| SUBMITTED: Stardate 95762.2 | FILED BY: CMDR A. Samaras | SECURITY: Level 1 - Open |
LOCATION: Vol Igniria, Phylov System
MISSION: Diplomatic Cultural Exchange with the Vol Ignii
OUTCOME: Elements of anti-Federation sentiment witnessed by some members of the Vol Ignii, showing a divided populace. Ambassadorial visit on the Endeavour went exceptionally well. Captain Bishop negotiated a deal to have Federation cultural advisors on the planet; this is only to be enacted if the President of the Vol Ignii can show cross-party support from their government.
KEY PERSONNEL:
CAPT S. Bishop (USS Endeavour)
CAPT Z. Sel
CAPT A. Tanaka
CMDR P. Aubrey
CMDR A. Samaras
LT J. Read
LT(JG) A. Coshi
ENS M. Tonorr
1SGT S. zh'Izenahr
NARRATIVE: Midway through Gamma Shift, Captain Bishop left his ready room to inform us that we had been summoned by the Vol Ignii President to participate in a cultural exchange of our two people. Though there was some hesitation due to the unexpected nature of the summons, and the limited cultural exchange that had taken place previously, we agreed on an away team of the officers listed above, with the exception of Captain Bishop, who was to meet with the President, and Sergeant zh'Izenahr, who would accompany the ambassadorial delegation on the Endeavour.
Upon arrival, we immediately noticed that the locals viewed us with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. We seemed to have arrived in an older and poorer part of the capital, as here the buildings were older and made from rock. Damage from the recent wars could still be seen here. On the walls were various posters supportive of the Federation, though many of these had been vandalised, including one particular one which stated that "The Federation can suck our iokraks," iokraks being the reproductive section underneath the chin and jaws of the Vol Ignii.
After spending time looking around and talking to the locals, the away team returned to the Endeavour, where we learnt that Captain Bishop had been talking to the Vol Ignii President about the possibility of our academics assisting the Vol Ignii in exploring their culture and heritage. Captain Bishop informed us that whilst he believed that this was an endeavour worth pursuing for both peoples, he acknowledged our concerns about what increasing Federation presence on the planet could entail. He said that the President promised that they would gain cross-party support for the project, and he believed that this would guarantee the safety of our own academics, as well as help soothe tensions on the planet.
RECOMMENDATION:
Conversations with the Vol Ignii seemed to solidify the divisions in the society about continued Federation membership. It seems as though the Vol Ignii are afraid that the divisions in the society will lead to another civil war, which the Vol Ignii have faced three of in the past fifty years. Federation membership, whilst not the reason for Vol Ignii tensions, are certainly a scapegoat for them.
I am still unconvinced to whether the benefits of the project outweighs the possible cons; whilst it is true that the Vol Ignii rediscovering lost culture and heritage will be a boon to the Vol Ignii, if poorly done, it could further inflame tensions.
Despite this, I have faith in Captain Bishop's analysis of the situation, especially since he is an expert in these matters, due to his extensive study in this field.
OOC: This is the AAR for the impromptu event "Rocking Up", which started as a low key social RP, but then kinda developed into a full event... If I made any mistakes, let me know and I'll endeavour to correct them! Event logs are available on request.