The Dragon Cometh

Posted on Sun Mar 1st, 2020 @ 5:24pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Horus Yamaguchi & Fleet Captain Marie Yamaguchi & Lieutenant Colonel Tienn Nerra

Mission: Mission 34: Between Two Fires
Location: Various Locations - USS Dreamcrusher
Timeline: 1100Hrs - June 23rd, 2391

Captain Tienn 'Havok' Nerra walked into the lounge as she decided she wanted a human dish for her evening meal, upon entry she looked around as she spotted a Cardassian wearing a Starfleet uniform, the Bajoran woman blinked as a lot of memories came rushing back to her, it was seldom she ever encountered a Cardassian wearing the uniform.

What happened to her eldest sibling before her eyes was a rather ugly incident, both of them had been forced to kill a Cardassian guard that had been intent on taking something that Tienn Ezas was not prepared to part with, it had cost both of them a great deal. Also, she was reminded of a fellow officer who had given her a reminder of respect for the uniform and the man or woman who wore it. Aabrak Duka

Tienn went over to the replicator as she ordered a pizza and a pitcher of soda with ice, she then went over to a table but as expected the Cardassian had spotted her wearing her armor plating rather than her regular duty uniform.

Horus's paranoid side had been kicking on as he noticing the Bajoran entering the lounge. He'd been on the receiving end from plenty of hate from that species since long before he'd joined starfleet. He'd found it was better to get it over with and deal with them straight away rather than let any hate fester between them. Picking up the half finished soup he walked over to the Bajoran women. " Excuse me Captain, is this seat taken.

Tienn indicated the chair across from her with her thumb. "By all means...Chief." she inquired gently. "Why are you here?" she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt first rather then publicly humiliate him.

"The USS Stalingrad is here, dropping off a consignment of supplies and I'm here checking out the local lounge," Horus explained. "After my wife told me to go enjoy myself... " he explained.

"No... How do you come to wear the uniform..?" Tienn inquired.

" A very long story my dear spanning many years and hardships." Came his reply as he leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes were alert but the smile on his face was genuine as opposed to the slick and syrupy smile she had seen on Cardassians. "Do you always go armed?"

Tienn raised an eyebrow as she plucked a slice of Pizza from her plate as she took a bite. "I do actually." the small Bajoran responded with a smile. "Oh I'm more then just a simple grunt Chief."

"Indeed... that's good to know Captain." he nodded his head in a gentle bow. "Rather skilled individual I see. You remind me of my wife. Doesn't seem there anything she can't do." Horus smiled, he clearly liked to talk about his family as Tienn recalled that Cardassians naturally held great stock in their families.

Tienn raised an eyebrow. "Ahh... handles a Bat'Leth and a paintbrush with the same amount of skill." she commented, no snideness whatsoever in her tone. "What happened to her?" Tienn was suddenly curious

"Oh, she's presently on the USS Stalingrad... I don't think she likes commanding her though.."

"Your wife is Captain Marie Yamaguchi..?" Tienn paused. "No... I actually don't believe it." the smaller Bajoran woman responded. "But... I am curious about her..."she admitted. "Whats she like?"

"Well, Marie and I met through the office of displaced persons." Horus explained. "I was a refugee and she had just missed Christmas with her family, so I asked her out for coffee... She introduced me to real food and not the garbage that passes for Cardassian cuisine."

Tienn blinked. "You'll forgive my surprise at that statement.."

"I get it often actually." Horus explained with a smile. "Marie was... a little slow to pick up what I was putting down..."
he explained. "I liked her as I was making the best of a bad situation, helping people as best as I could."

"What do you do Chief.... aboard the Stalingrad that is?" Tienn smiled

"I'm a Medical Specialist... I also spend time as a Surgeon's Aide.." he paused. "I find my work deeply fulfilling." he added quietly. "I've found a place where I can belong... I had no criminal record and I saved a few dozen Federation POW's from being murdered by the Dominion.." he sighed softly. "Marie's CO was kind enough to allow me to enlist in Starfleet and once all of my documentation checked out, I stuck in a request to follow Marie to her next posting, considering she was pregnant with our first child, I made a promise.... to never leave her side..."

Tienn raised an eyebrow as she heard the story, she also kept her silence as she regarded him, a small smile playing on her face. "Now thats just romantic." she commented with a smile when he finished his story.

"I seldom meet a decent Cardassian, Lieutenant... If only more were like you..... this galaxy would a better place."

Aabrak gave a weak smile as he finished his soup and placed the spoon in the now empty bowl. "Thank you. I will admit I've done things I'm not proud off, said things i regret but i think of myself as a good man. A good father. If you don't mind me asking how did you end up here? "

Tienn raised an eyebrow as she felt herself going down memory lane, she explained. "Well I was originally from the southern islands... my family was relocated thanks to the Cardassians... they wanted my mother as a .... comfort woman." she frowned in distaste. "One evening, a Cardassian guard wanted something my eldest sibling, Tienn Ezas was not prepared to part with and so he tried to kill us both, her and me....we have no choice... we had to kill him.... while struggling with her, I was able to grab his phaser and I shot him with it." the Bajoran Marine explained. "Oh course I didn't have a clue as to how a phase worked but Ezas did.. she took the phaser and vaporized his body.... it didn't help that most of the Bajoran's nearby had to go into hiding... the Cardassians killed ten Bajoran farmers because of that... my sisters went into the resistance... my father and I joined them.... starting me on the road to where I am now."

"I'm sorry." Came the Cardassians reply. " I never agreed with the occupation or what are forces did. All I did was sit in a lab on some base but I knew I was part of that abomination."

Tienn raised an eyebrow, it was still twenty plus years ago since the end of what happened and it still brought feelings of anger and rage to many people now as it did then. "It matters not." she commented. "You have a human wife and children.." she shrugged. "Your apology is not mine to accept and its also not yours to give..." she paused. "But at least you did something good about it..." Tienn knew he meant well, but he didn't owe her an apology. that's why she said her statement. she knew that ugly things happen in war, good people die and evil people live to do more evil deeds, but the reminder that she's finding out that there are decent Cardassians out there.

Horus regarded Tienn "Thank you lieutenant it is nice to meet a Bajoran who doesn't treat me as if I eat babies. I hope we can be friends going forward.?"

"I'd like that.." Tienn admitted. "you remind me of a guy I knew named Aabrak Duka from my last posting."

"Aabrak Duka... I know that name..." he paused. "Isn't he Starfleet Intelligence?"

"He is... and I still talk to him every now and again..." Tienn admitted. "I should head on back to work."she smiled. "You take care of yourself and your family Chief."

"I intend to Tienn." as the doors opened and in walked a human female, wearing a red uniform and wearing the Captain's rank. "Ahh, here is my date.." Horus said with a smile. "You don't mind... do you?"

"Nah. Go be with your wife.... and reward her for her patience and her love later."

"Oh I will." and with that he rose before he gave her a traditional Bajoran farewell, he said it flawlessly in High Bajoran, this revelation left Tienn stunned as she had no idea.

"Horus" Marie greeted her Cardassian husband with a gentle hug and a kiss on the lips, it was done quite deliberately as this human was happy with her husband and she was sticking all in the lounge on notice that not every Cardassian was an evil person. "Lets eat.." Marie commented. "The babysitter is looking after the kids for us."

"Sounds good to me." Horus responded. "Yeah. Lets eat."