A Normal Person

Posted on Thu Nov 28th, 2019 @ 9:18am by Commander Shayne Balthazarr

Mission: A Day in the Life
Location: SB332, Docking Bay 4

'Here we are,' muttered Prince Denji fourth child and the second son of Empress Hikaro Mitsukiborn, Sovereign ruler of all Sirrah. His ship was docked, and he was now only moments away from freedom. He could almost feel his mother's grip loosening. The Empire would soon be gone.

He admired the stars as he left customs. 'It's funny', he mused to himself. Shayne said the place would be too small, but the star dock was huge. It was immense. Shuttle swarmed and scuttled around the base like insects. The people hurried here and there, crates and baggage, families and workers. A true cosmopolitan of life.

Denji straightened the collar of his long silken coat and began to walk toward what looked like the main exit. The security teams looked amazed as he strutted by. It would be hours before she (the Empress) would be ready to make her grand entrance, he thought, he'd have time to walk among the people of the Federation as a normal person. That was unless she summoned him for one last motherly reprimand, as was her tendency.

People stopped abruptly upon noticing him, but this didn't concern him, he'd let the others pay lip service to the thousands living among the stars. Maybe normal was too strong a word? The doors were small suggesting that the space station had not been frequented by people of his size often if at all. He continuously found himself ducking and contorting his body to fit the unyielding maze of Starbase 332. He was glad he opted to bring his own carrier. It was equipped to house a company, so it would be more than capable of providing quarters for his guard and himself.

He could see the Royal Flagship. It truly was a remarkable sight. A super heavy cruiser flanked by two dreadnoughts. Three destroyers had taken up position, two aft and one for. The Royal entourage. There was a carrier missing now... an empty space... he should be filling that space with his ship... there should have been five carriers up there, circling, waiting, but now there were only four... 'It's better this way,' he thought. 'No more burden, no more stress, no more having to explain himself to everyone knowing they'll never understand.' Could this be the beginning of a beautiful adventure? Or would it be something else? Either way, there were things that needed to be addressed. Top priority would be Shayne.

The mixed blood Starfleet Officer had been through a lot on Sirrah and although the latter of his time spent on Sirrah had seen him rise to Royal Concubine Noble Consort status, there had been a lot of time where he had been treated as less than a person. This would be the time where things could be put right. Yes. Denji would make amends with Shayne and return with him to assist the Hikaro bloodline and destroy his younger brother's uprising.

Yet, a question remained... Had Shayne truly submitted to the Sirran way or was he still bound by his Starfleet ties? It would be hard to convince him to go back if everything Shayne had spoken of regarding Starfleet had been true.

Denji recalled a Federation article he had read on his people. It had stated that the Sirrans were a peaceful species... 'When???' He mistakenly said aloud. Some people averted their steps to avoid the hulking Sirran. 'Too much bass,' he reasoned. 'But seriously...?' he mused, chuckling. 'When had the Sirrans ever been peaceful?' He had known war since he had first opened his eyes. War was the main topic of conversation, he went to school and had to learn about war manoeuvres... Hell... even when there was no chance of war the elders would reminisce on the wars of old. 'Peaceful?' The Sirrans were as far from peaceful as Terran Earth was from Sirrah.

It's true... Monsegvi the capital of Sirrah was a rustic city, and its inhabitants were no strangers to the simple life, but to think that the Sirran people had no interest in the stars, to even suggest that Sirrah had only just become warp capable was a laughable prospect. His people had been combing the vast star filled sea long before the federation had even considered the "Gamma" quadrant a viable space. What's more, how could the Federation consider his people technologically inferior when they had nearly been destroyed by his liquid shape shifting neighbours? How could a puddle even dare step foot... No... drip it's way on to Sirrah with the hope of conquering them. Denji laughed. He knew his mother's response would be to go to their home-world and drink them dry. 'I would bathe in their people,' he mused. And that was only the lesser beings. Shayne had not met the two other primary allies of Sirrah. Prince Akio, Denji's older brother reasoned that introducing the others to the Federation could possibly lead to a conquering force being sent and not a friendship being established. It would be better to wait until a solid foundation had been made.

Another article he had read addressed Sirrans mating with other species. Well... apparently, Sirran males became infertile and were unable to father a hybrid. That was an interesting concept. Denji wondered whether the Starfleet researcher was naive or incompetent. Were Sirran and other species encouraged to breed? No. Was it impossible? No. Was it dangerous? Absolutely!!! Birth complications, rearing complications, size complications, general physiological complications... a whole catolgue of complications but that did not mean it had not happened before. He guessed there had been the possibility of censure being enforced to discourage the practice from happening. An image of a human with random patches of fur and misshaped limbs jumped into Denji's mind, 'It's too much,' he said to himself laughing and rubbing his eyes.

An old female stopped in front of Denji forcing him to come to a complete halt, almost tumbling over her. 'Can I help you elder?' He said using his most soothing voice. Knowing his size could be a cause for concern among smaller species, it was best to at least try and come across as gentle and caring. This would probably not work as Denji had noticed his movements mimicked a stalking/hunting crouch. He was every bit the predator moving through the small confines of the Starbase looking like a predator, an apex predator to boot.

'You're not from around here are you?' She stated as she cranked her neck to look up at him. Her voice was jovial and wavering, definitely and indication of age.

She was probably about 5 foot 5, her head barely clearing his waistline. She was slightly hunched over, wearing clothing that suggested she was no longer a figure that society regularly interacted with, but neat and clean, at least.

'How very perceptive of you, young lady,' he said smiling. Her face was as wizened as old bark from a KunDaLunda tree, and they were very old. Maybe that was rude he thought to himself, but she seemed not to take offence. It was almost as if she peered into him and spoke directly to his soul, dismissing his physical appearance.

The old woman blushed. Her nose crinkled slightly further emphasising her Bajoran ridges. 'Flattery will get you everywhere my YOUNG boy... but tell me...' she looked out to the stars where Denji's gaze had fallen before she had intercepted him. She saw a mighty fleet sitting among the stars. A ship like the famous Enterprise had turned and sped away. It was probably making sure that a declaration of war had not been made. 'You are clearly expecting a war, but you do not wear military clothing... In fact, you look rather fancy... are you an ambassador? And if so... Who do you represent? Where are you from? You look like an Earth dog... I used to have an Earth dog. What do you eat? Do you eat Cardassians?'

'So many questions, Cardassians? I’m sure I would be able to manage one, as long as you prepare the dish in a Sirran fashion,' chuckled Denji, clearly not knowing what a Cardassian was. 'What if...' he paused for a moment looking at the inquisitive old woman. He could hear her heart beating rapidly, she was excited. 'What if... you tell me your name, and once I've settled in, I come and find you? Then you can ask as many questions as you like, and I shall answer them? You can even show me an Earth dog if you like.' He already knew what an Earth dog looked like. The Starfleet scientists had already made a correlation between wolves and the Sirrans many years back. There were many similarities within their DNA sequencing. As a result, they had been introduced into the Sirran society and had flourished after acclimatization. Yet, this had lasted a short while as the Sirran equivalent, the Braguloo, mated with wolf females producing a hybrid species. On all six limbs, they stood approximately four-foot-tall and had two pairs of ears. Other than that, they were identical to earth wolves and displayed similar mannerisms. Denji had three of them, Utah, Penza, and Manta. He named them after famous villages in the great country of Beijing. One day he would visit the country of New York and try their famous national dish Sushi. He'd never tasted elephant meat before, so Sushi would be the first thing that he ordered along with a nice hot bowl of Shampagna... or was that Champagna? Maybe Shampgnor? Either way it was said to be drunk only on special occasions, and apparently it could only be given that name if brewed in a monastery in Finland. Earth cuisine sounded exciting and very formal, so many rules on just where it could be consumed. Perhaps he would visit the Zoo and purchase his meal from what they had on display... even better... what if they let him hunt his meal first??? A rhino... they looked strong. Yes, he would arrange a hunting party, go to the largest Zoo on Earth and display his martial prowess by capturing and slaying a rhino with nothing but hand weapons. That would impress the Federation Prime Minister... Suddenly this trip to the Alpha quadrant wasn't looking so bad.

Denji caught himself trailing off into a dream. The woman was still standing in front of him. Her eyes widened and her smile wrinkled her little face even further... She was waiting for his attention as though knowing he had gone elsewhere. 'My name... My name is Yotsa...' she could barely contain herself. 'I work in the florist... I mean I sell flowers (she made a gesture with her hands as if it was the intergalactic sign for flowers), here in the station. I work with my granddaughters.' Her smile had grown so much so that her eyes had been reduced to lines of black.

'Well then, Lady Yotsa, that works in the florist selling flowers (Denji repeated the odd gesture) along with her granddaughters that are clearly not her granddaughters because you look too young to even have children... I shall find you,' smiled Denji.

'By the Gods, today is truly a blessed day! I have never met a diplomat before...' appearing flattered.

'Or met someone of my size?' Interjected Denji.

'The station Warlord is very big! Bigger than you even! But he's not in charge. He just keeps us safe.' The was a look of pride on her face as she spoke.

'A Warlord bigger than me? Here?'

'Oh yes! His muscles have muscles! He's so big the Borg wouldn't dare come here.'

'I must meet this Warlord... especially if he strikes terror into the hearts of the Borg.'

'Oh no... don't do that. What if he thinks you're the enemy... he'll kill you!' She was deathly serious.

'You have a point...' Denji looked at her closely and nodded to himself. 'I've got an idea Lady Yotsa...' he studied her.

'Let it out then... it's no good to anyone if you don’t share it.'

Denji laughed, 'What if you were to show me the way to the florist now, to ensure I do not get lost later? Or unexpectedly stumble into the path of the mighty Warlord?

'You are a clever boy, aren't you?' She smiled at him with eyes closed tight. The smile fell from her face. 'You still have not told me your name... it is not right for a young female to be seen prancing around the city with a boy... it is not right at all. What will the others say?'

'I don't know... maybe that I'm a lucky boy?' He chuckled.

'Oh, you are naughty,' she crackled.

'Come, Yotsa... teach me of florism.'

'Florism?'

'Yes Yotsa, teach me the art of Florism.'

They both continued along the walkway laughing. Denji looked around. This female was old and frail, yet nowhere near to the commercial sector of the station. She clung to his hand as though they had known each other forever. He'd seen this before... the late queen mother... his grandmother. Toward the end of her years she had seen people from old, reliving her younger years as though they had never been and were yet to come. Yotsa was on her way to meet with the Gods, she would be "punished for her sins and praised for her triumphs". He struck at his left breast. 'I may not see you again Yotsa but I will tell of your name to the night skies,' he whispered. All the while ducking and side-stepping through narrow corridors and low doorways.

Denji walked Yotsa to a shop front that resembled a haberdashery and not a florist, although the shop did have a flower in its design. People watched and looked, they chuckled and smiled. Some were terrified. Her granddaughters were in awe of his height, he sometimes gave off the impression that he was 9 feet tall and still rising. One of Yotsa's granddaughters was bold enough to run her hand along the fur of his arm. He pulled away when she wanted to go against the fir. It's not that he resented being touched, but the Sirran coat, although very soft looking was very coarse and he was unsure as to whether her skin would break, if she went against the fur.

'Ladies... I bid thee farewell. I have an important engagement to attend,' said Denji as he turned ducking to exit the shop.

'Thank you, sir,' spoke one of the granddaughters. 'Our grandmother is not well... it was kind of you to bring her here. Do you know your way back to the port?'

'Do not let my navigation trouble you. Lady Yotsa has been a most gracious guide in this strange place... I am in her debt.' Denji continued through the doorway. 'Take good care of Yotsa, she has earned that right, when she finally comes to an end, see that her eyes are open so that she may navigate the eternal realm with confidence and surety.'

The female's mouth fell open in what appeared to be disbelief.

"Yes, Yotsa has led a life to be remembered so make sure that you take in all of her wisdom before she mortally rests. May the Gods punish her for her sins and praise her for her triumphs!!!"

The granddaughters both looked at their grandmother, at Denji as he departed and then back at each other.

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(PNPC) Prince Denji Hikaroborn