You Say You Want a Revolution

Posted on Wed Jan 28th, 2026 @ 3:50pm by Captain T’Kal & Ensign Emmanuelle Larose & Lieutenant Commander Valerie Novis & Lieutenant Commander Clay McEntyre & Lieutenant CASTIEL 'Cas' Johnson MD & Lieutenant Megosho Gehente & Lieutenant JG Annika Johnson & Lieutenant JG Renata Novotná & Alaric Fenner & Ensign Siat-or-iian Elkovais & Petty Officer, 2nd Class Ozias Nikolaidis

1,638 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: ARYL 1X04: All the Friends We Can Get
Location: Various
Timeline: SD 8965.7 (28 August 2290, 14:30)

ON

[Negotiating Room, Grand Assembly Hall, Kannok]

After a day and a half of negotiations, they were making real progress.

Of course, it might not have looked that way to an outsider. Both sides spoke at length. Talking much but saying little, as critics of diplomats sometimes said. But to one degree or another, each to their strengths and knowledge bases, the Federation representatives saw the truth of the matter.

One. They were making progress. One more day of this and they would likely have the basic text of a cooperation agreement that Palais de la Concorde on Earth and the National Executive Building on Drenkulo could ratify.

Two. The Drenkul wanted a lot, but most of what they wanted was rational. Significant build-up of their military was not feasible, and had been removed from the table early on. They wanted knowledge and technical assistance in fairly reasonable areas. But importantly they wanted reassurance that Starfleet would be there for them, in particular helping with natural disasters or other major emergencies. Not necessarily a full mutual defense pact but that might actually be on the table for future negotiations by a dedicated diplomatic team.

Three. The Federation was getting what they wanted. Starfleet patrol ships would be allowed inside Drenkul space, including right up against their border with the Klingon Empire. They would be given access to monitoring satellite data, starting immediately after the conclusion of their work.

And so T’Kal sat patiently listening to the latest diatribe, recognizing it for what it was. The Drenkul Chief Negotiator was asking to include a commitment by Starfleet Medical to provide aid in case of disease outbreaks. That she took two thousand words to convey a message that took at most a twentieth of that. But the process mattered.

She was surprised, however, when the Negotiator abruptly stopped mid sentence.

First because a flash of the Grand Assembly Hall’s shield distracted her.

Then when Aruan Tedja-Drenkulo entered the room hurriedly to whisper something into his superior’s ear.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” said Utani Wulam-Drenkulo, dropping her previous diplomatic tone. “Despite the fact that our agreement is not yet finalized, I must nonetheless invoke it.”

“Chief Negotiator?” T’Kal asked.

Annika had been sitting politely listening to the conversation going back and forth, but for the most part any questions she’d asked had gone unanswered, or rather ignored. It seemed her presence wasn't really considered to be important, or welcomed by their hosts. Instead she had focussed on assisting T’Kal where necessary.

Brought out of the semi-soporific state the Chief Negotiator's oration had induced in her, Meg was fully alert. The flash of the building's shield was clearly not planned, neither was the interruption by the Chief Negotiator's aide. Something must have gone incredibly wrong for them to invoke the agreement before it was signed. She pressed forward, studying both T'Kal and the Chief Negotiator intently.

Alaric Fenner had already straightened in his seat at the flash of the shield, the faint shift in his posture the only outward sign that he’d clocked the change before it was named. He said nothing, but his attention fixed fully on the Chief Negotiator now, no longer listening for rhetoric but for consequence. Whatever this was, it wasn't part of the dance.

T’Kal’s counterpart let out a sigh and dropped all pretense. “We need your help.”



[Outside the Grand Assembly Hall, Kannok]

It started small.

People started to cluster around small nuclei in the Public Square. First there were just a few. Then more gathered. Dozens became hundreds, mostly Drenkul but about one in every five were alien. All wore traditional Drenkul garb.

The singing started, a chant of peace and justice, likely some Kannok-specific song. It seemed to have started by many in the gathering at the same time, as if triggered by a signal. Before the end of a verse the entire crowd was speaking with one voice.

And right in the middle of it were the only three people not wearing Drenkul clothing.

Ensigns Larose and Elkovais and Petty Officer Nikolaidis had been on the outskirts of the public square when people began to converge. Swept up by the movement of people and unable to get out of it, the two humans and one Feixian were stuck in an ever growing press of people.

The crowd growing around them was the first sign of concern for Torii and as more and more people joined in the square, the trio were being unwillingly herded towards the center of the plaza. Torii reached out for both Emanuelle and Ozzie, grabbing each by the elbow and trying to steer them towards one of the edges, but every attempt was rebuffed as they were pushed closer together, "I can't get us out," She hissed, knowing the only way to get out would be to use claws and force, but she was unwilling to do it unless they were in imminent danger.

Bewildered by the sudden build up of people, Ozzie nonetheless kept snapping holopictures of the crowds, trying to capture and document the moment. His heart was beating up in his throat from his nervousness. He held Torii's hand tighter, pulling her and Emanuelle closer to him. 'We can't go through the crowd. But maybe Ark Royal can get us out?' he asked the Feixian.

Emmanuelle managed to get her communicator out. “Larose to Ark Royal!” she called into it, needing to yell over the din. She held the device to her face so she could hear a response.


[Bridge, USS Ark Royal]

Valerie was placing the bridge as they did what Starfleet was very VERY good at doing: Waiting. The comm from the Ensign came as a surprise and she wheeled on the toes of her right foot to the side of the Ops station before the Ensign there could react, "Ark Royal, Novis here, go ahead Larose."

“Elkovais and Nikolaidis and I are caught in some kind of demonstration!” Larose explained, her need to be loud causing her voice to sound extra tinny over the comms. “They came out of nowhere! We’re surrounded by angry people yelling at the legislative building! I don’t think we can get out!”

Castiel moved closer to the coms. "Are they violent, is medical assistance needed?" He inquired, usually these things, remain calm, but violence has been known to happen, even if it’s just a single instigator.

“Not yet,” Emmanuelle replied. “But it’s getting loud and tense here. I don’t think it will stay peaceful forever.”

Another comm signal came in. “T’Kal to Ark Royal. The Drenkul are reporting a major demonstration outside this building.”

"Yes, Captain, we are aware. Several of the crew are currently trapped in with the crowd. We are trying to get a transporter lock on them, but I'm not confident given how crowded the square is." She glanced over at Renata and gave her a signal to start that process.

“The Chief Negotiator has requested our assistance,” T’Kal explained. “In the interest of the alliance we are trying to build, I am agreeing to their request. I want security teams and medical personnel down here to support Drenkul security as soon as they’re able.”

"Give us ten minutes for the medical assistance." Castiel replied as he walked towards the lift heading to medical bay.

“Understood,” T’Kal said. “Mr. McEntyre, I want all available security forces planetside at the same time as Doctor Johnson’s medical teams. The security force leader is Tong Pramoj-Drenkulo. Coordinate with him.”

“Aye, Sir!” Clay replied flipping open his communicator. “Security forces, report to transporter. Full Riot Gear” Clay ordered as he stepped into the turbolifts and turned as the doors closed

“Bridge, aside from my team, who is still on Kannok?” T’Kal asked.

Renata felt kinda bored in the past few days. Negotiations were a business for the diplomats who could talk endlessly about nothing, twisting words and sentences as they might fit their agenda, not for scientists whose business is the objective truth. But now it seemed something had finally happened.

"Locating them, Captain." she tapped a few keys to do a sensor sweep. "I detect fourteen of our people on the surface. I can get a transport signal on them. However... I can't locate Lt. Commander Erickson and Lieutenant Inda."


[Negotiating Room, Grand Assembly Hall, Kannok]

“Understood,” T’Kal replied. “Pull back all away teams aside from our security and medical deployments as quickly as possible. Let me know the instant you find Mr. Erickson and Ms. Inda. T’Kal out.”

She closed her communicator and set it on the table. The conversation had been aloud in front of the Drenkul, for their benefit, to see and hear everything that the crew of the USS Ark Royal were doing for them.

“And now, Chief Negotiator,” she said, “we wait for our people to get into position. They’re among the best Starfleet has to offer. They’ll make sure the peace is kept. You have my word.”

She only hoped that the presence of Starfleet security officers in full tactical armour would keep the protesters peaceful, and not provoke them into using force…

END


Captain T’Kal
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Commander Valerie Novis
Executive Officer and Chief Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Commander Clay McEntyre
Chief Security Officer

Lieutenant Megosho Gehente
Chief Communications Officer

Lieutenant Castiel Johnson, MD
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant JG Renata Novotná
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant JG Annika Johnson
Counselor

Ensign Emmanuelle Larose
Bridge Support Officer

Alaric Fenner
Diplomatic Advisor

Utani Wulam-Drenkulo
Chief Negotiator, Drenkul Republic

 

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