A/N: As a reminder, this weird version of Star Trek is based on my life, so there's no telling what will happen because life is unpredictable.
Ode to A Starship by Lina Shay
Chapter Twenty Nine: Qapla'
My mom was overjoyed when she found out I wanted to be a Vedek. She thought it was the best thing in the world. She had a better reaction than I did. I knew it was what the prophets wanted me to do, but I was still scared to death. I was a horrible astrometrics officer, how could I hope to be a good Vedek? There was so much I had to do. I just didn't feel up to the task. When I told my mom all of this, she sent me a message back.
"Lina, trust in the Prophets. They know so much more than we do. They will guide you rightly. If they say that you should be a Vedek than, through them, you can be."
From then on, I prayed for the strength to accept the Prophet's will.
I had just gotten off of duty when B'Liz burst into my room and said, "Want to go on a rescue mission?"
I had to look at her a moment before I really understood what she said. I looked around myself, trying to figure if I had time.
"When are you going?" I asked her.
"Right now," B'Liz said with excitement, and then left my quarters as suddenly as she had entered.
It was explained to me quickly by an aggitated Sisma that her parents were stuck in the gravety of a blackhole in the Mantua system and had put out a distress signal. Sisma said she would go, but she was needed to aid the medical team on Gargos VII. If we were going to go on a resuce mission, we needed a good pilot. Kai knows that I was no pilot and B'Liz hadn't flown in quite a while herself. We knew that Darren, though, was a fair pilot and he had just gotten off duty. When we related the story to him, Darren stared as if he didn't quite understand, but agreed anyway. While Sisma ran off to transport to Gargos, B'Liz, Darren and I got into a shuttle and headed out to find Sisma's parents.
"Where exactly is the Mantua system?" Darren asked when we were out of the shuttlebay.
I was a blank. "I have no idea. B'Liz?"
She shrugged.
"Great!" I exclaimed. "Well, I'm the astrometrics officer here, so I guess I should do something."
I got on to the navigational computer and checked the system database for the Mantua system. It seemed that even with a map right in front of us, we all seemed to argue about which was the best way to go. It didn't take us too long to get there, but it would have taken less time if we had agreed on a path and if we hadn't gone the wrong direction a couple of times. B'Liz finally spotted the blackhole on the sensor grid.
"There is it," B'Liz pointed out.
"Is the ship still there?" I asked urgently.
"Yes," B'Liz said. "But it looks as if their purpulsion system is failing. They won't be able to fight the gravety much longer."
"Get closer, Darren!" I ordered him as if I was his supirior.
Darren flew into transporter range. I got a lock on them and beamed the two Vegans aboard. The ship was sucked into the blackhole soon after. Sisma's parents were two, pleasent people with silver hair. They were very grateful that we had gotten there. Sisma's father was quite interested in talking to Dallin about the shuttle and its capabilities. Sisma's mom recognized B'Liz and my names and was excitedly asking us about things personal to us. In my case, she asked about my father's wellfare. I told her he was well considering the situation.
When we got back to the ship, we made sure that Sisma's parents were comfortable in guest quarters, and then contacted Sisma so she knew they were all right. I returned to my room where Jala was already. She was upset at some people at work and very nearly pulled a phaser on one of them. Hoping to change her mood and to not have a repeat of a past mistake where I neglected to tell her something, I decided she should know my decision.
"Jala, I have something to tell you," I said happily, sounding more confident about it than I felt. "I am quitting starfleet."
"What?" She asked in surprise.
"Yes," I muttered. "I- uh- I want to become a Vedek."
"That's great!" Jala exclaimed and came over to hug me.
Everyone else thought it was such a great idea. Why was I fighting it? I had always had this desire to be a Vedek. Now I knew it was my destiny, so why was I fighting it?
"Don't make a big deal about it, ok?" I said uncomfortably. "I don't want it going crazy all over the ship."
"You mean I can't tell anyone?" Jala asked.
"I'll tell people when I feel it's right to tell them," I told her.
Jala nodded and hugged me again.
After she left my quarters, I did feel better that I had told someone. It was enough for me that moment that someone knew other than my parents. I wanted to keep it that way for a time.