Recruiting Sororibus (Recruiting the Sisters)

Posted on Wed 21st Apr, 2021 @ 11:04am by

628 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Business Not At All As Usual
Location: Besm Embassy, 752
Timeline: MD 4, 900

"How do you think they will respond to our pitch?" Isabella asked as she looked over to her friend and first officer in the turbolift. It seemed like they had been waiting forever in the lift on their way to the Besm embassy.

McCord shrugged. "I've found that with Besm, there's never any way to predict. I haven't spent much time with them, and that's on me. I was suffering, as they were, and we should have done it together, but I ... I felt so guilty." The doors opened on the 745th deck, which was one of twenty the Besm had remodeled for their heavy-planet bodies.

Isabella stood in the turbo lift looking upon the Besm embassy entrance, at the rounded edges and softened walls. "Man, they spent a lot of Latinum on this place," she stated as they walked out of the turbo lift together. Isabella put on her game face and stopped for a moment to face Riko. "Look, I know you and the Winter sisters have been through something very tragic together, but the guilt of that day, or whatever you want to name it, can end here and now. I know you haven't been there with them, but if it comes up, be completely honest about why. There is no shame in how you handled your grief. It all affects us differently."

The Lt. Commander looked over her friend, seeing the weight of the world on her shoulders. She wished she could relieve Riko of this burden, but she knew it was something Riko would have to work out on her own. "Do you want to start the conversation with them, or should I?" the young skipper asked her friend.

"It might be best coming from the leader of the expedition. If they need a little encouragement or convincing, I can come in and try to provide that," Riko said. "We'll see how it goes."

The two ladies walked into the Besm embassy and approached the front desk. Isabella knew she had made the right decision in having them come and speak to the Winter sisters in their civilian clothing. With the amount of traffic coming through the embassy, they would be pretty noticeable in their Starfleet uniforms. Isabella wanted to keep this meeting as low key as possible.

The woman behind the front desk of the embassy looked up from behind her terminal at both Isabella and Riko. A big smile crossed her face as she began her usual bubbly and standard greeting. "Welcome, both of you, to the Besm Embassy aboard Starbase 109, may I help you with anything?"

"Yes, we have an appointment to meet with the Winter sisters. Would you please tell them that Isabella and Riko are here to see them?" Perry asked with a bit of extra charm added to her voice. Although she had never been to the Besm embassy before, she got a feeling that the receptionist was a little too nice.

"Are Besm always so jubilant and pleasant?" Isabella whispered to Riko as she turned her back to the receptionist who was looking through her terminal database Isabella assumed.

"Ummm ... not always, but it sort of depends on the group, the creche. Some are more ebullient than others. Even within a group ...." Her voice trailed off, remembering a dinner at the Winters' quarters. There were certainly differences in personality in that group of ten. She glanced away from the desk and examined the lobby of the embassy, trying to pull her mind back from the memory.

"I guess it makes sense to put someone happy and bouncy at the greeting kiosk," she finally said.

The woman turned back to the two visitors with another smile. "One of the Winters will be down to get you shortly."

 

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