[snip]

Glen would be happy not to be the only one of his staff doing all the diplomacy, but then he had specifically asked them to let him initially do the talking, so that was entirely his own fault. It was just that he still couldn’t find it within himself to trust Cross, even this ‘new’ version of Doctor Cross. He couldn’t believe she wouldn’t blurt out something inappropriate, or her to open some forbidden door just for the hell of it. Then again, he owed her his life for disobeying his orders in exactly that way once before. And few could understand, but that was why he always let her get away with so much.

Glen decided to introduce his officers to Dol anyway, and he guided the Dol, Sal and the four advisors towards Joe, Miriam, Tia, Wolf, Cara, William and Ferris. “I’d like you to meet my team,” Glen said, working his way slowly along the line, beginning with his XO. “This is Joe Milligan, my right-hand man.”

Glen wondered about getting some food for himself, but one look at the movement of Joe’s plate and he decided he wasn’t quite hungry enough yet.

Joe saw Glen coming with Dol and all the advisors and was forced to swallow whatever it was he had been chewing on. He congratulated himself himself on keeping the stuff down. No matter what the skipper thought Joe was of the opinion that he was being more than diplomatic by not spitting the small portions of food that he had out. For he had found that no matter what color or shape it took it all tasted like dusty boot leather with a hint of something else which he refused to let his mind even guess at.

At the introduction Joe stood tall at attention and with a determination unknown to him since the time he had successfully escaped from the bedroom of his commanding officer at the time he forced his widest and happiest smile despite the aftertaste in his mouth and cut loose with a string of blarney his ancestors would have been proud of. “Why hello Dol sir!” he bubbled eagerly. It’s a fine thing to be met by such a grand set of people such as yourself. Why the way you have set your whole civilization like this living in this lovely habitat is indeed a wonder! And the food? Simply amazing, My congratulations sir.

Dol nodded, “..Pleasure to formally meet you Joe Milligan..” he said.

Glen thought Joe had something on his chin. A strip of the red meat probably. He quickly moved down the line.

“This is my Chief Medical Officer, Miriam Cross,” Glen said, and checked she was still there.

Cross did not have time to slip away. On the Captain’s introduction the female doctor smiled and not knowing how they greeted each other she decided to do it the Japanese way by lowering her head ‘’Greetings Master Dol and thank you for the hospitality ‘’ she said in a cordial and soft tone.

”..And you as well Chief Medical Officer Miriam Cross..” he said politely

She hoped she didn’t mess up and just for good measures Cross kept a smile plastered on her face.

Glen thought that Cross had never performed so well. He might nominate her for a Federation Actors Guild Award.

He moved the Dol down the line to Cara Meow, the Ship’s Anthropologist.

“Your Grace! I’m a scientist and I’m very much looking forward to learning about your species; your unique biology, culture, society, and linguistics,” said Cara, giving him a slight curtsey.

There was a brief chuckle and smile from Dol, as well as his wife and other advisors nearby at the ‘grace’ comment. “..Please Cara Meow, my title and for now name of Dol shall suffice if such is needed. Such fancier titles then that only remind my people of our time in slavery in generations pass, but do not worry no offense was taken..” he said.

Glen then steered the Dol and his party towards, Tia, William and Wolf. “My Chief Engineer, Chief Science Officer and Chief of Security.”

As the captain was moving about and introducing everyone Joe looked across at Cross and was immediately disturbed. Since his mind was set to diplomatic mode, he pored over all the words and phrases available to him. Each one he threw out almost instantly. He’d know Miri too long and suspected that any sort of verbal quick step would just anger her.

So it was with this in mind he around to make sure there were no others close by as he whispered into Cross’s ear saying,” Miri do everyone a favor and stop grinning like that . I keep expecting you to growl and bite someone.”

Cross whispered back ‘’Can’t you recognize a smile from a grin’‘ her first instinct was to hit Joe on the head with the bag Hunter had given her but thought better of it when the little voice in her head whispered * Its not a good time to do it* back to Joe ‘’Cmdr when we get back on the ship I shall find the time to growl and bite someone and that someone would be you!’‘.

Cara Meow, overhearing, gave a slight cough. She thought she was the one who did the growling and biting around here!

Cross then turned back facing the others with the same smile hoping it would please Glen...... at least for the moment.

Cross CMO.

Tia remained silent during the introductions. Unlike a couple others, she wasn’t interested in the food, either. As she was introduced by the CO, she nodded. “A pleasure to meet you.”

”..And a pleasure to meet you all as well..” Dol said in turn to the chief engineer, science chief and security chief.

Stepping back to let the others speak, she fidgeted slightly. Her hand tugging at her clothes, occasionally. And every once in a while she reached up to be sure her hair braid hadn’t come loose. She was better suited for engineering crawl spaces than she was for soirees like this. Sure, she could smile and bat her eyelashes and play the diplomat if she has to. But it wasn’t her thing.

With any luck at all, the lights would go out and she could find something to be useful at.

Tia CE

After the officers had been given a chance to speak to the Dol and Sala, Glen took them down to the end of the line. “And finally this is my Communications Officer, Ferris Kinton. You will have heard him when you made contact with the ship.”

• Glen, CO

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.” Ferris said. While he wasn’t exactly excited about the food, he had enough cultural training to pretend to enjoy it at least, which he had been doing before the introduction.

Ferris, Comms

Dol once more inclined his head in greeting to Ferris, “..You as well Communications Officer Ferris Kinton..” Dol stated.

With the introductions out of the way the groups would finally return to the table. Once everyone was seated where they would like as it did not seem there was any formal or more traditional ‘head of the table’ privilege like they might expect, Dol clasped his hands and straightened out his silver pointed hat and garb. “..Well once more I am quite happy to have gotten to meet you all from the Merrimack. I am sure we all have many questions to exchange with each other in some form or another. So I propose we do just that,” he said looking to Glen with a friendly smile, “..Captain Glen as our guest would you or any of your people like to begin with asking my advisors or myself any further questions you may have? Conversely we could simply break up this meeting to let you all tour where you wish on our habitat?” he said.

GM CockRoach