To my surprise, I've always quite liked Calhoun. I say "to my surprise" because usually he's the sort of character I'd either just roll my eyes at or get annoyed by. But I find him compelling. Yes, his way of doing things is certainly not a way I'd condone or use myself- and there are indeed times when I find myself thinking "is this guy really working for the Federation?" But then again, he's a Xenexian warlord (or was; still is at heart). Surely it's better to try and incorporate the Xenexian way into galactic society to productive ends, while "blunting" it a bit through Federation ideals? IDIC in action. There are times when I think Calhoun crosses the line and needs a sharp reminder that this is the Federation, not Xenex, but there are others where he brings an intriguing and unique perspective. Okay, half of the time his perspective is one I'm personally very wary of (he is, as I say, not the type of leader I would condone or be comfortable with) but it's all valuable. After all, while of course the Federation must always stick to its ideals (which we all hold in high esteem, I'm sure), it also has to be open to different ways of doing things within the boundaries of those ideals. After all, it's a Federation not the Borg Collective. Why should the Xenexians be assimilated? Instead let's see what they bring to the family, if of course keeping them in line a bit (and again, I think Calhoun tends to cross it a little too often, and could use someone giving him a good telling off). A Xenexian warlord as a Starfleet captain is a tricky, almost dangerous idea, but surely the Federation has almost a duty to try and pull it off? Even if it is a bit like hiring a Drazi as a marriage counsellor...
I'm hoping that the Typhon Pact series goes the whole "Cold War" route. I have no doubt that the minds behind this crossover won't write books that are just battle after battle. The TP seems to be the perfect group to coldwar with the Federation. Agree?
^Strongly. No open war, but a lot of close calls, some espionage thrown in for good measure...and maybe an arms race or two. Tensions build up, bit by bit...and sometimes it comes this close...but at the last moment, war is overted.... (I...sincerely hope that doesn't spoil anything.)
^I love the idea of more espionage. I'd love to see the Klingon Imperial Intelligence gathering info and SI and/or S31 as well. I wonder what the Imperial Romulan State will use as an undercover espionage unit? The TalShiar are a part of the RSE I think. I really hope that the TP sticks around for awhile. There are so many story possibilities .
It's only logical. I can only imagine how big a threat the Soviet KGB was to the NATO Alliance, as far as CIA and MI6 were concerned. Assuming the TP creates a giant, effective intelligence-force/secret-police a la KGB...this will be a great threat to the Khitomer Alliance in general, and the UFP in particular, as far as not only Section 31, but also Starfleet Intel, Klingon Intel, and whatever is left of the Obsidian Order, are concerned. But, I'm sure Section 31 would, shall we say, be more deeply involved...in such affairs?
That's a bit unimaginative, isn't it? What if the writers go in a direction that is neither "cold war" nor out-and-out conflict?
And...how would you propose to do that in a manner that is not...dull? There has to have a "suspense" factor, or else the reader will get bored. "Oh, gee, more diplomacy. Yeah, why am I not suprised?" Understand, the reason "May you always live in intersting times" is a curse is because, as a rule, peace and peaceful diplomacy is not that interesting.
It isn't? You sure about that? 'Cause I think one of the most fascinating aspects of the Star Trek: Titan series is the way the various Federates aboard the U.S.S. Titan have to work so hard to get along, compromise, decide what they really believe in and what they can compromise on, and generally work hard to work together as one. In other words, the most fascinating aspect of TTN is the peaceful diplomacy. Similarly, one of my favorite pieces of character writing in any given show is the depiction of a committed relationship between primary characters, be they married or simply committed to one-another. Because, really, relationships are fascinating things -- if they're done well, they force the characters (and real people, I'd add) to figure out who they really are, what they really want, what they'll fight for and what they'll compromise on, and how to mend fences and how to unite when things are more serious. Relationships are all about diplomacy, and a well-written relationship (like a good relationship in real life) can be very, very compelling. As for how I'd do the Typhon Pact series -- frankly, I think that my approach would be informed by each individual Typhon Pact member state. I think that the Federation's relationship should -- and probably will be -- different for reach TP member, and I think that the story's tensions are going to be as much about rivalries within the Typhon Pact as they are rivalries with the Federation -- and within the new Khitomer Accords expansion pack, too. I think that there are going to be some Typhon Pact cultures the Federation gets along with better than some in the Khitomer Alliance, and I think that the stories can and should range from cold-war-isms to genuine peace and diplomacy.
Funny...I was under the impression that the entire point of the Typhon Pact was to create a new bag of headaches for the Federation. If the writers just wanted to do what you said...they would have just continued as it was, with the Titan novels. And...it seems as if we could agree, after all. Have some "quiet" period, where the tension seems to die down, after some diplomatic successes...but frankly, if they inted to keep this arc for any length of time, tensions should erupt once again. Sci...I'm sure you are aware that a story without conflict is no story at all. Without conflict, the book is dead. And without a long-term conflict, you cannot have a long-term arc.
I would say, "Conflict" means problems that each side has with the other....issues that need resolution, items in an agenda during negotiations. When neither side compromises, it could lead to armed conflict. But again, not necessarily so. Unlike chess, in real-life a stalemate does not last forever; some kind of deal is usually made. I think what Sci is getting at is it's the wheeling, dealing and leveraging amongst many-sides that make the relationships interesting. And hence would make the stories interesting. As a last resort, all-out war could take place (eg. the Borg don't negotiate for mutual benefit. War was inevitable). Even so, war does not last forever. Eventually, everybody wants peace. Even the Borg, although they preferred peace through assimilation.
How many times have writers on this BBS explained to you that the Typhon Pact is not necessarily meant to be the Federation's new enemy? "Conflict" is not the same as enmity. The United States and the United Kingdom have conflicts with one-another, and yet they are amongst the closest allies on this planet. My grandparents have conflicts all the time, but they've been married for almost thirty years. "Conflict" means many things, and does not inevitably lead to either hot war or cold war.