"Cloudy With A Chance Of Romulans" - Fleet Duty Log - Commodore S. Ascari & Amb. Ian Lamont

Posted on 241508.26 @ 11:29am by Commodore Sebastian Ascari

Mission: Reconciliation & Reconstruction [Fleet Plot]
Location: San Francisco, Earth
Timeline: Current

A gentle sea breeze ebbed and flowed across a nondescript outdoor café on the edge of San Francisco bay. Nearby the red towers of the San Francisco Bridge jutted high into the air interrupting a horizon of blue which stretched on into infinity. A few interested seagulls hopped about the stone patio of the café looking for crumbs and morsels of food left by recent patrons and occasionally calling out as if to mark their separate territories.

It was overcast. Dark clouds hung on the horizon like an army gathering its strength and bolstering its numbers before its commanders gave the order to attack. The gentle breeze while calming carried with it a subtle chill as if it too was warning of a coming storm. Other than a possible brief shower the weather forecast was essentially clear for the next few days however weather was the least of many concerns held by the café’s only, current patron.

Methodical footsteps approached from behind echoing on the cobblestones. As suddenly as they had begun they stopped. Several moments passed. The seagulls themselves seemed to slow their activities as the gentle breeze suddenly grew more stiff and brisk.

“Odd choice of venue this week. This place isn’t known for its Parisian food commodore. It’s hardly passable at that although the tea is decent and the view isn’t too bad either.”

Ambassador Ian Lamont pulled up a chair at the commodore’s table. “It is your week to pick lunch, but you could have done better.”

“The tea is quite good today ambassador”, Commodore Sebastian Ascari stated taking a sip from his own cup. “I suggest you try some.”

“Perhaps I will”, he stated perusing the disappointing lunch menu. “It would appear the tea may be the only thing worth sampling today given my choices.”

“And what choices would those be Ambassador”, the commodore asked in a tone that didn’t sit well with Lamont. There was something odd about this restaurant and more specifically with the commodore himself.

“Well I could chose the green tea. Not very Parisian though. Healthy and safe I suppose. Then there’s a black currant. A bit more daring but enjoyable. I see they have a Lapsang souchong. Perhaps the most daring and adventurous tea. Its leaves are smoked and it produces a strong and distinct flavor. I’m not sure I’m quite in the mood for something so….”

“Why not”, Ascari asked interrupting. “You appeared to be far more adventurous earlier this week.”

“Oh? Did I? Do you have your spies and agents following me now commodore? I cannot help but be flattered that I am of such interest to Starfleet Intelligence.”

“I don’t need to have you followed ambassador. I only have to see how many ripples are in the pond at any given time and trace them back to their source. It appears that you, oddly enough, have been the cause of many of those ripples this week. Let’s see – violating security measures, using privileged access to bypass security, interrupting and interfering with orbital operations for what amounted to a sightseeing tour, unauthorized use of a Federation shuttlecraft, and finally manipulating one of my officers and his good will to satisfy your own…curiosity. I could have you arrested or at least taken into custody for a through questioning. In fact I had to persuade several of my officers not to take those very actions.”

Lamont reached across the table and poured himself a cup of tea. He sipped the beverage as another strong gust of chilled wind blew through from across the waters of the bay.

“You and I both know that none of those alleged charges hold any water. I have diplomatic immunity not to mention security clearance. I was well within my right to take a shuttle wherever necessary for diplomatic purposes.”

“Since when does diplomacy require you to board a starship and conduct an inspection?”

“Such inspections are needed when the starship in question is commanded by a man with Romulan heritage and speaks with our Romulan guests seemingly bypassing the chain of command. Are you aware that Captain Khiy Kanryth has been speaking with the approaching Romulan delegation? Are you also aware that he has been speaking with EnRiov Shiarrael T’Rehu?”

“Is that it”, Ascari asked sipping his tea. “You manipulated one of my men, commandeered a shuttlecraft under diplomatic pretenses, and boarded a starship just so you could have a few words with a…how to put it…an old friend? That seems like a lot of effort – even for you.”

“Shiarrael T’Rehu isn’t an old friend. She may be a former colleague if one can say that and commanding officer however she’s closer to a bona fide menace not to mention a borderline traitor and security risk. Given the upcoming Romulan visit to Earth I would think that intelligence would want to know about such things. Am I mistaken Commodore?”

“So you took it upon yourself to get to the bottom of matters. Do I have that right Ambassador?”

“I did what any loyal Federation citizen would do given the circumstances. Surely you can smell the blood in the water? This envoy from Romulus isn’t coming to Earth to shake our hands, put aside differences, and pave a glorious golden road to peace. We both know there is something more to this visit. As a betting man I would venture to say it has something to do with current Romulan Klingon entanglements although that’s purely speculation on my part. Whatever their motives or agenda it will be us diplomats who will be on the front lines of this particular battlefield. If I am going to march into the enemy’s company I always make it a point to be fully prepared.”

“The enemy? You sound more like a solider than a diplomat Ambassador if you will excuse the irony.”

“Irony? Not at all. You and your people fight with the weapons of war. Phasers, torpedoes, starships. We diplomats wage war with words, gestures, guile, and cunning. Boardroom tables are our battlefields. War or peace can be won or lost in a negotiation or discussion. We may not be in the trenches with the fire and smoke of combat however our actions can affect entire star systems for good or ill before a single shot is fired. I doubt your soldiers carry such responsibilities. They are blunt instruments after all.”

Ascari set his cup down upon the table. “Blunt or not Ambassador I’m not sure I appreciate the tinge of elitism in your words where my officers and personnel are concerned.”

“Forgive me Commodore. I meant no disrespect. I merely wanted to impress upon you the serious nature of what I have uncovered as well as communicate my needs to be fully informed of matters prior to meeting with our Romulan guests. If you will forgive me again, Intelligence and other agencies are not always forthcoming with what they know. Occasionally we diplomats must do our own homework.”

“Homework you say? I’m unsure what you’ve done constitutes homework. I’ve half a mind to put you in detention.”

“Have you not heard a word I’ve said to you Ascari”, Lamont blurted dropping his cool façade.

“My hearing is normal ambassador. Let me tell you what I have heard. First, you were recently injured in an attack by terrorist elements who desire to disrupt the coming talks. They targeted you and a military attache knowing that the two of you would be involved. Being soft targets they thought they would succeed in their plans however they didn’t anticipate encountering an elite intelligence operative in the vicinity who I believe saved your life.

The recent incident left you feeling vulnerable, exposed, and out of touch. Given your proclivity for seeking out leverage and obtaining an upper hand in your professional dealings you were beside yourself when the officer who came to your rescue appeared on your doorstep and offered you an opportunity for something of a fact finding field trip. You quickly took the officer in and with your usual guile convinced him to give you a tour of his starship which everyone would agree was an innocuous request. You already knew about its captain and his role in upcoming events, but you just couldn’t help yourself could you? You needed to meet the man in person and gauge him for yourself? You happening upon a conversation with T’Rehu was a coincidence.

So let us quickly recap. If we set aside various indiscretions regarding security, protocol, and etiquette – you have irritated a starship captain and its command staff. You’ve royally pissed off one of my top intelligence agents working undercover on the Crazy Horse and could have easily damaged his cover and position aboard that ship. You interrupted vital operations for your sightseeing tour in Earth orbit. And lastly, you haven’t told me anything I don’t already know about!”

“But…the conversation with the Romulans…”

“Carefully monitored and quietly observed. Contrary to popular belief Ambassador, Starfleet intelligence can and does do its job on occasion. What we don’t need are rogue diplomats operating as self-appointed intelligence agents using their diplomatic access to skirt rules, regulations, and security to justify their curiosity, satiate their patriotism, or otherwise hunt for scraps of information that might give them some miniscule tidbit of leverage in the coming days. Did you even stop to consider the implications? There are more people in this universe besides Ian Lamont. I don’t care if you’re one of the best damn diplomats in the quadrant. If I ever catch you doing something this reckless again without clearing it with proper authorities you’ll spend the next 20 years negotiating your way out of the stockade Ambassador! Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

Lamont set his jaw. Inside he was upset, but he set those emotions aside. They would serve no purpose at the present time.

“Crystal clear sir”, was his only reply.

A few tense moments passed as another gust of chilled wind blew across the outdoor patio of the café.

Ascari stood gazing off at the approaching storm clouds on the horizon. A sudden ruckus caught his attention as several seagulls fought over a scrap of bread that had been discovered under a nearby table. The cacophony continued until the birds took to the air and quickly disappeared fighting as they moved away in flight.

“I’m not condoning your recent actions Ambassador in the slightest however your instincts serve you well. I too have a sense of foreboding. At present there is not enough evidence or intelligence upon which to act but we will continue to listen and watch in the coming days.”

The commodore turned and took several steps toward the exit before stopping. “I am sorry if this has damaged our friendship.”

Lamont glanced out at the churning waters of the bay as the wind whipped its surface.

“No commodore. It is I who should apologize for the damage. Recent events and the attempt on my life altered my perspective. It is possible I have not been thinking clearly. I…appreciate your candor on the matter in addition to your restraint.”

“You are a fine diplomat Lamont. Just let us do our job and we’ll let you do yours. If there is anything noteworthy that will give us an advantage in the boardroom I will ensure you are informed. We are both on the same side and both of us realize the importance of the next few days.”

“I appreciate that commodore.”

“One more thing. I believe you owe a certain officer an apology. I’ll leave it up to you how you chose to deliver it. I’d work on your ability to dodge if you should chose to deliver it in person. Good day Ambassador.”

Lamont watched the Commodore leave the café as several cold raindrops fell from the sky. More fell. And still more.

The tea had grown cold. The gusts of wind now carried with them a distinct, penetrating chill as a gentle rain began to fall.

Lamont looked out over the bay as lighting flashed in the distance followed by a crack and the long reverberation of thunder. This business with the Romulans had little to do with peace even if few people could see it. Perhaps he had acted poorly, but the Commodore at least recognized the potential for trouble.

Several seagulls landed on the nearby seawall squawking at the rain, wind, and salty spray. Lamont shivered in the cold as the rain penetrated his unform jacket. He would indeed need to be more tactful in the future. Ascari was correct. There was too much at stake to be cavalier. If he was to obtain the upperhand in the days to come he would need to match the Romulans at their own subtle game and reserve his cunning and guile for more appropriate venues.

~ FIN ~


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Commodore Sebastian Ascari
Director, Starfleet Intelligence

and

Ambassador Ian Lamont
Federation Diplomatic Corps