SD242009.06 - Joint Log - CD & AD - "Temporary Offices"

Posted on Sun Sep 6th, 2020 @ 4:02pm by Lieutenant Commander Abela Walker & Lieutenant JG Aleethia Sacraterra

1,661 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Sincerest Form of Flattery
Location: Versailles
Timeline: Current

=^= Temporary Diplomatic Offices =^=

Thin fingers danced over the surface of the padd, the taps so quiet as to go unheard. Cool eyes watched as sentences rapidly formed on the screen; a polite request to the representative of a Bolian political fringe group if they could move a rally from 2pm to 3pm this Thursday, in order to avoid a clash with a philosophically incompatible rally that ended around the same time.

It was dull, and Abela would be the first to concede that, but it stopped a potential fight before it could happen. That was very nearly the definition of her job; preventing anything exciting from happening.

Those green eyes raised to look at the wall-calender as it started to flash slowly, indicating that an appointment was about to begin in a couple of minutes.

08:30 - Welcome LtJg Sacraterra.

She drew in a breath and knocked on the door to the Diplomat's office. Alee was a bit nervous. She was far from the orphanage and knew very little about her new boss. She shook the thoughts out of her mind. She was here because she had made it, from the orphanage to the Starbase. She waited for a response from the person inside the office.

"Come in, please." the Chief Diplomat called out, pressing a key on her desk to make the door open. Rising to meet her guest, Abela stood up and stepped towards the door with dainty little footsteps.

"Hello," she said with a warm smile, "and welcome to your new post. I'm Commander Walker, but you can call me Abela when it's just us diplomats. Come, sit." said the lithe Commander, gesturing at a comfy chair.

She looked at the woman who was her new boss. The woman's green eyes seemed kind, but direct. Alee had no doubt that Abela had a spine of steel. She took the offered seat. "Thank you", Alee told the woman. She looked around the office. The Yeoman who had greeted her at her quarters had told her that this office, along with others, were temporary. However, it seemed like Abela had given it a small touch here and there. A plant in the corner of the room and a painting on the wall. Alee knew a lot of being places being temporary, so she liked that Abela had personalized the office a bit. "I'm honored to meet you", Alee told the other woman.

"Oh!" exclaimed Abela, "So polite! I'm sure you'll do just fine here. Would you care for a drink?" she asked, gesturing to a small jug of water next to some glasses.

Alee nodded. "Something to drink sounds good", she told Abela. It was nice of the woman to think of her, Alee thought. It had taken her some time to find the office and even with a map it hadn't been easy for her. Growing up with memorizing things, it was a tad hard to use the map. But she would learn.

The glass jug poured a small, glittering fountain of water into the cup. Once it was full, Abela passed the drink to her guest and took a seat next to her desk.

"So, how do you like our new, temporary offices?" Abela asked, emphasising the 'temporary'. "Our normal areas were completely demolished when the black hole showed up. Honestly, we're lucky nobody was killed!"

"Lucky indeed", Alee agreed. "The Starbase is huge. I've never been out in space before. The Starfleet Academy on Earth wasn't like this" she gestured to the room. "It's good that we have offices. It should be easier to conduct meetings and plan diplomatic events and meetings for whoever comes to the Starbase", she told Abela. "It would've been a disaster if the diplomats didn't have offices to work in".

"Definitely." Abela agreed, nodding her head and dislodging a few hairs in the process. "Dangit." she muttered under her breath, quietly tucking the rebellious strands back behind her uniform.

"So, we'd normally start with orientation. There's a training packet covering the different species we deal with, some peculiarities unique to working on Versailles, and so on. Unfortunately we're a little short-staffed right now. Between the black hole and the damage to the station, everyone's shaken up. This means more meetings to assure our diplomatic partners, more work to keep the liaisons happy, and more than a few rioters trying to hide in their embassies. Even if said embassy is a broom closet." she added, perfectly serious.

"I see. So is it our job to keep the peace and not create a rebellion or a war between species. Are there many rioters? And how many diplomatic partners are we currently in contact with? I assume quite a few, as Versailles still needs to get towed away from the black hole". Alee said. It was a lot to take in, but it was vital that she understood as much as possible, as soon as possible. Hopefully the Versailles would survive and not get destroyed by the black hole or end up in a riot or a war.

"The riots have stopped, thankfully." said Abela, sipping from her glass. "But there were a lot of them, at some point. Many will be in the brig now, and many more are hiding, afraid of the consequences of their actions. Giving into fear and anger is never the right choice, as we must convince people, yes."

After a few seconds pause, Abela blinked.

"Oh, yes. You had another question. We are in contact with hundreds of partners, as always. Embassies, business groups, religious groups, civilian unions, and so on. Some want to leave the station. Some want to take advantage of our condition. It's up to us to convince people that we can carry on in spite of...all this. As strong and essential as ever."

"Now," she declared, selecting a small padd from her desk, "we have a range of tasks to suit every palette. Did you have any sort of preference?"

Alee shook her head. "I'm open for suggestions and willing to do what's needed. For the time being I don't know what will suit me", she told Abela. "As long as I can be of use, everything works for me for the time being". She was excited to start her work, but also knew that it was vital to keep a cool head. She didn't want to make mistakes that could eventually cost lives.

"Well, then, hm." murmured Abela as she scrolled through the padd, looking for something that was simple enough for the newest member of the department to handle, but at the same time interesting enough to hold her interest.

"Here we go." she said, eventually. "A Bolian ambassador is due to arrive on Versailles later today. He's here to discuss a trade deal with representatives of the local colonies, and we have agreed to host the negotiations here, in the diplomatic offices. I would like you to identify a suitable room, ensure it is fit for use, and act as escort to the Ambassador when he arrives. The event itself should take no more than an hour or two. Does that work for you?"

Alee nodded. "Yes. I can do that. How big is the ambassador's group? A suitable room would be easier to find if I know how many people there will be. It wouldn't sit well with anyone if they ended up in a tiny office if the group is better suited for a proper meeting room. Is there anything I need to know about the ambassador in particular?", she asked. This would be a challenge. She knew that. But it was also a great place to start.

"Let's see." replied Abela, taking a sip from her drink while she considered the questions. Setting the glass back down, she wrapped her hands around her knee and leaned forwards a little.

"The Bolian ambassador travels on his own, and the colonies won't send more than three or four people. There's nothing you need to know about him in particular. He's been here before, and he's nice and friendly. Hmm, though you might need to point him towards the bathroom when he arrives. No facilities on his shuttle, see?"

"Of course. I noticed a decent-sized meeting room on my way here", Alee said with a nod. "The bathroom is next to that meeting room, so the ambassador won't have to go very far if he needs to go there. Any particular refreshments I should get prepared?", she asked. "Also, I think I will put a plant in there; it will make the meeting room look less... barren. Any other things that could prove of use I should bring?". Alee hoped her questions were reasonable.

The orphanage she had come from hadn't been good in terms of technology. In fact, everything had been written on paper and been archived in a cabinet. The headmaster of the orphanage had what she would now refer to as "old-schooled". Alee wasn't as used to the technology as what seemed to be the majority of the population of the Versailles.

"Water perhaps. Try not to over-focus on the trappings." advised the Chief, "Rather, get a feel for the negotiations themselves. These talks should be easy, so it's a great chance to see how they're meant to go."

A beep from Abela's padd distracted her, and her smile sagged a little.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to take this call. The Bolian-colony meeting details are in the Diplomatic database, just check your emails for the access code. Good luck." she said, giving an encouraging smile and a nod before refocusing on her padd.

Alee nodded and stood. "Thank you", she said and left Abela's office. She instantly checked her email to find what she would need. She then went to prepare for the negotiations.

=^= End of Log =^=


Lieutenant JG Aleethia Sacraterra
Diplomat's Aide
Starbase Versailles

&&

Lieutenant Commander Abela Walker (NPC Grey)
Chief Diplomat
Starbase Versailles

 

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