Between Two Worlds
Posted on Sun Feb 16th, 2025 @ 9:57am by Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida & Glinn Vaaet Pazon
2,381 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Episode 8: Palingenesis
Location: Observation Lounge
ON:
Hiro Sommers-Yoshida stood in the observation lounge of Starbase 21, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out at the swirling depths of the Briar Patch. The nebula’s vibrant gases seemed to pulse in rhythm with his thoughts, his mind juggling a dozen tasks, among them the arrival of a new Chief Medical Officer.
The door to the lounge slid open, and Hiro turned, his posture relaxed but alert. Standing there, in the doorway, was a Cardassian—tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing a uniform that seemed both familiar and foreign. Vaaet Pazon.
Hiro studied him for a moment, noting the way the Cardassian held himself. His face was unreadable, his gaze steady, but there was something about him—a certain tension, like he was carrying a weight on his shoulders that had nothing to do with the rank on his collar.
“Lieutenant Pazon, I presume?” Hiro said, his voice light, but with a hint of the authority he had recently inherited. His words carried the warmth of someone trying to bridge a gap. He stepped forward, offering a hand in greeting, a gesture that felt more like a welcome than a formality.
The Cardassian glanced down at the hand that had been offered, thinking back to the interspecies relationship trainings that he had undertaken during his career. He recalled that he was supposed to shake the hand of the other and did so, not certain as to what the purpose was. The medical side of his brain told him that the handshake was a perfect vector to spread germs and disease. Good hand hygiene would reduce the risk of germ transfer, and the strength of the handshake would impact the number of bacteria transferred. Still, he knew it was the typical response, so he'd play the game.
"I am Glin Vaaet Pazon of the Cardassian Guard," he answered shaking the hand of the Station Commander. "Commander?"
“Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida.” Hiro cleared his throat, masking a flicker of awkwardness as he adjusted his stance. “Glin Pazon,” he said, this time with careful precision, letting the correction settle between them. “Welcome to Starbase 21. I’ve gone over your file, of course, but meeting someone in person always tells a better story. I trust the journey here wasn’t too difficult?”
He gestured lightly to the lounge, his tone still professional but tinged with an easy warmth. “You’ll find I’m not one to stand on ceremony too often, though I clearly need to brush up on Cardassian ranks.” A small, self-aware smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That said, I’m curious to hear your perspective, Glin. What’s your first impression of the station?” Hiro asked, his tone inviting but measured. “Anything stand out so far, or is it all just one more posting for the record books?”
Vaaet was not surprised by the rapid-fire questioning that he had received. It was his understanding, from his own review of details related to the station, that this was Commander Sommers-Yoshida's first assignment in command. It was, to a degree, an impressive appointment. To be made Commanding Officer of an installation so quickly in a career was atypical, showing that Starfleet either had a lot of faith in the Commander's abilities, or they were not certain of the future viability of this station in the long run. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was both those things. It would be fascinating to watch play out.
"To answer your questions, Commander, let me go through them each individually," the Doctor had a characteristic Cardassian smirk as he spoke. "My journey to your station was without incident. I had already been assigned to Glinn Varin's command, so I merely had to traverse the airlock to report aboard for duty. With the High Command's orders trying to limit inter-species contamination it was somewhat more of a challenge to leave my own vessel to report aboard than anything. In reality, I am somewhat surprised they approved my having been aboard your station in the first place with how increasingly xenophobic they have become. Not that I'm much of a fan of the Cardassian Guard, mind you."
"For the next question, I haven't really given much thought to the station, nor has anything really stuck out, as I have not been anywhere but my quarters and the Infirmary since having come aboard. My personal opinion regarding the Federation having appropriated another Cardassian station, in addition to the previously acquired Terok Nor, probably won't be popular. Nonetheless, as I already mentioned, I'm not much a fan of the Cardassian Guard so lesser of two evils works for me.”
Hiro gave a small nod, mentally shifting his focus. Politics had never been his arena; he was far more comfortable working with computer systems, warp cores, and EPS conduits than navigating the complexities of interstellar diplomacy. But now, as the commanding officer of Starbase 21, he couldn’t afford to ignore the delicate political landscape. “I’m not much for politics, Glin,” he admitted, the words carrying a sense of honesty. “I’d rather be troubleshooting a malfunctioning core or tweaking a system to run more efficiently. But now that I’m in this role, I’ll do my best to navigate the diplomatic challenges ahead and ensure they’re handled in the most practical, constructive way possible.”
He paused, knowing full well that as the commanding officer of a Starbase, he couldn’t afford to ignore diplomacy, especially with tensions simmering between the Federation and Cardassia. “I may not have the expertise of a seasoned diplomat,” he said, his tone measured but firm, “but I do understand that political challenges can’t be ignored, whether they’re playing out here on the station or beyond it. As CO, it’s my responsibility to ensure things stay on track, and if that means stepping into the diplomatic fray, I will. My goal is to make sure whatever comes our way is resolved in the best way possible for everyone involved.” He looked at Vaaet, a subtle acknowledgment of the weight of his role. “At the end of the day, my priority is this station and its people, but I won’t shy away from the complexities that come with it.”
"That's refreshing to hear, Commander, as I am not one for politics either. In fact, my other CO is the one that deals with the political side of things, I'm more contented dealing with the health and wellbeing of the crew." The Cardassian explained as he considered the unique nature of his position aboard DS21 and aboard the Cardassian vessel Thrarim. Glinn Varin was the officer who would handle the diplomatic nature of the Cardassian mission to DS21. They'd had some discussion about this assignment and how important it was, but Cardassia had insisted that he always remember to keep his own people first. It was a weird dichotomy, especially with the Federation allied with the Union.
"So, how may I be of service, Commander?" Vaaet got to the point with the new station commander.
The directness of the question caught Hiro off guard, and for a moment, he hesitated, searching for the right response. “Actually, Glin, I called this meeting more to get to know you than to assign anything specific,” he admitted, his tone easy but thoughtful. “You’ve just stepped into the role of Chief Medical Officer, and I’m still getting my footing as commanding officer. I thought it’d be good to put a face to the name and hear your thoughts - no formal agenda, just a conversation.”
He leaned slightly against the edge of the table, folding his arms casually. “But since you asked, I suppose we could start with this: What do you see as the biggest challenge you’ll face here, and how can I help you overcome it?”
"Other than I'm not one that's much for small talk, I believe the biggest challenge I will face is the stigma Cardassians still face in the galaxy," the doctor answered relatively quickly after having been asked. Shifting a bit in his seat, he continued, "There are still a lot of hard feelings regarding the Cardassian role in the Dominion War, not to mention the Cardassian Wars relatively shortly before it. Even though the Cardassians have been allied to the Federation ever since and haven't caused much trouble - how could we - people still look upon my people as pariahs. People still tend to forget the first world the Dominion invaded was Cardassia."
He turned away from the chair and walked to the windows, "That having been said, the Cardassian Union doesn't do much to dispel those beliefs either. The Cardassians have become more democratic in the years since the devastation, that much is true, but we are also just as xenophobic as ever. Look at the difficulty of the Cardassians aboard the Thrarim to leave the ship and visit this station out of fear of 'cultural contamination' that the Cardassian Central Command fears. I'm no fan of the Cardassian Central Command," he turned back toward the Commander, "in fact, I defected at one point to the Federation, but I feel that will be the biggest challenge I face here."
The honesty in Vaaet’s words wasn’t lost on him, and for a moment, Hiro considered his response carefully. “I won’t pretend the past doesn’t cast a long shadow, Glin, but this is a Federation station. What matters to me is the work you do, not where you’re from,” he said evenly, meeting the doctor’s gaze. “You’ll likely face those old biases, no question, but if anyone has an issue with you, they’ll answer to me. My job is to make sure you can do yours, and if that means dispelling a few outdated attitudes along the way, so be it.”
"I can appreciate that, as well as the challenges that your role will face in this," the Cardassian answered. "I had made my home in the Federation for a long time, having been trained in medicine at Enaren University on Betazed, but I never imagined a career among the stars. After graduation friends and I went on vacation to Freecloud, but a Cardassian was there and I was identified as having fled Soukara and apprehended. I was found guilty of desertion and sentenced to forced labor, until they realized I'd completed medical training. The Courts commuted my sentence in exchange for me serving them."
Hiro’s expression softened as he listened, the weight of Vaaet’s story settling over him. “That has been a difficult path to end up here, Glin,” he said, his voice thoughtful. “It’s clear you’ve been tested a lot, and yet, here you are - serving on a Federation station despite everything. I’d say that says a lot about your resilience and your commitment to medicine, no matter the circumstances.” He paused, letting his words linger before adding, “You’ve had your share of labels thrown at you—deserter, Cardassian, whatever else - but here, you’re our Chief Medical Officer. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s the only title that matters.”
"Until the Cardassians determine I need another one," the doctor answered glibly, thinking about how the Cardassian Union had acted in the past. They may have become a more diplomatic government in recent years, but it was hard to change one's entire self so easily. "So, anything in particular I should be aware of?"
“There are a few things to keep in mind,” Hiro began with a wry smile. “For one, if you ever run into Lieutenant Abrasax, be prepared for him to talk your ear off about his latest pet theory. He gets… enthusiastic.” He leaned back slightly, the smile lingering. “Also, we’ve got a handful of kids aboard who’ve figured out how to make trouble in ways you wouldn’t expect. A few of them got into the maintenance ducts last week trying to ‘find the best hiding spots,’ according to their stories. Nothing serious, but keep an eye out if you hear strange noises or see things disappearing.” He gave a light chuckle, clearly used to the station’s quirks. “But all in all, it’s just another day on Starbase 21.”
Doctor Pazon had listened as Commander Sommers-Yoshida gave him pointers about life at Deep Space 21, and the Cardassian had half listened until he heard the portions about the children being aboard the station. The Cardassians lived by the adage that 'family is all,' and it was the truth. Family was highly viewed by his government, despite obligations to the Union, with intense loyalty among families (and the occasional fight between rival families). Nothing, aside from the State, was as important as continuing a family line, yet his people did tend to ignore orphans. That wasn't something that Vaaet had been particularly proud of, but there wasn't much that his people did that he was proud of.
It just seemed odd to find children onboard DS21. The Federation did promote families staying together on front-line starships, but he found it hard to believe that children would be welcome in a place such as this. He did know that there were some children, his assistant's situation coming to mind, but not to the extent that the Commander was speaking of. Then again Cardassian children did visit their parents at work commonly, even in the intelligence fields, so it was fitting.
"Family is all," Pazon repeated the mantra.
“Couldn’t agree more,” Sommers-Yoshida replied with a nod. “Out here, family - whether by blood or the people you trust - makes all the difference.”
Glin Pazon nodded in agreement. He looked at his PADD for a moment then back to the Commander, "I regret that I'm scheduled for a routine tonsillectomy in a little under half an hour. Was there anything else?"
Hiro shook his head, offering a faint smile. “No, I think we about covered everything. I’ll let you get to it. I can’t keep the patient waiting, after all.”
Doctor Pazon nodded, politely, and exited the Observation Lounge to return to the Infirmary.
Commander Hiro Sommer-Yoshida
CO Starbase 21
Glin Vaaet Pazon
CMO Starbase 21
RSS Feed