How the Cardassian crawls...

Posted on 20 Jul 2016 @ 2:11pm by Lieutenant Benice Gyce Ph.D. & Lieutenant JG Eelim Galan

1,183 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: Brig Office, USS Galileo
Timeline: MD 19 Just before Gamma

[ON]

Galan had rehearsed this a thousand times. He rang the chime to her office and waited. He'd made a butt of himself. When she called for him to come in. He stood off to the side where she could not see him and dangled a paper sign that said SORRY.

Gyce's reaction was probably not one most on the ship could predict. When she looked up from her supply request form, the Bajoran could only laugh. Genuine. Not mocking, but a laugh of pure amusement.

"You're not the first person the make drunken overtures at me, Lieutenant." Gyce finally spoke with a bit more ease, then pointed to the empty chair. "If I promise not to breath fire upon, will you sit down a moment?"

He poked his head in and grinned. "Sure." He walked into he office and sat down in front of her desk.

"How often do you drink?" Gyce asked in a non-accusative manner.

Eelim was mortified! He flushed with embarrassment. "Hardly ever." He sighed. "I better start a the beginning I guess."

Gyce nodded to that suggestion while she maintained a passive stance with the situation.

Eelim sighed. "Just before my shift I'd learned that a good friend, someone who was more of a friend and father to me then my own, had died. I was okay through the shift. I always leave personal stuff at home. Been good like that. After shift I knew I had a day off the following day so I decided to just ...I don't know." He rubbed his eyes. "I think that I only drank that much twice in my life. The first was when Luma Teprin...My fiancée's father was killed and this was the second time."

Gyce was not used to hearing Cardassians having sympathy for her people. The slight shock of his explanation was visually there on her face, if only for a few moments.

"I see..." Gyce cleared her throat and leaned back in her chair so she could look at the man. Damaged goods - as damaged as most Bajorans around her age would be.

The silence lingered a few more moments before Gyce finally spoke again. Soft, calm, and with sympathy.

"The second resistance cell I was part of, had a bioagent sprayed on us. Your people still deny it happened, but it did... Long story short, is that I was the only one in my cell that did not become paralyzed from event." Gyce pulled out some dried jumja slices from her messenger bag to chew on. "Long-term paralysis takes its toll on a body... And since many of those people no longer have living family, I too have dealt with similar loss each year it seems, as their Power of Attorney - Pneumonia, mainly, from the slightest chest colds that feed on helpless bodies."

The snacking was clearly mechanism to hide her pain. Most of it. The pain in her eyes and the sympathy in her voice told the man in front of Gyce that she more than understood about loss.

In fact, it did more than did that. It spoke of her bravery in the face of odds no one should be dealing with. It managed to break his shattered heart into smaller fragments. He noted that she too ate when she was in pain. At least her jumja was healthy. He tended to go for chocolate.

He caught her eye. "I am so sorry," he shook his head. "I'm sorry that you've been tasked with that, that you have to go through that. By all that is sacred in this universe woman do you know how brave you are?" He stood and paced frustrated. "Because of the arrogant self serving egotistical idiots, you have to live with that pain." He turned to her unshed tears in his eyes. "I have no words." Went and knelt by her chair taking he hand in his and bringing it to his forehead. He'd learned this from a Bajoran Monk. It was a gesture of surrender, sorrow, and a plea for forgiveness. "I'm so sorry," he muttered.

This was why she did not speak much of the resistance. Even to Lirha, when they were a couple. The reactions from many caused Gyce to feel awkward. Most of all, she did not want pity.

Despite this, Gyce allowed Eelim his moment of weirdness before she politely took her hand back. Very much unlike his dictator father and impossible to hate because of it.

"My circumstances are not your fault, Galan... But the sentiment is appreciated," Gyce told him politely. "My point, however, is that life gives us many difficult challenges. How we tackle them, shapes us... And as much as you've drunk while in these states could easily turn you into a long-term alcoholic. Which is why I simply suggest that you find a positive in these tough situations to rise above them in a more positive means."

Eelim stood up. He returned to his seat and sighed. "Just call me Eelim...I never felt comfortable using his last name." He thought for a moment. "You're right of course but like I said I only have been drunk twice in my life. Once when I was 20 and now. Other then that I don't usually drink." He caught her eye again. "Thank you for staying with me and for helping me back to my quarters....and please tell me I didn't ask for a lullaby."

"We all do silly things while impaired and distraught," Gyce spoke with understanding. "And the people in this department are good folks. You could make a lot of friends here easily."

He smiled. "Yes, I know they are exceptional. In my whole Starfleet career I've never felt this welcome anywhere. Truth is I don't know how to make friends. I'm a Cardassian, usually stuck in a hole when I come on board and I just keep my distance. Here...people are trying to include me its..." He looked around as if watching for someone spying on them. "It's frightening....a bit. I'm scared I'll say something to mess things up." This woman really had become like a counselor but that's not why he spoke to her about this he really respected and liked her.

"We're good people," Gyce confirmed. "You just wont find me in the middle of any social circles here. For my job, as this small ship's sheriff, is to be objective. It's a tricky line for me to walk - friendly, yet observant."

He smiled. "You walk it well ma'am." He clasped his hands, "Now what would you like me to focus on this shift. Anything I can help you finish?"

"Constantly test our security for weak points. See if sentient error or automated surveillance needs upgrades," Gyce suggested.

"Yes ma'am!" Eelim stood and headed out the door.

"I'll leave you to it then," Gyce smiled with a wave of her hand.

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Benice Gyce
Chief of Security and Tactical
USS Galileo

&

Lt. (JG) Eelim Galan
Security and Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

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