Sins Of Our Fathers

Posted on Nov 19, 2016 @ 8:10pm by Marie-Claire Martine

Mission: Aftermath

“Sins of our Fathers”
(Continued from “The Prometheus Protocol”)


=/\=

Location: EARTH, San Francisco
SD: [2.16]1119.1040
Scene: Office of the Secretary of Starfleet

Marie-Claire Martine, feeling every bit of her mid-fifties, sighed and pushed herself away from the large desk that had become the new centerpiece in her new office. The room was mostly bare otherwise, with a few chairs and a table off to one side, a large window behind the seating group, and a replicator built into a wood grain console on the opposite wall. A circular rug displayed the Federation logo and grounded the center of the room.

Those in her admin “bubble” had urged her to personalize the space, to make it more welcoming and homey, but she’d refused. She thought by adopting the sparse interior, it would allow her to make quicker decisions, think with more economy, and help her shed the weight of the past year or two. But Martine did allow herself one concession to the past.

She pressed a small blue button on the back of the desk, and the featureless wall behind her sprang to life with an image of Paris in autumn, almost identical to the view she would have had if the original Headquarters had not been obliterated. She stood and turned around, gazing at the scene, and wondered what could have been done to prevent this tragedy. Were the answers within the actions of Starfleet and the Federation, or were they within the complex history of Humanity itself? It seemed that the Council had decided it was more the latter.

“Madame Secretary.” The calm, deep voice resonated in the nearly empty room.

Martine stiffened, returning to her seat and de-activating the holo-emitters. Paris was gone, again. “Mister President,” she said tightly as her cobalt eyes glared. “Why are you here?”

Sardak blinked. “The opportunity to review the events that took place earlier today presented itself and I thought you would want to avail yourself of said opportunity.”

“Thank you for your concern, but that will not be necessary.” She walked over and made a cup of café au lait, feeling the Vulcan’s eyes following her.

He raised an eyebrow. “This is not the impression I received from you at the Council meeting.”

She could feel her hands gripping the bowl-like cup, shaking, and placed the coffee drink on the table. “The only opportune time to discuss those matters would have been prior to the meeting. Being caught unaware was not a... comfortable experience. So consider your message already sent- loud and clear.”

Sardak almost looked confused. “What message?”

“The message that you had already dismissed Earth from the Council, if not by vote, than by your opinion. Obviously what I would have had to say would have had no bearing on your decision, hence there was no need to come to me.” She sat, utterly resigned.

“You are offended.”

Actually she was pissed off. “Call it what you what.’’

“I only spoke the truth, Secretary Martine. Humanity is its own undoing. And the Federation has a great many other worlds which comprise the whole.”

MC nodded. “The needs of the many and all that. I remember.”

“Then why do you appear to be… displeasured?”

She recalled Captain Kane’s earlier conversation. “It’s like... you’re kicking us when we’re already down. For every Richard Edgerton, there are thousands and thousands of good, loyal, hard-working men and women who have given their lifetime and in some cases their very lives to defend the *entire* Federation, not just the Human part. And not only have you dishonored that contribution, you may have changed the minds of thousands more Humans who dreamed of being in Starfleet. But that didn’t matter to you and your ‘majority’.”

“The only side I am on is the Federation’s.”

She sat behind her desk, drank her coffee, and then crossed her arms. “If we still had a permanent Council seat, we could be on their side too.”

Sardak has chosen his words carefully, and he continued to endeavor to do so. “Marie-Claire, might I-”

“You can leave,” she shot back, closing the proverbial door on his efforts to smooth things over. “We’re finished here.”

Sardak’s eyes hardened as he realized he had lost an ally. “As you wish,” he said with a perfunctory bow.


=/\=
NRPG: So short. Sorry about that folks.

Susan Ledbetter
Writing for

Marie-Claire Martine
Secretary of Starfleet