Tea and The Undecorated Truth

Posted on Fri 8th May, 2026 @ 10:45am by Magnus Temple & Verelan i'Mhiessan t'Saeihr & Maiek s'Ethien

3,384 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: [MAIN] Learning to Fly
Location: SB109 - Embassy Row
Timeline: Current / The Day Before the Kaboom

ON:

Magnus was relaxing into the armchair on the S.S. Versailles as the shuttle was being prepared for launch. His few days of rest on the Thunderchild had come to a quick end and the Diplomat was back on the road again to continue his tour around the Delavi Expanse. “No rest for the bureaucratic.” He had delighting in telling his team as they trundled towards the Shuttle Bay in the early hours of the morning. Back onto the cramped shuttle for another week of visits and talks.

He was looking forward to this particular trip, however, as he was due to rendezvous with the RWS Ehtevau and catch up with the Romulan Embassy staff. He had been keeping polite contact since that fateful day on SB109 when Ambassador Verelan provided him with safe passage off the station before its near-destruction, along with a med-bay full of patients who needed evacuation. Finally he would get a chance to see them again.

Thinking about the Romulans and that day, Magnus began to reflect on his first (and so far only) diplomatic chat with Ambassador Verelan, which had (perhaps thankfully) happened on the day before the attack on SB109 occurred. As the shuttle was getting clearance to launch, Magnus opened up his PADD and went back over his notes, to remember how that talk had gone…

[SB109 - 3 Months Prior, the day before the kaboom]

There was a bounce in Ambassador Temple's steps as he walked the station today. He had managed to find his way around for the first time without constantly looking at a terminal map; he had found a cafe in the Promenade that made a strong coffee with pastries, and he had a new purpose to fulfil. Missions gave him focus; he liked to set out a plan and to achieve it.

Today that mission was taking him to the Romulan office in Embassy Row. He hoped that his buoyant mood and overt politeness would win over whomever was likely guarding the Romulan's consulate - at least enough to potentially grant him a meeting with the Ambassador. 'It didn't hurt to try', he had thought to himself as he approached their designated office.

Maiek was seated at the entrance desk, with a pad of actual paper. He frequently worked on designs when he was doing desk duty, as most of the day to day work was done before the Ambassador's office hours even began. The young man was multiple sheets into a design inspired by his time on earth, and their visit to a cathedral with actual rose windows. The color-play of light and shadow lingered in his mind and wouldn't fade no matter how much he had to do. Best get it on paper so his mind could shift to other things.

Approaching the desk with his most gathered smile, Magnus held his hands clasped together in front of him. He made a deliberate stop about two metres away and bowed slightly to the Romulan in attendance.

“Jolan Tru.” Magnus spoke, each word hitting with a pronounced warmth. “I am Ambassador Temple from the Federation Embassy, and the new Chief Diplomatic Officer onboard 109.”

"Shaoi dan, Ambassador." he answered, recognizing the man immediately from the updated staff list that Ambassador Verelan circulated the moment it changed in their database.

Magnus nodded, “I do hope I’m not intruding, I was hoping to make an informal greeting with the Ambassador. Or perhaps arrange for a formal greeting at a more favourable time?”

Maiek knew that the Ambassador wasn't busy, and also knew that it was likely that she wouldn't leave the Starfleet Ambassador to linger long on her doorstep. He wrote a quick note on the PADD he had built into the desk face, and sent it with his thumbprint. "You are not intruding, Ambassador. Can I intrest you in refreshment?"

"Oh that would be perfect." Magnus smiled, "I swear, I walk a half marathon every day just trying to get around this station. Builds up quite the thirst."

"Something native or something from the replicator?" He gestured first to a pitcher of liquid that was full of ice and spiral cut fruit slices. It had the faint fizz of carbonation from under the lip of the pitcher. The replicator was dark behind him but just as easy to access as the pitcher.

"That looks delicious," Magnus nodded to the pitcher nearby.

"It is a cross in flavors between Sangria and Lemonade. It is quite tasty, and it suits the Romulan pallette quite nicely." he offered a hint of a smile, a courtier's gesture and filled a glass for him, then topped off his own.

Magnus gave a slight bow of thanks as he received the drink and took a healthy swig from the glass. “Hm that’s very refreshing. Hits the spot perfectly.” He smiled, “We’re going to have to up our drinks game over at the Federation Embassy now. I’m fairly certain we’re just serving water. With lemon slices.”

"Lemons are one of Earths more popular fruits among the Romulan contingent here." he replied, his voice carefully neutral.

“Well you have good taste.” Magnus smiled. He took a brief, but not entirely accidental, look over to the doorway to the Ambassador’s office. “Where I’m from on Earth, we have a national dessert called a Lemon Moon Cake. It is a delicate cake with a very tart lemon icing. I’ll have to make one, for next time.”

Amusement flickered in his expression for the barest of instances, at the faint impatience. The cake though sounded fabulous. "That sounds like something that my Mary Elizabeth would make just for the novelty factor alone. "

Magnus nodded, “It goes wonderfully with a black tea in the early afternoon. It’s decided then, I shall bring Moon Cake next time, with extra to take home?”

"I am sure she would be delighted. " he too was charmed by the idea "I am quite fond of all things lemon, and the concept of afternoon tea. My lady has previously educated me on its necessity. "

“There are some traditions worth holding on to. Others, not so much.” Magnus replied, trying not to be too heavy with the double meanings, but still weighted enough to show his indication that he was open to an on-going, amicable discourse. It was a delicate path they weaved as representatives of former sworn enemies; Magnus hoped to lay the path with friendly connotations from time to time.

"I have frequently noted this to be true." A ghost of a smile lingered on his face as he considered the words both spoen and unspoken. He had some leeway, to speak his mind being only an attache, but a direct relation to the Ambassador. "The universe does have the tendency to change dramatically, when one least welcomes it."

“Agreed,” Magnus replied with a nod, the conversational door left clearly open. “I have often found it easier to traverse through those unwelcome times with the support of welcomed friends. And, of course, Moon Cake.”

Maiek chuckled and inclined his head in acknowledgement of the words. "I will have to insist upon the moon cake."

"Moon cake?" Came a gentle feminine voice from the open archway. Ambassador Verelan was entering the room, an old fashioned book in her hands, with the symbol of the Scholarly caste upon it. She was resplendant in a teal and black dress that slit from the floor to mid thigh. Around her neck lay the placquet of her office, on its traditional chain.

Magnus was startled by the sudden voice and turned to the doorway. Seeing the Romulan Ambassador standing there, he respectfully nodded his head, “Greetings, Ambassador.” He said with a smile, “I apologise for showing up unscheduled.”

"Peace. My schedule is not so active that I cannot cope. Are you enjoying the J'lyth tea?" Verelan was waiting quietly as her presence unlocked the door to her office and it rolled back.

“It is delicious.” Magnus answered, “I may keep finding reasons to stop by if this is on offer.”

"My staff will be equal parts thrilled and terrified by that prospect." Verelan replied with a smile that warmed her eyes.

Magnus had finished his tea and he looked to see if he could put the empty cup down somewhere. “Let us hope it is more of the former. I don’t wish to take up too much of your time, if you have a moment to chat?”

"Please" she gestured towards the office that was sitting open and empty. The side wall of it was lined with a bench that was clearly designed for seating people in comfort. The cushions had the look of memory foam to them.

Magnus entered the office and made his way over to the bench, gently lowering himself onto the seat. "Thank you. It's been on the top of the list of my priorities to make contact and start a dialogue. I'm not one to waste time if it's important. Or, if it feels important."

The elegant woman gazed at him for a long moment, her eyebrow raising in a questioning fashion though she didn't voice any questions. "I see" was all she said, settling into her own chair, which had been made custom for her.

Magnus pursed his lips together for a moment, contemplating. He had so many thoughts, too many being internally shouted at once for him to be truly sure which one was the right one to say. So much rested on this meeting. As much as he'd intended for it to be a casual chat for him and Verelan to get to know each other, he knew that this could potentially define their entire relationship moving forward. Romulans were quick to size up their opponents. He didn't want to say nothing of substance, only stick to pleasantries about teas and closeted words about friendships and relations, but he worried greatly about coming on too strong - as he sometimes did when he believed in something a little too much. These thoughts whirled around in his mind, his own voice jumbled together until something cracked through the maelstrom and said clearly, 'Speak your truth.'

So he would.

Taking a breath, Magnus smiled, "About ten years ago, I was stationed on Deep Space 12 on the borders of the Romulan Empire and Typhon Expanse. It was my first assignment as a Diplomat. There, I became acquainted with my counter-part for the Romulan Embassy, Ambassador Telhas." A calm washed over Magnus as he remembered Telhas' handsome but studious face, those dark eyes, his stilted first introduction. He was tall, dignified, always perfectly poised when in public. Their initial chats were guarded; both intimidating and frustrating to the younger Temple. But they soon turned into friendly walks on the Promenade, Telhas' dry sense of humour coming out. There were dinners with unabashed laughter. Then, Telhas' face brightened under bedroom lights. Magnus held onto those memories, tinged with softness and sadness. He swallowed and continued speaking, a warmth to his tone, "We didn't get off to a great start at first. I was probably too nervous for my own good. What broke the ice between us was Telhas, actually. He said very directly that too much time has been wasted by trying to decorate our words, instead of just speaking honestly. 'Speak your truth and I will do the same' he said to me. That changed our entire working relationship into something productive and cooperative. We simply vowed not to waste each other's time."

Her eyebrows climbed as he spoke, and something that had been in the periphery of her mind snapped into sharp focus. "It is an intreguing and ancient propsal. I am not adverse to its wisdom. "

Magnus breathed a small sigh of relief, glad to see the Ambassador was being receptive. He decided to press onwards, “I don’t imagine that you and I are going to advance Romulan and Federation relations, just us out here on Starbase 109. I am hopeful, however, that we can be an example of how we can work together towards some common goals. I want to achieve real things with your embassy. Telhas - “ Magnus’ voice hitched, knowing what came next. “Like many, chose to return to Romulus to help aid the evacuation efforts.” Magnus remembered their argument about it; pleading with Telhas to stay where it was safe only to watch his shuttle depart from the window. Then, Magnus was watching the news about the planet’s destruction and there was only silence that followed. Months of silence, of hope slipping away into nothing. He took in a staccato breath. “I just wanted you to know that I am honestly and genuinely hoping to work with your embassy and the Romulan people here in Delavi. Because I know that too much time, and too many lives, have been lost already.”

"Advancements have already been made, for those with the eyes to see it." She countered, her gaze unreadable as she looked to a picture of old Romulus. "Many are too proud to admit the similarities between our peoples. Even when we are clear in our intentions and actions people ignore what we say and doin favor of what their memories tell them should be accurate. In children they call such things 'selective hearing', where one receives only the messages one wants to hear. "

“I agree, I want full transparency of intent between us.” Magnus replied earnestly. He took a beat then smiled, a little embarrassed, “This turned into a far more serious discussion than I intended for a drop by. Entirely my fault. Perhaps we could arrange to meet in a more formal setting and see where our similarities and differences can align? I’d be welcome to receiving a list of discussion points from your Embassy to ours, and we’ll do the same, then we can really get to work.”

The warmth in her gaze died in the face of the retreat behind formal words once more. She'd thought for an instant that he'd actually been interested in forging an alliance that could last. To lead with that, and then fall back to a place of safety was...disappointing. They'd been there now for years, and over and over forced to prove their good intentions. She understood the suspicion of the long time enemies, but wondered why in the years following the many accords did the suspicion not fall similarly on the Klingon people, the Andorians and any other former enemies of the vaunted Federation. The Romulan people had been fortunate to have warning of the need to evacuate, and had managed to save the important parts of their culture, but their options had been few. They had started anew. They had made a home here. Had made an effort here, and it was never good enough. Disappointment tasted sour on her tongue, as she inclined her head in response.

Magnus frowned at the diplomat’s non-verbal response. He shrugged a little, “I am, of course happy to keep chatting informally between us, if you wish. I just didn’t want to take up so much of your time right now. I worried that this was a lot for a first meeting.” He spoke honestly, as he had been, having naturally over-shared and then realised too late that maybe he was over-sharing. Now he was potentially over-thinking, which added another ‘over’ something into the mix. But his intent was to open dialogue with the Romulans and believed that they had reached an understanding to do so. “If you’d like to continue chatting as we have, then that is also more than welcome. I didn’t have much to go on in terms of our current level of relations, or if there had been formal discussions previously, and as I said, it was important to me that we met and I can see where we’re at. What would suit you?”

Verelan cocked her head to one side, and regarded him for a long quiet moment. "You think that we have been here for years without documented official communications with your office?"

“Of course, and I recognise those years of contact constitutes a firm foundation. I am very pleased, personally speaking, that you have been able to find a safe harbour here and establish a presence. But a foundation alone does not make a home. Formal agreements do. Bilateral treaties do. I’m talking about a real partnership based on cooperation, stability, and security with formal recognition. From what I can see in my preliminary review, that hasn’t been on the table before. Perhaps we haven’t offered it? Or perhaps there hasn’t been a mutual interest in it? I feel it is the former of the two. If you wish to progress our relationship, then I’m putting it on the table. Officially.”

"We have been, until now just an embassy." she acknowledged with a nod "Though many of my people call this place their home, and would risk much to protect it."

“That is a very important point.” He said in recognition. Magnus felt another wave of relief from the Ambassador’s words, “Then, may I ask, are there any next steps you would like to take?”

"Speak your truth, not just pretty words behind the diplomatic shield...and I will do the same. Perhaps, our truths will align somewhere in the middle, where good can be done in service of all. " Her gaze met his squarely and there was something there now that hadn't been before. The faintest flicker of hope.

Magnus dared to smile. “Yes, I can do that with you. I want to thank you for receiving me this afternoon and being receptive to an open dialogue. And for the tea, of course. May this be the first step in a longer and prosperous friendship for us both.”

Feeling this was a good place to end the conversation, Magnus put his hands upon his knees and gave a nod. “I won’t take up any more of your time today. Once the Federation Embassy is up and running, I would like to invite you over for tea. Yourself and Maiek, of course. To continue our talks.”

[S.S. Versailles - Current]

The heaving lurch of the Ambassador’s shuttle push into warp broke Magnus’ concentration and he slid the PADD down by his leg. He didn’t love reading while the craft was at warp, the motion sickness would come on quickly for him, until his body had gotten used to the feeling. It took him a moment to look over and realise that Genevieve was studying him. The Legal Counsel had kicked off her heels and likewise relaxed into the armchair opposite him, but her eyes were trained on Magnus’ face with a quiet concern.

“Everything okay?” She asked carefully. “You seemed to get… emotional?”

“I was just thinking about my first chat with the Romulans.” Magnus answered, nodding.

“You told them about Telhas.” Gen replied carefully, her tone conveying her consternation.

“I did.” Magnus sighed. “I know you disagreed with getting personal like that, but it was a calculated risk. I wanted to show the Romulans that I was genuinely interested in making a connection.”

Gen nodded, giving a slight shrug, “I know. For what it’s worth, telling them seemed to help.”

“It helped me too.” Magnus admitted. “Mostly… To talk about him again.”

Gen silently, knowingly, reached across and held out her hand across the aisle. Magnus likewise reached over and they held hands for a moment, Magnus happy to receive the support from his colleague and friend. Some truths were evident without being spoken, such was the grief that Magnus carried in his heart. Of course Gen, or the Romulans, would never absolve him of that pain he held; but by continuing to live up to his promise to Telhas to always speak his truth and not waste time, Magnus could at least honour him.

The Versailles was en-route towards their destination to see Ambassador Verelan again. Though it had been waylaid by the events on SB109 three months ago, the mission still continued.

OFF

 

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