The Politics Of Empire

Posted on Oct 09, 2015 @ 7:52pm by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane

Mission: Civil War

"THE POLITICS OF EMPIRE"

(Continued from "The Captain And The Caridea")

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"Politics have no relation to morals."
- Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Prince"

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Captain's Log, supplemental - the colony on E-4 is flourishing, the Phoenix's crew is well rested, and life has finally started to become more bearable...

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Location: Elandipole IV
Stardate: [2.15]1009.2355
Scene: Shanty Town beach


The surf sighed like a satisfied lover, the brightwings wheeled and dived, the distant yellow sun began to dip below the horizon, and Michael Turlogh Kane and Jane Hakeswill walked along the edge of where the ocean met the land. Behind them, the new Shanty Town seemed to glow in the sunset, and the squeals of happy playing children blended with the cacophony of construction works. A community was being born on E-4, one so far removed from Limbo that the space station seemed to be fading away into collective recollection, gone faster than the memory of the pain of childbirth. In time, it would grow and mature, and the laughter of today's children would become the cameraderie of tomorrow's adults.

"I almost feel sorry that I won't be around to see it," said Kane absently, looking out to the ocean. He thought about the deep blue abyssals, where the giants lived. "You have the school, everyone else has their own jobs to do. There's so much potential with these people. I sincerely hope they find it in themselves to come together and forge a new identity. Limbo was a poison that's finally being excised."

Jane stopped in surprise and looked at him sidelong. "Are you leaving so soon?"

"No," said Kane, turning to her. "But the Phoenix won't remain in orbit forever. Edgerton is still sitting on his throne."

Jane slipped one hand into Kane's. "Let someone else save the universe, Captain. You can stay here with me. Your crew, too. They can build homes here, make a life safe from whatever's happening on Earth. You can just call it quits."

Kane smiled ruefully. "What kind of heroes would we be if we did that? Besides, we already have homes, already have lives. We can't give them up without a fight."

They shared a moment, and Jane let go of his hand. The shadows lengthened, as the world-ocean swallowed the sun. "Well," she said uselessly, "if you're ever in this neck of the woods again - "

[[Phoenix to Captain Kane.]] Aerdan Jos's voice interrupted them.

Kane touched his communicator. "Go ahead, Mister Jos."

[[Captain, sensors have detected multiple starships approaching the system. They are using Federation transponder codes.]]

"Identification?" frowned Kane.

[[Not at this time, sir. They will be within hailing frequencies in three minutes.]]

Kane nodded. "Yellow Alert, Commander. Recall all senior officers, notify the Pendragon and beam me up." He cut the transmission, looking apologetically at Jane. "Duty calls."

She was putting a brave face on it, papering a smile over the cracks. "I understand, Captain."

There was nothing more to say. Kane stood there looking into her eyes until the transporter beam engulfed him and took him away, leaving behind what-ifs and a life that could have been.

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Location: USS PHOENIX, high above
Scene: Bridge


It felt like he hadn't been on the bridge in weeks, but as he stepped off the turbolift and saw all his people in their usual stations, Kane felt the old sense of purpose returning. "Report," he said gruffly as Aerdan vacated the centre seat.

Byte spoke up. {{There are forty-eight starships approaching the system. We have identified the lead ship as the USS Demeter.}}

"Are they Neo-Essentialists?" asked Kane.

Aerdan shook his head. "No way to tell."

Kane thought for a moment before coming to a decision. If they were Neo-Essentialists, they weren't bothering to hide themselves, but despite her deadly weapons systems, the Phoenix would stand no chance against those kind of numbers. Running would hardly help - a fleet that size could break up into smaller units to hunt them down. Better to ID them while the chance was there, he thought. "Plot a course out of the system at maximum warp, but standby to engage." He turned to Kass at Tactical. "Hailing frequencies, Major."

Kass keyed in the command. "Open."

Kane drew himself up to his full height and squared his jaw. If they were Neo-Essentialists, he wanted to deliver a fuck-you of defiance to whoever was in command of the oncoming fleet. "This is Captain Michael Turlogh Kane of the starship Phoenix. Identify yourselves."

The reply came quickly. The viewscreen winked and split into two sections. On the left were the faces of two men, Vulcan and Andorian, who Kane didn't know. On the right, older now, but with cascades of instantly-recognisable red hair, was Siobhan Reardon-Marxx. When Kane had been a lowly Ensign on the Century fifteen years ago, she had been the ship's Executive Officer. His eyes lit up in recognition, but she didn't speak first.

{{Captain Kane?}} It was the Andorian on the left side of the screen. His skin was a cold ice-blue, his lips only marginally darker than his skin, and he wore a fashionable black business suit. {{I am Thoris P'Trell, the Federation's Secretary of Interplanetary Relations.}} He indicated the Vulcan beside him, an older gentleman with graying hair and a surprisingly sallow face for one of his people. {{This is my colleague Sardak, the Secretary of Temporal Investigations. Accompanying us are almost fifty starships and over twenty thousand Starfleet personnel, including the USS Zhukov commanded by Captain Reardon. We are the last remnants of the legitimate government and military of the Federation, and we have come to Elandipole to be with you in our collective hour of need.}}

Kane was staggered. There was an entire fleet incoming to help them. It had been nearly two years since his rise to power, but Edgerton had not fully corrupted Starfleet, and not everyone bent the knee to him. It was like a sunburst of joy and relief to know that help was coming. He glanced at Aerdan and shared an excited smile with the Andorian. "I don't know what to say, Mister Secretary. We thought the Federation was in pieces, that we were all alone."

{{No, Captain Kane,}} stated Siobhan Reardon from the Zhukov, as Thoris shook his head and Sardak raised an eyebrow. {{You're not alone. You never were.}}

Kane nodded. "We'll be here to welcome you all," he said. "We're looking forward to meeting you. Phoenix out." He patted Russ on the shoulder as the screen winked out, showing the blue ball of E-4 rolling by. "Belay that course order, Lieutenant."

Aerdan came to his side and spoke quietly. "Wonderful news, Captain."

Kane couldn't hide a smile. "Spread the news and prepare a reception, Commander. We've finally found some allies."

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Scene: Deck 1, saucer section, conference room
Time Index: A short time later


The arrival of the fleet had been as exciting to the Phoenix's skeleton crew as Kane had imagined. Most of them had crowded into the Vulgar Tribble to take advantage of the view from the enormous bay window, while those who arrived late contented themselves by thronging the ship's myriad viewports.

In a splash of white fire they had come, all forty-eight of them, jumping from warpspace, no longer a distant thing but suddenly there, seemingly close enough to touch. The capital ships had taken up orbits around E-4, while the rest had broken into squadrons and moved to form pickets and patrols around the system.

Kane and Peter Aspinall waited in the Phoenix's conference room, flanked by their ExOs. The arrival of the loyalist fleet had generated enormous excitement.

"You didn't see this coming, did you?" asked Kane. "I mean, it's not in the history books?"

Peter shook his head. "No. The timeline is all new now, remember?" He smiled. "It's good to see Captain Reardon again. I'll have to bite my tongue and remind myself not to call her 'Commander'."

Kane chuckled. "That was a long time ago, wasn't it?" The years suddenly stretched out behind him, and he felt a pang of melancholy as he realised that yes, it was a long time ago.

The doors to the conference room opened, admitting Thoris P'Trell, Sardak, and Captain Reardon. There were a flurry of pleasantries and handshakes and everyone introduced each other and outlined how the fleet had escaped Earth and ended up at Elandipole.

"Hello again," said Kane to Captain Siobhan Reardon.

"Ah, the Century's former security chief," smiled Siobhan. "You've come a long way from that brash young Ensign, haven't you?"

"You too," said Kane. "The Zhukov is a fine ship."

"No need for modesty," chuckled Siobhan. "The Phoenix is an incredible piece of engineering. I'm jealous!"

They took their seats around the conference table - Kane, Peter, Siobhan, Thoris and Sardak. Aerdan and Izzy went back out to the Phoenix's bridge, and everyone took a breath, the smiles barely leaving their faces.

Thoris P'Trell put his hands up. His antennae kept furling and unfurling on his head like two worms. "I am so happy to be amongst friends again. I am very much looking forward to visiting the planet below and finally seeing some sunshine! But as delighted as I am to be here, we must focus now, and decide what to do next within the grand scheme of things. Politics first, recreation later."

"We need both a political and military strategy to defeat Edgerton," stated Sardak. He had folded his brown robes over his arms, looking for all the world like an ancient sage about to dispense some wisdom. "We have a fleet, yes, but there is general disagreement amongst its commanders as to what to do next. Some think we should fortify the Elandipole system and wait for Edgerton to be brought down by people power. Others say that we should strike first, even if it means initiating a full-blown civil war."

"Is the civil war not already underway, Mister Secretary?" said Siobhan. "Edgerton has declared war on our way of life. With the Romulans now withdrawing to their own side of the Neutral Zone, Edgerton can fixate on internal enemies, like us."

"The peoples of the Federation are chafing under martial law," said Thoris, "and the vast majority of Starfleet personnel are simply obeying their superior officers. You are correct that Edgerton is waging war on us, but Starfleet has not yet turned its weapons on itself. There is no clear alternative, no distinct opposition, to Edgerton's rule. That is what I mean by a strategy that encompasses both politics and military."

"Do you have a proposal?" asked Peter.

Sardak leaned forward. "Both Secretary P'Trell and I have discussed the problem on our voyage here. As the last surviving legitimate members of the Federation Council, and given the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in, we believe that we are justified in forming a government-in-exile."

Kane interjected. "You mean that you two would occupy the offices of President and Vice-President? Without an election?"

Sardak raised an eyebrow. "I reiterate that these are more than extenuating circumstances, Captain Kane. The legitimate government has been overthrown by a usurper. None of our former colleagues in cabinet can exercise their appointed offices. Some are imprisoned, some are dead. Furthermore, we do not recognise Starfleet's control over the government, whether Starfleet is led by a man like Edgerton or by some lone captain on the frontier. By assuming executive powers, we achieve both continuation of the legitimate civilian Federation government and cement a clear alternative to Edgerton's rule. We will be a force for the peoples of the Federation to rally around."

Kane, Peter and Siobhan all shared a look.

"You do not agree?" asked Sardak neutrally.

"With respect, Mister Secretary," said Siobhan, "but this seems to be a military matter. There is no legitimate Federation government any longer. We are fighting to restore it, are we not?"

Thoris shook his head emphatically. "No, Captain. The Federation still exists. All of us around this table are proof of that. If Edgerton imprisoned us all, the Federation would still exist in our hearts. It cannot be extinguished so easily, and so it is more important than ever that Starfleet, including all of you at this table, operate under civilian authority. If you as starship captains do not consent to that, how are you different from the Neo-Essentialists?"

"I'm not a constitutional lawyer," said Kane. "Has the Federation government ever been in this situation before? Have any precedents been set?"

"Not to our knowledge," said Sardak. "The Articles of Federation do not cover this eventuality. There is a passage in the Federation Charter which I believe supports our view." He touched a desktop control, brought up the text of the document and began to read aloud. "In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President or highest-ranking Officer until the disability be removed, or a President elected."

"That language is unclear," said Peter,shaking his head. "Does it mean that the highest-ranking Officer becomes President, or simply discharges the duties of that office on a temporary basis? And it makes no mention of the military."

Thoris leaned forward. "We consider it to mean the former." He paused a moment. "I appreciate your concern, Captains, but this is not a megalomaniacal power grab by Sardak and I. We would have nothing to gain from that. What we need to do is declare to the galaxy that the Federation lives. We need to declare to the rest of Starfleet that you have an operating authority. We need to be able to say that any civil war, if it comes, is a just war."

Nobody said anything for a minute. Kane folded his arms and sat back. What Thoris and Sardak were proposing didn't feel wrong, but the Phoenix crew had spent so long taking care of themselves that the feeling had settled in with them. Then again, he mused, with the establishment of a legitimate operating authority, everyone could get their commissions re-validated. "Do we have to decide right now?" he asked.

"I would prefer to be sworn in as President as soon as possible," said Thoris, "but no, we do not have to decide right now. Shall we reconvene in say, twenty-four hours?"

"That is acceptable," said Peter.

"We are also conscious of the fact that the Phoenix does not have a full crew," said Sardak. "There are some fine logistics officers amongst my staff. We will make an order that draws enough personnel from around the fleet to fill up your vacancies. The documentation will be with you in a few hours, and over the next few days you will have a full crew."

"There are some civilians aboard the Phoenix who have been of great help to us these past weeks," said Kane. "Some are ex-Starfleet, some are not, but they are all experienced. I would like to offer them commissions as officers aboard my ship."

"That can be arranged," nodded Sardak. "Can you manage that on our behalf?"

Kane inclined his head. "Yes, Mister Secretary."

"Then we have no further business," said Thoris, getting to his feet. "I wish you well, Captains. Sardak and I will return to the Demeter for now. Tomorrow, we will gather again to hear what you have to say." Beside him, Sardak stood up and bowed. Together, they left the room, leaving Siobhan, Peter and Kane alone.

Siobhan spoke first. "What do you think of that?"

Peter shrugged. "We have some thinking to do."

Kane nodded. "It appears we've been put into the position of choosing the future leaders of the Federation. We have to be careful - whatever we decide to do will set a precedent for the future. Do we accept civilian authority in the form of Secretaries P'Trell and Sardak and allow them to have the final say on future strategy, or do we assume our own form of military control and carry the fight to Edgerton? That's the question we have to answer."

The silence surged in the wake of Kane's words, and neither Peter nor Siobhan could break it.

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NRPG: Well, what do you think? Word will spread like wildfire through the fleet and people will have opinions, including your characters.

Also, Kane will now begin offering officer commissions and crew places to those characters you have nominated. Normally, Starfleet recruits would have to go through basic training before being assigned to a starship, but characters (for example, Chaucer) have much life and work experience, and in the current situation, a special dispensation will be made waiving their training period. They can join Starfleet simply by taking the oath and putting on the uniform. You can have your characters offer the NPCs a place on the crew or have Kane do it while your character looks on.

Depending on how you post (Facebook chat does not count!) your characters' reactions, Thoris and Sardak may or may not become the President and Vice-President of the Federation government-in-exile. Perhaps you'll decide that we should continue the fight without an operating authority, giving us the freedom to act without oversight. Perhaps a third option is available, but you have only 24 hours game time to introduce it!

There are 48 starships in the arriving fleet of all shapes, sizes and classes. The fleet is being led by the USS Demeter (under the combined command of Thoris and Sardak) and the USS Zhukov (commanded by Siobhan Reardon). All principal bios are on the webshite.

If you have a need to create the names of any of the other 48 starships or their captains, feel free. There are some 22,000 Starfleet personnel spread out across those 48 ships. All of them are aware of the Neo-Essentialist threat and committed to Edgerton's overthrow.

As ever, I am online to answer questions and to be complained at ;)

JOY: You can now start posting!
DALE: Tag for Barton!

Let's get posting, please, we have a Federation to save!


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Commanding Officer
USS PHOENIX


"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117

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