Walking into the audience chamber Maeik tr'Kataphran tightened up the collar on his uniform tunic. Mari was already sitting in her chair, the only chair in the room which it self was a giant observation lounge looking out over the view of a planet, Terix II now. It wasn't just a window, it was the entire wall and floor (though designed to look it, it was not simply a thin transparent metal, not that it mattered to the cloaked landing spire).
The audience chamber's holographic emitters fired up and half the room dissolved away into and office with an older woman, very similar looking to Mari but with longer hair and a uniform tunic that more closely matched tr'Kataphran than Marilcian. This was somewhat odd considering the woman was in fact Mari's mother Alanha t'Sarnev, the Senior Commander of the Mirhassan Defense Ministry. The Enriov was broadcasting from the Kaveth in Mirhassan orbit. Tr'Kataphran saluted, Mari didn't rise from her chair. Normally that would be rude, but in this case it was not that atypical. Marilcian t'Sarnev was a bit strange.
"What happened child?" Alanha asked with a calm and metered demeanor. She was not very happy at the news of what had happened but she wasn't about to yell at anyone without facts.
"Things did not go as I hoped.." Mari said, almost as if that explained everything. Maeik was a bit more crass.
"It was a fvadt disaster ma'am." he blurted out in his signature syrupy voice. "We suspected Terix was building ships but even we vastly underestimated the type and amount. Further the Starfleet intrusion mucked up the entire equation. Any goals the Ambassador had now will have to be rethought."
The Enriov considered this and looked to Mari, "I understand you intervened to help Starfleet?"
"They're actions were... unwise. I am to understand there may be legal repercussions within the Federation. There was no need to see them die over it as well. They're ships acted on the accords of individual commanders who felt it justifiable to go against their directives." Mari said, in a tone as if she was musing to herself more than replying. This was also very common for Mari.
"In other words their leaders can't entrust their people to do things right without a heavy rule book and apparently that is not enough all the time." Maeik said, giving the harsher viewpoint. In many ways, it was his job.
Alanah paced a bit, "It is true the benefits of our meritocratic society are such that I can entrust this entire deployment to you two and know you will carry it out in the best way. This is not a reprimand. You both acted greatly. Terix is not an area for me to be concerned about as long as you are handling it child." she said, the last part more to her daughter, "This meeting is more for the Prime Councilor than anything. I understand despite the setbacks a majority of the Free Terix installations were taken out?"
"Correct, though with a non-minor amount of collateral. I ceased our operation to keep from antagonized the Starfleet attackers. Neutralism doctrine may not be in effect now, but its merits are still worth holding to in certain situations. I will not start a war with the Federation. Enriov Tal'Aura continued the attacks from there. Small pockets of the terrorists may remain, but as of now, I deem Free Terix to no longer be a serious threat. The Prime Councilor may know Mirhassa's retribution is paid enough." Mari said, plainly.
"As such happens. I sense you want to stay there however?" Alanha asked.
"I no longer trust the safety of Terix to their Enriov. She is growing unstable, I can see the effects. Her mindset mirrors Terix's own relations. The Federation would say it is not our business to be involved but I fear for the people of both sides of this civil war. I need to do what I can to end this. Terix can be a magnificent trade partner for us, and a magnificent world given enough positive attention. There is no need for them to live in poverty anymore while the Empire silently watches for the chance to take them back." Mari says, calculating the odds as she speaks.
"Always the diplomat.." Alanha says with a small smile to her daughter. She remembered when a teenage Mari, years ago, would be the only thing keeping her brothers from an all out blood fued sometimes. "The reports of the Empire watching Terix have been confirmed as well, your concerns are legitimate. The Empire wants to use them, the Republic would prefer to ignore them, and the Federation is so ambivalent all they can think to do is just put up a wall and say 'let them fight.' I'll let you stay and do as you can. Do you think your negotiations may take a more heated turn?"
"If it comes to it that the fighting gets too extreme I'm willing to land this spire, smash their entire communications grid and force the two sides to talk. If it goes there we will certainly lose Tal'Aura's trust but I expect there may be others of the Terix government more amicable. I'd rather not let it get that far though. There is also the matter of tr'Velal. I need to meet with him and reinvigorate the diplomat within him. Only he can save Tal'Aura likely, so my first job is to save him." Mari says with a light smile.
"That's my girl." Alanha says in approval.
"You're forgetting about the 10 capital ships they have now.. landing the spire will protect it some but there is a high chance it will be our last planet fall. If we do go that far, then we should plan to deal with those ship.. and we don't have the might to handle them with Starfleet webbing the entry control points of the system." Maeik said, making a good point.
"There is a potential way to handle that, even if only as a contingency. Whether we have to engage any of Terix's forces or not, the key is Taev tr'Velal." Mari notes, almost as if she expected tr'Kataphran to have figured it out. He grins slightly.
"Of course... the back door option. Sneaky, but I approve." Maeik said, content now.
Alanha looked them both over, and then to Mari, "Child, do you want me to tell you why you have so much trouble finding a date?"
"I thought it best to be realistic about all my options ma'am."
"There is being realistic, and then there is being [Machiavellian]." she says with a grin. Mari in turn smirks while Maeik simply rolls his eyes. It was a common joke between the mother and daughter to make light of Marilcian's lack of bond mate (despite herself being a mother of two children) in terms of another situation. It had become such a joke that it has spread into the populace by word of mouth and became a popular thing to say among friends. Okhalan's where particularly notorious for it, because if anyone was going to pick up a fad on Mirhassa, it was them.
Alanha rebounded to her command posture, "Very well. I trust you to handle this and represent me accordingly. As per Mirhassan standards, you already displayed the merit to handle your jobs, so I won't get involved further unless you ask for me. I must get back to local matters now. The new Council is more.. amicable, not to speak ill of our departed of course, but I am not loathe to actually work with him for once. Child, when the Terix business is done, I am willing to grant you the next task you wanted to look into considering the new political atmosphere." she finished.
"Thank you mother." Mari said, a far more personal response that only she could get away with likely considering they were in official status. She did not have to reaffirm they they could handle the rest, because the Enriov already said she trusted them on that. It was the little things that said a lot about Mirhassa culture. The image of Alanha t'Sarnev's office vanished and Maeik and Mari were back in the transparent room overlooking Terix.
"I'll keep the ships moving about under their cloaks, no need to get stagnant. The next part is on you." Maeik said calmly, with a hint at amusement.
"Indeed. Now... it is time to talk to Argo." she confirmed.
((The [Machiavellian] part is intended to imply she said a different, likely more Romulan-based name, since certainly there is an equivilant in their culture. However for the benefit of the readers, Machiavelli gets the point across well enough.))
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