Caught in a Moment.

Posted on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 @ 5:26am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen

Mission: *CD*
Location: Ready Room

Captain Kaylen Rhenora sat on the long low couch under the large windows in her ready room, the view of New Harrington lazily turning beneath them as the Sunfire prepared for her departure from this system. The green's and blues of the planet reminded her of home, and the patches of brown and orange reminded her of sadder more troubled times.

Eyes glazing over she recalled the time during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor that there had been a long and terrible drought, rain was scarce, fresh water scarcer still as the Cardies restricted as much as they could for themselves. The fields had long turned to unproductive dust, yet the quota's remained the same and those that didn't provide were punished severely. She remembered the night her father said there was nothing to eat, for all they had was included to just make the quota for the month. It was hard, the gnawing of her stomach as a child who didn't understand why things were the way they were. The innocence of youth stripped away too young and replaced with a hardened view of their situation. Her parents would tighten their belts to take their mind's off the constant need for food, Rhen and her brother took to the hills behind them, foraging for whatever they could find, occasionally stealing small items from Cardies that had become lazy in guarding the food stores. Whenever their parents asked where the meager offerings had come from, Rhen merely shrugged and said they found it in the woods. Her parent's never believed a word of it but said nothing. Food was food when you were starving.

The sound of the service door hissing open and the wafting aroma of a fresh brew returned her mind to the present.

"Sorry Ma'am, am I disturbing you?" Ronson enquired softly.

"Not at all, I was just caught in a memory" The Captain smiled, thankful as always for the distraction from the hard memories of her childhood.

" Of course. I'll set this here, there's some reports waiting for your approval, and Ops state we should be ready to leave within the hour" Ronson nodded and left her to her thoughts. Yes it would be good to leave this place, it was just a little too much like Bajor had been all those years ago.