Your war is over. . .
Posted on Sun Sep 1st, 2024 @ 10:23pm by Lieutenant Jasad Yuvek
1,513 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
The Nursery
Location: Cargo Bay 2 - USS Tokyo
Lieutenant Jasad Yuvek entered Cargo Bay 2 while the the Cardassian crew of CUV Getav gathered. Cargo Bay 2 wasn't the largest of the Tokyo's spaces, but it was a significant size that was large enough to hold a gathering of the entire surviving crew of the Getav.
From the back of the Cargo Bay, Lt. Yuvek saw Gul Symar standing on the elevated platform as she addressed her crew of Cardassians. Off to her right stood her Executive Officer, Glinn Mossim, who stood at the head of the crew formation, facing the Gul and intently listening.
In the weeks since the crew had come onboard, they had managed to convert the Cargo Bay for the crew's usage. Even now, Lt. Yuvek could tell that the atmospheric controls had been adjusted to Cardassian comfort. Even the lights had been reduced to a level that was much more convenient for Cardassian vision.
"...you all have served honorable during these trying times." Gul Symar said to her gathered troops.
"When we departed, it was 2373 and the wind was at our back." The Cardassian leader said. "We have forced out the Klingons from our borders and destroyed the terrorist scourge of the Maquis. There seemed to be nothing that Cardassian could accomplish in this quadrant or the next." He said as he took a moment to enjoy the memory before he continued with a less enthusiastic tone.
"But then we encountered some spatial anomaly that transported us not just across light years of space, but time as well. When we exited that spatial breach, it was 2386 and we had found ourselves trapped in the gravitational well of the planet that would be our unfortunate home for the next 10 years." He said with complete memory.
"We fought, we struggled, but most importantly we endured on that planet!" Gul Symar nearly shouted. "Even though we lost our fellow Cardassians we never lost our Cardassian spirit nor resolve." Gul Symar said
"And I promised you that we would escape that planet and return to our home of Cardassia." Shee said evenly. "So now we face a new challenge. . .heading home." She said solemnly.
"...what home do we have left?" A voice said somewhere in the formation. There was an immediate, but suffocating silence that followed throughout the gathering of troops.
Gul Symar paused for a moment before she responded. Ordinarily she would have tolerated such a lack of disruption while addressing her troops. However, she recognized that the question was valid and deserved a response.
"In the twenty-something years since we left our home has been devastated. . .pillaged. . .and nearly broken." Gul Symar said as she maintained eye-contact with each of her subordinates. "But we have an opportunity, but most importantly the obligation to rebuild what we have lost!" She said with passion in her voice.
"We will rebuild our families, we will rebuild our academies, we will rebuild defenses, we will rebuild our home!" he said
"FOR CARDASSIA!" She shouted.
"FOR CARDASSIA!" The gathered crew members shouted in response to their commander.
Gul Symar allowed the chant to continue for several more moments before she raised her hand again to silence the formation.
"We are due to depart from this Federation installation within the next few days and return to Cardassia Prime for our debriefing. Until then, you all are to report to your Platoon Commanders for further assignments." She dispatched.
Gul Symar came to a position of attention, and presented for a final salute to her troops before dismissing them.
Gul Symar stepped down from the podium and signed off on a padd handed to her from another Officer before turning her attention to Lt. Yuvek who had continued to stand idly by in the back of the assembly.
"Jasad, I certainly expected you to be enjoying your. . .what is it that you Commander called it: your...shoreleave?" Gul Symar said as she approached the younger Cardassian.
"I'm...not really one for being idle." Jasad responded to the Cardassian Gul. "I've spent the past several weeks sitting around. Once you get past the being stranded and cut off from civilization, the weather on the planet was actually very pleasant." The Starfleet Helmsman said.
Gul Symar laughed abit. "I guess you're right. A part of me will actually miss the gentle warm breeze that just coming just off the eastern horizon in the morning." The Commander commented.
"I actually wanted to see you all off before the CDS Vorag arrived to ferry you all back to Cardassia." Lt. Yuvek said. "It was a pleasure to serve with you all and escape off of that damn planet." He added.
"I appreciate the sentiment, Jasad. But you and I both know that you would be in better service to Cardassia in a Cardassian uniform. Not this. . .costume your Federation handlers have put you in." Gul Symar said with disgust in her voice.
Jasad and Symar had had this conversation several times before. However, it was always under the fog of being stuck on a planet with very little hope of getting back to Federation or Cardassian space. But now that now that the prospect of returning home had been realized, the tone of the conversation had become much more serious.
"I have a job and it's onboard this ship. I'm obligated to this crew the same as you are to yours." Lt. Yuvek retorted.
"Oh don't you dare compare the obligation you have to your people to some contract you signed when you came onboard this ship!" Gul Symar pushed back.
Lt. Yuvek stared at the elder Cardassian for several moments. A part of him agreed with her. But another part of him recognized that Symar grew in a different era of Cardassia than he did. Jasad grew up in the aftermath of the Dominion War. When so much of Cardassia laid in ruins and its people were broken from wars with the Klingons, the Federation, and then the Dominion.
Gul Symar had only seen a strong and rising Cardassia. A Cardassia that had expanded its borders, destroyed the Maquis, and had joined the Dominion. All Cardassian had known was victory.
But Jasad had seen what the cost of war was when your side lost. The millions dead, the constant food shortages, and the overall destruction of the Cardassian spirit. Jasad knew that the real way to rebuild Cardassia was through learning to work with other races, not by trying to conquer them.
"How long will we always reach for the sword to protect our people instead of holding a shield?" Jasad asked solemnly.
"This uniform may seem like a costume to you. But to me, this is how I will rebuild our people so that we will never have to depend upon the charity of another race again, nor will we worry that or borders may be breached by a hostile enemy." Jasad said pointedly.
"Ma’am..." Jasad said, looking to the Cardassian's eyes while trying to find the right words to say. "You've been fighting for so long that you don't know any other way for our people to exist." He added.
"Your war is over." He said conclusively.
The two Cardassians stared at one another, taking measurement of the other, for several moments before Gul Symar finally sighed and shook her head. "It is of some comfort to see that that your time with these Humans hasn't stripped you of that Cardassian stubbornness and dedication to ones work." The Gul said with a wry laughter.
"Fine, I'll let you be. . .for now. But some day soon you will realize the truth to my words and you will return as a son of Cardassia." She said as he extended her hand to the Helmsman.
"Perhaps. . .but that day won't be today, sir" Jasad said respectfully as he accepted the hand and shook it firmly.
Lt. Yuvek was about to say another word when his comm unit came to life.
=/\= Starbase 234 Communications to Lieutenant Jasad Yuvek of the USS Tokyo =/\= came the rather dry voice over the comm unit.
"One moment ma'am," Lt. Yuvek said as he stepped away from the Cardassian and tapped his chest. "This is Lieutenant Yuvek, go ahead."
=/\= Lieutenant, you have received a priority message informing you that your shoreleave has been canceled and you are to report back to the Tokyo for active duty immediately. =/\=
Although Jasad and decided not to leave the station, he still was curious as to what was the cause of the abruption orders.
"Is there a particular reason given?" He asked.
=/\= Negative, Lieutenant. The only additional instructions you received were that you were to report to a staff meeting at 0800 tomorrow morning. Nothing further follows. Communications out. =/\=
With that final piece of information the Comms officer closed the channel, leaving the Helmsman to stand and wonder just what was about to transpire.
Gul Velat Symar
Commanding Officer
CUV Getav
Lieutenant Jasad Yuvek
Chief Helmsman
USS Tokyo
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