A Talk with the Reporter

Posted on Sun Jan 10th, 2021 @ 7:27am by Elisha Pryce-Randal [ADMIN NPC] Ms & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar

Mission: Season 4: Episode 3: Guided by Starlight
Location: Second Officer's Office
736 words - 1.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Arrianna had summoned Ms. Pryce-Randal to her ready room. She needed to have a talk with the ship's resident reporter due to some information she heard from FNN. Given recent events... She and Ms. Pryce-Randall had to come to an understanding.

Elisha entered the room. "Commander" she said calmly

"Good Afternoon, Ms. Pryce-Randall, would you like a refreshment?" Arrianna stated calmly.

"No thank you." Elisha said with a smile.

"I have summoned you here today to establish a dialog concerning recent events. I understand you have been interviewing the crew for a news story concerning our incarceration in the Mirror Universe." Arri mentioned calmly. "Understand my position, Ms. Pryce-Randall. Before we were imprisoned in this universe, certain individuals at FNN were in the process of publishing a smear campaign against our Captain. It has caused great concern, on my part, in maintaining the crew's morale. So what do I do, Ms. Pryce-Randall. What do I tell the Elysium's crew when they tell me they don't know if they should be talking to a reporter?"

"Oh that was not me, Commander, it was Ms Eloise Roberts from the FNS." Elisha said brightly. "They brought her in as she has expertise in such matters." And then the reporter smiled a bit more. "Captain Lalor approved it. And even gave her a quote for her article."

"Can you put me in contact with Ms. Roberts? I do not intend to hinder her story, In fact I could help her a great deal. The Crew is not too trusting right now, as they've been through hell, so to speak." Arri mentioned.

"I was there" The Reporter replied coldly to Arrianna. "In case you forgot Commander, I was there. I refused to write it." She calmly held out a PADD. "her contact details."

"My apologies..." Arrianna mentioned. She stood and looked towards a wall. "I will make contact with Ms. Roberts when she comes aboard."

Elisha nodded and left the office

*Later*

Arri waited in her office when Eloise walked in. "Ms. Eloise Roberts. I'm glad you can find the time to meet with me. I wanted to do so before you started your interviews."

"Commander" This reporter was different from Elisha. This one watched Arrianna carefully. "What is it you wished to discuss?"

"Ms. Robeerts, I take crew morale very seriously... And now FNN wants an interview with the crew that fought back against barbarians trying to enslave them." She handed Roberts a PADD containing messages of concern from the crew. "Read these..."

"Commander, Your Captain has already signed off on it." The reporter said cooly and did not take the padd.

"Captain Lalor may have signed off on this indeed. But I do not agree with the Captain. It is too soon to be opening these wounds again. It will take us years to be free of the horrors we witnessed. We lost a quarter of the crew those days. Another quarter transferred to other posts, a number of the people who left, took their own lives." Arrianna stood. "I do not want to see this crew suffer more, I feel them when they wake up, soaking in their own sweat after nightmares about this place."

"Only those who wish to talk will talk Commander. I am not locking people in the room and forcing them."

"I wish I could say I trust you, but I do not." Arrianna mentioned. "This ship and crew have been, in the past, the focal point of bad press instigated by certain parties at Starfleet Command. I hope there is no agenda here, Ms. Roberts."

"Commander, I have no agenda but to shine a light on what could be a very important issue. If they could swap out your captain..."

"I hope there is no agenda here, Ms Roberts." Arrianna mentioned. "One more thing before you leave, Ms. Roberts." Arri looked at her seriously. "I hope you have a strong stomach, half the things they did to us.... we'd never tell. The humans say there's no devil. I've seen it." She mentioned. "If you do your interviews, you might not ever be the same ever again."

"I interviewed survivors of the Dominion War, of WOLF 359, I assure you Commander, I have a very strong stomach." The reporter said as she turned for the door.

Arrianna waited until the Reporter had left. "The Dominion was civilized." She told herself. "Oh they were indeed civilized."