Posted by Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson (Diplomatic Attaché) in Pre-Sim: Captains Ready room, diplomatic ties.

Posted by Fleet Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Pre-Sim: Captains Ready room, diplomatic ties.

Posted by Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson (Diplomatic Attaché) in Pre-Sim: Captains Ready room, diplomatic ties.
Posted by… suppressed (17) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Bjarke stood outside the door his eyes almost level with the top of the door, a small ornate box carved with Nordic ruins marked the sides encircling an image of Freya and Fenris. Giving himself a once over his dress uniform was impeccable. His beard braided with interwoven silver laces and beads. his long hair and beard were groomed well. He wrang the bell with anticipation.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

The door silently slid open to reveal the office beyond. The office was organized, but had the feel of both authority… and peace. Two bookcases on one wall stood with shelves lined with actual books behind their glass doors. Pictures had been mounted around the room showing both places and people, many of them featuring the same person. Various odds and ends graced places here and there.

Displayed prominently, however, alone on a shelf high up on the wall directly behind the desk that sat opposite the door, was the lone figure of a gold Ox. Lighting had been directed so that it drew the eye of anyone who came through the door almost immediately. Below that hung a… ‘coat’, for lack of a better word… that seemed to originate from a vid from Earth circa the mid twentieth century. Specifically those years many referred to as ‘the 70’s’. Bright red, lined in fur, it looked like it would belong to someone named ‘Pookie’ or perhaps ‘Moe Bootie’.

Seated behind the desk was the Commanding Officer, Fleet Captain Alexander Cochrane. He looked up as the doors opened. His hair was black, making the ice-blue eyes beneath the well-groomed hair even more intense. He had a youthful appearance, somewhat more so than the Fleet Captain’s pips at his collar would seem to indicate. He smiled and stood up and, holding out his hand, he said with a slight British accent “Lieutenant. Welcome. As I don’t immediately recognize you, may I hazard a guess and say you are our new Diplomatic Attaché?”

Cochrane, CO

Bjarke ducked under the door as he entered his massive frame filling the door way, he took in the room with some interest is was well decorated and seemed to have a lot of personality built into the design. Shifting the ornate box to his left hand he stretched out his right hand in friendship grabbing the CO’s for arm instead of his hand. “I am, Lieutenant Bjarke (byaka) Viktorsson” he deep timbered Nordic accent bellowed. He lifted the box over there arms. “A gift from my cousin Ravna” he said. “Fresh rolled grown cigars” he smiled hoping to share one with the man. “May I sit?” he asked.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

Cochrane’s face lit up at the mention of the ship’s for er Diplomat. “Revna is your cousin?! That’s fantastic!” he said as he shook the man’s arm vigorously before letting go. He wasn’t nearly as big as the newconerbut he seemed to possess startling amount of strength for a man his size. He took the box and set it down and said “Yes, of course. Have a seat.” He sat down himself and said “How is she doing? And how is the family?”

Cochrane, CO
Bjarke gave and jovial laugh has he shook the mans harm, “She is indeed, I spent the better part of my child hood pulling her hair and then getting a good sock in the face for it” he aid rubbing his chin , a giant grin and small chuckle spoke the joy of it.

“She’s well, though last we spoke she was going insane trying to herd our people onto OED.” he said sitting into the rather small chair, or at least it was to him, he looked like a muffin stuffed in to a overly full bread box. He eyed the the box again, “she said our fresh tobacco was a vice of yours’s I hope you enjoy them, We shall share mead together as well I brought a few cases with me.” he said.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

Cochrane said “Cigars, hmm? Well, perhaps we should make sure these weren’t damaged in your travels through the wormhole, shall we?” He opened the box and looked athe neat rows of handmade cigars and smiled. “She really is the best guft-giver I have ever met. Please make sure you thank her for me when you next talk.” He spun the box around and looked at Barked. “Please. I’d be remiss if I didn’t share with the courier.” He then opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a small, brown fabric bag. Opening it, he produced an old-fashioned style cutter and a plasma lighter. He set them on the desk between himself and the new Attaché.

Cochrane, CO

“I was hoping you’d ask ” he said taking one up from the box. “Thank you!” He said as he felt the leaf and rolled it slowly under his nose. He clipped a slow draw off the back and picked up the torch drawing in a good first taste.” He set the cliper and torch down.

He waited for the captain to settle his into smoke and then spoke again. “Im really.excited to be here.”
Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

He held a long draw a billow of smoke pulling over his lips and nose. “Nothing like a good smoke” he noted swirling the cigar in his fingers.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

Cochrane prepped the cigar with practiced ease and took a soft pull of smoke, breathing out and tasting the subtle notes embedded in the cigar. He smiled approvingly and then said “Excited, hmm? And why is that, exactly? What excites you the most about being here?”

Cochrane, CO

Bjarke let out the smoke he had currently been holding “Well sir, Revna mentioned that the crew was more like family and that out her on the other side of the wormhole we had to rely on one another more than a normal ship, I love to explore and love to meet new people and cultures, from what I have heard this is the best place to do that.” he said with a dramatic pause. “Then there is the fact that Revna let me bring mead with me.” he joked.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

Alex chuckled, took a drag from the cigar, and his face grew more serious. “I will admit that I have some strong reservations about a Star Fleet officer as our Chief diplomat, Lieutenant. Not that I doubt your abilities, mind you. It’s not that at all. I just consider the ‘optics’ of it. I mean honestly… do you think it is the right impression that the first official voice a new civilization or species heard from the Federation is a sworn starship officer? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to have a civilian in the role? After all… they are who the Federation is about. We just go and look at stuff.” and he chuckled.

Cochrane, CO

Bjarke nodded, swirling the cigar in his fingers and then chewing the end a little. “I must admit it has on occasion been a challenge, and a hindrance in a few cases, but I would argue that when star-fleet started its how it was done.” he said . “Sometime we may have to bring in a neutral party, but most the time I can establish trust”. he paused and took a long draw on the cigar. “You run into other issues with civilians, depending on their experience with space exploration and starfleet.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

“True…” Alex agreed, “but we - Star Fleet- are not the voice of the Federation. Nor should we be. If anything, we should keep our voices out of politics as much as possible.”

Cochrane, CO

Bjarke’s eyes narrowed but only briefly, “Civilians have other drawbacks, they often don’t represent Starfleet fully in the negations because they have not lived the life” he suggested.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

“But you aren’t here to represent the Fleet.” Alex countered. “You are here to represent the entirety of the Federation, are you not?” He took a drag of the cigar and then said “And I, personally, think it’s a good thing most people haven’t lived this life. We arent supposed to be the norm, after all.”

Cochrane, CO

Bjarke took another draw, “I actually disagree, while I may be representing the federations interests, who ever I’m negotiating with will have to eventually work with Starfleet and their members, as such I can better represent what that looks like. ” he said smiling

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

Cochrane gave the Attaché a half smile. “Oh, then I take it you havent been briefed on those we have met so far.” and he chuckled. Knocking ah from the end of the cigar he said “For the most part, you are correct. But always keep in mind that this is the Delta quadrant, Lieutenant. And things can be a tad… ‘off’… from what you have experienced before. Now while most of our, um, ‘new friends’ have made no issue about dealing with Star Fleet; there have a been far more civilizations who have either balled at the idea of dealing with-what they perceived as- a more militaristic organization than a civilian one. And those are far more frequent here than back home. My guess is that is due to the large amount of wide-spread conflict in the quadrant. As I’m sure you are aware, there have been at least three quadrant-spanning conflicts here over the past century. And two of those resulted in the outright obliteration or- and I use the term intentionally- assimilation of over eighty unique civilizations and or species. And those are just the ones we have verified. Word of mouth puts it much, much higher.”

Cochrane, CO

Bjarke smiled, “I am aware sir, but that does not change the fact that representing Starfleet with honesty is a stone, that trust can be build on.” he said puffing out smoke, “Not leaving out the negative, and be honest about who we are. ” he noted, the conversation was a little funny given that he had had the exact opposite position with Revna when she first came on board, she used to call him all in a tizzy because Cochrane was being bull headed. Perhaps the man just liked to debate. “So, Captain” he said changing the subject, What is our current mission?”

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

Cochrane listened and then nodded slightly. “Well, for that information you will have to be cleared for duty fully. Go see Medical and the counselor; and then perhaps you, the XO, and myself can have dinner tomorrow night and discuss. Sound good to you?”

Cochrane, CO

Bjarke dabbed out his cigar and stood. “I look forward to it, i’ll bring the mead” he said with a smile. “Thank you for your time sir.” he said waiting to be dismissed.

Lieutenant Bjarke Viktorsson
Diplomatic Attaché

Cochrane smiled and stood. He held out his hand and said “Welcome aboard, Lieutenant. And do give my regards to your cousin and family when you next speak with them. I’ll send you an invitation for dinner with the time. Casual dress.”

Cochrane, CO