Ensign S'Rorr - First Elders on the Scene

[S'Rorr]

(( Street, Capitol City, Ah'rak IV ))

Security Guard 1: ::to Sherlock:: And are you a premier among your people?

S'Rorr turned his attention from the conversation he was having with a different guard to listen. Though he'd only just encountered the Ah'Rakians and their cultures, he was a quick study and many different peoples shared some universal similarities in tone and body language. More than any of that, S'Rorr had keener senses than most for the emotions of others. The officer sounded almost indignant. That struck him as a surprise and she had his full attention.

Sherlock: Me? Oh no, I'm just a Commander. ::pausing, realizing they may not know what that means:: It's a middle rank in our organization.

Wright: We come as representatives of the Federation. Our equivalent of your leadership is far away.

Security Guard 1: Why would our Chancellors speak to you then?

S'Rorr looked back and forth between the Ah'rakian officer and his own commander. The officer seemed offended. Different cultures had different social rules, different expectations of ingroups and outgroups or any number of other social divisions. He wondered if the offense was genuine or performative.. with some zealous types, he knew it could be impossible to tell the difference. Either way, he wondered if they ought to try flattery, a little extra pomp and circumstance.

He glanced at Sherlock and shared a brief moment of knowing eye contact and he hoped that she was thinking the same thing.

Sherlock: Well, you see, our organization is so big that they entrust us to make contact with new ::beat:: new to us ::beat:: species. We're trained for just such a thing. And once we've made friends ::she paused and nodded, letting the word sink in:: our Ambassadors come in to negotiate the benefits we can bring.

Security Guard 1:  Negotiate?  What would you negotiate about?

Sherlock:  Response

Security Guard 2:  You said bring benefits...  What happens if we refuse?

Sherlock:  Response

S'Rorr: I think a better question could be what happens if we work together? We value liberty, equality, and peaceful cooperation aimed at mutual advancement through shared knowledge, resources, and exploration.

For a moment, he worried that stepping into the conversation would be out of line.. but this was only a suspicious security officer, thinking critically and doing her job, assessing threat. She wasn't a world leader, she was closer to S'Rorr's paygrade than Sherlock's.

Security Guard 2:  Are those devices you're carrying able to get on the net?

S'Rorr: They may be, but..

Sherlock:  Response

Stapledon:  We know there are wireless communications systems on your world but for ethical reasons we wouldn't just start trying to connect to your networks.

Wright: The federation values the cultural autonomy of its member planets.

Sherlock:  Response

Security Guard 2:  I don't think you could unless you had a way to factor million digit pr--

That guard caught a stern look from another and interrupted her own thought. S'Rorr wondered about that. Bringing it up might be a signal that they're a people who value data security in a deeply cultural way. He'd seen this kind of thing before in cultures recovering from long cold wars. Perhaps it was best to change the subject, stay positive, and even offer a little flattery.

S'Rorr: We're very impressed.

Sherlock:  Response

Wright: The Federation has advanced technology and is supportive of technological development. I myself am an Engineer.

Sherlock/Stapledon: Response

There was a hush in the group and attention had turned upwards.

S'Rorr looked up to the terrace on the first mezzanine level where a woman in black with long black hair stepped out into view. She wore authority like she wore her own pink skin, naturally and vibrantly. All attention was on her as she stepped up to the railing to look down upon the visitors from other worlds.

Her robes were jet black with silver trim that shined like metal. They were utilitarian in cut, easy to don and doff by oneself and easy to move in all day, but still a cut above what others wore. More finely tailored, it's design just a touch more auspicious, the shoulders just a tad pointier than they'd needed to be. That suggested to S'Rorr that this was a culture that valued merit and ability, or at least its military branch did.

Wright: ::whispering:: who is that?

S'Rorr: ::whispering back:: My guess is General Madra.. She matches the description from the reports.

To S'Rorr, she had a military edge. Something about the straightness of her posture or the sharp predatory look in her eyes. Aine Sherlock and Seleya always gave him similar energy, if vastly scaled back. In any case, the General title was a red flag for Militaryness.

Madra knew that she was on camera and surrounded by a retinue of high-powered military administrators. To look weak for even a moment would spell damage to her reputation and the power of her leverage in the governance of her auspice of Ah'rakian society. But to look weak for even a moment would require she had ever been weak for even a moment. She got a good look at the extraplanetary welcoming committee below her then swept her retinue in tow like satellites as she made her way around the rim of the mezzanine to a stair that brought her down onto the ground level.

S'Rorr: ::To himself:: Right.. strategy is still the same. Friendly smiles.

Sherlock/Stapledon: Response

S'Rorr: ::to Wright:: Steady on. I'm right here.. our commander has it.

Wright/Sherlock/Stapledon: Response

Madra's shoes were hard soled. Each step of hers hit the mirror-polished floor of the domed press pavilion with a resounding click-CLACK that echoed up into the dome and back again. Nobody else moved as she advanced and for a solid thirty seconds, those clacking shoes were the only sound in the entire room. She walked quickly like she had business to conclude, like she already knew the outcome of whatever it was she was walking into and was about to inform you what she had already decided the outcome would be.

She stepped before Commander Sherlock and sized her up with a look, down and up, her face unreadable. By most. S'Rorr was keenly aware of the practiced pause between the step-up and the greeting that allowed for the press to get their pictures.

General Madra: Commander. A military title?

Sherlock: Response

General Madra: I'm General Aldis Madra. I'm responsible for the safety and security of the people. You came from other worlds across the vastness between stars in less than the span of a lifetime, and so I can presume that you have access to technology exceeding our own.

Sherlock/Wright/Stapledon: Response

In a tighter, slimmer black robe with shoulders pointier than a civilian's but not as prominent as Madra's swept in quietly and offered her a glance at one of the narrow communication devices that seemed ubiquitous to the people of Ah'rak IV. She glanced at it and took only a moment to read the vertical script on its small, green screen.

General Madra: What assurances can you give us that this is not prelude to exploitation ::beat:: and colonization?

Sherlock: Response

General Madra: We shall see about that. ::matter-of-factly:: We are not as defenseless as you may expect. Speak with reverence to the chancellors, you'll find they are less casual than I am.

S'Rorr found that difficult to believe. What happened to the carefree lady singing in her vehicle or the curious crowds of civilians? If this was the least buttoned up official they'd see today, he wondered how they must be seeing his own group. By Madra's standard, a gaggle of free wheeling hippies.

oO Better that than whatever this is, though.. spooky! Maybe it's just the military types like this. Or better yet, just her. Can I really blame her for being suspicious though? Oo

Sherlock/Wright/Stapledon: Response

It wasn't long after that two other notable persons arrived, each with their own retinue of officials tagging along in seemingly color coordinated attire. Well, that was handy. An older woman in blue with short white hair and a polished wooden cane for walking made her way with slightly more speed than a younger male in white. He looked serene and walked slowly with a neutral expression and his hands tucked into the sleeves of his robe. His face was just as vibrantly pink as many of the other Ah'rakian's present, but he had stripes of red at the cheeks and neck, the only exposed skin visible, like the growing stripes of a watermelon. They were subtle but obvious. He was somewhat taller than others with long black hair and more jewelry. Neither had pointed shoulders. Must be a military thing.

It was difficult for S'Rorr to tell the difference between the males and females at first glance.. they had similar voices, similar sizes, similar dispositions and manners of dress. That wasn't surprising to S'Rorr. Caitians too had little sexual dimorphism, one looking very much like another to most people with an outside perspective.

General Madra: Commander Sherlock. This is esteemed High Chancellor Corbin, elder of Civic Planning, in majesty over the United Fiefs of Hilla and of the Great Islands, and of her other realms and territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Head of State, defender of the people.

The UT picked up the word and fed it back to S'Rorr. Elder. But he'd also heard the word right out of Madra's mouth, and it sounded so similar. 'Eldai.' What were the chances?

General Madra: And this is High Chancellor Dara, elder of Culture and Arts, in majesty over the Dream, and of the Institutes of Education, Head of Men, Head of State, defender of the people.

S'Rorr wondered why Madra's title was simply 'general', but perhaps it was a faux pas to introduce yourself. For that matter, he wondered if she had the same station as the Chancellors or was below, or above them. He KNEW he had read about this in the reports but couldn't quite remember the detail.. he was kicking himself for that. He wanted to pull out his PADD and check but decided that that would have been a poor idea. The guards were already eyeing his Medkit as if it might be a bomb.

Chancellor Corbin: Response, Any

Chancellor Dara: Response, Any

Sherlock/Wright/Stapledon: Response

Ensign S'Rorr

Ship's Counselor

USS Chin'toka

A240206S04

[S'Rorr]

(( OOC: Reposting to correct a missing response dialogue by Wright ))

(( Street, Capitol City, Ah'rak IV ))

Security Guard 1: ::to Sherlock:: And are you a premier among your people?

S'Rorr turned his attention from the conversation he was having with a different guard to listen. Though he'd only just encountered the Ah'Rakians and their cultures, he was a quick study and many different peoples shared some universal similarities in tone and body language. More than any of that, S'Rorr had keener senses than most for the emotions of others. The officer sounded almost indignant. That struck him as a surprise and she had his full attention.

Sherlock: Me? Oh no, I'm just a Commander. ::pausing, realizing they may not know what that means:: It's a middle rank in our organization.

Wright: We come as representatives of the Federation. Our equivalent of your leadership is far away.

Security Guard 1: Why would our Chancellors speak to you then?

S'Rorr looked back and forth between the Ah'rakian officer and his own commander. The officer seemed offended. Different cultures had different social rules, different expectations of ingroups and outgroups or any number of other social divisions. He wondered if the offense was genuine or performative.. with some zealous types, he knew it could be impossible to tell the difference. Either way, he wondered if they ought to try flattery, a little extra pomp and circumstance.

He glanced at Sherlock and shared a brief moment of knowing eye contact and he hoped that she was thinking the same thing.

Sherlock: Well, you see, our organization is so big that they entrust us to make contact with new ::beat:: new to us ::beat:: species. We're trained for just such a thing. And once we've made friends ::she paused and nodded, letting the word sink in:: our Ambassadors come in to negotiate the benefits we can bring.

Security Guard 1:  Negotiate?  What would you negotiate about?

Sherlock:  Response

Security Guard 2:  You said bring benefits...  What happens if we refuse?

Sherlock:  Response

S'Rorr: I think a better question could be what happens if we work together? We value liberty, equality, and peaceful cooperation aimed at mutual advancement through shared knowledge, resources, and exploration.

For a moment, he worried that stepping into the conversation would be out of line.. but this was only a suspicious security officer, thinking critically and doing her job, assessing threat. She wasn't a world leader, she was closer to S'Rorr's paygrade than Sherlock's.

Security Guard 2:  Are those devices you're carrying able to get on the net?

S'Rorr: They may be, but..

Wright: We have a similar information network to yours that many of our devices can connect to, so it would not be impossible for them to make the same connection with yours.