Two Bajorans Walk Into a Bar

Posted on Sat Feb 3rd, 2024 @ 4:35pm by Chief Armoury Rormu Yazlin & Laurier Cami

Mission: Fractures
Location: SS Mary Rose - Bar
Timeline: 2397
1309 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

It was Jeassaho who first let slip to Cami that her title of 'only Bajoran on the ship' was about to expire. Although not an official one or even something most people probably thought about, the notion that another Bajoran was joining the crew had Cami's interest more piqued than usual. Who are they? What kind of person will they be? The questions she pondered as the few days passed only grew. In some ways, she had started to invent a person in her own mind, but she figured waiting around the only bar on the ship would eventually result in their paths crossing. So she hoped.

One of the paths that Yazlin always made sure to explore quickly was the one that led to the place where one could find a decent meal and drink. The Bar on the Constitution class had been that place of refuge for her even in her first days there. It wasn't usually busy, but there was always someone happy to make her acquaintance and share a drink. When she entered the bar this evening she saw an unfamiliar face that filled her with familiarity. The new security chief subconsciously reached for her d'ja pagh, perhaps to find a moment of reassurance. She'd been in security drills for most of the day and in such times she usually took it out to prevent injury to herself or her team.

She approached the other Bajoran without too much further hesitation and greeted in what she hoped was a common language, the Vedek Assembly Standard Bajoran. "Hello, surprised to meet a fellow child of the prophets here." She held up her hand so the backs of their hands could meet in a traditional Bajoran greeting, "I'm Rormu, Chief of Security."

There was an obvious moment of hesitation on Cami's face before she returned the greeting. "Cami. Engineering." Her answer was much more soft and tentative than her usual belligerence; anxiety over this initial exchange already creeping in. "Welcome to the Mary Rose."

"Thank you. What are we having?" Yazlin took up a seat next to the Bajoran engineer and took a closer look at the earring. For those more scholarly it would be able to tell a lot about the person wearing it. To Yazlin it just told her she was at least dealing with someone at least slightly spiritual.

"It's a little early for springwine, but I think there's some Deka tea knocking around if you'd like?" Quietly she knew that few non-Bajorans had a taste for it, hence there being a supply that didn't seem to go down. "If I wasn't on the end of a shift I'd see if there was any hasperat left in the fridge. Sometimes you need that little reminder of home, right?"

It was always weird to her to talk about early and late on a spaceship. It was so arbitrary. That said Deka tea did sound very appealing. "Please." She leaned on the counter, wondering what to ask or tell this other Bajoran. There was always a sense of familiarity when you came across someone of your own kind, especially in the vastness of space. "What made you leave Bajor?"

"A lot of things, honestly," Cami replied, signalling for the herbal beverage. "The Vedeks...the pace of life...things are just a little more exciting out here on the fringes, don't you think?"

"Much more exciting. I think after 60 years of 'excitement' Bajor was longing for boring." Yazlin shook her head at that, the people that came before them had fought tooth and nail to assure their offspring wouldn't have to and yet here they sat, on the edge of Federation space, looking for trouble. "Not us though."

"So, a fellow adrenaline junkie?" Cami stirred the tea, noting the mild irony of doing so in spite of the way the conversation had turned. Feeling a bit more relaxed now, she continued, "I guess I should ask you the same question you asked me; what's a girl like you doing in a crate like this?"

"I wouldn't describe myself as that, exactly." In Yazlin's mind it wasn't because of the rush or adrenaline. When she first set out into the quadrant it was mostly to bring spoonhead war criminals to justice. Nowadays it was less clear cut. The lines blurred and the contrasts changed to shades of grey. "I joined the militia hoping to be able to make a difference, I ended up babysitting a patch of dirt in Lasuma. When we joined the UFP I was able to dissolve my enlistment and got recruited by a mercenary outfit."

"Was it one of the good ones?" Cami asked. "Because, y'know, there are some pretty bad ones out there too. I've heard the stories."

"Everyone's the hero of their own stories, right?" Yazlin commented. The nature of mercenary work was that sometimes it was difficult to see through the black and white propaganda and find the true colours of the situation. "Hunted down some spoonheads. Provided personal protection for high placed individuals. We took our guidance from the Prophets." The man that had recruited her was a Bajoran himself, and quite religious at that.

"Hmm." Cami nodded, quietly approving of the methods, if not the part about their guidance. "I must admit...I don't really feel like I get any guidance from the celestial temple these days. It's nice to know some people still do."

"The prophets work in mysterious ways." Yazlin took another sip of the tea, it wasn't like she was actively recruiting for the Vedek Assembly either. She stared at the warm liquid in her cup, the distorted visage of a grizzled Bajoran merc staring back at her. "You'd think they'd take better care of their people sometimes."

"Why do that when they've got the lovely Vedeks to do that for them," Cami sighed. "Sorry. I...used to be a little more respectful of those ways. I just...life happens."

"And then when it doesn't, we try and find it ourselves." Another sip of the tea, "wonder what it would've been like if I did make the transition to Starfleet when the militia was integrated." Rormu admitted, there was of course the big question as to whether she'd be able to keep with the higher standard in the fleet as compared to the thinly spread militia.

"Ugh. I could never manage Starfleet. All their rules, regulations and 'yes sirs'." Cami made a little face and shook her head sharply. "No thanks. If being a kid on Bajor taught me one thing it's that I'm definitely not one for rules. That's something Starfleet and the Vedek Assembly definitely have in common..."

Yazlin hadn't had much close encounters with the Vedek Assembly. The credibility of the institution had become a bit more shaky due to the fall-out surrounding the mysterious disappearance of Kai Wynn. There were quite a few theories, most of which involved collusion with former Cardassian Gul Dukat. She wasn't big on politics, but it was one of those huge things that nobody on Bajor could avoid. "Did you join the Assembly or were you left there for other reasons?"

"It was a monastery, away from the big cities. The Vedeks there were a little more traditional. Life and soul - but not in the fun way, if you know what I mean." Cami chuckled.

It was clear the other Bajoran didn't want to talk about what landed her in the care of the Vedeks. "Oh I know, I follow the teachings much more than I follow the teachers."

"Too much following," Cami sighed. "I prefer to set my own path, you know?"

Yazlin nodded, she could accept that. It's what brought them both here to this posting after all. "I'm guessing this ship is full of people forging their own path."

 

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