Strategems and Sarcasm

Posted on Thu Nov 9, 2017 @ 2:58am by Captain Maritza Soran & Lieutenant Liam Reynolds

3,118 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Rumours
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD08 1530

::ON::

Commander Soran waited a good minute after the Cardassian Ambassador left before indicting the chair that was in the far corner of her ready room, meaning for Liam to bring it over. "Sit down Mr Reynolds."

"Is that an order Maam or do I have a choice? As if I have a choice I would prefer to stand. Its easier to keep ones empathic shields up the less comfortable you are," he said simply. He didn't add that it was also easier to get a damn good emotional read on someone if you pushed them and got them angry as they spent so much time focusing on that emotion, they forgot to try make the other ones small.

Especially someone who may have had some training in the last 12 months and had possibly figured out that the more things you hit a telepath/empath to think about, the harder it was to get that emotional read. Perhaps Turvan had just got lucky he considered, but the more negative side of him disagreed. Regardless, he had managed to get what he needed off the man.

"Its your choice, Mr Reynolds, but you may prefer to sit. Are you sure?"

"If its my choice Maam, I'll stand," Liam stated simply. If she was about to get ridiculously angry like every other time they had been one on one in a room together, he was having more of a chance to block out the emotional and physical pain that would follow. He might have to report to her and follow her orders but after the last two telepathic attacks he had endured when she was possessed by that dark entity, she wasn't unleashing any more emotional or physical pain on him than he could fend off. Besides he'd had enough of that dancing his arse off with the Cardassian Ambassador. He was emotionally drained enough from the last hour.

"Is anything wrong, Mr Reynolds. Is there anything happening in your life that you need help with?"

That flawed him. "If there was rest assured I would make an appointment with a counselor Maam. Having worked as a counselor, one understands the importance of letting your feelings out when you endure traumatic events." It seemed he was playing cat and mouse with the CO as well as the idiot Cardassian.

Oh, touche Mr Reynolds, Maritza thought. But she wasn't going to be fobbed off, "Mr Reynolds. You just stood and ranted at the Ambassador. For three minutes solid you berated him, accused him of incompetence, told him things which I would prefer were kept between us, and barely paused for breath in between. So I ask again. Is there an issue?"

"Permission to speak freely Maam," Liam said simply, "Without you taking the decision to over react and punish me because you don't like what I have to tell you? And it not all personal in case your thinking that. I am actually VERY good at poker."

Maritza frowned. She wasn't sure at all how what he had just replied related to anything he had just said. It just underlined her concerns that Reynolds was having issues. "Generally, Mr Reynolds, one waits for permission to speak freely, before doing so. But since you have gone ahead, I must say that Im not sure I follow your response. What has your skill at poker got to do with why you were ranting at the Ambassador?"

"Do I have permission to speak freely Maam or not?" Liam stated.

"Go ahead," Maritza debated adding a warning that permission to speak freely did not mean permission to be disrespectful of insbordinate, but decided against it.

"There is a brief from Starfleet command on how to deal with the Cardassians. I can let you have a copy. When I first got here nearly a year ago, I did conduct myself in the manner that I assume your going to detail you want to see. In fact there is a brief on how to handle ever race.

However regardless of issue, big or small Ambassador Turvan turned everything into a circus. I once spent 3 days trying to diplomatically sort him not being happy at the direction his embassy faced, yet he picked the plot Maam. Upon contacting my diplomatic superiors for advice I was made aware that every Cardassian Ambassador in the last 5 years had started behaving in this manner. The head of diplomatic corps decided to change strategy. We are to match kind in kind and to push, without issuing a order 13 from our side of course," Liam informed her. "They are up to something and they will tip their hand eventually."

"Also I'm sorry to say this but I suspect you know it already. I don't trust you as a CO and you have made it clear you don't value or trust me as diplomatic counsel. That's not an insult nor meant to be disrespectful or insubordinate in any way. Its just fact, going on our interactions to date. And in honestly I do wish it was different as I don't like being in conflict with anyone. But it takes two to bend towards each other," he informed her. Hopefully she understand that metaphor even if she couldn't see how important it was to have a diplomat who was good at poker.

Soran looked at him for a long moment. "I have never said I don't value you or trust you as a dipomatic officer. You made the wrong call on the Ferengi issue, but I wasn't in charge then, so that matter is closed. Going forward I do expect you to clear any action with other governments with me first. That said, in the few hours I've been in charge, you've shown initiative with the Lissepians, and put two cardassians firmly in their place. I do have reservations about your anger management capacity, but I am also expecting Dr Bennet to report that you have passed your psych eval, and her professional opinion carries weight."

"I didn't say that you said it, your actions made it clear," Liam sighed. For one brief moment he hoped he had got through to the woman and even made the first move at peace. "You NEED diplomatic capital. That's the only thing old Turvan said earlier that made any much decent sense. And you now claim the Ferengi matter is closed but one day my actions there will come back three fold. Mark my words, like Karma and you will be glad I did what I did. Because when you need an ally and boy your going to need one, one day the way things are shaping up, Qinee will come through. You'll see.

And I don't have anger management issues, I have trust issues. I just told you that and gave you an opening to work on it and build a better relationship with me. You just completely ignored it." Liam stated firmly. This women was insufferable. She just didn't listen. She was too proud to care or even meet someone half way. At least Noelle was better on that score if not distracting for other reasons.

"Are you sure Captain, that you wish me to clear any action with any government with you. Your making a rod for your own back there. Your going to get a hell of a lot of communicees from me over the most ridiculous issues and for what following orders higher up than you? For doing my job.

I would have thought that being CO now, your time would be more precious to devote to more important things. There are a lot of governments. There are a lot of stupid things they get themselves in a tizz over. Hell we have had wanting to create a paddock for targs, creepy fire voodoo with effigy's of the Cardassian ambassador and lifeforms demanding to engage in cannibalism in the last hour to name a few. That wasn't a plot cooked up by Chapman and me. That actually just happened and if I know Ambassador Corval she will throw the targs in the Cardassian embassy just for the sheer hell of it anyway to stir things up. The Cardassian Ambassadors grievances alone will clog your inbox to kingdom come. And if you didn't enjoy that last show, wait till you have been through the same act 20 more times with him. He thrives on drama. I'll have to call you down to where we are so you can make your decisions if I can act real time. And he will love that.

If I have shown initiative with the Lissepians, and putting two cardassians firmly in their place has impressed you in the last hour why the hell are you punishing me and yourself by making that order" he demanded. "Start trusting me to do my job," Liam insisted in disbelief.

Maritza said nothing, he'd just done the one thing she was concerned over again. There was a moments pause. "Liam," Maritza sad gently. "Get a chair, please."

The part betazoid almost emotionally spent from his outburst nodded. She genuinely wanted him to sit down, he could sense that and for trust to be attained, well both parties had to .... trust. He pulled the nearest chair over and sat down.

"We'll talk about the decisions making in a minute. Right now, it is painfully obvious that there is something getting at you. I know you're angry. Yes, at me. We'll come onto that as well. But since we are speaking freely, between you , me and the deck plating, what else are you angry at?"

Liam sighed, "Not necessarily angry. More concerns. But some anger yes If I am honest I suppose," he replied. Ok he would try some honesty with her. " Well for starters my best friend in the universe disappeared this morning. Cade Aldrex just upped and disappeared. And his wife who I view as a little sister, she's heavily pregnant and very anxious and upset right now. And the chain of command has just completely changed. This is not meant to be disrespectful maam. I do understand that what happened to you was not your fault and its complicated, but I got attacked twice ..... being around you."

Well, this was a start. Maritza laced her fingers together and rested her hands on the desk. "I'm sorry about Commander Aldrex, it was just as much as a surprise to me. If I get any more information, I will pass it on, though you will probably get more from Commander Telemon than myself."

She sighed a little. "As for that incident, I can only apologise for what happened. But it wasn't me that attacked you. It was that... whatever it was."

Liam nodded. Well that was major ground. Soran had just apologised and acknowledged what had happened.

He addressed Cade first, "I appreciate any information. In the meantime I will speak to Amia and make sure she has whatever support she needs. Your right what ever it was is gone now. I appreciate the apology Maam. That goes a long way with me. Its just a lot of people, myself included have concerns of you being in charge, when you were recently compromised. That said," Liam added softly, "You are in charge, I do not know the full ins and outs of what happened nor have any right or need too and if Starfleet command have no issues with it, then we will all trust in that decision and move forward. It may take me a little while personally, but rest assured that professionally you will have my full support.

Starfleet command have no issues. She showed no outward sign of irritation, but she was sure that if there were no issues, her promotion would have come with an extra pip. "Good. And now on to the issue of decisions. I am going to make a few statements. They are not up for debate. they are not up for question. They will give you my position. Once we have done that, there will be room for discussion. Do you understand?"

Liam chose to ignore the sudden change to patronising like she was playing some anger parent or school teacher, nodded and waited for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

So far so good, no attempts to argue or have another tantrum.
Slowly does it. Especially when he wasnt going to like the next bit at all. But she might just be able to get her points across after all.

"When the Ferengi refused to return our children unconditionally, they broke our laws, by which they are expected abide, which you, as an officer of Starfleet took an oath to uphold. Diplpmatic immunity is not carte Blanche for a diplomat to do as he pleases. It did not apply. They had committed piracy, kidnapping and extortion in our territorial space. By paying them compensation without going through proper channels your actions undermined the sovereignty of the Federation, undermined the chain of command, undermined the authority of the station commander and undermined the rule of law. Do you understand?" She raised a finger in warning, she wanted no debate, this was just background to the issue she wanted to deal with. "Its a yes or no question, Mr Reynolds."

Liam chewed the inside of his cheek as she finished her tirade. Finally after a moment he stated,

"I decline to answer that question Maam,"

"And no I do not understand. I in fact, have no clue what is going on here. The way you are conducting yourself in your new role is confusing me greatly."

Decline to answer. Of course he would. He was genetically incapable of following orders it would seem. That was an issue for another time. "That means that Turvan knows you are an argumentative chaotic quantity who cannot be trusted to react in a predictable way." She paused, "and thinks I am some junior milksop who's keen to keep the peace, like giving you a telling off at his command. Everytime you piss him off, he's going to run to me." She raised a suggestive eyebrow. Could he see the potential there? The possibilities? Or would she have to spell it out.

"Only if you let him and don't trust and get behind your chief diplomat telling him where to go, which is to deal with me. Most definitely if you carry through your threatened order earlier and strip me of all authority and freedom to do my job. Turvan lives for argumentative chaos and goes out of his way to be pissed off at ever opportunity just because he can. You bow to his demand to leash me, he played you like the fiddle," Liam informed her.

She kept her sigh to herself. In many ways he was too simple to be a diplomat. Not stupid, no one who got through the academy was stupid. But certainly not devious enough. Even his ferengi tea party had been transparent. He couldn't see the opportunities because he was too concerned about being on a leash.

"Are you aware of the concept good cop, bad cop?" she thought he leaned to his human side, but that was no guarantee he'd understand the idiom? "A method of manipulation of someone who is failing to co-operate? Do you see where this is going?"

I understand what a narcissistic is, Liam thought. "I remember it from my psychology days," he told her.

"Good cop/bad cop is a psychological tactic used in negotiation and interrogation. It involves a team of two interrogators who take apparently opposing approaches to the subject.

The "bad cop" takes an aggressive, negative stance towards the subject, making blatant accusations, derogatory comments, threats, and in general creating antipathy between the subject and himself. This sets the stage for the "good cop" to act sympathetically, appearing supportive and understanding, and in general showing sympathy for the subject. The good cop will also defend the subject from the bad cop.

This technique also has its disadvantages in that it can be an obvious tactic and the "bad cop" may alienate the subject.

"Is that what's happening here?" Liam asked. He wondered who she was going to trot out as the good cop.

"We'll be playing a variation," Maritza raised a hand in indication to him, "Chaotic, unpredictable, takes-law-into-his-own-hands, fights back, diplomatic officer." Then she flipped her hand to point at herself. "Wet behind the ears, eager to please commander who jumps when he says frog." And the arrogant cardassian bastard would rue the day he had come storming into her office demanding she discipline her officers.

"You think I got played, Mr Reynolds? Turvan didn't do a thing I wasn't expecting and planned for. You think I'm putting you on a leash? I'm taking you off. He doesn't like you, and he knows I don't like you and I am going to use that to our fullest advantage. You are going to tie him up in knots, harangue him so completely, make his life a living hell, whatever you feel like doing, so that when he swaggers into my office thinking he's about to get everything all his own way, the 'compromise' I offer him isn't one cubic meter of space, one slip of latinum, one paragraph in a treaty more, than we have already decided he can have. Do you understand that?"

It was a yes or no question, after all.

Liam stated. "Yes, I can do that." He doubted it would work - Turvan wasn't as stupid as she seemed to be giving him credit too but who knows and it gave him freedom to move and meant that at this moment in time he didn't have to resign.

"Good," Soran felt relieved, this might not be a disaster after all. "Because I'm relying on you to make this work. This is a sensitive game, and if he thinks somethings up, we won't get far."

Liam nodded in agreement, "Yes Ma'am."

"So where do you want to start?"

"Well I can start on applying some pressure on getting some answers on this sixth fleet - a personal visit to his embassy I think to properly discuss this now after yet another incident ..... and in the diplomatic room if he actually manages to get that Gul down there after leaving now. I'm sure the commander in question will kick off that its beneath him and this drag on," Liam suggested.

"Excellent." Maritza said with a grim smile. "Carry on, Mr Reynolds. Let me know if you need anything."

"Aye Maam," Liam said happily.


End?

Lieutenant Liam Reynolds
Chief Diplomatic Officer
DS5

Commander Maritza Soran
Commanding Officer
DS5

 

RSS Feed