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Mark wrote:DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BACK OUT OF WHAT YOU SAID. YOUR WORDS WERE CLEARLY A VEILED THREAT. THE THOLIAN ASSEMBLY IS NOT A SUBJECT OF THE FEDERATION AND IS NOT BOUND BY HER "SUGGESTIONS".

SHOULD ANY OTHER POWER WISH TO DISCUSS OUR CLAIMS, THEY MAY DO SO PRIVATELY.

And neither is the Federation bound by the dictates of the Tholian Assembly. Just because your government declares that space to be Tholian space does not make it so. The Jacorans posted a valid claim to the same space hours before yours so we find your attitude somewhat troubling. We simply offered to mediate the dispute and offered to abandon any potential Federation claims in the area in our efforts to assist the Jacoran Alliance in its development.

That the Assembly would make a second claim to two systems, then accuse someone who was asked to mediate of issuing threats when our only position was to simply offer our support of Tholian claims on other worlds in exchange for helping avoid conflict with a new, and somewhat cautious new power in the region.

Mark wrote:THE ASSEMBLY HAS AGREED TO CEDE TO THE JA THEIR PREVIOUSLY EXISTING CLAIM FOR THOSE WORLDS. WE ARE A REASONABLE SOCIETY AND DO NOT WISH TO INSTIGATE HOSTILITIES. WE WOULD REMIND THE VAUNTED FEDERATION THAT THIS MISUNDERSTANDING WAS EASILY RESOLVED WITHOUT THE NEED TO THREATEN ANYBODY.

Is it now considered a threat to dispute the claiming of territory that was unclaimed several hours prior? Again, there was no intention to make a threat. Simply an attempt to see that the Assembly got what it desired, a clear and undisputed claim on space it desired, while still protecting the needs of an emerging society that asked us for our help. Regardless of whatever confusion came about we are glad that this issue was resolved without any bloodshed.

This agreement with the Tholians is pleasing to the Jacorn; however, as I put in our discussions, this incedent will forever leave a mark on what would have otherwise been a great and majestic day for our people. The fact that your ignorance or carelessness has done this will always weigh in the minds of our people. The fact that you took such a 'defensive' stance, which I maintain appeared as a hostile reply, to the Federation in their simple offer to respect your claims if you respect ours will also weigh in the minds of the Jacorn. Let us hope our future relations do not extend in such a manner as it seems that neither power will be successful with such an outcome.

We claim these additional systems; 336, and 356. We also wish to make our objections to the Tholian's claim of system 337 known, however we do not wish to and will not take this issue further.

The Ferengi Alliance would like to announce that we are open to loan requests. Any power that would like a loan, of any reasonable amount, will be provided with capital at extremely low interest rates (a limited time offer). Want to refit your entire fleet? Well we can help.

We also have 3 million units of trade available to the open market.

We are making our shipyards available. If anyone wishes us to design a first line warship, or a background science ship, let us know. We will only give a 5% markup on costs.
On the other hand, if you simply want industrial materials to build your own ships, feel free to ask. We have a total of 50,000 KT available at this time.

We of the Ferengi Alliance want to support you all, our valued costumers. Give us a call, we have what you need.

An update on our previous announcement, all of our unreserved trade has been called for.

However, our offer for ship construction and development remains.

And of course, our loans are still available, so if you have a project that needs capital, take advantage of our low interest, while it lasts.

The Cardassian Union currently has 57,500kt of trade goods available for export. If this is of interest to any party please respond on a private channel.

Starfleet will make avaliable for sale 152 Saber's Class ships to any interested party who wishes to make a sufficient offer. Please reply via private channel. We will also take offers on 160 Steamrunners and 311 Centaur Class ships. The Saber's will be retired following this year. The other ships will remain in service unless someone offers to purchase the whole of the class.

The Cardassian Union has spent too long goading us. Throwing false accusation at us. Accusing us of lying, of treachery and horrid crimes when it has done little better itself. We will not allow this hypocrisy to continue. We will remove the Cardassian words by the strength of arms, and Cardassia will burn for its incredulous heresy.

The truth of our accusations are now laid bare for everyone to see. The Breen have responded to words with force. They respond to the accusations of genocide by threatening and attempting further genocide. We struck a treaty to live with them in peace and they have thrown it away in a surprise attack upon our nation. If there was any doubt, any question before if the Breen could be trusted those doubts should be laid to rest and those questions answered. They cannot and should not be trusted to live amongst the civilized nations of our galaxy. We call upon all the civilized nations of the galaxy to oppose these creatures!

The Cardassian Union will not bow to this naked aggression! We will not give another meter of Cardassian soil to these barbarians! We will drive them from our space and ensure that they never threaten Cardassia again!

The Federation calls upon the Breen to answer for their apparent violation of the Treaty of Lissepia. The Federation was given no notice of the entrance on the part of the Breen Military into the established security zone as necessitated by article 1 of the treaty. Nor was the Federation told the treaty was abolished.

We call on the Breen to explain their actions regarding this treaty immediately.

The treaty is a falsity, a shadow of its intention. Cardassia may well spout pretty words, and in the same turn they snide and accuse us of false treachery. Who turned their backs on their allies when they could not come to terms with their own peoples defiance. They could not respect their position in the universe.


We bow down to no man, Human. We would rather die defiant, than live crippled by your treaties. We have no need to explain ourselves to you, no matter if you have seen fit to take up position of the galaxies police men. We have not threatened you.

*Address to the United Federation of Planets Council*

Council Members and Citizens of the United Federation of Planets, I am sure you are all aware by now of the attack launched on the Cardassian Union by the Breen military this past week. Let me first state that the movement of Breen forces to their attack positions and the launching of such an attack is a gross violation of the Treaty of Lissepia and is an affront to the peacemaking efforts of the Federation, which negotiated that treaty in good faith with both powers in an attempt to keep the peace in that region.

There are a great many diplomatic, legal and even strategic implications that come with an action so bold as that undertaken by the Breen. Indeed we as a people and a council could spend a great deal of time discussing the various finer points of international law and custom in regards to this incident.

By all rights the Federation can stay neutral in this dispute. Our forces have not been attacked. Our border has not been violated. Indeed one could fall back on nothing more than a strongly worded note of protest to the Breen government.

And no one could blame both this council and the citizens of this nation for taking such an approach. Why should we risk our safety, our treasure and our loved ones in a dispute over far away worlds, between two former enemies? What indeed do we have to gain from even speaking out on such a conflict?

We could talk about such things at length. Indeed these things are important as we live in a practical world and often times must make practical decisions. But that is not what I came before you to talk about today.

I stand before this council and before you all as a united people comprised of hundreds of races and wish to discuss a more fundamental question. What does the Federation mean to us as citizens? What does it mean to the galaxy as a whole and what does it stand for?

You see, the questions and concerns I was speaking of before are the same for every government that has ever and will ever exist. One weighs the positives and the negatives of a situation, using the best information they have, and the make a decision calculated to maximize their relative position. On Earth evidence of this sort of decision-making dates back to the earliest written histories as it does on the majority of our member worlds.

But the Federation is different

It was not founded to maximize the power of any one world or race.

It was not founded by a combination of conquest, adept political maneuvering or threats.

It was founded on a simple principal. That races and worlds and individuals from all over the galaxy ought be able to live together in peace and come together in a manner that uplifts all and oppresses none.

It stands for justice for all powers large and small. Indeed this is one of the first things mentioned in our charter.

It stands for hope for a better future. A future founded on justice, equality and the rule of law in accordance with those principals.

To us as citizens of the Federation this means we attempt to live our lives and conduct our government in accordance with these principals. Being sentient beings we recognize that at times we will fail to live up to our ideals. But it is not our failures that define us. It is that we continue, despite all our failures, to strive towards them.

Of all the major powers in the region ours strength can be most correctly described as accidental. What started as a small collection of worlds expanded over time into the largest and most economically powerful government in area. This did not happen by conquest but by peaceful and voluntary joining together of the various member worlds.

The strength we now enjoy was not a goal stated at the founding of the Federation but was a byproduct of the strengths of all our peoples on all our worlds. And this strength, while not sought out, confers upon us a certain responsibility.

To the galaxy as a whole the Federation has meant many things. It is often not easy dealing with other powers. We have been seen at times as liberators, oppressors, enemies, friends, aggressors and defenders. Often other powers do not share many of our sensibilities. In this regard we often must be practical in our approach to things. Compromises must be made for peace. Deals must be struck with powers that, from our point of view, are run be forms of government of which we do not approve.

But this situation is not one of those cases. This is a case of naked aggression for the purpose of conquest. In this situation practical reasoning must bow to our ideals.

If the Federation stands by and does nothing then what message do we send to the galaxy? Do we not encourage more aggression if we sit idle? Do we not encourage everyone, even peaceful powers, to arm themselves to the teeth with the most horrible weapons they can possibly imagine?

This government began its intervention into this crisis by asking the Breen to explain themselves. To explain their outright violation of a treaty to which the Federation is a signatory. To explain their aggressive move. Their government has declined to make any such response. They claim they have not threatened the Federation.

But in doing so they simply show their ignorance. They have threatened the very ideals that underpin the Federation. The strength of the Federation is not in our fleet. It is not in some form of racial unity. It does not lie in the coercive power of a government backed by troops. It is in the ideal of the Federation. It holds us together. It makes us strong. To other powers a threat is directed against a planet or against their military or even their government. To the Federation there can be no stronger threat than one aimed at the fundamental values that define us as a society. It is this sort of threat that shakes us to our core.

Were we to sit by an allow this war of aggression to take place on our border, to allow a flagrant violation of a treaty to which we are a party to go unchallenged and to allow a power that has now launched two undeclared wars of aggression through sneak attacks in most of our lifetimes then what are we saying about ourselves? If these provocations cannot stir us to action in defense of our ideals then does the Federation really stand for anything at all?

We know not what the future brings. Our actions today could bring us ruin tomorrow. But what we do know is this. What the Breen are doing is wrong. Their ships are in Cardassian territory. Their ships are bombarding Cardassian worlds. Their government responds with contempt when asked to justify such actions.

We know these things and everything else. What the Breen are doing is tantamount to spitting in the face of every man, woman and child in the Federation. That they have not directly threatened us with military action is true .but it is also irrelevant to our response. They have shown us an evil heart bent on aggression and if we do not challenge that then all of this .all that we have accomplished .means nothing at all.