Star Trek: Nexus

"This next report, I will take the lead," Kumaarke announced, her voice calm yet commanding as she addressed the gathered leaders. She spoke with the authority granted to her by the Lukari Concordium. "It was by my government's invitation that the events of Stardate 87759 began. With the talks at Cardassia Prime ending as we all expected…" She cast a pointed glance at the empty chair, where a representative from the Cardassian Union would have sat—had it not been for their notorious stubbornness and pride. "I invited Nexus to Lukar V, and we welcomed them to our homeworld with open arms."

"And quite a fine homeworld you have, Admiral," Anzyl Praxas interjected with a genuine smile, clearly grateful. "Thank you again for the invitation. The welcoming ceremony and tour of your capital were truly the highlights of that mission."

D'Tan, leader of the Romulan Republic, rolled his eyes impatiently. "Spare me the diplomatic pleasantries. Can we talk about how you blew up an inhabited planet?"

"The destruction of New Kentar was not the Captain's fault!" Kumaarke shot back, her voice rising as she slammed her fist onto the table, radiating frustration. "I was there. The crews of the LSS Reskava and Rentari are all eyewitnesses to the events over New Kentar. Captain Praxas followed protocol to the letter. I say it only adds validity to the threat posed by the Fek'ihri."

Fleet Admiral Quinn, ever the diplomat, raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Let's take a step back, both of you," he said evenly. "We've all read the reports." He turned to Kumaarke and nodded. "Admiral, I agree—the Nexus crew is not to blame for this incident." He then shook his head slightly as he looked down at his data pad. "How many times did we warn the Kentari government that their mismanagement of the planet would lead to their own demise? That was the reason they were refused entry into the Alliance in the first place."

L'Rell, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, scoffed. "Only a leadership composed of complete fools would allow such devastation. Polluting and rotting their homeworld—"

"Second homeworld," Anzyl interjected, raising two fingers. "Their first homeworld, Kentar, is also a lifeless husk. Desolated, barren…" He paused, suddenly struck by an idea. His eyes met Kumaarke's with a spark of inspiration. "Admiral, do you think it's possible to reclaim Old Kentar with a proto-matter warhead? Just like we did with New Kentar—reset the planet to…"

Kumaarke's eyes lit up, immediately catching on to his train of thought. "Reconstitute the matter and base elements on Old Kentar—make it a fresh, new planet!" Her excitement grew as she clapped her hands together. "With terraforming platforms and biomatter seed distributors, we could migrate back to Old Kentar! We Lukari could return to our ancestral home!"

Quinn smiled, nodding thoughtfully. "It would give the Lukari people a much larger plot of land to repopulate and restore. A fresh Class-M planet for the Khitomer Alliance, too. If you two think it's possible, you have my vote."

L'Rell grunted her approval. "Wiping the last stain of that vile leadership, with a fresh, clean homeworld? The Empire supports this."

D'Tan, however, frowned. "And what of the Romulan people? Don't we deserve a new Romulus after the Supernova destroyed our home?"

Loriss, the Vorta liaison, couldn't help but interject with thinly veiled annoyance. "You have New Romulus in the Azure Sector. Or have Alliance resources been wasted building you an amusement park there?"

D'Tan sulked into his chair, conceding with a reluctant nod. Indeed, they already had a Class-M planet in the Beta Quadrant named New Romulus. There was no argument left for him to make.

"Well then, it's settled," Kumaarke beamed, her excitement palpable. "I'll inform the Lukari Concordium of this initiative at once!"

"And now that that's resolved," Quinn said, steering the meeting forward. He looked up at Anzyl with a smile. "Stardate 87792. It seems your Chief Engineer pulled off another engineering miracle, Captain. Reviving the classified entity known as Mr. Tuvix? How is he faring aboard your ship?"

Anzyl smiled warmly at the mention. "Mr. Tuvix is quickly becoming a valued member of the crew. While no longer able to hold an official Starfleet position, his combined knowledge—Tuvok's logic and Neelix's warmth—makes him an honorary counselor aboard the Nexus. Counselor Diela's workload has lightened considerably. It seems many crew members just need a sympathetic ear, a good drink, and some solid advice. And I must say, Tuvix's cooking has improved dramatically since he became Galleykeep."

Quinn nodded, clearly impressed. "Has he spoken to Admirals Tuvok or Janeway since his… rematerialization?"

Anzyl hesitated for a moment before answering. "I… didn't ask. Mr. Tuvix knows where to find them, but he said, 'That's water under the bridge.' He'd rather not 'bark up the wrong tree' or 'open that can of worms,' as he put it."

L'Rell frowned in confusion. "I understood none of that."

"Me neither," Anzyl admitted with a shrug. "But I trust his judgment to leave the past in the past."

Quinn smiled and nodded. "Fair enough. Moving on to our last report—Stardate 87502. How was 13 Ceti in the Mizar Sector?"

Anzyl shrugged. "Fairly routine, nothing unusual to report."

Quinn then softened, his demeanor becoming more personal as he leaned forward. "And how was your Zhian'tara? I know from personal experience, it was one of the most enlightening moments of my nine lifetimes."

Kumaarke leaned in, excited. "Ah yes, your 'Rite of Closure.' Lusaalli mentioned it in her last communication—she was honored you asked her to be your temporary host."

Anzyl shifted uncomfortably, his cheeks turning a light shade of red. Sharing the intimate details of his Zhian'tara ritual with the Alliance Council wasn't something he had anticipated. "It was… enlightening, to say the least. I learned a lot about myself, got some important questions answered."

Sensing his unease, Quinn smiled with understanding and placed his data pad down. "No need to delve into personal affairs. That was the last report you submitted before returning to base." He straightened up and looked around the room. "I think we've heard enough, don't you all?"

The other leaders nodded in agreement. Quinn turned to Anzyl with a kind smile. "Captain, if you would please excuse us. We have much to discuss and deliberate. Feel free to grab some lunch. We'll summon you when we're ready to move on to the next stage of your review."

Quinn stood, his smile still proud but clearly signaling the end of Anzyl's part in the meeting. Anzyl rose from his seat and offered a polite nod before making his way toward the exit, leaving the council to their deliberations.