<USS Avalon> Marksbury's Meeting

Marksbury's Meeting
by Senior Lieutenant Anthony Manson and Lieutenant First Class Elissabeth 
Marksbury
 
Lissi awoke promptly at six to begin her morning routine.  It felt great to be 
back into the swing of things again.  She still had the problem of what to tell 
Maturin about her identity in the back of her mind, but everything seemed to be 
going just fine.  It was almost as if she concentrated hard enough on being 
Lissi, the other part of her faded into the background but yet was there if she 
needed it.  She didn't feel like she was missing anything anymore.
 
And Monroe...  Just thinking about him - his voice, his smile, his smell - made 
her feel a little weak in the knees.  She very much liked the way things were 
going in that direction and looked forward to seeing him tonight.
 
But first she had the Rydyn's questions to deal with.  She had a meeting with 
Lt. Manson at eight this morning and she was hoping that he'd be helpful and 
reasonable.   She vaguely remembered him posing as the captain when they had 
first met.  Of course, she had been the enemy from an enemy ship - she couldn't 
exactly hold him responsible for his manner toward her.  She also wondered if 
any of the crew had their memories erased of the encounter.  She really didn't 
want Manson recognising her.
 
Lissi showered and changed, then headed to the bridge where she was supposed to 
find Manson.  He said they could talk in the conference room.  She carried 
along the PADD with the Rydyn's questions on it.  She walked into the bridge 
and was surprised to see it a little quiet. She had never been on the bridge 
before and had expected it to be bustling with activity. Looking around, she 
found Lt.Manson at his ops station. She approached him but he looked a little 
busy, "Lieutenant?"
 
"Yes?" His fingers went to work on the console as he glanced at the PADD in his 
free hand repeatedly. He placed it down with a few others that were already 
occupying the small space on the console. Manson looked up to see a woman 
standing in front of his station. He recognized her as someone else, but here, 
she went with Marksbury. He never knew the details to her staying with the 
Avalon, "Oh. The meeting, right. Give me a second." 
 
Lissi took a step back and waited patiently for Manson to finish what he was 
doing. She scanned the bridge, checking to make sure everything was in place as 
should be, security-wise. She was pleased. After several minutes, Manson stood 
and gestured for her to follow him into the conference room. 
 
He waved her to a chair and once both seated, Lissi began, "I'm assuming that 
you received the list of questions I uploaded when I requested this meeting, 
Lt. Manson. I apologise if I am being a bother, but I need some information. I 
have managed to come to a form of truce with the Rydyn ambassador, but I also 
need to be able to give him some answers - if I don't, he won't trust me and I 
don't know how much sway I will have over him anymore. You can understand my 
situation, I hope. I have the one of the highest security clearances, as I'm 
sure you've already checked." Manson had to concentrate hard on what Marksbury 
was saying because she spoke so quietly. 
 
He took a deep breath and thought a moment before answering. "Yes I have. I've 
been going over the list of questions. They all point to the current state of 
which this ship is under. I also read your security report about not telling 
them anything. And considering that the matter at hand is also being sealed 
from the crew, I'm not surprised you have very little details," he replied as 
he looked down at the PADD.
 
The questions were not as specific as he had thought, "This ambassador is 
asking questions solely on trying to get the truth out in the open. I can't 
answer these questions for the simple reason is that I'm not allowed to."
 
"Not a single one? You can't answer a single question on that list?"
 
He smirked. He knew she was just trying to get her duties done, so he re-read 
them. "Here, question on how the current situation of this ship interferes with 
the observation of another government that has been backed by the approval of 
Starfleet. You could answer that one, Lieutenant. It's in the guidelines 
themselves."
 
"I'm aware of that, Lt. Manson," she told him.  "The ones that are answered by 
quoting regs are not the ones I have trouble with."
 
"Security questions concerning how delegates should be strictly confined to 
designated areas. That's easy enough, we don't want them going around the ship 
interfering with duties of the crew and more precisely, the Captain.  And 
finally," he managed to get the answer for the last question, "The Captain has 
already set up a meeting with another Ambassador. The one you are currently 
working with in this 'truce' will not be required to be present." 
 
Finally getting somewhere, she thought.  "Captain Flubb, you mean?" she asked, 
eyes narrowed. She had heard the murmurings and she didn't miss much. 
 
He shook his head and said flatly, "Captain Ketchum. He's been back for a few 
days now. Captain Flubb has been replaced." 
 
"I heard Ketchum was on board and wondered why." She paused deciding to take a 
different approach - afterall it had worked on the Rydyns. "Lt. Manson, I know 
that you are just doing your job, as am I. I'm not your enemy. On a personal 
level, I don't care about the information you are withholding. However, I am 
assigned to this case and I need some help. I need your help. Please, sir, have 
you worked with the Rydyns before?" She waited for Manson to nod. "Then you 
know that I'm between a rock and a hard place here. I'm just asking for your 
help."
 
He had wondered why she used the particular phrase about being enemies. Not 
that they were, she was right on that. But he dismissed it, "Captain Flubb is 
dead, Lieutenant. The Delegation is not to know that under any circumstance, 
which is why I- upon clearance- have placed them under extreme limitations to 
the remainder of their visit. However, due to the fact that they have become 
increasingly difficult to handle, they have access to the holodecks, the 
facilities of deck two, and nothing more. They're only a deck below the bridge, 
the last we need is a bunch of Ambassadors poking their nose in matters that 
have been deemed unnecassary for them to observe." 
 
Lissi blinked in surprise over his announcement that Flubb was dead. She hadn't 
realised the extent of the situation. Of course now it all made sense. "They 
haven't found the killer." she stated and waited for confirmation. 
 
Manson said, "No. But they are working on it."
 
Lissi nodded. "Are the Rydyns suspect?" she asked.
 
"As far as I know, no, they're not." 
 
"Hmm...seems to me," she began and then abruptly stopped, her mind turning.
 
"Seems to you what?"
 
"Nothing, sir, I'm sorry. Just a security officer's suspicious mind." She 
smiled. "I completely understand why this is kept quiet and I, of course will 
follow up just as you said with those questions. However, just on a personal 
note...how would you suggest dealing with them? The other night, my team had to 
apprehend one of the delegates and it was not pretty, sir."
 
"The last time I dealt with them, I threatened them with security. Oh, and 
treat them like children. They'll comply, one way or the other. Maybe not 
Ambassador Oonal, he has a way with picking on you with questions to answer 
other questions you thought you answered clearly."
 
"Well they certainly act like children, but I was trying to be as fair as 
possible to them - not treat them as captives. I was just trying to think of 
what it would feel like to be in their situation. I guess I'm a terrible 
diplomat," her half-hearted grin came across as rather sad. "I'll do my best, 
Lt. and I thank you for your time. It has been nice meeting you, though I wish 
it were all under better circumstances." Marksbury stood to leave, at little 
frustrated and feeling like she had gotten no where.  Lt. Manson was not 
exactly friendly nor forthcoming.
 
"Same here. Good luck with them. I'll be checking on some of the delegates 
later, so maybe I'll see you around." He nodded at her as she left the room.
 
Lissi had had high hopes that her meeting with Manson would go very well and 
she could immediately give the delegates some sort of information other than 
quoting regs to them.  She leaned against the wall in the lift trying to think 
of something - anything - to get her in the door a bit better and make it seem 
as though she weren't failing in her task.  Ambassador Oonal, she thought with 
a huge smile, I bet you need a personal escort to that meeting with the 
Captain...

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