The Main Event Begins

Posted on Mon 16th Sep, 2019 @ 1:25pm by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Lieutenant Commander Andrew Eberstark & Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena & Lieutenant Commander T'Len Mori
Edited on on Thu 27th Oct, 2022 @ 7:10am

1,286 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: VIP Secure Docking Level
Timeline: MD 4, 09:45

The People's Starship Totally Not Lost had made real-space reversion on schedule, and a group of fighters had provided an honor-guard for the first of the colony ships arriving from the Republic of Home. It had taken time for the ponderous vessel to reach the station's outer harbor and make orbit; more time for a diplomatic shuttle to depart the ship, and finally, here in the inner harbor, to match seals and exchange atmosphere.

A light beside the hatch turned from red to green, and the band struck up the national anthem of the Senate and People of the Republic of Home[1]. The inner hatch opened and a woman stepped onto the umbilical walkway. She was tall, and age had done little to soften her figure or her features. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses; her mouth was thin and firm. Her hair, once cobalt but now fading toward periwinkle, was braided on top of her head; a string of pearls with a faint golden nacre was threaded through the plait, reinforcing the suggestion of a crown.

Behind this battleship of a woman came five others, substantially shorter than she was -- the tops of their heads barely reached her shoulder. The five had snow-white hair framing identical faces; large jade-green eyes watched everything warily. The woman at the back of the group had once had the same face, but it was changed now, deeply marked with burn scars on the right side, and she wore an eye patch on that side.

As they reached the bottom of the umbilical, the outer hatch rolled aside, and the boatswain in Starfleet dress uniform raised his pipe to his lips and blew attention, before calling out, "Governor Wildrose... Arriving!"

The tall woman passed between the Sideboys; two each in dress uniforms of Scarlet, Gold, Blue, and Green, then paused, facing the small group standing on the pier. "Lafayette," she said, "Nous voila."[2]

Kiara bowed formally. "Bienvenue, madame la Gouverneure. Nous sommes honorés par votre présence. [3] I am Kiara Lena. On behalf of the Federation, your arrival is greatly appreciated." She indicated the two with her. "You know Commodore Suzuki Hikari. May I present her first officer, Commander Mikaela Locke."

The Governor quirked an eyebrow at the diplomat, then returned the bow. Her mouth took on an expression that might, after a few million years, evolve into a smile. "Commodore. I believe the last time we met, it was Lieutenant Commander Suzuki. But you," she turned her attention to Locke, "you, I do not know."

"As Commander Lena mentioned, my exec, Commander Locke." Suzuki smiled warmly as Mikaela gently inclined her head in the direction of the Governor. "It is good to see you again, Admiral." She turned to the small group of officers and diplomats and explained, "Admiral Wildrose was the strategic and tactical instructor in my Command Officer Qualifying Course at Starbase 185."

"When dinosaurs walked the Earth," Wildrose added.

Paul's lips twitched in a momentary smile at the governor's joke. She had a wonderful straight-man routine going.

Wildrose stepped aside, gestured to the young women behind her. "I believe you know my staff already."

Suzuki looked at the group, then bowed deeply from the waist. "I cannot express my shame and sorrow," she said.

The woman at the back of the group moved to the front, her burned face twisted in an expression of sorrow. "Skipper... it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault."

Another of the young women stepped forward beside her sister. "Life," she said, "is what happens while you're making other plans."

Suzuki straightened, her cheeks damp with tears. "Welcome to Starbase 109."

"Thank you," Wildrose said, politely ignoring the Commodore's sorrow. "We have twelve hundred settlers with us. The People's Starships You Had the Map will be arriving tomorrow; Left Turn at Albuquerque on Thursday; Are We There Yet on Friday. We're hoping to move each ship's population off the ship and into quarters the day they arrive, but if we don't meet that schedule, I presume there is no difficulty with having four Conestogas in orbit?"

“Not at all,” Mikaela Locke stepped forward, hoping she wasn’t speaking out of turn, but also desiring to draw some of the focus away from the commodore. “And we stand ready to assist you with anything you may need. Commander Perry,” she indicated to the Captain-of-the-Port, standing a few feet away, in the midst of the Starfleet delegation, “Will be your primary point of contact.”

Kiara stood quietly, watching the proceedings. She was there as an ambassador and so would escort the governor to her VIP quarters, but much of the conversation now did not involve her.

Paul watched Wildrose but kept his attention on the Commodore as she spoke to the two white-haired Besm sisters, whose emotions he couldn't read. They had to be among or perhaps the only surviving Winter sisters. Shortly after Suzuki's assumption of command at 109, word had gone around Sickbay about the group of clone siblings who had mostly been killed during the attack that had brought USS Samurai to the station. Paul remembered that they had left the base before he'd had a chance to offer them his condolences or counseling.

He had considered the loss of so many direct siblings shocking and tragic then, in the distantly sympathetic way of a person who wasn't directly involved. Now, however, he felt the pain full-force from Suzuki and listened to the reassurances as the two sisters tried to comfort a commanding officer they had clearly respected and liked.

It really was unfortunate, he thought, that Suzuki was in many ways much more distanced from her crew, now that she was not only the CO of a starbase but also a Commodore. The rank kept her busy on assignments of which 109 was only a small part, and it meant that 109's staff did not get to know her nearly as well as Samurai's crew had. While he couldn't read the two Winter sisters, he got a distinct feeling of family from Suzuki. That caused him to withdraw more into himself to give the three of them privacy--or as much privacy as could be had in such a public moment.

Remaining silent and at attention alongside the rest of the staff not formally introduced, Andrew forced himself to make contact with the familiar faces behind the Governor. He somberly bowed his head at his former crewmates. Even for this brief encounter, he wasn't sure how he would feel seeing them again. Seeing the raw emotion of the sisters' reunion with the Commodore certainly amplified his feelings of sadness for them and regret for not being aboard during the attack.

Lt. Commander T'len Mori from the Diplomatic Department stood in the back, monitoring the entire event. Quietly pleased that her plans with the local representative had helped make this event successful. Preparing the next steps as the leaders greeted each other, she wore her dress uniform to better blend in and take less attention from the great meeting taking place as uniforms, however festooned with ribbon etc they may be tended to blend often in the background than distinctive cultural dress.

"Well," Wildrose said, breaking the tableau, "best to get on with the disembarkation, then. If someone would show me the way? And Commander Perry, will you join me in the stroll?"

Kiara glanced at the Commodore, then turned back to Wildrose. "I will be happy to escort you. Right this way."

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1) https://youtu.be/4wvpdBnfiZo

2) "Lafayette, we are come."

3) "Welcome, Madame Governor. We are honored by your presence."

 

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