Nicole Branson came storming out of the conference room bitter, enraged and upset. She had been trying to reach an agreement with the Vulcans on the Dilithium issue. The Vulcans were able to best her in every way as she tried to use every negotiating ploy she could think of. Commander T'tan was a shrewd and ingenious negotiator and immuned to Nicole's emotional ways.
Nicole went up to her room in the Plaza literally started screaming and throwing things around.
"I wish I could know what they were thinking, but they are Vulcan. No one can read them.", Nicole snapped.
Magenta tried to massage her shoulders. Nicole shrugged her away. Magenta was a bit hurt. She looked at Nicole.
"I am only trying to help.", Magenta spoke softly.
"Even your Betazoid powers could not read these Vulcans.", Nicole snapped, not really meaning to take it out on Magenta.
Magenta looked at Nicole, "There is a way. I would need to be intimately connected with the Vulcans."
Nicole frowned, "I already tried to make that connection with T'tan."
Magenta glared at Nicole. Nicole had flirted with T'tan. Magenta was none to pleased.
"There is another possibility.", Magenta said, a little out of retaliation to Nicole's admission.
"What?", Nicole murmured, ready to do almost anything.
"I could be intimate with someone who knows Commander T'tan personally and has a strong, strong connection with the Vulcan leader.", Magenta explained.
"Like who?", Nicole retorted.
"Captain S'Nii. She would also have an axe to grind with the Vulcans over her citizenship status.", Magenta explained.
"How intimate?", Nicole was suddenly feeling the same pain Magenta felt at her admission to making a pass at T'tan.
Magenta frowned, "Very intimate, Nicole. Like us intimate."
Nicole looked at Magenta and took a deep breath, "I need this. We need this."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vulcan - Phoenix Federation Complex
Ambassador's Plaza
The Villa, Territory Omega
Phoenix Colony
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nicole emerged from the plaza and held up a large contractual PADD. The throngs of observers cheered. Nicole smiled. Christine T'Nley pushed through the crowd, "Madame Vice President, are you announcing an agreement to distribute Dilithium throughout the Beta Quadrant?"
Nicole smiled, "Yes, Ms. T'Nley, I am."
"Mrs. Branson, how was the agreement achieved?", Christine spoke sternly, almost in an attacking manner; like she knew something others did not.
"Throught peaceful negotiations between superpowers, proof that the principles of the Federation are not lost in its divisions, but rather amplified in their greatness.", Nicole spoke like a politician. The crowd was eating it up. They roared their support.
"Is it not true, Madame Vice President that you had intimite knowledge of Commander T'tan and her leadership which you then used to blackmail the Vulcans into an agreement?", Christine shoved the PADD recorder into the face of Nicole.
"What?", Nicole looked suddenly puzzled.
Christine pointed at the building across the street from the Plaza as a giant image of the ONN logo appeared and then the image of Nicole, Magenta and S'Nii appeared on the screen proceeding to some incredibly racy material.
"Is it not true, Nicole, that you, Magenta and later Captain S'Nii cooked up a plan to use Betazoid abilities to gain some insight into the Vulcan position and then to use that against them?", Christine snapped.
"The Vulcans were aware that Mayor Coren-Branson was involved in the negotiations.", Nicole was almost in tears watching the images.
"That is your wife up there, Mrs. Branson. You put her through that to get to the Vulcans.", Christine snapped.
Nicole mumbled something but did not answer.
"Look at the video, Mrs. Branson. Look at the video. You stood and watched as your wife and your former girlfriend became intimate in front of your eyes! You did nothing.", Christine was like a piranha in the water.
The crowd looked stunned. Christine now had them. They were watching. Nicole started to cry. Magenta put her arm on Nicole's shoulder.
"Comforting.", Christine mocked sarcastically.
"But, Ms. Magenta Coren-Branson, Tamarian Ambassador and Mayor of Tokyo, watch you beloved wife. She actually sits on the chair and watches with sinful and deviant pleasure as you and Captain S'Nii kiss.", Christine slithered like the snake reporter she was.
Magenta watched Nicole on the chair. She looked at her with a look of disdain and even a bit of disgust.
Nicole looked out at the crowd. She blew her red nose and wiped her red eyes. She looked at Magenta and then once more at the crowd.
"Do you have something to say, Madame Vice President?", Christine chastised as she looked up at the video playing.
Nicole took a deep breath, "Ships will began receiving their shipments of Dilithium within the hour. Workers from Tokyo, Cairo and Paris will return tomorrow. The colony's future is secured through a peaceful agreement with the Vulcan Council. I would like to thank the Mayors of the cities of Territory Omega for their support through the negotiations and for their hospitality to our guests. Your kindness will serve the colony well in the future."
There was a very long pause. There were probably 12000 people in the plaza courtyard. People were mulling over what had just happened in their own minds. They were mulling over the actions of their Federation Representative. It took a few moments, but the truth is. People were back working. The colony was back functioning. There was no war, no marines and no devastation. Today was a good day.
The ends justify the means.
Soon there was minimal clapping, followed by a lot of clapping. Christine glared at Nicole but stood aside so the Vice President could get into her hover limo.
Posted by:
Christine T'Nley
ONN
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
Vice President Nicole Branson
Vice President of the Phoenix Federation
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
