"I'd appreciate that," he says, giving a self-deprecating laugh. "Because I ... have got a lot of history to catch up on. The Federation could teach me a lot for my own world."

He's never fooled himself into thinking that the task he'd set himself would be easy, and over a year along he's been proven right about that. They still have a lot of worlds that they need to sign up, and a long way to go. He'd like to learn how it was done here, how a Federation of this many worlds was created.

He's not too proud to learn; he knows that he's not a statesman. He is, however, in a position where he has to be one. Which is nothing his High Guard training ever prepared him for.

He glances around the café they're sitting in, the hologram so real it can be touched and felt and experienced as well as seen, very impressive for this time.

"I'm liking the sitting around drinking tea thing. But the rest of it?
That sounds handy."