Star Trek: Starbase 777 - dip-corps-base

[D] Here at work was fleet liaison Rilek, matriarch of the former great Khellian house. Not that that sort of thing meant anything at Starfleet. In fact, living life away from her house name was exactly what had drawn her to Starfleet in the first place. With her tall stature and bright red hair, she certainly stuck out amongst other humanoids. She tapped her long finger guards against the PADD in her hands as she walked into the diplomatic corps offices. Wearing the same red stripe as the rest of the people in the room, she could have easily been mistaken for a diplomat. She certainly carried herself as one. But no, Rilek was not. They were not a diplomat, although fleet liaison was certainly a diplomat adjacent job only instead of communicating with a diverse cast of people, their communications were only one faction. They looked around to see the rest of the people in the room busy with their own tasks, hm, she wasn't looking to interrupt anyone so she headed over towards the first person she saw who was not busy. "Excuse me."

The person who Rilek approached was Eiheu t'Llweii, one of the diplomatic attaches. Although she was most certainly a Romulan, she did not dress, not particularly act like one. She was significantly shorter than Rilek, and wore a Klingon warrior's uniform, one which was slightly too big, and made her look even smaller by comparison. Her hair was black and very long, almost reaching down to her knees. She did not tie it up, and instead let it hang free. When she was approached, Eiheu turned around immediately to look at them, her hair swinging wide in the other direction. Eiheu spoke quickly, and sharply. "What do you want?" Normally, this kind of greeting would be perfectly fine and polite... On Kronos. Unfortunately, Eiheu was not on Kronos. She quickly realised that such a Klingon way of greeting could be taken as very rude by others, so she quickly tried to backtrack on her words. "Oh no, I mean, uh... Jolan tru...!"

When Rilek caught sight of the Klingon uniform and long hair from afar, they were almost certain this was going to be a Klingon officer, but nope, when yellow eyes met the heterochromatic ones of the stranger they clearly saw the pointed ears and forehead ridges. The outburst as well was very Klingon-like, yet this person's face was clearly not. Well, no matter, they were going to keep their professionalism about them. "Jolan tru," Rilek straightened her posture and pulled some hair from her face, showing off her long pointed finger guards and her own forehead ridges. "I take it you are... one of the Klingon liaisons?" Both of Rilek's eyebrows were raised in a very Vulcan fashion, but their tone and pacing of their Rihannsu was very much not.

Eiheu looked up at Rilek, wondering whether there was something else that she was supposed to do as a greeting... Some kind hand gesture, perhaps? She was aware that Vulcans had a salute, Humans shook hands and Klingons... Hit each other in the forehead. Eiheu figured that she should do absolutely none of those things. "Yes, I am! I am Eiheu t'Llweii. I serve the Klingon Defense Force, and the Klingon Empire." Eiheu straightened herself up as well, and tried to present herself as well as possible. She hoped that her simple introduction would be enough to impress Rilek... Or at least not disappoint her. "You are... Romulan?" Eiheu asked, with a small hint of hope in her voice. The number of Romulans that Eiheu has ever met was absurdly low. She was hoping to fix this.

Good thing she did none of those things because Rilek would have probably fought Eiheu right back if she were to bump foreheads with her. Rilek was the smallest part Vulcan, but she also knew the customs of other cultures and would probably assume some roughness was a standard greeting. Anyway, thankfully that did not happen. "Llweii," Rilek repeated the name and looked ever so curious at her. Llweii sounded like Llhweiir, Rilek's old house name, but she had a feeling her and this woman were not related. "Fascinating," Rilek wanted to inquire more, but they were still at work and she had a feeling Eiheu probably got enough questions about why a Romulan was serving the Klingons. "I am. Rilek Khellian, fleet liaison to the Romulan Republic," *They introduced themself with confidence as they always did. They assumed since Eiheu was Klingon, she wouldn't know much about Romulan politics or houses. Or maybe she would because she was a diplomat? Either way she did not think it would be meaningful to give her * "I am a Starfleet officer, but I do represent the interests of the Republic. I take it you do not have much experience with them?"

Eiheu looked down as Rilek asked her the question. Many people before have asked Eiheu what she knows about the Romulan Republic, and the Romulan people in general. Eiheu was always ashamed to admit that she knows nothing. Nothing, except for what her father taught her, which was surely outdated information by now. If some gullible Klingon villager asked her this question, Eiheu could easily just make something up, and they would surely believe her. Unfortunately, Eiheu does not have that option anymore, not in this place. Eiheu is absolutely not allowed to lie, not in a professional setting like this, but she cannot let anyone know the disappointing truth. What kind of Romulan would Eiheu be, if she knows nothing of her own people? An awful one, for sure. She thought for a moment, then finally answered. "Perhaps... Not much official experience..." Finally, Eiheu acted as a Romulan would. Of course, when Eiheu said that she had no 'official' experience, what she really meant was that she had absolutely no experience at all. But Eiheu answered Rilek's question so indirectly, so imprecisely, that although the exact words she spoke had a technical truth, the impression that they left seemed misleading.

Ever so observant, Rilek could already predict Eiheu's answer from her body language. The way she looked down and seemed pensive before responding made it pretty obvious. Rilek did not judge the Klingon-raised officer at all, it wasn't exactly easy to learn about other factions, especially former enemy ones. "Official?" There was confusion in her voice at the choice of word, but assumed that Eiheu probably meant she was taught small things here and there by being a diplomat? Or maybe she had some other experience with the Republic, either way, she seemed unsurprisingly clueless. "Well, would you like to have some official experience then? I am here to ask if there was a diplomat who would sit in on a conference call with some Republic officers," Rilek said, lifting her PADD to show Eiheu the schedule. "I am not expecting lengthy negotiations, but it would be good to have someone who would be able to do so if needed. It's a pretty simple trade deal, but you never know how things will go."

Eiheu looked up at Rilek quickly as she gave her the offer. Eiheu looked at the PADD, but she didn't even read the schedule, and agreed immediately. "Yes. I will come to the conference." Eiheu said quickly, but not too quickly, of course. "Who are these officers? What are their names? What do they want from us?" She began to ask immediately, and tried to size up the situation as best as she could. A trade deal must be easy, she thought, although every type of negotiation has a chance to go completely and horribly wrong. However, Eiheu has been taught how to de-escalate a violent situation, and so far, she had no reason to doubt this particular ability. "... Are these officers inclined towards violent tendencies?" Eiheu asked, just in case. She doubted it, but anything is possible. (edited)

Rilek did not expect such pure enthusiasm out of the Klingon officer. Actually, she had never met anyone so eager to chat with a bunch of Republic officers. Most diplomats she had met were far more interested in negotiating with independent merchants or if it was another faction-- the Klingons. Romulans were much like Vulcans in demeanour with some added jadedness from their harsh past. Then came the flurry of questions to which Rilek just smiled. "They are scientists and they are requesting use of our research facilities for a project. It is hardly a high stakes political affair," They said as they clicked a few buttons on their PADD and then placed it on the desk in front of Eiheu. "Violent? No, not at all. I am unsure how much you know about our people, but the Republic is not violent at all. Romulans in general are not very violent people, or well, we prefer fighting with words than our fists," Rilek assumed Eiheu would at least know that. The Klingons often called Romulans 'without honour' due to them always choosing underhanded tactics to beat an enemy rather than open war. Or maybe Eiheu didn't know? Rilek looked back down at the PADD she had placed on the desk and realised that the lamguage settings were still on her native Rihannsu and maybe Eiheu didn't know it? "If you can't read it I can just send the briefing to you, I am not very good with languages," Rilek stated. She knew a little bit of a lot of languages, but only some words.

"I can read it." Eiheu picked up the PADD straight away, and began to read. Eiheu did know Rihannsu, but only a... 'domestic' version of it. Eiheu knew all the Rihannsu that could be spoken at home, or out on the streets. She understood all the most common terms for all the most common things, and she could speak perfectly well to a civilian... But, she did not perfectly understand this Rihannsu; the strict and formal Rihannsu that's used in the most professional settings, and which was being used by this PADD right now. As Eiheu read the text, she had a general idea of what it was trying to say, but she kept finding long and difficult words which she didn't quite know the meaning of. She had never seen these words before, not written in Rihannsu... but she has certainly seen them written in Klingon. Eiheu had a plan. If she could only translate this text into Klingon, then she could understand what all these new words mean. Of course, Eiheu could just ask Rilek to send her a brief of the mission in Klingon... But that would be silly. If Eiheu did that, she would be admitting that she couldn't read the text properly. No, there must be another way. Eiheu began to fiddle with the PADD, as she went into its settings and tried to switch the language to Klingon. It will be quick, she thought. She'll switch the PADD to Klingon, then switch it back to Rihannsu before Rilek would even realise it. That was the plan, at least. As Eiheu messed around with the PADD, and failed to find the language settings, she slowly realised that her plan was not exactly working.

"Can you?" Rilek crossed her arms whilst the other officer read the briefing. It only made her more curious as to the upbringing of the attache. Were they adopted by Klingons or were they raised by Romulan parents within Klingon space? Both would make for interesting back stories, but Rilek wasn't going to assume anything and gave the other officer a couple minutes to get through the text. It was a lot of legal jargon, not something one would encounter in day to day activities. Rilek caught Eiheu fiddling with some of the buttons on the device and could only assume that she was struggling with the langauge. "It really is no problem if you need me to send you the briefing. I regret not being more familiar with Klingon, I do know a little Cardassian and Standard, but I know those aren't very cloes to Klingon," They stated with a slightly concerned look about them. "There are many Romulans who aren't proficient in Rihannsu and there is no shame in that. If anything I am impressed at your ability to converse in more than one language to start," Rilek didn't want Eiheu to feel pressured to struggle through the briefing. She was a diplomat, not an interpreter. There would be other times to challenge her language abilities, but for now Rilek saw no problem in sending her the briefing so she could read it in Klingon.

Eiheu gave up once she was caught, and gave Rilek back the PADD again, and hoped that she didn't mess up the settings too badly. "... Send it to me in Klingon." Eiheu said. She felt defeated at first, but what Rilek said was encouraging. It's true, Eiheu can still talk in two languages, even if her skills in one of them were a little more basic than the other. "It was only a few words... I just haven't seen those words before." She admitted shyly. "... I use Klingon when I work." She explained a little more. "I am not given written Rihannsu very often. I do not know any Federation Standard, but I do know some words in Cardassian..." Eiheu thought for a moment, trying to remember what those Cardassian words are. "... But... I only know the swear words. They will not be very useful, will they?"

Rilek took the PADD back and chuckled softly as she sent the briefing to Eiheu. The briefing was actually written in Federation Standard as was standard for all Starfleet communications, but should the device being used to access it be in another language, the text would be automatically translated. "It's alright, that's why we have the UT," As much as it would be nice for everyone to speak multiple languages, with such a large galaxy it was impossible. Even linguists didn't speak every language. "No, I am afraid not," Rilek responded about the swear words. "I don't know how much you were briefed before your exchange, but everything here is written in Federation Standard. You don't need to be fluent, but I would suggest studying up on it," Rilek relied heavily on the UT herself, but she did make concentrated efforts to study Standard when she could. "And if you want to learn more Rihannsu I could help you learn. I wouldn't exactly call myself an expert though," Did Eiheu not have a single Romulan friend? It seemed that way and whilst Rilek was not looking to 'adopt' anymore Romulans, she could offer friendship.

"... It should all be written in Klingon... Half the quadrant is learning to speak it..." Eiheu said quietly, seemingly repeating some classic Klingon propaganda which she was taught a long time ago. "But... I would like to know more Rihannsu, especially all those technical words... Do you use those words a lot? And, do you talk to a lot of Republic officers? What kind of things do you talk about?" Eiheu suddenly became very interested in the possibility of learning more Rihannsu, as she asked Rilek more questions. Eiheu then realised that this trade deal was much more important than it first seemed... If Eiheu did a good job, then she might impress Rilek, and then they might do more deals with Republic officers together. If they do more deals together, Eiheu could then learn more about Rihannsu and, other Romulans, along the way. But this plan really depended on how this deal would go... It must go well. Eiheu had to make sure of it.

"Klingon is a pretty widely spoken language, but in Federation space everything is in Standard," Rilek understood Eiheu's... Frustration? She wasn't really sure what the Klingon officer expected in Federation space. They thought it was common knowledge thaat different factions used different languages. Even the Romulans knew that their langauge was pretty much only useful within their space. Maybe some Vulcans knew it, but for the most part it had limited usage outside of Romulan territory. "In work, yes," Rilek chuckled at the second flurry of questions from the officer. She clicked her finger guards against the PADD and looked back at Eiheu. "Yes, I am the Republic fleet liaison, it's my job to keep up with the latest news," Just how different was the KDF? Surely they also had fleet liaisons or some sort of representative from other factions in their ranks? "It's usually small things, but in the event of crisis or emergency it can be more major things like ships or resources," Rilek explained, a little surprised she had to lay it out, but she was fine with teaching the younger Romulan. "I take it you really did not grow up around any Romulans, did you?"

"No, not exactly..." Although Eiheu did pause for a few seconds, it didn't take long for her to say a little more about herself. "I grew up on Kronos, in the Central Plains region. My father and I were the only Romulans living there, all the other inhabitants were Klingons." Eiheu told Rilek, sharing this information as if it was already common knowledge. "They were all very nice! ... Except that one Klingon who tried to hunt me for sport... But the majority is nice!" Eiheu smiled, as she remembered nice things about Kronos, her... Homeworld? Was it her homeworld? Technically speaking, it shouldn't really be, although Eiheu found it impossible to deny that it was. After all, what other homeworld did she have?

So Eiheu's knowledge of Romulan culture was just from her father? Now that was curious to hear, but then again Rilek's Vulcan ancestor was similar. The only Vulcan living amongst Romulans. Whilst not exactly the norm, she was familiar with members of the diaspora who were the only members of their species on a planet. "That does sound like an interesting upbringing," Rilek's tone and expression gave away nothing about her inner thoughts. Even though they were only a small part Vulcan, they still practiced Surak and hid their emotions well. "I will say you are the first Romulan I have heard about on Kronos but... Well, I hope you can learn more about our people here. There are quite a lot of Romulans on this station and I have no doubt you will meet more of them," Rilek glanced back down at her PADD and then up at Eiheu. "I sent you the briefing. The conference will be tomorrow at 1700 hours. If the time doesn't work for you then I can have someone else accompany me."

"The time is good. I will come." Eiheu confirmed again, trying as hard as she could to come off as a good officer. She quickly remembered the time, 1700 hours. That seemed reasonable. "Will the conference be in this room?" Eiheu asked. She looked around the room. She noticed that the architectural style of this room, and even the entire starbase in general, was completely different to anything she saw on Klingon starbases. The walls were painted white, instead of being left as unpainted steel or copper. The lights were brighter, and shone white instead of yellow or red. It was... Fascinating. She would have to get used to this.

"Alright then, I will be in contact with you then," Rilek clicked a few buttons on her PADD and smiled at Eiheu. The young officer was so full of life, full of hopes and dreams. It was something that Rilek rarely saw in Romulans of her generation due to years of in-fighting and strife. They weren't sure how good of an influence they would be on Eiheu, but they hoped to guide her in the right direction at least. "It will be in the conference room, I have one reserved for us. We will not be the only ones there, we will also have a science officer and of course the Republic will be joining us via video with their own officers," Rilek explained slowly, making sure not to speak too fast now that they knew that Eiheu's Rihannsu wasn't very strong when it came to business affairs. They assumed she probably had her UT active, but maybe not for Rihannsu. "Are there any questions?"

Eiheu thought for a moment, wondering whether there was anything she wanted to say. Her current task seemed very clear, although she still somehow had a milliona questions in her mind, most of which she was sure that Rilek couldn't answer. Eiheu looked around the room. She tried to focus herself, and tried to pick out just one question. She studied the room she was in. She suddenly noticed an... Interesting detail about this room. "Yes, I have a question... Where are all the bins?" Eiheu asked, gesturing around the room. "I have noticed that there are no bins in this entire Starbase. This is very strange."

Rilek was about to walk away and work on some reports when Eiheu spoke up to voice the one remaining question she had. "... If you need to dispose of trash you can place whatever item you have in a replicator. Alternatively there are recycling bins around the station that perform the same job as replicators by breaking down whatever item is put into them," Rilek explained with one eyebrow raised. What an odd question. Did they have traditional trash bins on Kronos or something? Maybe it was best not to ask. "If there is anything else you are looking for, you have a map of the station accessible via your own PADD," She informed the younger officer, keeping her professionalism about her. "If that is all I need to write up some reports for the Republic."

It was his first day of active duty, and Xochi was determined to make a good impression. He hadn't been able to find a roster of the current diplomatic corp on base, so he was kind of flying blind... but he wasn't too concerned. The worst that could happen is a major gaffe that put a stain on his career and might prevent him from ever going back to teaching at the Academy. But that was horribly unlikely. Possible, but unlikely. He grinned to himself at his own anxious rambling as he approached the offices set aside for the corp. He allowed his empathic senses to stretch around him, 'tasting' the emotional ambiance, and not finding anything out of the ordinary. When the doors slid open, he stepped inside and squared his shoulders as he looked around the room, checking for other officers, civilians, or anyone really.

Sat in a chair within the base, near enough to the doors their opening was noticed, resided Rakim. A tall Human looking figure presently perhaps somewhat unhealthily hunched over the PADD he'd been scrutinizing for what he'd decided felt quite a lot longer than time had cruely decided was the length of time he'd actually been here on shift. Who knew that there were some civilians out there who could write report that were more of a boring read than those written by his first CO way back when. Not him but well, here one resided, the screen of the PADD cursed to glowing as he perused the poorly written digitized pages of the report. Perused them for a time before, as he realized the person who'd stepped through the door had stopped and started to look around, he snatched at a chance to be saved from dry words and glanced over at them. "Hello." Came his initial and somewhat unoriginal, not that he cared after that report, greeting. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before.." He focused in on their rank pips. "Lieutenant, I'm Lieutenant Commander Rakim, its good to meet you."

Xochi nodded to the senior officer, "Thank you, sir. Lt. Xochi Pil reporting for duty." He gave a small, polite smile. "I'm coming off a posting at the Academy where I taught diplomatic protocol and negotiation to 3rd year cadets. Excited to see what work is getting done on SB 777." He kept his posture upright and formal. The Lt. Cdr. seemed relaxed, but it was always best to stay formal until given leave to relax. He often reminded himself that non-empathic species require visible and audible displays of respect because they aren't able to sense the emotions under behavior.

Hands idly moving as he adjusted his head wrap a bit, Rakim allowed himself to stand up before he grabbed his PADD from the table. The report dismissed with a quick series of movements, Rakim called up the roster and marked that Lieutenant Xochi had reported for duty. "So recorded, welcome to Starbase 777, Lieutenant." He responded before, when they revealed they'd taught at the Academy, he smiled slightly. "Diplomatic protocol and negotiation?" He half-repeated half asked. "Quite interesting subjects, I took that class during re-specialisation training after I was re-joined the service and switched from CONN." When he twigged to the fact the other remained at upright and formal in what seemed like a remarkably at attention posture, Rakim smiled apologetically. "Ah, at ease by the way Lieutenant, apologies." The El-Aurian then gestured to a seat. "Might I propose we continue our conversation seated?" The El-Aurian inquired before he then added. "I'm conscious that depending on your shift rotation you might well have come here straight from your quarters, straight after you'd dropped off your shift and I don't want to force you to chat while standing around or anything." The El-Aurian smiling as he spoke, his own El-Aurian vibes somewhat ignored as he just allowed himself to go with the flow of things and chat.

With a slightly wider smile, Xochi took the seat. "Thank you. I appreciate it. Going from Pacific Standard to Ship Standard to Station Standard all over about one week has my head spinning. I even had to visit sick bay my first morning because the Station Air is drier than what I'm used to and I woke with a bloody nose. They set me up with a humidifier, so the problem hasn't recurred." He paused, trying to gauge the feel of how the senior officer was reacting, then went ahead. "I'm curious... well, about a lot, actually." He chuckled. "First, about the work we do out here. Should I be expecting to sit down with governments from various worlds on the regular, or are we more an on call resource in case something big happens? Second, on a more personal note, I'm curious about what lead someone to shift their career from CONN to diplomacy. That is, if you don't mind sharing?"

"Ah, that can be quite the change, I'm glad the problems not recurred." The El-Aurian responded simply as he settled into a chair of his own and watched the other. "Experienced a similar problem myself when I first took a space faring job, I've found that the initial period of disorientation that might be experienced does..come to a conclusion it seems." Rakim mused as he watched the other, his emotions kept in deeply disciplined check, a dull humm perhaps to empaths where many humans wouldn't have been, their reactions otherwise refined, restrained. Guided and careful. He was on the job, after all. When the man asked him about the work they did, asked if they'd be talking with various governments and such on the regular, Rakim smiled once more. "Diplomatic attaches out here provide assistance for the senior staff in the event a mission or missions might result in interactions with representatives of other powers yes." The El-Aurian commenced as he responded to what they'd asked him first. "Though as we're primarily a station command that's something that doesn't occur as much." He'd then paused as he called up some information on his PADD for reference later. "A good chunk of that is second contact related, what we also do is assist with any hostage situations in the case of those of us with the additional training to do so and also train people in the ins and outs of different cultures should we have officers available with that knowledge and training." With that answer given, Rakim paused to gather his thoughts, moving to speak before their following question caught him off guard. An empath perhaps being able to detect the brief spike of pain that flared within his mind before it was suppressed forcefully and rapidly. "There was a..serious incident that occurred, while I was cleared of any wrong doing I..took some time away from the fleet, when I returned I felt..more drawn to this than CONN." Rakim responded.

00:07

"Took a hundred years to mull it over, but I'm..okay with the choice I made." The El-Aurian added after a moment, initially failing to realize how odd that probably sounded given how human El-Aurians looked. "Oh ah, I should probably say, I'm a El-Aurian."

The betazed nodded along, though he straightened a bit of shock at the mention of hostages. He had never considered negotiations in that light before. The underlying principles were the same, but the application of the skills would have to be different. A person representing a nationstate or a planet usually has less personal stake in those negotiations, whereas one who has themselves taken hostages is usually much more directly tied to the results. So, the first negotiation might impact entire planets, but impersonally, while the second could result in dramatic shifts to the lives of the individuals involved. The small spike of pain was a flare in Xochi's senses. It was quickly smothered and replaced with an equanimity that spoke to skill and practice controlling one's emotional state. A skill frequently required in diplomacy, and a skill that diplomats often let bleed into their personal lives. Xochi felt an instinct to dig deeper into the story, but he repressed that instinct. It would be gauche to ask further questions with how firmly the Lt. Cdr. had closed the topic, and it would be criminal to probe the man's mind. He would simply have to accept that he would be curious until he earned enough trust to be told more. "I am sorry to bring up a distressing topic, but a century to mull it over makes more sense with that context, sir." Xochi smiled. "I am Betazoid, and a member of the 14th House. Not an important member, so I am unlikely to attract any personages from home." He pauses. "Is there a project or task that I should focus on? If there isn't, I would like to use the base's records to review past negotiations and use them to build a more in depth guide to the negotiation tactics used by the species that have addressed conflicts here. The diplomatic dossier I received was quite helpful, but I found myself with many questions when I was done."

Old eyes watched the other as they apologised and then indicated they were a Betazed from the 14th house. "It is alright, its a century ago, just a part of the song of creation that I'm reminded of from time to time, I apologise if you ah felt any of that pain, I'm aware that can be unpleasant." Rakim said before he then moved on to address what they said about being a member of the 14th house. "As to what you've said about being a member of the 14th house, thank you for sharing that information with me, though you didn't have to." When they then moved the conversation on toward what the officer should focus on project or task wise, the El-Aurian perked up slightly. This change in subject had started to bring the conversation back onto what was for him far more solid conversational ground. "As to projects and such." He started then, his tone calm as he talked further, emotions restrained as well now he was fully aware that the other happened to be an empath. "Right now there aren't exactly. any diplomatic matters or projects that need attaché focus specifically, recent off station missions haven't really resulted in any unexpected diplomatic encounters or other situations that have had attache input requested about them." Rakim continued as he swiftly took a hold on his PADD once more and tapped out a series of commands. "Though given the nature of those missions it may be the case we'll be asked to chip in."

21:01

Once his PADD had displayed the data he wanted it to display, Rakim looked over the PADD then looked back to the Betazoid. "Your proposed project is very interesting, turning to focus on that, It'd also be immensely helpful to look further into the negotiation tactics of said species." He paused for a moment there. "You've got my support for it should that be of help and as long as it doesn't affect your other duties." He commented. "May I ask what your questions are?" He inquired. "Perhaps I might be of help."

The betazoid nodded as the senior officer spoke, his eyes following the natural movement involved with talking. "I find it is always better to communicate details about potential diplomatic ties before they come up organically. I'm sure you've heard of officers being summoned to their homeworld for political duties or other cultural responsibilities, and while it is extremely unlikely I would be needed for anything, it is possible. So, reporting it now means I won't have to explain as much should an envoy from the Fifth House arrive with a summons." He smiled at the absurd thought of the government of his homeworld demanding his presence. When Lt. Cdr. Rakim began discussing the details of his proposed work, Xochi became more focused. "Well, the dossier is an excellent foundational document and gives the core details of the prominent cultures, such as their leaders and political posture relative to the Federation, but it does not list any conflicts or interactions between the Federation and the listed cultures, nor does it list any formal treaties or alliances. "

21:40

"For example, the Deferi are listed under the 'allies' heading, and their write up says that they joined the Khitomer Alliance to provide security to their people. It doesn't tell me when they joined, if that decision was popular at home, if their neighbors have tested that security, or if there are internal or external groups trying to break them away from the Alliance. My own research indicates that their primary threats are the Breen Confederacy and the Borg Collective. Knowing who their adversaries are helps me gather a stronger picture of why they joined the alliance and what kinds of issues might arise that could be solved by diplomacy. Knowing if joining the alliance was popular at home would help our diplomats know if the political leaders want to be seen to be close to us, or if we need to give them room to be seen to disagree on some details." Xochi paused, bringing his focus back to the senior officer. "I apologize if I went too far down the birdpath there, but I hope you see what I meant by gaps and questions."

"Ah." The El-Aurian responded initially to the Betazoids words. "That is true." He conceded simply as he watched the other and listened to what they then went on to say. His expression contemplative as he considered what they said and mulled over what he'd memorised of all of the documentation he'd perused in the category of stuff they mentioned. His consideration of it leading him to one conclusion he reached rather quickly as they then apologised. The Lieutenant was correct, the document they'd referred to didn't collate that part of the information, not in the way they wanted. "The points you make are entirely valid.. theres no need to apologise for that you didn't go down the birdpath far at all." The El-Aurian assured the other before he then continued, their tone calm and considered with a undertone of thoughtfulness to it. "While a chunk of that is information that's provided, the foundational document provides a base of information for a officer to familiarise themselves with when they've recently transferred into the area." His jaw worked a bit as he considered it further. "I can see what you mean, in other words, Lieutenant." Rakim then added with a smile. "It could be quite the useful document for our diplomats to be able to access if needed, something that fills in any gaps and answers questions that have yet to be answered elsewhere." The El-Aurian paused a moment before he then added. "One that'd also collate the documents where some of the questions are answered." With that said, Rakim called up a number more documents on his PADD to join the others he'd called up. "I've some documentation relating to a number of the factions within local space that may help things with your project, I'll send them to your PADD, they're from the corps files." Rakim then proceeded to send off the files to othe Lieutenant's PADD.

The idea of having a place to start gave Xochi a burst of energy. Any task could feel monumental, when it was a single task. Having an ingress point, a place to begin the process, broke the mountain into a series of boulders and rocks. "Thank you, sir." He was grinning as the project plan began forming in his mind. He paused, "On another topic, do you have any advice for fitting into the staff and community here? Each ship and posting has its own character, so I fully expect the 777 to be a new experience, but I'd like to avoid stepping on toes or giving offense while I learn what's what."

A smile forcing its way onto his features as he noted the others grin and found himself happy he'd been able to help, Rakim inclined his head slightly at the thank you sir. "You're welcome Lieutenant, happy to have been of assistance in that regard." He'd responded politely before falling into attentive silence as the Lieutenant had changed the topic and asked for advice. Ah yes, advice on how to fit in with staff and the community here. He honestly suspected he didn't fit in as much, at least not as much as he'd have liked that is. Not that he'd have told the Lieutenant that. He barely knew this person, there were many things that he'd have never brooked telling someone who he happened to be unfamiliar with. "We've quite the diverse community here, many different species and cultures." The El-Aurian began. "So well, I suspect there will be the possibility there are some out there I'm not familiar with either but..well." He hummed then as he considered what advice to give. "I'd say in many ways the how-to's of getting used to the departments culture and such are quite similar between ships and this station, introduce yourself to your fellow officers and be mindful of what you know regarding their cultures." The El-Aurian smiled before he continued. "The people here are quite friendly and will be welcoming as you start this new experience." Rakim paused a mo and smiled. "And well, knowing a few faces in your own department..while also showing you're familiar with some of the does and don'ts like avoid offering a handshake to a Vulcan for example can help the process of getting used to things along a bit or has in my experience."

"The last question on my mind, sir, is if you know of any other Betazoids onboard? Or other telepaths in general? It would be nice to connect with them, if they're around." Xochi had grown up with only his parents being close enough for telepathy, and coming home to a place where he could rest his ears and throat, letting his mind do all the talking had been a wonderful reprieve. Spending your day surrounded by people who had to use audio/visual communication methods was exhausting sometimes. During his shipboard postings, Xochi had encountered a few other telepaths, and had been able to arrange silent 'dates' where they got together in someone's quarters or the holodeck and all communication was telepathic. At the Academy, he'd scheduled regular gatherings with the Betazoid population, including a party to celebrate the USS Galaxy when it was finally decommissioned. He hoped that there was at least one other telepath on Station 777, or else it would be a lengthy and very audible posting.

"I believe there is at least one other Betzoid onboard from what I've heard, along with hybrids." The El-Aurian responded recalling what he'd observed going about the station and from what he'd received in his own briefing packet when he'd first arrived. "Though I can't be sure, if there are any they're not in this department as far as I'm aware." Rakim responded then before he then turned to the other part of what they'd asked. "I think there are also some other Telepathic folk around, I suspect the best place to ask would be the chatroom if you wanted to meet people and just have a bit of time away from all this." With that said, Rakim then called up a few more things on his PADD and sent two of them to the Lieutenant marked as more documents for their project. The others he proceeded to send off elsewhere as he talked some more. "While I might not be a telepath myself, I'm still an El-Aurian and It might..not be the same but its always nice to be able to get away from things to talk with someone who shares something with you that not everyone else does." The El-Aurian commented feelingly then before he gestured to his PADD. "I hope you don't mind my tapping away on this, remembered two other files that might be of use to you so sent them your way."

The Lieutenant smiled. "I don't mind at all. I've found that many people work best using technology to enhance their primary communication methods." He thought for a moment. "And, I think it would be a pleasure to spend time off duty together. In my free time, I like to seek out new experiences. Whether that's culinary experiences, cultural experiences, or fantastical experiences, it's all good. On the Galaxy, I was a frequent flyer in the holodeck and visited food stalls on 36 different worlds. What do you do to relax?" With the conversation moving away from formal topics, Xochi allowed himself to let some tension fade from his frame. He was still upright, but an observer might see two humanoids having a conversation now, not an officer reporting to a senior.

"Aye, I've found the same and found that personally too." He'd chuckled then, memories of past experiences with the PADD's predecessors briefly making themselves known as he arrived at the amused conclusion he far preferred the PADD. That was, preferred it to other things. A far cry from the person who'd once not enjoyed new tech. Preferred old tech, well used tech. "Though I suspect I've had more experience working without as much tech then some." He chuckled before his chuckle was banish as he considered their question. With the question considered, the man proceeded to speak as he said. "I'll never say no to company." The El-Aurian responded then before he launched into what he'd said. "Well, when I'm on my lonesome I rather enjoy baking or model making though I also sometimes head to the holodeck as well." The Lieutenant Commander responded initially. "I've I'm with an acquaintance, I normally relax by chatting and drinking a good amount of coffee." With the question answered, Rakim proceeded on to say. "If you're looking for new culinary experiences, I'd recommend just walking the Restaurants and dining area and well, seeing what may take your interest." He recommended then. "I've yet to find a restaurant there or a cafe that's not got at least something that's interesting to try."

Xochi smiled a genuine grin as he listened, then an idea hit. "Perhaps something we should try would be visiting restaurants and then attempting to recreate the dishes we enjoy? If you enjoy baking and I enjoy cooking, it sounds like we could make a rather tasty meal." The Betazed began to think again. "Have you tried a coffee drink from Earth called a 'Mexican Mocha'? It has dairy, chili infused chocolate, and coffee. Sometimes cinnamon. I enjoy a hot one on chilly, misty mornings, or an iced version on summer afternoons." He was beginning to think the Lieutenant Commander might be someone that could be a close colleague. Maybe even a friend? He mentally shook his head and decided not to get too far ahead of himself.

Rakim smiled at their suggestion. "I rather like the sound of that in all honesty." The El-Aurian responded then before he added. "There are a number of the restaurants I've yet to try the menu's of and recreating dishes has always been fun." He declared then before, when they asked him about Mexican Mocha..he started to look very thoughtful. "What is it some humans say, I'd be game for that." "I don't think I have no." The El-Aurian responded simply. "It sounds like a very interesting drink, though I've personally always been partial to a blue sky tea myself in mornings." He'd then chuckled then. "At least I have since I was first introduced to it." That comment followed by the admission. "A friend of mine discovered that I've thing for trying new teas and coffees during my travels and such." Rakim grinned then. "I'll have to give it a try."

The Betzed nodded, smiling. "Unless there's something else, I think I'll go get a start on reviewing the dossier... and how about we grab a meal later this week?"

Rakim returned the smile the other gave. Did so as he tapped away on his PADD once again as another thought struck him and as he checked his own shift schedules and time table. "There is nothing else at present.. and I'd be happy to do that, if you'd like I can send you a copy of my schedule so we can see where our free time intersects later on this week." The El-Aurian responded then as he continued to smile.

Reply to: @Lt. Cdr. Rakim | CMD (@Self) *Rakim returned the smile the other gave. Did so as he tapped away on his PADD once again as another thought struck him and as h...

Xochi's grin took on a bit of self-deprecating wit. "As it turns out, my schedule is almost entirely wide open. At least until my senior officers start assigning me work. Go ahead and send your schedule, and I'll propose a time that matches yours." He looked around the room. "I am beginning to realize that the work here is going to be very different from what I've done before. On the Moscow, I'd be assigned two or three minor treaties or contracts to review per week. On the Galaxy, every mission involved deep diving multiple cultures and analyzing how their histories and interactions might play out under the influence of the Captain's mission. At the Academy, I had cadets to shepherd and tenured professors to learn from."

The El-Aurian smiled slightly at their self-depreciating wit, it being identified as such and appreciated. "I'm sure that will change, expecially now I've passed on details about your project proposal and the fact I'm in support of it and have given initial green light on my authority." The El-Aurian started before, after a moment to check over his PADD text, he updated his report on this meeting and continued to speak. "I'm sending my schedule off to you now." Tapping several times on his PADD as he selected and then sent off a copy of his schedule to Xochi. Rakim listened then as the other talked about their previous experiences. Listening and nodding along before, when the other finished speaking for the moment, he then responded. "It can be quite the jump from what I've experienced, can make it all the more interesting too, lots of interesting work to be done." The El-Aurian paused a moment then. "I can't speak to the exact nature of all the sorts of assignments you'll have here, I've found that I've had a reasonable variety, all dealing with stuff within my skill set mind." After he said that, Rakim called up another thing on his PADD and after he briefly skim read that, he proceeded to sent it to Xochi too. "That reminds me, you'll find in the file I've just sent you some stuff regarding things regularly encountered by diplomatic personnel during assigned work that I wish I'd gotten my hands on when I first arrived, hopefully it'll be of as much use to use as it has been too me." The El-Aurian said then as he smiled at them.