LT Gila Sadar - A Could-Have-Been Home, for Both of Us

[LT Gila Sadar]

(( Civilian Transport Ship 'Mei Dong' - On approach to Bajor, Bajor Sector))

Gila looked on the planet below rapidly approaching with a certain amount of apprehension. Bajor itself held no trauma to her - she’d never visited the planet, at least not in this universe - but she remembered what little she’d heard of the alternate version of her people from the universe plagued by the Shint menace. In that reality, her people - the Mizarians - had been conquered, the Home of the People destroyed and her entire civilization uprooted and moved to Bajor to serve as a slave caste alongside the battle-weathered natives. And in another universe, a version of Gila that had grown up in that reality, grown up in Bajoran slums and enslaved from when she was a child barely old enough to start schooling, still roamed.

The First Mizarian Murderer.

But despite Gila knowing this information, hiding it away in a folder in her mind for posterity, Bajor held no negative connotations to her. It was, however, the source of great anxiety to her dear friend standing beside her, watching the cradle of her civilization approach them from below, her face set in a weary expression that Gila was sure made an appearance on her own face multiple times a day.

Vailani: Thank you for coming with me. I don't think I could have done this on my own, I was going to ask Luxa but she still refuses to talk to me. 

Gila placed a gentle hand on Vai-net’s arm, affirming in touch as well as with words that she was there. Just as she knew Vai-net would be for her in this situation.

Sadar: She’ll come around.

Vailani: :: shrugs :: She's stubborn and hurting. 

Vai-net’s head moved, her eyes seemingly trying to find something to distract her from what was about to ensue on the planet’s surface.

Vailani: This can't be your first time visiting Bajor? I can't wait to show you the Jalanda Forum. It's a reconstruction of the original forum that was destroyed during the Cardassian Occupation but it's still beautiful :: assured:: You'll like it. 

oO Typical. Even on a day intended for her, she still does this. Oo

Not that Gila didn’t appreciate it - in her experience, Vai-net was a singularly competent guide for sightseeing - and Gila would adore being shown around Bajor by someone who actually knew what they were doing. 

Sadar: I’m sure I will. I’ve read a lot about the Bajoran Occupation at the Academy, and quite a few excavations were available for the Xenology courses... I-I didn’t take any, of course. But it sounded interesting. ::brief pause:: Bad habits, I suppose.

Vailani: I don't think I ever asked, what made you change your career? Historian to doctor, it's a huge change? 

Gila felt cold grip her heart, her elation at the prospect of visiting archeological digs inevitably uncovering hidden wounds, festering in the dark, unattended by the healing light of day. It was a hurt still too raw, still too shameful. Gila no longer safeguarded the knowledge of her previous profession with the same vigor as she had when she was an Ensign, and it was practically impossible to hide it from Vai-net, but it was still not something she liked to talk about.

Not even with her dearest friends.

Sadar: Th-That’s, uhh... ::looks away::

Gila didn’t make excuses. Not because she didn’t feel bad about stonewalling Vai-net, but because she knew that her friend - who so valued her own privacy - would understand.

Vailani: If you ever want to talk about it … I'm no counsellor, I'm probably not even that good a person at these types of things but I can be there. Listen, I mean. If you need it. I get what it's like to not live up to expectations. 

Sadar: ... Thank you, Vai-net. M-Maybe, some day, I can-

A scratching sound interrupted Gila as the intercom above their heads came to life with a guttural static, signifying that they were reaching the last leg of their descent.

Announcement: =/\= Attention: On approach to Bajor. For all visitors due to disembark by shuttle, please report to Shuttle Bay 1. For those who are scheduled for transport to the surface, please report to your designated transporter room. =/\=

Vai-net touched Gila’s arm, causing her to look back down. There was something uniquely hesitant on the Bajoran’s expression, uncharacteristically vulnerable, that made Gila’s stomach turn into knots.

Vailani: Time to go. 

Sadar: Right behind you.

oO That’s a promise. Oo

((Transportation Hub A-29 - Jalanda City, Bajor))

Gila shuddered off the transport blues as she and Vai-net materialized on one of the numerous platforms in an on-world transportation hub, and immediately, before she even realized that her body was once again re-assembled, Gila’s understanding of the world was dominated by bustle. Sounds, moving bodies, smells and loudspeakers yelling out orders and arrival times all overwhelmed her senses, and she found herself utterly incapable of determining where her attention had to go first. 

Vailani: This is even busier than Ferenginar.

Gila couldn’t do anything but agree as the two of them hovered closer together. If there was any place Gila would be likely to lose sight of her friend, this would be the place.

Sadar: It’s... N-Not what I- ::gets jostled:: Ow!

Clearly deciding that Gila and Vai-net were taking too long to stand and gape on the platform, a large Bajoran man started pushing them off of the platform, evidently preparing for the next batch of arrivals.

Hub Staff: Safety! Now move it! 

Vailani: Come on Gila. 

Vai-net provided Gila with a beacon, a walking guidepost for her to follow blindly, as she attempted to follow Vai-net’s trail as closely as possible.

Sadar: Th-This does remind me of the Aerodome on Ferenginar, now that you mention it...

Vailani: It's a little different from Ferenginar. Bajorans aren't as reasonable to deal with. Speaking as a Bajoran. 

Sadar: ::slight smile:: Less marriage proposals though.

Vai-net didn’t have the chance to respond to Gila’s gentle barb, as they finally came out from the main thoroughfare of the Transporation Hub, seeing a small oasis on the outskirts of the traffic rush. The oasis belonged to a woman who could be no one but Vai-net’s mother, who’d eked out a place for herself by force in the form of two rather sizable bodyguards.

Vailani: :: to herself :: I can do this. I can do this.

Gila placed a hand on Vai-net’s back, a silent agreement that, yes, she most certainly could.

Pol: Response

Vailani: Response

Gila performed a half-bow towards the Bajoran woman, realizing that she was an oddity, but satisfied that no one in their right mind would consider Gila someone that they needed bodyguards against.

Sadar: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Pol. I consider your daughter a close friend.

Vailani/Pol: Response

Sadar: ::awkward shuffling:: Umm... I-It’s very crowded here, m-maybe we should find somewhere, uhh... Less so, to talk?

Vailani/Pol: Response

TAG/TBC

Lieutenant Gila Sadar

Medical Officer

USS Artemis-A

ID: A240006GS1