Judgement – Arrival of the Ambassador
by UFP Ambassador Cyi Ainari & Commander Karen Villiers
Post Details
As soon Ambassador Ainari and T’Fel turned the hall to the Captain’s yacht of the USS Faulks, Cyi could see crew members standing in two lines. Cyi shot T’Fel a quick glance and caught her nearly inpercepable shrug. A warm and reassuring smile was plastered on his face as he walked by the crew and towards the ships young Captain. The Faulks was in drydock and was hurriedly made ready to take Cyi to DS5. The LtCdr. who was in placed in charge of the vessel during the shakedown/escort mission was very jumpy so Cyi increased his smile to exude as much display of pleasure as he could.
“You have been a gracious host of sure, Captain. I am sorry to make your shakedown cruise such a long one. I will be sure to sing your praised to Admiral Yao on Utopia Plantia.”
“Tha… thank you, Ambassador. You are very welcome.” The Bolian stuttered.
Cyi smiled again and boarded the Captain’s Yacht. As the Starfleet officers launched the vessel and navigated it towards the station, Cyi reviewed the Starfleet command officer assigned to DS5. Several names he recognized but his eyes fell on one. The JAG Commander and Executive Officer, Karen Villiers. Cyi had an unusually sharp memory even for a Ullian but he doubted anyone could forget Karen. He was so upset at his posting he paid no attention to her name repeatedly mentioned in the station reports.
“T’Fel, please arrange a meeting with me and Commander Villiers, please.” Cyi said.
“Already done. Commander Villiers is the Executive officer for DS5. Logic would dictate you would be briefed by her and the Commanding Officer. Do you know her personally?”
“Yes. She was on the USS Ourania, Lead Counsel I believe, and was instrumental in the application of the Treaty of Bajor in the Cardassia. We met a few times. She is an impressive debater, T’Fel. Be warned.” Cyi replied smiling adjusting his suit slightly. The stylish designer suit was made of a soft comfortable material in dark green color whose cut accented his athletic body perfectly.
“I will keep that in mind.” T’Fel replied stoiclly. “Do you have your speech ready?”
“Yeah. I think my talk with the Command staff will be more productive. Fleeters tend to be very resistant to politicians.”
“We are docking.” T’Fel said standing. Cyi stood and made his way towards the airlock. The lock hissed open and the slight outrush of air ruffled the Ambassador’s hair. He brushed the stray hair out his face and smiled.
"Welcome to Deep Space Five, Ambassador," Karen said, they didn't need an introduction as that had occurred years ago as the turmoil of the Dominion War settled into piles of metaphorical diplomatic and legal rubble.
Later on she would ask him who he had offended. Why else would he have been sent to the far end of no-where? She at least was here to oversee the resolution of a specific issue and then she would be back in the JAG HQ, but until then they were in the same creek and lacking the same paddle.
"How was your journey, Ambassador?" she asked, knowing from recent experience just how long it took to get from the interior to here. Karen would let him break the formality, if he wished to - that is what would set the tone of their relationship now.
"Long, Commander. Very Very Long. Were if not for the... interesting reading the updates of this Station provided I am sure I would have been hoplessly bored. Allow me to introduce my Chief of Staff, T'Fel. T'Fel, this is the indomitable Commander Karen Villiers." Cyi said introducing the two ladies. Ready to jump right into the quagmire, he waved T'Fel off. "T'Fel, if you will see that my office is prepared, I would like to take a stroll with the Commander. Would that be alright, Karen?"
First Karen nodded to T'Fel, then she turned to her old acquaintance. Karen smiled - quagmire was exactly the right term for Deep Space Five. "Of course it would, Cyi. I can give you a brief tour, and let you know the main events, as I'm not sure the reports ever record them accurately," she told him
"I should hope not. Civil wars. Planetary Defection. Murder. Intrigue. I makes it seems as if I am on the frontier." Cyi spoke as she lead the way. "You tell me your story and I will tell you mine."
Karen nodded, and took his arm, but until they had reached the promenade she kept her silence. Once there the noise and volume of voices and bodies consumed them, and they were just another pair of people in its midst. "It is a frontier, Cyi. i've got a Romulan and a Cardassian who want to lynch our Security Chief, one because he may have killed a Romulan almost a decade ago, and the other ... because of some perceived slight as far as I can tell.
"An away team have just returned from a planet that wanted to secede from the Federation with the news that the military coup that was driving that move has been defeated and to top that we seem to have a killer on the run. I was just asked here to mediate whilst the Romulan situation was paramount, but all seems to run deeper. I thought I was quite good at spotting motivations, but this lot ... they change in a blink."
"Sounds like the Federation Council. I tell I sometimes envy the fact at in Starfleet you can tell your enemies by the cut and color of their uniform. If only political enemies were so easy to idetify." Cyi replied his voice almost leaning to his bitterness over this assignment. With the skill of a trained diplomat; however, he brushed his feelings aside and smiled. "So tell me. Exactly how pissed off is your CO over my appoint. On a scale from one to ten: one being she is happy Im here to relocated my office to an airlock and has her hand on the button."
"Tahir will come round," Karen said, not wishing to enter a public debate that would pit the civilian government against Starfleet, "she understands that there is more to the Federation than Starfleet, and given the finely balanced political situation we have here, she'll be welcome of the additional help in balancing out the tensions." Karen had had her own run-ins with both of the main Ambassadors here and didn't get on with either of them ... perhaps Cyi would do better.
"Very lawyer and answer of you, Karen. I guess I would have been disappointed otherwise." Cyi said continuing to follow the Commander. He knew that they were thrown into a jurisdictional nightmare. Cyi felt like he was thrown in the middle of ancient battle between the military and career politicians. "Well I hope to impress upon the Captain that I am not here interfere in any way with her running of the station." Cyi rose his hands in a pose of surrender. "I come in peace."
Karen smiled, "Once you're settled in we should have a chat about the Gabriel situation. There's been some background flow of information between our government and the Romulan Senate - his case is just one piece of a much larger puzzle and I'm hoping you can help me get a feeling for what that puzzle is. Correct me if my assumption is wrong, but your arrival here cannot be unconnected," she added as they paused by the rail and looked out over the crowded mall.
Cyi looked over the rail at all the people in the crowed mall below. He was aware of the conversations between the Federation Council and the Romulan Senate, conversations he was now to take the lead on. But he wasn't sure if he was prepared to discuss that then and there. "Are you acting as the JAG in the Gabriel... Incident?"
"The Romulan Government made it a condition - I oversee the trial or they force his extradition. That in itself tells me there's something more going on. Why do they want to be seen to be playing by our rules?"
Cyi continued to look at the people below. "If Gabriel, a Starfleet Officer, was tried and convicted by Starfleet for the murder of a Romulan citizen, then I wonder what the legal ramifications would be? Then again, if said officer was tried and acquitted by Starfleet, one can allude to the fact that Starfleet protects its own and the trial was rigged anyway. What affect would that have on Federation/Romulan relations? The Empire wouldn't really lose either way, since that would absolve them of any responsibly and would give them a lot of diplomatic leverage." Cyi turned and smiled "However, I am an official envoy, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the intentions of a foreign government so I have no idea."
"Very inappropriate," Karen agreed sagely. "So what do you think of our station so far?" she asked.
"It is very nice. Very large. I hope you can recommend a good restaurant. I feel like I am going to have to have a lot of dinner meetings." Cyi smiled.
"There's a fairly decent Italian place on one of the lower promenade levels - Benitos. I'll show you where it is," she said. They began to walk again. "Are you going to tell me who you had to piss off to get yourself posted all the way out here?"
Cyi took a deep sigh. "Officially? My skill sets and experience were such that when the Federation President 'thought of no one but me' for the position. Unofficially? Its because I'm not full Deltan and I do enjoy state dinners." Cyi said putting on a humorless smile and running his hand though his shoulder length hair. "To make a long story short, I was apparently too charming and caught the eye of certain ranking member of the Federation Councillor's wife. She advanced. I said no. She advanced again, this time in front of a Federation News Service camera, I politely but solidly rejected. A news story later, I suddenly was using my 'Deltan' charm to seduce HER. Since I am not legally required to take an Oath of Celibacy, I never took one. Aforementioned Councillor wants an judicial inquiry calling me 'Deltan Seducer'. The Ullian delegation files protest. The Deltan Councillor filibusters the Committee on Colonization in protest..." Cyi shrugs. "So after the firestorm the Councillor was recalled to his homeworld with his wife, I believe he was appointed Planetary Governor, and I was mothballed here to die a slow politically painful death or to be simply forgot."
Karen sucked a breath in through her teeth. "Ouch," she said with a sympathetic glance to her friend. It wasn't so long ago that she had found herself reposted back to Earth under something of a cloud. "I'm sorry to hear that, Cyi. Scapegoated to the arse end of nowhere." She shook her head, "If you look on the bright side, at least the backstabbers round here are too busy taking shots at each other to try and stick one into you."
"One should only hope. At least now my enemies can't fire me directly. I tell it you it kinda hinders your ability to retaliate." Cyi smiled. Always the diplomat, he hide is emotions about the situation and showed calm comfort to bring that calm comfort out in others.
"I'm sure it does," Karen replied. "By the way, we've allocated you space on deck twenty three - we were going to put you on the same level as the Diplomatic Corps but I thought you'd prefer the clear separation."
"Thank you. I am sure T'Fel would appreciate it as well. I believe cooperation with the Diplomatic Corp will be essential to the success in stabilizing the region. I think there will be a greater need for Federation citizens to see Government non-military presence in the coming months." Cyi said cryptically. "I ordered a shuttle by the way but it wasn't ready when I was ushered away. Got a place to stow it?"
Karen thought about that for a moment. "The Romulans usually have a shuttle in bay 38, its away at the moment so you can use that one until we find a more permanent one for yours. Let ops know when its due to arrive. Anything else you need to know before I leave you to explore?" she asked.
"No, I don't want to keep you from your duties. Thank you for the tour, Karen"
"You're welcome. Enjoy your stay."
Off
Commander Karen Villiers
Executive Officer
&
Ambassador Cyi Ainari
UFPDS Special Envoy
by UFP Ambassador Cyi Ainari & Commander Karen Villiers
Post Details
| Title | Arrival of the Ambassador | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | UFP Ambassador Cyi Ainari & Commander Karen Villiers | |
| Posted | Sun May 29, 2011 @ 5:15pm | |
| Location | VIP Shuttle Bay | |
| Timeline | SD37 14:00 |
“You have been a gracious host of sure, Captain. I am sorry to make your shakedown cruise such a long one. I will be sure to sing your praised to Admiral Yao on Utopia Plantia.”
“Tha… thank you, Ambassador. You are very welcome.” The Bolian stuttered.
Cyi smiled again and boarded the Captain’s Yacht. As the Starfleet officers launched the vessel and navigated it towards the station, Cyi reviewed the Starfleet command officer assigned to DS5. Several names he recognized but his eyes fell on one. The JAG Commander and Executive Officer, Karen Villiers. Cyi had an unusually sharp memory even for a Ullian but he doubted anyone could forget Karen. He was so upset at his posting he paid no attention to her name repeatedly mentioned in the station reports.
“T’Fel, please arrange a meeting with me and Commander Villiers, please.” Cyi said.
“Already done. Commander Villiers is the Executive officer for DS5. Logic would dictate you would be briefed by her and the Commanding Officer. Do you know her personally?”
“Yes. She was on the USS Ourania, Lead Counsel I believe, and was instrumental in the application of the Treaty of Bajor in the Cardassia. We met a few times. She is an impressive debater, T’Fel. Be warned.” Cyi replied smiling adjusting his suit slightly. The stylish designer suit was made of a soft comfortable material in dark green color whose cut accented his athletic body perfectly.
“I will keep that in mind.” T’Fel replied stoiclly. “Do you have your speech ready?”
“Yeah. I think my talk with the Command staff will be more productive. Fleeters tend to be very resistant to politicians.”
“We are docking.” T’Fel said standing. Cyi stood and made his way towards the airlock. The lock hissed open and the slight outrush of air ruffled the Ambassador’s hair. He brushed the stray hair out his face and smiled.
"Welcome to Deep Space Five, Ambassador," Karen said, they didn't need an introduction as that had occurred years ago as the turmoil of the Dominion War settled into piles of metaphorical diplomatic and legal rubble.
Later on she would ask him who he had offended. Why else would he have been sent to the far end of no-where? She at least was here to oversee the resolution of a specific issue and then she would be back in the JAG HQ, but until then they were in the same creek and lacking the same paddle.
"How was your journey, Ambassador?" she asked, knowing from recent experience just how long it took to get from the interior to here. Karen would let him break the formality, if he wished to - that is what would set the tone of their relationship now.
"Long, Commander. Very Very Long. Were if not for the... interesting reading the updates of this Station provided I am sure I would have been hoplessly bored. Allow me to introduce my Chief of Staff, T'Fel. T'Fel, this is the indomitable Commander Karen Villiers." Cyi said introducing the two ladies. Ready to jump right into the quagmire, he waved T'Fel off. "T'Fel, if you will see that my office is prepared, I would like to take a stroll with the Commander. Would that be alright, Karen?"
First Karen nodded to T'Fel, then she turned to her old acquaintance. Karen smiled - quagmire was exactly the right term for Deep Space Five. "Of course it would, Cyi. I can give you a brief tour, and let you know the main events, as I'm not sure the reports ever record them accurately," she told him
"I should hope not. Civil wars. Planetary Defection. Murder. Intrigue. I makes it seems as if I am on the frontier." Cyi spoke as she lead the way. "You tell me your story and I will tell you mine."
Karen nodded, and took his arm, but until they had reached the promenade she kept her silence. Once there the noise and volume of voices and bodies consumed them, and they were just another pair of people in its midst. "It is a frontier, Cyi. i've got a Romulan and a Cardassian who want to lynch our Security Chief, one because he may have killed a Romulan almost a decade ago, and the other ... because of some perceived slight as far as I can tell.
"An away team have just returned from a planet that wanted to secede from the Federation with the news that the military coup that was driving that move has been defeated and to top that we seem to have a killer on the run. I was just asked here to mediate whilst the Romulan situation was paramount, but all seems to run deeper. I thought I was quite good at spotting motivations, but this lot ... they change in a blink."
"Sounds like the Federation Council. I tell I sometimes envy the fact at in Starfleet you can tell your enemies by the cut and color of their uniform. If only political enemies were so easy to idetify." Cyi replied his voice almost leaning to his bitterness over this assignment. With the skill of a trained diplomat; however, he brushed his feelings aside and smiled. "So tell me. Exactly how pissed off is your CO over my appoint. On a scale from one to ten: one being she is happy Im here to relocated my office to an airlock and has her hand on the button."
"Tahir will come round," Karen said, not wishing to enter a public debate that would pit the civilian government against Starfleet, "she understands that there is more to the Federation than Starfleet, and given the finely balanced political situation we have here, she'll be welcome of the additional help in balancing out the tensions." Karen had had her own run-ins with both of the main Ambassadors here and didn't get on with either of them ... perhaps Cyi would do better.
"Very lawyer and answer of you, Karen. I guess I would have been disappointed otherwise." Cyi said continuing to follow the Commander. He knew that they were thrown into a jurisdictional nightmare. Cyi felt like he was thrown in the middle of ancient battle between the military and career politicians. "Well I hope to impress upon the Captain that I am not here interfere in any way with her running of the station." Cyi rose his hands in a pose of surrender. "I come in peace."
Karen smiled, "Once you're settled in we should have a chat about the Gabriel situation. There's been some background flow of information between our government and the Romulan Senate - his case is just one piece of a much larger puzzle and I'm hoping you can help me get a feeling for what that puzzle is. Correct me if my assumption is wrong, but your arrival here cannot be unconnected," she added as they paused by the rail and looked out over the crowded mall.
Cyi looked over the rail at all the people in the crowed mall below. He was aware of the conversations between the Federation Council and the Romulan Senate, conversations he was now to take the lead on. But he wasn't sure if he was prepared to discuss that then and there. "Are you acting as the JAG in the Gabriel... Incident?"
"The Romulan Government made it a condition - I oversee the trial or they force his extradition. That in itself tells me there's something more going on. Why do they want to be seen to be playing by our rules?"
Cyi continued to look at the people below. "If Gabriel, a Starfleet Officer, was tried and convicted by Starfleet for the murder of a Romulan citizen, then I wonder what the legal ramifications would be? Then again, if said officer was tried and acquitted by Starfleet, one can allude to the fact that Starfleet protects its own and the trial was rigged anyway. What affect would that have on Federation/Romulan relations? The Empire wouldn't really lose either way, since that would absolve them of any responsibly and would give them a lot of diplomatic leverage." Cyi turned and smiled "However, I am an official envoy, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the intentions of a foreign government so I have no idea."
"Very inappropriate," Karen agreed sagely. "So what do you think of our station so far?" she asked.
"It is very nice. Very large. I hope you can recommend a good restaurant. I feel like I am going to have to have a lot of dinner meetings." Cyi smiled.
"There's a fairly decent Italian place on one of the lower promenade levels - Benitos. I'll show you where it is," she said. They began to walk again. "Are you going to tell me who you had to piss off to get yourself posted all the way out here?"
Cyi took a deep sigh. "Officially? My skill sets and experience were such that when the Federation President 'thought of no one but me' for the position. Unofficially? Its because I'm not full Deltan and I do enjoy state dinners." Cyi said putting on a humorless smile and running his hand though his shoulder length hair. "To make a long story short, I was apparently too charming and caught the eye of certain ranking member of the Federation Councillor's wife. She advanced. I said no. She advanced again, this time in front of a Federation News Service camera, I politely but solidly rejected. A news story later, I suddenly was using my 'Deltan' charm to seduce HER. Since I am not legally required to take an Oath of Celibacy, I never took one. Aforementioned Councillor wants an judicial inquiry calling me 'Deltan Seducer'. The Ullian delegation files protest. The Deltan Councillor filibusters the Committee on Colonization in protest..." Cyi shrugs. "So after the firestorm the Councillor was recalled to his homeworld with his wife, I believe he was appointed Planetary Governor, and I was mothballed here to die a slow politically painful death or to be simply forgot."
Karen sucked a breath in through her teeth. "Ouch," she said with a sympathetic glance to her friend. It wasn't so long ago that she had found herself reposted back to Earth under something of a cloud. "I'm sorry to hear that, Cyi. Scapegoated to the arse end of nowhere." She shook her head, "If you look on the bright side, at least the backstabbers round here are too busy taking shots at each other to try and stick one into you."
"One should only hope. At least now my enemies can't fire me directly. I tell it you it kinda hinders your ability to retaliate." Cyi smiled. Always the diplomat, he hide is emotions about the situation and showed calm comfort to bring that calm comfort out in others.
"I'm sure it does," Karen replied. "By the way, we've allocated you space on deck twenty three - we were going to put you on the same level as the Diplomatic Corps but I thought you'd prefer the clear separation."
"Thank you. I am sure T'Fel would appreciate it as well. I believe cooperation with the Diplomatic Corp will be essential to the success in stabilizing the region. I think there will be a greater need for Federation citizens to see Government non-military presence in the coming months." Cyi said cryptically. "I ordered a shuttle by the way but it wasn't ready when I was ushered away. Got a place to stow it?"
Karen thought about that for a moment. "The Romulans usually have a shuttle in bay 38, its away at the moment so you can use that one until we find a more permanent one for yours. Let ops know when its due to arrive. Anything else you need to know before I leave you to explore?" she asked.
"No, I don't want to keep you from your duties. Thank you for the tour, Karen"
"You're welcome. Enjoy your stay."
Off
Commander Karen Villiers
Executive Officer
&
Ambassador Cyi Ainari
UFPDS Special Envoy