MISSION POST: Shi Maro - Day 48 - Private

[enterprise_npc]

Shi Maro never really slept; in the absence of night and day its personnel operated on shifts. Nevertheless at this particular moment, coming up on the end of a shift but not yet at the changeover, the corridors were quiet. Only a few people had reason to be moving around.

One of these people was Peri Ananka, a young recruit assigned to the

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[sweetinaskirt]

Daniela nervously played with her hair and then checked her equipment one last time before the airlock opened and they were being greeted by someone. She'd been surprised when she was assigned as the yeoman to the negotiation team, and was completely nervous over the fact. The whole atmosphere of Shi Maro was tense, as if it was a tightened guitar string ready to snap. And while she didn't want to be anywhere near snapping guitar strings, she knew it was her duty to go, so she'd packed up her equipment to record the minutes of the meeting and had joined the Captain and Dr. Tinny.

The person who greeted them caused a bit of the immediate tension to disperse, however. She looked younger than Daniela, and a bit nervous herself. Hanging back slightly from the two men and Recruit Ananka, she waited for the greetings to be exchanged.

[captainjimk]

Even though he might not show it, Jim was honestly as nervous as the yeoman. He was still pretty new to all of the captain stuff, but he was dead set on doing better this time around than on the first mission - he was going to prove to his crew (and perhaps to himself) that the Narada Incident wasn't a one time thing and he could do this job and damn well do it better than anyone else they'd ever seen in the captain seat.

The airlock was silent and tense as all three of this away team dealt with the official beginning of the mission in their own way. Jim checked over his comm and phaser one last time before the door was sweeping open and young woman was stepping up to greet him.

He tilted his head and mimicked her greeting, though he matched his bow with hers, making sure it was neither higher or lower than their greeter's. After all, it wouldn't do to insult the first person he met, and then he straitened as she spoke, nodding.

"Thank you, Recruit Ananka," he said, "We're thankful for your hospitality,"

[enterprise_npc]

She went a little red at the unnecessarily deferential bow and cleared her throat, unable to think of an appropriate response. Deep breath. Calm down. She nodded, trying valiantly to look more experienced that she was and less nervous than she felt; "If you follow me, I will take you to the conference room."

[green_psyd]

David kept an eye on Yeoman Mears. They'd first met in sickbay and he'd been immediately aware of her introverted nature. Plus being an introvert Daniela was also shy. Fortunately she wasn't the one who had to be on show. In fact, if the yeoman was like introverts he'd met in the past the proceedings might actually be interesting, a chance to study interactions without having to be a part of the interactions

[sweetinaskirt]

When she noticed Dr. Tinny's head move, Daniela looked over at him, meeting his eyes. His smile was comforting, and the corners of her lips rose in a returning smile of her own.

From behind the two men, she wasn't sure if she was supposed to greet the recruit in the same manner, but with her equipment attached to a strap crossing her chest, her arms were free to do so. So she placed her hands behind her back, torn as to whether she should bow as the Captain had, or not, as Tinny had not done. She settled for something in between, giving a slight incline of her head.

[captainjimk]

Jim saw the reddening of the Recruit's cheeks, and evaluated for a moment if it was worth an apology, and instead offered her a bright smile, watching out of the corner of his eye as the two with him gave their own greetings. So far so good and they might make it through this negotiation alive and mostly intact. They were a good team, the two of them - Dr. Tinny would be helpful with his knowledge of subtleties and the yeoman, while new at all of this, he had no doubt she was going to be outstanding at her job. So, greetings out of the way, he spoke again, voice warm. It helped that Ananka seemed just about as nervous as the three of them were.

"That'd be great. We'd be lost in about a minute without your guidance," Which wasn't entirely true, but underestimation had almost always played in his favor.

[enterprise_npc]

Utterly at a loss as to how to respond, she retreated into strict formality. "Yes sir. Thank you sir." She bowed slightly again to be on the safe side. "If you will follow me please," she reiterated, turning smartly to lead the way to the conference room and setting off at a brisk pace, still a little pink.

The walk was a realtively short one. By now the corridors of the station would be getting busier, but the route from from airlock to the conference room had been purposely kept clear. The sounds from the small delegation were the only ones audible over the low hum of the station itself. At the end of the last corridor they were met by a woman in sergeant's stripes. She smiled broadly and bowed slightly to them

[captainjimk]

As they walked, Jim set himself to memorizing the route they were taking, should they need a hasty retreat of any kind. He was--somewhere between endeared and amused (though not cruelly so) by their guide's difference to them, and the fact that she was still a little pink. He noticed the lack of people and filed it away as well, leaning toward the side of courtesy, but aware that it might have other connotations. Honestly, he was probably over analyzing every bit of this mission. But, well, better safe than having everyone on the ship having sex with one another - or something like that.

Jim returned the slight bow and took the hand warmly, "Pleasure to meet you as well, Sergeant,"

[enterprise_npc]

"Kind of you to say so," she responded with a faintly knowing smile. She turned to Dr Tinny and extended her hand to him as well; "My opposite number, I presume?"

[green_psyd]

Unlike the captain, David didn't study the route or notice the emptiness. Instead he was going over notes in his head. He was refreshing himself on the people they'd be dealing with and the full extent of the situation at hand. Ironically David had been in thought about Specialist Sergeant Nadja Veket when the name had been said.

David grinned as he took her hand and bowed casually. "So to say," he agreed with a chuckle. "I'm eager to accept any guidance," he added as he returned to clasp his hands loosely behind his back. "Your negotiation experience will be extremely helpful."

He was highly impressed in the woman's ability to quickly close a cultural gap between them. He was even more impressed with her dedication in learning Standard cultural idioms. He'd had to pause a moment to recall that particular one, but given the situation and her standing as negotiator context clues had helped.

[sweetinaskirt]

Again, Daniela was pretty much at a loss as to what she was supposed to do, or what was required of her outside the negotiation room. She hung back from the men, but paid close attention to their interaction with the Sergeant. She didn't expect the woman to really acknowledge her presence, but she wanted to be prepared on the off chance she did.

Her stomach turning itself in knots, all Daniela wanted to do was sit down and start typing. That she could do without being involved in the conversation in any way, and that was how she preferred things.

[captainjimk]

Jim shifted a half step back as David moved forward to shake her hand, letting them discuss their similarities. He didn't really have anything against psychiatrists, as long as they weren't applying their psychoanalysis to him. But he had to admit it was one thing he wasn't quite proficient in, mostly from lack of trying. Getting into peoples' heads wasn't Jim's cup of tea.

So he waited and watched and was aware as he could be of their surroundings, willing to jump back in as soon as the topic came back to the politics of the matter.

[enterprise_npc]

"Shall we get down to business then?" Nadja asked, addressing the comment to the group as a whole. She gestured toward the door; "Come through and I'll introduce you to the rest of our delegation."

[captainjimk]

"Absolutely," Jim agreed readily, with a curt nod in her direction, cast a glance back at the other two to make sure they were on board with moving forward.

[sweetinaskirt]

Daniela gave her Captain what she hoped was an encouraging smile, but based on the way her fingers shook as she readjusted the strap across her chest, it was more a smile of pure nervousness. Not just for herself, but for him as well. He really needed a mission to go as planned, after all.

[enterprise_npc]

Nadja led the way through the double doors and into the conference room beyond. The room was dominated by a large, not-quite circular table with chairs set around it in three distinct groupings; only one of which was occupied. As the doors slid shut behind them, those already in the room stood.

"The Marosi delegation should be arriving shortly," Nadja said; "In the meantime, let me introduce High Commanders Arin Dren and Shesta Eneth, joint heads of the Aian military; Commander Emil Tashka, head of our garrison on Maros An; and his aide, Corporal Kir Alethi." Each of them bowed slightly or nodded as they were introduced.