Cooperation

Captain Anzyl Praxas sat before the imposing panel of Khitomer Alliance leaders, his every report, decision, and action over the past year meticulously scrutinized. The room was a blend of cultures—Starfleet's precision, Klingon intensity, Romulan formality, and Dominion poise, all united under the fragile peace of the Khitomer Accords. Anzyl's posture was steady, but he knew that this review was no simple formality—it was a test of his command and his place in this delicate political web.

Admiral Quinn cleared his throat, resuming the review. "Stardate 87100: After the awards ceremony, you completed work on a new personal armament which you dubbed 'Nouliths.'" He looked up from his PADD with a raised brow. "The specs are... intriguing. Do you think we should consider mass production for standard issue?"

Anzyl shook his head. "It was only a prototype, Admiral. The base mechanism—the Mind Meld Device—was also a prototype, developed by the crew of the USS Discovery, specifically Dr. Stamets, who—"

"—Whose whereabouts are highly classified," Quinn interjected with a curt nod, acknowledging the secrecy surrounding Stamets. "Understood."

Anzyl continued, "We attempted to replicate the technology, but the MMD was designed with my unique physiology and neurological makeup. Each Noulith set would need to be personalized to every individual wearer, down to the cellular level."

Loriss, the Dominion representative, let out a sigh. "Making 'standard issue' anything but standard. Even for the Jem'Hadar, it would be inefficient."

"Precisely," Anzyl nodded. "The concept is intriguing, but it's wholly unique. Hardly worth the effort to make it standard issue."

Quinn moved on. "Stardate 87107: The incident on Bajor at the Gratitude Festival." He shuddered visibly. "Symbiote poachers. Every joined Trill's worst nightmare."

L'Rell, the fierce Klingon Chancellor, smirked in approval as she glanced at her datapad. "Lieutenant Commander Veirik fought with the precision of a true warrior. Single-handedly, he slew his enemies with a ferocity that even Kahless would envy."

D'Tan, leader of the Romulan Republic, was less impressed. "And yet, the poachers still managed to escape."

Kumaarke, the calm, analytical Lukari representative, interjected. "In fairness, the captain was the victim here. These reports come from his first officer, Mr. O'Reilly. By all accounts, this report praises the valor of the Nexus crew, not the failures of Captain Praxas."

"Agreed," Quinn added. "Symbiote poachers are an ever-present threat. Captain Praxas was the victim of a heinous crime, but thanks to the bravery of the Nexus crew, another symbiote was saved, and a notorious Ferengi crime lord was taken down in the process." He gave Anzyl a proud nod. "Moving on."

"Stardate 87137," Quinn read aloud, "The Borg showed up at the Khitomer & Delta Alliances' Trade, Shipping, and Cargo Conference."

L'Rell scowled, unfamiliar with the Borg as a personal enemy. "These 'Borg'—from what I've read, they are parasites without honor."

D'Tan sighed. "Parasite is a fitting description. But I was under the impression that Captain Janeway crippled the Borg in the Delta Quadrant."

Anzyl nodded. "She did. But after an investigation, we discovered it was a remnant of the Borg—stowed away on a Pakled vessel—that reactivated and triggered the incident."

Loriss sneered. "Pakleds. The most pathetic excuse for a space-faring species. The Dominion would never have allowed them to prosper in the Gamma Quadrant."

Kumaarke countered coolly, "No, the Founders would have genetically altered them to serve as mindless drones."

Loriss shot a glare at the Lukari representative, her expression tightening in silent acknowledgment of the truth in Kumaarke's words. After all, the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar were living examples of such genetic engineering.

"Regardless of who reactivated the Borg drones," Quinn interrupted, skillfully steering the discussion back on track, "It's fortunate that the Nexus was present. Who knew installing the Nausicaan Plasmonic Leech system aboard would prove so effective against the Borg?"

Anzyl's face lit up. "Yes, Admiral, and with the Cooperative's help, they provided us with Cooperative Nanites to regenerate the hull. Tey'un and Stitch were able to divert power from the Plasmonic Leech to the Nanite Replicators. Now, the harder the battle, the more energy the Nexus drains from its enemies, and the faster the ship regenerates. It's as if the ship fights harder the more damage it takes."

L'Rell's brow furrowed. "This Starfleet techno-babble makes little sense. Explain it in terms I can understand."

Anzyl nodded, straightening. "The Nausicaans installed a Plasmonic Leech array during the Nexus' construction. It's a beam array that not only damages a target but also drains their energy, redirecting it to our own systems."

L'Rell's grin widened, understanding dawning. "Shoot their shields, drain their power, and strengthen your own. I get that. But how does this 'heal' your ship?"

Anzyl smiled, pointing with a knowing gesture. "That's where the Borg Cooperative comes in."

L'Rell interrupted, confused. "I thought the Borg were the enemy?"

"The Borg Collective, yes," Anzyl clarified. "But the Borg Cooperative are liberated drones who've joined the Alliance. They're the 'good Borg.'"

L'Rell nodded approvingly. "Cooperative good. Collective bad. Continue."

"The Cooperative contributed Borg Nanites to the Nexus. They're microscopic robots that repair the ship at the molecular level. The catch is, they're slow and energy-intensive."

L'Rell's eyes gleamed with understanding. "But by using the energy drained from the Plasmonic Leech, you supercharge the Nanite Replicators! The harder you fight, the more energy you drain, the faster your ship heals. Ingenious!"

Anzyl grinned proudly.

L'Rell let out a booming laugh, slamming her fist on the table. "Captain, if we can get these systems on every Alliance ship, shipyards and casualties would become relics of the past!"

Anzyl nodded in agreement, his excitement matching hers.

"The Borg Cooperative is fully on board with the idea," Quinn added, "but the Nausicaans... they were difficult to convince. It took extensive negotiations just to get the one Plasmonic Leech installed on the Nexus."

L'Rell bared her teeth in a fierce grin. "Leave the Nausicaans to me, Federation. I will 'negotiate' with them personally."

"How many barrels of bloodwine will you need?" Anzyl quipped, knowing full well what Klingon negotiations often entailed.

L'Rell burst out laughing, her voice echoing through the chamber. "PAH! This Federation captain knows how to deal with Klingons! I like him!"

The rest of the panel smiled in relief as the tension eased. Anzyl knew he had passed another trial in the gauntlet of his review, but he also knew there was still more to come.