"Down the Sandy Path"

[OdileCondacin 0]

"Down the Sandy Path"

By Odile Condacin

 

Eighteen years ago...

 

O'd'yl of Condacin turned to the blinding Xenexian sun, staring into the brilliant light in search of revelation, confirmation. But her gods were silent, and no whispers of divine wisdom would they impart to the young woman.

 

"This is not necessary," a voice behind her stated, quietly.

 

Kar'en'tv. Her father. Lost in the depths of her psyche, she had not detected his approaching. Not turning from her adulation of the sun, O'd'yl spoke, her voice steady, yet audibly pained. "On the contrary. It is entirely necessary."

 

He sighed, his eye following hers up to the sky. "Your place is on Xenex. In Condacin."

 

"Forgive me if the domestic, subservient, life of a typical Xenexian female does not enthrall me." Dry sarcasm permeating her words, she snorted quietly.

 

"Now, that's just your arrgance talking." He rolled his eyes, exasperated. "No, she cannot be Od'yl of Condacin, the woman whose husband will one day control the province. She can't be content with the very pleasing lot that life has dealt her. No, she has to leave the planet for borders unexplored; sights unseen."

 

O'd'yl didn't reply, which the elder Xenexian took as an invitation to continue his monologue. "Thus considered, she decides to take after our planet's hero, the great M'k'n'zy of of Calhoun. She changes her name to some bastardization of her true one, and leaves Xenex to join the fighting men and women of a foreign power."

 

"I joined our allies because of the Vision." Her voice distant, lost in memory, yet imposing nonetheless.

 

He gestured to her as if showing gratitude for giving him new fodder for his soliloquy. "And all this because when she was a thirteen-year-old child, she sent herself on a ritualistic quest into the most inhospitable part of the planet to induce a dehydration and exhaustion-induced hallucination. For the gods' sakes, would you call this woman insane? Analyze this critically, with that scientific brain of yours."

 

Breaking her stare into the sun to glance at him, she shrugged, ignoring the jab at her chosen field. "Nice usage of the third person as an attempt to rile me. But understand, my parent, that I am completelyat peace with my decision. There is nothing you can do to change that." Lying, she kept her face neutral as to not show any of the turmoil she was juggling.

 

Kar'en'tv's shoulders sagging, he shook his head, almost sadly. "Child, you are not ignorant. When M'k'n'zy joined Starfleet, you saw what chaos it threw Calhoun into. The same will happen if you leave Condacin."

 

Her hand dropping to the dagger at her side, she elevated an eyebrow, meeting his eyes with a piercing gaze. O'd'yl stood a good half foot taller than her father, and the strategist within her enjoyed that factor of possible intimidation in cases such as this. "His elder brother held the province together. You will be able to do the same."

 

Glowering at her, Kar'en'tv's face took on a resentful _expression. "Your arrogance is the cause of this, O'd'yl. Since you were a child you've been obsessed with becoming a legend among our people, just like M'k'n'zy." His tone softening, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Take care, lest your desire for fame drives you to become infamous."

 

Silently, she kept the cool non-expression upon her face. "It shall not. The Vision made that clear that my name would not be tarnished by my decision."

 

"The Vision; the Vision! Oh, how it's always about your Vision! And yet we have heard nothing more of it than the hazy declaration that you are destined to journey across the stars."

 

"Indeed," she replied, stoic as ever. "And I shall do so. By joining the Federation's Starfleet." She turned, starting down the sandy path towards the estate in which she dwelt. "Shuttle's landing in just over an hour. I need to get packing."

Impervious to reason... His arguments for her to remain on the homeworld being unabashedly ignored and dismissed out of hand, Kar'en'tv trudged along after her, resigned. The girl was unmanageable, he realized. Let Starfleet deal with the little hellion...