The Fall of Lucis V - Part Two

Posted on Mon Jun 29th, 2026 @ 6:25am by Captain Nycolas Temple

Recap: The Lucis System was in the outer rim of Federation territory, partly crossing into the Neutral Zone. It consisted of six planets, four of which were habitable. The Federation had built a colony on the tropical garden planet of Lucis V around twenty years prior, gaining a trade and diplomatic foothold in the region. Lucis II and VI both had native inhabitants - the Lucii and the Nifleheim respectively, who had a long history of conflict between them. Nearby was the planet Gaspar, which was loosely controlled by the Cardassians, and existed as a black-market trade hub and a sprawling den of slums and brothels.

Though the planets were currently at peace, strained tensions and deep distrust remained.

Lieutenant Nycolas Temple had been stationed on Lucis V as Chief of Security, while also moonlighting as a Starfleet Intelligence agent for his mentor and friend, Commodore Cameron Thurston. They were supposedly working on assignment for "Project Angel", which was to prevent a growing Cardassian presence in the region, as well as investigate a possible secret collusion with the Nifleheim, and their use of "rogue" armies to commit targeted raids on civilian targets. One such Cardassian rogue, Tomar Gammit, launched a heinous terrorist attack in the busy city of Gaspar. The shocking action killed and wounded thousands, and as a result Project Angel was paused indefinitely. Commodore Thurston and his new wife Sarah were supposedly reassigned, and they left Lucis V soon after.

However, once Thurston left, Temple discovered that Starfleet Intelligence had no idea about Project Angel or the Commodore's activities.

Meanwhile, Nycolas had fallen in love with Emilie, the head-strong daughter of Lucis V's colonial Governor Stanus Fleuret. Emilie helped Nycolas recover after he was gravely injured during the terrorist attack, which had cemented their relationship and united the young couple. Despite only being together for a few months, Nycolas knew he wanted to marry Emilie. Nycolas' proposal to Emilie was interrupted when Tomar Gammit launched an attack on Lucis V. Nycolas helped to defend the city from the attack and personally detained Tomar, but the Cardassian was rescued by his crew. In recognition for his efforts, Nycolas was named a Guardian of Lucis and received a ceremonial jacket.

In the months that followed, Nyx and Emilie planned their wedding - unaware that Tomar was already plotting his second attack.

ON:

[Lucius V - Spring, 2385]

In the center of Lucis V's burgeoning city was a quiet little garden park. There was a field of grass no bigger than an acre, with a tree-lined walking path around it, a pond, a small playground, and a white wooden Victorian-style gazebo in the middle. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, this gazebo had been adorned with wild-flowers and ribbons and surrounded by chairs, as a small audience of no more than thirty people watched Nycolas Temple and Emilie Fleuret exchange their wedding vows. The ceremony was a small, private affair, even by Lucian standards, just a simple ceremony for close friends, a few family members, and some Starfleet officers.

In the gazebo, Nycolas was stood in his Starfleet Dress uniform, with his Lucian Guardian jacket worn over the top. Behind him was his brother Magnus, a dopey big grin on his face. Emilie wore a white lace gown with a wild-flower bouquet in her hands. Her father, Governor Stanus Fleuret, was by her side, beaming like the proud papa that he was. The officiant was a clerk from city hall, who stood before the happy couple and their audience, giving a brief but joyful sermon on the institution of marriage. There was the sound of afternoon birds chirping and the soft rustling of trees echoing across the formal declarations, as the couple made their vows...

"I, Nycolas William Temple of Earth, take thee, Emilie Fleuret of Lucis V, as my partner and spouse..." Nycolas spoke.

"I, Emilie Fleuret of Lucis V, take thee, Nycolas William Temple of Earth, as my partner and spouse..." Emilie said.

After the vows came the passing of rings between them, then their hands bound together by a silk ribbon, and finally - as was custom on the planet - a representative family member of the couple stood and adorned them both in a hand-woven shawl, made from the silk of a tree in the Lucian forest. Being covered in the shawl from the Lucian tree symbolized the planet's embrace of the couple and that their union was protected by it. Emilie's father Stanus did the shawl honors for his daughter, while Nycolas - in his father's unsurprising absence - had his brother Magnus fulfil the role. Nycolas had once assumed that Cameron Thurston, his de-facto father figure and mentor, would be the one by his side, but Nycolas had not heard from him for months. Just like his real father, Thurston had turned into an absent disappointment.

Magnus, however, was thrilled to do the honors. He beamed as he stood before his brother and lifted the shawl over his shoulders. Magnus had a tear in his eye as he did, so proud to see his older sibling was creating his own family, and getting married to a person that he clearly adored. He gave a short, lip-quivering nod, unable to find the words to convey his deep pride and happiness. Nycolas returned the nod, his own eyes welling in response. The Temple brothers had relied on each other for so much support while growing up together thanks to their perpetually busy mother and their disgraced father - so, to perform this custom on Nycolas' wedding day felt incredibly special and only right for Magnus to do so.

"Thank you." Nycolas managed to choke out. Emilie saw the exchange and squeezed her husband's hand supportively.

Magnus turned to Emilie, "It's not too late to back out, you know." He whispered to her.

Emilie laughed loudly then she shook her head. "Wouldn't dream of it." She smiled as she reached out and gave her brother-in-law a hug.

"With the adornment of the marriage cloak, I declare Nycolas and Emilie legally wed!" Cried the city officiant, and the watching crowd stood from their seats and applauded.

.....

Later that evening, the newlyweds had eschewed a formal, sit-down reception in favor of a festive celebration in the Danish custom of Polterabend, where guests partook in outdoor games in the park, before making it to a hotel bar for an evening of food and drinks. Emilie had changed out of her dress and into a shorter, linen skirt and Nycolas removed his dress uniform for a casual shirt and pants, though he still wore the Guardian of Lucis jacket. The newlyweds kicked up their heels with their guests, dancing the night away.

At some point before the party became too rowdy, Magnus had interrupted proceedings to give his Best Man's speech. It was a typically heart-warming affair, sprinkled with Magnus' sardonic humor. He finished by finally conveying how deeply proud he was of his brother, and thankful to Emilie for willingly marrying into this family. Stanus Fleuret then stood and gave his speech, touching the room with memories of his deceased wife, Emilie's mother, knowing how happy she would be to see this day. He spoke of how Emilie had grown into an independent, strong, caring person, always fighting for the good of the colony and its people. He had no doubt that together, Emilie and Nycolas would build a beautiful family.

After the speeches, Nycolas was walking around the room, thanking everyone for coming. The Governor approached him, a broad and slightly tipsy smile on his face.

"Nyk, my boy. My son!" Stanus Fleuret loudly exclaimed, "I can call you that now, huh?"

"Yes, sir," Nycolas gave an embarrassed smile. The connotation did not fill him with any joy at all. He didn't want Stanus to be his new father figure because they had a long history of failing and leaving him. "You are my father-in-law now."

"Come now, I want us to be closer than that. You're my family now. The son I always wanted." Stanus complained, he wildly threw open his arms and in doing so spilled his half-drunk wine. "I knew you and Emilie would be together that first day you arrived here. Remember? When you and Commodore Thurston came to my office? She's such a spirited campaigner. Always has been."

Nycolas scanned around the room and found Emilie dancing with Magnus, the two laughing it up. "Indeed." He simply nodded.

Stanus leaned in, conspiratorially, "I have a surprise for you." He half-whispered, half-yelled. "You are my son now, and while I know you've been over the moons looking forward to this wedding, I can also tell you've been a little down, too. And, well, I think I know why."

With that, the Governor pulled Nycolas by the arm, out of the bar and into the lobby. Nycolas was intrigued by his father-in-law's premise, all too aware that Stanus was slightly drunk but he was very earnestly wanting a familial relationship with Nycolas. Stanus clearly wanted this father-son bond more than he allowed himself to say, and he thought he had the perfect gift to show how much he cared for Nycolas.

"Ta-da!" The Governor cried out.

Standing in the lobby was Commodore Cameron Thurston. He was wearing a Starfleet uniform and a hesitant look in his eyes. The Commodore gave a meek smile as he locked eyes with Temple, "Hello, Lieutenant. It's been a while."

Nycolas stood dumb founded, the breath leaving his lungs.

"I arranged for him to come back for the wedding!" Stanus happily explained. He was buzzing with excitement, eager to see Nycolas' no-doubt ecstatic response.

Nycolas seethed with anger, eyes withering, his body tensed as if to fight. But then he caught a look at his father-in-law, seeing Stanus' eyes filled with hope and earning for approval. Stanus was completely unaware of the change in Nycolas' relationship with Thurston. He didn't know that Thurston had lied about being his commander, lied about Project Angel, lied about being part of Starfleet Intelligence, and even lied about being an active member of Starfleet. Thurston had also not bothered to contact Nycolas for months, likely aware that his deceit had been uncovered, and leaving the Lieutenant to feel abandoned and betrayed. For Stanus, he thought he was reuniting two close friends and comrades.

And despite the growing anger inside, Nycolas could not allow himself to disappoint his new father-in-law. He felt that same urge to be the compliant, respectful son that he had felt with his real father, and with Thurston once upon a time. The urge to make them happy by pretending to be happy... so that they wouldn't leave...

"Thank you." Nycolas put on a smile, breathing out his appreciation through gritted teeth. He shook Stanus' hand as he did. "I was just so shocked; it took me a second to sink in. Such a surprise!"

Thurston just stood pensively, though he nodded along with the Lieutenant's lie.

"Of course." Stanus laughed, his nerves slowly fading. He had sensed a strain in young Nycolas' voice, but his face was conveying happiness (mostly) and Stanus was relieved. "I had to pull a few strings to make this happen, you know." He said jovially.

"I almost didn't make it." Thurston added on for effect.

"I'm so glad you did." Nycolas lied again, barely looking at the man.

"Don't be so formal." Stanus laughed, "You can give him a hug, I won't tell Starfleet you broke protocol."

Despite every fiber of his being filling with electric rage, Nycolas leaned over and gave Thurston a half-body hug, slapping him on the back twice for good measure. Thurston winced as Temple's hand struck him just a little bit too hard. But he kept the pained smiled on his face, to continue the charade in front of the Governor.

"Aww, what a happy reunion. Well, I'll let you two catch up. I have a daddy-daughter dance to do!" Stanus giggled as he floundered away back to the bar. "Come join us for a drink, Commodore."

As soon as the Governor was gone, Nycolas' face fell.

There was the unmistakable sound of a phaser powering up.

Thurston looked down and he saw that Nycolas had a phaser in his left hand, and it was pointed at his chest. Meanwhile, Thurston's own hand was stopped mid-air, caught reaching for Nycolas' right side.

“You switched your holster side.” Thurston remarked, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't been fast enough.

“I had to." Nycolas replied coldly. "After Gaspar.”

Thurston took a step back and held up his hands. "Alright, what now, Lieutenant? What's the plan?"

"Outside." Nycolas ordered, indicating to the nearby doorway with the phaser. He didn't want to have this conversation in possible proximity to Emilie, or the rest of his family and friends. "Now."

Moving out into the crisp Spring evening, the two walked silently into an alleyway, away from the entrance and off the street so that they wouldn't be overheard. Nycolas looked to the man standing opposite him. Once his friend, his mentor. Thurston had the same face, same soft eyes, same firm half smile that he'd always had. But he was someone different now, a stranger had taken his place.

"Who are you?!" Nycolas demanded with a snarled lip.

"Commodore Cameron Thurston, of Starfleet." Thurston insisted firmly.

"Liar." Nycolas spat back, "You retired from S.I."

"From Intelligence, yes," Thurston nodded, "But not from Starfleet. I have been working covertly for Project Angel. Our mission, bringing stability and security to the Lucis region. That's what I was doing. All of that was true, Lieutenant."

"Lies!" Nycolas hissed again. He knew he couldn’t lose his temper, but the feelings were boiling inside of him. "Starfleet had no record of Project Angel. Admiral Sykunno had no knowledge of it. You have clearly gone rogue!"

"Of course he wouldn't know." Thurston protested, allowing himself to laugh a little. "He was not part of the mission. We prefer to keep our details clinically need-to-know only. You were part of that group once, Nycolas, remember that."

"Oh I remember." Nycolas seethed, "I remember almost being killed in Gaspar because of your mission. I remember the screams of innocent people dying from plasma grenades raining down upon them from the Cardassians because of your mission. The Cardassians who were looking to stop us, Commodore, because they found out about your mission and they wanted to stop intel from Gaspar reaching us. I followed you because I thought it was in the name of the Federation. I followed you!" He shrugged, "Now I don't know who you are."

Thurston sighed, shaking his head, "I came back here because I thought you were ready to talk. To return to our mission."

"Stanus brought you here, not me." Nycolas retorted. "And there is no mission! Project Angel doesn't exist!"

"It does." Thurston replied simply. "Others and I within our group are still working to secure the Lucis sector. We'd like you to join us, again, Nycolas. I would, too. And you will see how important it is that we act now to stop another Gaspar from occurring."

"What group?" The younger officer rejected the Commodore's attempts at emotional resonance with him.

"There are times, Nycolas, when the defense of the Federation requires extraordinary action." Thurston calmly explained. "We felt the Cardassian threat to the region required such action."

Shaking his head, Temple didn't want to hear the justification, "Answer the question. If you are not working for Starfleet Intelligence, who do you work for? How is Starfleet allowing you to run a covert mission like this, without the Admiral's knowledge?"

"Because it's in the constitution." Thurston shrugged plainly.

"Tell me!" Temple insisted. "Or I'll have no choice but to arrest you and hand you over to Starfleet myself." He glared at Thurston. "I will do it."

"I am telling you," The Commodore put on a calm smile. "Project Angel, everything you've done for Lucis. It was necessary, it was sanctioned by the Federation constitution."

"How?" Nycolas insisted. “What are you talking about the constitution for?”

"Because the answer is written in there," Thurston insisted, "Federation Constitution. Article fourteen. Section thirty one.”

Nyx’s eyes widened.

"Thirty-one." He breathed out quietly, the realization spreading over him like a wave.

"Correct." Thurston nodded. He revealed a black Starfleet badge under the lapel of his tunic. "I work for Section 31."

The Lieutenant knew vague ideas of Section 31 from his time in S.I, though the details were scant at best. The unofficial/official line being that they were simply covert reconnaissance agents. But he had also heard the rumors of black ops missions, a lawless group who did unspeakable things that Starfleet would rather not know about, whose very existence could never be confirmed because their operations would shame the Federation. They were the boogey man to any Starfleet officer, the shadow cast by Starfleet's shining high moralistic light. Until now, Nycolas had never quite believed either explanation - it was all too fanciful. He had remained disinterested in knowing if they truly existed beyond a rumour. But now, Thurston's words confirmed the truth - 31 were real and they were fully operational. And he had been working for them.

"But..." Nycolas was winded. "How?"

"We take the measures that Starfleet or Intelligence cannot, in order to protect the Federation." Thurston explained, "Project Angel is our operation to protect Lucis V and prevent the Cardassians from gaining a foothold in the region. You were part of that operation."

"I... " Nycolas stammered, his mind racing. "You had me working for Section 31?"

Thurston nodded again. "And you did excellently."

"That whole time?" Temple stammered, "How did I not know?"

"You didn't need to know to complete the mission, Lieutenant." Thurston merely shrugged. "That's how we work. We used codenames and phrases to protect 31 while still undertaking our assignment. The mission comes first."

"OH!" Temple suddenly remembered, "So the code phrases. The 'three flowers in the vase and the middle one is green'? That was part of it, too?" Nycolas asked. Once the thread had been pulled, the whole rug was falling apart in front of his eyes.

"Part of our process." Thurston nodded, "To ensure security and compliance. Code phrases like that allow us to communicate freely with other agents. They change per project, per team."

Nycolas shook his head. He allowed himself to feel the weight of the realization and dropped his body stance. In this moment, the information was not making him feel any better. If anything, the betrayal had just grown deeper.

"You turned me into a Section 31 Agent." Nycolas said quietly, "Without my knowledge or consent?"

"Your psychological profile indicated a conditional subservience to Starfleet protocol, with an over-abundant sense of responsibility towards keeping other people safe. While you know right from wrong, you will more likely believe the end can justify the means if it involves protecting the innocent." Thurston explained, his tone calculatingly cold. "If I said from the outset that this assignment was from Section 31, you were unlikely to volunteer. We believed you needed to start working for the mission first, see what we were doing, and then get all the details later. You participated so eagerly because you believed it was an important mission in the name of the Federation, and that doing so would enhance your career in Starfleet Intelligence. Had you not joined, the Project would have suffered. You have a skill for this, which necessitated the omission of all the details. At first."

Temple shook his head and turned slightly, allowing himself to rub his forehead. "That is some bullshit justification." He protested. "I deserved to know, and to make my own decisions."

"Come on, Temple, I've seen you out in the field." Thurston replied, his tone turning to encouragement, "The solo missions, infiltration, espionage, even... eliminating threats? You enjoyed it."

Nycolas looked down at his hands, a pang of guilt rising through himself. He gave a short nod. "I did." He looked back at Thurston, eyes withering. "So, what does that make me?"

"It makes you good at your job." Thurston replied earnestly, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think so. We were making progress in this sector, helping to keep everyone safe. Only Section 31 could provide the resources and freedom to do what we need to do, to keep Project Angel alive. That's an important mission."

Temple looked back up to his friend, as he furrowed his brow. "My mission is Chief of Security for Lucis V. And to be a husband to Emilie." He relented a little, "But I do want to protect this planet. It's my home now."

"As do I." Thurston nodded, "I believe had Starfleet not interfered here, causing us to shut down, we would have been able to stop Tomar Gammit from attacking the colony. We would have seen it coming and stopped it."

Nycolas frowned, "Tomar is well-funded and armed. He is not just some wayward ex-commander."

"Indeed." Thurston nodded, "Remember, we were investigating whether his brother Sonar was funding his rogue army? If we find a link between the two, we can present the evidence to Starfleet, who will directly take it up with the Cardassians. By exposing the Gammit brother's operations to the Cardassians, we will shut them down. That keeps everyone safe."

Temple had re-holstered his phaser inside the left side of his jacket pocket and went to lean against a nearby wall. The information dropped upon him was swirling around his head, but most importantly he was beginning to wonder if Thurston was right. There was an uneasiness in his stomach.

Finally, he spoke, "If this mission is so righteous and important, then Starfleet should know about it." Temple said seriously, "They need to help us."

"They can't, officially," Thurston shrugged, "This colony is enough of a provocation as it is. The Lucii, the Nifleheim, and the Cardassians only tolerate it because it's largely a civilian city. Should Starfleet start operating out of this sector, bringing in more ships, claiming rights of sovereignty, it will only invite further escalation. That's why we need to work in the shadows."

Nycolas threw up his hands. "You're asking me to be a liar. Like you."

"I'm asking you to help us protect your city." Thurston said seriously, eyes focusing on the young officer. "We have intelligence that Tomar is regrouping allies, rebuilding his army. He's planning something." Thurston suddenly had a PADD in his hand, and he held it out to Temple.

Nycolas looked down at the PADD, knowing it contained the briefing notes for the mission. A Section 31 mission. “I… can’t. I won’t work for some ghost organization.” He said, turning his back.

“You’d be working for me, again.” The Commodore insisted, as he looked earnestly to his protégé. “Like old times.”

Temple turned and looked to the PADD, then back up to Thurston. The same face from before. Still, he hesitated.

"Lieutenant." Thurston insisted, raising his eyebrows. "There are three flowers in a vase."

Nycolas looked up to him, his jaw flexing reluctantly.

......

Emilie and Nycolas had chosen to honeymoon in a few locations - firstly to Betazoid to see his extended family and visit the graves of his beloved grandfather and mother. William Temple had been a big influence on his life for so many years, the very reason young Nycolas had chosen Starfleet to begin with. His grandmother had taught him so much about his Betazoid side and provided comfort while his parents were AWOL.

The couple had then travelled to Paris, Earth, where Nycolas reluctantly introduced Emilie to his mother, Brigitte.

"Well of course I would have loved to have been there." Brigitte said as they sat in the lobby of her favorite hotel in Paris. "But I had diplomatic symposium on the outer Alpha Quadrant powers. Do you know there's an entire region of space beyond the Breen corridor we have yet to establish any diplomatic presence in?" She sighed, "It's called the Inconnu - "

"Mother." Nycolas interjected impatiently, "We have enough to worry about in our own sector."

"Oh, right, the Lucis system." Brigette regarded her new daughter in law with that quietly skeptical face she loved to do. "You were born there?"

"Yes." Emilie spoke firmly, "We have some sense of peace right now, but it is fragile to say the least."

"Never say the least, darling, our time in the living world is far too brief to keep pulling your punches. Speak wholly." Brigette's tone was warm, but her words were not. "You are right to be concerned, but not for the reasons you think."

Brigette was a deft political operator, she knew what was happening with the Department of the Exterior before they did. Nycolas and Emilie shared a confused look between them - concerned by her words.

"How so?" Emilie asked.

"The Lucii and the Nifleheim are signing a peace accord." Brigitte replied plainly, "That's what we're hearing. A backdoor deal was reached between them."

"But that's good news?" Nycolas insisted, "It will mean our colony won't be caught in the crossfire of any war between them."

The words 'our colony' had stung Brigitte. She didn't like her son having a new home. Still, she confided in them, "The pact was made in secret between them, without the Federation's involvement. That is very alarming to us. The two planets have negotiated an agreement in absentia of the Federation, meaning they do not intend on including your colony within its peaceful purpose."

"You think they will team up against the Federation? Against Lucis V?" Emilie felt a fear running through her. They were so far away from her home, from her father, she dreaded thinking what could happen now.

"Perhaps." Brigitte shrugged. "But they are showing that they do not need, nor want, the Federation involved."

"After we worked for years to keep the Cardassians at bay, and to prevent any further bloodshed between them?" Nycolas sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Some thanks."

"Never expect a thank you, Nycolas." Brigitte had warned, "I have always told you that. You must always expect others to serve their own purposes first."

Nycolas gave a side look to Emilie that plainly said that he was well-aware of that fact. If Brigitte noticed, she didn't say anything.

"Starfleet needs to consider the security of your colony." She merely stated. "This is not good news."

......

"Great news!" Governor Fleuret was positively beaming as he greeted Nycolas and Emilie back from their honeymoon. He was waiting at the shuttle pad and ran up to greet his daughter and son-in-law warmly as they stepped off the shuttle.

Emilie wrapped her arms around her father and squeezed tightly. "It's good to see you, too, dad." She said.

Stanus looked at his daughter, a smile on his face, "Look at my baby girl, off gallivanting across the galaxy." He turned to Nycolas, "I hope you two don't make a habit of it."

Nycolas was pulled into a hug by Stanus as he tried to answer. "Oh! Oof. Well no, we're back now. I don't intend on seeing my mother too much."

"She should come here!" Stanus suggested brightly.

"No!" Both Emilie and Nycolas immediately replied, their insistent tone surprising Stanus.

"You said you had good news?" Nycolas changed the subject. He grabbed hold of his carry case as they walked off the shuttle pad and towards the City Hall building.

"We've been approached by the Nifleheim and the Lucii. They would like us to send a delegation to Lucis II to witness the signing of a new peace agreement between them."

A look of concern crossed over Nycolas face, he was troubled by this suggestion. "Why us?"

"Neutral observers." Stanus shrugged, "Both parties want to ensure the other is not screwing them over, I guess."

"But if the treaty is already written, how could we interject?" Emilie asked, her tone matching her husband's caution. "If we found something, surely it is too late?"

Stanus thought about that and nodded, "I don't know. Maybe they are yet to finalize the wording and want us to give an outside perspective?"

"By 'us', do they mean the Federation or Starfleet?" Nycolas asked.

"No, they mean the colony. We'd be going as representatives of Lucis V." Stanus was proud of this, his walk grew a little taller when he said it. "It shows they take us seriously as a neighboring partner in this system."

"It shows they mean to alienate the Federation." Emilie insisted, her tone taking a firm stance. The trio stopped as Stanus turned to look at her, disappointment on her face. "I'm sorry, father, but that is what they are doing."

Stanus looked to Nycolas and back to Emilie, wondering where these words were truly coming from. Stanus frowned, "Lucis V is a Federation colony, my darling. They know that. But we do have our own customs and identity outside of the Federation, too. Just like so many of the other member worlds. Attending the meeting as representatives of our home, rather than the Federation, is showing they respect our presence as an individual planet."

"It feels like they're trying to exclude the Federation." Emilie responded, "And that troubles me, father. We are not equipped to stand alone without the Federation or - " She nodded to Nycolas, "Starfleet."

"It wasn't so long ago that you were opining the presence of Starfleet would have a negative impact to our relations in the sector." Stanus replied, an irritated tone in his voice. "Don't tell me you've suddenly changed your view."

"Stanus." Nycolas interrupted, "We have been speaking with the Federation's office of the Exterior. They, too, believe there is a deliberate attempt to exclude the Federation from this sector and doing so leaves Lucis V vulnerable."

"This is a peace agreement between Lucis II and VI!" Stanus argued, "It has nothing to do with the Federation."

"Exactly." Nycolas merely replied, giving a shrug. "That's the problem."

"Oh nonsense!" Stanus threw up his hands, "Honestly, I thought you two would be over the moons about this."

Emilie stepped forward and held her father's arm gently, "I was, at first, but there are other, deeper, implications here. We need to consider those too before making a decision on whether to attend."

Stanus sighed, "Well we will have to see what the Commodore says when he arrives."

Nycolas stiffened slightly, "What do you mean?"

"I got in touch with Commodore Thurston to ask for his assessment. I wasn't aware how long you two would be off world." Stanus shrugged, "So I invited him to come back here and help make it happen. He will be arriving on the Wellington tonight."

Emilie looked over to her husband, seeing a slight change in his posture. She fretted about what this could mean. "Nyk?" She asked.

Nycolas put on a smile, "I'll be glad to see him again. And I'm sure he'll give us his frank assessment of the situation." He picked up their bags again and nodded towards the lifts. “Come on, let’s unpack and we’ll give out our presents.”

“Presents?” Stanus beamed. “Now that is good news.”

To Be Continued…