Conflict Of Interest
Posted on Sun Mar 2nd, 2025 @ 2:44pm by Ensign Kash th'Kaasniik & Sub-Lieutenant Osirin Acainus
Edited on on Sun Mar 2nd, 2025 @ 2:46pm
3,077 words; about a 15 minute read
Mission:
Character Backstories
Location: Salan Oasis Akadia
Timeline: 2386, a few weeks into Second Contact
The Salan Oasis had been discovered in the Thabi Desert seventeen centuries in the past. Over time had grown from ten to fifteen miles in size. It was a source of citrus fruits and grains and provided most of the food of an area of almost forty thousand square miles. A community of ten thousand Akadians called it home. It was on a main trade route and had at one time been a tourist attraction, especially to off-worlders.
For the past seventy-five years, not without some controversy, had been closed to non Akadians. It had taken the pulling of some strings by the Acanius family to get an exception.
That was something Osirin had chosen not to tell Kash, just as he had not told him where they were going on their first weekend excursion together.
He'd just told him to meet at his home and to dress casually and for the heat.
Kash had been spending a lot more time with Osirin lately. When Osirin had suggested a weekend away from the city, it wasn't difficult to get approval for leave from the ship during his time off, though it did come with some good-natured teasing from his classmates. He showed up at Osirin's with a small bag, wearing a white tunic made of a rough silk, and light gray linen pants
"Perfect outfit," Osirin offered as he stepped out of his house. He was dressed in a pair of navy cargo shorts and a white short-sleeved shirt all made of linen. He also had a backpack slung over his right shoulder.
"We can't get where we're going using a transporter, we'll have to take a shuttle. It should take an hour or so depending on the conditions. Do you want to get something to eat before we go?"
"You look great too," Kash replied. He gave Osirin a cheeky grin as he didn't hide the fact that he was checking him out. "I'm good to head out now unless you're hungry. I could always eat."
"I could eat too, but if you're not really hungry, let's wait. It will be kind of a late lunch but it will be worth it. Especially if you like spicy."
"There might be on little thing that might come up when we're there that could be an issue."
"What's that?" Kash asked nonchalantly as they walked.
"The last non-Akadian that saw it was like fifty years ago. I doubt anyone is going to care too much, but you won't go unnoticed."
"Are you sure?" Kash asked. "About them not caring, I mean?"
Osirin moved closer to Kash reaching for his hand. "I can't be sure, but I kind of doubt it. Even if they do, all they'd do is grumble a little."
Kash took Osirin's hand and interlocked his fingers with Osirin's. The sideways glance that Kash gave him showed the fondness that Kash held for Osirin. "Still, Starfleet isn't here to make waves. We could probably just do something on the holodeck. I don't mind what we do. I always have fun with you. And everything on this planet is new to me."
"I'd have fun with you whatever we did. Akadians don't have holodecks, so being in one would be kind of fun. Definitely different. Maybe we could try that when we get back. But what I'm taking you to see is part of my heritage."
Kash nodded, his head angled forward just slightly as it usually was. He smiled at Osirin. "I look forward to seeing what you have to show me."
"Well,then you're in for a treat. I hope anyway. Have you ever been to a
desert?" Osirin asked.
"Yeah. There's one not far from the Academy actually." Kash went back and forth from looking toward the ground and back toward Osirin as they walked. "Earth is pretty diverse climate wise. Especially compared to a place like Andoria. Maybe you can visit sometime."
"I'd like that, though I don't when I could make that happen," came Osirin's almost immediate response. "Tell me more about Earth."
"Well uh, the planet is mostly water actually," Kash started. "Salt water, huge oceans and some pretty magnificent marine life actually. The poles are artic - cold. Like Andoria, though it's fairly flat in the ice caps. Much of the planet has multiple seasons - hot or warm to cool or cold. There are several deserts, many tropical locations, with beaches and such. Island getaways. Pretty much if you can imagine a climate it's somewhere on Earth."
"The people are pretty diverse too. Obviously it started as a human planet. But with Starfleet headquarters being there, and it being such a great place to live, probably at least forty percent of the planet is aliens. Maybe not that much, but it feels like it," Kash said.
"Wow, that sounds really interesting. I know this is kind of weird question," Osirin said as they walked toward a collection of shuttle crafts, "But, would you want to live there after you left Starfleet? If not, where would you live?"
"With what I'm putting in for, I hope to be on starships for quite a while," Kash replied. "I don't know that I'd have a permanent place set up other than where I'm assigned, unless I was put on one of the smaller ships stationed out of somewhere," Kash explained. "Our ships though, they are designed to be lived on. Holodecks, gyms, restaurants."
"Here we go," Osirin said pointing to a sleek looking two-seat hovercraft. "This thing will never get us out of orbit, or into orbit, But it will get us to where we're going and the air conditioner works."
"Our ships, don't have those niceties, though there is one being built that has some of them. It will hit Warp 7. I know that's not very impressive for Starfleet ship, but it is for us."
"How does a holodeck work, I've never been in one."
"A combination of hologram and replicator technology. You are in a pretty large room to begin with, but if went in and told the computer to create a tropical island with a sand beach, the first thing it would do would be to create the scene. The holograms would make it look like the ocean went on forever, but immediately around us, we'd be standing on replicated sand, have replicated water, so we could actually get wet. Have sand stick to our feet," Kash explained. "You can customize it, change the color of the sand, add a tiki bar."
"Fascinating. I have heard about it, but have never experienced one. Maybe you can show me some day. But for now we're going to experience something real. I hope you'll like it."
"I'll be happy to take you on our ship's holodeck at some point when we get back," Kash agreed. "But this place we're going is special to you and I'm honored you're taking me there. I'm sure we'll have a good time."
The two men made small talk as they flew. Osirin's craft never rose more than 300 feet above the surface. For many kilometers the view was the same. Sand. The more sand.
After ninety minutes they could see a stand of palm trees off in the distance.
"There it is," Osirin said ten minutes later, pointing off to the starboard bow to a fertile piece of land and a small city that had appeared as if out of nowhere.
As they stepped off of the shuttle Kash reached over and touched the small of Osirin's back but didn't take his hand just yet. He realized he'd forgotten to ask about protocol. The first year of the Academy was full of horrific stories about one can happen when even the smallest rule is violated on an alien world.
In a low voice he spoke to Osirin, "I guess I should have asked this earlier, any special rules out here, or is it the same as in the main city?"
Osirin took a half step away from the Andorian. "It shouldn't," he said, but it's pretty clear you're not one of us. Perhaps it would be a good idea if we don't display too much public attention to each other."
"Gotcha," Kash stated recoiling his arm. He was sensitive to the half-step particularly because his antennae were attuned to the slightest changes in the position of any objects and relative atmosphere in Kash's immediate vicinity. "I'll just follow your lead then."
In addition to paying attention to Osirin, Kash did his best to memorize his surroundings, acknowledging the special opportunity he was being given. Anyone in Starfleet would have given a lot for an opportunity like this. It didn't seem that Kash, a mere cadet in systems operations was the one deserving of the chance.
Osirin was almost as unsure in the situation as Kash was. There was a handful of people in the crowd looking at the two of them as they walked. Most of the stares were curious, one or two among the group wore darker expressions on their faces.
He caught a whiff of the unmistakable odor of grilling meat. "This way," he said pointing to their right. He instinctively reached for Kash's hand and stopped himself.
They had just turned the corner spying the booth where the smell was coming from, when three large, for Akadians, men stepped in front of them blocking their progress.
"Why do you bring this p'tah into our city?" asked the center one.
The universal translator didn't catch one of the words that the Akadian had said, but Kash could gather from context that it wasn't meant to be polite. He resisted the urge to say something. He'd been warned that his presence here was unusual and he was the alien who didn't belong.
Osirin reached for a weapon that wasn't there, his expression darkening. "He is my friend. More than a friend. We are lovers. Not that that is any of your business. And, it's not your city it doesn't belong to you. You are embarrassing yourself and our world."
Elan, who had been speaking moved forward his chest centimeters from Osirin's. "Is that a challenge?"
"Yes," Osirin replied not backing down. "An official one."
"Osirin," Kash spoke trying to keep his voice low to avoid drawing even more attention. "Can we talk?"
Osirin took a half step away from Elan and the others, his eyes cutting to everyone.
"Don't go anywhere," he said to Elan.
He took Kash by the arm and pulled him ten feet away. "What?" he asked a little sharper than he meant.
"What is going on? I really don't need to be a part of some potential conflict here," Kash said gently. "Starfleet doesn't need me wrapped up anything I mean. We can just go."
Osirin hesitated a few beats before replying. "I'm sorry Kash. I didn't think things would go like this. Certain elements think of outsiders as, well I don't think you want to know."
"I'm not sure what we are, but that doesn't matter. I don't like how they treated you. Us. We shouldn't have to run away. And they've impugned my honor. I don't know if I can back down now."
Kash understood honor. His own culture would also fight for such things. "Please tell me this isn't a fight to the death or anything," Kash asked.
"First blood and submission," the Akadian assured him.
"Oh, and I didn't mean what we are doesn't matter. It does, or at least it's beginning to. I just meant that I'd defend you even if we weren't a thing."
Kash looked up to the sky briefly and squinted his eyes, and brought his head back down, looking straight ahead instead of his typical, slightly bowed position that tended to incidentally feign submission. Kash weighed his options, realizing there were potential consequences if this didn't go well, but his own Andorian code of honor understood where Osirin was coming from.
"I'd do the same for you on my planet. Andorians do have our ways of defending honor as well."
"We are a lot alike then and..." Osirin was interrupted.
"Are we going to fight," Elan interrupted, "Or are the two of you going to fuck in the streets?"
Osirin's face turned an interesting shade of ocher as he turned. "We're going to fight."
"What do you need me to do?" Kash asked quickly before they returned to Akadian who had confronted them.
"Follow my lead," Osirin whispered.
Then he turned to their antagonist, pointing to Kash. "I choose him as my second. You choose the weapons."
"Jambias. An hour. Don't be late."
"I won't." Osirin replied.
Kash simply watched the interaction, saying nothing until he felt they were at a distance where they wouldn't be overheard.
"What does your second do?" Kash asked once he was sure that the others were out of earshot.
"Mostly just watch my ass and make sure everyone stays on the sidelines like they're supposed to. This is supposed to be an honorable fight, but not all Akadians are honorable and I have a feeling that Elan falls in that group."
"Am I supposed to be armed for this?" Kash asked. "The weapon you spoke of, the UT thought it recognized the word as a type of curved dagger."
"You should be armed. I love your smile, and I know you're strong and all but of those are much help in a knife fight. The translator got it right. It is a curved blade," Osirin explained. "What is your best weapon?"
"Assuming blasters are off the table, I know my way around a dagger," Kash stated. "I'm sure I'll be fine. My people are not afraid to fight to defend what is right."
"No one else is supposed to bring any weapons," Osirin replied, "that doesn't mean they won't. Still, it's unlikely that anyone will bring any serious firepower. That would be a pretty big line to cross, given the nature of our disagreement. You bringing such a weapon would be frowned on. I would strongly suggest not doing so. At least if you think you might get caught."
"That's why I mentioned a dagger. Unless you think I need something smaller?" Kash asked. "I can fight, even without a weapon."
"A dagger will probably suffice Kash. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that."
"So where do we go from here?" Kash asked.
"I am going to something to eat, I can't fight on an empty stomach," Osirin replied. Maybe you can inspire me with stories of your past, or the past of some Andorian warriors of old."
They found a nearby cafe with out of the way seating so as to not draw any more attention to Kash and ordered. Once they were sitting down so Osirin could eat, Kash began to speak more on Andorian culture. "Actually, when talking about Andorian warriors, you don't really have to go that far back. We still maintain our own Imperial Guard. The Federation has always had a peacekeeping focus, and our government would say that they've let that be their detriment more than once. We have a long history of having to defend our territory. The Vulcans were once formidable adversaries, and tried to invade our space on more than one occasion."
"But we also still have fights like the one I think you are about to engage in. Opponents are tied to one another and fight with a curved blade." Kash demonstrated with his hands how the ushaan is held, and the size of the blade, and how it curves outward from one's fist.
Osirin shook his head slowly from side to side. "That is much like what we do here. The blade isn't quite the same, but it's not much different either And we don't tie ourselves to each other. That is too much like our bonding ritual and a ta'nach, an honor fight is the opposite of bonding."
The Akadian took another bite of a green cheese left on his plate, then pushed it toward Kash. "Hungry?"
Kash held his palm up refusing the plate. "No thank you. I fight better on adrenaline - if it might come to that."
"Do your bonding rituals involve blades as well?" Kash asked.
"Suit yourself," he replied. "And, in answer to your question, they do. " He held out his left-hand palm up. "Blood is exchanged. Though it is voluntary."
Kash smiled. "Interesting. You'll have to tell me more about that later."
"I'm sure Federation anthropologists would have a field day with it. I will tell you after the fight is done. One day, I might even show you."
"Maybe," Kash said quietly. "When do we need to go? Is the place far?"
Osirin finished his food, wiped his hand with a napkin, and shook his head. "We've got some time, it isn't far. Maybe half a mile from here."
"So do we wait here until it's time? What do you want to do until then?" Kash asked. He had grown comfortable on the other parts of the planet, but now since the challenge, he felt conspicuous in this area - more dependent on Osirin telling him what to do and how to behave.
"I think we should find a place to stay for the night. " Some place inconspicuous," Osirin suggested.
"Sure we can do that. I'll follow you. Where's the best place to go?" Kash asked as they gathered up their things to things.
"I have a distant cousin who lives here. She should be able to put us up. I'm sure you won't mind sharing a bed."
"No." Kash smiled mischievously at Osirin. "Does she know we're here?"
Osirin's smile reached his eyes as he replied. "She knows I'm bringing someone. Someone I am starting to care about. She doesn't know the details. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't care about that. Or more precisely, she wouldn't care if you're an off worlder."
"I look forward to meeting her then," Kash replied. "Maybe we should do that after this fight to first blood or whatever. Unless you want to explain why we're running off so quickly."
~tbc~
Sub-Lieutenant Osirin Acaincus
Mission Advisor
USS Astrea
Ensign Kash th'Kaasnik
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