Rambles about "Façades"
Oct. 12th, 2012 10:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
konstantyaUnlike the rough outline I had for Chapter 10, I am pretty much at a loss when it comes to a hypothetical Chapter 11. I guess the obvious thing would be to open with the battle with the Klingons--not something I'm relishing as I don't really like action, and I find coming up with the sort-of actiony-technobabble dialogue very difficult. (So...help? ^^') I do think Worf should be brought back into the story (if only because it seems silly to introduce him in the beginning chapters and then never see him again), but I'm not sure if he should be on/commanding one of the attacking ships. (Perhaps just on, yes, but it seems way too short a time to believe that he was rescued from the jungle planet the shuttle crashed on, and then assigned a new crew and a new ship. Anyway.)
It also seems that Sinba would finally have to go for his physical, and maybe we even (DUN DUN DUN) learn something about his weird heritage. And about that--I finally got an idea (sort of) about what to do with him!
Rather than go with the "he was an experiment" route, what if it was his mother who was the experiment? Going back to Chapter 1, it was stated that she was El-Aurian, and was found in an escape pod by the ill-fated Romulan Commander Taloak, but that was all the information we got on her. What if she had been the experiment? Terran scientists screwing with her DNA, she eventually manages to escape, is rescued by Taloak, they fall in love, marry, etc., and she passes on her genetic abnormalities to her son.
As for what Sinba should do in-story, I'm not completely sure. I feel he should fill the role of Morality Pet for Data--encouraging him to not be a complete bastard and all that, but I can't say I have any specifics in mind. After all, he has to be useful to the ship, not just Data's personal growth, otherwise there's no reason for Picard to not order his death.
So yeah, ideas about any of the above would be helpful. And/or what scenes to include. I do think that Chapter 11 would be less heavy on the Data/Tasha stuff, but since he officially has her under his thumb now, you never know.
On a different note, I had some discussion that resulted in some Picard/Crusher head-canon. I'm not sure how, or even if, I would fit it into the story, but I think I'll be going with the idea that they had previously been having an affair, which Jack somehow found out about, hence the abuse. (I guess it's safe to say that mirror!Jack was a completely possessive prick.) The Wesley-beatings were probably just extra punishment (a la, "Look what you made me do, Bev? This isn't just hurting you, it's hurting your son as well!"), or even possibly a result of Jack's insecurity over Wesley's parentage. (Depending on how long the affair was going on, he could very easily suspect Picard was the father, even if it wasn't true.) Paternity tests are no doubt easy-peasy in the 24th century, but I doubt Jack would care about the truth much--more than likely, he just likes using the uncertainty as an excuse (a la, "He might be the father, and that's bad enough--time for some good ol'-fashioned domestic abuse!")
I do think it's safe to say that Beverly was relieved when Picard killed Jack, but I still don't think their relationship is all that good or healthy. While Picard might be better than Jack, he's still not a particularly kind man, and I think he's kind of trapped Beverly in the relationship (a la, "I killed your asshole husband and protected your son; now you owe me.") I confess, I do rather like the bitter, broken Beverly of Diane Duane's Dark Mirror, and think this Beverly might have some shades of that. After being at the mercy of Jack, and then at the mercy of Picard, I do think she's a bit broken, and maybe even a little mad, and loses herself in her work as a way to cope.
As far as Riker goes, I do like how he's shaping up--his complicated relationship with Picard, and his misogynistic grudge against Tasha. I don't like the idea of making him the Official Antagonist of the story (I think the socio-political structure of the Empire in general is antagonistic enough), but I do like the conflict he adds. And I'd really love to explore his relationship with Troi more, even if it's only in passing, as she seems to be the one woman he actually kind of fears/respects. (Plus, coming from a feminist perspective, I think it's important that there be at least one woman who isn't passive/submissive to a man. Because as it is, Tasha's under Data's thumb, and as the above head-canon states, Crusher is pretty much under Picard's thumb. So I am all about Troi being the dominant one in any Riker/Troi relationship. ;D)
Still have that rather smutty scene of dubious consent I'm working on (Data/Tasha, obviously). Don't know if it'll end up fitting, or if I'll even get that far in the story, but even if I don't, I think I'll write it up as a one-off scene and link to it. So there's porn to look forward to, if nothing else! ;p
Lastly, though I don’t know if it’s relevant or helpful, here’s some head-canon I have for this universe (most of it’s about Tasha, though ask away if you’re curious about anything else). [Some of this has already been incorporated into Chapter 10, but I'm leaving it written as is, simply for convenience.]
Turkana IV never broke ties with the Terran Empire the way it did with the Federation in the normal universe (partly because the Empire never would have let it break ties), and so mirror!Tasha grew up on a planet that did have some semblance of law and order, and more importantly, grew up very much within the Empire’s sphere of influence. Canon!Tasha always struck me as something of an idealist, the way she idolized the Federation and all (and especially how she got away from Turkana IV at an age where she was still impressionable, but that’s for another discussion). Mirror!Tasha is a bit more cynical and pragmatic—the system has gotten to her, so to speak, and in her mind, if she wants to get anywhere in life, she’s going to have to work that system. I don’t think she became an officer in the Imperial Fleet because she thought ruthless interstellar domination was FTW, necessarily, but because it was the best option she could see for herself. I don’t have a lot of the social structure or culture of the Terran Empire figured out, but I think it’s safe to say sexism is pretty rampant. At least as an officer in the Imperial Fleet, she can command some respect and authority. Much like her canon counterpart, she’s worked hard to get to where she is, and has a lot of pride and self-respect because of that. She’s probably one of the few female officers who hasn’t slept her way up the ranks in some way.
Emotionally, she’s a little bit…softer, I guess is the word?—than her canon counterpart. Because of her background, canon!Tasha always struck me as someone who would have a problem with intimacy, both physical and emotional. I don’t think that’s quite the case with mirror!Tasha. I think she’s a bit of a romantic deep down, who would love nothing more than to find a Prince Charming of sorts—but she also knows that’s the sort of stuff that happens in fairytales, not the Terran Empire. She dreams of love, but as an officer in the Imperial Fleet, where people are just waiting to stab you in the back, she knows love would make her too vulnerable. I’m sure she’s had a handful of physical relationships in the past, but (perhaps as she rose in rank/position and thus became a bigger target?) has forced herself to let even sex fall by the wayside. It’s just too dangerous in her position. Despite all that, she still has a sex drive, obviously, and still gets the occasional urge, much to her frustration.
Data is probably the closest thing to a gentleman she’s come across, and while she is attracted to him, she’s also very much aware of the fact that he’s nowhere near the Prince Charming she dreams of. As stated in-story, she once got drunk and initiated a one-night-stand with him (echoing the events of “The Naked Now”), but that’s as far as she’s let herself go.
In addition to all that, while I really don’t want to bring Lore or Ishara into the mix, as I think it would complicate the story too much, I couldn’t help coming up with head-canon for their mirror counterparts. [Again, some of this already made it into All the King's Horses and All the King's Men, the stand-alone one-shot involving them, but I'm leaving the head-canon here as is.]
Mirror!Ishara, unlike her sister, is an idealist. And instead of running off to join a gang, she ran off to join the Resistance. (Much like in Diane Duane’s novel, Dark Mirror, Spock’s attempt to reform the Terran Empire failed, and he was killed for his efforts. However, his attempt, brief as it was, managed to garner a following of sorts and sparked a resistance movement. It’s small, and underground at this point, but still very much alive, much to the Empire’s displeasure.) As in canon, there was tension in between Tasha and Ishara when they parted ways, though it’s somewhat reversed: Tasha thought Ishara was being hopelessly, stupidly idealistic, wanting to join the Resistance, and Ishara feels bad/guilty that she couldn’t talk Tasha out of joining the Imperial Fleet, because even if she lives, she’ll be so changed by the experience as to render her unrecognizable.
Being that it’s stated that the Resistance took the dismantled Lore, it’s entirely possible he would be reassembled (perhaps by the mirror version of Ard’rian McKenzie or some other techno-wiz, who is also part of the Resistance?) and thus would join the underground movement. And would maybe even meet and/or team-up with Ishara? (I say that mostly because I just like the Lore/Ishara pairing. XD) Lore, as in canon, would have emotions, but would be very mild-mannered and sensitive. [And as the previously-mentioned one-shot has proved, he's also quite melancholy, surprising as that was. But I do think it rather fits--whereas canon!Lore got pissed off about being rejected by Soong, it seems mirror!Lore took the depression route. As in canon (or as I believe in canon), he has a lot of conflicted feelings when it comes to his father, and probably Data, too.]
So there you have it. My story/meta rambles. Questions, comments?
It also seems that Sinba would finally have to go for his physical, and maybe we even (DUN DUN DUN) learn something about his weird heritage. And about that--I finally got an idea (sort of) about what to do with him!
Rather than go with the "he was an experiment" route, what if it was his mother who was the experiment? Going back to Chapter 1, it was stated that she was El-Aurian, and was found in an escape pod by the ill-fated Romulan Commander Taloak, but that was all the information we got on her. What if she had been the experiment? Terran scientists screwing with her DNA, she eventually manages to escape, is rescued by Taloak, they fall in love, marry, etc., and she passes on her genetic abnormalities to her son.
As for what Sinba should do in-story, I'm not completely sure. I feel he should fill the role of Morality Pet for Data--encouraging him to not be a complete bastard and all that, but I can't say I have any specifics in mind. After all, he has to be useful to the ship, not just Data's personal growth, otherwise there's no reason for Picard to not order his death.
So yeah, ideas about any of the above would be helpful. And/or what scenes to include. I do think that Chapter 11 would be less heavy on the Data/Tasha stuff, but since he officially has her under his thumb now, you never know.
On a different note, I had some discussion that resulted in some Picard/Crusher head-canon. I'm not sure how, or even if, I would fit it into the story, but I think I'll be going with the idea that they had previously been having an affair, which Jack somehow found out about, hence the abuse. (I guess it's safe to say that mirror!Jack was a completely possessive prick.) The Wesley-beatings were probably just extra punishment (a la, "Look what you made me do, Bev? This isn't just hurting you, it's hurting your son as well!"), or even possibly a result of Jack's insecurity over Wesley's parentage. (Depending on how long the affair was going on, he could very easily suspect Picard was the father, even if it wasn't true.) Paternity tests are no doubt easy-peasy in the 24th century, but I doubt Jack would care about the truth much--more than likely, he just likes using the uncertainty as an excuse (a la, "He might be the father, and that's bad enough--time for some good ol'-fashioned domestic abuse!")
I do think it's safe to say that Beverly was relieved when Picard killed Jack, but I still don't think their relationship is all that good or healthy. While Picard might be better than Jack, he's still not a particularly kind man, and I think he's kind of trapped Beverly in the relationship (a la, "I killed your asshole husband and protected your son; now you owe me.") I confess, I do rather like the bitter, broken Beverly of Diane Duane's Dark Mirror, and think this Beverly might have some shades of that. After being at the mercy of Jack, and then at the mercy of Picard, I do think she's a bit broken, and maybe even a little mad, and loses herself in her work as a way to cope.
As far as Riker goes, I do like how he's shaping up--his complicated relationship with Picard, and his misogynistic grudge against Tasha. I don't like the idea of making him the Official Antagonist of the story (I think the socio-political structure of the Empire in general is antagonistic enough), but I do like the conflict he adds. And I'd really love to explore his relationship with Troi more, even if it's only in passing, as she seems to be the one woman he actually kind of fears/respects. (Plus, coming from a feminist perspective, I think it's important that there be at least one woman who isn't passive/submissive to a man. Because as it is, Tasha's under Data's thumb, and as the above head-canon states, Crusher is pretty much under Picard's thumb. So I am all about Troi being the dominant one in any Riker/Troi relationship. ;D)
Still have that rather smutty scene of dubious consent I'm working on (Data/Tasha, obviously). Don't know if it'll end up fitting, or if I'll even get that far in the story, but even if I don't, I think I'll write it up as a one-off scene and link to it. So there's porn to look forward to, if nothing else! ;p
Lastly, though I don’t know if it’s relevant or helpful, here’s some head-canon I have for this universe (most of it’s about Tasha, though ask away if you’re curious about anything else). [Some of this has already been incorporated into Chapter 10, but I'm leaving it written as is, simply for convenience.]
Turkana IV never broke ties with the Terran Empire the way it did with the Federation in the normal universe (partly because the Empire never would have let it break ties), and so mirror!Tasha grew up on a planet that did have some semblance of law and order, and more importantly, grew up very much within the Empire’s sphere of influence. Canon!Tasha always struck me as something of an idealist, the way she idolized the Federation and all (and especially how she got away from Turkana IV at an age where she was still impressionable, but that’s for another discussion). Mirror!Tasha is a bit more cynical and pragmatic—the system has gotten to her, so to speak, and in her mind, if she wants to get anywhere in life, she’s going to have to work that system. I don’t think she became an officer in the Imperial Fleet because she thought ruthless interstellar domination was FTW, necessarily, but because it was the best option she could see for herself. I don’t have a lot of the social structure or culture of the Terran Empire figured out, but I think it’s safe to say sexism is pretty rampant. At least as an officer in the Imperial Fleet, she can command some respect and authority. Much like her canon counterpart, she’s worked hard to get to where she is, and has a lot of pride and self-respect because of that. She’s probably one of the few female officers who hasn’t slept her way up the ranks in some way.
Emotionally, she’s a little bit…softer, I guess is the word?—than her canon counterpart. Because of her background, canon!Tasha always struck me as someone who would have a problem with intimacy, both physical and emotional. I don’t think that’s quite the case with mirror!Tasha. I think she’s a bit of a romantic deep down, who would love nothing more than to find a Prince Charming of sorts—but she also knows that’s the sort of stuff that happens in fairytales, not the Terran Empire. She dreams of love, but as an officer in the Imperial Fleet, where people are just waiting to stab you in the back, she knows love would make her too vulnerable. I’m sure she’s had a handful of physical relationships in the past, but (perhaps as she rose in rank/position and thus became a bigger target?) has forced herself to let even sex fall by the wayside. It’s just too dangerous in her position. Despite all that, she still has a sex drive, obviously, and still gets the occasional urge, much to her frustration.
Data is probably the closest thing to a gentleman she’s come across, and while she is attracted to him, she’s also very much aware of the fact that he’s nowhere near the Prince Charming she dreams of. As stated in-story, she once got drunk and initiated a one-night-stand with him (echoing the events of “The Naked Now”), but that’s as far as she’s let herself go.
In addition to all that, while I really don’t want to bring Lore or Ishara into the mix, as I think it would complicate the story too much, I couldn’t help coming up with head-canon for their mirror counterparts. [Again, some of this already made it into All the King's Horses and All the King's Men, the stand-alone one-shot involving them, but I'm leaving the head-canon here as is.]
Mirror!Ishara, unlike her sister, is an idealist. And instead of running off to join a gang, she ran off to join the Resistance. (Much like in Diane Duane’s novel, Dark Mirror, Spock’s attempt to reform the Terran Empire failed, and he was killed for his efforts. However, his attempt, brief as it was, managed to garner a following of sorts and sparked a resistance movement. It’s small, and underground at this point, but still very much alive, much to the Empire’s displeasure.) As in canon, there was tension in between Tasha and Ishara when they parted ways, though it’s somewhat reversed: Tasha thought Ishara was being hopelessly, stupidly idealistic, wanting to join the Resistance, and Ishara feels bad/guilty that she couldn’t talk Tasha out of joining the Imperial Fleet, because even if she lives, she’ll be so changed by the experience as to render her unrecognizable.
Being that it’s stated that the Resistance took the dismantled Lore, it’s entirely possible he would be reassembled (perhaps by the mirror version of Ard’rian McKenzie or some other techno-wiz, who is also part of the Resistance?) and thus would join the underground movement. And would maybe even meet and/or team-up with Ishara? (I say that mostly because I just like the Lore/Ishara pairing. XD) Lore, as in canon, would have emotions, but would be very mild-mannered and sensitive. [And as the previously-mentioned one-shot has proved, he's also quite melancholy, surprising as that was. But I do think it rather fits--whereas canon!Lore got pissed off about being rejected by Soong, it seems mirror!Lore took the depression route. As in canon (or as I believe in canon), he has a lot of conflicted feelings when it comes to his father, and probably Data, too.]
So there you have it. My story/meta rambles. Questions, comments?
