First Secretary Keehani Ukinix - Principles
Wil Ukinix
((Athania's School, Grand Mezzanine, Amity Outpost))
Through glassy eyes, she studied Ceciri, before addressing the whole group.
Keehani: I held an ideal of an independent Betazed within the Federation.
A semi-autonomous state, achieved through legal and political means, backed by the majority of the Betazed population.
But others in my group had much more extreme ideas, and resorted to violence.
I threw away my ideals after what they did to me, and to Wil’s grandmother, who was a victim of the terrorist attack.
::Visibly crying, shaking head:: I’m sorry, Wil, I’m so sorry.
::Half composing herself, taking in a deep breath:: Lieutenant Ariadust, you are right that throwing away your ideals, your principles will end in failure.
Sometimes that is necessary. I would not be part of this Outpost were that not the case.
I have no drink, but I express thanks by ringing the gong in honor of Altha, the Betazoid spirit of Peace and Stability.
She of course had no gong; it was a figure of speech.
It was a Betazoid tradition to ring a gong during a meal to express thanks.
She looked over at Wil, who was sitting forward in his seat staring ahead, his hands pressed into a triangle covering his nose and mouth.
Paarus: Thank you for sharing, First Secretary. If I may, I'd like to share my perspective.
Keehani gave a nod, rubbed her hand through her hair, and then went and took a seat next to Wil.
Through her glassy eyes she looked at her cousin, who was still holding his face in his hands.
After a few second Wil seemed to nod to himself, before he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.
There was a mix of emotions that he seemed to be feeling that she couldn’t make much sense of.
Regardless, she patted his hand as a gesture of thanks, and nodded with a slight smile.
Iko: ::whipering:: Go roomie!
Keehani switched her attention to Ensign Paarus, the new Bajoran operations officer who had only been with Amity a short time.
Paarus: I am Bajoran, obviously... just look at my nose ridges. My people have a long and complicated history. We separated each other into strict social castes, D'jarras. While Bajor was a peaceful society, it was not an equal one and many people suffered simply because of their family name. Then the Cardassians came and spent 50 years standing on the neck of Bajor. They stripped Bajor of its resources and attempted to destroy Bajoran history. The caste system was abolished while all Bajorans were called to resist the Cardassian Occupation. Bajorans had a common enemy and that united my people in ways that we could not have imagined. After the Occupation, there was some discussion of bringing back the D'jarras, to return to our traditions as Bajorans, to reclaim our culture. It was under the wise leadership of Shakaar Edon, the First Minister elected to office after the Occupation ended, that we learned to embrace equality. This ultimately led to Bajor's joining the Federation and thus generating vast amounts of opportunity for all Bajorans. I believe we are better off without the D'jarras. Some may say it was our divided society that created the opportunity for the Occupation. Sometimes we must look to the past in order to know the future. ::raising his glass of wine:: May lessons of the past help us know our future.
Keehani watched as Paarus returned to his seat, and sat next to Iko. They young Klingon-human hybrid showed a smile on her face – but Keehani sensed that the security officer’s emotions didn’t match that smile.
Iko: good job.
Paarus: Thanks. ::rustling in his seat a bit::
Wong: Both Paarus's and Keehani's talks are rather enlightening, humbling and brave to hear. I feel honoured that you have been able to share that with us today. Regrettably, I really can't add much myself. I was just a little kid when the Dominion War
was active. My mother never shared her wartime experiences with me either.
Ariadust/Kivik: Response
Keehani sensed empathically that Bec’s emotions seemed to overwhelm her.
Even Wil seemed to look in the direction of the young Klingon hybrid, who seemed to be shuffling in her seat.
Paarus: ::discreetly to Bec:: Are you... ok?
Ukinix: ::Quietly to Keehani:: What’s going on with Bec?
Ariadust/Kivik: Response
Feeling a tide of emotions wash over her, Keehani instinctively began to sit forward to reach out to Bec to check on her welfare.
But it was too late.
The young ensign threw her glass of wine onto the floor.
It shattered into pieces; the wine spread out in a two-dimensional red splash.
Paarus: Oh no, Bec. Let me help you. ::getting up from his seat and walking carefully over to the broken shards:: Did you cut yourself?
Keehani immediately stood up and made her way over to Bec.
Keehani: Ensign?
Ariadust/Paarus/Keehani/Kivik: Response
Wong: Miss Iko, are you alright?
Iko: It's fine, nobody panic, I got this all unded control, i just accidentally dropped it, thats all, continue!
Keehani shared a brief concerned glance with Wong, and then with Wil.
She discreetly shook her head, to signal to Wil that it was far from “accidental”.
Wong: Ah sorry. The discussion. Lieutenant, are we allowed to expand upon a topic?
Keehani watched as Wil made his way over to the replicator.
Ukinix: ::To replicator:: Sponge.
Ariadust/Paarus/Keehani/Kivik: Response
Chaos seemed to ensue. Bec was frantically trying to clean the mess, but not in any effective way. Keehani could sense how busy Bec’s mind was.
Iko: yes i'm ok.
Parrus: Hey, Bec ::trying to get her attention:: what's wrong?
Iko: I'M FINE!
Keehani: oO She’s clearly not. Oo
Over her own thoughts she “heard” Wil’s only thought.
Ukinix: oO Awkies. Oo
Keehani temporarily furrowed her brow. What as an “awkie”?
Paarus: Sorry, Bec. I'll give you some space.
The CMO understandably had other ideas.
Wong: Ensign Iko, are you alright?
Ariadust/Kivik: Response
Everyone went quiet when Bec clasped her hand over her mouth.
A few seconds later she ran out of the room.
A concerned Keehani called after her?
Keehani: Ensign Iko?
Ukinix: Bec!
Wil made his way out of the venue and poked his head out of the door, to see where Bec was going.
Paarus: Well, that was... something... ::stammering a bit and trying to collect his thoughts:: Ah, thank you... um, Cerci - I mean - Lieutenant Ariadust, for hosting this - um - forum? conference? - it was... um... ::quizically looking at the
faces in the room:: cathartic? Maybe less wine next time... I'm going to go find Bec.
And with that, true to his word, Ensign Paarus spun on his heel and left.
Wil made sure to give the Bajoran room to leave.
Wong: Is everyone else okay?
Keehani placed a hand on her hips, and blew out through her lips before grabbing a nearby bottle of wine.
She screwed off the top,
before raising her eyebrows momentarily and taking a swig of wine straight out of the bottle.
Ukinix: ::Gesturing to Keehani:: What she said.
Wil took a large swig out of his own wine glass.
Ariadust/Kivik: Response
Wong: Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything.
Ukinix: ::Swirling wine glass:: Given tonight’s proceedings so far, something stronger than this.
Keehani nodded in agreement, then took another swig from her wine bottle.
Ariadust/Kivik: Response
Wong: Sorry I didn't wish to interrupt.
Ariadust/Kivik: Response
Keehani: I just hope that Ensign Iko is OK.
Ukinix: I’d like to address Ceciri’s original story, if that’s alright with everyone.
Ariadust: Response
Wil made his way to the podium, and waited for everyone to take their seats before he spoke.
Keehani placed the wine bottle down next to her feet, before crossing her legs and clasping her knee.
Ukinix: I was only a few years old during the Dominion War, I don’t really remember much other than Mum being at Starfleet HQ a lot.
Dad and my grandparents told me years later they were worried about the war, but they tried to show lots of love and optimism towards me.
They didn’t throw away their principles.
Even though there were some in the Federation that were ready with that stupid bioweapon.
But now that you’ve raised it, it makes me wonder.
If the Federation fell, and I survived, would they have kept those principles?
If they did, how would I have turned out?
And if millions did, would good eventually come to them?
I honestly believe – yes. If you know you’re doing the right thing, and you feel that in your heart – good will come.
Here’s to - ::raising empty glass:: - ooh hang on - ::Reaching over to wine bottle and topping up glass, before raising it again:: - here’s to my family who didn’t abandon their principles.
Keehani raised her bottle in agreement. She was born during the Dominion war.
Her parents were resistance fighters, and died when Keehani was 3 only days old.
Somehow Keehani was delivered back to her grandmother, who raised her.
She never abandoned her principles either.
Even though her and her cousin were literally raised worlds apart, it was comforting to know the newer generations of the Ukinix family had never abandoned their ideals.
Ariadust/Kivik/Wong: Responses
Tags/TBC!
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First Secretary Keehani Ukinix
Amity Outpost
Federation Diplomatic Corps, United Federation of Planets
V239511WU0