LTJG Lhandon Joseph Nilsen - Diplomacy?…Really?

[Alora DeVeau]

((OOC: I wanted to get this done yesterday but I also needed to rest and go to bed at a reasonable time, so this is the last shore leave sim from me. It also ended up working out well because I can use the details from Tony’s Act 1 sim to add a little more detail. I have also used some text from the wiki as the computer responses)

((OOC2: Don’t worry, I didn’t jump the gun this time :P)

((OOC3: This is a part two to my moving in sim. All thoughts are in character)

(Lhandon’s Quarters, Deck 5, USS Octavia E Butler)

After Lhandon had found a spot for the Oumuamua on the coffee table in the seating area, he got to work unpacking the rest of his belongings.

He realised he didn't own a huge amount of stuff.

First and most importantly, he had unpacked his prized cooking equipment. This included a set of chef's knives, a variety of pots and pans, a cast-iron skillet, a Dutch oven, a set of spatulas and wooden spoons, a grater, a peeler, a set of mixing bowls, a cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, a colander, a whisk, and a baking sheet.

He felt like this wasn't enough.

He then found a home for his clothes, there was a closet with more than enough space for his t-shirts, flannel shirts and jeans. That's all he really needed. Of course, he carefully put both his spare and his dress uniform away as well.

He brought out an old jacket from his days at the academy. It was a grey jacket with a faded circle on the arm, a mission patch that had once been there. After Etan's scolding, he barely maintained control of his anger. Toxin was there to help him calm down and he showed this jacket to Toxin. It was his Echo Squad jacket, a reminder of one of his two biggest failures. He didn't know which of the two was worse, but he knew something deep down. This jacket, or rather the patch now missing from his jacket, had led him down the HCO path. It had gotten him into operations and helped him discover his aptitude for communications. One might argue that it had even led to his receiving the diplomacy award.

He had yet to be able to put this into words.

The last thing he had put away was his medals. In his old quarters, he had kept these hidden in a deck, but the past few months had given him a lot to think about.

He had taken them out and placed them on the side. Each had its own little box but…maybe.

He had had an idea, resolving to return to the unpacking later, he had replicated some wood, nails, glue, and a hammer.

With the materials at hand, Lhandon had begun the process of building a display case for his medals. He had started by measuring the dimensions of each medal and its box, noting this in his PADD, and then he had carefully cut the wood to create the back panel and sides of the case.

Next, he assembled the pieces, using nails and glue to secure the joints.

Once the main structure of the case was completed, Lhandon set about creating individual compartments for each medal. He took additional pieces of wood and cut them into smaller sections, creating dividers for the case. These were then affixed to the back panel with more nails and glue, creating a grid-like pattern within the case. His plan was to have each case in its own slot, with the medals staying in their original cases.

Finally, Lhandon applied a finish to the case, sanded down any rough edges, and applied a coat of varnish to give it a polished look. He then affixed a hinged glass door to the front.

With the case completed, Lhandon carefully placed each medal in its designated compartment.

He placed the orange and purple medal last: The Diplomacy award.

Nilsen: Diplomacy ::beat:: really? Me?

He then sat back in his chair, wondering. He didn't know if he had passed the crossroads or not. Prior to receiving his awards and promotion, he had had one heck of a day. It started with trying to work through some of the data from the previous mission with Commander Rouiancet. However, this turned into somewhat more of an advice session to talk about the curious case of Meten Miljor. They never had a chance to conclude that conversation as they were interrupted by the mission pod explosion. So when Lhandon finally had a quiet moment to himself in the gym, a place that was almost like a safe haven away from the drama of life, he wasn't in the right headspace to talk about awards or promotions.

But he fixed it up in the morning, sending a letter to explain himself.

He does want to conclude that conversion with Rouiancet.

He glanced again at the diplomacy award. He had wondered, he didn't think he was a diplomat, he was just doing his job. The C in HCO stood for communications and he found he was a natural at that. He knew where it came from; growing up on Gault, there were always arrangements and deals made between farmers and traders. He had gotten used to and became comfortable negotiating from an early age, perhaps...maybe...this was the next logical step.

Nilsen: Computer, display all the information we have on Cheyd'lang and the planet's inhabitants

He didn't know fully what is assignment would be for this mission but the computer chirped in acknowledgement and showed the limited information that was on the Starfleet database. He saw that they had been a minor member of the Dominion just before the end of the war, and he knew the mission involved responding to their summons because they had been contacted by the United Dominion of Planets.

But he had found some information that at least gave him something to work with. The Intercessor, who was the leader of a group of Cheydalanga, raised questions. He didn’t know if this meant all of the Cheydalanga, like a president, or just a small group. The usage of the definitive article also puzzled him. He wasn't sure how far that extended.

He was disappointed by the lack of information on the planet or the Cheydalanga. He flicked through the information on his PADD, conducted manual searches, and went down the 25th-century version of a Wikipedia rabbit hole. All he really discovered was that they were under the heel of the Dominion.

He kept seeing the United Dominion of Planets show up again and again. He was aware of them as a power but had yet to have personal experience with them.

Computer: The United Dominion of Planets is a tentative confederation of powers, species, and planets that formed in the late 2390s, nearly two decades after the end of the Dominion War. The UDP took its name from the United Federation of Planets, whose example -- and success, as illustrated by its victory in the war -- it hoped to emulate.

On the face of it, they seemed like they would naturally get along with the federation. This should have been easy, right? He had mindlessly rotated his chair in a full circle.

Nilsen: Computer, who is in the United Dominion of Planets?

Computer: As of 2399, the UDP counts among its allies some members of the Cenobians, the Karemma, and the Vorta. The UDP has been known to solicit the services of privateers and pirates.

So pirates? He made a mental know to not be surprised if some pirates showed up.

Nilsen: Computer, list Starfleet dealing with the UDP

Computer: The most notable example is that of a deal between privateers and pirates that lead to the near-destruction of the USS Thor in 2399.

He read through the available mission summary and saw the final logs of the Thor and how it ended up sinking. He then saw who was in command at the time and smiled. He already thought that Greeves was beyond cool and this just took it even further. Greeves was decorated for ensuring minimal loss, and as he read more of Greeves' actions on that day, his opinion of the marine increased tenfold.

But he was getting distracted.

He returned to his research. First, he looked at the Karemma, who had previous dealings with the Ferengi and were known to cooperate with the Federation. He also saw that they once had complaints about the Ferengi. They seemed to do a lot of trade, so he made a mental note. Perhaps there could be an inroad.

Then he turned his attention to the Cenobian. He was surprised to see that they were almost human, but perhaps bigger and stronger. He saw too that they were generally peaceful after a long period of war, with them being the only survivors.

He saw too that his upbringing had some similarities, or at the very least he could pull from his own culture. Gault families stick together, it’s not uncommon for a Gaultan family to be large, and perhaps this is mirrored in the clanship that the Cenobian base their culture on. He also noticed that they have a system of bartering and trading, almost like how Gault does, and perhaps to a larger extent, the wider federation.

He didn’t know if he needed any of this information, or if he was barking up the wrong tree, but he researched anyway. He wanted to be prepared for once, he wanted to walk back onto the ship after this mission without a scratch and he wanted to make sure he was the most prepared and the best he could be.

Not for his sake, but for Commander Etan’s sake. Lhandon knew that Etan hated him and he wanted to make sure the XO had absolutely nothing to pick him up on.

He wasn’t being the best Starfleet officer he could be out of a sense of duty or altruism, he was doing it to save his own hide.

Lieutenant JG Lhandon Joseph Nilsen

HCO & Assistant Chief of Ops

USS Octavia E Butler

O240007LN1

He/Him/His (Both player and character)