Posted by Lieutenant Commander Zef Rollo (Counselor) in CO’s Office - Vorraye’s CO Check in

Posted by Civilian Vorraye Anders (Diplomatic Attache) in CO’s Office - Vorraye’s CO Check in

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in CO’s Office - Vorraye’s CO Check in

<snip>

Cochrane looked up and he said “Come.” and the door slid open. Seeing the Counselor, he smiled and stood. “Ah, Counselor. Good to see you. Have you met Ms. Anders? She is our Diplomatic attache. Just arrived from the station. Ms. Anders, Lieutenant Commander Rollo, ship’s Counselor.” he said by way of introduction.

Cochrane, CO

Well, he’d done it again hadn’t he? Cochrane had thrown her off her game for the second time in as many days. Zef’s mind raced trying to find a graceful way out of what she’d barged into.

Raye stood up, setting her glass on the desk where dinner was scattered with two plates, a couple decanters and drinks in various stages of being finished. She smiled and nodded. “Of course. A pleasure, Counselor.” She turned to the Captain. “I had to see her this afternoon before seeing you. Apparently it’s protocol to weed out the crazies before they have clearance to see you.” She winked teasing at him where Rollo couldn’t see, then glanced back. “It’s good to see you again.”

While part of her wanted to quip about being crazy and slipping the chains to still gain entrance, she didn’t know Rollo well enough to know how it would be taken.

Raye
Diplomat

“Umm…yes. Yes, we’ve met, Ms Anders.” Rollo nodded at the diplomatic officer, then took in the setting that screamed familiarity between the two at the desk. “I apologize, Captain, I didn’t realize you were involved. I came by to…never mind, its nothing urgent, we can talk later.” She turned to leave, desperate to get away and back to her own office.

—Rollo, CNS

Cochrane chuckled warmly and said “No, no Counselor. No interruption. Working dinner. Ms. Anders is bringing me up to speed on the new Ambassador assigned to Event Horizon station and this quadrant. You are most welcome to join us, if you like. I would certainly not mind your take on the potentialities having such a…” and he looked at Raye with a quizzical look for a moment before looking back at Rollo, “… diplomat who is… unencumbered… by years of potentially disruptive expectations. Yeah, I think that’s the best way to say it.”

Cochrane, CO

At Cochrane’s invitation, Raye went around the desk to get a couple more glasses. “You really should join us. The Captain has been so kind to offer up samplings of a couple drinks. I think they are both amazing, but I have a simple pallet.” She laughed and came back around with a couple glasses for their guest. “Honestly, I would love you giving an opinion.” She poured the soft wine into one glass, and the boosted orange juice drink in the other. She was curious how the Counselor would react to both the drinks and the Captain’s questions.

Raye
Diplomat

Oh she did not want to be there with the two of them, but there was no way to back out of it now. Zef found herself turning back and reluctantly selecting the chair that was left on the opposite side of Cochrane’s desk from him. “That’s very kind of you both.” When the drinks were placed within reach, she selected the bright, orange one and took a sip. It was offensively sweet to her pallet. She hadn’t been ready to hide a strong, negative reaction, so both the CO and civilian saw the dislike for it on her face.

“Ohh my, that’s disgu…I mean, I’ll pass on this one.” Hiding her embarrassment, she traded it for the glass of wine and tasted it. “Mmmm, much better. Now why don’t you tell me about the diplomat?”

—Rollo, CNS

“Yeah… Irn Bru is an acquired taste. Those cocky Scots and their drinks.” and Cochrane chuckled. “I’m glad the wine is more palatable.” and he smiled and gave Rollo a conspiratorial wink. “As far as the Ambassador goes, I’ll let Ms. Anders explain.”

Cochrane, CO

Raye laughed. “It’s definitely an acquired taste. No worries. And always be honest,” she winked and settled back in her seat, “It certainly beats being served the same thing over and over because you lied to appease the host.” She winked up at the CO.

“Now… as to the ambassador… I have a new protege on a nearby station orbiting a planet that is and isn’t under Federation jurisdiction. We don’t inferfere and the locals don’t impose on us. But lately, we’ve needed more than the mere foliage samples they have been gracious enough to give. The Federation wants to mine there. Pretty much everything is in place, but the new go between is wet behind the ears.” She took a deep breath and let it out before rising to pace to the window. She crossed her arms and looked out into space as if she could see the woman at her post.

Zef watched the woman move to the viewport, part of her perception assessing her as a competitor, the other part listening to the situation she was supposed to comment on.

“I know the Federation wouldn’t sabotage something this important. So obviously she is qualified. But,” she turned to face the two. Her gaze lingering more on Cochrane than on Rollo before switching her gaze. “Something tells me she is in over her head. And I don’t know what to do.”

It was certainly a quandary, but one she, none the less, was caught sharing beyond the CO now that the ship’s ‘conscious’ had arrived.

Raye
Diplomat

“You say the planet IS and ISN’T under Federation jurisdiction, but how can that be? Something either IS or it is not. Also, Ambassadors are put through rigorous training like protocol and the legalities of their domain among other things. If you don’t believe this person is capable, shouldn’t you contact whoever was in charge of their instruction to see what was actually covered?” She sipped the wine, awaiting an answer.

—Rollo, CNS

Cochrane liked the new Counselor. She was not afraid to call something like it was, and that he appreciated. He looked at Raye and waited to see how she responded.

Cochrane, CO

Raye sighed and then took a deep breath. It was so hard, sometimes to explain without losing her composure. She had to fight to keep it in herself. She didn’t want the Counselr thinking it was aimed at her. “It would be nice to think that. That we head out into the dark abyss of space with the skills, manners and words to do good and represent the Federation on a level no mere Engineer or Doctor or Scientist can.” Raye came back and fairly flopped into her chair. “That’s just not how it is in reality. Just like any other station, position and job in the Fleet, we are trained, but that doesn’t mean we are ready. Those are two VERY different things. Nuances and miniscule details are things we pick up on site, so to speak. Just like an engineer can learn about a warp core, then arrive on a ship who’s been in commission for so long that the things they learned in the Academy are only a baseline…and not a very good one.”

She took a sip of her drink and leaned back. She was back to the alcohol one and grateful it only had a single finger depth left in the bottom. Otherwise, she would have upended the whole thing very unceremoniously. “For example. She was the lead Ambassador, yet it was myself the Head of Security was assigned to protect while there. She will learn, in time, that it’s an insult. Their most important security officer, their leader of that, either shouldn’t have been assigned to anyone, or should have covered her. Not the guest, me.” Shaking her head, she looked at the Captain then the other woman. “The planet is not technically Federation claimed. The inhabitants are descendants of Earth who set out ages ago to be secular from the Earth Alliance. But they have allowed an orbital station for scientific reasons. We study and harvest, with respect, from their forests plants that can be used for healing and other properties. But now the Federation wants to mine as well. The locals don’t want that kind of scar on their lands. So she is there to negotiate a location on a remote small continental type island. It’s a fairly straightforward negotiation.” She inhaled once more almost in resignation.

“Maybe I am over reacting. Perhaps I was that unknowing at one point. I guess I just didn’t have anyone to worry, so I can’t say if I am over reacting or not.” She glanced at Zef and wondered what the woman would think of her.

Raye
Diplomat

When Anders finished speaking, Zef raised white brows as she thought over what had been said. “I understand that experience cannot be replaced by simulations or book learning. But that is something you get with age. Star Fleet had to know the officer they intended to send it to the position was new and naive. They should have taught her the specifics of the situation she was walking in to, and ways to deal with alternate suggestions these people might come up with.” Zef sipped from the glass of wine, thought for a moment and then shook her head.

“The only reason to send someone green into a negotiation would be because there was a deadline of some kind. Why didn’t they allow YOU to handle the negotiations? It sounds like you are confident about your ability to succeed in that respect.”

—Rollo, CNS

Raye looked at Rollo and shook her head. “No. If there was a deadline, they would have gone the other extreme. They would have sent someone overly qualified, to wrap it up nice and neat. I couldn’t be assigned there without raising suspicions, I’m sure. I am assigned to the Manhattan for first contact. If they had sent me there, it would have raised flags to not just myself but a few key others.” She shook her head again and tried to expand on Rollo’s reasoning.

“What if it’s the opposite? What if the actual outcome didn’t matter?” She hated how her mind worked, sometimes, but she couldn’t help it.

Raye
Diplomat