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We are proud to put our name to this treaty. It does not mean we will deny other empires assistance, but we have allied ourselves to the causes of gentle coexistance.

We also wish to make another announcement. In the following financial year, after the books of these are sealed, we intend to enter a time of transition to return to a mercantile republic. This transition will see the current senate regain the majority of its legislative power. The First Proconsul will still rule, and the Empire will remain in name only. But now the senate has true legislative power, and the people will regain control.

Next year, we will begin assessing our financial situation. This might mean that we will have to reduce trade or some other such agreements to fund our transition but we believe we can fund it internally.

Maybe the Romulan Ambassador is confused. Since the ISA and Coalition have gone their separate ways, peace has been far easier to maintain.

The Chief Executive (formerly, Praetor) of the Romulan Confederation was not suggesting that you are currently at each other's throats. Rather, that the ISA and the Coalition were close to conflict at one point in the not so distant past, due to differences in opinion. And what of the future? What happens when the leadership changes? A war can start over a simple misunderstanding.

That is why we have entered into this alliance, to set ourselves completely apart from the other two alliances. We want no more war, no more conflict. We will fight only to preserve our peace, and that of our direct allies.

We wish both alliances well, and mean no disrespect by setting ourselves apart as neutral. But we want it to be clear we have no interest in the political motives that may be hidden behind the smiles of diplomats.

Seems to us this is little more then those very smiles you so mock. But whatever your dreams may be, we wish you a glorious journey!

Following recent internal projects, our starship export rosters have changed.

The Turei assembly fleet yards will begin taking orders for the Aurora class frigate at once. This ship is now slated for purely export purposes (although a small number will be retained for exploration purposes). The ship features a warp 9.99 maximum speed, 2 Rapid Fire quantum launchers, a strong armour plating system and powerful shields. She totals out at a CR of 2920, with a mass of 1000kt. This vessel is ideal as a fast border patrol vessel, or well armed explorer. We will include the Phase cloak sensor array in the export package. All offers should be made through private channels.

In light of the recent push by others to offer various ships for sale the FKI wishes to remind the various powers of the ships it is able to offer for sale. The Exchequer Class destroyer boast a combat rating comfortably in excess of the best exportable designs and features a substantially more comprehensive weapons outfit. Additionally we offer both the Profit and Midas Class Battlecruisers which offer an armament again far in excess to that of other readily accessible vessels.

And unlike the other powers, who hold themselves out as neutral while engaging in various acts of barbarism and political insanity, the FKI are true neutrals. One would do well to consider that they could conclude deals with other powers offering ships for sale have attacked a world full of civilians, tested a weapon of mass destruction or had yet another revolution that invalidates your contract.

In reality there is one safe choice for the expensive and important process of purchasing starships in large numbers.

And of course you never had a coup that formed from the generosity, and vast stupidity, of the previous leaders.

Coming from a power that used barbarian tactics to even exist. You have no right to denounce us for the faults of an insane man who we ourselves removed from existence. We at least have the civility to honour what he was, a great man who was tainted by power.

By the revolution you speak of, you know as well as I that was a necessity. If we had not removed Alak'ai from power, then the Turei people would be dragged yet further into a quagmire of chaos.

Frankly, your thinly disguised tactics are more amusing than anything. You have never spoken out before now. You choose this exact moment to speak out, after we threaten the two things that have given the FKI any sort of position in the galaxy. The NEA threatens your so vaunted neutrality, because now one of the galaxies major powers (The Romulans) have taken up the cloth of neutrality. You are but a third rate power whose upset that one of the three largest empires has taken on a cloth similar to yours. Not only that, but you spit rhetoric and backhanded comments because another power might just be moving into the export market that you have dominated for so long.

Furthermore, having been duped by the our purchase of the Profit class. Taking advice from various sources, we have found the ships to feature an average armament by todays first rate standards, but they are substantially larger than equivalent Klingon or Federation designs. They may well be powerful ships, but cost a fortune to maintain. Why do you think we have stopped producing them? The second and third rate powers suit a far greater number of smaller ships, fast and powerful destroyers that can operate in wolfpacks. For 1 Profit class, you could construct 4 Aurora frigates. Yes, the Profit individually is a much more capable ship however 4 Aurora's brings a combined CR of over 11,000 PLUS a far greater flexibility of movement and deployments. The Exchequer we cannot comment on, our experience with FKI vessels has been plenty enough to stay well away.

And finally, we value our customer. They are not simply a sink of money to take and turn into a profit margin. Once a power has purchased or invested in a design, we will within 2 or 3 years of initial delivery make a product satisfaction transmission, as we have done with the Cardassian Union. In this we ask if the design caters for the buyer/investor's needs, and how it may be improved if it is not. We will consider financial reparation if it is not up to standard. We care about who we sell to. Having purchased from my "rival" no such care is given. The money is transferred to their account and then thats the end of it.

I would recommend not to get offended by the Ferengi's comment. They haven't changed much since their introduction onto the galactic scene. All they care about is profit. It makes them predictable.

We fully expect the Ferengi to defend their market. It is one area where they are more vicious than any warrior.

I have every right to take offense. The Ferengi have no right to chastise us for the mistakes of the past, mistakes that we did not condone. And even worse, is the horrific bad taste to include a billions of our people who died in their defence of their profits. I cannot deny what occured, and the actions the Praetor took in the name of our government are forever burned into our racial memory. This government has little or nothing to do with his.

That is understandable. Still, it is a pointless venture that changes nothing. The Ferengi will still continue as they have, viciously saying anything that may improve their profits. Its the one galactic certainty.

So be it. I merely wish to make my objections perfectly clear.

Several points.

1. The FKI would not exist and indeed could not have existed had not the large majority of the Ferengi people been ready to accept it. In truth they were held hostage by the inability of the previous regime to live up to the Ferengi ideals. The current government makes more in interest income than the previous government was taking in taxes by the end of the regime. It makes many times the trade. It makes tens of millions in supplying ships and other needs to its customers. Taxes are now lower than they have ever been before and government income is higher than it has ever been. The fact is the people were quite willing to sit by as the old regime was consigned to the dustbin of history.

2. The Romulan ambassador is quite right. We are out almost exclusively for profit. However we don't achieve this by cheating our customers. The Tueri negotiated and signed the contract for the Profit Class ships. They were made aware of the ships specifications and had the full cost of the contract presented to them up front. When they ran into financial difficulties the FKI renegotiated the deal to allow them more time to pay and not violate the contract. We did not once offer that such ships we in excess of the latest Federation or Klingon designs, mostly because we lack sufficient information to make an such assurances. It seems quite silly to blame others for a poor deal into which one entered with open eyes.

3. We don't fear the NEA in generally and certainly do not fear the Tueri at all. They feel quite safe sitting in that wasteland they call home. From there the speak big words. But their actions are those of frightened children. They sign contracts and then whine about the terms. They change government, change government again, change government again and change government yet again every time they encounter a difficulty. You are in alliances. You are out of alliances. You are going to be neutral. You are in yet another alliance. You are critical of our drive towards profit but it seems a better motive than the Tueri's misguided and chaotic reach for galactic relevance and power. You are small and weak. Your sense of security within your cluster lets you speak with the authority of a man when you really are nothing more than a child hiding behind the galaxy's version of his mothers skirt.


Neutrality does not mean forming another alliance and promptly getting into spats when someone says something slightly critical of your regime. Neutrality means to be open to doing business with all powers on the same terms. You are entitled to your alliance as others are to their own. But we scoff at any suggestion that this NEA represents a neutral way in the galaxy when the first act of the Tueri after signing this deal is to claim they were "cheated" by a contract negotiated openly between the two powers simply because you no longer find the terms to be favorable to you.

We do regret the forming of this alliance if it means we have to hear more from the two wayward midgets that our friends in the Romulan Star Confederation have chosen to take on as burdens of the state. The galaxy seems a simpler place when the Shelliak and Tueri are chastened and quite rather than puffed up and yapping at the world like a small dog.

:: laughs ::

Words ambassador, words. You took advantage of our galactic niavete and lack of knowledge in the world and you know it. We've kept our end of the deal, and granted you have been gracious enough with the Profit deal.

But you misunderstand your place in the galaxy. You are just as third rate as I. You are rich beyond our comprehension but sit and idle. Whether this be due to your aim of profit or not, it is irrelavent. If I am weak and insignificant, so be it. Your eyes are already tinted, why waste my time on such pathetic pursuits as to please them. But you are no different. Your space may be larger but it is weakly defended. You may be on at least neutral terms with the other powers but you are dismissed as a fringe power with little morals above taking others money. You are a decadent mogul, a petty loanshark. I never once acused you of cheating. I accused you of shoddy design work.

You're idea of neutrality is flawed. Neutrality is an ideal, not a business doctrine. It is to not garner an opinion on anothers race, not care whether they are imperial or democratic. We have no such opinions of any other power. We have an opinion on yours because you have openly slandered our race. It's little more than blatant racism. Frankly, I am quite content to leave your kind counting their beans in the holes.

My friends, today I speak to you much calmer than I did just over a year ago. We have successfully collapsed the wormhole, and stood guard for any opening. That opening has not come, and has not come, and has not come. The wormhole is closed permanently it seems. Therefore, the Anti-Borg Task Force, which has served this Quadrant well for many years, now finds itself with no purpose or mission, and therefore they will be disbanded. All forces are released to their national governments again.

Passage through the Federation will be granted once a request has been directed to the government privately.