Fraya 1st Officer - Questions Questions Questions

[Lhandon_Nilsen]

So negations with the Federation and the UDP have gone well, so well that they are starting a joint effort to help refuges from a newly liberated mine. 

The federation characters (mine included) are going at 100mph, they're getting to work, but Fraya raises some incredibly important questions.

You know it's good when you read the sim and immediately you are thinking of how your character is, or isn't going to answer that question. You also know it's good when you want to write your reply right away. As always @Jack Kessler indulges in his favourite hobby, writing the most kick butt sims that stand among the best not just on our ship but also in our fleet.  

Quote

(Briefing Room, USS Octavia E. Butler))

 

The UDP and the Federation both had interests in the Gamma Quadrant and Fraya understood why both had their reasons. The UDP, or United Dominion of Planets was a rebirth of what was the Dominion. Planets that had been under the heel of the Founders now found themselves working together to form something new. Something different and hopefully, in Fraya’s mind something more equitable for all who wanted to be part of the UDP. The heel of the Founders had left a bad mark on many and even more in the Alpha Quadrant. Fraya knew that what she and the Luriaa were helping build for the UDP was in the best interest of all those who had been under the Founders and she also understood the Federation in their own sense of right and wrong probably thought that they too could offer help but what they did not know was what Fraya and Luriaa knew. They knew these worlds. They knew the people who had been under the Founders and they knew how they felt. The Alpha Quadrant Federation had many rules and restrictions that made them somewhat as bad as the Founders themselves. They might not brutely force membership but once they had you on the line, then they demanded their rules and sense of morality be adhered to strictly. This was not what the UDP wanted to offer these very people who had been under such strict rule already and Fraya knew the Federation officers claimed they understood this but she knew they did not. They couldn’t, since they had not lived it as she and Luriaa had.

 

The discussion thus far had been what Fraya had expected it to be, to some extent. There was more mistrust on her part than she would have liked to admit to but at the same time she felt some mistrust coming from the others seated around the table. This was to be expected in some degree as they were new to each other and pushing for their own government’s wellbeing in these ‘talks’. As she thought about this the junior officer who seemed to have taken the lead in some of this discussion handed her a PADD, a data device much like one she used on her own ship.

Nilsen: There’s no contract here, this is just my notes. Have I missed anything? ::To Katsim:: Commander is there anything else? ::To Yinn:: Ensign?

Katsim: This looks good.

Yinn: I'm certainly not the authority, but I'd say we've made a very good start here.

Fraya: (looking from the PADD to Yinn) I would agree, this is an equitable start.

Yinn: This is by no means a formal part of the negotiation, but where I come from, we usually celebrate any kind of agreement with a feast and some drinks. They have some surprisingly good fermented fish oils in the officer's lounge. ::she glances over at her colleagues:: Although they're not to everyone's taste.

Nilsen: Have we the time? I’m eager to get going.

Katsim: I appreciate that Ensign, but…

Katsim: Actually, it does seem we are at a good point to pause. Is there anything we can get you to eat or drink, Fraya?

Fraya smiled politely. oO Now we put up with he cultural side of negotiations. Oo Fraya had never liked the art of dancing around cultural exchanges in negotiations. The Dosi were business people and she, like her father and brothers liked getting right down to business. No dancing around cultural niceties. Unfortunately, in her position as First, she had a more diplomatic role to fulfil here and that meant she had to bite her tongue and go along with this cultures idea of being nice.

Fraya: (smiling graciously) Of course, that would be acceptable.

Katsim: Then let’s take a break for some refreshments.

Nilsen: I think we should pat ourselves on the back, I don’t about you, but I feel like we’ve made a start on something pretty cool for both of our people.

Fraya: oO Cool? How does temperature factor into this? Oo Sometimes a simple start is all one needs to begin a solid foundation.

Yinn: response

Katsim: Afterward, we should head to the Operations center and begin coordinating relief efforts.

Fraya inclined her head towards the Bajoran. The idea of seeing what her new perspective allies where doing was of course worth seeing first hand.

Nilsen: That would be good, perhaps we can walk and talk?

Fraya: That does sound like an interesting proposal.

Yinn: response

The junior officer handed Fraya a drink. Dark in color and with an unusual smell. Fraya touched the container to her lips and took a sip. The aroma was not terrible to her nose but the drink itself was disgusting. She made no facial expression to show her dislike and yet forced a awkward smile to her face and choked down the sip. The bitter, sourness of the drink reminded her of something they fed their pets but that was not something she thought those here would want to hear about.

Fraya: (sitting the container on the table) Thank you, interesting flavors. Now, shall we continue on with this trip to your Operations center?

 

(Operations Center - Lower Level, Deck 7, USS Octavia E Butler)

The trip for the four of them to the lower decks of the Federation vessel went quickly and with little discussion. So much for walking and talking but Fraya took in everything she could visually and noted everything about the Starfleet vessel possible as she walked the corridors. As they entered the departments operation center Nislen was the first to speak up.

Nilsen: Welcome to the Operations Centre, the result of Project Fort and far too many coffees for my own good. You'll now see all the readouts in your native language, as I've fed the universal translator into the displays.

Nilsen: ::to Fraya:: So this is what we have. We have a maximum evacuation capacity of 3000, and our shuttles and transporters are working overtime. ::pointing at a chart floating near yinn:: We’re currently at 1732 guests and that number isn’t going to stop rising as we find more former slaves.

Fraya: Accommodations can be arranged on the Rij’dal’vak. We also have the ability to set up camps on the ground should the numbers become overwhelming for the ships capacities.

Katsim/Yinn: response

Nilsen: That will do nicely, and in addition to that, we can take the more seriously injured. We can convert another one of the mission-specific modules. 

Fraya was wondering though what did the Federation plan on doing with these refugees? They very well could not take them back to the Alpha Quadrant and displace them from their home world by thousands of light years. Nor could they simply deposit them on an uninhabited world, without providing considerable aid to them in every way they would need to survive. This was certainly more of a reason as to why the Chey’d needed to align themselves with the UDP and a collective of member worlds around them. The resources for such a thing were far closer and much more tangible that the Federation could provide.

Fraya: Emergency Med pods are something we carry aboard the Rij’dal’vak and can be used if needed.

Katsim/Yinn: response

The junior officer turned more towards Fraya and the next question he asked was something Fraya had been waiting for and honestly had thought would have come up sooner than it had.

Nilsen: First Officer, where else do you see the Rij’dal’vak fitting into this?

Fraya: (eyeing Nilsen directly) In what terms do you mean Lieutenant? The Rij’dal’vak is a capital ship of the line for the UDP. It is not the largest of our ships and far from the smallest, but it is equipped to handle any situation we need to be involved in.

Surely the Starfleet crew had taken scans of the Rij’dal’vak just as Fraya had ordered her junior officers to do of the Butler as they came into contact with each other. Once again it seemed that the Lieutenant was looking to bait Fraya into revealing something or giving false information which would then give him grounds to not trust. No, Fraya would not be baited nor would she give anything more about her ship than was needed. Just as the Butler held her secrets the Rij’dal’vak too had it’s own and this officer did not need to know them.

Katsim/Yinn/Nilsen: response

Fraya: The better question here Lieutenant, rather than asking about my ship is; how and what does the Federation plan to do with these refugees considering there is no Federation aligned worlds out here to support you?

The question was a bit sharp toothed she knew but the reality was it needed to be asked. After all, the UDP’s interest in this world not only was in it’s mining but in it’s members as well. Those Chey’d on the planet would make a formidable ally to the UDP in many respects, not just in mineral rights.

Katsim/Yinn/Nilsen: response

Fraya: Let me phrase this a different way Lieutenant Commander. Your ship can only handle so many refugees. But what happens in the months after you relocate them? With no Federation member worlds out here, you’ll need to turn to the UDP and our resources to provide aid to these refugees. So the question in this is where does the Butler fit into this long term? (beat) The Rij’dal’vak is assigned to this region since our home is in this region. Your Starfleet ships frequently leave the Gamma Quadrant to return home and new faces appear out here. How does that help maintain a stable influence to these people if they are not dealing with the same Federation members who make them certain (beat) promises?

Katsim/Yinn/Nilsen: response

 

Tags/TBC

 

Fraya

1st Officer

Rij’dal’vak, UDP

T239901JK1

 

[Jack Kessler]

19 hours ago, Lhandon_Nilsen said:

So negations with the Federation and the UDP have gone well, so well that they are starting a joint effort to help refuges from a newly liberated mine. 

The federation characters (mine included) are going at 100mph, they're getting to work, but Fraya raises some incredibly important questions.

You know it's good when you read the sim and immediately you are thinking of how your character is, or isn't going to answer that question. You also know it's good when you want to write your reply right away. As always @Jack Kessler indulges in his favourite hobby, writing the most kick butt sims that stand among the best not just on our ship but also in our fleet.  

 

@Lhandon_Nilsen Thank you very much for the kind words. I am loving playing Fraya and helping define the UDP. I am happy to know the sims are being enjoyed. They are a lot of fun to write.