THE Kara problem

Posted on Wed Jan 9th, 2019 @ 9:10am by Ensign Kara Hoffman & Commander Liselle Qwyyn

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: DS9
Timeline: Past - Elysium was docked at DS9
1745 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Kara sat alone. Two days off duty. It felt like it was a dream. Time off, to just relax and have fun! Although tonight was boring. Here she was, sat in a semi-busy bar, alone. with all the time in the world but no-one else around to spend it with. The dabo tables got boring real quick since Quark is a complete swine and refuses to pay out her winnings. She couldn't blame him, if she was ferengi, she'd probably do the same, and charge that customer extra if they got more drinks. Which is exactly what he did to her, so all is fair in love and war. She thought about the holodecks then shook her head, smiling to herself. She had been told never to go in those holodecks, but the curiosity was almost enough alone to tempt her. As she was about to lift her hand to order another drink, she saw out of the corner of her eye some of the crew pass by. "Am i really the only Elysium member in here? This sucks..."

Liselle Qwyyn stopped mid-step, her head turning to Kara at the mention of their ship. She didn't recognize the woman, although she was only an Ensign, and the Elysium had a rather large crew. Braving a step in her direction, Liselle offered a smile. "I'm sorry, did you say you were with the Elysium?"

"Tha's right! Assistant Chief Engineer Kara Hoffman, pleased to meet you, uh" Kara paused and scratched behind her ear, trying to think of who this woman might be. "I'm sorry, i don't remember all the personnel files, who are yah?"

Liselle felt a smile cross her lips. She could feel a nervous energy radiating from this woman, and it brought back her own memories of early days aboard the Elysium. "Commander Liselle Qwyyn, Chief of Flight Control. You'll be working under Lieutenant Commander Matias Grronkil?" she asked, but then pressed on to answer her own question. "You'll like him. Very smart. Very sweet."

Kara smiled. "Oh yes, he is very intelligent. Sometimes i feel like i know nothing when he's around, but thats just lack of experience on my part i suppose."

Qwyyn waved the concern away with an exaggerated gesture. "You'll do fine. Getting the posting is the hard part. You already know that Matias wants you on his team. There's no higher compliment I can think of for an Engineer." An embarrassed smile crooked the corner of Liselle's mouth, and she shook her head, despite herself. "I'm sorry. I should be referring to him as Lieutenant Commander Grronkil now."

Kara smiled a little. "Yes i suppose, but then if he is your friend, then it is only natural to refer to him by his first name, or in the most familiar manner. Do not worry, I will maintain my professionalism. Well then, I wonder if perhaps you have any ideas as to somewhere or something we could do? Frankly i'm bored. all this time off and my engineering team will not even allow me into engineering. It's annoying, but at least they have my best interests at heart. They know i needed a rest and so did I..." She trailed off, feeling a little silly.

Liselle thought on it a moment, her lips pursed as her eyes searched her hairline for an idea. "Oh!" she said suddenly. "Have you ever been to the Bajoran temple? It's actually quite an experience. If you're into that kind of thing, that is."

"Actually, that sounds great. I'd love to see the temple! I...uh." She looked around slowly. "Well I have no idea where it is to be honest." Her eyebrows raised a little, and she grimaced a little, embarrassed that even though she could remember almost every detail of the Elysium, she had no idea where she was on this station.

Twisting slightly, Qwyyn pointed down to the other side of the Promenade. "It doesn't look too fancy from the outside," she said, "but trust me when I tell you that just being in there, standing amongst the scrolls and artifacts, can be absolutely transcendent. Last I heard, there was even an Orb in there! I'm sorry, I'm rambling. Are you into this sort of thing? Spirituality?"

Kara smiled, memories of her religious ceremony for her grandfather's anniversary spilled into her mind. "In a way, it's an old custom I suppose, i'm not entirely religious...Well that's not quite true either. It's complicated." She quipped, shrugging her shoulders, knowing that Liselle won't have any clue what she was meaning. "Never mind, let's just say i understand and appreciate religion and religious ceremonies and such, lead the way commander. It would be an honour."

Qwyyn brought Kara through the center of the promenade, dodging between the white water rapids of bustling officers, patrons, and visitors that scurried about the open cathedral that was Deep Space Nine. The foot traffic made their journey of only a few meters take nearly a full two minutes, and when they reached the threshold to the temple, Liselle breathed an exaggerated sigh of exhaustion. "Gods, but this place is busy!" she said. "I hope the temple isn't like this at this time of day!" With an open palm, she gestured the way inside.

Kara nodded respectfully and entered the Temple first. The dim corridor entranceway, was lit with real fire brazier's. Something She had never actually seen in person. She stared at one, passing her hand through the flame and as she did so, felt the searing hot pain against her skin and darted her hand away in reflex. "Ow!" She exclaimed, turning to Liselle. "They have real fire, actual real open flames? Incredible!" She gestured towards the braziers, and moved her head around, inspecting this entryway.

Qwyyn leaned in, her voice a low whisper. "You wouldn't believe how many people make that exact mistake," she said. "I almost think they do it on purpose. Come on, let's see if they have an orb on display today."

"I'm excited, yes let's go" Kara said, nursing and rubbing her hand as she walked behind Liselle.

They walked deeper into the small temple and it didn't take long for Qwyyn's shoulders to droop with heavy disappointment.

"Something wrong, my child?" A voice from an unlit corner of the room asked.

They turned to see an old Bajoran approach, wrapped in the robes of a vedek.

Qwyyn shook her head apologetically. "It's nothing. We were just hoping to see an orb today."

The vedek returned her gesture with an apologetic shake of his own. "I'm afraid we do not keep an orb on the station in the harvest season anymore. If you would like to head down to the planet...no? Well, since you are here already, perhaps I can read your pagh for you, then?"

Raising her hands, almost as if in defense, Qwyyn stepped smartly back. "Not for me, thank you."

"I see." He frowned, and turned to Kara. "You, perhaps?"

Kara tilted her head, watching Liselle back away hands rasied. "Uh, sure i guess. It would be rude to refuse. so what's this...uhh pack? Pag?" Kara was unintentionally absolutely butchering the name. "Pat? I'm so confused, sorry continue sir." She said. "What do I do?"

With a look of patient understanding, the vedek reached up and grabbed hold of Kara's right ear. Tugging. Squeezing. Hard. Qwyyn couldn't help but flinch in sympathy.

As the vedek pinched and held her ear, Kara closed her right eye in pain. Her entire face reflected an intense unqiue type of pain. "ow, wh-what...ow ow.." After a few moments, Kara felt no pain, she felt a strange feeling instead. With a light breath outwards she opened her eyes. "I...huh..."

His eyes were closed now, though there was movement beneath the lids, as though he were reading from the great text of Kara within the darkness of his own mind. "You are willful. Talented. Adventurous," he said to her. His features tightened. "Uncertain. Afraid. You lack confidence in yourself. In your abilities. Disastrous. If you do not learn to trust in your pagh -- in your spirit -- you will certainly be doomed."

And then, as though no words had been spoken at all, he opened his eyes once more and took his hand from her.

Kara turned to Liselle with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, you've done this too right?"

"Oh, yes," she chuckled. "Although I don't think I got 'the doom prophecy.'"

The vedek fixed his attention on Qwyyn. "It is no laughing matter," he assured her. He turned back to Kara. "Child, learn to trust in yourself. Before it is too late. Your pagh screams this warning. Pay it heed."

Qwyyn stepped forward, putting a hand on Kara's shoulder. "We should go."

"Agreed. I'll give it some thought vedek, thank you." Kara followed Liselle as they left the temple. "Doom prophecy?" Kara asked as they walked out onto the promenade.

Liselle waved the concern away. "Sorry about that," she said, barely managing to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "I forgot how overdramatic the vedeks here can be sometimes. I probably should have warned you." She stopped suddenly, placing a hand on Kara's elbow and offering her a concerned look. "I hope his performance back there didn't unsettle you?"

Kara thought for a moment, and shook her head a little, but her eyes were frowned in slight discomfort. "Well, no. It hasn't unsettled me, not entirely. However I do believe, that he believes what he was saying to be true. which means it must have come from somewhere. I'm not entirely religious as i said before but...usually there is some element of truth or insight into such prophecies. Or am I wrong?" Kara now turned fully, maintaining eye contact now with Liselle. "He was right, I do doubt myself a lot, and that has caused quite a few problems in my past, and some even recently."

"In that case," Liselle countered with a warm look, "How about I promise to make sure that doesn't happen? Whenever I see you doubting yourself I'll be sure to remind you of *the prophecy*" she waved her fingers dramatically for effect. "I was the one that got you into this after all."

Kara smiled wide. "Sounds good to me, Thanks Liselle."

OFF

Commander Liselle Qwyyn
Chief Flight Control / Second Officer
USS Elysium

Lieutenant JG Kara Hoffman
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Elysium