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Day 29 [1100 hrs.] New Dawn

[ Lt. Cmdr. Rutherford | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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Samantha’s hair was definitely on the wild side today – was the conclusion she came to, seeing her reflection in the turbolift panel. Her blonde bob, just below shoulder length, fell in loose curls with a few stray hairs out of sorts. She was always well within uniform regulations but at the same time, while on ‘regular’ duty, she also didn’t want to look like she was brushing her hair every five minutes. It was a professionalism thing. More time spent on duty than appearance. And yet she had only just now spent the better part of a turbolift ride thinking about her looks … great. Thankfully she was alone for the trip.

The doors opened with a swoosh and the Commander stepped out into the hallway adjacent to the bridge. Approaching the checkpoint, she was greeted by a smiling security officer. “I have a date with the captain.”  Samantha explained kindly, with a glimmer of mischievousness, and was thus – after a brief veracity check – lead across the back portion of the Theurgy bridge. Given that she had never been aboard the ship before and the fact that it was one of a kind delayed her ultimate transition to the doors of the ready room ever so slightly. She didn’t picture herself being up here that often, this potentially being the only time, ever. So, she wanted to soak it all in, superficially.

Following the officer further she waited patiently behind him as the doorbell was rung and her presence announced. A short moment later the sesame sprung open and she was met with the sight of Captain Ives, in his male form, she had learned. An interesting concept, really, she herself could recount a couple of instances where she’d wished to be a man for a day in the past.

“Captain … a pleasure to meet you.” She greeted with a slight, obeisant tip of the head. Up until this point she hadn’t even had time to properly wrap her head around the what if’s wand what not’s. So, with her posture erect and her hands clasped behind her back the blonde kept her blue eyes trained on the handsome man and his/her dark features. Bursting with anticipation and fear alike. Slowly chiming into an internal Vulcan mantra for self-control.

@Auctor Lucan

Re: Day 29 [1100 hrs.] New Dawn

Reply #1 –
[ Captain Ives | Ready Room | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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By the time the chime from the door came, Jien Ives had been standing before the viewport of his ready room, looking out over the surface of Aldea - the golden planet stretching far and wide below the shipyards.

He had been contemplating the additional officers of the crew, and how they would fare when integrating with those who'd served aboard since before the Borg, the Savi and Starbase 84. Hundreds still remained since they'd fled Earth, five months earlier, and while individual resolve prevailed over any generalisation, it wasn't surprising that some were more weathered than others. As for those that Andersson had sent to the Epsilon Mynos System, they had been hand-picked by the Rear Admiral for the mission, and Jien had given the selection the benefit of the doubt for the time being. What other choice did he have? Resources were sparse, and he hardly had the luxury of being picky when it came to assistance - limited as their allies were in numbers.

True, he could have taken on plenty of Klingons to fill the ranks, and after some mutual adjustment, it might have been an option... if it hadn't been for the events in the Azure Nebula, where Vector 02 had entered direct battle with the IKS Negh'var, and they've lost far too many souls to Martok's misguided ire towards them. The Lone Wolves had been cut down by half, and many more had fallen to the Klingon boarding parties. Inviting too many Klingons from the KDF to serve aboard was to invite possible disaster. Crew morale was a matter of great concern, still, and it wasn't long ago that Commander Trent had been killed by one of their own.

Grief and anger, Jien thought bitterly, let's not hope it even leads to despair.

"Enter," Jien had called right after the chime had sounded, and he turned to face a potential candidate for the CDO role aboard - the last vacancy he had in his Senior Staff.

"Likewise," he said in answer to her greeting and reached forward to shake her hand, a faint smile on his features before he turned from her and sat down behind his desk. "Please, be seated."

Looking at the Human as she made her way to the desk and had her seat, the oaken eyes of a bygone spy, counselor and diplomatic officer observed her mannerism, but he said naught of what he saw. Right then, he spoke as the ship's Commanding Officer, naught more.

"I hope your flight here was pleasant enough, and that you've rested from your voyage. I trust you have spent due to time to study the briefing about the mission and the situation the Federation face. Pray tell, do you have any questions about the threat, and what has happened to Starfleet Command?"

Re: Day 29 [1100 hrs.] New Dawn

Reply #2 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Rutherford | Catpain’s Ready Room | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @Auctor Lucan
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Somehow Ives’ ready room had something constricting, as all rooms filled with power, leaving too little air to breathe. Like a foot, crammed into a shoe too small. It was an intimidating environment though Samantha was skilled in keeping a calm head towards superiority. It was hardly ever that she negotiated with someone on her level but far more frequently leaders of governments or at the very least, ministries. She wouldn’t have gotten very far, falling apart at every conference table or fangirling at every banquette. But even this sense of egality, the leveled playing field, demanded a sense of respect. And it was a narrow path to master.

Extending her hand with pleasure, a noticeable delay after Ives had done so, the diplomat was skilled in etiquette, no doubt. Never offer a hand unless it is offered to you first. Never take a seat unless invited to. Especially in a position where she ascertained to be the beggar, and captain Ives the chooser. Performing an evasive side-step around the chair in front of the man’s desk Samantha sat down neatly. Her spine straight, a good two inches away from the backrest, legs close together yet placed at an angle, hands clasped in her lap, the blonde shook her side-swept hair back lightly – the only nervous tick she allowed herself. 

At the first statement posed, Samantha valued the time until the captain’s elaborations drew to an ultimate close, to find a way of describing her travels in a favorable light. She wasn’t high maintenance by a long shot, but used to certain creature comforts. “I DID take the time to train my game-face in light of Klingon cuisine and etiquette.” She replied with a faint smile, giving the comment a light air. “As I deducted from traveling with Chancellor Martok to a Klingon allied system … I would be seeing much more of them in the future. And I don’t actually want to end up grimacing during a blood-wine ceremony at a Klingon council session.”

It was absolutely true that the officer had very limited experience professionally with the warrior race. Which had been a source of inner conflict for the entirety of her trip. Especially since the Klingons held their rituals and honor in such high esteem. “I did review all the information made available to me, Sir, yes … and then some.” she replied with a confident nod. He could ask her anything and she’d remember it. The connections were not fully developed yet but the knowledge was there.

“Do you know why I am here, Sir?” was the most direct question she could ask, which would - in theory - answer a whole lot more with one fell swoop. “I mean, I understand Admiral Anderson’s connection. My late husband held him in very high esteem and by extension, so do I. But that doesn’t explain why he sent me to YOU. HERE.” She let her pate circle, opening the clasp of her hands to spread her slender fingers into a fan, motioning towards much more than the captain’s ready room. “For a man like Anderson it seems like a desperate move, which - you can rest assured – is all the qualification I need to assess the severity of the situation. And as I am sure that the finer details can be just as well ascertained from your logs I don’t want to waste your time explaining them to me.” she concluded.

“I apologise if that sounded brash, Sir, but my initial question still stands.”

Re: Day 29 [1100 hrs.] New Dawn

Reply #3 –
[ Captain Ives | Ready Room | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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Rutherford appeared to pick her questions wisely, cutting to the chase, as it were, but it was also both pragmatic and prudent since she was correct. The mission detail, the enemy, the tactical logs and the development leading up to the halted Borg invasion could all be studied at length and together with a larger group of new arrivals.

In fact, Ives had asked Thea to brief them all en-masse and in person - her projection going over everything the new crewmembers needed to know on one of her holodecks - and it was merely a matter of picking the hours for those sessions. So, Rutherford had rather asked for information directly pertaining to her assignment to the Theurgy, and that was something Thea would only be able to answer in a general way.

"Two reasons, one reactionary and one pre-emptive," said Jien with no further preamble. He had noted the way in which she conducted herself with the handshake but said naught, transparent as little things were, even though they said nothing much about her as a person. Common things, merely suggesting she had proper Diplomatic Corps schooling. There were better ways to determine how ready she was for the kind of mission the Theurgy was on.

"In November last year, the Theurgy uncovered the truth of Starfleet Command, and before we were able to act on what we learned on-site, we were compromised and had to flee from our own fleet. This you already know," he said, but continued. "What you mightn't know is that we had a whole Diplomatic Corps delegation assigned to the ship when we left Earth, but as we passed Jupiter Station in hope to rally present forces to the truth, we were attacked. Caught unawares, with our shields down, we suffered several hull breaches. We lost almost the entire delegation in that single barrage."

Pausing, his oaken eyes strayed to a couple of Lone Wolves that returned from patrol, overshooting the Helmet on their way to the Sword and it's fighter bay. "As for the future, the needs for skilled Diplomatic Officers ought to be obvious, since we not only need allies, but de.escalate the onset of deep unrest in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Praetor believes Starfleet armed Donatra's rebel fleet with high-end Federation technology, and this is true. It wasn't we who stole said technology, as Starfleet Command and the FNN claims. It was one of the Infested, using the Host of Captain Ian Hawthorne on Starbase 84 to sell coordinates to secret weapon research facilities. This is just one example of challenges we face, in which we bear the blame as heavily as we bear the truth, and our evidence is not the kind that can easily be broadcast and believed - tarnished as our ship has been in the eyes of all powers at this point."

Glancing out the viewport from where he sat, the profile of the IKS Vor'nak could be seen in the distance.

"All powers except the Klingons, yet they were hard to convince. In fact, I understand that not even High Chancellor Martok have the entirety of the Klingon High Council with him in this alliance with us, and he might face grim opposition if he propose the Empire declares war on the impersonators in Starfleet Command and beyond. What I suggest is plain, that he might need our aid as well."

After the next pause, Jien turned his gaze to Rutherford and changed... into her female form. Clearly, the turn of their conversation now focused entirely on the Commander on the opposite side of the desk.

"We are but one ship, but if we are to neutralise this threat, we need more allies and we need them fast. Yet regardless how many will stand with us, we must also attempt to keep losses in Starfleet to a minimum. Too often during our mission have I had to defend the truth at the cost of brothers and sisters in the fleet, and the risk that we might have to do so again will only increase before we reach the Sol System."

Now, Jien slowly leaned forward and clasped her hands on the desktop, her stare unblinking as she looked at Rutherford.

"Everything we stand for is on the line. You will likely never face a challenge like this again in your life, if you even survive this mission. You may have negotiated treaties off shore and learned how to carry yourself among leaders, knowing how to represent the Federation. Yet this is something quite else, Commander. For in serving here, you put everything you've worked for on the line. Your entire network of contacts and friends might shun you, beguiled as they are by the lies about this ship and crew. So I as, are you truly willing to sacrifice everything you have... to restore the Federation?"

Greed, hubris and corruption were the pitfalls of the Human's chosen profession, and Ives would not stand for either. By the end of the current conversation, he'd know if she was tainted by such vices.

Are you a patriot, Commander, or are you a mere in it for personal interests and advancement?

Re: Day 29 [1100 hrs.] New Dawn

Reply #4 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Rutherford | Catpain’s Ready Room | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @Auctor Lucan
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Pleased to hear the captain cut straight to the answer the diplomatic officer shifted slightly in the seat, applying more of her weight to one side than the other, her right elbow landing atop the armrest. Only to realize that he couldn’t help but take a detour, through the blurb on the back cover of the Theurgy story, nonetheless. It however made sense in the context provided as the CO moved on. She had indeed heard about the incident, though only in the way of why the flag bridge had been repurposed to serve as the diplomatic council. And thus, at the time, it had seemed like an afterthought. Of course, the loss of life never was … but in this job, in Starfleet, through the experiences she had, you couldn’t help but develop a psychological defense mechanism to death – which was lurking around every corner in space. She had seen many people die, good people, some closer to her than others, and with each and everyone her heart had decided it had to care less if she were to go on.

As Ives‘ glance passed to the porthole Samantha took a moment to swallow the more painful memories that had invaded her mind just then. Letting her blue eyes drop to the surface of his desk, lips pressed together. Yet still, her ears registered every nuance in his elaborate speech. In summary she was here to put out all the fires the Theurgy had left in her wake … it would just be like the good old times on the Shadow. Already formulating an approach in her mind, the officer ascertained that it would be hard to deal with a lot of these topics remotely, and at the same time they were only one ship and one diplomatic corps. So, it certainly was a handful. Thus, she figured it was probably best to prioritize the Klingon & Savi issues, if only by matter of proximity and urgency. These were just smouldering fires that hadn’t erupted yet and containing them would be easier than many of the other bridges, already burned.

Looking back up at the captain, the diplomat was caught slightly off guard as he shifted into his female form. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she couldn’t help but divert her train of thought from brush fires to figuring out why this moment had been chosen to do so. It seemed like a classic ‘good cop - bad cop’ routine to her, though obviously with a bit more finesse. Rising her chin lightly as Ives leaned forward the blonde blinked carefully. As if faced with a Grishnar cat, ready to pounce. Because as it went, Grishnar cats were not actually dangerous, but rather imposing in nature. So, it was no fear in the woman’s eyes, but respect. Samantha also wondered if it was biologically required for Ives to even blink since both her eyes and eyelids weren’t really that, were they. Unfortunately, she was only human and thus couldn’t win the relentless staring contest.

As far as pep-talks went, she had certainly heard better. But that wasn’t what this was. For some reason Ives still felt she needed to instill the severity of the situation in the officer. Stepping into the unknown, personal and galactic challenges, potentially paying with your life, was all part of the initiation process of Starfleet. Or maybe this was rather a result of her diplomatic schooling, not to dive too deep into the potential risks, at the danger of showing a weakness to the opposite party. Yet even before Ives came to a full stop, her voice trailing upwards in tone with the interrogative nature of her last words, Samantha already knew her answer. And actually, without implying any offence, the answer to her question was in the files just as well as their situation was. It was in every line of history documented about the woman’s service to Starfleet and the Federation. But sure, if the captain needed a personal confirmation, she would get one.

“Sir, I have time and again sacrificed parts of my life to the Federation and peace and have lost just as much. What little I have left, I will gladly give, to see through, what I have started more than 10 years ago. It’s too late to give up and accept the losses even if victory is just a one-in-a-million chance at this point. I don’t see it as putting everything I have worked for on the line. My career, maybe, my rank and decorations - not my core beliefs. I am not a Starfleet officer because I look great in a jumpsuit. I didn’t become a diplomat because red looks beautiful on my skin tone and I didn’t push through the ranks because I love the power. I chose this career because it put me on the frontlines to make an actual difference! To bring opposing factions to see eye to eye, past their preconceptions and personal agendas and focus on mutual benefit. And with all due respect, sir, I do think I still have some ‘beguiling’ left in myself too.” the officer smiled briefly, though it was a passing sensation.

Of course, a simple ‘Yes, sir.’ would’ve sufficed, given the right intonation. And potentially Ives had gotten a more curt and direct reply from other new officers she’d perfected this inquisition with. But Samantha wasn’t an engineering officer, or a tactical officer, who spoke more with their deeds than actual words. She was a diplomat and her conviction rested on her ability to express herself unmistakably. So, if Ives wanted proof of her willingness, this was it, in 200 words or more. And with this reassurance the officer leaned forward too, fixing her elbows to the end of her armrests, fingers intertwined in the air before her like a basket, blue eyes all business.

“So, whatever use you have in mind for me, sir, I would suggest you put me on exploring options to fix our relations with these Savi and the Klingon High Council. The Klingons have been on the brink of tearing themselves apart for decades and the Theurgy will just be the straw of the day. They have a way that circumvents their elaborate Rite of Succession by a mere martial challenge for a reason – it’s not the constitution of a stable government. We just have to make sure to keep the chancellor in place that favors our cause. There’s precedence for Strafleet involvement after all. Why shouldn’t we be our own subversive set of parasites.” she shrugged lightly, non-chalantly wiggling her eyebrows for god measure once. It was a bold suggestion, but she hadn’t gotten here on always playing it above the belt.

Re: Day 29 [1100 hrs.] New Dawn

Reply #5 –
[ Captain Ives | Ready Room | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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It seemed like Rutherford had her heart in her right place, if judging by her words, when it came to her willingness to do what's right. It made Jien nod quietly, making no further comment in that specific regard, and she continued to listen while the other woman gave a more detailed statement about what she foresaw to be useful for during the mission. Of course, the Savi and the Klingons were priorities, for certain, but if all went well, the Diplomats on the Theurgy might have several other factions to confer with.

Despite the verbal references, the almost boastful manner in which the Commander illustrated her appearence whilst wearing the Starfleet uniform, it only drew a faint smile from Jien. It was the best to be expected, the mission and the months since Sol having drained Jien of mirth entirely.

"The Savi rebels and the Klingons might be the short-term priorities, but in order to gain the ears in the right places, you should look closer to home, obviously. If President Bacco has yet to be infested, people working within her circle should hear the truth, so that we might reach through to her. She holds the power to call Starfleet Command into question," she said quietly, the obvious problems not even needing to be said. How to gain those ears, and convince them, when evidence was so scarce and unreliable?

"I have a Mission Liaison Officer, Commander Dewitt, and she has been working with the two Diplomatic Attachés we have left aboard. Ensigns Eloi-Danvers and L'Nari. The former survived an attack from Jupiter Station back when we left Earth, and the latter arrived ahead of you here at Aldea. More Diplomats are en-route, but if you feel confident and up to the task, I wonder if you would consider taking on the role as Chief Diplomatic Officer aboard this ship?"

To clarify, Jien felt he had to add... "This doesn't reflect poorly upon Dewitt, for in her loyalty towards this crew and our mission, she has preformed exemplary in dealing with the Aldean Defence Committee, but she is - however - primarily of a tactical background. She was the Commanding Officer of a secret Starfleet research facility - the Black Opal - but she had little opportunity to study diplomacy there. Her skills are better suited towards more hands-on tasks, since she's proven herself as CO of our scoutship on several occasions, ranging from battles with Borg to the survival against the forces at Starbase 84. I'd rather have Dewitt leading an away mission behind enemy lines than honing treaties and agreements."

Nonetheless, the question remained.

"Anderson has faith in you, your file certainly doesn't suggest anything untoward, you have a reasonable attitude towards the mission, and you'd like to make a difference," she concluded.

"So what say you?"

Re: Day 29 [1100 hrs.] New Dawn

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Rutherford | Catpain’s Ready Room | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @Auctor Lucan 
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To be fairly honest, Samantha was a little taken aback as Ives came forth with what she judged to be the main engagement of their conflict with Starfleet propaganda. No, ‘suspicious’, was the right moniker. A path to the Federation President. Anderson must’ve known that her grandfather was on the council. And that the diplomat herself had interned there, what seemed like so many years ago now. She had even met then president, Amitra of Pandril, as a birthday present from her grandfather. It had been an impactful experience, actually, seeing a strong woman in power. And Pandril had seen something very similar in the young woman too. Or at least the very same ambition, that was fueled just a little more that day. But even pleasant memories, such as these, could only serve as a cold reminder of her calculable value to the mission.

“I still hold contact to a couple of people at the Federation council and the foreign ministry.” the diplomat replied calmly. A little of the vigor seeming to have drained temporarily in favor of a more guarded, say, Vulcan, demeanor. She wasn’t going to mention her grandfather, per say. She didn’t want to use him as an admission ticket unless she was ordered to. This was the one option she would not present willingly. “But earth is a long way and I believe the president is not even there right now. I have no current way of getting to her outside of Paris, but I can try to find one.” she made a mental note, if that would be necessary.

Then it got interesting and the blonde had to admit, they were still able to get down to the nitty gritty in a tolerable timeframe. And just with that prospect, the Vulcan veil lifted to present a new sunrise: Chief Diplomatic Officer. She didn’t know if she was supposed to play it cool and keep her cards close to vest, or lay it all out and show the appreciation the offer deserved. The best approach was usually a middle way. Listening to the following justification of why she wouldn’t merely be an Assistant to Commander Dewitt, Samantha slowly tilted her pate from one side to the other in a controlled fashion, that allowed the motion to stretch for the entirety of the narration. Ultimately, she had to interject: “With all due respect to Commander Dewitt and the exemplary work she has done - So would I.”

It was factual, it was tactical, it was cold … but it was the kind of straightforward lack of bullshit that the captain deserved. There was a space for everyone. A space where everyone could hone and utilize their strengths to their full potential. And it was a captain’s duty and privilege to put that person into that place. Letting a trail of expired air exhale at the mention of her late husband’s intelligence mentor, the diplomat summoned a melancholic smile to her plump lips, as blue eyes faded into the distance for a moment. A moment of silence, which ensued as the question lingered in the air like cigarette smoke. Slowly forming into something grander. A sense of meaning that brought the woman’s attention back to Ives and the unwavering sobriety of purpose to her calm voice that the whole conversation had started with.

“Let’s give them hell then … captain.”

- FIN
 
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