From The Office of the High Minister of the Eledri Unity
In response to the acts of terror carried out on the Federation Starbase Deep Space Thirteen
It has been nearly a day since we first learned of the brutal particulars surrounding the acts of terror that claimed the lives of twenty-five Off-worlders, citizens of the Federation, like you and I. These heinous crimes are all the more devastating when coupled with the knowledge that the ones who carried them out, these butchers of the innocent, were Eledri. We cannot claim innocence or ignorance in these matters, and we cannot sit idly by while our own people choose to terrorize our partners and allies. This government is resolute in our commitments to the Federation, whether it be economic, diplomatic or defense related. We are members in full and good standing and this government intends it to remain so.
There is a threat among our population, it's a festering wound from our past that we thought long healed. We have been tolerant of opposing ideals, schools of thought, and practices outside our societal norms, and this will not change. But when those ideals and practices turn from thought to violent action, we will not allow it to go unchallenged. There are a vocal minority among our kind who wish for this government to fall, for unity to be replaced with what they call legacy. They are using thinly veiled xenophobia to stir up radical elements in our population, with the desired intent being a total reversion of every progress we've made in the past century or more. They want to roll back the advances we've made, return us to a time where family name mattered more than personal merit, a time where your gender defined your station in life, a time where we still warred among our own over land and resources like children. A time before our culture flourished with the flavors that our off-worlder citizens have brought to add to the richness of this world. They call it legacy, I call it folly, and we will not fall prey to it, not here.
Nor will we turn our backs on knowledge we find uncomfortable, the kind that questions our beliefs, challenges us and helps us grow in understanding our world, our people, and our place in the galaxy. The Ministry of Science, with my full sanction, will continue joint efforts with their new Rihani partners to discover the truth of our origins, and what it means. We will not be intimidated by threats to person or family, we will not back down because of terror. We will move forward towards knowledge, not run and hide from it.
In regards to the specific victims of this attack, both actual and intended, I say this:
Our hearts break for what as occurred, this is not who we are, and not who we wish to be. I offer a formal apology to Proconsul D'Tan, and to all your kind, for the actions of these criminals in their attempts to kill your citizens. I speak for my people when I state unequivocally that the Eledri respect and admire the Rihannsu, and wish to know them better. To the families of the deceased, I beg the Goddess' blessing for your loss, may she watch over you. I cannot prevent what has already occurred, but we pledge full cooperation with our Federation partners and Starfleet in any related operations, in conjunction with our own internal investigations. Information exchange, resources and personnel will be allocated from our own Civil Defense and Security Ministries to assist in these efforts.
Eledrikind, say a prayer to al'Zedai for the victims of this terrible crime, and another for our world as we move forward.
By her grace, be well,
//SIGNED//
Zulana Laozai
High Minister of the Eledri Unity
Stardate 93333