Twenty-Five Years 11 - Conversations
Oct. 28th, 2009 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
measured_wordsOh my goodnes! Could there be another chapter, Finally! Yes there could :D Series notes and other chapters here.
Twenty-Five Years 11 - Conversations
“Yes… It would be easier to do the other, but not as convincing. She says she can get the equipment, but I don’t see how. They may not even have the technology. Bioogically, as far as I can tell, she is quite similar to a Cardassian, but I’ve never heard of her species. Maybe she is from some kind of sub-species they’re destined to eradicate in the next hundred years. Or some degeneration that came about through too much genetic experimentation, like the Remans. Anatomically, that would be my guess.
“I do know Cardassians well enough. From the war. There’s no such thing as a civilian doctor in that kind of mess. Things were cleaner before their deception turned us against the Dominion. I came to you to put that behind me. Treating element poisoning and nutritional deficiencies on the far reaches of Imperial space is mundane service by any standard, but I welcomed it.
“Things have changed for us now. I understand that. I will do my duty, if it can be done. Saleema trusts Q’Vul will be pleased, if she can bear this little monstrosity. I am less certain. Even if she’s right, they may just take her away from here. T’Lalea says she has plans if that happens, and if you trust her, I will as well.
“Captain – I don’t like this business. There is no honour in it. I will do all that is necessary to keep our people safe, and see that we survive long enough for our revenge. Ask me for no more.”
-------------------------------------------------
“Is it because I’m from Ch’Havran? Because I’m Ship Clan? Sometimes I think you resent me. Is it because of the stories I tell? Or because I can tell them, and you need me to do it? I can tell it pains you to listen – oh, such looks you give me, as though my silence could bring you some respite. But I share your pain. Ch’Havran is gone too – always the lesser, the shadow of Ch’Rihan. If your home is gone, its passing turned mine to a charred and barren rock. If on Ch’Rihan, all things perished by Fire, on Ch’Havran, the atmosphere and seas boiled away. Fire and Air. All the rest was frozen, and imploded in the vacuum of space. There were debates, among the Travellers, that Void should have been an element. Maybe they were right. Maybe that is all we are now – a destructive, aching, emptiness…
“Destroyers we are. You know it. I don’t know if the others have accepted it. But one death is not sufficient. Our enemy deserves that we should honour him with a more fitting, a more complete revenge.
“Should I tell them?
“Well, perhaps I can prepare them for you in other ways.
“Sometimes, I think we are like the Travellers. Exiles, though not by choice, with no home. Narada waits, it’s true, but she is as poisoned as we are. Poisoned. I can’t think of the hearthworlds and not feel them burning. I hear others talk sometimes of returning. There is no ‘return.’ There is no ‘over.’ We do not belong to these worlds. They would not have us. Can you feel the world changing already? It tastes of ash.
"Mnhei’sahe demands your silence. It demands my stories. Our stories. They belong to us – to the Narada Clan. You would never have had them of me before. We are family now. Jolantru, Captain.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Rihain, then. I’d rather keep Aifn with me. You might check with Vanor that she is qualified – that I couldn’t say. It’s a good plan, Ayel.”
“Will it cause more tension?”
“We’re Rihannsu. There will always be tension.”
“You know what I meant.”
“Nothing unmanageable. Most would come to you if they had a problem.”
“Maybe. Things have changed.”
“I know. Some have been talking to Nero. H’Man. Paren. Some others.”
“They shouldn’t have done that.”
“Perhaps not. But you’re right. Things are out of balance, with his silence, and Thrai’s death. This new alliance with Q’Vul will shake things up again, just as things are settling in to a rhythm now that the women are back.”
“And Illraehi.”
“Yes. You’re not the only one whose job has changed – for whom the demands of mnhei’sahe have changed.”
“I mean you no dishonour, T’Lalea, or the others. In the end, no. My role hasn’t changed. I stand between Nero and the rest. Before, it seemed I was there to create space. Now there is none to be made, and I am being crushed.”
“You can’t crush air.”
“Is that all you think I am? None of us are free from Fire anymore. Fire consumes Air.”
“Maybe you need to construct yourself more carefully.”
“How do you mean.”
“Look at Nero. He has so much anger, so much Fire. But he still has so much Earth! You both do. His Fire is like molten Earth. It’s the core of him. We all know it’s there. But Earth is his mantle. It’s what we see – strong face and burning eyes.”
“And we’re all waiting for him to erupt.”
“Yes. Explosively. Devastatingly. Vengeance will be a beautiful and terrible thing. But slow in coming.”
“Do you really think we’ll survive long enough?”
“All of us? No. We all know that’s not possible. We’re already losing people, and its been a handful of months.”
“Illrahei to the Naussicaans. Saeren to radiation poisoning. Giellun caught and punished for stealing. H’Man says we may loose Eurig and some others unless Q’Vul comes through soon with the supplements he promised.”
“Start Rihain with him soon, then. But I thought this was about you.”
“Fine. Given, then, that I can preserve my Air better – by becoming more like Nero, which is something you told me I should *not* do-”
“That’s not what I said. You shouldn’t try to *be* him. Maybe that’s still the problem, Ayel. Are the crew distancing themselves from you, or you from them?”
“Both, maybe.”
“You don’t have to let them.”
“That would mean distancing myself from Nero.”
“Maybe that’s what’s called for.”
“He needs me, T’lalea.”
“Yes – to hold the crew together.”
“I know! But-”
“If you offer him too much, there is a risk he will take it. And where would that leave us? This is beyond him. Beyond you, or any of us. Necessity has changes us all, and not in to things we ever wanted to be. Its mnhei’sahe. Nero made it that way, and we agreed. No turning back.”
“No turning back…”
Twenty-Five Years 11 - Conversations
“Yes… It would be easier to do the other, but not as convincing. She says she can get the equipment, but I don’t see how. They may not even have the technology. Bioogically, as far as I can tell, she is quite similar to a Cardassian, but I’ve never heard of her species. Maybe she is from some kind of sub-species they’re destined to eradicate in the next hundred years. Or some degeneration that came about through too much genetic experimentation, like the Remans. Anatomically, that would be my guess.
“I do know Cardassians well enough. From the war. There’s no such thing as a civilian doctor in that kind of mess. Things were cleaner before their deception turned us against the Dominion. I came to you to put that behind me. Treating element poisoning and nutritional deficiencies on the far reaches of Imperial space is mundane service by any standard, but I welcomed it.
“Things have changed for us now. I understand that. I will do my duty, if it can be done. Saleema trusts Q’Vul will be pleased, if she can bear this little monstrosity. I am less certain. Even if she’s right, they may just take her away from here. T’Lalea says she has plans if that happens, and if you trust her, I will as well.
“Captain – I don’t like this business. There is no honour in it. I will do all that is necessary to keep our people safe, and see that we survive long enough for our revenge. Ask me for no more.”
-------------------------------------------------
“Is it because I’m from Ch’Havran? Because I’m Ship Clan? Sometimes I think you resent me. Is it because of the stories I tell? Or because I can tell them, and you need me to do it? I can tell it pains you to listen – oh, such looks you give me, as though my silence could bring you some respite. But I share your pain. Ch’Havran is gone too – always the lesser, the shadow of Ch’Rihan. If your home is gone, its passing turned mine to a charred and barren rock. If on Ch’Rihan, all things perished by Fire, on Ch’Havran, the atmosphere and seas boiled away. Fire and Air. All the rest was frozen, and imploded in the vacuum of space. There were debates, among the Travellers, that Void should have been an element. Maybe they were right. Maybe that is all we are now – a destructive, aching, emptiness…
“Destroyers we are. You know it. I don’t know if the others have accepted it. But one death is not sufficient. Our enemy deserves that we should honour him with a more fitting, a more complete revenge.
“Should I tell them?
“Well, perhaps I can prepare them for you in other ways.
“Sometimes, I think we are like the Travellers. Exiles, though not by choice, with no home. Narada waits, it’s true, but she is as poisoned as we are. Poisoned. I can’t think of the hearthworlds and not feel them burning. I hear others talk sometimes of returning. There is no ‘return.’ There is no ‘over.’ We do not belong to these worlds. They would not have us. Can you feel the world changing already? It tastes of ash.
"Mnhei’sahe demands your silence. It demands my stories. Our stories. They belong to us – to the Narada Clan. You would never have had them of me before. We are family now. Jolantru, Captain.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Rihain, then. I’d rather keep Aifn with me. You might check with Vanor that she is qualified – that I couldn’t say. It’s a good plan, Ayel.”
“Will it cause more tension?”
“We’re Rihannsu. There will always be tension.”
“You know what I meant.”
“Nothing unmanageable. Most would come to you if they had a problem.”
“Maybe. Things have changed.”
“I know. Some have been talking to Nero. H’Man. Paren. Some others.”
“They shouldn’t have done that.”
“Perhaps not. But you’re right. Things are out of balance, with his silence, and Thrai’s death. This new alliance with Q’Vul will shake things up again, just as things are settling in to a rhythm now that the women are back.”
“And Illraehi.”
“Yes. You’re not the only one whose job has changed – for whom the demands of mnhei’sahe have changed.”
“I mean you no dishonour, T’Lalea, or the others. In the end, no. My role hasn’t changed. I stand between Nero and the rest. Before, it seemed I was there to create space. Now there is none to be made, and I am being crushed.”
“You can’t crush air.”
“Is that all you think I am? None of us are free from Fire anymore. Fire consumes Air.”
“Maybe you need to construct yourself more carefully.”
“How do you mean.”
“Look at Nero. He has so much anger, so much Fire. But he still has so much Earth! You both do. His Fire is like molten Earth. It’s the core of him. We all know it’s there. But Earth is his mantle. It’s what we see – strong face and burning eyes.”
“And we’re all waiting for him to erupt.”
“Yes. Explosively. Devastatingly. Vengeance will be a beautiful and terrible thing. But slow in coming.”
“Do you really think we’ll survive long enough?”
“All of us? No. We all know that’s not possible. We’re already losing people, and its been a handful of months.”
“Illrahei to the Naussicaans. Saeren to radiation poisoning. Giellun caught and punished for stealing. H’Man says we may loose Eurig and some others unless Q’Vul comes through soon with the supplements he promised.”
“Start Rihain with him soon, then. But I thought this was about you.”
“Fine. Given, then, that I can preserve my Air better – by becoming more like Nero, which is something you told me I should *not* do-”
“That’s not what I said. You shouldn’t try to *be* him. Maybe that’s still the problem, Ayel. Are the crew distancing themselves from you, or you from them?”
“Both, maybe.”
“You don’t have to let them.”
“That would mean distancing myself from Nero.”
“Maybe that’s what’s called for.”
“He needs me, T’lalea.”
“Yes – to hold the crew together.”
“I know! But-”
“If you offer him too much, there is a risk he will take it. And where would that leave us? This is beyond him. Beyond you, or any of us. Necessity has changes us all, and not in to things we ever wanted to be. Its mnhei’sahe. Nero made it that way, and we agreed. No turning back.”
“No turning back…”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 09:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 12:24 pm (UTC)I'm also really looking forward to the deleted scenes - I just hope they don't contradict too much of what I've got here :o
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 05:31 am (UTC)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W66bSajPGtQ&feature=channel