Addressing the Spoon-Head Elephant In The Room

Posted on Sat Mar 1st, 2025 @ 2:21pm by Lieutenant Commander Zodrac Kosh

1,782 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Relics of War
Location: Security Office

ON:

The room was full with Security Officers and Cadets that were scattered all over the place. Cadets speaking with Officers. Looking at consoles and monitors. Laughing and smiling. A room full of life. Each time the door opened, eyes would dart over to see who was entering, as someone would walk in with a wave and a smile. Not many of them were expecting what was coming next. It would certainly be a test of patience and restraint.

As the doors to the Security Office opened again, all eyes turned to face it, but the person who entered wasn't met with smiles and waves. It was Zodrac who finally arrived and the welcome wasn't exactly kind or friendly. A silence entered the room which was soon followed by light whispering. A Cardassian in a Starfleet Uniform. Surely, the Cadets weren't ready to face that. They certainly didn't see it coming.

When the doors behind him closed, Zodrac walked further in, his eyes looking around the room. It was hard to ignore the faces and whispers, but he kept his composure as he walked toward his desk. The small groups of Cadets and Officers seemed to part as he approached them, as if he was sick or diseased. Kosh did his best to nod a greeting, but no one bothered to return it. Still he tried. He even smiled as he did so. A genuine smile which, to the outside observer, could have easily another Cardassian ploy to feign a kind gesture.

Once he got to his desk, Zodrac picked up the PADD with the names of the Cadets, before turning around to face everyone. "Alright, Cadets. Gather around for your duty assignments."

The Cadets all looked around at each other. Not moving. Just whispering to each other with confused and shocked faces. They had no idea what was going on, but certainly this couldn't be real. It had to be a joke. A prank that someone was playing on them. There was no way that this spoon-head was their department head.

"Is this some kind of joke?" A voice in the crowd seemed to ask.

"Yeah... where is the real Chief?" Another one added.

Kosh looked around to see who asked what, but amiss the sea of faces, it was hard to tell. He did his best to take a deep breath and stood up straight. As he place the PADD down on the desk, he looked around the room again, as he spoke firmly. "This is not a joke. I am Lieutenant Commander Zodrac Kosh and your eyes are not deceiving you. I am a Cardassian and this is a Starfleet Uniform. I understand it's not ideal for any of you, but I am part of Starfleet and I have been assigned to head the Security Department."

"You're joking." A cadet said as he walked slowly through the crowd. "There is no way Starfleet is going to let some spoon-head join Starfleet and make their way up to Lieutenant Commander." The Cadet said as he approached Kosh with a cocky smile. He looked around at the others and seemed to be playing to the others. "So, the jokes over. Take off the make-up and lets get serious." He said as he reached his hand out and placed his hand on Kosh's neck ridges.

Zodrac just stared firmly at the Cadet. His eyes locked, until he saw his wife making her way toward them, so he held his hand up to signal her to stop. As he returned his gaze to the young cadet, he crossed his arms over his chest as kept himself from lashing out at him.

"The surgeon did an amazing job?" The Cadet said as he moved his hands from the neck ridges to his face touching his hair and forehead. "How long did something like this take? A hour? Two? You must be very committed to this joke to go through all this work. You make a pretty convincing spoon-"

Zodrac couldn't help it anymore. He placed his hand on the Cadet's chest and shoved him back, nearly knocking the boy to the floor, as he stood up firmly. With a hard look, Zodrac looked around the room, raising his voice slightly. "The next person to use that term is going to find themselves in the brig!"

Everyone gasped as the thought finally occurred to them. This was not a joke. The Cardassian stranding in front of them was their superior. They were doing to be taking their orders, and learning from, a Cardassian in Starfleet. How did this happen? How did Starfleet let this happen? A member of an enemy race who were known for their war crimes against the Bajorans and the Federation was no someone in uniform.

"Now... listen up." Zodrac continued as he took a step forward and continued to speak firmly. "I understand I am not going to be the first choice on anyone's mind when it comes to a Starfleet Officer. Let's not sugar coat it. Cardassian's aren't exactly Federation material and, with those of you with experience with my race, are no doubt waiting for the shoe to drop. Counting the days for me to turn traitor and betray everyone onboard the ship. Like I was some Cardassian spy in waiting." He paused for a moment, looking around the room, before bluntly adding. "Too late... I already fulfilled my quota when it comes to betrayals and it was against my own people! I am a traitor... to them."

He took a moment to let the information settle in. Observing the reaction on may of their faces. For some it was shock. Others didn't seem so convinced. The idea of a Cardassian betraying their people and turning out to be in league with them wasn't exactly a foreign concept. The new information only caused more whispers and more looks of confusion, as well as, caution.

"In fact..." He walked back over to his desk and picked up a PADD. As he tapped a code into it, he turned back around, before walking back to the crowd. "Here you go." Zodrac said as he handed the PADD to the Cadet he shoved earlier. "There it is. The official Starfleet report. Look it over. Double check the sources and then get over it, but for those of who have no interest in reading it, let me give you the cliff notes." He said as he looked around at everyone again.

"I was part of a Cardassian camp that was hidden on a planet claimed by Cardassia. This place didn't just hold Bajorans, but a bunch of alien species, that were tested on and used as laborers. A little slice of the Occupation in their backyard." He seemed to joke as he led out his arms. "Because you know how much us Cardassian's love to live in the past, because we won't let you forget how superior we are and justify it with a bunch of big words and nonsense! And I did my job, in a Cardassian Uniform, as I kept my true feelings inside like every other Cardassian there. The only difference between me and them is I did something about it. I helped the prisoners there escape and have been labeled a traitor every since. My people aren't as pleased with me in this uniform as the rest of you are. There is a marker on my head and that marker includes my family. My wife and daughter. My daughter who has done nothing but be born to a traitor of a father and Bajoran mother." He chuckled a bit as he let out a sigh, placing his hands on his hips. "That's right. One of those Bajorans I helped... eventually became my wife. Take of that what you will, but I can assure you there is nothing but love between us and our little girl."

As he stopped, taking a moment to calm himself and refrain from continuing on, he walked back to his desk. The thought of all this popping off the way it did was the last thing he wanted, but it was a collision that was inevitable. Zodrac leaned against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest, letting out a sigh as he closed his eyes again. He kept in mind that he was supposed to be their superior and had an image to uphold when it came to his uniform. The fact that he was in that uniform was all the reason for him to behave accordingly, but with the way things started off, it felt like it was bound to happen.

"Look..." He said as he let out another sigh, opening his eyes at everyone. "I get that this isn't ideal, but it is what it is. My job is to run this department and, due to the orders of Starfleet Command, to take you Cadet's under my wing and show you the ropes as we move forward. I was assigned this job by Starfleet and I expect to perform it as best I can. You are welcomed to stay and learn, but for those of you who can't accept it, the door is right behind you." He pointed to it firmly. "I don't plan on going anywhere so, when you reach the point that you can accept it, you are free to come back. No questions. No judgement. I will give you the respect each of you has earned because of that uniform. All I ask is that you do the same. If you can't, then this ship is not for you."

With that being said, the Cadets looked around at each other, before turning to walk to the door. One by one, they all left, leaving only a few of the Officers who were already there behind. Even some of the Officers that were assigned to the ship walked out the door. There was no way of knowing whether they were leaving because they had duties to perform or because they didn't like that Kosh was their Department Head. Either way, the room full of life and laughter was now silent and lifeless. This joint experience for the Cadets was going to be far more difficult than Kosh realized. With a majority of the ship and not the Cadets not willing to work with him, this was going to be a long mission. Zodrac was a patient man, but even this made him question whether this was a good move.

OFF:

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Lieutenant Commander Zodrac Kosh
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Endeavour

&

Unnamed Cadet (NPC Kosh)
Cadet assigned to Security
USS Endeavour

 

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