History of Macadarna

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History of Macadarna

Prologue of 2425

One could argue that the socio-cultural and racial split of modern-day Ferasans and Caitians, which occurred some time in 16th or 17th century of Earth’s Gregorian calendar (GC), can be viewed as an unfortunate combination of Earth’s Eugenics Wars and Vulcan’s Time of Sundering and subsequent Exodus. Many details of the Ferasan-Caitian split remain unknown, as both species’ leading academics and politicians consider it a taboo.

However, with the recent consolidation of Khitomer Alliance, its Chairman Ksenneta, a Ferasan, has championed a deeper cooperation between Alliance’s individual member worlds, rather than founding organisations themselves. With Ferasan Dominion being on the losing side in the Klingon Civil War against the Mad Emperor J’mpok, Ferasan ruling clans have become more open to cooperation with other Alliance members, most notably their cousins, Confederacy of Caitian Diaspora (also designated as Caitian Union or Caitian Republic).

And in the focus of this cooperation of cousin species, one planetary system stood out - Macadarna.

Early Denizens

Like her Romulan counterpart of Dewa III, or presently known as Mol’Rihan - New Romulus, Macadarna II was inhabited at least three times. The first denizens of this world were gone for nearly 47 000 years. Not much is known about their culture and customs, but Federation archaeologists determined that these first denizens were on the verge of the Industrial Era when they vanished, leaving several large settlements intact as a sole reminder of their existence.

The second generation of inhabitants were the Caitians themselves, or rather an early Ferasan diaspora that left their original homeworld in the 17th century GC. One of Diaspora’s generational ships had malfunctioned and made an emergency landing on Macadarna II. During the transit, the ship’s propulsion had been damaged, stranding nearly 30 000 Ferasan exiles on the planet. With the planet having a hospitable climate across a wide range of latitudes, the exiles made their new home, though they vowed not to return to the “old ways”. Somewhat similar to Ba’ku people in Briar’s Patch, these settlers of an early Ferasan diaspora rejected the advanced technology, fearing that it would attract unwanted attention of their siblings, who forced them into exile in the first place.

Over the following two decades, the early settlers established small, interdependent agricultural communities. They deliberately did not advance their technology past the level of amplitude-modulated, short distance radio communication. While they had remastered the power of steam-based industry, they used it only when absolutely necessary. The majority of the population lived off agriculture and mechanised work, in the form of water and wind mills. Consequently, they replaced their secular system of values with a more naturalistic one. Several schools of religion developed, some dedicated to harmonious living with the world’s ecosystem, some establishing belief in divine creatures for each of major occurrences in nature (sun, rain, wind, etc.) and some were dedicated to the worship of spirits of family ancestors. However, they all had one thing in common, one fear. That the usage of technology would invite back the Ancestral Oppressors.

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Origins of Caitian Diaspora Project

After Organians brokered an uneasy peace treaty between Federation and Klingon Empire in 2267, Starfleet returned to their primary mandate of space exploration. In mid-2280s, Admiral S’rrel, the first Caitian to hold that rank in Starfleet, lobbied for his Diaspora’s Flight project, whose aim was to rediscover and reestablish the timeline of Caitian history between their exile from Ferasa Prime and the colonisation of Cait, Diaspora’s new homeworld in 15 Lyncis system.

S’rrel appointed his protege, Commander R’Rel of USS Nez’rel, a Perseus-class escort, to spearhead the project. R’Rel and his crew meticulously dug through Cait’s and Memory Alpha archives for nearly a year before they were able to partially reconstruct the Diaspora flotilla’s journey. Most of Diaspora’s vessels eventually found their way to 15 Lyncis system, but five vessels were unaccounted for.

S’rrel’s project had one, somewhat ideological, flaw. The retired admiral was insistent that USS Nez’rel conducts the survey of Diaspora flotilla’s journey. His reasoning was easy to understand - USS Nez’rel was one the first vessels built by Caitians alone and provided to Federation Starfleet. Even the ship’s name, Nez’rel, was Caitian/Ferasan, after one of the earliest pre-Diaspora philosophers who advocated universal fraternity/siblinghood, good will and pacifism. In essence, Nez’rel was to Caitians what Surak was to Vulcans. In spite of its nominal origins, USS Nez’rel under R’Rel’s command served with distinction in protecting the Federation in post-Organian Treaty period. The crew and its commander were hardened officers.

But the ship was not. As a picket and patrol escort, the little Perseus-class vessel was technologically incapable for a deep space expedition of that magnitude and unpredictability. The project had remained shelved until 2293, when Khitomer Accords were signed. Following the Tomed Incident and the signing of Treaty of Algeron in 2311, a relative peace between three traditional superpowers began to settle in and, once again, Starfleet returned to its exploration.

By now a Captain, R’Rel was able to commission Nez’rel’s spiritual successor, an Excelsior-class ship of the same name, one that was, perhaps unsurprisingly, also built in Caitian shipyards.

The originally intended three year expedition of retracing Diaspora’s exile flight extended to almost twice as long, as USS Nez’rel was often derailed and detained into additional off-course surveys, rescue missions and occasional skirmishes with Tzen’kethi. In early 2317, Nez’rel had found the first physical remains of one of the five unaccounted Diaspora vessels. Beside the damaged hull plating whose composition matched that of documented in Diaspora’s historical archives, no evidence of the vessel’s fate had been found. During their short stop to Delta system for resupply and regular crew rotations, Nez’rel received a distress call from Miranda-class vessel, USS Alameda. At the time, Alameda was en route to one of the systems in Eta Serpentis sector which was charted, but not surveyed, by USS Enterprise-B nearly a decade earlier. Alameda was attacked by Ferasan pirate vessels, which was unusual as Ferasans had rarely been encountered outside their home sector since the 2290s.

Along with Constitution-refit USS Clemenceau, Nez’rel responded to a distress call. While the Ferasans were chased away, Alameda had suffered heavy damage and had been boarded. Being a larger vessel, Nez’rel evacuated almost the entirety of Alameda’s crew after which her First Officer, Commander Florence Idaho, requested scuttling of the ship. Commander Idaho further asked Captain R’Rel to finish Alameda’s survey mission as long-range scans indicated the system in question had a habitable world. With the approval from Starfleet Command, both rescue vessels set course for their next destination.

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The Discovery

The Macadarna system is located roughly halfway between the Zaran and Delta systems, but some 17 light years below the mean galactic plane that passes through those two systems and Eta Serpentis. That and the fact that the system is submerged into a Class 2 nebula made it well hidden for early Starfleet exploration vessels and deep space probes. The system’s K3V-type star, an orange dwarf, is orbited by 4 planets, of which Macadarna II and III lie in the habitable zone. Macadarna I is an N-class world, much like Sol’s own Venus. Macadarna II is the only M-class planet in the system and to be colonised. Macadarna III is an P-class ice world, much like Psi 2000 or Exo III, with no lifeforms discovered thus far even though liquid water is present. Macadarna IV is a J-class giant, orbited by 6 planetoids of D-class.

Finding such a system was not a surprise to the crews of Nez’rel, Alameda and Clemenceau. Still concerned with possible Ferasan intrusion, Nez’rel remained at the edge of the system, focusing itself on the gas giant and its moons, while Clemenceau proceeded further in. The moons were rich in low purity dilithium and other resources, masked by both Class 2 nebula and gas giant’s inherent, strong magnetic field. The surprising discovery came from Clemenceau, as reported by her commanding officer, Captain Shris Th’ralneth: “I know that ‘weird’ is part of the Starfleet commission, but I am not sure how to summarise my thoughts on the second planet of this system. It is a typical M-class planet, with 41% of its surface being land spread unevenly across four continents. But of the larger three, two show off influences which confuse me. The southern continent is covered in lush forests which hide interesting archaeological ruins. Planetary sensor sweeps found concentrations of construction materials consistent with large settlements of industrial age civilisation. The more equatorial continent is quite different. We found several dozen agricultural settlements which are of a newer date, not older than five or six standard centuries old. They don’t seem to be technologically advanced, yet we detected rudimentary telecommunication signals and their housing structures are built of alloyed materials typical for older generation starships. Most confusing, however, is that biosigns read off the population as Caitian-alike.”

Upon receiving Th’ralneth’s preliminary report, Captain R’Rel assembled a six-member away team, consisting of Caitian crew members only and embarked towards the planet in a shuttle, leaving his vessel in the hands of his First Officer, Commander T’Mir, and Commander Idaho of Alameda.

Upon landing R’Rel and his away team surveyed the least populated region of the equatorial continent and were able to confirm Th’ralneth’s initial suspicions - the locals anatomically resembled the Caitian of that time, but the language in which they spoke was at first untranslatable. Sifting through the historical database on the Caitian Diaspora project, Nez’rel’s linguists were able to deduce that Macadarnan natives spoke in a language that could be traced back to Ferasa Prime, although the language itself significantly changed over the past centuries. The away team returned to the ship and R’Rel contacted Starfleet Command, explaining the discovery.

As expected, Starfleet Command, including by-now retired Admiral S’rrel ordered R’Rel to leave the planet and its natives in accordance with Starfleet General Order One, The Prime Directive, and leave the case to xenoanthropologists. R’Rel, who had dedicated much of his career to the Diaspora project, found himself abandoned by the very individual who nurtured his career. Against these orders, R’Rel instructed the Nez’rel into the orbit of the second planet to begin a full survey of the planet. Although the commanding officers of Clemenceau and Alameda, along with some of the Nez’rel’s non-Caitian staff senior staff, brought up their concerns to R’Rel, they did not immediately act upon his disobedience. Nez’rel Chief Science Officer, a Rigelian, Kana Felenn, was the only one to resign her post in protest and departed aboard Clemenceau as Nez’rel proceeded with her mission.

As Commander Florence Idaho of USS Alameda wrote in her own logs: “I don’t agree with Captain R’Rel’s actions, but I can understand them. The Caitian has been immersed into this mission for many years and now when he practically had the fruits of his labour delivered into his paws, he is asked to renounce his claims.”

Dressed more appropriately to fit in with the discovered locals, R’Rel beamed back to the surface with two security officers and one field medic, all Caitians, with the aim to learn more about these unusual natives. During their 10-day long “mingling”, as R’Rel would later describe it in his memoirs, the away team was able to decipher the modified dialect, confirm that the natives, in fact, were Ferasans unaugmented by Nepeta drug treatment and learned some of the major aspects of Macadarnan culture.

“These Maccies, as we like to call them when the Captain is not around,”, as Tanya Miller, chief xeno-anthropologist and Felenn’s successor, wrote. “… are so simplistic and yet inexplicable. For the first time, we are given an opportunity to study an unaltered Ferasan anatomy and biology. While they have a lot in common with modern Caitians, they have retained some of the aspects which are common to Ferasan feral nature, like more pronounced fangs and claws, probably because they retained their more pronounced carnivorous diet.”

“On the other hand, this is contrasted by their devotion to agricultural lifestyle. While their general belief is that usage of anything beyond the plow and rope will invite the ‘Ancestral Oppressors’, their approach to ancient tools does have some modern aspects to it. I also think they are unaware they are not the first inhabitants of this planet. We have other teams exploring the older structures of which Captain Th’ralneth reported earlier.”

“In regards to these ‘Ancestral Oppressors’, I guess they refer to the Ferasans who forced them into exile many centuries ago. There is still some collective memory of their ancient homeworld and the exile itself, but that, naturally, has deviated from what is accepted as common history, based on the archived sources on Cait. However, it does give a unique perspective on the times that the Federation knows very little about.”

“I have to admit that I am a little concerned about the Captain’s behavior. He has been known for his stoicism and personal distance from the crew and even his relatives. But these past few days, he has changed and demonstrated a range of emotions he has never publicly displayed before. Is it a ruse to infiltrate among the natives more easily or is this an emotional backlash because he felt betrayed and abandoned by his patrons, that remains to be seen. I must note that one particular female feline has expressed more than keen interest with our Captain. Perhaps the discovery of mutual interest is what made R’Rel finally tick.”

What Tanya Miller, much like the rest of the crew, did not know was that Ferasans were watching.

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The First Stand-off at Macadarna II

During the Nez’rel’s mission to the second planet, a Ferasan pirate flotilla, led by Kzarak, reappeared at the edge of the system with four ships of class which served as a precursor to modern day Slithis escort. With the Nez’rel focused on their away mission, Kzarak had his flotilla approach the system in the fly-by of Macadarna IV, a gas giant whose far-reaching magnetic field hid the Ferasan pirates. Although eager to engage the Nez’rel who fended them off in the previous encounter days earlier, Kzarak had his flotilla lie in wait and observe their target. Not willing to share his prey and spoils with other pirate groups, Kzarak ordered the engagement of Nez’rel on her tenth day of the away mission.

Hidden by the gas giant, Ferasans quietly approached the second planet and successfully ambushed the unsuspecting Excelsior-class vessel, disabling the ship, but not before Commander T’Mir sent out a general distress call.

After disabling and boarding the vessel, Kzarak had himself and his personal guards beamed fown to R’Rel’s location, at the outskirts of town which diaspora residents referred to as K’Sari. As Ferasans approached the town, panic spread out among the K’Sarians. They easily recognised the garments and the posture of their Ancient Oppressors, as they were taught about them from an early age.

R’Rel and his away team found themselves tangled in the yarn of the situation. Kzarak, although a pirate, was also well versed in old Ferasan dialects and had issued an ultimatum to K’Sarians in the language they understood: they would handover R’Rel, whom Kzarak exposed as another off-world visitor, or they would have society stomped. Kzarak demonstrated his ultimatum by point-blank execution of F’Marr, an elderly bazaar merchant and the first victim of Ferasans, with his disruptor pistol.

Having no upper paw at the moment, R’Rel and his team surrendered to Kzarak, who then proceeded to declare the planet as the territorial ownership of Ferasan Dominion, basing his claims on the fact that the current denizens were a runaway diaspora.

Meanwhile, the hostage situation in orbit grew more complex when, approximately 24 standard hours later, six more ships entered the system and closed on the second planet: three more Ferasan vessels and three Federation starships, USS Clemenceau, USS Titan and USS Pulsar.

The newly arrived Ferasans were Kzarak’s rivals under the leadership of Kitarra of Fahv clan, a minor clan in Ferasan Dominion, known to Starfleet Intelligence as “quirky” by Ferasan standards, simply because they were more cooperative with the outsiders than the rest of their society.

Captains Th’ralneth and Sobon, of Clemenceau and Titan respectively, attempted to diffuse the situation but had no maneuvering space to do so: “We were hard pressed. The Prime Directive was already violated, cultural contamination had happened and Macadarnan natives were in a tight grip. Sobon’s primary concern was what would happen to the natives once we left them behind. Kzarak’s claim was not very substantial, but we had nothing to counter it. It was Kzarak’s rival, Kitarra, who gave us an edge. She revealed a fact previously unknown to us. R’Rel’s mother was a Ferasan exile from Kitarra’s clan. Being part Ferasan, R’Rel was in position to invoke the Rite of Declawing.”

The Rite of Declawing

Although ferocious hunters to the outsiders, Ferasan society followed certain codices which, by today’s standards, would fall somewhere between the Warrior’s Code of Kahless and Hirogen rituals.

The Rite of Declawing was rather simple in its idea. If two Ferasan hunters or hunting packs could not agree to the order of prey hunting and scavenging or there was proof that one party took unjust precedence, their leaders could settle the dispute with a duel. The loser would be declawed and their right to the prey would be handed over to the winner. As the most senior officer in the system, Captain Sobon had to make a decision: if R’Rel was left to his Ferasan fate, it would potentially backfire and escalate beyond the current border skirmish. If the Rite of Declawing was allowed, Starfleet might interpret it as a further violation of the Prime Directive. But as R’Rel’s XO, Commander T’Mir pointed out: “Starfleet officers were bound to guard the principles of the Prime Directive even at the cost of their lives. We are a bit late on that, but it is still an option.”

Captain Sobon reluctantly agreed and allowed Kitarra to mediate the Rite and introduce R’Rel with details. Kzarak was younger than R’Rel and there was a concern among his fellow officers he would fail. But as many times in history of many species, experience of seniority prevailed over the impulsiveness of youth. Kzarak was able to strike several cuts and stabs at R’Rel, but once R’Rel recognised Ferasan’s repetitive pattern, he quickly disarmed him. Kitarra proclaimed R’Rel the victor. To her surprise, Kzarak’s personal guards accepted the outcome and had their own leader restrained and beamed back aboard his vessel. Other henchmen also retreated from the planet and Nez’rel. Within an hour of the duel’s end, Kzarak’s party was gone.

Years later it would be discovered that Kzarak was indeed declawed and defanged, making him a mockery among Ferasans. He took the remaining few Ferasans loyal to him and left the Dominion, but not before publicly vowing he would exact his revenge on R’Rel. The Ferasan Rulling Council of Clans never sent a diplomatic response. Only through Kitarra, Starfleet learned that the Council deemed the Macadarnan incident settled.

Meanwhile, R’Rel’s troubles only began. He collapsed due to severe blood loss during the duel and was taken into the care of Nez’rel’s medics. The ship, however, was in no condition to provide medical care or leave orbit due to the damage it received during Kzarak’s ambush. The situation was further complicated when F’Raat, Elder of K’Sarians, insisted on healing R’Rel, their saviour, in their town. As Tanya Miller put it: “Elder F’Raat radiated with some kind of honour you couldn’t scan with tricorders. He was also a healer by profession, as was his daughter, R’Rana. She had her eye on our Captain from the very first day. We remained at Macadarna II for 11 more standard days, during which Admiral S’rrel arrived with a cohort of xeno-anthropologists, JAG officers and First Contact diplomats.”

“It looked like Macadarnans were still comfortable with the idea of other space faring civilisations and dangers that came along with that. Elder F’Raat was also a guardian of the computer archive of the ship which brought his people to this planet. For the Caitian Diaspora project, it turned out to be a gold mine of information about the era which was largely unknown, both to Ferasans, Caitians and the Federation at large.”

“The court martial was presided over by S’rrel, Harriman, Sulu, Th’Changra and Sobon, aboard USS Titan. It wasn’t too much of dragging through mud and yarn though R’Rel was found guilty for disobeying S’rrel’s original orders to abandon the planet. He was demoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. At the request of the Caitian government, he was removed from active duty in Starfleet for the time being, as he had to also tend to civilian fallout of the Macadarnan incident.”

The Caitian Parliament had petitioned the Federation Council to proclaim Macadarna system a Federation protectorate but their request was not accepted. Against the Council’s recommendation, Caitians deployed an expeditionary force of their own and established direct contact with Macadarnans themselves. However, the Elders refused to talk to anyone but their messiah, R’Rel. After all, per Rite of Declawing, which Elders still remembered, all of Macadarna was now R’Rel’s prey.

Fleet Captain M’Haan, leading the expedition, came up with a compromising solution. R’Rel was installed as the Overseer of Macadarna (an administrative position which was created just for that particular occasion) and liaison of Macadarnan denizens to the Caitian government. With his Starfleet commission hanging in air, R’Rel reluctantly accepted the job of civilian administrator.

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Macadarna under Caitian Union

The Macadarnan felines proved to be rather uncooperative initially. And R’Rel himself regularly demonstrated his dissatisfaction with how he was treated by Starfleet and Caitian governmental officials. He would often side with the natives out of sheer spite and disobedience to his home government. Some of his biographers even claim that R’Rana, daughter of Elder F’Raat, influenced R’Rel’s position when they became intimately involved by the late 2317 GC. Two greatest hurdles that R’Rel had to overcome were Macadarnan social structure and their rejection of advanced technology.

While the clan-centered society, inherited from Ferasans, was present on Cait shortly after its colonisation, by early 24th century GC, the necessity of smaller families, households and litters to aggregate into larger clans was largely abandoned or just ceremonial. Even the larger family clans, those that could actually trace their lineage to Ferasa, considered such a structure outdated, even offensive. In representative democracy, emphasis was on individuals, their households and their closer family members.

On Macadarna, the clan structure persisted. Each Elder of town or a village was also considered a head of their clan unless they chose to pass on their eldership to a younger resident of the municipality over which they presided. Over time, several clans expanded across more such municipalities by merging together. At the end of 2317 GC, four clans were dominant: S’Tiri, Prasi, Rani and Q’Net.

F’Raat’s own clan, H’Sini, rose to prominence only through R’Rel’s presence. A fact which greatly irritated the heads of the S’Tiri clan.

At Captain M’Haan’s request, R’Rel gathered all of the Elders and announced his betrothal to R’Rana and, with it, the founding of his own clan, R’Relar clan, of which H’Sini became part of. Caitian government was appalled by such a development, calling it regressive, primitive and dangerous. But as M’Haan and R’Rel correctly guessed, it was also the only way to impress their lost Macadarnan siblings and, at least partially, earn their trust.

As an Overseer of Macadarna, R’Rel also announced that he would respect any clan’s decision to continue their agrarian lifestyle. As a newly appointed Elder of K’Sari municipality, he intended to demonstrate what the modern technology was capable of. He was also cunning enough to introduce this shift gradually, focusing on those who were most malleable to change - the youth. A Nez’rel was still holding orbit over Macadarna II, R’Rel requested M’Haan to have his old ship assigned to the Caitian expedition. The vessel became, in a way, the first orbital facility in service of the developing planet. The transformation of Macadarnan society was indeed slow and gradual, often accompanied by social unrest incited by the S’Tiri clan.

But as K’Sari grew from a town into a bustling city, other municipalities began to look to the R’Relar clan for guidance. Though they openly refused to accept help from Starfleet or the dedicated Caitian expedition under M’Haan, they welcomed technological demonstrations of K’Sari scientists and engineers. As Tanya Miller, who became permanently assigned to Macadarna, wrote: “R’Rel played his cards in a way which reminds me of pre-warp Earth author Asimov and his book series ‘Foundation’. Just as Terminus, a backwater and resource-poor planet, ‘conquered’ its neighbours by demonstrating knowledge, R’Rel had done pretty much the same. His old ship served as a teaching academy of sorts. It was isolated from the rest of the society and among the stars, where Maccies longed for, as it would turn out much later.”

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The Second Stand-off at Macadarna II

Between 2317 and 2323, the Macadarna system witnessed many changes. As K’Sari City, the seat of the R’Relar clan, continued to grow, clan leaders and Elders of other municipalities began to attend sessions with R’Rel. With some nudging from Tanya Miller, R’Rel’s former xeno-anthropologist aboard Nez’rel, the clan leaders agreed to form a Council of Clans which would discuss and cooperate on the topics that concerned their entire world. Even the S’Tiri clan heads supported this proposal. Naturally, the officials in the Caitian government protested over the name of this council as it reflected the name of the ruling council in the Ferasan Dominion, but they were ignored.

On the other hand, in 2321 GC, the Caitian government once again petitioned the Federation Council to proclaim Macadarna system a Federation protectorate and, once again, they were turned down. Federation President, Thelianaresth “Thelian” th’Vorothishria, was even clearer on his position - status of Macadarna system was the internal issue of the Caitian government.

The presence of M’Haan’s expedition began to tax governmental resources and, according to projections, the Caitian expedition would have to retreat from the system within one standard year. One of the proposed solutions was to begin resource excavation from the moons around Macadarna IV, the system’s gas giant. However, the system’s status at large was in a grey zone when interstellar law was concerned. Macadarna II clearly belonged to “the Maccies”, but the system itself was outside of Federation and Ferasan territorial jurisdiction and neither power claimed it for themselves. Direct annexation into the Caitian Union would have been interpreted as a provocation of Ferasans. The question that seemed to have bothered the Caitian government was: “Whom to ask for legitimate permission?”

The issue was temporarily put aside in early 2322, when a combined flotilla of Ferasan and Orion Syndicate vessels emerged at the edge of the system and claimed the gas giant and its moons for themselves, causing an uproar among Caitians and Macadarnans. Seven vessels of the Caitian expedition, plus Nez’rel, were outmatched by six Ferasan and three Orion escorts, and four capital Orion cruisers (colloquially known as “slaver ships”). Flotilla turned out to be headed by R’Rel’s former opponent, Kzarak, who issued another threat: Caitians would leave the Macadarna system with or without disruptor fire. Fleet Captain M’Haan intercepted the flotilla with his command ship, in a hope to request a parlay in accordance with Ferasan customs, but Kzarak refused to do so as he was no longer associated with Ferasan Dominion. He responded with a disruptor barrage, heavily damaging M’Haan’s vessel and ordered his flotilla to engage the Caitian expedition.

T’Mir, now a commanding officer of USS Nez’rel, took charge of the expeditionary force and issued a distress call. The expeditionary force intercepted Kzarak’s flotilla about 1.5 million kilometers from Macadarna II and engaged them in battle. Though the Caitian vessels possessed superior firepower, they were outnumbered by the flotilla. Even with the timely arrival of Rhir, daughter of Kitarra, and her hunting pack of two ships and three patrol vessels of Deltan Defense Force on the side of Caitians, the engagement dragged on for almost two standard hours. T’Mir focused his attack on Ferasans, assuming that the Syndicate vessels were employed by Kzarak and would disperse once Ferasans were defeated. An assumption which proved to be correct and had shortened the battle.

Kzarak was killed when his vessel was destroyed, along with the rest of his Ferasan allies, and the Orions were sent away in one limping “slave ship”. Unfortunately, the Caitian losses were also heavy as only two of the expedition vessels, one light escort and M’Haan’s command ship, along with Nez’rel survived the engagement. The vessels of Rhir’s hunting pack and those of Deltan Defense Force remained in the system until a full squadron of Starfleet vessels from Sauria arrived.

Following the engagement, the Macadarnan Council met in joint session with M’Haan, in his capacity of Caitian government representative, Rhir, Captain Igmor of USS Hermes, a Saurian leading the Starfleet squadron, and Glal blasch Cheg, Tellarite envoy sent by the Federation President. Rhir warned the participating parties that Ferasans’ Rulling Council would not idly stand by and tolerate the death of one their own at the hands of Caitians, even if Kzarak was exiled. Caitians inadvertently had marked Macadarna as a prey on Ferasan maps permanently.

The Cait-Macadarna Agreement of 2322

In this joint session, Macadarnan Council, Fleet Captain M’Haan and Special Envoy of Federation President Glal blasch Cheg settled down an agreement which served as a legislative foundation for Macadarna’s status within the Caitian Union. Macadarnans agreed to become a colonial territory under the Caitian Union government, allowing the Union the governance over Macadarna system space including the resource excavation on the moons of Macadarna IV gas giant, construction of space facilities for civilian, merchant and military traffic. Any natural resources on Macadarna II and their exploitation remained in the hands of planetary residents. The Caitian Union also obligated itself to construct orbital defenses around Macadarna II.

In return, Macadarnans were permitted to organise their internal social and political system as they saw fit, as long as it was not in violation of Caitian and Federation law. Macadarnan Council adopted the official name of Colonial Council of Ministers. They elected R’Rel as their Chairman, effectively making him the governor of Macadarna II, in line with Caitian law. Though this required R’Rel to completely resign his Starfleet commission, he would briefly return to active service during the Cardassian-Federation border wars. While the agreement was put to almost immediately, the central government of Cait ratified it in the mid-2322 and Federation Council ratified it in 2323.

The clear legal status brought a noticeable growth to the Macadarna system, even though the second planet itself chose to remain in the slower lane. Although the executive power was nominally invested in the Colonial Council, R’Rel was often pulling the strings in the early years of the fledgling colony. He continued to cultivate the high degree of autonomy of the municipal communities that formed prior to Nez’rel’s arrival, but within K’Sari City, the colonial capital, he made most of the decisions.

Macadarna II attracted many thrill-seeking Caitians, who were considered the third settlers of Macadarna (after the original, extinct inhabitants and the Diaspora) and occasionally exiled Ferasans. The latter were brought in secrecy with the cooperation of Rhir. The exiled Ferasans, altogether 147 of them, lived thinly spread out across Macadarna II until R’Rel officially welcomed first Ferasans who were recovered from Cardassian territory by Ambassador-class USS Boston in 2368. These Ferasans formed a new clan, Se’mohk, old Caitian-Ferasan word for “dragon”, after the vessel upon which they lived and served and the Dominion exiles joined the new clan.

Both the Caitian Defense Navy and Starfleet built dozens of facilities across the system and the first orbital shipyard and docking station around Macadarna II was finished in 2337, prompting the increase in civilian merchant traffic. Starfleet Command officially appointed USS Nez’rel to permanent patrol within and around the Macadarna system. Captain T’Mir remained the commanding officer. Much of the Caitian crew from the Nez’rel settled on the planet, including Ki’raal Shissar, an 18-standard years old, enlisted field medic who was on R’Rel’s initial away team in 2317 and tended to his Captain’s wounds following the Rite of Declawing duel with Kzarak. In 2337, Ki’raal Shissar was inducted into the R’Relar clan, on the 20th anniversary of the duel. In 2339, he entered into family union with M’Tala of N’Qet clan, with whom he had two children: son Kee’ren, born in 2340, and daughter M’Wei, in 2345. Kee’ren Shissar would become only the second Caitian from Macadarna to serve in Starfleet, after R’Rel himself.

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Macadarna in Caitian Union

Educational Reforms

As the 24th century progressed, Macadarna II continued to grow both socially and economically. USS Nez’rel, named after the pre-Diaspora Ferasan philosopher who advocated peaceful cooperation among Ferasans, became an unofficial flagship in the hearts of “Maccies”. With the influx of non-Caitians, most notably Macadarna’s closest neighbours like Deltans, Saurians, Tellarites and Humans from Terra Nova, Macadarnans came into contact with a wide range of cultural influences. By the 2340s, it became apparent that the traditional education system, historically focused on pre-Diaspora era and Macadarnan colonisation era, and practically on agriculture and occasional civil engineering, was insufficient.

Several members of Colonial Council addressed this issue and proposed an educational reform which included founding of the first planetary university. R’Rel’s biographers note that the Governor was quite hesitant about the idea and with a good reason. He would have to wage between the planet’s further prosperity and traditionalists from the S’Tiri clan to whom R’Rel promised a continuation of a slower, agrarian pace of life as it used to be.

Captain T’Mir came up with a proposal. Knowing that S’Tiri clan members would demand a practical justification for higher education institutions, T’Mir suggested that, instead of a full university institution, Colonial Council could finance two college-level institutions: College of Archaeology, with a focus on investigation of first denizens of Macadarna, whose settlements quietly awaited on the southern continent, and a Military College, whose purpose would be to train willing Macadarnans in defense of their home or would eventually join Caitian Navy or Starfleet. Both Colleges were founded in 2343.

Three years later, when new settlements arose in two northern continents, the Council founded two more Colleges: College of Jurisprudence and College of Arts and Sciences. All four institutions were unified under the K’Sari University by R’Rel’s special edict in 2350. The first Principal, and so far the only non-Caitian to hold that post, was Tanya Miller. Two more university institutions were founded: Cressia University was founded in 2353 on the smallest continent of Cressia, and Ghassa University, named after its largest city in the northern continent of H’vaa in 2356. Starfleet College for Enlisted Officers was opened in 2370 under the patronage of Starfleet Academy.

Governance Reforms and Cessation of Colonial Status

By 2357, R’Rel had been the governor of Macadarna for 40 standard years. In that time, he had been re-appointed every time by the Colonial Council in a six-year cycle, even though the Councillors themselves came and went, appointed by their clan or municipal leaders. As the number of municipalities, who had a high degree of autonomy, rose over time, the legislative and judiciary system began to fail as there was no clear distinction between the authority of municipal elders and clan elders who, in the past, used to be the same individuals. In some cases, such as decision-making on infrastructure, it seemed to overlap between municipalities and Colonial Council too. Although in economy and defense Macadarna seemed to be self-sufficient, R’Rel realised he would need outside assistance before heading for his final goal - uplifting Macadarna’s status from colony to an independent world within the Caitian Union. Over the years, the central government of Cait gave him much leeway and the Colonial Council only occasionally refused his proposals, making him look like something of an autocrat.

R’Rel extended an invitation to legal experts from Tellar and Vulcan, whose masters of jurisprudence were known for their long but fruitful debates, but also from worlds who were long-standing trading partners of Macadarna - Trill, Sauria and Delta. Trill delegation was led by the famous Curzon Dax, though he remained at Macadarna for a very short time. R’Rel tasked the delegations and Cait’s own legal experts to draft a series of documents that would ensure a smooth transition from Macadarna’s current system, which was a mess of semi-feudal and direct democracy traits, to a representative democracy which was common to the most of Federation worlds.

It took nearly two years to complete and implement the governance reforms into a system which has remained in Macadarna well into the 25th century. Like in the rest of the Caitian Union, clan structure became largely ceremonial and no longer had political weight, at least not officially. For a time, municipal chairing positions in the former S’Tiri clan territories were often held by S’Tiri clan members though this would drastically change after the Dominion War. Municipal Magisters and Municipal Councilors were chosen in local elections. Many municipalities were merged together to reduce administrative staff. Each of the three inhabited continents was one province and each province had 7 municipalities. Provincial Council, made of Municipal Magisters, was formed as an advisory and coordination body between Colonial Council of Ministers and municipalities. The Colonial Legislative Council was formed, composed of 77 members, representing almost 1.3 million inhabitants who would elect their representatives in popular elections.

While there were some protests from the S’Tiri clan, whose influence waned even more, the governance reforms proceeded without too much resistance. During the transitional period, from 2357 to 2360, the Colonial Council of Ministers invested their full executive power in R’Rel. His greatest worry became a reality - he was going to be perceived as an autocrat. But as Captain T’Mir pointed out: “For a time, R’Rel really was an absolute monarchist, if you look at it from a practical point of view. Between the Ministerial Council’s Transfer of Powers Act in 2357 and first elections for new Legislative Council held in 2358, he actually withdrew from public life, fearing how he would be perceived, not just by his ‘Maccies’, but also by the central government of Cait. He often clashed with them over the years many times, far too often having things done his way. But I think that’s why ‘Maccies’ liked him. They saw him as someone who could balance between old Ferasan and modern Caitian ways. And don’t forget, under the Rite of Declawing, all of Macadarna II was still his prey. A reminder he hated most. In his heart, all he wanted was to command Nez’rel one more time.”

With the new Colonial Legislative Council and Colonial Council of Ministers both constituted, R’Rel felt ready to step down as Governor of Macadarna and let the Ministers select a new Chairman among themselves. To his surprise, the Legislative Council passed an act with a supermajority by which R’Rel became Governor pro life. His executive powers were substantially reduced, much like many ceremonial heads of planetary states had, but he still had a power of veto over decisions made by Legislative or Ministerial Council, including the election of the Speaker and the Chairman of each Council, respectively.

As R’Rel himself commented: “They put me into this ridiculous position where I couldn’t say ‘Yes’ to anything, but I could say ‘No’ to almost everything they decided upon. Where was the logic in that, I still haven’t figured it out.”

His honorifics were also changed to Lord Governor. With the transition of powers complete in 2360, the newest Chairwoman of Colonial Council of Ministers, N’Raah N’Qet R’Relar (i.e. N’Raah of family N’Qet, of clan R’Relar), in her first political move submitted a document bundle “Bid for Sovereign Membership” to the Central Government of the Caitian Union. Macadarnans had to defend their case for two years, but in 2362 the Parliamentary Assembly accepted the Bid with almost 73% in favour, 23% against and 4% of abstain votes. In 2363, Macadarna became a full member world of the Caitian Union and, consequently, of the United Federation of Planets. Cait handed the jurisdiction of the Macadarna system, along with all the facilities, to the Council of Ministers, thereby abolishing the Cait-Macadarna Agreement of 2322.

In 2423, on the 60th anniversary of Macadarna’s succession to full membership, R’Rel was still the Lord Governor, at the age of 156 standard years.

darthhorvath

The Dragon Controversy of 2368

Macadarnan News Interview about the Dragon

(authored by fellow roleplayer @Saberwolve/Saber of USS Boston RP group)

The recording fades in, showing a rather handsome looking, cream colored Caitian in a loose fitting, green top. His neatly kept chin fur and mane displaying how well manicured he was. For those who considered themselves to be of Macadarna, they would recognize the face of one of the most trusted of all news reporters, H’Rorish, of the Prasi clan on the screen.

The familiar, baritone voice of H’Rorish began to speak. “Good evening Macadarna. I am H’Rorish of the Prasi clan here with the Macadarnan News Wire with a special story for tonight.”

The Caitian turns and the camera changes to show a new angle. The image of a white with blue-green markings, Slithus-class escort ship and the word “DRAGON” appeared in an image just over the Caitian’s left shoulder.

“Many of you may remember that fateful evening six months back when a system-wide alert went out to the presence of a Ferasan warship having dropped out of warp at the very edges of our system and waited. Was this the precursor to that long expected attack by the Ferasan Dominion that we had feared? We waited with baited breath…when would their reinforcements arrive.”

“The alert was short-lived however, as the U.S.S. Nez’rel dropped out of warp just a few minutes behind and we, the people of Macadarna, breathed a sigh of relief as the vessel that has become synonymous with Macadarna’s defense came to the rescue once again…only, we came to find out that this Ferasan vessel was not here for a fight. It was, in fact, here at the invitation of our government and the Nez’rel was here to escort this Ferasan warship.”

The screen cuts to footage of Governor R’Rel and M’Tala Shissar greeting a rather young, tall Ferasan with blue-black hair in a white jump suit. Her red scimitar hung proudly from a belt at her left hip and the thick, silver hooped septum piercing gleaming in the media’s light. The pair of officials exchanged a firm handshake with the tall Ferasan as the news media’s holo-imagers bathed the trio in a flurry of white flashes. The senior staff of Dragon stood off to the side at what could barely be seen as at-attention. A one-individual gap between an extremely tall Gorn and the chief engineer signaled the absence of one of their senior staff. Their black jumpsuits stood in stark contrast to their captain’s white one.

“Governor R’Rel himself signed a press release about the whole thing where he stated that the, and I quote, ‘event should serve as an opportunity to build bridges, and not walls, between distant siblings.’ And with a flourish of a pen, this band of former pirates, these individuals that are still wanted by the Cardassian Union for multiple crimes against the state, they were granted citizenship on our peaceful world.”

“But not everyone was happy with this decision. The Caitian Union strongly opposed this move and there were many in the Federation itself that called for Starfleet to arrest these criminals and decommission their ship–permanently. These were, after all, dangerous individuals.”

H’Rorish paused for effect as the camera did a close up shot of his handsome face. “But our government chose not to heed those words at all. No. They thought they knew better.”

The camera angle changed again, showing the original image of the Dragon over the reporter’s left shoulder–the ship’s name emblazoned underneath. “Tonight, we bring you the results of a special look into Captain F’arru, the Dragon, and some of its crew to see whether this decision to welcome a predator into our midst was the correct one, or whether it is one that we will find ourselves eventually paying for.”

“With special permission from Captain F’arru, myself and one of our most experienced camera crew were welcomed aboard the Dragon in order to see just who this mysterious crew is.”

The screen changed to a recording of H’Rorish walking on one of the orbital platforms above Macadarna. A number of civilians and workers could be seen milling about the station. “We started, here, approximately one month ago at one of the transfer stations located in-system at Lagrange Point Delta. Now, one thing we came to find out is that the Dragon and her mostly Ferasan crew operate quite differently from the U.S.S. Nez’rel and her crew–or any other Starfleet ship for that matter. On Dragon, it is expected that everyone on-board the vessel will be armed–some even with disruptor pistols.”

The video cut to a rather angry looking Ferasan with a white mane in a black jumpsuit. Her facial markings making her look even angrier. A wicked looking Ferasan blade, sheathed and hanging from one hip, a compact disruptor pistol hanging from the other. In her hand is another one of the blades in a scabbard that she nearly thrusts into H’Rorish’s hands.

“You are here because the Captain allows it. Do not forget that,” she hissed at the reporter and his camera person. “You will keep your weapons on you at all times. If the ship is ever boarded, you will fight to defend Dragon. Are we clear?”

“Are…we expecting any trouble?” H’Rorish asked with his typical boyish charm. The Ferasan was not impressed as she crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Always,” she replied, baring her fangs at him. “You will stay out of engineering, and a few select areas of the ship that were agreed upon. Otherwise, so long as you don’t get in the way of the crew and its duties, you are free to move wherever you need,” she added before spinning on her heel to escort the pair onto the ship. “Your quarters are this way.”

The video cuts to H’Rorish in a rather well-appointed pair of quarters–well, well-appointed for Dragon that is. A knife in its sheath now hanging from his left hip. “As you can see, the executive officer, M’oss, who is also Captain F’arru’s partner and mate, is all work and no play. She takes her role seriously.”

“Now, as to Dragon itself, it is also a vessel that takes its role seriously. Nearly 2 months in dry dock in our orbital facilities has helped to refurbish this nearly 50 year old vessel, buffing out the dents, re-laying the electrical grid, and many other changes were done to bring the vessel up to code, and part of that, was creating a few ‘posh’ quarters such as these.”

The camera sweeps across the basic accommodations that include a pair of comfortable bunks, a view out of the starboard side of the vessel looking down the sweeping angles of the ship. A bottle of Aldebaran whiskey and a pair of glasses sat on a night stand. A trunk to store one’s belongings and a small bathroom facility with a sonic shower.

“While this ship is still technically classified as a warship, the agreement between Macadarna and the crew of the Dragon allows for the vessel to also serve as a transport freighter–a rather well-armed transport freighter. It’s a role which it has already taken on a few times, including a recent trip to Earth with a Starfleet officer aboard. But her primary role remains with helping keep Macadarna safe from pirates, and to assist local shipping traffic in case of emergencies.”

The camera then cut to an image from the back of the ship’s bridge, F’arru’s tail twitching from out the back of the hole in her captain’s chair, specifically modified to accommodate her tail. The bridge lights were dimmed, only a reddish glow from the alert lights and the lights from the different stations illuminated the space.

An uneasy quiet settled on the bridge of the ship as only the hum of the ship’s drive engine vibrated through the walls.

“Nall, what’s the status of the raider?!”

A rather tall Ferasan with green and white fur growled back over his shoulder. His long fangs making the Ferasan look terrifying. “They have detached from the freighter and are beginning to run for it.”

“S’ola. Pursuit course. Now!” F’arru’s voice called out before pressing a button on her captain’s seat. “M’miiri, as much power to engines and weapons as you can muster. I don’t want that furless feck to get away.”

A solitary grunt was all that came back over the loudspeaker on the bridge.

The crew could be seen working like a well-oiled machine. No unnecessary speaking–just the increased hum of the vessel’s engines as M’miiri no doubt poured as much power into the impulse drive as possible.

On the viewscreen, a raider vessel about half the size of Dragon attempted to outmaneuver the predator stalking it by trying to set course toward a ringed planet in the distance. Dragon’s prey fired its rearward facing phasers at the ship, causing the Dragon to rock slightly as her shields absorbed the destructive weapons.

“Shields holding.” Called out the voice of Nall.
Another blast rocked the ship. Followed by a third futile blast.

“Captain, we are within optimal range,” Nall’s voice called out.

“Fire.” Came the steady voice of F’arru.

A quartet of purple disruptor beams lanced out, striking the pirate vessel squarely in the aft of the ship, a trio of the blasts striking the starboard engine. A green gas began to heavily emanate from the damaged area.

“Captain, the vessel is hailing us. They wish to surrender,” came the voice of the lone Andorian of the Dragon’s crew. A long pause–almost as if F’arru was contemplating Dragon’s next move. “Captain?”

“Fah. Fine. Accept their surrender. If they try anything, blow them up. In the meantime, contact the freighter and ask if they need assistance first.”

The video changed to H’Rorish walking down one of the corridors. “As was demonstrated by Dragon’s assistance of the freighter Kitral, the vessel and its crew are well versed in combat and has already helped the Nez’rel in combatting a local group of pirates that had taken up residence along some of the trade routes to and from Macadarna. Dragon has even taken up defending Macadarna itself when the Nez’rel is called away for duty.”

“When not in combat, the crew of the Dragon is preparing for combat.” A montage of a number of different crew training with their knives, firing disruptors at targets, and bare-handed sparring ran.

“We asked Captain F’arru about the constant training,” came the voiceover before the camera cut to H’Rorish sitting down with F’arru. Her white jumpsuit stood out in the darkened room. Her voice was steady and firm. “The heavy training schedule was implemented by my mother, F’rira, who firmly believed that if one stops training, it causes mistakes to happen and the knife would get dull. And when mistakes happen and the knife is dull, family dies.”

She paused for a moment to let that sink in. “Now that Dragon is no longer fighting for its survival against the damned Cardassians, the training is even more important if they are to defend our new home should the time come.”

“What about injuries?” Came the dulcet tones of H’Rorish. “Aren’t you afraid your ship’s status will be affected by all of this training?”

“You’ll need to speak with H’saan about that part. That’s what he’s for,” she replied matter of factly.

The video feed cut to a male Ferasan with blue black fur.
“Oh, I see quite a number of injuries through the course of the day. Mostly it’s knife wounds and cuts from claws during sparring, but this is significantly tamer than it used to be,” spoke the gentle voice of the male Ferasan while he was drinking tea. His oversized paws manage to deftly hold onto his porcelain tea cup.

The Ferasan’s beard was kept in check by a trio of ties and his golden eyes practically glowed. He continued, “Before this year, it was mostly dealing with combat trauma and combat injuries. To be honest, I welcome this time where the biggest thing I need to worry about is my sister’s upcoming kitten and a few training wounds.” The Ferasan flashed a fang-filled grin.

The camera cut back to H’Rorish. “However, before you begin to think that this crew was nothing but aggression, training, and fighting, let me tell you, that they also know how to party.”

The video feed cuts to a montage of different areas of the ship. A number of the crew being drunkenly rowdy, singing a rather bawdy tune in drunken unison. A rather large Gorn could be seen being cheered on by the crew as he saw how many of the drunken crew could hang off of him before being brought down–9 was apparently the answer. A pair of Ferasans could be seen going shot for shot, trying to see who could still hit a target with their throwing knives while incredibly drunk.

H’Rorish begins to speak again as the audio dims and the montage of the crew continues. “Upon returning to port, it is apparently customary for the crew to let loose and unwind–with a skeleton crew manning the bridge, quite disappointed at missing the festivities I might add. It is a holdover from whenever they would complete successful raids against Cardassian ships as a way to celebrate surviving yet another dangerous day.”

“It is a time for feasting on roasted meats and the consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol that can be quite rough for the…unitiated.” A hint of embarrassment could be heard in H’Rorish’s voice.

The video changed to an external image of the Dragon beginning to dock with the same station they began at. H’Rorish’s baritone voice speaking over the video continued. “And just like that, our weeklong patrol and time aboard had ended, and we made it out unscathed. Many of the crew did not appreciate us being there at first, but in some ways, their gruff exteriors, with the exception of the chief engineer and their executive officer, began to fade as we got to know each other more.”

One more instance of the video feed changing to onboard the station, just outside the docking port of the Dragon, a number of the crew could be seen stepping off Dragon. H’Rorish’s handsome face filled the screen again.

“And in that time of getting to know each other, many of them had begun to share how they had come to be on Dragon; how, many of them said that they owed their lives to Captain F’rira, F’arru’s mother, who had rescued most of them from Cardassian prison transports–many who had been imprisoned for a multitude of petty crimes and were treated horrifically by their Cardassian captors which included unnecessary defanging for a few.”

“When presented with the opportunity for a fresh life here on Macadarna by their Captain F’arru–a dream by the now deceased Captain F’rira–all but one agreed to stay and many of those who have stayed have begun to adopt the clan name of ‘Se’mohkan’ in honor of the ship that they serve on. Some have even begun to set down roots in our local community.”

The camera focused over H’Rorish’s right shoulder and into the background, as the Dragon’s chief engineer, M’miiri, could be seen kissing a tall Caitian dock worker to the cheers and hoots of a number of the crew that saw them–the beginnings of a small, pregnancy belly just beginning to form underneath the tight, black jumpsuit she wore.

Focusing back on H’Rorish, he continued. “Almost all of the crew have applied for and have been granted provisional Federation citizenship. Their medic, H’saan has applied to one of our top medical schools in order to become a full fledged doctor so that he may be able to help do the things he wished he would have been able to do when they saw constant combat.

“Even their recently transferred chief of security, a Ferasan named K’tarn, took ownership of an all but abandoned home in Hunter’s Valley near the town of Hunter’s Ridge and has made her choice to serve on a Federation starship as a civilian instructor until she retires to what will hopefully be a quiet life.”

The video feed returned to the studio with H’Rorish’s handsome face looking at the camera.

“However, many questions still remain–is the Caitian Union correct that the Macadarnan government is making a mistake with Captain F’arru and her crew? Should we have handed them over to Starfleet? Or even to the Cardassians, so that they could pay for the crimes of their past? I figured, who would have a better answer to that question than the governor himself.”

The video feed changed again to show Governor R’Rel sitting across from H’Rorish.

“Thank you for meeting with me governor to answer a few questions about Captain F’arru, Dragon, and her crew. But I suppose the most important question is a question that many here on Macadarna find themselves asking with regard to the whole group of them–did we let a wild grishnar cat into our homes, and is it only a matter of time before it turns on us? And what would you say to those people who think you made a mistake agreeing to allow such dangerous individuals into their home?"

The elderly dark-furred Caitian with a long, grey mane wearing his blue statesman uniform (whose form reminds viewers of the maroon jackets worn by Starfleet officers from the late 2270’s through the 2350’s) nods to H’Rorish slowly and with a diligence that comes with age. He does not look at the camera, but rather at his host as he answers.

“Yes,” he begins. “Yes, we have let a wild grishnar cat into our homes. Perhaps even a sehlat and a targ as well, Mister H’Rorish. This grishnar cat was wild not due to her nature, but due to her circumstances of life. She was lost, wounded, pursued, hunted and, as your report accentuated, tortured by Cardassians,” he says and lets out a gentle purr.

He rests his paws in his lap, opens them and stares at them for a while before turning his attention back to his news host. “She will most certainly turn on us if we aim to keep her under those unfavourable circumstances of life.”

He continued after a momentary pause. “Which leads me to your second question. What would I say to those who doubt? I welcome doubt, it keeps us vigilant. But we also have to keep in mind that it is the excessive kind of doubt that has kept us and our distant siblings apart from one another. I can not vouch for the Dragon crew to Macardanese, just as Captain F’arru can not vouch for Macardanese to the Dragon crew. But the fact we were willing to extend the offer and they were, in turn, willing to accept it, in spite of the danger of being extradited back to the Cardassians… that is the first step on the ladder of trust. And I would welcome all of us to try to reach a second one.”

The camera angle changed again to focus on H’Rorish’s face as he faced Governor R’Rel, and the reporter gave a slight nod to the governor before standing up and shaking the governor’s paw. “Thank you governor for your time, and thank you for being willing to answer my questions.”

The view changed back to the studio one last time. The familiar image of Dragon over H’Rorish’s shoulder appeared, along with the ship’s name. “My fellow citizens. You heard it here. Yes, Dragon and her crew are dangerous. And we are taking a chance on them, but as Governor R’rel stated, they, too, are taking a chance with us. The galaxy, despite the Federation and the Starfleet’s best efforts, can still be a dangerous place. I for one find myself sleeping soundly at night knowing that these Ferasans…no…these Macardanese are on our side–that this is one less danger that we, as a people, have to worry about…for the time being at least, and hopefully forever.”

“On behalf of the news crew here, I thank you for joining us as we explored the ship and crew of Dragon this past hour, and we invite you to join us for next month’s episode as we do a deep dive into…The Ch’Eddar Conspiracy. Cheesy Gibberish? Or a real Cybersecurity Threat? Tune in, to find out.”

The camera fades from H’Rorish’s handsome face and the strong and bombastic closing credit music begin to play followed by additional information on Dragon and the senior crew of the vessel.

Fin.