Presidential Address of Nanietta Bacco, February 2381:
"Members of the Federation Council, foreign ambassadors, honored guests, and citizens of the Federation...this day has been a long time in coming. It is my pleasure and my honor to be able to bring you good news. The Borg threat is over.
"The officers and enlisted crews of three starships have done what so much of our marshalled might could not. A joint effort by the Starships Enterprise, Titan, and Aventine has tuned the tide this day, bringing an end not just to the Borg invasion of our space but to the tyranny and oppression of the Borg throughout the galaxy.
"In keeping with the finest traditions of Starfleet, these three crews accomplished this not through violence, not through some brute force of arms, but with compassion. This war has been brought to an end not by bloodshed but by an act of mercy.
"They took a chance on the better angels of their natures, reached out to a new ally, and transformed the Borg Collective into something benign, perhaps even noble. I am informed that across the Milky Way, trillions of drones have been liberated, their free will restored. This outcome might feel inadequate to those among us who want revenge on the Borg. I understand, I assure you. There is no minimizing the scope of the tragedy we have endured. According to even the most conservative estimates, more than sixty-three billion citizens of the Federation, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Emire, and the Imperial Romulan State were slaughtered by the Borg during this invasion.
"Sixty-three billion lives cut short. The mind boggles at the scope of it. Such a horrific crime against life seems to demand payback, in the form of a proportional response. But we must move beyond hatred and vengeance. The Borg Collective no longer exists, and we must remember that those who carried out it's atrocities were victims themselves, slaves taken from their own worlds and their own families. Now the force that controlled them has been disbanded, and its emancipated drones have vanished to points unknown. There is, quite simply, no one left to blame.
"Let us instead remember those whose actions have earned our trust and our gratitude. Our staunch allies, the Klingons, stood with us in our hour of need and inspired us with their fearlessness. We witnessed great acts of gallant bravery and sacrifice by starship crews from the Imperial Romulan State and the Talarian Republic. The Warbird Verithrax sarificed itself in the defense of Ardana, and the Talarian third fleet was all but destroyed holding the line at Aldebaran, halting the Borg's advance in that sector. These heroic gestures must never be forgotten.
"It is unfortunate that at a time when we should be rejoicing in our victory, we must mourn losses so tragic. It's natural at a times such as this, for us to think of ourselves. We had not yet completely recovered from the Dominion War, and now dozens of worlds - including Deneva, Coridan, Risa, Regulus, Korvat, and Ramatis - lay in ruins. Dozens more including Qo'noS, Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar, suffered devastating attacks. And we must remember that the Borg did not discriminate between us and our unaligned neighbors. They inflicted widespread damage on Nausicaa, Yridia, and Barolia. It is all but impossible to quantify the true scope of this calamity, to calculate the unestimated sum of sentient pain.
"In the aftermath of such a monumental catastrophe, the prospect of rebuilding appears daunting. Some might say it's impossible to recover from such a disaster. I say it is not only possible, it is essential. We will rise anew. We will rebuild these worlds, and we will heal these wounds. We will reach out not only to our own wounded people but to those of our allies and our neighbors and even to those who have called themselves our rivals and our enemies.
"We will not shrink from the challenge of raising back up what the Borg have knocked down. We will honor the sacrifices of all those who fought and died to defend us, by committing ourselves to repairing the damage that's been done and creating a future that they would have been proud of.
"We will also rebuild Starfleet, to guarantee that all we have gained, with so much suffering and sacrifice, shall be preserved and defended. More important, though Starfleet is needed for recovery and reconstruction and to render aid, we will renew our commitment to its mission of peaceful exploration, diplomatic outreach, and open scientific inquiry. The Luna-class starships will continue-and in Titan's case, resume-their missions far beyond our borders: seeking out new worlds, new civilizations, and new life-formes and offering, to those that are ready, our hand in friendship.
"There are those who might doubt our ability to do all of these things at once. To them, I would say, don't underestimate the United Federation of Planets. Just because we have suffered the brunt of the injuries in this conflict, do not assume that we are weak or vulnerable. Don't mistake optimism for foolishness or compassion for weakness.
"With patience and courage, this can become a time of hope. As long as we remain united, we will emerge from these dark and hideous days into a brighter tomorrow, and we will do so stronger, wiser, and safer than we were before. Together, we can become the future that we seek and build the galaxy we want to live in. It will not come about quickly or eaily. But until it does, never flinch, never weary, and never despair.
"Thank you, and good night."
