Grievances Part 2

Posted on Thu Jul 6, 2017 @ 1:17pm by Commander Caden Aldrex & Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Qinee & Civilian Aleczandra Naqiis-Ryan

1,622 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Rumours
Location: Promanade/Anatole's
Timeline: MD05 1230

::ON::

As one of the waiters showed them to a table in Anatole's restaurant, Yolanthe looked at her companions, then Commander Aldrex. "I believe that little covers at least three of our main points," Yolanthe said, sitting down. "Our real question is what are you going to do about it."

Qinee adjusted her garish gown as she sat down, and Aleczandra settled between the short Ferengi and the tall Bokkai. She had never eaten at this restaurant. “We could sabotage his replicators to make everything taste like shi--poop,” she said, correcting her language for the adult company.

"I'm afraid I couldn't condone vandalism," Cade Aldrex said, although he sympathized with the sentiment. Then in response to Yolanthe's question he said, "I'll do as I said. I'll give the man until 0800 tomorrow to turn over a new leaf. Do I think he will? No, so I'll do what I promised. I'll suspend his operating permits. Do I think that will be the end of the matter?" He paused for a beat and conceded, "No."

“So then what?” Aleczandra asked, toying with the glass of water placed in front of her.

“I imagine Raddon will file an appeal with the Civilian Liaison,” Qinee stated. “Or, more seriously, with the Magistrate.”

“So it is all going to bog down in legalities,” Zandra said, giving a huff to blow a strand of her rainbow hair out of her face. “Bo-ring.”

Qinee chuckled. “Ah, but wrapping him up in frustrating, expensive legalities is just the kind of thing that drives a businessman mad,” she observed to the teen. “And the frustration just might trip him up. I sense that, while Melvyn Raddon may be a patient opponent, his son Raymond is less so. He may do something...rash.”

“Thank you,” Qinee told the server when her slime tea was brought. She sipped it and looked over at Cade. “What about looking into his other business ventures on this station?” she asked. “Surely we can come up with further annoyances and frustrations for our local xenophobes. How are his docking permits? Perhaps his transports should be thoroughly inspected for…” she waved her hand diffidently. “Space ticks?” As a Ferengi, Qinee was no stranger to a little economic warfare. “I certainly intend to inform my people that any dealings with the Raddon Corporation should be thoroughly inconvenienced.”

"As secretary of the Promenade Merchant Association, of which Mr Raddon is a fully paid member, unlike some present," Tah glared at Yolanthe, who ignored her, "I have to point out that any such attempts to inconvenience Mr. Raddon are also illegal, and my organisation will prosecute any attempt to interrupt the legitimate business of any of our members. The Dilithium Chamber is a private members club, and is therefore technically able to set its own door policy. However neanderthal it might be." Tah looked at Aleczandra. "And civilised societies turn on legalities. The alternative is Ushaan in every doorway, and tiling that hides bloodstains."

“Pretty sure we stopped being civilized when they shanked Nazl in an elevator,” Aleczandra said with a smirk.

Qinee frowned, toying with her cup of slime tea.

“The PMA has no authority over Ferengi policy,” she pointed out to Tah. “And ultimately it is Starfleet that holds the Dilithium Chamber’s lease. Surely that can be leveraged if they violate Federation nondiscrimination policy. In any case, a little civil protest is not illegal in the Federation.”

“We still have the right to assembly here,” Aleczandra said with a nod.

Aldrex listened as those around him talked and debated. Internally he was weighing the options, too. The Dilithium Chamber was one small part of Raddon's business empire. Shutting it down would hurt him, but not deeply and not for long. No, this mess was veering close to becoming something more dangerous. As Yolanthe said, what was he going to do about it? His thoughts turned to the captain, still in semi-seclusion with her grief. He needed to talk to her, and soon.

"To be honest, I'm not sure they can be reasoned with. Or persuaded." Yolanthe pointed out her order to a discreet waiter, and turned back to the table. "Having spoken with Dorian, he seems to exist in his own little bubble of reality. They're fighting a war that doesn't exist, except in their own minds. How do you fight that?"

“We can’t just let them run roughshod over us?” Aleczandra said, giving her own order to the server.

“But then we risk confirming their views and possibly sparking the very war they believe they are fighting,” Qinee mused as she ordered, as well.

“So there’s nothing?” the teen pouted, crossing her arms.

"Nothing is lost," Cade assured her. "The fight's going to drag out, and it might get pretty nasty, but we'll win in the end." As others around the table added their own comments to that, he leaned closer to Aleczandra. "What might your mother say?" he asked in a low voice. "She had a brilliant mind. Maybe she might have had an interesting solution? Or Ranel even?" He wasn't taunting her. At this moment he appreciated having another symbiont nearby to draw upon its wisdom. He was hoping to provoke some flash of inspiration in the young girl. She was going to have to learn anyway. What better time than now to start?

Aleczandra blinked at Cade in surprise. He shouldn’t be bringing that up where others could possibly hear! “Mum and Ranel weren’t diplomats or politicians,” she whispered. “But...Mika was always more diplomatic than dad. She’d probably invite Mr. Raddon to sit down to a discussion. and talk about the issues. Juheni just wants to shank the guy.” Her fingers brushed the pommel of her knives under her sleeves. “Kinony would throw in a little seduction to sweeten the conversation.”

"I don't want you to seduce anybody," Cade replied, his mouth twisting into an amused grin. "And I certainly don't want you to hurt anyone. Just think it over. The centuries of experience might offer some idea that no one has thought of." He patted the top of her hand. "We'll talk more later."

Aleczandra shot Cade a warning look and then glanced at the others, hoping they hadn’t overheard.

The waiter brought their food, and Yolanthe began to tuck into her pan seared white fish. "Forgive me if I don't share your confidence, Commander. Why don't you do something more concrete? Like arresting Dorian Gabriel for being a horrible person?"

Aleczandra laughed and picked up her burger. “If it were that easy, we’d be short a lot of people on this station,” she said with a grin.

"It's still a valid question. Someone who advocates hate crimes should be investigated, surely?" Yolanthe pressed.

Cade nodded to Yolanthe as his own meal was set down in front of him. "I'll ask Commander Ryan what he's got on file for the guy. Unfortunately, as the young lady said, it's not against the law to be an ass."

Yolanthe went baby blue. "That is true. So how are you going to make the aliens here feel welcome again without making Humans feel picked on and marginalised?"

"I can't be held responsible for anyone's feelings," Cade replied. "The best I can do is uphold Federation law. If one group is terrorizing another, then the perpetrators will be dealt with." He was about to add "according to the law," but bit it off before the words left his tongue.

Yolanthe chewed her food. "I think what we all need to see is proof perpetrators are being dealt with. Raddon swans around preaching bile, bodies get dropped on my doorstep, and I get accused of murdering children, and nothing happens. We would like a very public demonstration the perpetrators are being dealt with and not ignored.”:

“Why don’t you sue him for slander?” Aleczandra told Yolanthe. “The police declared that boy’s death an accident. He’s hurting your reputation and business. Seems grounds to me.” She looked over to Cade. “What about putting him under surveillance? Surely if he’s encouraging violence against the alien population that’s probable cause. Tap his comms, find something on him.”

Again, it was more Caleb Ryan's domain, but Cade nodded his agreement. Aleczandra's other suggestion about suing for slander sounded more promising. That, however, was purely a civil matter and completely out of his league. He picked up his form and poked tepidly through his Ghisian pasta salad.

Yolanthe's ears pricked up at that. "Can that be done? Is it even legal?" Who knows what shady stuff Gabriel might talk about with his employer. The lawyer thing was a good idea, but those sort of things took years and money, money, money. Not part of the Federations' moneyless culture, she wasn't sure she could afford it.

“Legal...ish,” Aleczandra said. “I’m not an advocate or anything, but if we could find a lenient magistrate to approve the warrant, perhaps. Or invoke some special...suspension of rights in the case of civil unrest. It would be a lot easier if we were under martial law.” She looked over at Cade. “Lots of things get let slide in that case. But not sure we could even convince our side to want that,” she admitted.

Cade grinned at that. "Martial law? Yeah, all we need is a war or something."

Yolanthe looked down the Promenade to where the Dilithium Chamber was ushering in a couple of Humans. "I think you're going to get one. Sooner than you think."

::OFF::

Aleczandra Ryan
Civilian
NPC Caleb Ryan

Qinee
Ferengi Ambassador
NPC Caleb Ryan

Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, The Box of Delights

Cmdr. Caden Aldrex
Station XO

 

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