Diplomatic JP

Posted on Fri Jan 6th, 2023 @ 4:56am by Captain Mattias Richardson [Reece] & Consul Andrinn Orin & 1st Lieutenant Joshua Young [Taylor] & High Priestess An'Dalus & Sovereign T'handu

Mission: Season 6 : Episode 1: Circinus
Location: Deck 2 various
Timeline: Md3 - 06h00
1296 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Andrinn was crawling this way through the Jeffries Tubes on Deck Two towards the Emergency Shelters on Deck Eleven. Andrinn was making his way towards the shelter after some time after the ship was hit by something, which Andrinn was unsure.

The computer was offline on Deck Two, where Andrinn had originally found himself before he and the two Lieutenants found themselves crawling down towards the closest shelters. All that Andrinn could think was that he was hoping everyone was alright. However, as the two Lieutenants attached to him as apart of the DPT could open the door towards the closest tube, they could hear someone and the male slowly tried the door to open it up.

Outside, in the corridor, Mattias and his group, which consisted of Josh, who was currently carrying Anna, and the Sequus delegation, were carefully making their way to the Emergency Shelter, when Mattias noticed that someone was trying to open a Jeffries Tube access hatch from the inside, but the hatch was blocked by debris. "T'handu, give me a hand with this!" He said as he quickly moved over and started to clear the hatch.

He said nothing in response, simply a short nod before kneeling beside Mattias, briefly taking note of the Captain struggling to move one of the larger sections of the ceiling.

"I can see why my Priestess has asked me to assist you." He noted with an air of amusement to his tone before moving other debris, leaving Mattias struggling with the first.

Had the situation been less serious, Mattias might've laughed. Instead, he just grunted at the large Sequus as he finished moving the debris. He then reached down and pulled the hatch clear. "Come on out, it's safe...relatively speaking."

Anne rolled her eyes at this, nothing about their situation was even remotely safe she thought as she looked down at the open hatch with disdain. "How much further until we reach the shelter?" She snorted, trying very hard not to remind Mattias of her self-perceived importance.

Mattias looked over at the diplomat, doing well keeping his sudden annoyance buried deep down. "It's a few decks below us, your Highness. However, we will stop and aid any and all Elysium crew and civilians that we come across." While a bit terse, his tone was both commanding and respectful. In this situation, he was the one in charge, not her.

She held her tongue, however, the glare she gave him spoke very loudly indeed.

Andrinn and the two Lieutenants slowly opened the hatch to the Jeffries Tubes and crawled out onto the Deck. He couldn't hear who was talking on the outside of the tubes until the three of them climbed out onto the deck. Andrinn could hear several people talking, one of whom was Captain Richardson, the head of the DPT. Once everyone was out of the tubes, they headed towards Richardson and his team, where Andrinn said, "Well, you guys are a sight for sore eyes. The three of us have been climbing through the tubes for a little bit now, trying to get to the emergency shelters."

Mattias nodded as he offered his hand to each person who crawled out from the tube. "Well, glad you all are safe. We're heading back to the shelter ourselves. I'll lead you down to it."

As everyone got out of the tubes and Orin reoriented himself to actually standing on his own two feet instead of using them to shuffle himself along the tubes, he looked towards Mattias and said, "What exactly happened? Were we attacked or something?"

"If we were it was a quick fight..." T'han chipped in before visibly shrinking as Anne snapped the glare she had still been giving Mattias onto him.

Mattias shook his head as he spoke. "It wasn't a battle," he said matter-of-factly. "Two reasons. One, I've been in a fair amount of them, and none of what happened sounded or felt like a battle. Two, Phoenix wasn't called from our bed for anything as dangerous as a battle." He shook his head again, replaying the events through his mind. "No. Whatever caused this was from some natural and dangerous spatial phenomenon, not an aggressive enemy."

"Red sands, what difference does it make?" Anne snorted loudly, her frustration finally bubbling over. "We still aren't safe," she added, stepping forward and towering over Mattias. "So get us to the shelter..."

Her voice was not loud, but still, it struck everyone around her like a thunderclap of royal authority.

"I shan't ask again." She spat, raising a hand and firmly striking with the back of her cloven fingers on Mattias's brow.

As he wasn't expecting the attack, Mattias was knocked back by the blow. To his credit, he didn't immediately retaliate. Instead, he stepped back up to the Ambassador and stared directly into her eyes and spoke, his voice full of command and strength. "As I understand this is a stressful situation for us all, I will allow that one strike. However, you will not lay your hoofs on me or any other member of this crew, Madam Ambassador. Do I make myself absolutely clear?" His tone made it clear that he would not accept any challenge here, as ultimately, he was in charge of this group.

Josh was beside him in an instant glaring at the Ambassador. Even as he held Anna, Josh was ready to fight to protect and help his CO, his friend and mentor.

Her eyes didn't flinch nor did she seem to even acknowledge Josh's presence as she arched her long equine neck, bringing her large flat nose down until hers and Mattias's foreheads touched. Then she began to push ever so gently, not enough to topple Mattias but enough to be a presence he had to push back against.

It was a show of Matriarchal dominance, one that explained on a deeply disturbing level just how threatening a Sequus could be.

Because as his eyes tried to focus on hers, he came to realise he was staring at nothing but a wild savage. One being restrained by a thinly veiled recreation of human morales.

"Crystal..." She hummed with a smile, her tone dripped in honey as she slowly withdrew her head and stood up tall once more, ears flicking just shy of the ceiling.

Then Anne's head slowly drifted to the left and her smile vanished, indifferent eyes burrowing into Josh even as he stood there defiantly at Mattias's side. Did she need to strike this one too she thought with a vexed snort leaving her nostrils.

Andrinn just stood there and watched as that entire interaction unfolded right in front of his eyes. As he watched everyone talk, Andrinn just rubbed the bridge of his nose and knew that when all of this was done and over with that he would have to talk to everyone about proper diplomatic conduct on the ship. He mentally made a note to clear his calendar for a bit.

If the An'Dalus thought Mattias was intimated by her in the slightest, she really had lived a sheltered life. For now, however, there more important things to do then start a passing match. "Good," he said finally. "Then let's get moving." As he turned away, he gave Josh a quick look of thanks for his support, then moved back to the front of the group. Once everyone was ready to move, he led them back to the Emergency Shelter that he had left Miran, Tristi and the twins.

Josh readjusted Anna in his arms and gave Mattias a answering nod of support. Nobody talked about or dared to assault another Marine, while he was around especially a Marine that was both friend and mentor.


~OFF~