Posted by Civilian Ana Caputo (Governor’s Chief of Staff) in Live from the Government Tower

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Live from the Government Tower

Posted by Civilian Ana Caputo (Governor’s Chief of Staff) in Live from the Government Tower
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Eddie noted her smile. “A Masters degree is impressive. Way farther than I went. Thirteen years working on starfleet ships and stations. Do you ever miss your practice?”

-Eddie

She thought about it for a moment, giving the question it’s due consideration. “Not per say. If my career had ended there, perhaps I would, but as it turned out, after going through a rather difficult set of experiences, I found myself feeling how short life was and that I was ready for something bigger, and so with support and encouragement from a mentor I did my command training. I overlapped as ship’s counsellor and Second Officer for a little while before I was assigned to a new ship as the first officer. And thus began a different chapter of my career. But rather than moving past my psychology background, I used it to inform the kind of leader I wanted to be, how I made decisions, how I interacted with my crews. And I did the same thing when I took this job here on Oed. The experiences of being a therapist, a commanding officer and a diplomat have all come together to give me the basis for the work I do now.” Professionally it was always how she had been. It was on the personal side where things had gotten a bit mucked up… apparently.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“All those experiences, all the training, when you look at the population of OED, how do you think people are doing with so much going on these days?” Eddie continued onward into the main area of interest for the interview.

-Eddie

She smiled. “You know, I’ve only been here a few months but it’s been interesting getting to know the overall atmosphere of the colony. I arrived right in the middle of a bit of chaos and so I’ve also got to see how the people respond to different issues. My impression, my read of the whole of Oed is honestly mixed. People definitely feel some trepidation about the upcoming diplomatic talks, and there is a lot of uncertainty and even fear, especially from those who have longer and experiences on Oed where they have had reason to be afraid. So it’s very understandable. But there’s also a curiosity and level of compassion for the plight of the Vren. And that’s only one issue that’s been going on too. Umm…” Eela paused, gathering her words as she ventured into an area that she knew she couldn’t and shouldn’t avoid. “I’ve… had some really lovely interactions with people in the aftermath of my personal.. drama shall we say. For all the negative comments, there were far more supportive ones and I’ve had a couple personal interactions that have been very meaningful. And all that tells me that on the whole, the people of Oed have a care and compassion that we need to do everything we can to encourage and cherish, because at the end of the day you can almost always judge a society by how they treat vulnerable people. What I’m seeing and feeling is that despite the legitimate concerns and fears, people here truly will support those in need. And that is something to be proud of.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“I can’t argue with that. Do you think you receive a different treatment from the ordinary because you hold a high station within the Colony? How do you think colonists look at government?”

-Eddie

“Well, as much as I like to think I’m approachable, the constant security does sort of scream ‘keep your distance’,” she said with a light laugh.

“But my experience so far has two sides. There’s the part where people respect the office, if not the person, and I had to earn that respect and trust. It wasn’t given automatically. So yes, when I’m out and about, there is a… space between myself and many people, that is frankly both strange and familiar as a former commanding officer. I am used to it and it’s a part of the job. But the flip side is that I have gotten to know many of the people here simply by frequenting places. I’ve made unexpected friends that way- people very dear to me, in fact. And when I go to the farmer’s market, which I love to do regularly, there are many vendors that I now know personally and we have great chats. There, even though I can never not be the Lieutenant Governor in public, I get to be just Eela for a little while and I get to properly connect with people. And that is everything, especially for me, especially as a Haliian.”

She was truly enjoying this conversation and even the tougher questions hadn’t really fazed her so far. She appreciated Edie’s style and felt they had a good rapport building.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“So if you could go anywhere you wanted- participate in any part of the colony in total anonymity as just another citizen, do you know what you would do? Or do you enjoy being known and visible?” Eddie followed a line he hadn’t really planned on, but thought the listeners would enjoy.

-Eddie

Eela inhaled slowly, giving the question not only her full attention but also the thought it required. “You know, when I was therapist I got used to doing more listening than talking. That still is true most of the time. But as I dig deeper into some of the things I’ve bene dealing with in my personal life, I realize that I tried to shy away from the spotlight even when I was in it. I think I was afraid to be seen, for lots of different reasons. But now? It’s not so much that I enjoy being visible, but I’m forcing myself to be so and get comfortable with it. To be my whole self, whatever that looks like at this point in my life, and let everyone see that. There will always be parts of me that I reserve for when I’m away from the public eyes, but I like to think that the Eela that you all see on a day to day basis is me at my core. And as I wade through some difficult things I suspect you’ll get to see more of her. She’s a pretty colourful person and I think she has a lot of wonderful things to offer.” It was nice to sit back and truly speak of herself in such kind terms after so long of having a questioning (and often unkind) internal monologue.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.