Pleasant Favors

Posted on Fri Oct 30th, 2020 @ 5:23am by Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Main Engineering
Timeline: MD 7 - Current
1159 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Lady Vanessa looked around engineering dressed in another one of her more regal clothing. She required a favor from the Chief Engineer, one that would be of great help to the Captain. She approached a crewmember in the engine room. "Pardon me, I'm looking for Lieutenant de Tolly. Is he present?"

"He is in the Engineering Lab 1," the crewman replied, "He is talking to other engineers on ways of improving the weaponry system."

== Engineering Lab 1 ==

One of the Engineers asked Lt. Victor Barclay de Tolly if he ever saw that actually work. Victor's reply, "Yes I did a couple of times. Once on the Aventine and second on the Excalibur."

"You said you were on the Excalibur before this post," Ensign Joral Bin remarked, "I was on there for seven years and I do no remember you."

Victor looked at the Trill Officer saying, "I remembered you Bin but it was in a different reality. It seems you were not brief on me. I come from a different reality. It is not a Mirror Universe, just a reality that was created when someone from this reality went back in time to change the past. When a successful attempt was made by father to restore this reality, I found myself early this morning on this ship."

The Trill Officer was about to apologize when he saw Lady Vanessa walked in. "Lady Vanessa," he says smiling.

"Greetings, Lieutenant de Tolly. I ask a favor of you, and if you perform this boon for me, you will earn considerable favor from me as well. I need you to shut down the main subspace communications array for a through diagnostic." Vanessa noted with a smirk.

"May I ask why?" Victor says giving her his boyish smile. He thought to himself, what does she mean by favor.

"Indeed, I will explain." Vanessa stated. "You see. This ship has had a grave tragedy recently, the crew has endured much suffering. I'm afraid a great many have given their lives for the greatest of honors." She mentioned. "However to certain members of the media, honor is an opportunity. We need to ensure the families of those who perished here deserve closure they need to heal, and the media is not good with such delicate matters. While many of them pursue the laudable goal fo keeping the public informed, other media outlets tend to influence public opinion. I'd rather have the media speculating on the facts, rather than an expose designed to further the ambitions of certain parties. So that is why I need you to do a diagnostic on the main communications array until Starfleet Public Affairs releases a proper press package." Vanessa explained. "Four hours. I need those muckrakers chasing a red herring for four hours."

"Media is the downfall of civilizations," Victor responds gazing at the lady in the room, "They invent stories, privately select who they want in power and everyone else be damned." He pause for a moment to send a message to the Captain and First and Second Officer. "Okay now. When do you need this done by?"

"As soon as possible Lieutenant. They get suspicious when I'm evasive, don't worry about the response from the Captain nor the Executive Officer. There are other ways for them to stay connected to Starfleet Command that the media does not have access to." Vanessa noted.

Victor looks around in the room. "Team. Need for each you to do what needs to be done."

"Lieutenant," the Trill Officer says, "It will take at least an hour to do it."

Most Engineers takes the time and multiplies it by 2 and add one. This allows them to look good. "You have twenty-five minutes. Make it so."

"Yes sir," they all said with respect. "Lady Vanessa, is this acceptable?"

"Very good, Lieutenant. Well done." Vanessa noted. "Unfortunately I was very much here for all of the ordeal in the mirror universe. I dare say it was quite harrowing." Vanessa noted. "The Terrans, of the empire in the mirror universe, are true barbarians, and I do not say this lightly. If I can do something to soothe their family's pain, I'll do so to the best of my ability."

"I understand completely," Victor says, "I will need authorization for the outage before we do it. If none respond to me in twenty minutes, I will message them. He turns to the Trill Officer, "We will have to place the shields up before we do it."

"Wise move Sir," Joral comments. "We will need approval though. Hate to see you get fired first day on the job."

"I am sure the Captain or whoever is on duty will approve," Victor says as he asks the computer, "Which Senior Officer has the bridge right now?"

"Commander Arianna Salannis an Vantar," Computer responds.

"Lady Vanessa," Victor asks, "Would you like to step into my office?"

Vanessa nodded and walked with Victor. "I realize this is sudden, Lieutenant. I wouldn't ask this if it was not in the best interests of the ship and crew." She asked as she walked in with Victor. "I've served in the diplomatic corps to dedicate myself to the Federation we've joined. That being said, I find humans so fascinating."

"The feelings are mutual," Victor says as they walked into his office as he pulled a chair out for her. "I find your race intriguing and I admire your people perseverance and fortitude on how you manage setbacks as you turned them into opportunities. I assume you know about my history where I came from another reality."

"I've glanced your file. Interesting reading." Vanessa noted. "My people have never had it easy. It was our strong unity and telepathic kinship that saved our people during the great exile. We had each other, and our people grew closer to each other over the two centuries since the Searing." Vanessa continued. "We had to become kin in order to survive. To realize that we were all the Alindari. So when we joined the Federation, we offered the same kinship to all the Federation. Greatness is never easy, Lieutenant, and we must bear its weight together."

One thing Victor appreciates more than beautiful women is one who can carry on a philosophical discussion. "There is an old saying, what does not kill you, it only makes you stronger. We must take action or we will we would truly die. My family motto is Aut Agere Aut Mori which means Either Action or Death. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Vanessa smiled. "Not right now. But I would like to grace you with my presence later on so we can meet under more preferable circumstances."

"That would be acceptable," Victor says looking into her mermaid like eyes as he thought did all females from this species had this kind of affect. "When and where would you want to meet Lady Vanessa?"

"Perhaps the officer's lounge. Good day Lieutenant."