Posted by Captain John Tiberius Glen (Captain) in Main Sim - Alstair Prime - Landing Party Arrival
[snip]

Glen, spoke to Saark, “Maybe you can tell the Alstaireans more about our policy of non-interference since it was originally a series of Vulcan protocols.”

Glen switched the UT back on and turned back to Falee, “The Merrimack is preparing to leave orbit to assist your second ship. If you have a transport vessel going too, you can tell them that they can arrange the rescue directly with the Merrimack. I’m bringing one of our own transport vessels down here for us. If you could let us know a suitable place to put down.”

Falee came back over as Glen spoke, after a pause she replied, =/\= I am happy to hear it Captain. I will have one of my advisors relay my orders to the transport vessel. As for your own transport coming down, there is a small clearing in the courtyard where you beamed down that should suffice unless the vessel is overly large? =/\= She asked. Giving a pause to relay orders to an advisor nearby.

“Yes, Sir,” Hal said.

“I’m still rather interested in the fact that these people are primarily dominated by women. I know that i shouldn’t have been surprised to eventually see a planet where the women rule. But I want to see how their cultural history had committed this hegemony.”

One of the other councilor’s named Galorn spoke, evidently hearing and getting translated the chief of security’s words. =/\= Our male population died out many thousand of years ago due to a genetic mutation and sickness due to a passing comet as our sciences later learned. We Alstair who remain can reproduce by using a melding process of mind and body where one figure is the birthing figure and the other the donor. This is why you would no doubt suspect and see many of our people share similarities. Thankfully before it ever became a problem our sciences figured out means to avoid genetic anomalies.. =/\= She said.

Tia paused a moment and took Kord’s advice to heart. Honesty usually was the best policy so she decided to be blunt. She stepped up to stand beside Kord and smiled to their hosts. “I am the Chief Engineer of the Merrimack and I would love schematics for the ship you believe is arriving. On one hand, if it isn’t the ship that is arriving, we will know much sooner and be able to deal with it. On the other hand, if it is the ship that’s arriving, I will know the best way we can assist bringing her home safe and sound.” It was a long shot, being this blunt, but it was the quickest way. And she hoped, in giving her position, they would forgive her bluntness as she wasn’t a Command Officer or knowledgeable diplomat.

Farlee listened to Tia’s request as they resumed their walk, the group entering a large feasting hall with marble pillars and a marble table. They all looked quite old but well cared and used for. Turning as she did she called over another advisor to the party, her words picked up by the UT a second later =/\= Have the schematics of our sleeper ships pulled. By the Abyss if it is them this is truly a welcome day coupled with our hopefully new friends. Who would have thought so many things could happen so quickly in one day! It is truly a rare thing..=/\= She commented.

The advisor nodded and soon retired for some minutes as chairs of lighter worn dark wood and padded leather were brought in. Across the table serving plates and dishes were being put down. =/\= Please sit, Captain Glen and your company where you wish. =/\= Farlee said. A moment later the first advisor from before returned.

=/\= The Merrimack transport craft has arrived safely. It is in the courtyard. =/\= She said.

=/\= Thank you! =/\= Glen replied and sat himself at the table.

As the groups were also sitting the second advisor returned, handing a small stack of paper blueprints to Tia. =/\= I hope this satisfies you? I am afraid we do not have fully everything in a digital format from our vast libraries..=/\= this one said.

Meanwhile also coming into the room, was the First and Third Alstair officers from their barely warp capable ship. The First looked to Farlee =/\= Bond-Mother and Councilor Farlee, thank you for inviting us. My Third was quite eager to meet once more our saviors from the far Abyss of space..=/\= She said turning to regard Glen, =/\= She spoke quite highly of our communications officer..=/\= She stated.

=/\= Inola , the Communications Officer is right here! =/\= Glen said, pointing Inola out to the First.

Inola dipped her head politely. =/\= Thank you. I’m honored. =/\=

Galorn, and the third Councilor also sat then who was named Vashorn. =/\= I trust the injured are being cared well by the Ministry Of Disabled?=/\= The third female asked.

=/\= Oh yes Councilor! Though their care would be more intense were it not for the Merrimack’s fine medical staff. Sadly what injuries remain will mean they are likely not able to go into the Abyss of space again or serve in fleetly duties. I am confident your own daughter, my Second, will be in good hands in the coming days. =/\= The First said.

Vashorn seemed to show relief on her face that only a parent could show. But soon was replaced by more professional matters at hand. =/\= Thank you First, please take your seat where you wish. =/\= She said.

=/\= Your daughter serves upon the Transport Vessel? =/\= Glen asked Vashorn.

Vashorn seemed to consider the words a moment, =/\= No Captain, she served on the ship you rescued commanded by our First. She was her Second....=/\= There was a pause before Vashorn seemed to fill in some information as if realizing it missing would not make sense. =/\= In what we hope will one day be a purging interstellar space fleet beyond our home system our small ships barely have what you consider 20-30 crew aboard. The command crews are broken down between the First, Second, Third and Fourth. Referred to in name as well until they debark from that assignment and post. The First’s ship was the one you rescued. Her Second was my daughter, whom your medical chief did much to ease her burns and disabilities.....assuming she would have awoken at all given their stranded nature before your arrival. I admit I was against my daughter’s choice to be the First’s, Second when the chance came for her. Especially given the virtually untested nature of our FTL drive.....what you call Warp Drive. For bringing her back alive, and with the chance to have a measure of a normal life, even one chair and bed ridden as it no doubt will still be. I am in your debt if your society believes in such things to be claimed. Ask and if its in my power I shall see it done. =/\= Vashorn said genuinely.

Before a reply could be made the Third leaned over and softly spoke to Inola. =/\= A Councilor’s debt is not something to be taken lightly! If your culture does believe in calling in such things I would suggest your Captain save it for a more in need time. Or perhaps bargain to delay the favor’s weight at a later time for calling in. =/\= She said after the UT processed her sing song like whisper.

Inola tilted her head, considering before she began to whisper back. =/\= The concept of a life debt is not entirely foreign, but we rarely deal in such absolutes. Favors tend to color overall relations rather than be a direct exchange. It can also vary widely based on planet of origin. My own home planet deals widely in exchange and tiers, but it’s less common on non-colonies. =/\=

=/\= I see, a somewhat commonality then between races. =/\= The Third whispered back.

A quiet hush fell across the room then at Vashorn’s words, all eyes of the Tri-Council, their 9 still present advisors and the 20 odd servers for food and drink all pausing to look to Glen for his possible reply.

Glen wasn’t sure how to reply at first. He was concerned not to insult the customs of these people, but he felt uncomfortable about being in anyone’s debt. He took a while to carefully consider his reply. Clearly, everyone was waiting and expecting him to make some reply that needed to be deep and meaningful, and that would match the same gravity of the offer.

=/\= Let me first assure you that I do appreciate the honour and respect you are showing to me with this offer. My own culture from Earth, long ago ended the practise of having debts of honour, but I have had regular contact with other races like Romulans, or the Klingons, the latter who hold honour more important than life itself. The fact is, that I cannot think of anything at all that I would wish to ask of you right now. My only wish here is nothing more than that this diplomatic mission is successful, that we leave on good terms, and begin a process that may one day lead to you joining the United Federation of Planets, and taking a seat there. However, given this great honour you have bestowed upon me, I will not dismiss it lightly. Is it possible that I could defer it and extend it for a future time? We have a saying on Earth of ‘taking a rain check’ when an event is called off due to poor weather, so that one may take advantage of a later performance. =/\=

Kord allowed himself an internal moment, proud of Glen’s words. He was handling this very well. Better than this old soldier likely could have.

Inola nodded to Glen. A deferral was an excellent option, especially in this situation.

There was a pause as the UT processed and translated all of Glen’s words, there was a murmur from one of the advisors to another, before Vashorn finally spoke up. =/\= Your request for a delay is agreed upon Captain. Your saying I think did not quite translate properly though, something about ‘being wet’ is all that came through. In either case we too hope for peaceful and in time prosperous relations with your Federation..=/\= She said.

=/\= We came seeking only friendship and to demonstrate goodwill. I have no greater wish, =/\= Glen replied.

Galorn spoke up at this point, seeming to put the early tension to rest and ease in to more lively matters. =/\= Well! Let us enjoy this properly prepared food then before it loses its heat. =/\= She said gesturing for the nearby servers to reveal the food one by one.

The first large dish on display was like a large roasted bird, coated in a deep fried skin batter and smelling a lot like fried chicken though with a sweeter air. If tasted it matched the smell and was indeed sweet to the pallete but not overly so. Small floral designs in carefully carved wooden spears were around the chicken roast. For demonstration the First took the lead showing that the spears were meant to take portions of the large bird like roast. =/\= This roast is from a bird species to our world, which lives almost 100 of our years, roughly 210 or so I think by your count if I measured right, in either case the best flavor and richness for frying and roasting comes during the final decade of the bird’s life just as its----=/\= The First began then caught herself. =/\= Ahhh well forgive me giving such details would probably be improper at such a meal=/\= She said.

The next dish opened was a quite large fish like creature stuffed with a bread and some kind of rice with orange and yellow root vegetable filling. It looked like an odd cross between a quite large Terran swordfish, and a Trout. When tasted it was a quite pleasant lemony flavor to it from some kind of baked on marinade. The skin was flakey and crisp as well. The taste was as close match for most fish on Earth. The rice/bread and orange/yellow root vegetable stuffing inside it was a lot like a gamey stuffing one might find at a Terran Thanksgiving day meal. The orange vegetables quite similar to a carrot in texture and flavor though with a hint of salt, whether natural or added wasn’t clear. The yellow smaller root vegetables were like a strange mix of corn or squash with the texture of a potato. Overall the taste was a bit spicy on their palette likely added as an after season. Serving was provided by an Alstair female using a large intricately carved metal spoon. The Third spoke, =/\= This fish is a fish common to most salt waters on our world, they live in packs of nearly 300, only the largest are ever culled from the packs by our fishing fleets, this specimen was a record catcher last week by almost 2 of your pounds bigger than the last record holder.=/\= She explained. The fish coming in at a hefty 800 lbs at a glance or scan. Much of it clearly had been trimmed for other needs only the finer meat cuts left remaining for this meal and stuffed with the aforementioned stuffing. =/\= Thankfully much of the inner meat is best used in soups of broths, the outer layers remaining is used for meals like this.=/\= She went on.

The third and final dish was a large platter with exact square patties of ground meat. Arrayed around it were similarly exact square bread buns, and equally odd square red like vegetables similar to a tomato and lettuce leaf. Whether the ‘tomato’ or ‘lettuce leaf’ were artificially made or grown this way or it was something natural wasnt known. When tasted the meat was pretty exact on for a quite juicy hamburger from Earth, there was a hint of sweet and spicy flavoring to the meat but overall it was quite pleasant. Vashorn spoke =/\= These are ground meat patties brought in from one of our habitable moons, the local wild life there was domesticated only recently for farm growth barely 10 of our years ago. They are a four legged hoofed animal with two heads, the meat is taken from the prime cuts for meals like this and seasoned with a rare sweet and spicy pepper plant here on Alstair Prime..=/\= She said.

For drinks there was water of course, either chilled or room temperature, a blueberry sweet like wine, a foamy golden drink which smelled strongly of alcohol of some sort, and a slightly white-green chilled drink which resembled a milk like by product.

Glen indicated his permission for his crew to eat whatever was offered to them. He was expecting to see clean plates afterwards. Glen had eaten Andorian Redbat and Klingon Gagh before. In all honesty, nothing in the galaxy could taste worse than those.

-Glen, CO

Kord tried the fish.

• Kord, XO