We Can Be Civilized, Can't We?
Posted on Mon Oct 18, 2021 @ 8:19am by Commander Caleb Ryan & Civilian Hydel Turvan
2,045 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: Gino's
Timeline: MD 8
Gul Natomi Kyren sat inside the high-backed booths of the restaurant and reviewed the menu before her. She sighed to herself as she continued to scan the menu. Human cuisine never appealed to her. It seemed as if there was no uniformity put into their meals. Every subculture within the Terran population made a simple meal in completely different ways.
Was it flame broiled or simply grilled? Eaten raw or cooked over several hours? There was no rhyme or reason to it. It all just seemed as if the culinary experience was more important than the efficiency in feeding a population. She really was not that much focused on the meal items before her. She chose this particular restaurant because she knew that it would appeal to Caleb Ryan in a way that simply sitting in her office would not. Moreover, dragging him to her office to speak would do nothing more than just remind him that it no longer belonged to Captain Soran.
She looked up just as the holodeck doors opened and he was escorted into the fabricated restaurant by two security troopers. She stood and extended her hand to immediately greet him as he made his way towards her table.
"Mr. Ryan, a pleasure to see you," the Cardassian gul said with a warm smile.
Caleb had done what he could to make himself halfway presentable. While confinement to quarters allowed him some amount of comfort and amenities, the Cardassians had reprogrammed his replicator to provide only basic, bland sustenance, and confiscated his clothing so he could only wear drab grey tunic and trousers. He had kept up shaving, his five o’clock shadow remaining, but his hair was starting to look like it needed to be cut.
Mag-cuffs held Caleb’s hands together in front of him, and he limped noticeably as the Cardassian security deposited him into his seat. He looked around Gino’s, noting the themed decor for the week. “Tex-Mex. A taste of home,” Caleb noted, unable to keep his mouth from watering. He nodded to Gino behind the bar. Charlotte stood near, waiting to serve, her hands anxiously working the colorful red dress she wore with a low cut white blouse that left her generous cleavage on display and her shoulders bare. He gave the blonde a reassuring smile and looked around as he rubbed his injured leg a bit. “How ‘bout a margarita, Charlotte,” he said. “Top shelf. Ah’m off duty.”
Charlotte started a bit and looked at Gul Kyren, though Gino was already pulling down the good tequila from the shelf.
There weren’t too many customers in the restaurant. Things still hadn’t returned to normal on the station, people preferring to remain in their quarters rather than run afoul of the Cardassians occupying the station. The added presence of the Cardassians in the place didn’t help attract more customers. Caleb lounged back in his chair, settling a level stare on Gul Kyren. “To what do Ah owe this pleasure?” he asked.
Gul Kyren shook her head in disgust. "Get these off of him," she said. "Now!" The urgency in her voice showed her aggravation with whomever made the decision to shackle the man and bring him to her in this condition. She watched as one of the guards hurried over and unsealed the mag-cuffs, releasing the Human's wrists. He quickly slunk back out of the senior Cardassian's eyesight.
"I'm sorry about that, Mr. Ryan," Gul Kyren said as she took her seat back in the booth across from him. She raised her hand and gestured towards the holographic waitress to comply with Caleb's order for an alcoholic beverage. "I'll take a glass of Bordeaux merlot, thank you," Gul Kyren said to the surprised expressions of the holographic staff, and even Caleb himself.
“Terran wine?” Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow. “Ah’ve only met one Cardassian who liked any Earth food.”
"I did a tour of study at a Starfleet facility during my time in the Cardassian Military Academy. I managed to pick up one or two habits during my studies there," she said as she straightened her uniform and studied the Human. "How are you holding up, Caleb?" she asked, emphasizing the use of his first name.
“We’re on a first name basis now? Ah’m at a disadvantage. Ah don’t even know yours.”
"Look, I wanted to take this opportunity for us to talk to each other, as one commander to another commander," she said, her pacing slow, as if she was studying each word before it left her mouth.
"I heard about what happened between you and Gil Tesaan,**" she started. "Regardless of his emotional state, that did not give him the right to violently lash out at you in the fashion that he did," she said. "There's no reason we cannot be civilized to one another."
“Ah, yes. Make sure ta tell Tesaan Ah owe him one,” Caleb said. They’d fixed the beating he’d been given, enough to hide the evidence, anyway, though Sickbay would have the records. “Let’s see how he does when he doesn’t have his Xi’Cadian attack dogs holdin’ his opponent down. Thank ya, darlin’,” he said to Charlotte as she brought over their drinks. He sipped his marguerita. “Tessan made it clear Ah ain’t no commander anymore,” he pointed out, “so Ah’m not sure what it is Ah can do for ya’ll, Gul Kyren.”
As her glass arrived, she took a sip and savored the drink for several moments before looking back up at the Human. "Natomi Kyren. Considering the situation we find ourselves in, I don't see why we have to rest from complete formality," she said with an open tone. "As far as Gil Tesaan is concerned, I will ensure that he is properly disciplined," she said, this time with a more somber tone.
"Ryan, I'm sure you don't have a positive view of me or the actions of my people, but I wanted to look you in the eye and tell you that we do not want war with your people," she began. "Contrary to the boastful ideations of..." she said, with her voice trailing off as she tried to find the right word, “certain individuals,”" she eventually found herself saying, "a protracted engagement with your people would not benefit either side," she added as she took another sip.
"I've earned my command not by being some battle-hardened, shell-shocked, combat-junkie like other guls," she said. "I understand the importance of diplomacy and seeing others as friendly rivals, not as deadly adversaries." She leaned forward and looked Ryan directly into his pupils. "More lives have been saved with a word and out-stretched hand than could ever be saved with a disruptor," she said as she leaned back and took another slow sip from her glass.
“Got a funny way of showin’ it,” Caleb said, “comin’ in here shootin’ up mah station an’ mah people. An’ now ya wanna start soundin’ like Legate Darhe’el?” He wasn’t sure what name dropping the head of the Eighth Order Home Fleet would accomplish for him, but she was known to be one of the more Federation friendly members of the Cardassian military from her time serving as the military liaison to the Federation occupation forces after the war.
“Where were ya’ll before ya started shootin’ up mah Marines; explain yerselves ta the families of the crew of the Atlantis.”
Gul Kyren took a deep breath as she contemplated her next words. She was present overseeing a series of tests on board the Warship Dar'heel in support of Project Oasis. She had managed to hack into the Atlantis' computer system and activated its targeting routine, which prompted the Xi'Cadian vessel to open fire in apparent self-defense.
"The incident involving the Atlantis was unfortunate; however, all independent reports show that the vessel crossed into Xi'Cadian territory and was given ample warning," she said, omitting significant portions of what took place. She did what she believed was necessary to keep the Federation from discovering the project before it was ready.
"Look, Caleb, we could sit here all evening and go back and forth about which incident led to the current state of affairs. In regards to your Marines, they have still refused to properly lay down their weapons and surrender. We have no desire to operate a prisoner camp on Pangaea," she replied. "We are on that planet's surface for one purpose: Scientific research," she added as she took a sip from a drink and allowed the statement to settle into the Human's mind. "Is that really so hard to believe?" she added.
“Considerin’ that ya’ll were invited ta the scientific colony like everyone else? Yes,” Caleb said. “Ya’ll already had scientific access ta the colony. An’ the Marines are only doin’ there thing ‘cause ya’ll prevented communications with the planet. They couldn’t get mah instructions,” he reminded.
Gul Kyren, "Fine. We are willing to open communications to the planet's surface so that you can order your Marines to lay down their weapons and properly surrender," she said in a careful tone. "Once they have received your instructions, that should put an end to this unpleasantness, wouldn't you agree?" she asked.
Caleb chuckled. “Mah ancestors were from Texas, Gul Kyren,” he said. “Yeh ever hear of a little place called the Alamo?”
"Yes, from what I've studied, one side was hopelessly surrounded by a much more superior force. Instead of negotiating a dignified surrender, they decided to throw their lives away in a show of bravado," she said in a deadpan tone. "I hope you and those under your command do not make the same foolish mistake. I'm sure your daughter would hate to see that as well," she said in a more hardened tone.
“Ah, but their sacrifice bought time for the rest of the Texas army ta be organized an’ inspired them as they kicked Santa Ana back across the border,” Caleb pointed out “Ya’ll’re stuck here far from home with little reinforcement. Our fate may inspire the Federation ta action.”
"I've tried to be reasonable with you. For your sake and the sake of your subordinates," Gul Kyren said in a much more cold and official tone. "You can stop a lot of pain and suffering before it occurs by giving us the authorization code to Starfleet's research into the portals on the surface," she said. "Otherwise, we will have no choice, but to extract the information from your research staff by any means necessary."
Caleb’s eyes narrowed back. “They won’t know it, Gul Kyren,” he said. “Portal information was kept in a strict, contained circle due to the nature of the phenomena. An’ access would have been scrambled as soon as they realized what was happenin’. We cain’t let that sort of information ta be available to others. They may even have wiped the information completely.”
Gul Kyren gestured for the other security troopers to come over and take Caleb away. She had grown tired of his obstinance. She knew that there was some way to get the information related to the portals. She was willing to resort to any necessary measures to get it.
As Caleb was taken and led away from her, she spoke up from her chair. "Oh, Caleb?" she said in an informal tone. "The number of your people that survive this engagement will be directly related to how useful they prove themselves to be. You would be wise to remember that," she warned him.
Caleb glared back at the gul. “Mah people know just how useful they’re supposed ta be,” he reminded. “Ryan, Caleb Morgan. Commander. Serial number 558-69-7212,” he rattled off.
She merely waved her hand, signalling for the security troopers to take the Human back to his quarters. It was clear to her that more deliberate efforts would be necessary.
** - http://ds5.org.uk/index.php/sim/viewpost/1724
Gul Natomi Kyren
Administrator
Deep Space 5
Commander Caleb Ryan
Formerly Executive Officer
Prisoner #45577
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