Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Aged By Silver Birch (TAG Cochrane)

(snip)

Revna lifted a single shoulder in a slight shrug, “I have always been, even as a child. Drives my family crazy. There are no secrets, not for long.” Revna got up and walked over to the counter where the bottle sat and brought it back. She poured herself another and did the same for Cochrane and resumed her seat, setting the bottle on the low table. “Well this stuff will knock the tension right out of you.” She was quiet a moment, “Did you know the inhabitants of Achil II will not conduct negotiations or business deals unless both parties are rip-roaring drunk?”

McKenzie

Alex smiled and said “Did you know that the inhabitants of Achil II are immune to most forms of alcohol? They have perpetuated that myth for centuries. Gives them a huge advantage. The mining rights for the moons of Achil IV went to the Federation after the negotiators were given a non-alcoholic drink and then pretended to get drunk. Federation negotiators called them on it, promised not to tell if we got the mining rights.”

Alex

“Now that’s genius! I was reading up on unusual negotiation customs. Now forgetting the benefits of ‘pretending’ the idea certainly raises a lot of....interesting scenarios. But knowing that makes me want to find out what forms they aren’t immune to and see how they fare.” Revna grinned, “Or send Mardusk in to drink with them. I tried to match that man drink for drink once…”

McKenzie

Alex’s eyes went wide and he said “That was a ridiculously stupid idea. Not a criticism. Trust me, I know from personal observation. When he and I were designing the CRIT program, we had a dinner meeting where some bruised egos led to a half-Klingon Fleet Captain challenging the good Commander to a drinking contest. It ended up with Fleet Captain V’Lotr getting both of his stomachs pumped and Mardusk fending off advances from the Fleet Captain’s girlfriend who kept calling him a ‘model male’.”

Cochrane

“I bet he turned 7 shades of green darker, too. That night was the most fun I had had in a long time. It was worth the 5 hours of my sister berating me for getting drunk, while I was on medical leave waiting for my surgery, and hung over.” Revna chuckled. “I’d do it again. I am also very certain he went easy on me.”

McKenzie

Alex nodded. “Ive seen the man drunk once… and it was a truly astonishing amount of alcohol that got him there.” and he chuckled. He looked at Revna and said “So what do you think Wyatt is here for?”

Cochrane

Revna went almost still. It was more like blank, her body language and facial expressions not giving away anything other than she was there in the room. She thought it over and finally she lifted the glass, took a sip. “I think on the surface he is genuinely here to offer me advice because FedSec wants to ensure that the safety of the Federation is protected. That their interest, their…directive, their purpose isn’t lost among all the other interests that I am required to consider and represent. They aren’t the only agency wanting in on it, they are just the first to get their hand on the pie. Below that, he’s here for intelligence gathering. To gain as much information as possible, make contacts, establish a network as a way to know information before the Federation takes a hit. Much as the Intelligence officers on board are doing. Just that FedSec doesn’t want to wait for Star Fleet to decide to share information. Wyatt didn’t say so, but it’s not hard to surmise. Just over half of all the species Voyager encountered were hostile towards the ship. A large percentage of those are major powers in their sector of space. If diplomatic overtures are not successful, I would want a fall back plan.”

McKenzie, DA