Sussing Each Other Out

Posted on Fri 23rd Aug, 2019 @ 12:10am by Daeren Iril & Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena

2,044 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Trill Consulate, Deck 636
Timeline: MD11, afternoon

Kiara wanted to say a brief hello to all the ambassadors assigned to Starbase 109. There would be a formal gathering later, but right now, she simply wanted to get an idea of who they were by stopping by their offices unexpectedly. She prepared a basket with local delicacies and a bottle of fine Trill wine and headed down to the Trill consulate.

She had not had the opportunity to visit Trill, but she'd worked with several Trill, both joined and unjoined, over the years. She was curious to see how the Consul was faring and to get a feel for the consulate itself.

She walked in and bowed to the person at the front desk. "Greetings. May I speak to Consul Iril, please?"

"Could I have your name and appointment time, Ma'am?" the front desk receptionist asked.

"My name is Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena. I am the new head of the station's diplomatic detachment," she said. "I do not have an appointment. Does the consul have a free moment?"

"He's in a meeting for another half hour," the receptionist said. "I can connect you with his secretary, and she can add it to his calendar, so he can see you as soon as he's through. Is that all right?"

"That's fine. I could speak with the secretary instead of waiting, if that is preferable." That, too, would give her valuable insights.

"Oh, Consul Iril will want to speak with you," the receptionist assured her and swiftly danced her fingers over her PADD screen. "But until he can, Ms. Palel can probably answer some of your questions or provide some of the information that the consul might. Let me get hold of her." She touched what looked like a torc around her neck. "Ms. Palel? I have a Lt. Commander Kiara Lena here to speak with Consul Iril. Can she meet with you briefly until he gets out of his meeting? All right, I'll have her wait here for you."

"She's coming right down," the receptionist said and handed Kiara what looked like a jeweled button. "This is your security pass; it will identify you to anyone who might inquire. It's already matched to your information in the public database. Ms. Palel will be down in a moment to escort you upstairs."

She took the button and attached it to her shirt. "Thank you. I appreciate your assistance."

"Any time! We're glad to have you visit," the receptionist said with a smile.

A few moments later, a tall, elegant Trill woman with a cloud of pure, white hair approached the receptionist's desk and glanced at Kiara. "Lt. Commander Lena? I'm Miadze Palel, Consul Iril's assistant. Would you like to come upstairs with me? We can talk until the Consul gets out of his meeting."

"Thank you," Kiara said, giving the assistant a half bow.

Miadze smiled and returned the slight bow and then gestured farther into the foyer. "This way, and then we'll take a left up the stairs. The chancery is only two stories high, so most of us don't bother with the elevator." She led Kiara into a T-intersection, where a marble staircase on the left led up to the second story. They began climbing the carpeted marble stairs. "Are you the new Starfleet liaison?"

"Yes. Officially, I'm the head of the diplomatic delegation," Kiara said. "Part of my duties involve liaising with the other ambassadors."

"Then I will be glad to work with you," Miadze said. "We're somewhat new here, ourselves; the Consul was appointed to 109 only a few weeks ago, once our people learned the Besm were coming. So you and I might be able to help each other." They reached the top of the stairs, and Miadze led Kiara down a long hallway that was lined with offices. At the end of the hall, a set of double doors opened into an office suite that contained a small waiting area, what looked to be Miadze's office, and a larger office for Consul Iril. The decor was all shades of beige, pearl, and dark brown, with pale turquoise accents in the carpeting and upholstery.

"Have a seat," Miadze said, indicating the lounge area. "Would you like coffee or something else to drink?"

"No, thank you," Kiara said, walking into the lounge and looking around. "This is lovely."

"We like it, too," Miadze said. "It feels restful--" She broke off in surprise as the door leading into Iril's office opened, and an Andorian stepped out whose complexion, unfortunately, was the wrong shade of blue to match well with the room decor.

"That's fine, Inspector Shulas," the silver-haired man who had opened the door for him said. "I'll look over the information and have a reply to you by tomorrow morning."

"Ladies." Shulas inclined his head toward them as he passed out of the consul's office suite, leaving only the Trill gentleman standing there, visibly shivering, now that his guest was gone. Miadze looked at him and was already moving toward the replicator when the door to the hallway closed. "Masala chai with cream, hot, three lumps," she ordered.

"Thank you," the consul said to her in a relieved voice. "If that meeting had lasted the entire hour, I'd have turned into an icicle." He gave Kiara an interested look. "And who might this be?"

"Andorian or not, you shouldn't set the temperature so low," Miadze scolded him. "Consul, I have the pleasure to introduce Lt. Commander Kiara Lena, our new Starfleet Liaison. Commander, Consul Daeren Iril."

"Ah! Commander Mori said we should expect you." Iril shook hands with Kiara. "I'm delighted you came to meet with me." He accepted the cup of steaming chai from Miadze and warmed his cold fingers around the teacup.

"The pleasure is mine," Kiara said. She indicated the basket she brought with her. "I brought you a gift. I apologize for not bringing Masala chai tea as well."

"Well, thank you," Daeren said as he peered at the gift basket's contents. "That is thoughtful of you--and there is no reason why you should apologize for not knowing something you couldn't possibly know. Will you mind if I share it with the rest of the staff?"

"Not at all. It's yours to do with as you wish." She smiled. "I'm pleased you approve."

"I'm pleased you included Nutty Bars," the consul said with a smile. "And this wine! 2380 was a very good year for Pearlwine. Thank you! I shall save it for a special after-hours occasion. Miadze, would you please put this in the break room--minus the wine and a Nutty Bar?" Iril's expression turned serious. "If you will come into my office, Commander, I think it should be warm enough now. I set the temperature to return to normal as Shulas left. It should be reasonable by now."

Kiara nodded. "And if not, I will make do until it is." She smiled politely, pleased that the consul appreciated the basket. It was always good to start off on a positive note.

She walked into the office and looked around, always curious to see how each diplomat showed his or her personality.

Iril kept his office simple and uncluttered with furniture, paperwork, or decorations. Two models of starships were displayed on stands within sight of his desk--the ships that Iril had commanded during his Starfleet career, the Nebula-class Vigilance and the Akira-class Nagasaki. Both were strategically placed in front of oil paintings of space phenomena--colorful nebulae and scattered stars. The office contained space for Iril's desk and two guest chairs as well as for a conference table and chairs at one end and a pair of sofas with a coffee table and a couple of chairs at the other end. A Trill flag and a Federation flag flanked the wall behind Iril's desk. A pair of tall, narrow, curtained 'windows' gave the illusion of sunlight in the room.

"Let's sit at the sofas," Iril said. He sipped from his tea and then set the cup and saucer down on the table. "This has been a rather surprising posting," he said. "My government regarded this starbase as pretty much a non-entity for two decades. Then, within the past three standard years, activity here blossomed. Suddenly, it became a business and commerce center, as well as a resort location. Your Promenade and Tivoli Gardens have made names for themselves. It is really quite astonishing. Then, when we learned that the Besm planned to lease part of the station as a settlement, we knew we wanted to have a presence here, as well. Everything I have seen here since my arrival only confirms my initial impression of the place."

"I've only been here a few days, but I can see what you mean. The station is quite impressive," she said. "I'm looking forward to getting to see some of it."

"You definitely should," Iril said. "I've never seen such varied night life, and the exposure to a variety of different cultures is refreshing."

Kiara nodded, understanding what he meant. "What places do you like to visit the most?" she asked.

Iril chuckled. "I don't think I've been here long enough to have favorites yet. My tastes are many and varied. So far, I've enjoyed The Lower Lounge and the Targ Restaurant. I have plans to visit the Slug and Grub Diners soon, as I used to be the ambassador to Ferenginar, and I plan outings to Pearl with a Chainsaw and Orchids and Jazz. The latter is famous in certain circles and is considered a must-visit restaurant here." Iril took a sip of his tea. "Would you care for tea or some other beverage, Commander?"

"No, thank you." She smiled. "I've been to Orchids & Jazz. I highly recommend it. For the rest--not yet, but I'm sure I'll get to most of them, in time. It appears that a number of the consulates are new to the station."

"Then Miadze already asked you about tea," Iril said with a nod. "So, I hear that we will soon be adding a Klingon and perhaps a Romulan consulate to our midst?"

"The conversation with your assistant was brief," Kiara said, unsure what he thought she'd been asked. "That's what I've heard as well. I haven't been here long myself."

"I've never met a Klingon diplomat before, much less a Romulan one," Daeren said. "Working with them will be fascinating. Have you met any of the Besm yet?"

"Not yet. That's on my list of things to do," she said. "I want to visit the consulates first, then I'll move on to others." She cocked her head to one side. "What does Trill expect from having representation here?"

"I expect that our routine activities will involve assisting Trill citizens with visas and the like, serving as a contact point for people wishing to visit Trillius Prime, and so forth. The gentleman I just met with needed to consult on a criminal investigation. Another goal we have for this consulate is to promote friendly relations between our people and the inhabitants of the Triangle area of space. Lastly, my people wish to collaborate with Besm scientists in medical research, something that is much easier to do in person than through correspondence and intermediaries. It is possible that we will request joint laboratory space," Iril said. "As a Federation protectorate, Home has been all but impossible to travel to, so we are quite glad to see that the opportunities for interpersonal relations with the Besm people are becoming broader."

"Yes. It's much easier to have civil discourse in a place like this, a place that naturally brings diverse groups together," Kiara said. "I believe you will have success in your endeavors."

"I certainly hope so," Iril said, "and I look forward to helping them come to fruition." He sipped a bit more from his tea and then looked back at Commander Lena. "Is there anything that Starfleet would like to see from us?"

"Cooperation," Kiara said. "But that is a given. That's all I ask for now." There was always the possibility that she could need a favor, but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

 

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