Diplomatic Envoy

Posted on 17 Oct 2012 @ 12:05am by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm
Edited on on 24 Oct 2012 @ 6:55am

2,269 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: USS Galileo - CO's Ready Room
Timeline: MD3 0930 hrs

[ON]

EARTH, Starfleet HQ - Admiral T'Zeia's Office [MD 01]

"We were told that the Galileo would be en route to Sol now. What's the damn hold up?"

Admiral Ilan Cra had a particularly scowly expression on his Trill features.

"The USS Galileo sent a communique to this office fifty-six minutes ago. They have arrived on the colony planet Vega IX. They are in no condition to continue to Sol. They will make repairs there and continue with their mission promptly."

Admiral T'Zeia's features were clear in stark contrast to the anger on the other side of her desk, and she pressed a PADD in Cra's direction. "Lieutenant Liyar has been diverted to Vega IX. His orders remain clear. The Vulcan embassy has provided him with the necessary intelligence to operate efficiently."

Clenching his teeth, Cra gave a curt nod and stood up. "Let's just hope nothing else goes wrong out there."


RUNABOUT Tannis - VEGA IX [MD 03]

PADD one was finished. It only took the surly Vulcan about a minute to read through all its contents.

Ensign Vidal couldn't figure him. Even the Vulcans he served with at the Academy had nicer looks than he gave. He looked like he was going to set you on fire with his brain. Briefly, Ensign Vidal wondered if that was even possible, considering the Vulcan reputation for telepathy.

The Tannis was taking the direct route to the colony, with a few repair escorts and other personnel. Liyar stuck out as the only one in a Starfleet diplomatic uniform. Unfortunately, this meant people like Vidal were consistently staring at him. He appeared completely oblivious.

The days had gone by easily, at least for Liyar. The rest of the crew were either new to continuous space travel (new recruits) or asleep, after years of practice. Vidal and Liyar were the odd ones out on this mission, being neither new recruits nor experienced in the matter at hand.

At first, Vidal had tried to befriend him, even pulling out something technical and logical he'd learned his roommates at the Academy liked. Liyar completely ignored him. Outright turned to his PADD and failed to acknowledge him.

Of course, on Vulcan, that would be perceived as simple disinterest, and no offense would be taken. But they were not on Vulcan, and Vidal gave a snort of anger and an eyeroll before ignoring him right back.

Liyar still was unaccustomed to this races' tendency toward emotional explosion at the least provocation. He had only been on Earth for two months. It was cold, and people either laughed at him or yelled at him. Emotional states he did not understand. He felt them, but like all Vulcans Liyar suppressed them beneath his emotional shield. He did not need to learn how to buffer a Vulcan's emotions, nor how to respond to their emotional prompt. It simply was not there.

The shuttle faltered a little before going into an intentional descent.

"Attention personnel. Disembark imminent. Approaching Vega IX. Please keep your safety strap on until the green light flashes. At this time, safety straps may be removed and luggage retrieved. Prepare for landing."

The intercom shut off, and Liyar began putting all those PADDs away.


VEGA IX - Spaceport

The journey from spaceport was event free. Somehow the ensign who took to staring at him the entire three days had vanished. Liyar carefully dissipated the feeling of satisfaction that thought brought him. Vidal had incessantly bothered him, despite his repeated non-verbal request to stop. In fact, the requests seem to make him worse. Had Liyar given him a verbal request, he feared the ensign might suffer a psychotic breakdown.

Liyar adjusted the bag he carried over his shoulder and walked steadily onwards to the shuttle car heading to the main Vega colony where the Galileo was stationed. The ride might have been over, but the journey was just beginning.


USS Galileo, Bridge - CO's Ready Room

"Commander Saalm." The Vulcan's tone was terse, his features inscrutable. He stood over Lirha Saalm's desk, watching her complete some task or another. He gazed at her expectantly, without blinking. "I am Lieutenant Liyar." Almost awkwardly, he added on, "Reporting as ordered."

The sound of the man's voice caused Lirha's eyes to snap up from her PADD in a startled manner. She had been so engrossed in her administrative duties that she apparently hadn't heard the door chime, nor the swish of the door. Or perhaps, he had simply wandered in. Either way, it caught the captain off guard and she blinked several times as she took in the sight of him. He was tall with a decent build and brown eyes, and his hair style and facial features screamed the word 'Vulcan'. Even more surprisingly, he wore the purple-collared uniform of Starfleet's Diplomatic Corps, with rank pips which signified that he was a lieutenant junior grade. Diplomatic detachments weren't often assigned to Nova Class vessels, and her curiosity peaked a bit.

Setting the PADD down gently on the desk, Lirha cleared her throat and sat upright in her seat, her green hands folded together on the table top. "Hello, lieutenant." she replied in a soft voice, giving him a small yet polite smile. "I admit, you startled me rather well. Please, have a seat." she said, motioning towards a vacant chair across from her and hoping he would take the opportunity to give her a bit of breathing room. "Do you have your orders with you?" she asked, waiting for him to produce a PADD which contained the details of his new assignment.

Liyar remained standing, even the most obvious hint sailing far beyond his radar, but procured his orders and slid them across the desk. He openly stared down at her, and kept her eyes while she spoke, as if paying attention to each individual word. If he had his own musings about her, they were unfathomable. "You were not apprised of my arrival." His voice was flat and deep, with the elongated vowels common to native Vulcan speakers.

Lirha shook her head, a bit uncomfortable with the fact that he was still standing over her. "No, unfortunately I've not had time to read over the recent crew transfers. As you may have noticed, the ship is not in the best of shape, and my priorities have been elsewhere at the moment." she explained cordially, keeping her green eyes locked onto his. "Have a seat, please." she repeated, slightly more forcefully.

His expression didn't change, but he seemed to become aware of a prickling hot sensation at the edge of his telepathic awareness. They stood like that for several more moments, the air getting tenser and tenser before Liyar blinked. "You are ordering me to sit down." He said it in his blunt way, as though the entire exchange, and its discomfort, were completely lost on him. "Forgive me. I have misinterpreted your language." He sat, and retrieved another PADD. "Starfleet Headquarters has sent additional repair teams. I arrived with them."

Relaxing a bit as the Vulcan took a seat, Lirha leaned back in her chair and picked up the PADD which contained his transfer orders and service record. She placed the thin device in her lap, ignoring it for now. There would be time to read over them and inquire a few minutes later. "No need to apologize, I will make sure to be more...straightforward with my words in the future." she commented, then shifted herself slightly in her seat to a more comfortable position. "So Mister Liyar...what brings you to Galileo other than the repair teams? The nature of your orders, I mean." she asked, preferring to hear the details of his deployment in his own words rather than from a PADD.

"I have been tasked to provide political consultation and diplomatic assistance," Liyar said plainly. "The nature of this vessel precedes an inevitable contact with foreign entities. The Vulcan embassy offered my expertise. Other potential officers did not possess the required credentials. Starfleet Headquarters chose to accept myself. I come to serve."

"I see." Lirha replied with a small nod, grinning slightly. There was always something fascinating about Vulcans to her, the way they spoke directly and their mannerisms. "Well, if Starfleet thinks we need a diplomatic detachment, then who am I to argue?" she mused briefly. "Tell me a little about your previous postings." she asked.

"I taught at the Vulcan Science Academy for many years. I worked at the Federation embassy on Vulcan. I have V'Shar military training from time spent with their diplomatic unit, and defense during the Dominion war. I was appointed to Terra for two point eight seven months." Liyar tilted his head, before adding a little quizzically, "It is not logical to argue with Starfleet. However, if you have complaints, I will submit them to the Diplomatic Corps."

"No...no complaints." the captain replied with a small chuckle. "It was a joke, Mister Liyar. Humor." she explained with a small smile, trying her best to read the expressions on his face but to no avail.

"Humor." He turned the word curiously in his mind, searching for the correct memory. "I have been informed on several occasions by my Terran colleagues that I possess the comedic ability of an old wallet." Liyar repeated the phrase in his deadpan cadence. "I have since interpreted this to indicate I am not a suitable candidate for levity."

Lirha shrugged, still mildly amused. "Well, you never know until you try." she said, giving him a small friendly wink. "So," she added, changing the subject slightly to get back on-topic, "Will this be your first time aboard a Nova Class starship?" she asked.

Liyar nodded, his expression inscrutable as ever. "Affirmative, Commander."

"Galileo is not in the best shape right now, but she's a fine ship, albeit a small. We don't have many of the luxuries of larger starships, and sometimes things can get a bit cramped." she explained, hoping he wouldn't mind the lack of amenities on board. She wasn't exactly sure what Vulcans did for recreation apart from meditating.

"I am unconcerned," Liyar confirmed for her, tilting his head again. He didn't seem to understand at all why luxury or space were an issue. "I am competent to offer assistance with repairs, should you require it."

The captain raised an eyebrow at the offer, feeling that it was somewhat strange coming from a diplomatic officer. But she quickly realized that despite his specialized role, Liyar could very well possess the engineering skills necessary to assist the repair teams. "Well...if you like...I'm sure we could always use an extra hand." she finally responded. "However our crew has been granted two weeks of shore leave, and I would hate to see you not...enjoying yourself."

Liyar's perfectly emotionless stare back indicated his answer well enough. "Is that an order, Commander?" he queried, wondering if he had misunderstood her again. "Vulcans are not prone to frivolous exploits."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Lirha simply continued on with the meeting. Frivolous exploits, she repeated in her head with a bit of disbelief. As an Orion, she was very fond of all forms of recreation and leisure, and didn't know how she would get through life without them. Vulcans however, seemed to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. "No, it is not an order, simply a suggestion." she responded, then cleared her throat and changed the subject again. "You will be working under the Support department, of which Lieutenant Coleman is currently in charge. It might be worth paying her a visit at some point to introduce yourself." she added.

"Affirmative, Commander." It was the Vulcan equivalent of yes, sir. He could feel her hackles raise, and presumed he had stumbled once again. It was only logical to assess the situation. It wasn't his top priority to anger his superior officer. He chose his next words carefully. "I did not intend offense, Commander." He stared into her eyes, his face a perfect veneer of calm.

"None taken." Lirha replied simply in a curt manner. There seemed to be a bit of a cultural divide between the two of them, but she figured he would become accustomed to her command style soon enough. "Well, do you have any questions for me at this time?" she asked, trying her best to avoid an awkward silence yet afford the Vulcan a chance to inquire about anything on his mind.

"Negative, Commander. If you do not require any specific task, I shall endure with what I have brought from the embassy. If you desire, I will copy my report to you." ... Perhaps more than a bit of cultural divide, after all.

The captain slowly smiled at the offer. "I'd be happy to read over it...so yes, that would be nice." she answered with a friendly glint to her green eyes. Shifting her weight in her seat, she clasped her green hands together in her lap. "I don't have anything else for you at the moment, no...'specific tasks'," she added, "so, you are dismissed. Welcome aboard Galileo, Mister Liyar."

He stood up, clasping his hands behind his back formally and bowed his head once, before departing.

[OFF]

CMDR Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Liyar
Diplomatic Officer, SDD/VDF
USS Galileo

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