Captain's Log: First Contact With Talbeethia
Posted on Tue Jan 4th, 2022 @ 7:24pm by Captain Björn Kodak
Mission:
Sojourners of Time
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: Mission Day 8 at 1400
[Ready Room]
[USS Sojourner]
[MD 8: 1400 Hours]
Captain Kodak stepped into his office and, once the doors slid closed behind him, sighed. It’d been a long day already and it was only halfway through. Still, as first contact missions went, the Chameloid couldn’t really ask for better, even if all the meetings so far had proved somewhat exhausting. As the ship's Captain, that was the reality of diplomacy more often than not: he was growing more used to the rigors with each new race they met.
On his desk, Kodak noticed the delivery of the Talbeethian plant he’d been gifted by Ambassador Loristraad, who’d greeted the Sojo’s initial away team. For the Talbeethians, plants symbolized growth and a community commitment to care; the cutting from one of their Lemorath trees seemed a fitting symbolic gift indeed. So much so that Kodak had, in kind, gifted the ambassador one of his own bonsai trees. They’d exchanged notes on the mutual caring of the trees before gifts were sent away and the bulk of diplomacy began.
The Captain slid into his chair and decided it was time to update Starfleet on how things had gone thus far. Reaching forward, Kodak tapped the controls of his workstation and activated its recording function.
“Captain’s log,” he began, citing the stardate. “First contact with the Talbeethian Guard has, thus far, gone exceedingly well,” he rasped. “Ambassador Loristraad has introduced us to various members of the planetary leadership, all of whom have been exceptionally excited to meet us. In the last six hours, we’ve seen a great deal of their primary governing complex with a promise, later, to see more of their capitol city.”
“So far, at least,” Kodak continued, “the Talbeethians seem genuinely interested in getting to know us. Given Pathfinder Station and our more permanent presence in this part of the Delta Quadrant, they seem to regard us as a potential partner for peace in the region. Given the Talbeethian’s incredible level of technology and penchant for new friends, it’s a shame that Voyager never encountered the Talbeethians…I daresay they could have proven valuable allies so early in their journey.”
“In any event, more meetings are scheduled for today,” the Captain added, “including a diplomatic dinner tonight between myself and the Ambassador. Meanwhile, the crew has been invited to enjoy a demonstration tonight of something called the Ema'harai.” Kodak sounded quite fascinated as he elaborated, “It’s a ritual wherein the Talbeethians phase someone and project them into their own past for observational purposes. Phased, it’s impossible to interact with anyone or alter the timeline so it seems safe enough but Commander t’Nai will confirm such before we participate. I admit, I’m a bit disappointed to miss the demonstration myself but diplomacy calls.”
“I’ll be compiling full reports on my dealings with the Talbeethians,” Kodak sounded as if he were circling in for a landing, “and will send those on when I can. In the meantime, I’m hopeful that this new friendship will prove a boon both for Starfleet as well as the Talbeethians themselves. There’s a lot to work out but the potential for cooperation here is very exciting. Computer,” he intoned, “end log.”
Leaning back in his chair, the Captain stared at the plant cutting that would, in time, become a new – yet tiny – Lemorath tree. Like first contact with the Talbeethians, he was excited to see how things would unfold and shape as time went by.
=/\= A post by… =/\=
Captain Björn Kodak
Commanding Officer
USS Sojourner
