Aggressive Negotiations

Posted on Fri Jul 5th, 2024 @ 12:14am by Captain Akeno Misaki & Commander Mashiro Munetani "Shiro" & Lieutenant Commander Raelyn Mckenzie

Mission: Return to Tyra
Location: USS Wayfarer (NCC-72113), Captain Misaki's Ready Room, Deck 1
Timeline: Immediately After "Surrender- And Not By Choice!"

No sooner were they beamed into Akeno's ready room that the First almost immediately started going to work on the containment field, relentlessly hacking away at it with his Shock Blade as if his life depended on it. Not that it wasn't to be expected, given that Jem'Hadar were pretty much exclusively bred for combat, but the fact that they were hardwired to solve their problems through fighting them made negotiation difficult, especially when they still considered Akeno and her crew to be the enemy.

"Just quit it already," Akeno said simply as she sat back in her chair and watched the Jem'Hadar going at the shield.

Perhaps not all that surprisingly, the First paid no heed to Akeno's warnings and continued to struggle with the force field.

"Like seriously..." Akeno sighed. "Its a level ten containment field. There's no way you can..." she watched as he continued to struggle and force himself on the field. She could feel something rising from deep down inside her, something that has been building for a while now. "STOP IT! NOW!" she shouted as she jumped to her feet and slammed her fists on the surface of her desk. "STOP BEING A SOLDIER FOR ONCE AND STAND DOWN!"

That seemed to get the First's attention, as he immediately stopped what he was doing and glared menacingly at Akeno.

"About time..." Akeno sighed. "How about we start with some proper introductions?" she suggested. "I am Captain Akeno Misaki of the Federation Starship Wayfarer. And you are?"

The First looked up at her and snarled. "I am First Zolgon'Tar, and I am dead; I go into battle to reclaim my life, and I do so gladly, for I am-!"

"Well then, First Zolgon'Tar." Akeno cut off. "The first thing you should know is that I don't respond well to violence. Now, if you are willing to talk like a civilized commander I will drop the containment field. Then we can talk properly?"

Zolgon'Tar responded in kind by slamming his fist up against the containment field- a staunch "No," if ever there was one.

"Maybe this might change your mind..." Akeno said. She turned to the small set of drawers under her desk and opened the top one. She pulled out a small white vial looking device and placed it on the desk. "I believe from the looks of you, that you are suffering from Ketracel White withdrawl. You've probably been rationing it, am I correct?"

Zolgon'Tar's eyes visibly widened, evidencing that Akeno had bit the nail on the head.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded.

"Three years ago, I was only a simply Lieutenant Relief Officer aboard the Starship Monitor," Akeno told him. "That old Excelsior class ship had been in service close to seventy years, but she was sturdy, strong and a damn fine vessel. I still remember the Chief Engineer, Commander Jackson joking that it was held together by loose wire and chewing gum..."

"Of course, three years ago your people were at war with mine. We found ourselves on the front lines." She looked down at the Vial and then at Zolgon'Tar. "Thirty Three Jem'Hadar soldiers boarded our ship after disabling the starboard shield generator. They were ruthless and no one was spared if they got in the way."

Akeno's eyes looked back down at the vial on the desk. "I was caught up in a firefight on deck twelve, just outside the ships main sickbay. Luckily for us we managed to fend those soldiers off, most of them killed. But not before you slaughtered every single person in the sickbay. Unarmed or not, those soldiers butchered them like they were animals." She looked up at him, her eyes glaring at him, pure hatred in her pupils as she stared the Jem'Hadar down. "They didn't care if they wore a uniform or they were civilian, they were all cut down there and then. We lost our entire medical staff that day. The blood stained the bulkheads for weeks, not even the environmental systems could get rid of the smell. They killed forty six people, all but three of them unarmed and eight of them were civilians."

She picked up the vial and twirled it through her fingers. "I took these vials of white from those Jem'Hadar. To remind me just what monsters you are! To remind me that every time I make a decision that I am better than you, that I can show restraint and that I appreciate and love all forms of life."

She threw the vial at the containment field, it bounced off and fell to the Jem'Hadars feet. An eerie silence fell upon the ready room. Akeno looked down at her knee's before slowly lifting her head. "Which is why. I am willing to give you some of this White for your co-operation! Don't dare to cross me or challenge me Zolgon'Tar. Because I have no problem with beaming you and your men out into space, right here, right now. But we are not enemies anymore, and unlike YOU, I have morals!"

"Do you expect me to pity you?" Zolgon'Tar spat. "All that pain and suffering could have been avoided if you had simply committed yourselves to the Founders!"

"I don't expect you to pity me..." Akeno said. "Because I feel sorry for you. Without ketracel White you lose your mind, you lose who you are and you become nothing than a slave to those above you. You can't even think for yourself, you're nothing." She told him harshly.

"I fear not for my loss of individuality," Zolgon'Tar responded. "I live only to serve The Founders."

"And who would you 'serve' if there are no more Founders? What would you do if I told you that the Federation/Klingon/Romulan alliance defeated them? Pushed them back to the otherside of the Bajoran Wormhole and now have a peace treaty?" Akeno asked simply. "If I could prove it, would you continue to fight? Or would you stand down like your Founder's ordered you to?"

"LIES!" Zolgon'Tar snarled. "The Founders would never bow to the likes of you!"

"If its a lie. Then why are we even talking right now?" Akeno asked her voice calm and cool. "If we're still at war, why would I bother with any of this?". She looked down at the vial of Ketracel White at his feet. "Why would I, a Starfleet Captain who despises your people to my very core, risk her life to save your crew? What gain would I get from it?" She paused for a brief moment. "Your mind if clouded with nothing but forced loyalty and anger!" Akeno said. "Think about if for a moment! Think for yourself for once! WHY would I risk my life, my ship and my crew to bring you here?!"

"There is only one explanation isn't there. THE WAR IS OVER!" Akeno said raising her voice slightly towards the end. "I don't know how you do things in the Gamma Quadrant, but we only fired upon you to defend ourselves! If we hadn't beamed you aboard then the peace treaty could be in jepody! Tell me Zolgon'Tar are you that idiotic and stubborn to accept the truth so much it might restart a war... A war that YOU were defeated?!"

She leant forward. "You've been stranded here a while! We know you've been here since the battle took place! Your Founders left you behind! They don't care about you! Think for yourself! Think about your men!" Akeno paused for a moment. "If the Federation have been defeated, then why are you being rescued... no... Why are you standing on a STARFLEET ship and not a DOMINION one?! Go on, tell me you won. Go ahead, make it make sense. Because deep down you know. The War is over, your side lost and you were left behind to die!"

Zolgon'Tar was left speechless. It was clear that he hadn't considered the possibility that the Dominion had lost- was even capable of losing, for that matter. He paced around for a minute or two, contemplating the greater ramifications of this revelation, before glancing down at his shock-blade.

"If this is true," he began, rotating the blade around so that it pointed towards his abdomen. "Then I have failed in my sworn duty of protecting the Founders, and my life bears no meaning-!"

"You have failed no one. If anything, they have failed you!" Akeno replied. "It takes a good soldier to fight a battle. It takes an excellent soldier to know when to fight and when to compromise for the sake of those who serve alongside him." Akeno said to him simply. "Tell me, which one are you? Will you continue to fight and your entire struggle result in nothing? Or will you stand down and we'll talk on level terms?"

Zolgon'Tar carefully pondered his options before he finally relented and set his shock-blade down on the floor.

A few seconds of silence fell upon the room. Akeno took in a long deep breath of air before she reached over and deactivated the containment field. It shimmered before disappearing. "Now that we're on a level field. You can have that..." she said indicating the Ketracel White vial on the floor. "Then, we can finally get down to business."

Without so much as a word of objection, Zolgon'Tar kneeled down, picked up the vial, turned it over in his hands to determine if it was authentic, and then hooked it up to his Ketracel feeding tube.

Akeno sat back forward in her chair. "Feel better? That feeling of it running through your blood, settling your anger? Clearing your head?" Akeno asked.

Zolgon'Tar closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.

"Better," he replied, this time more calmly.

"Good," Akeno said. She reached to a PADD on her desk and held it out to him. "I understand this is going to be hard for you to accept. But the war between the Federation and its allies and the Dominion ended over a year ago. This is a copy of the Treaty of Bajor, signed by your Founder. There is also a recording of the signing." She told him calmly. "I want to make one thing clear. This crew is under my command, and many of them, myself including myself have lost loved ones and friends in the war. There is bound to be a lot of hate towards you on this ship."

"However..." Akeno continued before he could continue. "You and your men will not be harmed while on board. You will be treated as guests. Starfleet is sending another ship to meet with us. They have arranged for you to be taken back to your people."

Zolgon'Tar picked up the PADD and carefully studied its contents.

"I need you to stand down your men," Akeno continued. "I would rather not have you all confined in our Brig unless absolutely necessary." She told him as she reached into the drawers again. She placed another five vials of Ketracel White on the desk. "I don't know how long this stuff lasts, but this is all we have on board." She slid the vials over towards him. "If you can agree to maintain the peace, you can have these, use them however you like."

Zolgon'Tar looked down at the vials, then back up at Akeno.

"Very well," he conceded, though the reluctance in his tone was evident. "I shall honor your terms and order my men to stand down."

"Good." Akeno said. "You will take these vials, surrender any weapons to my Chief of Security. They will be returned once you transfer to the ship which will take you home." Akeno said as she indicated to Raelyn with a hand. "I want you and your men to visit our sickbay. You will be medically screened and any injuries or illnesses will be treated. I will arrange for you to be put up in quarters where you will be kept under guard. For your own safety. Understood?"

Zolgon'Tar nodded his head in affirmation.

"Good." Akeno said simply. She looked over at Raelyn. "Commander, see to it my orders are carried out." She told her simply. "I will make an announcement to the crew shortly. Escort our guest to the Brig to pass on his orders to his men, and then make sure they get to sickbay safely. Dismissed!"

"Aye Captain" Raelyn said. She turned to her officers that had transported with her. "With me."

The Chief of Security indicated towards the door. "Right this way first" she said simply.

Zolgon'Tar nodded and proceeded to follow Raelyn out the door without further incident.

Posting by:

Captain Akeno Misaki
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Commander Raelyn McKenzie
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

First Zolgon'Tar
Jem'Hadar First
(Written by Commander Mashiro Munetani)