269: Class is in Session

By Avery Breaux and Jariel Camen
80427.2000
The morning after Essence

-=Deck 5, USS Serendipity=-

[[Good morning everyone.]] Camen entered his office, a smile on his face as always. He carried a large leather bound text of the Prophesies of the Emissary that he had asked everyone to select a passage from for discussion. The book was marked with ribbons of various colors and well worn, being that it was one of Camen's favorite books. His pupils were punctual to the minute, even if Camen himself lagged a few moments behind.

Seated in his office were Avery Breaux, Fleur Le Marc, Lair Kellyn and Lair Arie. Camen was pleased that Kellyn and Salvek were taking a more active role in exposing Arie to the Bajoran culture, and not just Vulcan.

Fleur sat up straight and respectfully on the couch, holding a small paperback version of the same book Camen had, with her own bookmarks dangling out from between the pages. No doubt she had been thorough in her research and had many questions she wished to ask.

This exercise was meant to provoke many questions. Camen had found that the best way to communicate the words of the Prophets was not for him to stand in front of the room and do all the talking, but to allow his students to ask the questions. Each question would lead to another and another and the answers he gave would give a more clear understanding than any long winded sermon of his own could.

"Good morning." Everyone answered him back in unison.

[[I hope to have a free form discussion this morning, that's why I asked each of you to read a passage in the text for us to discuss.]] Fleur cheerfully waved her book, and the ribbons between the pages streamed back and forth, as her indication that she was indeed ready to discuss for as long as the Vedek was willing to listen.

[[Thank you all so much for coming. Avery, perhaps you would like to start us off?]]

Breaux nodded, and straightened in his chair, "I have two actually...after having read a great deal and spent a number of hours pondering the meaning of the prophecy having to do with essence...I came across these two and had some observations about them...but I'd be interested in hearing what the others think about them..."

He opened his book and looked over the words before beginning, "But then a shadow blocked out the sun. We looked up and saw a cloud filling the sky. It was a swarm of locusts. Billions of them. They hovered over the city, the noise was deafening... but just as quickly as they came, they moved on." Avery let the others digest what he had shared..."I'm not sure I understand the process here...it seems that each of us would interpret the prophecies differently...given our backgrounds, experiences and teachings...I can't imagine that was the intent of those who shared the prophecies..."

Avery continued, "But then, it may be wrong to assume that a prophecy has one strict meaning-although my background has told me that things of this nature relate to one particular instance...if I may...I'd like to share the second one that intrigued me..."

For this prophecy sharing, Breaux sat down to indicate that he wasn't attempting to monopolize time, "The emissary will face a fiery trial, and he will be forced to choose between..." Avery looked around the room and saw several people nodding their heads. "This one had some meaning for me, yet it specifically states 'the Emissary', so I'm not sure how it would have meaning for someone else...unless there are lessons to be learned from someone else's endeavors."

Breaux sat back anxious to see how the meeting would proceed.

Camen had his own thoughts, but waited a moment to see if anyone else was willing to offer an opinion. In the Bajoran faith there was no right or wrong interpretation. Each person's view of a Prophecy could be correct, for them.

"Perhaps the locusts are a sign of a drought about to come, a famine or some sort." Fleur smiled politely as she offered her opinion, but not so politely that it would look like she found a famine upon the Bajorans amusing.

Lair Arie cleared her throat, and with no prodding offered her opinion. "On Vulcan they speak of the bishau, the gathering of insects. They take the bishau as a sign that the innocent will soon be overrun by the guilty, with logic and justice being the true victim. Sorry I know that's not Bajoran..." Arie sat back down.

[[Excellent, Arie. That sort of discussion is exactly what I am looking for. We can understand the Prophets by looking at their teachings from many angles, even the Vulcans'.]]

Camen leaned back against his desk, choosing his next words carefully. [[It is true, that each Prophecy, we believe, has or will play itself out and have an effect on the Bajoran people. But is important, in our effort to touch the Prophets, that we not just derive truth from these words, but wisdom as well. Notice that the locusts came, hovered, and moved on without harming the city. This is meant to be a warning, that following the wrong path can have its consequences. We don't know what became of the village in this Prophecy, it was never mentioned, but we pray that they heard the call of the Prophets and heeded their warning.]]

"So the Prophets will try to guide us, when they feel we have gone astray, and it is our duty to let them steer us back to the path we are meant to follow?" Fleur offered. Immediately Camen was taken back to his visions of Fleur.

[[Yes, that is certainly a valid explanation.]] Camen offered uneasily.

Lair Kellyn sensed his uneasiness, and spoke to move them along. "Vedek, what of the Prophecy of the Emissary, the fiery trial he must face?"

Kellyn offered no indication that she knew why Avery would choose such a passage, but she knew the interpretation of it would help him come to terms with recent events in his life that she had shared with him.

[[Indeed, one of the more well known Prophecies, and one we have seen play itself out. We have seen the truth here, but we can still see the wisdom of it in our own lives. To do that, Avery, I would like to know why this Prophecy struck a chord for you.]]

Breaux hesitated...something he wouldn't have done ordinarily if pressed in such a situation. He had become more open after listening to his crew mates. He didn't feel as if Kellyn were putting him on the spot. She was genuinely interested in seeing him through this-she wanted him to be her crew mate.

"I think it speaks to all of us," Avery began, "...we have all faced ordeals, crossroads...where we've had to make decisions...fiery trials, being the metaphor...I've had my share. It's more than facing the horns of a dilemma, it could be something hideously unpopular." He paused. "What's more interesting is what we do when we face the trial, and perhaps err...how do we recover?...What do the Prophets say about redemption? Maybe our choices are viewed as wrong by those in power, and yet, we followed our own moral compass to arrive at a decision. We...interpreted the 'locusts' differently than someone else. It's all very subjective I would think. For example, the Bajoran Resistance...the Maquis...the Colonial Patriots in early America...how do they find their place if they are judged sinner instead of saint in society?"

Camen looked at the floor and thought about everything Avery had asked. [[I apologize for the simple answer but, the Prophets will know. You've asked a lot and we will need many hours of study to find clarity of these views.]]

"I think what the Vedek is trying to say is that redemption is a difficult concept. It will take time and patience to understand the teachings." Kellyn said, the double meaning of her words were not lost on Avery.

Avery nodded in appreciation and wondered what fiery trials the others had faced-the trials he didn't know about.

He felt very much at home.

Doctor Avery Breaux
Chief Medical Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012

and

Vedek Jariel Camen
Ship's Chaplain
USS Serendipity NCC-2012