An Egg-cellent Meeting

Posted on Wed 5th Jun, 2024 @ 11:19am by Captain Gordon Francis & Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena

1,558 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: O' the Cardiff Rose
Location: Bub's Cafe
Timeline: MD 15

ON

Captain Francis had come to Bub's Diner, a new place in Tivoli Gardens, to meet with his Chief Diplomatic Officer when the house band invited him up to play banjo with them. Since Francis had arrived about a half hour early, he decided there was enough time to play a tune. He'd been away from the banjo a little too long, but was able to keep up as they played an old tune called "Fox on the Run." Francis had loved the version by Country Gentlemen since he was a kid back on the farm in Missouri. It was very challenging to play on the banjo.

As he stepped off the stage, he gave a small bow to the small applauding audience and went back to his table, getting there just in time to be served his mushroom and Swiss omelet, with home fries and cinnamon apples on the side, and of course, black coffee.

Kiara hadn't been to Bub's Diner before and found the name unusual enough to look it up before she went there to meet with the new captain. This would be the third one since her arrival. Or was it fourth? She'd lost track. To be honest, diplomacy was often busy with their own little world of politics and intrigue and didn't associate much with command. And she'd had her own series of misadventures to keep her busy. And Dallas, of course.

She walked in just in time to catch the end of the last number and raised an eyebrow when she recognized the new captain. You didn't often find the commander of the station playing a banjo on stage. It made her smile. However, by the time she reached his table, she again wore the placid expression she maintained as part of her professional demeanor. "Hello, captain. A pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Commander Lena," he said, sounding very cordial. Francis gestured to the other seat at the table as he sat down. "Please have a seat and feel free to order something, I'm buying. I'm afraid I can't really recommend anything. I've never been here and this place is about as new to the station as I am!"

"It is. I hadn't heard about it before," she said as she sat down across from him. "That looks good," she said, nodding to his plate.

The waitress stopped at the table just then to take her order. Kiara ordered the same omelet with sweet potato fries. Then she turned to the captain. "How do you like the station so far?"

Francis nodded as he swallowed a bite of omelet. "As far as starbases go, she's one of the best looking ones I've seen. When I was Captain of the Michelle Yeoh, I knew every nook and cranny by a week into my command. That was a Galaxy-Class starship, mind you. This place swallows Galaxy-Class starships... so I might need a month!" he said with a small smile. "How do you like it here, Commander? I give you permission to speak freely. I can't stand gobbledygook."

"I don't speak gobbledygook," she said, chuckling. "I speak diplomatic standard. There's a difference." She saw the waitress returning with her food and waited, smiling her thanks as the plate was set before her. "I like it here. I've made some good friends since arriving. Granted, most of them are diplomats, but I don't spend a lot of time outside the ambassadorial areas." She made several forays with Dallas and T'Vala, but she often spent the evening reading.

"Most of my friends come from Starfleet Intel, so naturally I can't trust a single one of them!" Francis said with a chuckle. "As for your ambassador friends, I'd love to meet some of them. I'd be tickled pink if you could make an introduction."

Kiara smiled. "I can definitely arrange that. I'll talk to them and let you know when they'll be available." She had no doubt Krang and T'Vala would be happy to meet the new captain. She began to eat her eggs, pleased with how good they were.

"I hope you don't mind coming here for an official meeting," Francis said. "Back in the day, when I was a young and naive Captain, I was uptight about formality. If you didn't call me 'sir' after every sentence, or didn't stand when I walked into a room, I'd raise a ruckus. I expected everyone to do their work while I stayed in my ready room all day."

The Captain paused to take a bite, then continued. "But now in my later years I think, why in the heavens above should I stay in some stuffy office when I can conduct a meeting over eggs?"

"I agree. But then, diplomacy is often conducted over a drink or a meal. It makes for more amenable conversations," she said. "I always find I learn more about people if I meet them on their terms rather than making them come to my office. It sounds much like what you've learned." She turned back to her omelet. She would have to bring Dallas here. He'd enjoy the food.

Francis chuckled. "If there's one thing you learn in Intelligence, it's never meet anyone on their terms unless you know every exit beforehand, every detail of the people around you just from a glance, if necessary accept a drink but never drink it, and never be noticed. I learned to be as paranoid as possible." He smiled again. "This assignment has given me a chance to change that. I'm not going to surrender to my own fears this time. Hence I'm not afraid to go up on a stage and play some good music before an audience!"

"I rarely feel the need to watch my back, fortunately. I don't envy you that. But, while the station can be a safe place, it's had its share of trouble. So, don't get too placid." She looked at him a moment. "But I don't think you'll have that problem." The people she knew in intel or who had been in intel seemed to be ever vigilant, at least on some level. What was it she heard? You can take the man out of intel, but you can't take intel out of the man? Something like that.

"I appreciate the confidence, Commander," Francis replied with a smile. "Placid isn't exactly a word that describes my life as of late. I know the environment in and around our starbase will keep me on my tippy-toes, a state of being with which I am all too familiar."

After taking another bite, he changed the subject. "Do you know of someone on the station named Qaraq?" he asked.

"I've heard of him, but nothing more," Kiara said. "Isn't he part of Brown Sector?"

"Yes. He's a friend of mine," Francis replied. "He's something of a diplomat himself. You might want to get acquainted. I mean that as a suggestion, of course. He's nothing official here. Just a casino owner. But he could be useful to you."

She raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." She finished her omelet and took a swallow of her drink before continuing. "Is there anything you would like to see from diplomacy?"

Francis sat back, finishing his last bite of delicious omelet. "I guess I'd like to know what you'd like to see from your commanding officer? As I said, my diplomacy throughout my career has been cloak and dagger. I'm not used to being on a station with real diplomats who aren't selling secrets in hushed places, or making plans to defect. Just having this position turns me into the role of diplomat. Now, how can I best perform that part?"

She took a moment to drink her water before answering. "Listen to us. I haven't had a problem here, but I've heard other diplomats complain that their commanding officers don't listen to them, they just give orders. Or they decide to be the diplomat themselves when there's a department of us trained specifically for diplomacy. Other than that, do what you're doing. Get to know the ambassadors here because that will make it easier to work with their governments."

"That sounds like good advice," Francis said. "My goal here is to listen to everyone, and help keep everything moving; from my officers in Ops straight down to the good people in Brown Sector." He grinned. "And if there are ways to do that over a delicious omelet, so be it!"

"Food always makes things better," she agreed. She picked up her water glass again. "You're definitely off to a good start. I hope you settle in well here. The station could use some stability at the top. I know it's nobody's fault, but Starfleet has been a little too eager to play musical chairs with personnel."

"I plan on staying here a while," Francis said with a soft smile.

"Good. This station is special. It needs good leadership that will be around a while." She finished her water and smiled. "Thank you for a lovely meal. It was a pleasure to meet you, captain."

"Same here, Commander," Francis replied. "Please keep me updated on our diplomats. Hopefully I'll be able to meet some or all of them. In the mean time, keep up the good work. Dismissed."

End

 

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