Two Bajorans, One Lunch
Posted on 04/15/2020 @ 8:09pm by
Mission:
S1E2: The Plomeek Soup Conundrum
Location: USS Crazy Horse, Officer's Mess
Timeline: Day 5 at 1145
Tahlin entered the mess and spied her target. Grinning to herself, she moved over to his table and sat her self down, showing him the dish she was carrying. "Mind if I join you and spice up your lunch a bit?"
Ilos had sat alone with a simple salad and water, but that was out of habit more than anything. He welcomed having company, and following their conversation during phaser training, the offer was too tempting. "Please!" He looked at the food and had to make a conscious effort not to drool. "Is that..."
"You bet... Ilentha, sauted in a bit of salt and pepper... And,"--Tahlin took a small bottle from her bag--"Just a little Bajoran spring wine... I'd been saving this. Not sure what it'll add to your lunch, though I suppose a taste of home is enough." She uncovered the dish and then poured the man a glass. "Enjoy."
“Thank you so much!” Ilos smelled the wine and grinned. It had been too long since he’d enjoyed a glass of the fragrant kava wine. This one was a pale blue variety, which Tahlin couldn’t possibly have known was his preferred kind. He lifted his glass to her. “To new adventures with new friends?” he suggested as a toast, though he’d said it in Bajoran.
"Of course..." Tahlin sniffed at her own glass, then they clinked. Tahlin sipped it and gave the older man a grin. "Tastes like home."
"That it does," Ilos agreed after sipping his own drink. "Where on Bajor are you from?"
"The capital... More or less... My parents moved there after the Occupation to take advantage of new opportunities... When I was fourteen, my mother, brother, and I moved to Musilla... Just after the incident with my father..." She looked off into space a moment, lost in memories. "It was difficult, in Musilla--one reason I joined the Fleet, though a long way down the list. I could stand the scrutiny... Mostly."
Ilos nodded as she spoke, eating his delicious Ilentha. "I'm from a small town in Janitza Province, myself. After mother died in the Cardassian mines, my father went to work in Jalanda City. I was twelve and had to care for my little sister, who insisted on getting into as much trouble as possible." He sipped his wine again. "When the Cardassians left, I enlisted in the Militia, and then after the war with the Dominion transferred to Starfleet. I thought I could do more out here than back home."
"That's fair... The Bajoran Militia can seem a bit... Provincial." Tahlin let out a small laugh at her poor humor. "My father tried pushing my brother into it, and that didn't work so well... Probably for the best--my brother and his husband are very successful at what they do. One designs holograms, the other sells them. In fact... That parrot we have in the lounge is one of their designs. Prototype, and we're a test-bed for it."
"I was wondering about that parrot," said Ilos. "The Militia was good to me, and for me, don't get me wrong. But it stopped being a challenge, and I could tell how limited my effects were. And I wanted to get into mental health as a profession, and Bajoran ships still don't have counselors." He took another few bites. "So what other holograms do your brother and his husband produce? Anything I might have come across?"
"Well... Technically, they're independent contractors, but a lot of their products go through Zimmerman and Barclay... I think they worked on elements of that new holodrama of the Vulcan Reformation... What was that title--
“I’ve seen that!” Ilos said. “My trip back from New Bajor took a long time. It was on the entertainment system. It wasn’t clear if it was meant to be a romance or a historical drama, but it succeeded at both.” He picked a bit more at his food. “And it wasn’t quite as risqué as some of Zimmerman and Barclay’s other love stories. Which was good; I wasn’t in the mood for that during my trip.”
"Quite..." Tahlin shuddered as if remembering something. "A Klingon friend of mine said one of their holographic Klingon operas was... Well, the language she used was quite... Colorful... Anyway, how is the colony doing? I've only been there a couple of times, and its been a few years."
“I won’t say it’s thriving,” Ilos answered, “but it’s doing well. It’s struggling to find colonists who want to brave the Gamma Quadrant after more attacks. But the farms look good. The soil there was almost perfect for Kava and Pooncheen trees, and they’ve started having success cultivating local fruits.”
"If I ever retire from Starfleet, hopefully meet someone compatible, I'd seriously think about living there... Unfortunately, none of my past partners have been the farmer type... Still, when I visited, it seem peaceful, open, and prospering."
“Well, I wouldn’t worry about finding someone compatible,” Ilos offered with a grin. “I’d be surprised if you didn’t receive your fair share of romantic invitations.” He gave her a wink and sipped his wine again.
Tahlin blushed. "Thanks... Er, yeah, a few, but... Its been a while... What about you?" She tried to cover up an awkward silence now.
"A while for me, too," Ilos answered. "I barely had time for anything besides work and caring for my sister for the past three years. Near the end, she tried to get me to go on dates, and I went on a few, but none worked out."
"Mmm, I understand... Last time I was on leave, my brother tried to set me up with a friend of his. Turned out his friend was a Bolian, and while he was pleasant enough, I'm just not attracted to Bolians. They do make lovely scarves, though."
“Maybe we shouldn’t trust our siblings with that sort of thing,” Ilos suggested. “They often have good intentions, but sibling rivalry can persist in unconscious ways. I’m sure Ayko wants to see me happy, but laughs at me for a failed date. And I’d do the same, I’m sure.”
"Oh yes, although in my case, we've pretty much shared everything about our romantic lives for years... I had to help hide my brother being my brother from our father... I think you can surmise why."
"Indeed," Ilos replied as he finished his delicious Ilentha. "It's a good thing he had a sister like you to support him. I would have thought Bajor had evolved since the end of the Occupation, but still far too many young Bajoran lives are lost to suicide when their ultra-conservative parents don't accept them for who they are. I've seen too much of it first-hand during my service."
His mind flashed back to the teen girl from rural Rakantha Province who had been admitted to the hospital in Jalanda where he had been volunteering. Kimo Suku. Her mother followed the teachings of a Vedek similar to Tahlin's father, and spoke much hate against those who loved those of the same gender. Suku, who unbeknownst to her mother was homosexual but kept her sexual identity hidden, one day couldn't take it anymore and tried to end her life with pharmaceuticals. She nearly succeeded if not for her younger sister Irda, who called for medical intervention just in time. Ilos was there when Suku opened her eyes days later. He helped counsel her in the days after the woke up. And when she was ready to leave the hospital, he'd helped make sure Suku and Irda didn't need to return to their mother, despite still being minors.
Suku never did fully recover, the drugs having done some small amount of permanent brain damage, but Ilos checked in with her periodically, and knew that she was in good health. But all those years ago, she had helped him see a darker side of his homeworld and further pushed him towards serving the mental health needs of people everywhere.
"I'm sorry," he said, realizing his mood had gone a bit cold. "Dark memories coming back."
"No, its all right.... I had a Klingon friend in much the same situation... More than friends, for a time." Tahlin blushed. "I know you can't reveal specifics, but were you able to help them?"
Ilos nodded. "Thankfully, yes." He actually owed Suku a message; he would send her something later.
He raised his glass, with just a mouthful of spring wine left in it. "To those who made it out of bad situations, and in memory of those that didn't."
"To kin, non-kin, and memory," was Tahlin's response. It was a small line from one of Bajor's greatest poets, and felt appropriate to the situation.
Ilos clinked his glass against her. "It's been too long since I've read the classics."
"My mother's influence, I'm afraid. She ran a bookshop in the capital, and went on doing so when we moved."
“Important work,” Ilos commented. Providing books to anyone who wanted to read them was a great way to support your family and both a noble and profitable business. “We never got that level of exposure to the works of our best writers and poets. Mother was a mine supervisor until she died. Father worked in an office in Jalanda, both for the Cardassians and then later for the Provisional Government. My sister runs an import/export business, getting New Bajor goods into the hands of customers, and procuring goods the colony needs.”
"That must make her a popular person, and someone good to know... Does she have family--children?"
"Not yet," he answered. "She started dating someone a week or two before I returned to Starfleet, but that's all. What about your brother? Do he and his husband have any kids?"
Tahlin laughed. "As a matter of fact, we discussed that very thing while I was en route to the Crazy Horse. I think they're intending to go through with something soon, though I couldn't tell you specifics. My brother-in-law is very private, and I would not ask my brother to tell me anything, even with our close bond. My mother's been pushing them for grandchildren for a while now, though. She and my father had children somewhat later than average, so I think she feels its something she needs."
Ilos nodded, considering himself a moment. He was already ten years older than either of his parents were when they had their youngest. “Tahlin, I really enjoyed this lunch. Would you like to eat together again sometime? Maybe I can try making something from home for you? Dinner one evening? My sister taught me how to make a risotto using a grain from New Bajor that I happen to have a few servings of.”
"You're talking my language. Maybe we could get some growing in the hydroponics bay, so you don't have to sacrifice all of it? ... That sounds lovely..." Tahlin rose and stretched. "Lets just hope things with the Blackwell go smoothly."
"Bridge officers to their stations, please," came a voice over the comm system.
"Talk of the devil... Better go."
Ilos nodded and stood. He gathered their collective dishes to bring them to recycling and walked out of the Mess with Tahlin. “I’ve been studying the profiles on those the Blackwell is carrying. Be safe over there.”
"Thanks... Regardless if I go over there or not, thank you."
A post by:
Lieutenant J.G. Lae'Or Tahlin
Chief of Security and Tactical
USS Crazy Horse
And
Lieutenant JG Toran Ilos
Chief Counselor
USS Crazy Horse
