here.

First, this is a time that the existence of symbiotes is a secret that won't be widely known for another 80 years. Joined Trill are very protective of that secret, actively avoiding transporters and traveling with their own medical personnel (Curzon adheres to these restrictions). Even unjoined Trill will not divulge the existence of symbiotes and the joining to the rest of the galaxy.

Second, Tobin knows of Ambassador Lasree Voliax - she's joined, and served for nearly 30 years in the planetary government (including the symbiosis commission) before being named Ambassador to the Federation in 2285 (which is when Trill's push for membership began in earnest). He recalls that she has long been a strong proponent of stricter requirements for candidates for joining.

[socrates200X]

Raising a fruit drink to his respirator's straw, complete with uttaberry skewer and bright pink paper umbrella, Lt. Voshen looked between Cmdr. Les and Ambassador Dax and endeavored to better understand their mission.

Right as they had touched down on the Terra Four complex, Voshen had found himself a bit asea, almost literally as their beam-in destination commanded an expansive view of the surrounding waters.  His time at the Academy had acclimated him to the concept and view of Earth's oceans, but having the entire horizon ringed with shifting blue water threatened to dizzy him.  Sharing a brief commiserating look with Ens. Chev, Voshen adjusted the polarization settings on his goggles, and wondered what exactly it was about tropical settings that fascinated Humans so.

He was determined to find out.  Taking the ambassador at his word, Voshen performed some cursory research on the island's fashion norms.  He had settled on a blue button-up shirt patterned with some form of seaside tree, paired with red board shorts.  The combination appeared pleasing to his vision, at least, if slightly airy.  He was relieved at least to see other civilians wearing similar garb.

Swallowing the sweet local concoction, Voshen leaned forward and raised his brow in an open, friendly gesture.  "I have found that my tenure in Starfleet, and on the Drake in particular, has been both welcoming and edifying.  Zaran certainly has its own critics of wider Federation policy, but even they recognize the value of membership.  Speaking for myself, being recalled to the homeworlds would be..."  He looked to Cmdr. Les as he tailored his words.  "...it would be a great loss.  I sincerely hope our presence can provide the inspiration the ambassadors require."

[Chev ch'Valk]

Chev met Voshen's look, miming wiping sweat from his brow with a lopsided grin. It's still too hot, but at least it's not Vulcan, he thought to himself. If missions continued along this path, he calculated that in five more he'd be on a planet with temperatures he considered to be actually pleasant.

"I'm happy to partner with Lt. de Costaluna," he offered, "seeing as how he's my direct superior in Communications, unless you'd rather split us up." He and Miguel had spent several post-ship evenings together playing word games; Chev had been very impressed that the Lieutenant had invited one of his own combining triangles with language symbols on them that were placed next to each other to try to make sentences, with extra points awarded if you could incorporate more than one language. He had been most put out when Chev had set down a series that said "Follow the yellow brick road" through Terran English, Klingon, Andorian, and one symbol in Breen that Miguel insisted meant "corn."

[Nolmir]

Tobin's grin turns to a more somber, reflective expression as Dax replies. Being forced to return home would be ... quite frustrating. Not least because of his resumed relationship with T'Kalla, but it went beyond that. He felt his calling lay in exploring the stars and seeing things no one, or at least no Trill, had seen before. And though he appreciated his culture, his people had become very inward-facing as a result, he felt, of keeping the symbiont secret from the wider galaxy. Starfleet, with its many races and cultures represented therein, had been a breath of fresh air for the curious scientist. And he was certain the Federation could do the same for his people -- if they would let it.

"I have found that my tenure in Starfleet, and on the Drake in particular, has been both welcoming and edifying.  Zaran certainly has its own critics of wider Federation policy, but even they recognize the value of membership.  Speaking for myself, being recalled to the homeworlds would be..."  He looked to Cmdr. Les as he tailored his words.  "...it would be a great loss.  I sincerely hope our presence can provide the inspiration the ambassadors require."

"Well said, Lieutenant; I agree wholeheartedly. Let us hope we can convince the ambassadors that the Federation and my world would be stronger and better together than apart."

He shifts his gaze to Curzon. "I think I can guess why Ambassador Voliax has her reservations. But what about Ambassador Erricko? What is the basis of his opposition to our membership?"

[Davy, aka GM]

"I'm happy to partner with Lt. de Costaluna," he offered, "seeing as how he's my direct superior in Communications, unless you'd rather split us up."

Miguel shoots Chev an appreciative nod. "Happy to have you with me."

He shifts his gaze to Curzon. "I think I can guess why Ambassador Voliax has her reservations. But what about Ambassador Erricko? What is the basis of his opposition to our membership?"

"Here's the fun part: I have no idea," the analyst responds. "As a matter of public record, Errickoa has cited 'Trill secrecy' on certain matters of their government and economy, and mentioned in the initial debate on whether to consider the application that, and I quote, 'These Trill seem uninterested in being equal partners in galactic governance.'

"The first part of that could be attributed to the general libertarian slant of Novan politics - their transparency in governance is singular among the Terran colonies - and Errickoa is by all accounts a paragon of Novan Libertarianism." He turns to Miguel. "I hope I'm not speaking too much out of turn."

The communications officer shakes his head negatively. "Not at all. He's - well, he's definitely one of our more passionate advocates of minimal governance."

Dax chuckles, then continues, "The second part is less clear. I've talked to a couple staffers I know in the Trill delegation, and they're not sure what might've triggered such a belief. Even put out some feelers to the Novans through some Terran and Alphan contacts, but haven't heard anything from them that would explain it, either."

Looking at Miguel and Chev, he admits, "You'll definitely have your work cut out for you, but getting to the bottom of that statement might be a good place to start changing his mind."

[Chev ch'Valk]

"Any chance we can get some insight as to what this 'Trill secrecy' is related to?" asks Chev, fishing for any leverage they might be able to obtain before going into discussions.

[Davy, aka GM]

Dax meets Tobin's eyes briefly then answers, "All governments have their secrets, even among the founding bodies of the Federation. But, my best guess is that he sees certain practices amongst many of our leaders - especially those in more senior Federation roles - and believes we have something to hide."

"He means that some Trill, but not all, will not use a transporter, and only Trill medics can treat them," Miguel adds. "I know Tobin's not one of them, but I suspect you are, Mr. Dax."

Curzon nods his affirmation. "We don't consider it a religion, but these are certainly ethical practices we follow."

The analyst looks to Tobin again.

[Renny]

Dax meets Tobin's eyes briefly then answers, "All governments have their secrets, even among the founding bodies of the Federation. But, my best guess is that he sees certain practices amongst many of our leaders - especially those in more senior Federation roles - and believes we have something to hide."

"He means that some Trill, but not all, will not use a transporter, and only Trill medics can treat them," Miguel adds. "I know Tobin's not one of them, but I suspect you are, Mr. Dax."

Curzon nods his affirmation. "We don't consider it a religion, but these are certainly ethical practices we follow."

"Sir", Cole begins hesitantly, feeling somewhat out of place in the realm of diplomacy," I mean no disrespect but could the Trill delegation not simply clarify the reasoning behind these practices to show openness? If secrecy is at the root of the distrust, then would showing that that there is nothing to hide not remove the barrier?"

[Nolmir]

Tobin takes a deep breath.

"I'm afraid it's not quite as simple as that, Lieutenant," he says, speaking somewhat slower than usual as he chooses his words carefully. "There are certain practices which are deeply engrained in our society. Though Mr. Dax is correct in saying they are not precisely religious in nature, it could be helpful to compare them to one.

"In my readings on Earth anthropology, I have learned some about the Druze, a fascinating group. They keep most of their religion secret. There are facets of their religion a layperson will never have direct experience of; only certain devoted members learn their full teaching. And of course outsiders are strictly forbidden from this knowledge. Historically, as a religious minority, this was in part to protect their community from persecution. But for those who still practice the faith, it is simply part of their identity.

"Without going into details, Trill society has some parallels. Mr. Dax would be among these devoted members, in this metaphor. Revealing the full truth of our culture to non-Trill could cause the unraveling of our society, or so some say. I would have once shared this concern, but my experiences in Starfleet have changed my perspective. Nevertheless, my view is in the minority. If Trill society is to become more open regarding these practices, it will have to happen slowly. I doubt the Trill delegation would be willing to do so in the context of this conference."