Welcome (?) Aboard

Corman Stark wrote:

Corman was well aware of the fact that there were Cardassians on board the ship, as the involuntary twitch he could feel in his eye was testament to.  As if that wasn't bad enough, someone had the bright idea of putting a Vorta in a Starfleet uniform.  In a strange way, even though he'd fought against the Jem'Hadar and their Vorta and any other lab experiment the Dominion had thrown the Federation's way...he still found it harder to forgive the Cardassians.  At least the Vorta didn't have a choice in what they were.  Cardies, though?  They not only chose to be utter bastards, but they seemed to revel in it.

"I'm aware," Stark carefully replied.  Talk about lab experiments...  "The Phoenix seems to be Starfleet's chosen proving ground for integration into our little galactic democracy.  Any particular reason to bring them up?"

Noting the careful tone of Stark's voice, Archangel guessed that he knew a lot more than he was letting on at that moment. It was possibly a feeler, to see how much she knew before he revealed the depths of his own knowledge. An commonplace tactic, used by all intelligence officers and Romulans alike. It was rather like the Terran game of poker.

"Your feelings toward Cardassians are well known. I wanted to make sure that you understand what you're getting yourself in to, sir," she replied in an equally careful tone. "They're a good crew, no matter where they came from or how they came to be."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

Noting the careful tone of Stark's voice, Archangel guessed that he knew a lot more than he was letting on at that moment.  It was possibly a feeler, to see how much she knew before he revealed the depths of his own knowledge.  An commonplace tactic, used by all intelligence officers and Romulans alike.  It was rather like the Terran game of poker.  

"Your feelings toward Cardassians are well known.  I wanted to make sure that you understand what you're getting yourself in to, sir," she replied in an equally careful tone.  "They're a good crew, no matter where they came from or how they came to be."

The slightly-arched eyebrow Corman wore rose a little higher as T'Koris brought up his known dislike of Cardassians. He very nearly came to outright asking her if she thought that his opinions would somehow impede doing his job...

Stark smiled outwardly - a small smile, but one that seemed to give a nodding Qapla' to the Romulan. I see what you did, there. "I know they're a good crew, captain. I'd expect nothing less of them." He stood, taking his cup over to the recycler, then walking back over to the table. Stark knelt down, starting to pick up slivers of Archangel's former teacup. "I'm surprised you didn't throw the damn thing at me."

Corman Stark wrote:

The slightly-arched eyebrow Corman wore rose a little higher as T'Koris brought up his known dislike of Cardassians.  He very nearly came to outright asking her if she thought that his opinions would somehow impede doing his job...

Stark smiled outwardly - a small smile, but one that seemed to give a nodding Qapla' to the Romulan.  I see what you did, there.  "I know they're a good crew, captain.  I'd expect nothing less of them."  He stood, taking his cup over to the recycler, then walking back over to the table.  Stark knelt down, starting to pick up slivers of Archangel's former teacup.  "I'm surprised you didn't throw the damn thing at me."

The Romulan relaxed fractionally as Stark acknowledged that her crew was a good one. They deserved that much given the obstacles they had overcome in order to work together.

As Stark stood up, she did the same. It wasn't done to stay sitting when a superior officer got to their feet. However, she crouched down, helping to pick up the pieces of the teacup she had dropped when he had informed her that he was taking over her command, placing the pieces back into the replicator to be recycled.

"Despite my reputation for a temper, Admiral, I do try to keep it under control," she told him, raising an eyebrow at his comment about having expected to have the cup thrown at him.

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

The Romulan relaxed fractionally as Stark acknowledged that her crew was a good one.  They deserved that much given the obstacles they had overcome in order to work together.  

As Stark stood up, she did the same.  It wasn't done to stay sitting when a superior officer got to their feet.  However, she crouched down, helping to pick up the pieces of the teacup she had dropped when he had informed her that he was taking over her command, placing the pieces back into the replicator to be recycled.

"Despite my reputation for a temper, Admiral, I do try to keep it under control," she told him, raising an eyebrow at his comment about having expected to have the cup thrown at him.

"I trust that you will, captain," Stark said, straightening from the wreckage on the floor. "I'll warn you not to get too chippy with me, though," he grinned, somewhat wickedly. "I'm well-versed in several Klingon martial disciplines. You might find something thrown back at you."

The physical mess of the broken cup was resolved, but Corman still wasn't too sure about everything else. He hoped it would go as smoothly as planned between the two of them...but even starship captains couldn't always change reality by willing it so. No matter how hard-headed they were. "Very well, Captain T'Koris," he said, picking up the commbadge and clipping it back to his uniform top. "I won't keep you any longer. I look forward to working with you. Dismissed."

Corman Stark wrote:

"I trust that you will, captain," Stark said, straightening from the wreckage on the floor.  "I'll warn you not to get too chippy with me, though," he grinned, somewhat wickedly.  "I'm well-versed in several Klingon martial disciplines.  You might find something thrown back at you."

The physical mess of the broken cup was resolved, but Corman still wasn't too sure about everything else.  He hoped it would go as smoothly as planned between the two of them...but even starship captains couldn't always change reality by willing it so.  No matter how hard-headed they were.  "Very well, Captain T'Koris," he said, picking up the commbadge and clipping it back to his uniform top.  "I won't keep you any longer.  I look forward to working with you.  Dismissed."

It was clear that their meeting was coming to a close as Stark picked up his commbadge and fixed it back to the front of his uniform. Nodding once to the Admiral, Archangel picked up her own and clipped it back in its place, its slight weight back where it belonged. She had always found it surprising how naked she felt without it.

"Of course, sir. I trust you can find your way back onto the station. Until we meet again, Admiral, jolan'tru."

Turning on her heel, the young Romulan left the captain's mess, the doors swishing shut behind her. A second or two later, to those who were listening, one might have heard a resounding thud of a bulkhead being punched a little further down the corridor.