09-25-2025, 03:07 PM
Ameen listened, his expression carefully neutral, as he ate. He was genuinely surprised. For a moment, when he’d first mentioned the planets, C’had had looked completely lost. But he’d recovered, and the analysis that followed was sharp, insightful, and perfectly aligned with Starfleet Intelligence's own briefings. It was a jarring but welcome shift from the man who was just standing on a chair demanding rock music.
He finished chewing a piece of steak before responding to C'had's final, provocative comment.
"Thank you, Mediator," Ameen said, his tone one of genuine appreciation. "That was an excellent and very concise summary of a centuries-old problem."
He then met C'had's gaze, offering a small, knowing smile in response to his "See? I can behave" remark. "Indeed you can. And very effectively, when you choose to." It was a simple acknowledgment, a quiet recognition of the game they were both playing.
Ameen set his fork down, leaning forward slightly.
"Your assessment lines up with our intelligence, but hearing the perspective filtered through the Kestir symbiont is invaluable. It gives us context the data files can't."
He then gestured to his senior staff around the table.
"Now that we have your initial take, I'd like to open the floor to my team for any preliminary questions they might have based on their areas of expertise."
Ameen looked to his right. "Commander Keir, as First Officer and Chief Engineer, do you have any thoughts on the resource or technology disputes that have been the traditional sticking points?"
He then glanced across the table. "Lieutenant Gath, any security concerns that stand out to you, given this long history of acrimony?"
He took a sip of water, content for the moment. The party boy was still there, but the Mediator was in the room now, too.
This is progress...
== Tag ==
He finished chewing a piece of steak before responding to C'had's final, provocative comment.
"Thank you, Mediator," Ameen said, his tone one of genuine appreciation. "That was an excellent and very concise summary of a centuries-old problem."
He then met C'had's gaze, offering a small, knowing smile in response to his "See? I can behave" remark. "Indeed you can. And very effectively, when you choose to." It was a simple acknowledgment, a quiet recognition of the game they were both playing.
Ameen set his fork down, leaning forward slightly.
"Your assessment lines up with our intelligence, but hearing the perspective filtered through the Kestir symbiont is invaluable. It gives us context the data files can't."
He then gestured to his senior staff around the table.
"Now that we have your initial take, I'd like to open the floor to my team for any preliminary questions they might have based on their areas of expertise."
Ameen looked to his right. "Commander Keir, as First Officer and Chief Engineer, do you have any thoughts on the resource or technology disputes that have been the traditional sticking points?"
He then glanced across the table. "Lieutenant Gath, any security concerns that stand out to you, given this long history of acrimony?"
He took a sip of water, content for the moment. The party boy was still there, but the Mediator was in the room now, too.
This is progress...
== Tag ==