Silent Night

Posted on Fri Dec 25, 2015 @ 8:37am by Lieutenant JG Rhe'la Daughter of the Forty-ninth House

815 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Pangaea (Wrap up)
Location: Rhe'la's quarters
Timeline: MD 9 1900

OFF: This ritual dates back to my original command in Obsidian Fleet, the Tokyo. Its only canon appearance was December 19, 2006. For reference, you can read the original post at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/uss-kyushu-post/conversations/messages/681


ON:

She didn't want to, but Rhe'la had alerted her team and the senior staff that she wouldn't be available for a few hours. Commander Aldrex had started to (rightfully) protest, as there was still a situation in flux with Pangaea and the station's defensive situation. It wouldn't be helped by having the chief engineer wall herself up in her quarters.

But the timid little reptilian simply stated that she needed time to perform a cultural rite consistent with her beliefs. That put an end to that, especially when she promised that the rituals wouldn't take very long, and if a true emergency arose she would still be aboard DS5 and available.

"Computer, disengage fire suppression system within Ensign Rhe'la's quarters. Security override Rhe'la-Zeta-Omega-6-8-Epsilon."

The computer chirped in protest. +"Disengaging of the fire suppression system is not advised. Do you still wish to proceed?"+

Narrowing her eyes up at the disembodied voice, the Zarnac simply replied, "Yes, proceed. I wouldn't have given my security code if I didn't want to proceed..."

There was another chirp before the computer intoned, +"Fire suppression system disengaged."+

That was the cue Rhe'la was waiting for. While the computer went through its machinations, she had been setting a series of small candles around an altar in her living room. The altar was fairly simple, but was ornately carved by hand. The were the names of seemingly countless ancestors etched into it.

Much like on Earth, the Zarnac also celebrated their high holy days during the end of the year. It was a time to remember the dead, and to honor the Spirits of Emperors Past - the living gods who had ascended to watch over the Zarnac people from the Celestial Gates.

As she had every year since the destruction of her birth planet ten years prior, she prayed for her house to find a new homeworld. They had been little more than vagabonds, crammed into freighters since the evacuation of Deridous IV back in 2382. Her grandfather would regularly address the leaders of the great powers of the Alpha Quadrant to ask them for a planet to settle on. Over the years he had spoken to Grand Nagus Rom of the Ferengi, the Klingon High Council, the Romulan Senate, the Gorn Imperator, and of course - yearly summits with the Federation Council. At every turn, the politicians had expressed sympathy for their plight, but always said they would take the matter under advisement.

It was the meetings with the Federation that hurt the most. Deridous IV had also held a Federation colony, even though the Forty-ninth House had been there first. Those colonists had been relocated years ago to a planet now called New Deridous. After the original Deridous colony had been founded, it was attacked by the Zarnac Empire in an attempt to annihilate the Zarnac exiles. The Federation had ultimately pledged to protect them, and Rhe'la and her cousin An'ta had joined Starfleet. But apparently that protection didn't extend to actually giving them a place to live.

With a weary sigh, Rhe'la lit each of the small candles. Usually she had An'ta with her, and as the elder cousin he had led the prayer. Now, she was alone to perform the rituals. She hoped she would do it right, lest she anger her ancestors.

"As we await the dawning of another cycle, I humbly ask that you allow our family to find a home to call its own, so that we may regain our honor and our way of life." She spoke quietly, her eyes closed as she knelt before the altar.

Pulling a small dagger from a sheath on her hip, she sliced into the soft scales on her hand and allowed the blood to drip into a small metal bowl. "I have little to offer, and thus hope you will accept my meager pittance." With that, she used a small scrap of cotton cloth to wipe the blade clean before returning it to the sheath. Silently, she twisted the cloth into a wick and placed it into the blood filled bowl. Picking up the largest candle, she used it to light the simple blood candle.

Breathing in the smoke from the candles, her eyes drifted over to the window. She could see Pangaea orbiting beneath them. The blue and green orb was beautiful in its own way. She had passingly thought that maybe she would suggest to her grandfather that they could settle there, but it seemed like a pipe dream; the great powers were already clamoring over who would stake a claim.
OFF

Ensign Rhe'la, Daughter of the Forty-ninth House
Chief Engineering Officer
Deep Space 5

 

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