XO Diplomacy

Posted on Mon May 11, 2020 @ 2:00pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Lieutenant Yukiko Winters

1,665 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: Caleb's office
Timeline: MD 03 1300

Silk looked at her padd to get directions to the next step in the usual check in. That would be the person who was really the most hands on in terms of people handling, the Executive Officer. She got the directions, which were not too far away, and headed off toward the office. The pill she had taken earlier was working alright, and at least this was not as full of beings with their thoughts to make things hard. She might actually get through the day before the inevitable headache set in. Maybe a trip to one of the bars. Unlike most starships, this place had a hundred or more places to unwind and get drunk with the real stuff, maybe even a game of chance or two. She snorted a bit to herself as she made her way to the Executive Officer's office. "Raised in formality, seems to do everything possible not to be." It was almost a line by line from her record.

She got to the office and pressed the chime.

The door slid open, allowing her to step inside. The Commander -- at least by his pips -- was a tall, lanky man with dark hair. His features were weathered, but still middle aged, his jaw strong, with a five o’clock shadow. Currently he sat leaning back in his chair beneath a set of mounted longhorns on which hung a black Stetson hat. He was staring along the barrel of a silver, pearl-handled Colt Peacemaker, the twin of which sat in a wooden and glass display box open on his desk.

“Make yerself comfortable, Lieutenant,” Caleb said, nodding to the chairs in front of the desk. “Can Ah get ya somethin’ ta drink?” he offered. With a flick of his wrist, he snapped the chamber of the six-shooter closed and ran a polishing rag along the length of the barrel before replacing it in the display box.

Silk did so and pointed with her chin., "Eighteen seventy-three nickel plated .45 Colt single action army. Nice. They heirlooms, sir?"

“Ya know yer firearms, Lieutenant,” Caleb said, reverently placing the revolver back into the black velvet in the case and locking it securely. “Used ta belong ta mah many-great-grandfather. He rode with the Texas Rangers,” he said, replacing the display box in its place at the front of his desk. “Got his Winchester 1873 back in mah quarters.”

Caleb got up and went to the replicator, ordering himself a coffee. Since the Lieutenant hadn’t requested anything, he brought back a simple glass of water for her. “So yer the new Chief Diplomatic Officer,” he said. “Why don’t ya tell me a bit about yerself?”

Silk watched for a moment as he went to get something. A bit of a limp in the walk and there was something else, something that hung around him like a cloak, but that would be prying. She dismissed that and took a seat, nodding in a grateful way at the glass of water.

"Born on Earth, father was a former North American businessman, mother was Japanese. She practiced the ancient profession of being a hostess, a geisha. Raised in Japan until I was six, then was fostered on Betazed with a Betazoid family." Silk knew that the captain would have access to her more hidden part of her record, and more than likely as Executive Officer the commander would as well.

"When I came back to Earth ten years later, I decided that along with my usual studies I would like to learn bushido. The way of the warrior," she added. Silk was not sure exactly how much some people understood. "My father and mother agreed upon one condition, that I also became an atotori. It means heiress." She hastily explained, "It is when a daughter learns her mother's profession."

Silk smiled at the memory and added, "It was definitely more demanding than learning bushido, sir."

She shrugged and then continued. "I wanted to learn to fly after that, and my father arranged for me to enter the Academy. I did not do as well as I should have." It was an honest assessment. "I got into fights and my studies were not as good as they should have been. I think honestly I was acting out, as my parents and little brother, who was only three at the time, were killed in the Great Kyoto earthquake. The psychs always said that I had abandonment issues with family, first with being taken to Betazed and then when they perished. Always felt apart, different, and even though there are much more people and beings in Japan, my looks always set me apart as well."

Again that shrug. "After Academy, became a shuttle pilot, but that did not last long. Fleet thought my talents lay elsewhere, and ended up in Operations and then Intelligence after further training. My career should be available to you, sir, as it is open to command level people. However, there are things that I am not at liberty to go into detail about certain operations. I hope you understand."

Caleb had settled back in his big leather chair as he listened to Yukiko as she spoke. He smiled at her. “Yes. Ah read yer file,” he acknowledged. “It’s just more interestin’ ta hear in person. An’ Ah’ve done mah own time in Intelligence, so Ah understand the rectitude there,” he said. “Though Ah’ cain’t see nothin’ about yer looks that anyone would object ta. Quite the pretty lady,” he complimented, pulling a padd toward him. It contained her personnel file and transfer papers. “Sorry for the loss of yer family,” he said, with a sincerity that seemed to denote some experience in that regard.

Caleb started to sign off on the paperwork on the padd. “What do ya like ta do when yer off duty?” he asked her as he worked.

"I will practice at times my pre-Fleet training. I am not sure if you know what a geisha is, but I was fully trained as one. So I try to keep up with the nuances with the holodeck. Besides that, I like to do a little gambling, mostly card games, poker and Tongo are favourites, sir."

“Geisha. Gotta admit, all Ah know is painted faces an’ tea ceremonies. An’ some kind of…” Caleb looked embarrassed, “intimate companionship.”

"Mostly entertainers, but yes, there is an aspect to that. It was part of that reason I was pulled into the Eastern Horizon mission."

“Tell me about that,” Caleb said, listening with interest.

Silk made a little shrug. "There are details I am not allowed to share, I am sure you will understand. Anyway, the Eastern was a warp capable freighter style ship redesigned to be basically a mobile casino. Its purpose was to travel outside of Federation space. It was thought that a mobile gambling ship would get to go where many other ships would not. There was a pretty good intel section on board, well screened. We were after leads to weapons running cartel leaders, figuring out supply chains, who was in charge, that sort of thing. Additionally any other intelligence that could be picked up concerning almost anything the Federation might be interested in. We all were selected for looks, well mostly. I was pretty tomboyish, but had enhancements done. In fact, most of us were enhanced. Selected because of previous backgrounds, such as entertainment, martial training, that sort of thing. My geisha training along with my telepathy was considered high value for gathering bits and pieces. The ship was run with a pair of Ferengi as nominal heads of the ship. Both of them had experience with gambling establishments and the fact Ferengi cannot be read telepathically, just in case we ran into others, was considered a plus. So we jumped from colony to mining group to various way stations well outside Federation space."

“Sounds like an intriguing job,” Caleb observed. Almost something Artemis Pierce would think up. “Did the program end, or did you just get tired of it?” Might be something Pierce might want to know if they were running Miranda now.

"Mission came to an end. We got what we needed and quite a bit more. I think it was more or less decided that once was good, twice too close was going to push things and raise wariness. You cannot keep things under wraps forever, and I think enough people, once some of the people we were after went down, started to put two and two together. Then again," Silk shrugged, "who knows what some of the intel ops have going. They do not share unless you need to know. I just got reassigned and back into the regular Fleet. Diplomatic officer opened up here and was asked to give it a go, sort of for the same reasons, work a bit of intel, and try to read the lay of the various factions, smile, and pretend to be charming."

Caleb chuckled. “Ah’m not sure how much pretendin’ is involved,” he told Yukiko. “But that is good. Our Intel Chief is new, too, so you an’ she can work together. If you’ve got any questions for me, ask. Otherwise Ah won’t keep ya. Ah know how many hoops ya have ta jump through when comin’ on a new assignment, so Ah don’t wanna keep ya.”

"I have an appointment with her tomorrow morning. Very good then, sir." Silk stood and came to attention and saluted. The XO seemed laid back; that was not an indication that she should make presumptions. Presumptions got you in trouble, hurt or killed, a thing long learned from the Horizon.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” Caleb said, returning a lazy salute. “Dismissed.”

Silk nodded and did just that to head off to other appointments. She liked the man, sort of down to the ground sort.

FIN

Commander Caleb Ryan
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Yukiko 'Silk' Winters
Chief Diplomatic Officer

 

RSS Feed