WHO: Amilyn Holdo & Jadzia Dax WHEN: Tuesday, evening WHERE: At a bar on the ship. SUMMARY: Amilyn & Jadzia have a drink. WARNINGS: Minor discussion of war, drugs, slavery.
Amilyn had been taking her time since arriving here, opting to get to know people here and there, strike up a conversation and hope it led to more. She was giving Leia some time to get used to Solo's arrival and the fact that Ben was here. It meant that she had more time herself to explore the ship, wherever they ended up in ports, and everything in between.
With freshly dyed hair - she opted for a royal blue after the silver she wore at the ball - she slipped into a bar and made her way up to order a drink. Something fruity, perhaps with a touch of sour, she thought, as she glanced over the menu and made her selection. She turned, movement just out of her line of sight catching her attention, and spied Jadzia Dax, the woman she had recently been chatting with on the network.
"Jadzia," she called out, her voice melodic but loud enough to carry. "Won't you join me for a drink? I was hoping to run into you. I'm interested in learning more about your Starfleet, and your home planet. If you have the time and inclination, of course."
Jadzia was accustomed to living on a station with fairly close quarters. Being on a cruise ship was similar, and it was nice that there were so many amenities to choose from. Every so often she half expected to turn around and find Ben or Kira or any of her other friends. She actually missed Quark’s ramblings and attempts to swindle her out of all of her latinum. Life wasn’t quite as interesting with them around, but she knew how to find her own fun without them.
Ever since finding herself on the ship, Jadzia had taken to exploring every nook and cranny she could access. She would have liked to have explored the engine room, but previous conversations indicated it would be unwise to attempt that. Instead, she used her scanner to learn more about the materials on the ship. It was strange, however, because the scanner couldn’t detect what any of the materials were made of. That didn’t happen often and it made her think of the Gamma Quadrant and all that was still left to explore there. She missed her life back on Deep Space Nine, but she also loved a good adventure.
Jadzia had been disappointed to discover the bars on the ship didn’t have any of her usual drinks. However, being a woman of curiosity she was open to something new. She had opted to try a cocktail called a Negroni and was pleasantly surprised. She had been chatting with another passenger when she heard her name. She turned to look in the direction she heard the voice and then offered a pleasant smile. “Amilyn, hello. Absolutely, I have plenty of time.” She smiled to the other passenger and bid them a farewell before going off to take a seat with Amilyn.
"We all do, don't we?" Amilyn mused lightly. She glanced at the drink that was already in Jadzia's hand and then motioned for another round for each of them. "I have always appreciated the idea of a vacation," she continued, unprompted, "and yet I have learned that when given the gift of unexpected free time, I have no idea what to do with myself. It's quite out of my routine, you see. Or at least out of the routine I've been following these past several years. If one can consider war and a fleeting rogue military routine."
She smiled, her lips pressed together into a thin upturned curve. "Were you at war with your Starfleet?" she asked.
“It would seem that way for now. There’s no telling when we’ll get off this rig.” She responded with a little grin. Jadzia let out a little chuckle. “I’ve learned to allow some free time into my schedule, whether planned or unexpected. I believe it’s important to let yourself have some time to do whatever you want, without having to worry about work. There’s this fantastic planet called Risa that I like to visit every so often. It’s really more of a couples retreat type of planet, but going solo can be fun too. Although Deep Space Nine had several amenities much like this ship, so there were plenty of amenities to take advantage of in my spare time.”
Jadzia considered her question, “Technically speaking, there wasn’t any single war going on. There were occasional disagreements and civil wars elsewhere in the galaxy. Deep Space Nine was more of a hub for shuttle transits. Although not long ago we did make contact with the Dominion and I’m afraid that we might not be able to make peace with them. They seem to be a very… violent and stubborn collective.”
"We aren't always on a cruise ship," she said with a sigh. "I arrived to a place called Tumbleweed, on a planet called Earth. We were removed from there, where the majority of the community were the displaced yet we led rich lives of work and play, a balance perhaps, to here, which is more play than work. Unexpected crises excluded." Amilyn sipped her drink and shrugged lightly.
"A lack of peace in the galaxy at large is a dreadful thing," Amilyn said, aware that her statement was an oversimplification and an understatement. "We have been fighting against tyranny and oppression for much too long, and I miss the short periods of peace that we were afforded before the rise of the First Order. I have to admit that it is better to be here, without that overbearing influence, and have an opportunity for life."
“Ah, yes, I’ve seen that place mentioned on the network,” Jadzia said with a nod. “I’m familiar with Earth. There’s one in my reality as well. Starfleet trains its personnel in San Francisco, California, which is also on Earth.” Jadzia stirred her drink before taking a sip. “I prefer a nice balance of the two.”
Jadzia nodded in agreement. “Everyone’s idea of freedom is different in various worlds. Unfortunately, this Dominion doesn’t seem all that interested in forming an alliance with the Federation.” It worried Jadzia, even if outwardly she seemed to be conversational about the topic. There was nothing she could do while in this universe, certainly not hundreds of year before that time when she shouldn’t even be alive yet. “It seems a nice change overall. Although I do miss the excitement that comes with living on the station.”
"I had never heard of Earth before. As far as I know, it's not a part of the galaxy I'm from. Then again, the galaxy is a bigger place than anyone can fathom, so I don't rule anything out." She smiled at Jadzia.
Amilyn considered Jadzia's statement on freedom for a moment, thoughtfully. "It's odd, isn't it, that while a concept of something like freedom ought to be simple, universal, even, and yet each person has their own definition and understanding of it. The same can be said of many intangible concepts, but not much impacts every aspect of our lives such as freedom does."
Jadzia offered a considerate nod in return, “Looking back at past posts on that network, I’ve found I haven’t heard of a lot of the places the people here claim to be from. The ones I recognize are all from Earth. Unfortunately, I don’t have the archives from the station to assist my research. Something else I’ve found quite fascinating: My tricorder hasn’t been able to identify the metals aboard the ship. It’s very reminiscent of the time I’ve spent examining planets in the gamma quadrant. There’s so much unknown here.” Rather than sounding disappointed, Jadzia actually sounded excited the way she spoke. She was a scientist. These sort of situations threw her into work mode and she was bound and determined to figure something out.
“I suppose that, even if one has their freedom, society still holds some restrictions over us. We consider ourselves free in our own right. As long as we’re not being held against our will, or forced to work without pay, or to kill when we don’t want to, or any number of things, we consider ourselves free. However, when you think about the bigger picture you have to consider the rules and regulations we place on ourselves and others. Sure, we’re free and we can do as we please,” she paused a moment, “as long we follow the rules. Take away the rules and restrictions, and often the result is chaos.” She took a sip of her drink, considering the Jem’Hadar before continuing, “In the Gamma Quadrant here’s a race called the Jem’Hadar who are genetically modified to be warriors. They are exceptionally strong. Feared by the residents of the Gamma Quadrant. Very dangerous. However, they’re held by their own creators to serve them, to do their bidding, to fight their wars for them. The Vorta and the Founders maintain this loyalty by keeping the Jem’Hadar addicted to a drug called Ketracel-white. Without it, they suffer terrible withdrawal and without it long enough they die. The Founders use this as leverage to keep their army. I don’t know about you, but that sounds the opposite of freedom to me.”
"Besides those beings I know from my own universe, or know of in some cases, I don't recognize any of the places of home given here either," Amilyn said. "It sounds rather like you and I are similar in that vein, though I count myself fortunate that I have several good friends with me here, along with subordinates from the ranks that I'm pleased with the opportunity to get to know outside of the chain on command." How difficult it often was, for Amilyn, to find kinship in the Resistance, even before that with the New Republic fleet, when she had risen through the ranks and it was necessary for her to keep her distance. She had done so, with everyone except for Leia, of course, whom she considered a special circumstance.
She rested her chin on her hand, looked at Jadzia with a curious gaze, interested in each of her words. "I hesitate to agree that we need every rule and restriction decided by a sentient being. Some are better and some are worse than others. Who's the say that a rule I have for my life, for living, is a necessary rule for someone else. And if I were to place that restriction on someone else, how does that make me a better ruler than someone else who might have the opposite restriction?"
The Jem'Hadar sounded suspiciously like the clones in Amilyn's universe's own history. "Similar to the clones, from the Clone Wars, where I'm from, though without the addition of a drug. I'm afraid that there will always be beings who take advantage of their perceived superiority to oppress and enslave those around them. It's disheartening to know that that isn't confined only to my own universe."
Unfortunately, when it came to this particular career path it also meant little time for personal or intimate relationships. Jadzia hadn’t been all that interested in relationships herself, but there were times she wished she had more time for one. Protecting people and research were the most important parts of her life, but she still tried to find time for a personal life. Her own rank allowed her a little more freedom than Benjamin’s or Kira’s, but Jadzia also knew how to let loose and have fun.
Jadzia offered a smile, “I’m fortunate enough to be assigned to Deep Space Nine with one of my closest friends as the commanding officer. The other officers have become good friends to me as well.”
“Rules are fine and all, but they’re certainly not meant for everyone. Some of them put limitations on something that is entirely normal for some people.”
Jadzia frowned, shaking her head. She let out a little sigh, “Unfortunately, from what I’ve been able to gather of all the universes of those on this ship, they all seem to have some level of enslavement or oppression. Some clearly worse than others. Some worlds where people are constantly fighting to survive. I would be interested in visiting any of them, even if only to observe, but I think Starfleet might look poorly upon an officer going on solo missions without some backup or warning.”
Amilyn tipped her head to the side thoughtfully. "Do you believe you're still beholden to your Starfleet here, now, where it doesn't exist?" It had been something Amilyn had already been thinking about over the last few months, what it meant to be a vice admiral without a fleet, without the New Republic (again) and without the Resistance.
Jadzia considered the question. “It’s been a part of my life for so long that even without Starfleet in existence here, I can’t simply drop my loyalties to it. I’m playing my role as a Starfleet officer with or without its presence.”
"Ah," Amilyn said, "I see. Maybe, eventually, you'll be able to, but I certainly understand." She smiled again and finished her drink. "I hope I didn't take up too much of your time," she continued, sliding off the stool and brushing a hand past Jadzia's shoulder. "And I also hope I'll see you around again soon, Jadzia."