"Versailles"

[CaptainSDavies 0]

Date: May 17, 2395

Location: Paris, France, Earth

“Versailles”

 

 

Admiral Redburn strolled through the Versailles Diplomatic Center (VDC), taking in the years of history that surrounded him. Built shortly after the Third World War, the VDC contained many artifacts of world history. The walls were adorned with massive portraits of some of Earth’s most famous individuals: Louis XIV, Winston Churchill, Jonathan Sar-Woo, among others. Admiral Redburn gazed upon those portraits and chuckled. Would he be considered among these greats someday? Most likely not, but nevertheless, he was the author, the mover and shaker, of one of the greatest diplomatic moments in human history.

 

Versailles seemed a fitting place for such a momentous occasion. No other place has been as synonymous with the hope for peace as Versailles. In just a few hours, that hope for peace would be realized for three superpowers. Redburn could not help but smile. The moment was almost at hand.

 

 

“I wasn’t expecting to find you here,” called out a deep booming voice about fifty feet down the hall.

 

 

“There’s not much else to do…the Klingon and Romulan envoys arrive in a couple hours,” replied Admiral Redburn.

 

 

Slowly the second man moved toward the Admiral who was now stopped and gazing out one of the large windows. “Richard, do you realize what you’ve accomplished?”

 

 

Admiral Redburn smirked, then his countenance became more serious, “You know, after Wolf 359, after the Dominion War, I never thought that this day would be possible.”

 

 

The second man came along side of the Admiral and reached over to pat him on the back. “You’ve done a great thing.”

 

 

Redburn let himself take in the moment. He truly believed that he had accomplished something. Yet, there was something in him that wanted to believe that the peace would not last. “We’ll see….”

 

 

“Richard, regardless of what happens…even if neither of the envoys show up today, I am still proud of you,” replied Admiral Redburn’s father, Ronald.

 

 

The Admiral turned to embrace his father, overtaken with joy. “Thanks dad….”

 

Four hours later, in the Great Hall of the VDC, the Federation, Klingon Empire and Romulan Empire signed an unprecedented non-aggression treaty that included provisions for furthering political, economic and social cooperation between the three superpowers.

 

In just two years, the superpowers would see the Treaty of Versailles tested beyond what Admiral Redburn, or any other being, could have imagined.