: : : : : : : Mardusk made a dismissive face. “Your experiences are founded in exposure to other cultures, species, and worlds. You have seen the best and worst of what sentient beings can offer to a civilization. And through all that exposure, your have kept a hold on what makes you… well, you. I don’t know about anyone else, but if I were a spiritual man? I would want the leader of my faith to know about and been exposed to other cultures and species. Makes for a more well-rounded leadership that is open to dialogue… not just ‘This is the way and that’s it.’ kind of thing. And as far as being ready?” and he laughed. “No one is ever ‘ready’. You were in Security, right? You should know that better than most. You just do the best you can with what you got, and hope it all doesn’t go sideways at the last minute.”
: : : : : : :
: : : : : : : Mardusk, CoS
: : : : : :
: : : : : : He was absolutely right, even if he was missing the nuances of what she had meant by her experiences. In many ways, the Dy’allan survivors on Satalla had it probably easier than her in terms of reconciling what it might mean to return to Molaida. For Relann it was too mixed up in violence- violence the others had not experienced.
: : : : : :
: : : : : : She smiled softly. “You’re probably right. I can’t help but feel protective of them, after everything. We’re just clinging to what’s left of our society. So much was lost and there are parts that we really need back, while others we can live without and adapt.” Her expression turned into a lopsided grin. “Maybe there is room there for a long-distance Cleric, after all.”
: : : : : :
: : : : : : Fell-Drayke, XO
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: : : : : “One of may favorite musicians of all time is human from many centuries ago. His name was Joe Strummer. He said in one of his songs ‘Guide the lost as a beacon, but remember to let them set their own course. Your harbor may be safe, but your harbor ain’t always theirs.’ Societies are fluid. They change and adapt, or they fall into history. I guess you just need to decide what your role in that choice will be.”
: : : : :
: : : : : Mardusk, CoS
: : : :
: : : : “That is very true,” Relann said with a nod. Then she eyed Mardusk rather intensely and intense. “Are you always this philosophical?” it wasn’t a trick question- just simply a curiosity that might inform other questions.
: : : :
: : : : Fell-Drayke, XO
: : :
: : : “When I need to be.” he said with a smile. “Most Security officers get caught up in black-and-white rigidity. ‘This is right, this is wrong.’ kind of thinking. That limits your perspective. It limits your ability to assess and come to a realistic view. I know I can’t change reality. Things are how they are. But what I can do is make sure I see them as that, not as how I want them to be. The best solution to an issue is one grounded in fact, not conjecture or desire. You take what reality gives you, and do your best with it. It’s all we can do, right?”
: : :
: : : Mardusk, CoS
: :
: : : : : “Absolutely,” Relann said with a nod. “But there are times when I have had nothing more to go on but Faith. Some might call it instinct, but I know what it is for me. Whatever you want to call it, sometimes it leads us to actions we don’t fully understand or can even analyze properly until well after the situation is over.”
: : : : :
: : : : : Fell-Drayke, XO
: : : :
: : : : “ ‘Go with your gut.’ is how my Mom always put it. She’d catch flak for that approach sometimes, but when you have Admiral pips, people tend to let it slide a bit.” he said and laughed. “I’m not a religious man by any stretch, but I don’t fault anyone their own beliefs… as long as it doesn’t impose itself on others. But no matter what you call it, sometimes we just have to do what we think is best, and hope that turns out ok.”
: : : :
: : : : Mardusk, CoS
: : :
: : : “Tell me about your family, if you don’t mind. You said your mother is an Admiral?” Relann asked curiously, finding that she and Mardusk seemed have a fair amount in common. It was nice to be able to have a conversation like this and she knew that a lot it was finding herself open to them once again. Now that the old trouble had [assed, she just felt more… free.
: : :
: : : Fell-Drayke, XO
: :
: : Gravel shrugged his massive shoulders and scratched the back of his head. It seemed the topic made him a bit nervous, but his response held no trace of defensiveness. “Not much to tell, really. Yeah, my Ma is Admiral Toyas Mardusk; she’s the head of the Star Fleet Division that works with Federation Colonial Development. My dad died when I was just a baby. It was him… well, a file left by him to me, actually… that got me into music. My mom and I moved all the time, the joys of being a Fleet brat. I didn’t even know where I was born until I was seven. Turns out I was born on Earth Space Dock. Mom went into labor coming back from a site visit.” and he laughed a bit. “She said my dad flipped out, because he thought he was going to miss my arrival. He made it just in time, though at the expense of a Fleet Security officer that thought he could stop a charging Orion by saying ‘Stop.’” and he laughed out loud. “That guy is actually my godfather!”
: :
: : Mardusk, CoS
:
: Relann laughed lightly. “I always love how those things work out,” she said with a grin. “My adoptive parents live on Earth, so that’s where I settled after I fled. My father is Vice-Admiral Jerome Cates and he’s semi-retired these days. He’s actually the first Starfleet officer I encountered at Starbase 87. Poor man couldn’t understand half of what I said to him because it took years for the Universal translator to be able to fully translate my native tongue,” she said with great fondness.
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: Fell-Drayke, XO