The Education of Damion Ildaran
Posted on Sun 9th Aug, 2020 @ 6:21am by Elizabeth Anderson M.D. & Lieutenant Damion Ildaran & Makila i'Hartelhai
1,216 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Resolution
Location: Brown Sector, Deck 2245
Timeline: MD 14, 0945
Apologies.
Previously, Damion and Elizabeth have run into Makila i'Hartelhai at the Peldor Festival.
And now, what does Damion learn about Romulans?
"I'm Damion Ildaran. It's good to meet you," Damion said, inclining his head slightly. He paused. "Do Romulans shake hands? I know it's nae polite among Vulcans. I dinna ken if Romulan manners are different."
"I am sure that Romulan manners are different, and generally we don't touch to greet one another. Since I didn't grow up on Romulus, I don't have that particular stigma attached to touching. I have learned to control my contact reception, so I don't get as much from touch as a Vulcan would. It helps that I'm half Betazoid in that regard. I'd love to be able to do what a full Vulcan could though..." A wistful little sigh escaped her lips and she offered him her hand with a gentle smile.
Being smiled at by a Romulan lady was a novel experience. She was positively lovely. Damion smiled back and shook Makila's hand. "So how do Romulans greet each other?"
"That depends a great deal on the rank and status of the one doing the greeting. For example...someone of common rank would not be allowed to greet someone of the Council, unless they were either first greeted by that elder or prompted to do so...unless that elder was entering the home of the common ranked individual, or they shared the same clan. This is the only time when matrilineal vs patrilineal clan bonding doesn't matter. Romulan social structure before the fall was very complicated. I haven't been fully educated on how it's changed. I am certain that it has."
Damion blinked. "That does sound complicated. My people are a lot more casual about it. If we know a person, we address them by name; otherwise, it's some variant of 'Hey, you!' Unless it's the cadre leader, of course; then we're a bit more respectful. Earth manners took me a long time to get used to."
A chuckle escaped her. "That would be unforgivably rude to do to a high society Romulan. I however would not be offended to be hailed by my name because my clan is not powerful. Calling someone by their rank, however, is not considered to be rude."
Elizabeth wandered back with scrolls and writing utensils in hand, but didn't interrupt. She stood next to Damion and smiled at Makila.
"And what is your rank?" Damion asked.
"Bastard, halfblood vaehkh? It doesn't matter that my mother was a noble lady." Her laugh was wry and she shook her head. "I don't really have one, the doctor's daughter, even adopted, got me the respect I wouldn't have gotten because of my birth rank."
"Never understood the whole bastard concept," Damion said. "There's this Old Earth country whose rulers were called kings and queens. One of their kings divorced his wife because she was past childbeearing age, and he wanted a son to pass his kingdom on to. Never mind he already had a daughter. He does father a son, but the son can't inherit the kingdom because he isn't the son of this king's legal wife. So he eventually puts his country through a right mess of turmoil, just to father a legitimate son, when he already has a son; just not by the correct woman. It makes no sense to me. Have a child; train it up right, boy or girl, and be done with it."
Elizabeth smiled at Damion's words. It was so like him, straight up the middle and to the point. "Mostly, I don't think people around here care about those things any more. In Starfleet, it's rank that's important. Outside of Starfleet, if you live in a place like this base, people don't really know where you come from anyway, do they? Or understand the customs of that place, even if they do. So, did you come down for the festival, or are you and your father working today?"
"I disagree with that observation. People find their ranks socially extremely important- especially down here where slighting someone could end up in violence. My empathy has been a godsend here, telling me who is touchy about it and who is not." She licked her lips and continued "It doesn't matter if they know or not, they see Romulan and they assume a great deal about me." Her eyes flickered to Damion and a smile tugged at her lips, as if challenging him to deny the fact. "Father is working in his office, he should be along later. I am sure he has something he wants to burn. I took the morning off to take an exam and got out early."
"Well, aye, Romulans have been enemies of the Federation for what, two centuries?" Damion said. "'Tis a surprise to me that you trust us, as you live among us. As for caring about rank--really, it depends on who you are. People who have rank--aye, they care about it. Even where I come from, if you don't treat the cadre leader with respect he'll rough you up--or his lieutenants will." He gave Makila an interested look. "What are you studying?"
"I never had any reason not to, trust that is. I was raised with and educated in Romulan culture by a man that abhorred the majority of Romulan culture by virtue of his dedication to the Romulan People." She smiled softly shaking her head softly she heard and answered his second question "Medicine. I have been taking the exams with the rest of the class in Starfleet Academy Medical."
"That's excellent! I hope you do well, then. Doctors are always needed," Damion said.
"I am quite high in my class at present, and I hope to remain so." She did have the benefit of near perfect recall, but still studied a lot. "But the fact that I am sitting the classes is not common knowledge, and I would appreciate you keeping it to yourself."
During the conversation that continued without her further input, Elizabeth observed many things about the young woman. Some of them were merely interesting, while there were one or two which troubled her. Mentally, she shrugged. It was true that people didn't know, for the most part, what her own rank among mortals was, and that they often made assumptions that were far outside reality. Maybe that gave her a different viewpoint from that of a woman growing up Romulan. They would have to agree to disagree.
Damion nodded at her. "No one will learn of it from me." He turned to Elizabeth and smiled. "I see you found what you were looking for."
Holding out the scrolls and pencils to the other two, she said, "Don't I always?" The truth was, she had extra resources for finding most things, but there were times when she didn't get information she wanted. Maybe that was something to write on her scroll. "No peeking!" she added, putting her scroll against the bulkhead where they were standing.
"Thanks." Damion took his scroll and pen, flattened the scroll against the wall, and wrote 'BLAGGARD' on it in dark, block letters. Then he rolled the paper and clipped the pen to it to hold it in a tube shape.
RSS Feed