"Good," she said, smiling, looking relieved. "I can't thank you enough forrr this, Admirrral. It's a huge weight off my back. You've saved me frrrom anotherr sleepless night overrr this."
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The Caitian stood, her mane sliding back over her shoulders at the change of position. "Well, I'd betterrr get rrready. Ourrr Klingon frrriends have little patience, so if we arrren't rrready to go at the appointed time, they might starrrt thrrrowing things," she chuckled.
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"Again, thank you. This was something that's been worrrying me forrr some time. Now I can rrrelax." She bowed, giving him the benefit of a full bow, even though he didn't really deserve one. "Good morrrning, Admirrral."
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Kit left, sighing once she was down the corridor at the simplicity of some people. If you hint enough toward what they wanted to hear, they'd make up the story you wanted them to believe, regardless of what the truth was. At any rate, it was one thing Black didn't have to worry about now, and it would get Snellings out of their hair for a while, bogged down in endless meetings with civilians, some of which would even take him off-base and away from their operation entirely.
Kit left, sighing once she was down the corridor at the simplicity of some people. If you hint enough toward what they wanted to hear, they'd make up the story you wanted them to believe, regardless of what the truth was. At any rate, it was one thing Black didn't have to worry about now, and it would get Snellings out of their hair for a while, bogged down in endless meetings with civilians, some of which would even take him off-base and away from their operation entirely.
While the captains napped, she made sure everything was ready, personally inspecting the safety gear after the techs had, and going over the terrain maps one last time. This would be a capture-the-flag scenario, guerilla-style, a simulated raid on an enemy recon base, with the goal of capturing the data and possibly a prisoner or two, then returning to an extraction point for recovery, the return trip being hunted by Caitians. The Caitians had already left to set up their positions, and to put false booby-traps and monitoring devices around the area that the teams would have to disarm or avoid. This was the first of several missions on the planet to run different scenarios based on the intelligence they had. It would be a long week, but well-worth it if it saved them from disaster later on.
When things were ready, she had a few minutes, so she escaped to an area behind some cargo crates and sat on the floor to meditate. She couldn't clear her thoughts fully, but it helped to relax her enough to feel better about the day. At last, she unfolded her legs and went back out to the docking port, looking for Black. Finding him, she took him aside.
"I think the Snellings prrroblem is alleviated forrr the time being," she told him. "And, I've lifted some of yourrr worrkload in the prrrocess."
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"Well, at a minorrr blow to yourrr rrreputation, one that I'll make surrre to explain and clearrr up in my rrreporrt to Admirrral Lasiterrr, I've put him on the detail to keep the civie authorrrities out of it forrr now. He'll be drrraged out into endless meetings with them, many of them off-base, and he won't have time to go snooping arround wherrre he doesn't belong. He thinks I don't trrrust you with it, but he's a perrrson with a *verrry* big ego. I had to play to it. I'm sorrry about that, but it had to be done. I'll explain to Lasiterrr what was rrreally going on, of courrrse. I don't think he much carrres forrr Snelling, orrr his opinions."
"Well, at a minorrr blow to yourrr rrreputation, one that I'll make surrre to explain and clearrr up in my rrreporrt to Admirrral Lasiterrr, I've put him on the detail to keep the civie authorrrities out of it forrr now. He'll be drrraged out into endless meetings with them, many of them off-base, and he won't have time to go snooping arround wherrre he doesn't belong. He thinks I don't trrrust you with it, but he's a perrrson with a *verrry* big ego. I had to play to it. I'm sorrry about that, but it had to be done. I'll explain to Lasiterrr what was rrreally going on, of courrrse. I don't think he much carrres forrr Snelling, orrr his opinions."
(resp?)
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--- Begin Message ---
On Mon, 22 Jul 2002 13:36:40 -0600 Julie Yakes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
--- End Message ---> "Good morning, Admiral Kitanya. It is a pleasure to see you this morning.> What can I do for you..." he greeted her and moved into business right away. >He was polite, but she could tell that this was a surprise for him. Snellings >did not like her there, and there was little he could do about it. Her >presence in his office was making him a bit edgy, like he was expecing >something bad to happen and was trying not to let it show just how uneasy he >actually was...�She sensed his fear, smelled it, and that made her a little unhappy.� A man in his position shouldn't be afraid like that, even if it was just uneasiness.� But she came in and sat across the desk from him easily, trying to keep her own body language easy and non-threatening.� She'd learned a lot about human psychology, and someone like Snellings, with limited imagination but a keen eye for bureaucracy and finding the least dangerous road would probably benefit from some of it.� She decided it was time for a little empathy and playing to ego.� "Well, I have a prrroblem, and I think you'rrre the only one who can help me with it."��A bit flattered, but still not convinced of her intensions, Snellings cautiously responded. "I would be glad to help in any way I can, Admiral."�"I know that you arrren't happy about Special Operrrations being herrre, especially with Klingon parrrtnerrs.� I underrrstand that, belive me I do.� We'rrre difficult guests at best."� Her tone was apologetic.
(Resp?)
"Well, you know that the otherrr forrrces in the arrrea - Customs, Immigrrration, Borrrderr Patrrrol, local authorrrities - they all want a piece of the action, and I think we both know that this is way out of theirrr league.� This is a job forrr Starrrfleet."� She leaned forward a little, building�a sense of comradeship.� "We'rrre the only ones trrrained forrr these kinds of things, afterrr all, people like you and me."
Snellings played it safe... "You and your people are just fine. The ocassional outburst is going to happen. But, I do understand about the other agencies. They want a role to play." he commented not quite knowing where she was going or where her loyalties were... definately not to him.�Now she leaned back in her chair, looking a little frustrated.� "Well, Captain Black has a lot on his hands rrright now.� Trrrying to deal with a stubborrrn Klingon counterrrparrt and his unrrruly trrroops, dealing with all the intelligence coming in...� It's a lot; too much maybe.� That's why I need someone who has a subtle finesse, someone with a silverrr tongue who underrrstands negotiations and is skilled in the arrrt of diplomacy.� Captain Black may be a good intelligence officerrr, but when it comes to such subtle interrractions..."� She'd let him finish it however he wanted.� She knew there was no love lost between them.�That was it. She did not have complete confidence in Black or his abilities. He ate it up. He had a reason that she was there, and he liked it. Although, it was the wrong impression, he took it and ran. "I see... I understand." he started feeling much better about her being in his office. "Captain Black is quite capable, but can get over his head rather quickly. This kind of situation is just that, over his head." he finished overly pleased that she had gone to him. Something that he would one day throw in Black's face.
Her tone shifted to one of confidence, of abiding her trust in him.� "I don't want to trrrust what I need done to a captain.� This is a job forrr an admirrral, somone with morrre experrrience and wisdom.� Someone like you."
"I would be honored to help you, Admiral Kitanya. Just tell me what I can do for you?"�"You need to perrrsuade these civilian authorrrities that they'll get theirrr piece of the action in due time, but that they've got to let us do ourrr jobs firrrst.� In reality, of course, I don't think either of us wants them involved, but everybody knows somebody these days and they'll whine until someone in the Assembly finds out and we get sacked.� So you've got to keep them uninvolved and happy about it.� It won't be easy.� You know how civies can be," she groaned.
"Oh, that I do..."�"It might take some time - quite a lot if it actually.� But this is absolutely crrritical, Admirrral.� If those civies come barrrging into this operrration like drrrunken calvalrrry, not only arrre ourrr operrratives lives put at rrrisk, but it could sabotage everrrything and send those felinids down ourrr thrrroats beforrre we'rrre rrready forr them, and we could lose the whole sectorrr."� She was imploring him, leaning forward to stress the crucial nature of this issue.� "You *must* get them to stay out of this *and* they have to like it, or at least, not complain to the politicians."� She leaned back, looking worried.� "Can you do this, orrr is what I'm asking unrrrealistic?� This is yourrr sectorrr afterrr all, and I don't know the people you'll have to be dealing with.� Can it be done?"� Now she was appealing to his sense of competition and pride.�"It will not be easy, but it can be done. I will gladly take on this task for you. They will be eating out of the palm of my hand. You can take that to the bank...." {response}
