Birds of feather

Posted on Sunday December 6th, 2020 @ 3:26am by Lieutenant Commander Olivia Lorrietta & Lieutenant Jordan Chase

Mission: The Forgotten Outpost
Location: Diplomatic offices

Olivia's third port of call was to familiarize herself with one of just two sections of the starbase she didn't expect the Commanding Officer to take much interest in, and the diplomatic offices of a Stardock class starbase did not disappoint.

"I would have killed for this. There's a bloody stateroom." She muttered to herself, as she wandered through the place. "The Nimue had a broom cupboard with an administration office, and we had to borrow from the ship's conference room collections." She shook her head in wonder. She paused at the administration desk, and nodded to the assistant. "Everyone has an assistant here. Neat. Commander Lorrietta. I was hoping to talk to Lieutenant-" She paused, and closed one eye and gave a thoughtful expression. "Chase. Chief diplomatic officer." She finished.

The young officer at the desk nodded as she stood and walked over to the entrance of Lieutenant Chase's office. "Ma'am," she interrupted. "Commander Lorrietta is here to see you."

Jordan nodded, "Let her in," she ordered, holding back the eyeroll that threatened to emerge. She saved the report documents on the region she was studying and stood the welcome her visitor with a slight tug on her tunic top to straighten it.

Olivia entered, and offered Chase a nod. "Lieutenant. A pleasure to meet someone of familiar vocation." She paused to look over Jordan's current state. "I hope I didn't interrupt."

"No, you weren't interrupting anything crucial. Just reading up on what I can on the locals," Jordan shared, the overwhelming nature of it all considering that Starfleet neglected to give her a heads up on it prior to her assignment to the station. "Cramming sessions were not quite my favorite moments at the Academy. It's bringing back not so pleasant memories."

"That's just par for the course in my books. The Nimue used to do two peace conferences a month." Olivia chuckled. "I've been doing much the same, myself. Learning an entire new crew, and everyone's histories." She tilted her head. "Anything I can help you with?"

Jordan drew in a breath and let out a sigh as she cracked her neck. "Convince the doc to put a direct line of caffeine into my veins?" she asked, knowing it wouldn't happen. "I've had the opportunity to meet a few members of the crew already. The Marine CO and XO are nice enough. It will just take time to get sorted this far out."

"I should clarify." Olivia laughed. "I used to do your job. Did it most of my career, actually. I was offering to help you sort through this. I'm probably one of the few other officers present who knows how to do this."

Appreciation flooded through the Lieutenant as she smiled back at her. "Thank you. I do wish to try my best and should I require any assistance or guidance, I will be sure to come to you. It is reassuring to know I'm not alone in the experience on the station."

"It's a bit unusual." Olivia admitted. "Most people in our line of work are working towards becoming an ambassador. Like my father." She looked away. "I uh. I got side-tracked. Long story."

"I started in the Medical Academy and even graduated to be a counselor but after one tour, I found it wasn't for me," the young diplomat admitted.

"Hey, I was going to be a sociologist." Olivia shrugged. "And then an Ambassador." She paused. "There was a planet. It was under control of Orion pirates out a bit further in the galactic west. We got into a heated situation with a Romulan vessel and an Orion vessel at the same time. The executive officer was down planet, under siege. The Captain ordered the ship separate. Left me in command of the saucer section. Accidentally came across something... Entirely undiplomatic."

Jordan did not react but she knew there were times that diplomacy had no place. Words are just words when it’s the life of your crew on the line at the end of the day. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

"Actually... that's the part that-" Olivia took a breath. "They killed people I cared about. Not only was it easy, it was a little too easy." She shrugged. "Sometimes, you find yourself in an entirely different calling than you intended to live. That doesn't mean I'm not a diplomat."

“In the command line, you’re often first to communicate with other groups. You need to have a little bit of diplomacy in you in order to make rank as high as....most....do,” Jordan replied with a moment of hesitation as she thought about some people she had encountered in the past that made her wonder how they advanced so far.

"Not always." Olivia gave Jordan a look of bemusement. "The Commander is a bit... Well. Let's just say he did not take the diplomatic route."

Jordan wasn’t sure about the Commander but the combat line trains for a different mindset. “I’ve only spoken with him briefly upon my arrival, so I have not yet observed him interacting with others as yet. He was more - preoccupied?”

"Oh, no." Olivia laughed. "He's a Security major. It doesn't take a sociologist to understand that diplomacy isn't his field of work."

“And that would be why Starfleet assigned us here,” the lieutenant pointed out.

"You're quite right." Olivia admitted. "You sure you don't need help with any of this?"

Jordan looked around and let out a sigh. “I’m sure you have enough on your plate but if you have any recommendations for interns or new graduates to request for assignment, that could be some help.”

"Quite the opposite." Olivia shot Jordan a look. "The base commander's new XO is a diplomat turned pirate hunter. Everyone you see has a story to tell. There is something about them that will do something you need them to. Until you find the right person, you won't know."

The young officer nodded as she considered her superior’s view. “I have a great deal of homework to do on the region and getting to know our crew and residents then, don’t I?” She smiled.

"We don't even know half the homework." Olivia admitted. "The Shackleton expanse has made our ability to learn about the species we're hosting a peace conference for very difficult. There's a scientific mission being sent to survey it." She paused, and her face turned a bit sour. "Outside of that, you've got Romulans, Klingons, and Ferengi, for the most part." She winced. "And Orions. That part is more my business than yours."

Jordan raised an eyebrow but did not question the change in the woman. The expanse was one of the reports she was reading up on as well as she wasn’t familiar with this section of space. “I don’t thing the replicator coffee will be strong enough to handle everything. I don’t suppose you know of a shop on the station that has anything decent?”

"The promenade is having some trouble with licensing getting approved." Olivia paused. "It's on my do list."

"What kind of starbase doesn't have a good coffee location?" Jordan asked, more to herself, disappointed in the news.

"One that was shut down for quite some time. I'm sure it'll pick up. As soon as the bureaucracy does. I'll do my best to speed it up." Lorrietta promised.

"If there is anything I understand, it's red tape," the diplomat sighed. "I should get back to my preparations. I still need to coordinate with some people about our upcoming visitors. If you need anything...?"

"I've got favors stored up. If you need something, ask." Olivia gave the Lieutenant a nod. "I will leave you to your ensuing migraine."

---
Lieutenant Commander Olivia Lorrietta
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Jordan Chase
Chief Diplomatic Officer