Chapter 16: Peace Treaty II

The only bridge on Mike's mind was a ship's bridge — two of them to be precise, bridges of the Tribal class destroyers Apache and Haida. He and Yuki were talking quickly to the two captains, making sure that everything was going smoothly.

On board the Haida, Chief Negotiator Dalia Nara had gathered her party in her room to strip. The captain had cleared all corridors between her quarters and the docking bay of male personnel, and assigned female crew to act as guards on those corridors. Outside the Negotiator's quarters, two pilots — both female, both nude aside from leather sandals — waited impatiently, anxious to get going. The co-pilot carried overalls in a carry-on bag over her shoulder. The two female crew mates assigned to either end of the corridor were most definitely not laughing; discipline on Solaria Federation Navy ships is perhaps the strongest in the known universe.

Overhead, a powerful masculine voice from the Bridge repeatedly reminded everyone, "Maintain Condition Afirm. Keep clear of designated corridors." Condition Afirm was one step below General Quarters. In Condition General Quarters, everyone was supposed to stay in their designated compartment. When the ship was in Condition Afirm, everyone was supposed to remain in the same compartments as assigned during General Quarters, but travel between compartments if required was permitted as long as they sealed the door shut immediately after making the transit.

The negotiating team looked to their leader. Chief Negotiator Dalia sucked in her breath and displaying a confidence she certainly didn't feel, shucked back her rough linen blouse. Within moments, everyone was naked, even her granddaughter, Hera. The younger Dalia threw off her clothes almost defiantly, as if saying, "Go ahead and look, you perverts." Each placed her togs in a box bearing her name, so that they could be reunited with their clothes at the end of the negotiations.

The disembodied voice echoed again through the decks of the Haida. "Attention all hands: Shuttlecraft Skidegate launch in T minus thirty minutes ... mark. Pilots, please escort your passengers to the Docking Bay."

The pilots knocked on the cabin door. Dalia Nara turned to her negotiating team. "That's our cue. Let's go."

Carrying only PDA devices, the team left for the shuttle. As they tiptoed down the corridor, each had the same thought: she needed, really needed, to lose weight and tone muscle. And, hopefully no man on board would see her.

On board the Haida, the situation was the same. Despite their earlier bravado, Consul Tella Ardua's team was rather nervous at being seen in the altogether. His grandson Tella Davis had, like his counterpart Hera, gone the defiance route, stripping before he went to bed the night before and not bothering to get dressed the next morning. Darkly he glowered at the assembled adults. "If I have to go nude, so do you!" he admonished, biting out the words.

Consul Tella grinned proudly at his grandson's attitude, and whipped off his sleeveless vest. "Well?" he bellowed at his aides. "Is this BOY more of a MAN than any of YOU?" Reluctantly but rapidly, the party quickly doffed their outfits and stood in their sandals.

As on the Haida, the hearty masculine voice of the Apache's Communications Officer echoed throughout the ship. "Thirty minutes to shuttle launch! Thirty minutes! Pilots, please escort our guests to Shuttlecraft Cochise."

As the pilots knocked on the door of his quarters, Consul Tella Ardua grabbed his grandson by the shoulder. "You were the man just now. Boys follow, men lead. You will lead our way." With that, they left the cabin, the 12-year-old Tella Davis marching in front, like the rest as naked as the day he was born.

Both shuttles landed smoothly and slickly on the runway and drew up side by side. The honour guard drew up, back to back, leading from the foot of each ramp. As agreed, Mike and Spica II First Minister Aiko Yamada handled the all-female Federation negotiating team, and Kurt Meier and Thomas Kinkade greeted the all-male Triumvirate squad. Consul Tella and Chief Negotiator Dalia led their respective groups down the ramp and inspected the impressive honour guard.

Davis and Hera glanced at each other and blushed. Certain they were unseen, they exchanged discreet waves. Aiko noted it out of the corner of her eye, and smiled knowingly. She whispered to Yuki, who was able to send some instructions to the island staff.

At the end of the honour guard inspections, the two negotiating heads met each other face-to-face for the first time, ever. Previous negotiations were by video. Significantly, they shook hands, a sight captured on video and still pictures and broadcast live across Spica II and more significantly, back to their home planet.

In the island's negotiating hall, where yesterday Lucy and Aiko had signed the trade treaty, the two naked negotiating teams faced each other, seated at tables with clear acrylic tops. The electronic pages of the agreed peace treaty were displayed within the tabletop surfaces.

For over an hour, each side examined the copy appearing within the acrylic tabletop in front of them, comparing to that which they'd agreed to previously.

"All right, let's get down to business," commanded Mike, nervousness making him grim. "We have before us the draft of the peace agreement between the Triumvirate and the Galactic Federation. I will start with the Triumvirate representative, Consul Tella. Is there anything in this document that you believe should be amended, added or deleted?"