JP: Rivi Vataix, Lily Ventu, Wil Ukinix & Geoffrey Teller: The Dream, The Work
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Roshanara Rahman
Sep 19, 2021, 12:33:08 AM9/19/21
to Amity Outpost – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG
((Vataix Estate, Ohmallera, Betazed))
Niarivi Vataix, Daughter of the Eleventh House of Betazed, looked in the large mirror of the changing room, checking her reflection as she examined the dress her stylist had suggested. It wasn’t too opulent--at least not by Betazoid standards--but the 36-year-old blonde woman thought it was missing something. Which was ironic because she’d have preferred it to be missing entirely.
Niarivi, or Rivi as she was called by everyone except her father, always enjoyed a formal affair on Betazed, not the least of which was because it made what to wear such an easy decision: nothing.
Alas, foreign concepts of “modesty” had corrupted Betazed in the centuries since first contact, and for this occasion, where the Federation Secretary of the Exterior herself would be present, along with offworld dignitaries, press, and Starfleet officers, a certain “dress code” was expected. Fortunately, Rivi had a voracious appetite for the latest fashion trends, and *that* was what was missing, she realized from this particular dress. It was much too traditional.
She began to take it off when she heard the door chime, although with her telepathic senses, she already knew who was behind the door.
Vataix: Come in.
Rivi had already turned around with her back to the door as she was looking through the rack of other choices when she answered.
Vataix: Secretary Ventu, I see you’ve gone wandering off from hor d'oeuvres...
Ventu: I might say the same of you, Ambassador, though you have yet to wander in.
The Betazoid woman chuckled before she grabbed two outfits. One was a red dress she’d worn a few years ago, back when she danced with a couple visiting Starfleet officers. The other dress was a deep blue that would have seemed a bit less provocative had it not been for its slightly more daring neckline.
Vataix: What’s your opinion, Madame Secretary?
Lily Ventu, who hadn’t been asked for such an opinion for -- years, surely? -- gave a nod to both, since they were equally beautiful and luxurious. However, she knew that the ambassador was likely asking equally to make a judgment of her, and had probably already chosen what to wear. Possibly hours before, if Lily was to be thoroughly political about it.
Ventu: Red. Much better with your tones.
Rivi looked down at both dresses and smiled as she nodded.
Vataix: Hmmph. Yes, let’s go with that.
The soon-to-be ambassador put the other dress back on the rack and then began to get dressed, asking for Lily’s assistance at the back. As the two were getting ready, Rivi looked back at the mirror, studying the woman standing behind her.
Vataix: Are you still enjoying it?
Ventu: It, Ambassador?
She could play at her politics, too, even if it wasn’t her preferred mode. If Ambassador Vataix was doing what she expected.
Vataix: The job. Warping from planet to planet, meeting countless people from quadrant to quadrant, shaking hands, giving speeches...
Ventu: (lightly) There are fewer hands than you’d expect, and a variety of other appendages.
But the question was fair, and Lily heard no ill intent in the way the ambassador had asked. She seemed, at least in that moment, to be exactly what she was: a young ambassador, as Lily had been a decade ago, off on a big assignment with a lot of attention paid to her. Lily had her Starfleet career to fall back on, but she could only imagine how different the experience would be from what little she knew of Ambassador Vataix’s life on Betazed.
Vataix: You know, when I first connected with my lost cousin who was in Starfleet… I admired the life she’d carved out for herself out there amongst the stars. I’d only taken a handful of trips outside the solar system at that point… she inspired me to see what else is out there.
Ventu: And now that the time’s come, you’re seeing the enormity of that decision.
Well, Lily thought, she wasn’t panicking. That was a good sign. And also not what Lily had done in a similar moment.
Vataix: I’m open to any advice you might have.
Ventu: I’m happy to give some.
If only she could think of what it was, since in that moment, she could recall absolutely nothing about the early part of her diplomatic career. No, no, that wasn’t true. It was coming back to her now, and she smiled.
Ventu: Trust your people. You’re one piece of a shifting network, and you need to rely on them. If you can’t trust them, or they find they can’t trust you…
Lily didn’t finish the thought. She hoped she didn’t need to. She did shrug, though.
Vataix: ...then all is lost.
The Betazoid nodded as the Secretary moved onto her next point.
Ventu: About Starfleet. They’re trained to think about things in a certain way, and that’s fine. It works for them. But it’s not always the way you’ll need to think. Keep that in mind.
Amity Outpost’s mission would be supported by Starfleet, Lily knew, and that was fairly standard practice, both for starbases and for diplomatic stations. She would always have a soft spot for Astrofori One -- may the victims of the events that led to its destruction rest in peace -- but it was of a type, with respect to Stafleet’s involvement.
Vataix: I will.
At the very least because Rivi wouldn’t be representing Starfleet but the greater Federation. She was part of the Federation Diplomatic Corps, and the FDC staff and the other civilians outnumbered the Starfleet supporting personnel nearly two and a half times.
Vataix: Anything else?
Ventu: (slight smile) Don’t make the Federation look bad in front of the Talaxians.
Vataix: Hmmm… truthfully, I wonder if it’s the other Delta Quadrant species getting along that will be the greatest challenge. There’s so much we still don’t know about their relations with each other, and what we do know is sometimes two decades old...
Ventu: I don’t think I can answer that one, Ambassador.
Even if she were also Betazoid, there was no way for Lily to know how ready Ambassador Vataix was for the assignment. The ambassador herself probably didn’t know, at least not in a way that would matter once she plunged into the day-to-day of her new post.
Ventu: You’ll have to figure it out.
Rivi looked back in the mirror for a moment before finally a small smile returned, but this one more assured.
Vataix: I’m committed to it, Madame Secretary.
On that enigmatic note, Lily turned to go.
((Elsewhere on the Vataix Estate))
Ukinix: Why am I on Betazed again?
From behind his friend and fellow officer, near the northernmost fourth wall of the estate Cmdr. Geoffrey Teller coughed awkwardly, trying to cover a laugh.
Teller: Shhhh...this is a very important, formal, serious ceremony that we’re attending. Your cousin there is getting Ambassadorized. Ambassadored. Ambass’d. Whatever…
Geoff was glad, and not for the first time, that they were standing well and far away from the center of attention. It made the absolutely titanic hangover he was trying to ignore just slightly more bearable. He mimicked his friend's regional accent as poorly as he could while pitching his voice for quiet.
Teller: ‘Aw crikey Geoff, haven’t seen ya in ages mate, lets throw one back….’. ::Teller couldn’t entirely restrain a groan:: I should tell the Commodore to drop you off in Borg space.
Ukinix: ::Wearily, sarcastically:: Ha ha yeah very funny "mate", I didn't have to twist your arm very hard. And I wasn't the one who ordered double shots of Andorian ale. ::Fingers on side of temples:: My head hurts.
Teller: Oh sure, Mr. Fancy Knackers in a red uniform. Month from now you’ll be wishing you could reverse the polarity to fix your problems.
Ukinix: I'll reverse your polarity in a second. Anyway Rivi's not my cousin. ::Conceitedly:: As far as I know.
Although with the discovery a few years earlier of his grandfather being an ex-noble, and his musing (even before that) that Betazed nobles were all inbred, it wouldn't surprise him…
The two quieted down as the official ceremony started. After a brief introduction by various Betazed dignitaries, including the Betazed’s Federation Council member, Secretary Ventu took to the podium to say a few words.
Ventu: Good evening, honored guests. It is my privilege to stand before you here, to inaugurate the mission of Amity Outpost with the appointment of its chief of mission. The Federation Diplomatic Corps has and will continue to place great interest in the mission’s success, and it is my pleasure to formally introduce to you, for the first time, Amity Outpost’s Ambassador Rivi Vataix.
Lily applauded along with those gathered as she yielded the podium to Ambassador Vataix and took a seat. She continued to watch the ambassador carefully, however: This was her first real test as Amity’s chief of mission. How would she address the crowd? How would they respond to her?
Rivi took a breath before she stepped up. She’d spoken before at numerous engagements, but this was truly a different scale. There were journalists from beyond not just Betazed but even beyond the Federation, all curious to know who was going to be the head of this new diplomatic venture. She cleared her throat before she began.
Vataix: Ladies and gentlemen, my honored guests… I recognize clearly how today is not just about my appointment as an ambassador. It is the beginning of something far greater that will last long beyond my tenure and service to the Federation.
She paused as she glanced across the sea of faces looking back at her.
Vataix: What is the Federation and what does it mean to individual planets and species? Here on Betazed, we have grappled with our relation to the Federation and what if any is its relation to our Betazoid identity since the end of the Dominion War and the Ohmallera attack. It becomes easy at times to think of the Federation as a distant entity, focusing only its capital lightyears away. But the Federation is not defined by a location. It is defined by a set of principles--principles that all its members share and recognize as the foundation for peaceful and prosperous relationships that transcend distance, culture, and species.
It is this set of principles that we now venture forth into the Delta Quadrant, not as an Alpha Quadrant power trying to expand its reach but as a coalition of over a hundred species seeking to connect with others and learn from each other. Since the Federation’s founding over two centuries ago, we’ve shown how mutual understanding and cooperation is possible even amongst former foes. Today, we follow in the footsteps of our forebears who brought sentient lifeforms together to talk to, trade with, and help one another. It is their dream that we are so privileged to be living now, and it is our duty to continue the work. Thank you.
TBC…
Ambassador Rivi Vataix
Chief of Mission and Commanding Officer, Amity Outpost
Federation Diplomatic Corps, United Federation of Planets
I238705TZ0
&
Secretary Lily Ventu
Secretary of the Exterior for the United Federation of Planets
V238208LV0
Niarivi Vataix, Daughter of the Eleventh House of Betazed, looked in the large mirror of the changing room, checking her reflection as she examined the dress her stylist had suggested. It wasn’t too opulent--at least not by Betazoid standards--but the 36-year-old blonde woman thought it was missing something. Which was ironic because she’d have preferred it to be missing entirely.
Niarivi, or Rivi as she was called by everyone except her father, always enjoyed a formal affair on Betazed, not the least of which was because it made what to wear such an easy decision: nothing.
Alas, foreign concepts of “modesty” had corrupted Betazed in the centuries since first contact, and for this occasion, where the Federation Secretary of the Exterior herself would be present, along with offworld dignitaries, press, and Starfleet officers, a certain “dress code” was expected. Fortunately, Rivi had a voracious appetite for the latest fashion trends, and *that* was what was missing, she realized from this particular dress. It was much too traditional.
She began to take it off when she heard the door chime, although with her telepathic senses, she already knew who was behind the door.
Vataix: Come in.
Rivi had already turned around with her back to the door as she was looking through the rack of other choices when she answered.
Vataix: Secretary Ventu, I see you’ve gone wandering off from hor d'oeuvres...
Ventu: I might say the same of you, Ambassador, though you have yet to wander in.
The Betazoid woman chuckled before she grabbed two outfits. One was a red dress she’d worn a few years ago, back when she danced with a couple visiting Starfleet officers. The other dress was a deep blue that would have seemed a bit less provocative had it not been for its slightly more daring neckline.
Vataix: What’s your opinion, Madame Secretary?
Lily Ventu, who hadn’t been asked for such an opinion for -- years, surely? -- gave a nod to both, since they were equally beautiful and luxurious. However, she knew that the ambassador was likely asking equally to make a judgment of her, and had probably already chosen what to wear. Possibly hours before, if Lily was to be thoroughly political about it.
Ventu: Red. Much better with your tones.
Rivi looked down at both dresses and smiled as she nodded.
Vataix: Hmmph. Yes, let’s go with that.
The soon-to-be ambassador put the other dress back on the rack and then began to get dressed, asking for Lily’s assistance at the back. As the two were getting ready, Rivi looked back at the mirror, studying the woman standing behind her.
Vataix: Are you still enjoying it?
Ventu: It, Ambassador?
She could play at her politics, too, even if it wasn’t her preferred mode. If Ambassador Vataix was doing what she expected.
Vataix: The job. Warping from planet to planet, meeting countless people from quadrant to quadrant, shaking hands, giving speeches...
Ventu: (lightly) There are fewer hands than you’d expect, and a variety of other appendages.
But the question was fair, and Lily heard no ill intent in the way the ambassador had asked. She seemed, at least in that moment, to be exactly what she was: a young ambassador, as Lily had been a decade ago, off on a big assignment with a lot of attention paid to her. Lily had her Starfleet career to fall back on, but she could only imagine how different the experience would be from what little she knew of Ambassador Vataix’s life on Betazed.
Vataix: You know, when I first connected with my lost cousin who was in Starfleet… I admired the life she’d carved out for herself out there amongst the stars. I’d only taken a handful of trips outside the solar system at that point… she inspired me to see what else is out there.
Ventu: And now that the time’s come, you’re seeing the enormity of that decision.
Well, Lily thought, she wasn’t panicking. That was a good sign. And also not what Lily had done in a similar moment.
Vataix: I’m open to any advice you might have.
Ventu: I’m happy to give some.
If only she could think of what it was, since in that moment, she could recall absolutely nothing about the early part of her diplomatic career. No, no, that wasn’t true. It was coming back to her now, and she smiled.
Ventu: Trust your people. You’re one piece of a shifting network, and you need to rely on them. If you can’t trust them, or they find they can’t trust you…
Lily didn’t finish the thought. She hoped she didn’t need to. She did shrug, though.
Vataix: ...then all is lost.
The Betazoid nodded as the Secretary moved onto her next point.
Ventu: About Starfleet. They’re trained to think about things in a certain way, and that’s fine. It works for them. But it’s not always the way you’ll need to think. Keep that in mind.
Amity Outpost’s mission would be supported by Starfleet, Lily knew, and that was fairly standard practice, both for starbases and for diplomatic stations. She would always have a soft spot for Astrofori One -- may the victims of the events that led to its destruction rest in peace -- but it was of a type, with respect to Stafleet’s involvement.
Vataix: I will.
At the very least because Rivi wouldn’t be representing Starfleet but the greater Federation. She was part of the Federation Diplomatic Corps, and the FDC staff and the other civilians outnumbered the Starfleet supporting personnel nearly two and a half times.
Vataix: Anything else?
Ventu: (slight smile) Don’t make the Federation look bad in front of the Talaxians.
Vataix: Hmmm… truthfully, I wonder if it’s the other Delta Quadrant species getting along that will be the greatest challenge. There’s so much we still don’t know about their relations with each other, and what we do know is sometimes two decades old...
Ventu: I don’t think I can answer that one, Ambassador.
Even if she were also Betazoid, there was no way for Lily to know how ready Ambassador Vataix was for the assignment. The ambassador herself probably didn’t know, at least not in a way that would matter once she plunged into the day-to-day of her new post.
Ventu: You’ll have to figure it out.
Rivi looked back in the mirror for a moment before finally a small smile returned, but this one more assured.
Vataix: I’m committed to it, Madame Secretary.
On that enigmatic note, Lily turned to go.
((Elsewhere on the Vataix Estate))
Ukinix: Why am I on Betazed again?
From behind his friend and fellow officer, near the northernmost fourth wall of the estate Cmdr. Geoffrey Teller coughed awkwardly, trying to cover a laugh.
Teller: Shhhh...this is a very important, formal, serious ceremony that we’re attending. Your cousin there is getting Ambassadorized. Ambassadored. Ambass’d. Whatever…
Geoff was glad, and not for the first time, that they were standing well and far away from the center of attention. It made the absolutely titanic hangover he was trying to ignore just slightly more bearable. He mimicked his friend's regional accent as poorly as he could while pitching his voice for quiet.
Teller: ‘Aw crikey Geoff, haven’t seen ya in ages mate, lets throw one back….’. ::Teller couldn’t entirely restrain a groan:: I should tell the Commodore to drop you off in Borg space.
Ukinix: ::Wearily, sarcastically:: Ha ha yeah very funny "mate", I didn't have to twist your arm very hard. And I wasn't the one who ordered double shots of Andorian ale. ::Fingers on side of temples:: My head hurts.
Teller: Oh sure, Mr. Fancy Knackers in a red uniform. Month from now you’ll be wishing you could reverse the polarity to fix your problems.
Ukinix: I'll reverse your polarity in a second. Anyway Rivi's not my cousin. ::Conceitedly:: As far as I know.
Although with the discovery a few years earlier of his grandfather being an ex-noble, and his musing (even before that) that Betazed nobles were all inbred, it wouldn't surprise him…
The two quieted down as the official ceremony started. After a brief introduction by various Betazed dignitaries, including the Betazed’s Federation Council member, Secretary Ventu took to the podium to say a few words.
Ventu: Good evening, honored guests. It is my privilege to stand before you here, to inaugurate the mission of Amity Outpost with the appointment of its chief of mission. The Federation Diplomatic Corps has and will continue to place great interest in the mission’s success, and it is my pleasure to formally introduce to you, for the first time, Amity Outpost’s Ambassador Rivi Vataix.
Lily applauded along with those gathered as she yielded the podium to Ambassador Vataix and took a seat. She continued to watch the ambassador carefully, however: This was her first real test as Amity’s chief of mission. How would she address the crowd? How would they respond to her?
Rivi took a breath before she stepped up. She’d spoken before at numerous engagements, but this was truly a different scale. There were journalists from beyond not just Betazed but even beyond the Federation, all curious to know who was going to be the head of this new diplomatic venture. She cleared her throat before she began.
Vataix: Ladies and gentlemen, my honored guests… I recognize clearly how today is not just about my appointment as an ambassador. It is the beginning of something far greater that will last long beyond my tenure and service to the Federation.
She paused as she glanced across the sea of faces looking back at her.
Vataix: What is the Federation and what does it mean to individual planets and species? Here on Betazed, we have grappled with our relation to the Federation and what if any is its relation to our Betazoid identity since the end of the Dominion War and the Ohmallera attack. It becomes easy at times to think of the Federation as a distant entity, focusing only its capital lightyears away. But the Federation is not defined by a location. It is defined by a set of principles--principles that all its members share and recognize as the foundation for peaceful and prosperous relationships that transcend distance, culture, and species.
It is this set of principles that we now venture forth into the Delta Quadrant, not as an Alpha Quadrant power trying to expand its reach but as a coalition of over a hundred species seeking to connect with others and learn from each other. Since the Federation’s founding over two centuries ago, we’ve shown how mutual understanding and cooperation is possible even amongst former foes. Today, we follow in the footsteps of our forebears who brought sentient lifeforms together to talk to, trade with, and help one another. It is their dream that we are so privileged to be living now, and it is our duty to continue the work. Thank you.
TBC…
Ambassador Rivi Vataix
Chief of Mission and Commanding Officer, Amity Outpost
Federation Diplomatic Corps, United Federation of Planets
I238705TZ0
&
Secretary Lily Ventu
Secretary of the Exterior for the United Federation of Planets
V238208LV0
&
Lieutenant Commander Wil Ukinix
Starfleet attaché and First Officer
Amity Outpost
V239511WU0
&
Commander Geoffrey Teller
Executive Officer
USS Thor - NCC 82607
Commodore A. Kells, Commanding
V239509GT0
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