Ferengi Delegation

Posted on Tue Nov 17, 2015 @ 7:36pm by Qinee & Second Lieutenant Emily Ransom & Lieutenant Liam Reynolds

1,759 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Pangaea (Wrap up)
Location: Ferengi Embassy
Timeline: MD 6/1000

Liam didn't quite know what to expect after hearing from Security what had occurred between the Ferengi and the captain, but their government had sent a message expressing their interest to come to proceedings so he had to visit them nonetheless. He gave his name to the lady on desk at the embassy and waited patiently.

A short Ferengi male entered the antechamber a moment later. He gave Liam a dismissive look. “You are the new Federation ambassador?” he sneered. “I am Nazl, the ambassador’s attaché.”

"I am he," Liam stated. Betazoids couldn't read Ferengi. To his knowledge, most telepathic races couldn't, something to do with four lobed brains. Despite that, though, he had picked up on the less than friendly glance from the alien before him made his introduction. "Liam Reynolds. Nice to meet you, Nazl." He stood up from the chair to follow him. "Are you having a good day?" he asked.

“We are recovering,” Nazl sniffed. “No thanks to you, Federation,” he said, turning on his heel to lead Liam down a corridor deeper into the embassy.

"Yes, I hear certain events did not go down too well with protocol before I arrived. I am hoping to address that with your ambassador and hopefully repair relationships," Liam stated simply.

“That is an understatement,” Nazl snorted as he pulled open a set of ornately carved expensive, and heavy wooden doors with a grunt of strain.

Inside was a fairly opulent office. Behind a large, wooden desk sat a short Ferengi…female! Highly unusual, given traditional Ferengi views on women, though those had started to change in the last decade or so since the ascension of Grand Nagus Rom. For a female, she had sizable lobes. She was short, as was typical for Ferengi, and dressed in an opulent Tholian silk gown in garish primary colors, fingers and throat glittering with latinum and other precious gems.

The woman looked up sharply as they entered. “Nazl…” she said disapprovingly.

“Ambassador Qinee,” the male said obsequiously. “Forgive the intrusion, but the Federation has finally sent a representative.”

The ambassador’s small, dark eyes narrowed, first on Nazl and then on Liam. “Yes. Fine. Fetch me some snail slime tea, and whatever else the Hew-man wants,” she said, looking at Liam with a prompt.

"The Betazoid will have some slime tea with you," Liam said smoothly. He had endured the drink before. It wasn't a favorite, but he didn't think she would expect him to partake in a Ferengi beverage. "Ambassador Qinee, Liam Reynolds. May I say that is a fabulous look for you and it is refreshing to see a female Ferengi in such a predominant position." He could feel the male Ferengi's glare behind him. Clearly he did not agree with that assessment.

"I apologize for someone not coming to see you sooner. I myself have only just arrived at the station, and as I understand it the visitation by the Fae and the new planet we now have has caused plenty of disruption. Were you on the station when the Fae appeared? I am told many hallucinated many strange and frightening experiences," Liam queried.

“We had gotten off station before that,” Qinee said, gesturing for Liam to take a seat. “They evacuated civilians and non-essential personnel.” She pulled out a small box and opening it, holding it out and offering him a jellied snail. “So they sent a Betazed. Don’t you know your mind-tricks don’t work on me?” she said with a snaggle-toothed smile.

Liam took a snail, nodded his head in thanks, and stuffed it in his mouth. It was very chewy. Again, not a favorite, but he could now say he had tried one. "Oh, Ambassador," Liam said after he managed to swallow it with a laugh, "I don't do mind tricks on anyone, and again, it’s refreshing to be able to sit down and have a conversation with someone without a load of emotions surrounding me. Would you like a sherbet lemon?" He pulled a bag out and offered back the same curtesy.

Qinee eyed the candy and took one, popping it into her mouth as Nazl entered the office with the tea.

"So yes," Liam continued, gauging her face as the sourness of the lemon hit her. She had watched him consume the snail the same. "Yes, our captain. She unfortunately hallucinated and then went through something horribly traumatic. Her child disappeared and she ended up…well, I am sure you have heard the reports. There was a Fae killed. When she ordered the team to come in and retrieve those children from you her child well is still missing. I am not convinced she was in the right place mentally at that point. Losing a child is awful, I am sure you can agree, and, well, I think in her mind she needed to ensure those other children came back any way necessary. She was distraught and, well, protocol seemed to go out the window. It was an unfortunate course of action, of which I apologize.

Qinee sniffed, trying to remain indignant with the sour lemon candy in her mouth. She took it out and set it aside for later. “If the captain was unfit for duty someone should have relieved her,” she told Liam. “As soon as she ordered an armed assault on a diplomatic vessel!” She grumbled and took a sip of her tea. “I am willing to overlook this incident, however, in the face of adequate…compensation for the crew and my staff, as well as the full cost now of the rescue of those children.”

That would teach her to do a kindness for the Federation!

"Between you and me, so many things happened so fast, and with so many being affected by the same incident, I don't think anyone realized in time that she was unfit for duty. I have not had the pleasure of meeting her yet, but I believe the healing process has now begun," Liam stated.

"I figured you were an astute business woman and expected no less, but unfortunately, as the captain’s orders still at this point stick, I am not allowed to just hand over "full cost". What I can do is take your whole crew and staff out for an evening on the town: food; wine; oomax, if you desire; and allow you to…shall we say, ‘win’ the money off us and possibly more. You could double your latinum here. I'm not one to quote the rules of Acquisition, but, I believe, ‘Peace is good for business’ and ‘Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money.’ I hope that is acceptable, Ambassador?"

Qinee frowned, considering. Her long fingers tapped at her desk, the immaculate nails clicking. “I will…discuss it with my staff,” she said, “and let you know. Though I think such an arrangement might be acceptable,” she finally allowed.

From his position near the door, Nazl grinned lasciviously. “Maybe you can get that rainbow-haired Hew-man female? The security chief’s daughter? Her oomox was magnificent!” He was practically drooling.

Qinee shot Nazl a look.

Liam didn't need to be an empath to know from the actions just witnessed just how disgusting this Nazl was. He felt somewhat ill, knowing that the chief's daughter was a young teenager.

"Out of the question," he stated firmly. "But there will be plenty of rainbow-haired woman where I intend to take you. Men too, if that's more your bag, Nazi." He said it deliberately purely to annoy the other Ferengi. Taking advantage of a young girl. Truly disgusting.

Liam stood up and bowed to Qinee. "Madam Ambassador, it has been a pleasure. I look forward to your acceptance and making things right between us again."

Qinee nodded. “Well, Rule number 285,” she said. “No good deed ever goes unpunished. We will see.” She stood and returned his bow. “Nazl will see you out.”

"What about bad deeds?" Liam asked suddenly. This whole revelation of what had transpired between Nazl and the chief’s daughter really wasn't sitting well with him. Regardless of whether or not he could turn things around with the Ferengi, he had to do the right thing, and now he had processed it properly this had to be said.

He turned round and pointed at Nazl. "You do realize that the security chief's daughter is a minor, so if you and she engaged in any kind of sexual act, especially during this situation when you had responsibility of those children, then you have broken Federation law. I am going to have to tell the Chief. This needs looking into and you," he pointed at Nali again, "you know if she states you pushed her in oomax in any way you and your career will be in serious hot water. I hope it was worth it."

Liam made a snap decision. "Madam Ambassador, I do not believe that the whole Ferengi delegation should be punished for the deeds of one member of your crew. Nor do I wish to believe you knew about such actions. Although there are plenty in Starfleet who would likely disagree with me there in the view of this. You are asking for latinum for safe delivery of these children, yet one of them has been very badly compromised and taken advantage of by one of your senior staff. In terms of keeping the peace between our two parties, I am still willing to go forward with my offer as long as this man is not in the picture, and," Liam decided to lay down all his cards. Either she was really stupid and was going to come out of this with nothing and a scandal, depending on how many people would believe she had full knowledge and had not reported it herself, or she was smart and she was going to agree and get compensated, "you attend the summit we are organizing to discuss the planet below. It is in your best interests and ours. I will see myself out, thank you. I do not wish to be around your aid."

Qinee glowered, though not at Liam but at Nazl, who looked about ready to speak, but her murderous look made him think better of it.

“We will be at your summit, Lieutenant,” Qinee said coolly, standing with Liam.

Nazl glowered at Liam as the Federation envoy left the office.

FIN

Ltjg. Liam Reynolds
Chief Diplomatic Officer

Nazl
Ferengi Attaché

Qinee
Ferengi Ambassador

 

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