Stage act

Posted on Mon 8th May, 2017 @ 12:22am by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Eberstark & Lieutenant Sianna Dal
Edited on on Fri 12th May, 2017 @ 7:08pm

1,369 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Promenade

It was, admittedly, an odd place to hold a meeting - a pair of Starfleet officers in the purple of the Diplomatic Corps and a single civilian seated on a bench in the Promenade made for an odd sight, one that drew a small amount of attention from the occasional passerby, if only for the novely of the thing. In part it was Sianna Dal's traditional disdain for the austere environs of the station's more martial areas - and there was only so much she could do in that regard - and, partly, it was a statement.

Vasily Sokolov, the older, gray-haired human looked even paler than he usually did - a relic of several long nights of work, "Public perception is a fickle thing - memory tends to be short." It had been his idea for the meeting to be in the open, where the public might see them, "We will need to restore a sense of normalcy to the station."
"Public exhibitions and events, you mean." Sianna Dal was familiar with the idea - she had started her career in the far more energetic and active student associations, "It shouldn't be too difficult, there is no shortage of holidays or cultural quirks in the Federation. We might need to bring in outside groups to lay the foundation - I doubt we have sufficient organized groups to cover an entire ..." the Orion trailed off, considering, before tentatively adding, "Week?"
"Unity week. Or maybe United Federation week." Esel Gathal, the towering Pahkwa-thanh, spoke softly, as softly as she could, "The larger question is - will our budget cover it?"
"We have leeway ..." there was a shrewd glint to Vasily's eyes as he looked at Sianna, "Though we might need some planning support - I'm not sure we have enough experienced people to cover a sufficient number of events."
The diplomat, for her part, had been looking over the crowds, spotting a ... not familiar, but a known face, "I think I know exactly who to ask about that." she turned her attention back to her subordinates for a moment, "We can continue this meeting in an hour, perhaps."

As the two officers departed - and Sianna Dal noted she'd trained them well, the Orion made sure to catch the attention of her quarry, waving him over.

Out of the corner of his eye, Andrew spotted the hand of the Chief Diplomat calling him over. Raising an eyebrow, Andrew nodded at the woman and made his way over.

He could only guess as to what she required of him, but as the two people she was talking to departed, Andrew could speculate it had something to do with public relations relating to recent events. After having only limited contact with the Lieutenant in the past, he was unsure as to how this conversation would go, but he felt equal parts intrigue and anxiety.

Making his way over to her, Andrew gave a nod, "Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

In place of a greeting, the diplomat merely indicated at the now-empty bench next to her, "Please, sit down ... and smile for the cameras." metaphorical ones, at least, though Sianna Dal was very aware of the attention of the occasional passerby - if only because they made for a somewhat extraordinary sight, "Do feel free to use my name, I'm still not used to the rank. We do try to emphasize the Federation's nature when speaking with other powers. Military rank tends to send the wrong message."

Taking a seat next to the woman, Andrew could start to see why she was the Chief Diplomat and gave a nod, "Fair point. I'll try. But no guarantees I won't let a 'Lieutenant' slip once in awhile," glancing at people walking by taking notice of the two, "Please, call me Andrew."

Leaning back, Andrew tried his best to gain some insight as to what she was up to, "You handled the riot situation well," folding his arms, "I must admit I wasn't fully prepared for that sort of incident right off the bat from my coming to the Starbase. May I assume that this conversation has something to do with what happened?"

Sianna Dal simply nodded in response.

The Orion nodded in a particular direction - where the rioting had started ... and ended soon afterwad, "The damage has been repaired, it wasn't much in the first place. Nobody even set anything on fire." there was no evidence Sianna Dal had ever been involved in one of Paris' many protests - she'd made sure of that, "The damage to our public relations is, however, somewhat more severe and long-lasting. We need something to take the attention away - the Diplomatic Corps is currently planning a series of events and exhibitions, though we haven't finalized the list."

Even Lieutenant M'Raz's proposal for a pick-up rugby game was being considered - though how more violence was going to make things better escaped the diplomat.

Sianna offered her colleague her brightest, most charming smile, "We are, however, short-handed. Running so many parallel activities would be difficult, but your department would have some experience with similar things. Not much different from planning a military operation, really."

Andrew couldn't help but grin as he followed the line of thought the Diplomat was taking, "Nicely put. But, while I think the basics would be similar, something tells me there are," pausing, "certain differences between the two."

Leaning forward, and as he contemplated the scenarios of what he and his staff would be asked to do, Andrew gave a sigh, "It's an interesting thought I must admit. I don't think I've ever been asked to do something such as this," shrugging, "Then again I haven't dealt with many riots during my time. The truth of the matter is Ms. Dal, we are a bit short staffed as well. To be honest, I've been pulling double shifts just to maintain the systems of the Starbase. How many "parallel activities" did you have in mind?"

"Nothing significant - a few dozen spread across a week. It mostly amounts to setting up appropriate venues and replacing the decorations in accordance with a schedule." the diplomat leaned back, toying with the bracelet on her wrist, "It is herding cats, however. Planning is crucial, ensuring that our people don't trip over each other or start working at peak hours - that would be where you come in." Sianna locked eyes with her colleague, "Put simply, we need schedules, time-tables and locations to ensure maximum exposure and visibility. The station systems regularly monitor movement on the promenade, the raw data is already there - my department simply lacks the time and the expertise to properly analyse it on such a short schedule."

Remaining silent as he processed the Diplomat's request, Andrew began taking mental notes of what was required of him and his team. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't seem like too large of a request, but in this case, he had to be careful of what resources he could spare.

Realizing, at least from a public relation standpoint, the necessity for these events to happen and to go off as smoothly as possible, Andrew thought for a moment of who would be ideal for this type of scenario on his staff, and shook his head in agreement at the woman, "I think I can work with that. If you don't mind giving me a little more information in regards to the events, my staff and I should be able to draw something up in a day or so."

Sianna inclined her head - in acknowledgement, in gratitude, out of politeness, "I'll have my people send you a detailed list, if that's alright. More precise than an oral briefing, I think, no?"

Andrew gave a smile, "That works for me. And I suspect you know my type. I prefer as many specifics as I can get. Don't want to leave much up to chance if it can be avoided."

Rising as he gave a nod to the woman, "If you'll excuse me, I'm due for a staff meeting but I'm sure we'll be in touch in the near future. I look forward to working with your department."

 

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