SD 03/04/06 - "Ambassador on the Rocks" - Stuffis is among those diplomats educated from New California, and acts every bit the part: arrogant, haughty, and basicaly has a "let them eat cake" attitude for the concerns of Federation personel under him. Of those outside the Federation, he'll bend over backwards to accomadate them, or rather, have his men bend over.
He's always making constant demands on us. He's managed to PO practicaly everyone around him. The humidity in his room, the "Admirality Quarters" at that, is never just right. His drinks from the replicator are never good enough. He could have simply ordered a simple cup of "joe." But no, he has to have "Argelian Mint Cream Mocca." Just how many varieties of coffee does a guy need?
And then there's our next mission: New Vinland. We seldom agreed on anything, and he took almost none of my reccomendations. To begin with, the place is an Earth colony that was founded out of sight generations ago and only recently discovered. Colonized by Scandinavians (mostly from Denmark) who idealized the ways of their pagan ancestors, the people follow lives much like the Vikings in Medieval Earth. They can be rough, but most are more or less open to reason. The big problem is there are a few tribes that are downright hostile to outsiders. One raided a town when a delegation of Federation trade officials were visiting, injured several, and managed to steal a warp-capable shuttle.
Technology is limited on the place as young men are discouraged from studying it, but there is the potential of them engineering more from it or using it to raid an unarmed freighter or other nonmilitary craft, potentially becoming a local pirate threat. This would require additional ships to patrol the region, which would be unavailable for the Kzin and Romulan frontiers.
The simple solution is to either destroy the shuttle or send down a party to recapture it. But no, the Ambassador wants a negotiated solution, and since he's in charge it's his call. He even turned down the pacifistic Lott's suggestion of an anthestetic gas. He feels we can get these beserkers to see the error of their ways and adopt our peaceable give and take manners, and would not listen to my warning that warlike tribal peoples do not so easily to give up methods that they feel have served them well for as long as they remember and see no reason to change.
At least he doesn't seem to object to Tarra being on the contact team. Her combination of an overall gentle manner when not provoked combined with the muscle and skills to take out a troublemaker will be a bigger asset than this so-called "expert." Lynx has her own ideas, wondering if humor might be the best approach to the New Vinlanders. She suggested cartoons of the Norse gods. My knowledge in this area is a bit spotty, but I do recall a fable of Thor dressing in a wedding dress, albeit with great reluctance, as part of a ruse to trick their foes the Frosty Giants. So maybe the Counselor is on to something.
We have plenty of time to discuss what to do. Durring one of his rants, Lynx gave Stuffis a spiked drink. He was hauled to Medical a few minutes later, plastered, and given sedatives to sleep it off. Peace and quiet for a while, until when we get to New Vinland when we have to revive him. I wish we could kep him in longer, but it's going to be obvious if he doesn't show up at the negotiations.
I guess it'll be making things up as we go along.