Keeping Businesses Busy (Part 2)

Posted on Tue Apr 15th, 2014 @ 1:16pm by Commander Buck Ducati & Lady Ebele [Mabrade] & Morgan Damron & Kira Martin

1,359 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Trader Games
Location: First Officer's Lounge

[CONTINUED]

[OLD]

The doors opened and Morgan Damron breezed in, dressed in an emerald-green silk dress. "Hello, everyone. Sorry I'm late." She didn't really look at the others but walked straight over to Khiy. "Mr. Tal'ehrihn, a pleasure."

[NEW]

Khiy smiled and stood from his seat. "Miss Damron, the pleasure is mine." He offered a curt bow of his head.

Khiy was suddenly interested to see where this meeting would go. He had made it his business to avoid politics all his life, but it seemed the inevitable was starting to catch up with him. This was a woman he knew he could learn something from.

Buck watched as Morgan entered and immediately faced off Khiy, he found it interesting. Obviously some rivalry going on there since they both own large corporations and probably have some conflicting areas of operations.

"Hello, Miss Damron, welcome. I'm Lieutenant Commander Buck Ducati the First Officer of Typhon." He said as he approached her after getting to his feet, he offered a hand.

Morgan brushed past Buck and headed straight for the head of TGT. "Khiy, darling!" she said, kissing him on the cheek. "How delightful to see you again!"

"It's been too long, Morgana." Khiy said keeping in stride. They never had this relationship in the past which meant her brushing past the commander on her way to him was a clear slight, albeit somewhat veiled.

"We should get together and do lunch," she purred. "I hear your business is flourishing."

Buck watched the two talking and the feeling of neglect hit a nerve. He decided to show some force and walked to put himself between Morgan and Khiy. "Excuse me Mister Tal'ehrihn. Look at me Miss Damron, if you wish to socialise more then help the commerce on this station and around the sector, flourish, leave now." He said then folded his arms holding a glare at the Morgan.

Morgan's shoulders straightened at the man's impunity. Did he not realize to whom he was talking? Or that he should be grateful she'd even come to his little gathering? She was about to tell him when Khiy spoke.

Khiy frowned as he was suddenly looking at the back of the Commander. "Actually, excuse me, Commander." He said, seating himself heavily into his chair behind the man. "You just publicly humiliated everyone in this room by sending an all comm over the station for us to arrive here. I believe that is similar in nature to a principal calling students to the office." Khiy disliked the notion of what he analogized but he thought the point would get across clearer this way. "If you were serious about setting up a commerce committee I would think requesting an appointment would have better suited the occasion as we are all busy people running our respected corporations. Now since none of us were informed prior to this what the purpose of our summons was, I think it only fair that perhaps some might think it a purely social visit. I don't think it's fair for you to be taking it out on one of your guests to be making small talk."

Khiy had no illusion that Morgan was clearly disrespecting the Commander, but he hoped Mr. Ducati would understand his intentions of trying to put this thing back on the rails before it got totally out of control. Miss Damron was not one whom you can win a staring contest.

Buck admitted Khiy did have a point, he could have handled the invitation of the corporation leaders and business owners with more tact, along with explanation, then he did. He would make it a habit not to do so again. "I," Buck began and took a step back so he could look at both Khiy and Morgan. "Do apologise for my lack of respect, it won't happen again. I am serious about this committee. However, I'm sure you appreciate how one would feel in the situation where a guest completely ignores a greeting and immediately converses with another guest in the middle of a group discussion. Especially turning up some time after everyone else did." He said somewhat deflated.

"No, I do not appreciate how you feel," Morgan informed him. "I do not own a business on this station. I DO business on this station and you should be grateful I don't choose to do so elsewhere." She glared at him so he would know how irritated she was and continued. "Mr. Tal'ehrihn has chosen your station as his headquarters, for whatever reason. You should be doing what you can to help his business so that he will continue to work here." She waved her hand towards the others. "Why don't you try bullying them instead?"

Buck took a deep breath and faced Morgan. "I won't bully them as they were kind enough to meet with me," he turned to the others and flashed an embarrassed smile. "Sorry for how I called you all here, I will use more tact and diplomacy next time."

He turned back to Morgan. "You however barge in, late, interrupt the discussion and converse with Mister Tal'ehrihn straight away. That is peak rudeness and I am not grateful at all if you conduct your business like that. Unless your customers need you they wouldn't continue to use you at all with that rudeness."

An idea struck him. "Why do you come to this station?"

"Now you're going to question why people choose to come here to meet or to shop?" She was building up a full head of steam. "You claim to want to increase business and yet you go out of your way to offend the very people who CAN bring business to your little station. You are second in command to a third-rate starbase and you think you have the right to tell me what to do?" She tossed her head regally. "Our conversation is done. Good day, Mr. Ducati." She turned to Khiy. "We should do lunch."

With a nod to her bodyguard, she exited the room.

The Samoan glared at Buck. Then he followed Morgan.

Buck watched her leave and once the door closed he said. "I'm only questioning your choice to do business here Miss Damron, and I must find out if she does any here at all." He faced the others after he followed Morgan so he was standing by the door. "Okay... Where were we? However I believe a break is most appropriate now and if you all would be so kind as to provide me with a time and day you are available to continue this discussion?"

Khiy stood and smoothed out his suit. "I will have my secretary send you a copy of my schedule. If there is a day that matches up with everyone else's calendar, I can find the time to sit down and discuss this further."

The Commander put his feet together and slightly bowed from the hips. A second later he straightened Buck smiled. "Thank you Mister Tal'ehrihn."

He turned to the others for their response.

"Just give me a few days' notice so I can arrange for a substitute if I need one," Kira said. She checked her chronometer and turned for the door. "I have another class. Ciao." In truth, she was happy to be done with the meeting.

"Know your customers before they enter your store the ferengi say." Lady Ebele said softly. "Perhaps dealing with us separately would have softened the blow, if you wish i will help where I can." She curtsied. "Take care of yourself Commander." she wished him the earth tradition before she went to leave.

Buck nodded. "Yes, please. I should have and yes, you too." He gave her a slight head bow and watched them as the civilians left his lounge. He mentally kicked himself several times for how he handled the first gathering of business operators and focus on improving his interactions with them.

OFF

Lieutenant Commander Buck Ducati
Executive Officer

Lady Ebele
Owner, Kindness

Khiy Tal'ehrihn
Owner, Trans-Galactic Trading

Kira Martin
Owner, Xanadu

Morgan Damron
Owner, The Damron Group

Morgan's bodyguard

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