Chapter Text
The Spoiled Princess--Ashley's quarters shortly after the events of Not in Kansas Anymore
Home is what you make of it. “Hmph.” Ashley grumbled as she gazed first at the holographic image her family and then at one of her comrades on the old Normandy. “What a pile of horseshit.” Hearing her door chime, she barked out angrily, “Who is it?”
“Sounds like someone’s having a bad day.” A voice responded sarcastically. “It’s Shelana. We’re about to dock at DS-9 and I scored a pair of tickets to the Niners-Blue Bores game, but if you don’t wanna go, I can always ask Nelia or Belen…”
“I’m sorry.” Ashley quickly responded, “You caught me at a bad time. Come on in.”
The door sliding open, Shelana sauntered in. Glancing at the images on her friend’s desk, the Andorian tactical specialist immediately diagnosed the problem. “Feeling homesick?”
“It’s that obvious?” Ashley quipped, a wry grin on her face.
“Let’s see…” Shelana remarked in a half joking-half concerned voice, “Gazing at holograms on the desk…family? Friends?”
“Both.” The former gunnery chief replied with a sigh. “They’re all from memory. I didn’t bring any pictures and Nelia still hasn’t found a way to get mine and Rana’s omnitools working, so…”
“You had the computer gin up some holograms for you.”
“Yeah.” Ashley replied with a snort, “Stupid, isn’t it.”
“Nope.” Shelana bluntly answered. “It’s not easy getting used to new surroundings—especially if you don’t have family or friends to latch on to. But Ash…” the human looked up in surprise at the Andorian woman’s use of the shortened form of her name, “that doesn’t mean you can’t make new friends.”
“And family? What about my mother…my sisters?” Ashley responded sorrowfully, “Are you gonna tell me I can find them here too?”
“Ashley.” Shelana answered back, her features taking on a harder edge, “I’m Andorian. Family and clan…that’s practically written in my DNA. I’m zhen. Andorians have four biological genders.” she explained, “Zhens are the one who bear and care for children.”
“Four genders?” The extra-universal human interjected in surprise.
Shrugging her shoulders, Shelana remarked, “So what? Your friend’s species is monogendered. I’m no biologist, but even I can tell you that life takes on a lot of different forms. But…we’re getting off track. My Keth…what you humans would call a clan…essentially disowned me because I refused the marriage they had arranged for me and went off into Starfleet. I made new friends and…” she shrugged her shoulders again, “Family’s not all about blood you know.”
“There’s a human saying that blood is thicker than water…” Ashley countered only to have her shipmate quickly riposte.
“A lot of Andorians—including my keth—say the same thing. But is that always the case?”
“No.” Ashley replied as she remembered friends who had been adopted as orphans. “I guess not.” Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the former gunnery chief remarked, “It’s just that things are so different here.”
“True.” Shelana allowed before chiding, “But there are things that are the same. Like…there are humans in this universe too. If anyone has a right to complain about being all alone, it’s Rana. She’s the only one of her species here that we know of. And I’m betting that if I were to have found myself in your universe, I’d have been all alone. At least you have humans you can interact with.”
“But the people here are so different…”
“Maybe. But you have stuff in common too.”
“Like what?” Ashley challenged.
“Baseball.” Shelana quickly responded. “Didn’t you tell me you had a baseball league back home?”
“Yeah.” Ashley replied with a crooked grin, “Dad was a Cubs fan while Aunt Ellie pulled for the Cardinals. Best thing to do when those two got together during baseball season was duck for cover.”
“See?” Shelana triumphantly declared, “We found one thing. Listen…” the lovely Andorian prompted, “We should be just about ready to dock. Get changed and I’ll meet you in the lounge and then we’ll go hit the Promenade and do some shopping before the game. Sound like a plan?”
“Yeah.” Ashley replied with a chuckle, “Let me get out of my pjs and into some clothes and I’ll meet you.”
“All right! See ya’ in a bit.”
Deep Space Nine—Promenade
“This reminds me of the Wards in the Citadel.” Ashley exclaimed as she and her Andorian shipmate walked down the Promenade, window gazing at the often exotic shops and kiosks.
“See!” Shelana grinned, “What did I tell you? You’ve found something else familiar.”
“What are those?” Ashley pointed at a stall where a Bajoran woman handed something on a stick to her child. “It looks like a popsicle.”
“It’s a jumja stick.” Shelana explained, “It’s made from the sap of the jumja tree that’s grown on Bajor. They make it in lots of flavors. Wanna try one?”
“Sure.” Ashley shrugged her shoulders as the pair approached the kiosk owned by a Bajoran man with close cropped brown hair.
“Two jumja sticks please.” Shelana ordered, “One yutann flavored and the other…”
“Do you have tangerine?” Ashley asked, smiling as the proprietor replied with a yes and nod of his head.
“Here you go.” Shelana grinned handing one of the Bajoran candies to her companion. “This one’s on me.”
Taking a cautious lick, Ashley smiled in contentment. “This is good!”
“Told you.” Shelana laughed as they passed a shop with a sign that read ‘Garak’s Fine Tailored Clothing.’ “Want to take a look? I’ve been looking for something new to wear.”
“Why don’t you just replicate what you want?” Ashley replied with a snort, “That’s what everyone else does.”
“Not if you want an original Garak.” Shelana replied with a wry grin. “Everything here is tailor made. No replicators used. That’s why you gotta pay in gpl.”
“Seriously?” Ashley exclaimed, “Hand tailored clothes?”
“Seriously.” Shelana deadpanned. “Come on…we’ve got a couple of hours before we have to get to the holosuite for the game. Let’s take a look.”
“Lead the way.”
Sometime later
“So where was the owner? Garak?” Ashley asked as she and her companion left the tailors shop each carrying a bag containing clothing. “Is there really someone by that name?”
“Oh yes.” Shelana replied as the pair strode down the Promenade. “He used to run the shop years ago—before the Dominion War. It seemed he was also at one time an agent in the Obsidian Order…”
“Obsidian Order?”
“Cardassian intelligence.” Shelana explained to her teammate. “But he was also a very good tailor. After the war, he helped to get the Cardassians back on their feet again, but still kept the shop. Funny thing was…he actually liked being a tailor. Now…” she shrugged, “…he’s involved in other stuff from what I’ve heard through rumors, but keeps his shop open and has employees running it and he also sells franchises elsewhere. You’ll probably find a Garak’s on every major Starbase or planet in the Federation, Romulan Republic, and even the Klingon Empire.”
“Damn. Sounds like he hit on a good scheme.” Ashley exclaimed.
“Yep.” Shelana laughed before turning momentarily pensive. “Replicated stuff is all well and good, but there’s something about touching something hand-made…eating a home-cooked meal…do you know what I mean?”
“Yeah.” Ashley replied with a warm grin, “I think I do. I guess we have something else in common. Where’s the game?”
“Right here.” Shelana gestured towards a casino already bustling with people. “Quark’s. It’s in one of the holosuites. We better hurry!” She urged, “Game’s gonna start soon and I want to grab a good seat.”
Quarks after the game
“Sorry about your team.” Ashley grinned as the two women made their way up the stairs and, finding an open table, sat down.
“That Niners pitcher killed us.” Shelana sighed as a half Bajoran-half Trill waitress appeared.
“What can I get you?”
“A pitcher of beer and keep them coming.” Shelana responded.
“Be right back.” The waitress acknowledged with a smile.
As the young woman walked away, Ashley muttered, “That’s another thing I can’t wrap my mind around.”
“What?” Shelana asked.
“The fact that two different species can have a child.” The ex-Alliance gunnery chief declared with a grimace.
“That they can have a child or be married?” The Andorian challenged.
“Both.” Ashley responded.
“Mind telling me why?” Shelana countered, “What difference should species make? You know…” the lovely Andorian pointed out, “it wasn’t that long ago that humans had laws forbidding marriage based simply on skin color or gender.”
“We had those laws in my old universe also. “ Ashley snapped back, “They were ridiculous there too.” Her face reddening in embarrassment as she heard her words, the extra-universal human lowered her head. “You’re right. It’s just interspecies relationships were kind of rare in my universe and with most of them, the other partner was an asari, so it’s not something I’m used to seeing.”
“From what you’ve told us…” Shelana observed, “in your universe humans had only recently discovered that there were other species. That’s a shock to any culture. Added to that, the fact that your first contact resulted in a war…”
“Yeah.” Ashley grumbled, The First Contact War with the turians. Me and my family are still dealing with that.”
“Okay, now that our beer’s here, why don’t you tell me about it.” Shelana entreated, “Take as much time as you need and don’t worry about buying. The beer’s on me tonight.”
A couple of pitchers of beer later, Ashley looked up at her Andorian friend, “So…that’s it. Am I some sort of speciest or bigot?”
“Of course not.” Shelana replied with a chuckle. “You wouldn’t have asked that question if you were. It sounded like you made some good friends on your old ship: that asari…what was her name again?”
“Liara.” Ashley smiled warmly as she recalled the young—by asari standards—archaeologist.
“Right.” Shelana nodded, “You worked with her and from what you told me, turned her into a frontline fighter.”
“Well…she did have a lot of natural talent.” Ashley modestly responded.
“Hey…don’t sell yourself short. She got that way from your training.”
“I just did what I would have done for anyone else.” The ex-gunnery chief countered, “I’m a professional. I take pride in my work.”
“Exactly.” Shelana rebutted. “You treated her just like she was a human recruit.” A smug grin on her face, the Andorian woman pressed her point, “And what about Garrus and Wrex? From what you told me, they were already combat vets. But you still hung out with them…”
“After Shepard pressed me to.”
“Your old CO just gave you a nudge in the right direction. The rest was all you.” Shelana declared, further affirming, “You’re not a racist…speciest…or bigot. You’re a damned good soldier and I’m thinking a damned good friend. So…” she held up her mug in a toast, “To friendship.”
“To friendship.”