From: Gershon <jrbowman@london2.skn.net>
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 03:48:09 -0500
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: High Duchess Livia
MD 13.2000
Deck 7 -- VIP Quarters
One did not open the door on a goddess.
Stavay Tats-Marush would be left to wait. From what she read in
her Big Book of Etiquette, the Corellians used a graduated system of
arrival. One could expect minor dignitaries of the court to be five
minutes late, and grand personages such as the High Duchess to be
thirty minutes late. It was such a generalized rule that everyone on
Corellis expected the High Duchess to arrive at, say, 10:30 when the
offical arrival time was listed as 10:00.
The counselor was quite prepared to wait. She stood outside the
door in her blue dress coat. Luckily, she prepared everything. A small
stool remained outside the VIP quarters so that those waiting on the
High Duchess could sit down.
Most of the information Stavay had obtained about the Duchess came from
two sources -- the media and the infonets. The media could occasionally
take a few swipes at High Duchess Livia, but not too many. The free press
of the Regency was only free because the Regent wanted it that way, and the
media knew the law of self-preservation. The infonets had more juicy gossip,
as the Regency could not regulate the slippery net. However, most of the
gossip was wildly inaccurate.
She thought of the Duchess arriving with the Senior VP of Corellis Mining,
Menary Coltair, who was a complete cipher. He said nothing. Undoubtedly,
Livia would not fire the big guns at ShipOres herself -- Coltair would do
all the speaking for the Duchess. The Duchess would watch ShipOres from
on high, her eyes staring them down at the conference. Noblesse oblige, and all
that.
To Stavay's suprise, the door opened at exactly 2000 hours. The High Duchess
Livia stepped out of the room, wearing an sleek dress composed of several
small precious stones. A wery formal and imperial costume, but one that did
not take up too much room. The stones seemed lightweight, and easily
carried. Her aide, Falgor, waited in the room behind her. Was he a spy?
"Your Highness!" Stavay stood up.
"I understand that the Federation does not follow the standard Corellian
clock. When in the home of another, one learns to adjust. I look forward
to this tour of your vessel."
"Your Highness, there is a saying that, 'Punctuality is the kindness of
kings'. I am glad that you've been so kind as to arrive at what is undoubtedly
an earlier time for you."
"No problem," smiled the Duchess, "we shall leave the keeping of clocks to
the timekeepers. I look forward to the tour."
MD 13.2030
Deck 21
"Your Highness, this is the Main Engineering Deck. The large pulsating
object which can be seen here is the warp coil. On this deck, the
engines are maintained by the engineering staff. I would like to
introduce you to ENS Tarell Armstrong."
The tall officer extended a hand. "How do you do?" Armstrong looked at
the Counselor, who glared at Armstrong. Armstrong appeared to recognize
his faux pas and returned his hand to safekeeping.
The High Duchess extended her hand towards Armstrong. "It is a privilege
to meet you, Mr. Armstrong. This room is very impressive. You must have
worked many years to gain such an important responsibility."
Armstrong grinned. Stavay rolled her eyes up behind the Duchess's back,
but the Ship's Counselor was obviously happy. Armstrong continued for the
Counselor. "The pleasure is mine, Your Highness. Your work on Corellis
is most likely more difficult than keeping a few engines in tune."
"We are both engineers, Mr. Armstrong. We simply use different tools."
She smiled, turning toward the warp core. "Impressive? Might I view it
from a closer distance?"
"You may, Your Highness, but not too closely. Mr. Rinkoe, would you
please escort the High Duchess for a closer tour of the warp core?"
Rinkoe smiled and the High Duchess followed along beside her. Out of
earshot, Stavay muttered, "Nice recovery."
"Thank you, Counselor," answered Armstrong with a faint trace of Scots.
"I'm suprised that the High Duchess would even care about the warp core."
Armstrong looked suspicious. "You don't suppose...?"
"No. Don't suppose. The High Duchess Livia has undoubtedly been on thousands
of tours like this. The rule of royalty is that the High Duchess is
automatically interested in whatever we have to show her. She knows enough
to ask a few polite questions. Besides, even if she found warp core
technology fascinating, she'd never let you know. It's considered quite
*common* to display enthusiasm; reserve is the key."
"Hmm." Armstrong actually felt disappointed. "Then if this tour is merely
a formality, why are we having it at all?"
"We're trying to feel each other out. The tour is to make the High Duchess
feel at home. Some of it *is* to impress her, to show her how organized
and dependable we are. However, visiting dignitaries are always looking
at what doesn't seem obvious. We are trying to make her adapt to us.
She will be trying to make us adapt to her. Always remember that she
*is* the High Duchess Livia of Corellia...and behind that pleasant smile,
there's a deadly sting. Think Admiral Crowell."
"Ow. *That* powerful, Counselor?"
"On her planet...*that* powerful."
**************************************
MD 13.2115
Deck 11
Holodeck B
Stavay could hear the echo of the High Duchess's voice throughout the
chamber. "An incredible building, Counselor. Built in San Francisco,
two-hundred forty seven years ago by Frederick Mencken. He wanted to
create a building that transcended architectural trends. He borrowed from
Vulcan and Tellarite design, and Andorian scientific fiction. The
carpet: Cygnan coldpelt. Each of the full member states has contributed
something to the decor. I only wish that someday, there will be a Corellian
contribution."
The Counselor walked to the podium of the Federation Council Chamber,
recreated lovingly from holos...and quite empty. For the first time,
Stavay thought, the High Duchess seemed happy. She *wants* to be in
the Federation very much. Better that ShipOres not know that. Furthermore,
this hall was only for full member states, something that Corellia would not
be for some time.
"I can see this is very important to you."
"Well...yas," answered the High Duchess. "And hopefully, important to the
Federation as well."
"Do you think the chances are good for an agreement with the mining
representatives?"
"Who can say? Who knows what goes through their minds, Counselor?", she
remarked airily, as if it weren't important at all. "Don't you think
that Mr. Taylor Meredith has a very interesting background?"
*What? What does the High Duchess know about Taylor Meredith?* Stavay
smiled. "How so, Your Highness?"
"You mean...?", answered the Duchess, allowing a note of amazedness to
sound, before returning to her placid manner. "Well, Counselor, let's not
talk about such things. Not while we're standing in the Federation Council
Chamber. For example, Counselor, that tapestry...."
*******************
MD 13.2130
Two things disturbed Stavay Tats-Marush.
One, the fact that the Duchess spent so little time in the Holodeck. Only
fifteen minutes. Holodecks never failed to amaze anybody. They were the
one true luxury budgeted in ship design.
Second, the remark about Taylor Meredith. She would have to research
Meredith's background more thoroughly. What in the world did the High
Duchess mean? Was she planning to make a claim that would disrupt the
meeting? Or would she try to blackmail Meredith? Was Corellian Intelligence
*that* successful?
Or was it another try? A mind-game perhaps, an attempt to "bias" the judges
of the dispute? Taken by itself, the comment meant nothing. It was, however,
charged with innuendo, just enough to make the comment interesting, but not
enough to draw definite conclusions.
The High Duchess went straight to Sickbay, while LCDR LeDoux showed her the
bio-beds and other diagnostic equipment. Both of them seemed to be having
a fine time. Stavay smiled, while inside she anguished at her lack of success
in finding information. She had no mandate to *look* for it, but she
wanted to learn as much as she could about the psychological makeup of the
High Duchess. Her only conclusion was that the Duchess was able to keep her
emotions well under control behind her smile. Then again, the Duchess had
been touring much longer than Stavay had.
****************
MD 13.2145
The tour was almost over. The tour was designed to end in 10-Forward.
Obstensibly, 10-Forward was to be cleaned that night, but the real reason
was for the High Duchess Livia to see the view of the the stars zooming
by the portholes. Helm had planned to bring the ship over Corellis AH0105,
a large asteroid 400 kilometers in diameter, an Apollo sized object zooming
through space, at this exact moment in the tour.
"Through here is the bar, which is called "Ten Forward". It is the most
forward point on this starship." The lights were down low, and the view
of AH0105 filled the windows from all directions. They were a scant 10 km
above the surface.
The Duchess clapped her hands together. "An excellent view!" Stavay made
a note to ask herself if the Duchess had ever left her homeworld. High
Duchess Livia had a look of wonder in her eyes.
"It's one of the benefits of space travel, Your Highness. The view."
Livia continued to stare at the asteroid for a moment, then spoke
somberly.
"Counselor, sometimes it's wise to take a step outside and
view The Big Picture, so to speak. Look at all that is yours, and all you
can give, and even all that you can obtain." The High Duchess turned to
glare out into space.
All that you can obtain?, thought the Counselor. Was the High Duchess making
a simple philosophical observation. Or something deeper? Was she making
a claim on the right of the Regency to obtain the area?
Or was it something else? There was the comment about "viewing the big
picture"? Was the High Duchess actually willing to make some concessions
about the matter? All that you can *rightfully* obtain? Stavay knew that
the Duchess wanted very badly for Corellia to become part of the Federation.
Would she be willing to concede? And how much? By the reference to the
"Big Picture", it seemed that the High Duchess was ready for serious wheeling
and dealing.
Stavay liked that. It meant that the Duchess might not be as implacable as
Stavay thought. But a more disturbing thought entered Stavay's mind.
What *conditions* did the High Duchess want? The Duchess only hinted that
she'd be willing to make a deal. But what kind of deal? Stavay hated
this political doublespeak. If Counseling meant more of the same, it might
be a good time to change careers, Stavay thought.
High Duchess Livia suddenly turned to Tats-Marush. "I would like to know
why a vessel this fine has need of a Counselor."
The discussion suddenly veered towards a discussion of mental health
methodologies, the High Duchess asking them and Stavay trying to give
brief but competent answers. This wasn't working, either. The appearance
of AH1015 was hoped to prompt the High Duchess into making a few comments
on the upcoming meeting with the representatives from ShipOres. However,
the High Duchess seemed to find counseling much more interesting. Stavay
came to the conclusion that she would learn the truth about the
viewpoint of the High Duchess at the conference table....
****************************************************************************
Respectfully submitted,
James Bowman
LTJG Stavay Tats-Marush, COUNS
USS CHESAPEAKE
jrbowman@london2.skn.net AND JBowman489@aol.com
With helpful comments from,
Greg Monforton
High Duchess Livia
gmonfort@direct.ca
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July 1997 or latest