Love it. You really build the tension with this. I loved this line, in particular, "We had to find other places to have a...conversation with them, about our level of unhappiness with the current state of affairs between us and them."
Mostly because it reminds me of the code phrasing used in the 18th century when one desired to have a duel. The phrase was "Personal Interview".
Great job. I look forward to more. Oh, and poor Octavia, she really blew it with the media. You never, ever, ever tick them off. They simply have the power to make or break a person. Tisk, tisk.
This is well-worth the wait. :)