Trill Question (TNG and DS9)

[Timo]

Most of the interesting recurring species and cultures have evolved from aliens-of-the-week. Many have managed to do that without obvious contradiction (say, Romulans, Klingons, Bajorans, Cardassians), while others have kept evolving so much that it's not possible to point out a single specific contradiction or a single badly handed step, merely a continuum of change (Borg).

The Trill didn't evolve all that much after being reintroduced in "Emissary". We got the fancy ritual of remembering past hosts, but that was pretty much it. Being so weird to begin with, the Trill might well have warranted further weirdness that would have obscured the initial change from "The Host" to "Emissary"... Plus a bit of makeup diversity (such as what we got with Romulans and Klingons) to alleviate the change in appearance. We now readily believe in a broad range of acceptable Klingon faces; we could have gotten spotted, striped and plaid Trill just as easily.

Jadzia isn't entitled to diplomatic status just because Curzon was. They are different individuals under Trill (and Federation) law.

Quite so. I just thought this would have been a fun juncture to flaunt Curzon's former status - and it's the moment that probably comes the closest to establishing anything at all about said status.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[WarpCore]

On the issue of Curzon being in Starfleet, I've gone through all the ep transcripts now, and the references are absent. He's never called ambassador, either. Indeed, in "The Forsaken", the annoying trio of Federation ambassadors witness the encounter with the Gamma Quadrant probe, and when Sisko shoos them away, Ambassador Vadosia tries to argue that at least one Federation Ambassador ought to be present. Nobody diplomatically suggests that Dax, who remains present, would be taking care of that!

Timo Saloniemi

Never Starfleet that I see, but Curzon is referred to as a Federation mediator, diplomat, politician, and ambassador.

You Are Cordially Invited
DAX: Come in. Save your breath. Worf went too far and now it's over. Do you know what he wanted me to do? He wanted me to go crawling on my hands and knees to Sirella to beg her forgiveness. Beg her! Me! I was once the Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire. I negotiated the Khitomer Accords before Worf was even born.
SISKO: Curzon negotiated the Accords. And I've got news for you, old man. You're not Curzon anymore.

That's the only line I can find where the Ambassador title gets thrown onto Dax.

 

[Timo]

Thanks! That's definite, then - she/it her/itself should know best. And Sisko should be throwing the title back at Jadzia if she were using it improperly.

So, Federation Ambassador, then. And harboring secrets about his inner life, secrets not even those Starfleet officers charged with his safety are aware of.

...Much like Sarek?

Timo Saloniemi