Justprompts Quote

[cadet_amara]

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. -Carol Burnett

 

This was not the sort of place where one expected to see a Starfleet Cadet. In fact, it was probably one of the last places on Earth you’d expect that, and yet, there one stood, scanning the room, looking for someone or something. Cadet Amara Smith wished she had a chance to change out of her uniform before racing here, but she hadn’t had time. The message had sounded urgent. Still, the red uniform made her stick out like a sore thumb in this crowd, and was probably going to make this task more difficult than it had to be. This wasn’t a place where Starfleet got a lot of respect. Still, she crossed the room with her head held high, showing no fear. She couldn’t afford doubt right now.

 

“Karan, this is the last time I’m bailing you out.” She announced when she reached the table. Amara quickly studied her older brother. He was a little roughed up but other than that alright. She then turned her attention to the other four men. All of them what she expected to find here. Rough and large in stature, these were enforcers. They probably didn’t’ have a brain between them. “Where’s your boss?” She demanded.

 

“Right here, Miss Starfleet.” A greasy looking man approached the table. He reminded her of a rat with beady little eyes and a pointed nose. He studied Amara, eyes roaming up her legs in appreciation. She fought the urge to squirm and silently cursed the uniform again.

 

Still, she had to look like she wasn’t bothered, wasn’t concerned, and knew exactly what she was doing. “How much does he owe?”

 

“200 credits.” The man smiled and pulled out a chair for her to sit in, seating himself right next to her a little closer than she’d like. “Your brother shouldn’t’ place bets with money he don’t have.”

 

“It was a sure thing!” Karan defended himself, wiping the crusted blood under his nose.

 

“Yes clearly.” She commented wryly. She turned her attention back to Mr. Rat. “I only have 100.”

 

“Hm…” He looked her over again, like he was eying up his dinner. “Well, I do accept… other forms of payment.” He smirked suggestively and ran his hand up her leg.

 

Oh no. Not a chance in hell, she thought. She grabbed his hand and forcefully removed it, her eyes narrowing in anger, warning him not to try that again. “Touch me again, you’ll lose that hand.”

 

He only smiled, as if amused by her threat. “200.” He said simply.

 

She looked around the room, deciding her next move carefully. She noticed the pool tables in the back. There was a game she was good at. Mathematics wasn’t her strongest subject, but that was simply because she miscalculated her numbers a lot. Geometry, seeing shapes and angles she understood. “How about we play for it?” She nodded across the room. “I win, I give you the hundred and take my brother. You win, you get my hundred anyway and Karan stays here.”

 

The man laughed, she knew he was thinking: how could this little Starfleet cadet possibly win at pool against his boys. “You have yourself a deal Miss Starfleet.”

 

An hour later she was dragging her brother through the streets at what according to him was a death march pace. “That was brilliant, Mari!” He praised her, tripping over the sidewalk. “They had no idea… I had no idea you had that in you!”

 

“I’m not doing that again, Karan.” She said firmly. “Ever since I found you three months ago you’ve been calling me to bail you out. I can’t keep doing this.” Amara was annoyed to be in this situation yet again. She had left the Academy without telling anyone, skipped a class, and if she didn’t hurry and catch her transport she’d miss another one. “I could get expelled for all this, you know.”

 

“Oh yes, God forbid I stand in the way of your Starfleet ambitions.” He scoffed and stopped to lean against a wall.

 

“At least I’m trying!” She stopped and spun around to face him. Three months ago she hadn’t seen or heard from Karan since she was five-years-old and now her much older brother was depending on her to save his ass and was draining her dry. “Karan. You need help.”

 

He laughed, leaning his head back against the wall. “We can’t all be Starfleet like you, little Princess Mari.”

 

“I don’t mean Starfleet.” She sighed and leaned back against the wall next to him. “I mean… you need to get into a rehabilitation program or something. I know you would have never made that bet sober. I’m not going to ask you what you took, I don’t want to know. But you need help, Karan. You’re better than this.”

 

He sighed and looked at her for what felt like forever. “People like us don’t get better, Mari. This is all we can hope for. We don’t get out.”

 

“I am.” She met his eyes, silently pleading with him.

 

He smiled a little and drew his little sister into a hug. “That’s because you are better than me.”

 

She pulled back, not willing to give up on this argument. “Don’t tell me that. You can do better to, you just won’t help yourself. I can’t help you if you don’t help yourself. You think someone just… handed me this uniform on the side of the road one day? I had to work for it. I had to change myself. You can to, but you refuse to try.” She crossed her arms, hoping she looked stern right now. “And I won’t keep helping you if you won’t help yourself.”

 

He watched her, as if considering everything she was saying. “I know you are not really angry with me.” He said.

 

“Oh yeah? Why is that?”

 

“It’s your eyes, little Mari. You always talk too much with them. You may sound angry, but your eyes… they’re sad.”

 

She sighed, he was right of course. “I am sad. I’m sad that the brother I just found again three months ago is going to end up dead or something.”

 

“Oh don’t be so overdramatic. I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself, you know.” He brushed off her concern. “I am ten years older than you.”

 

She just shook her head a little. “I can’t miss my transport.” She started walking again, then paused and turned. “You know where to find me if you decide you want some real help.”

 

He nodded, “Goodbye Mari.”

 

Amara didn’t reply. She hated the finality of “goodbye”. She just turned and started walking again towards her transport. She was changing her life, and she wasn’t going to let him destroy it for her. If he refused to help himself, well, then there was nothing she could do. They both had chosen their own paths, she just wished he had chosen a better one.