10/16/23:
So, I was watching some Star Trek reviews recently (always great to do while working on the comic), and I came across one that referenced Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. (You know, the one where they find not-God.) Anyway... there are these three diplomats on this planet towards the beginning of the movie, a Human, a Romulan, and a Klingon. I don't recall the human's name (played by David Warner) being actually mentioned in the movie itself, but the reviewer called him John Talbot. And I was like, wait, what? Did you say Talbot? So I checked and... yeah. That's his name!
But not to worry for our story! Because that's actually like the best thing ever. And now we can reveal that Grayson Talbot is his great-grandson, part of a long tradition of diplomats in his family. And we totally planned that from the beginning. Totally.

Comments from the Tagboard:

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10/22/23 09:09 PM
Swiftbow: Running a day late, sorry. I may be able to post Monday afternoon (our time), otherwise it will be up in the evening!
10/16/23 12:19 PM
BrickVoid: They wouldn't want to leave a trail of plasma behind them would they now? One never knows who might be lurking in a nearby sector. :D

Transcript
Panel 1:
Narrative Text: And very shortly...
Commodore Jeffrey Bannister: I'm not imagining it, right? She was giving us clues in code, I think?
Commander Dale Zurkett: Yeah... the imitation shrimp thing was a dead giveaway.
    She, uh... did not care for it.
Ensign Hylia: Ha! That's an understatement.

Panel 2:
Hylia: And didn't YOU bring her that fake shrimp? I told you not to.
Dale: I thought she was a vegetarian, okay?
Andre Peters: I tried the fake stuff. I think even a full vegan would convert after trying it.
Dale: Well, be that as it may... I'd say the rescue plan is back on, right?
    Do we think the supreme advisor bought our story?
Andre: That we can't leave yet because of a warp plasma leak? I hope so.
    I had maintenance break a little seal. So we actually ARE leaking a little bit.

Panel 3:
Yeoman Bridget Janson: Sorry to interrupt... but Mr. Talbot is getting anxious.
    He's worried you're planning something in here that isn't, um... diplomatic?
Jeff: Bridget! No, uh... nothing like that.
    ... Is what you should tell him.

Panel 4:
Dale: Commodore, may I talk to you in private for a moment?
Jeff: No, I think we can discuss everything in the open here.
Dale: Well, uh... don't you think that Yeoman Janson might be a little too... close to the situation for ALL of this information?
Jeff: Certainly not! I've known Bridget for years. She should be fully briefed on everything.
Bridget: Well, thank you, sir... but...

Panel 5:
Bridget: You want me to lie to Grayson?
Dale: Oh, it's Grayson now?
Bridget: Well, yes. It's, um... complicated, I suppose.
Jeff: No, we don't want you to lie. Just... stall.

Panel 6:
Dale: And more than that. I need you to look into Talbot.
    There's something off about about him. And about his personal investment in this.
Bridget: He just wants peace!
Dale: Yeah, maybe. But he's sure willing to let other people give up an awful lot for it.
Bridget: ... All right. I'll check. But I'm not going to find anything. You'll see!

Panel 7:
Jeff: Tell Talbot and the Romulans that we'll leave as soon as that leak is repaired!
Bridget: Yessir.

Panel 8:
Dale: So what's your plan? Beam my team down in secret while you take the ship out of sensor range?
    Then double back for a quick beam out after we signal you?
Jeff: That sounds good. Except for one part:
    I'm going in with you.
Dale: Sir? Are you sure?
Jeff: They kidnapped my officer. This is personal.
    Signal Stickleback's spy... as oon as she's cleared the field, we're going in.