Star Trek: Starbase 777

[D] Aella was here! At home, doing her thing. In the past months, she had been trying her hand at interior decorating but to not much luck. Although she had consulted her zhimata, her beloved partner Eshen, it was hard to settle on something that felt... Right. She couldn't really go on looks because well, everything look 'okay' to her, so she tried to go on vibes. Thankfully Eshen was incredibly patient with her throughout this whole process. Anyway, with most of the decore still in boxes around her quarters, she decided why not try on outfits for the winter ball. The purple butterfly dress was a big hit so why not just wear it again. Aella stood in front of her mirror all dressed her her long flowy purple dress, completely with a veil that flowed nicely over her black hair. On her feet she wore--- the new edition shrek crocs~! The SHROCKS! She was definitely going to be wearing these to the next croc lover's meetup. She knew better than to wear crocs to a formal event, Eshen had made that very clear to her.

[D] Yoro'clis had just finished a standard patrol shift and now had a few hours open to do what he wished. He wore his standard Dominion armor and wore a Starfleet phaser pistol at his side. The Elder Jem'Hadar had no need to sleep and did not want to socialize, and instead thought that it was best to either go to the gym or another simulation or training facility. He walked through the halls and made his way through the civilian quarters area. As he walked Yoro'clis recognized one of the door numbers, but was unsure why. He paused for a moment to try and figure out why. The Jem'Hadar then realized that the quarters were that of the station's Dominion representative, a Vorta. Yoro'clis had not yet had an opportunity to meet them, and thought that now would likely be a time to do so. The Elder walked up to the door and pressed a button on the wall to alert Aella to his presence.

Aella answered the door as soon as she heard the chime and was surprised to see-- another Jem'hadar!? This was the third one since she arrived on this station. She wondered what had happened to the last two as they seemed to have transferred off. Well, maybe she was just too much to handle and the Founders were sending this third guy. "Joe mama true!" Aella greeted with a friendly wave, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders as she swayed side to side. She had taken a liken to the latest 'greeting' going around the station, at least, she thought it was a popular greeting, some sort of meme to purposefully mispronounce the Romulan greeting. "Let me guess-- you're here from the Founders to be my personal helper. Say no more, I got lots of stuff for you to do!" Who else was going to help hang up all the fairy lights? She would have asked Eshen or Allan, but it seemed like they were at work.

Yoro'clis was not sure how to respond to the first thing that the Vorta said, and chose to ignore the comment. He was instead far more focused on the other things that Aella was saying. He had not arrived to be any sort of helper and instead simple had wanted to meet them. Unfortunately Yoro'clis knew how difficult it was to deal with Vorta. "I have been sent to the station to serve as a special tactics officer under Commander Sul and Starfleet." The Elder was somewhat confused about jurisdiction and command when around. He had spent his entire life reporting to different Vorta but was now tasked with following his department head. While Aella may have been a Vorta they were now simply to be seen as another civilian. This went against all of Yoro'clis' natural instincts, but then it was simply the way that things were. "And I have come to your quarters to meet the Dominion representative."

"Oh," Aella frowned, the look of disappointment immediately clear on her face. Her voice changed from happy and enthusiastic to bored and borderline disinterested. So he was another Starfleet officer and not here to help her? Not that she thought she needed any help, but she was a little sad the Founders didn't seem to want to give her any additional helpers. Aella sighed and put both hands on hips, good thing there were no Tak-tak in the area. "I see, well............ Would you be willing to help me decorate my room anyway? I mean, helping a Vorta is the order of things, right?" Aella smirked and flicked some long strands of hair over her shoulder. Even if he wasn't here as a helper, that didn't mean he wouldn't help, right? He clearly still had respect for her if he came to visit. "And you can address me as Aella by my full title is Vara'toran Aella 5, Dominion liaison and official speaker for the Founders."

Yoro'clis could tell that Aella was disappointed but he did not care that much. Some of the worst years in his life had been spent directly serving Vorta and he had little wish to spend his time on the station acting as ones maid. He was in no position to reject the offer and still had been conditioned to follow the Vorta. Since he had no other Starfleet duties or things to attend to at the meeting he would help. "Understood Aella. And that is the order of things, but I am now within the order of Starfleet. I will help now though." There was truly something freeing about serving under Starfleet officers and not under a Vorta. He now had freedoms and powers that were not normally available in the Dominion. While Yoro'clis had some powers as an Elder First he had far more power as a Lieutenant Commander. There was still a Vorta around for now however and the Jem'Hadar would do what he could for them. "So how may I serve?"

"Oh, well that's fine," Aella shrugged, not seeming to care too much or be surprised that this Jem'hadar was here as an exchange officer. She always wondered if Jem'hadar missed their Vorta commanders. In many cases probably not, although she did know a few who had grown... Attached to their commanders. She stepped to the side so this guy could enter. Inside Aella's quarters was of course a mural of the Great Link on the wall, with a long table under it. On top of the table sat a collection of gifts she had accumulated from Eshen and others. A lava lamp being one of them, the cool oozing of the goo inside was calming, but it also reminded her of the Founders. She had a few orange-tinted lights on the shelves. There were still a lot of items in boxes that she was attempting to put up, but she just had no ideas. "I want the lights in that box," She pointed to the box in question sitting on her coffee table. "On the walls around the picture. I think. Would it look good there? I don't know," She paused, deep in thought. "And do you have a name or something?" Aella realised she never asked this guy for his name!

The Elder nodded as the Vorta asked about his name. He was still going with the standard Vorta-Jem'Hadar converstation style, meaning that the Vorta was guiding the conversation and the Jem'Hadar only responded when prompted. Perhaps he would change this late, but for now he went with it. "I am Honored Elder Yoro'clis." Yoro'clis looked around the room and judged it, not making any comments. It appeared to be full of useless items and decorations that served no purpose other than vanity. The Jem'Hadar was disappointed to see so much time and resources spent on such things, but then he admittedly also had not changed anything about his quarters. The Jem'Hadar were trained to live spartan lives after all, so he was going to see things accordingly. "And I am not sure where any of that would go." He tried to not make any immediate decisions about how to view the Vorta but he also was already starting to see some of the same unfortunate patterns. This Aella 5 was clearly very focused on the things that did not matter. Perhaps focuses such as this were what made them a good diplomat, but the career solider was not sure how to do anything but judge. It was somewhat ironic how the standard Vorta and standard Jem'Hadar were not natural friends.

"Yoro'clis, ohh cool name," Was it just her or did Jem'hadar names always sound so... Harsh. They weren't as melodic as Vorta names, or at least in her opinion Vorta names sounded like music. In a brief moment of silence, Aella observed Yoro'clis' reaction to her room. She was very proud of it and had a feeling this guy did not care at all about 'decore'. What a pity, because she knew a few Jem'hadar who did have an eye for interior design, but Yoro'clis was an 'honoured elder' so maybe he was just old fashioned. "Well how about you start putting the lights up? They're attached to the walls with hooks but well, I'm quite short," Aella gestured to herself and then spun around, the flowy fabric of her dress flowing with her movements. "If you're wondering why all the funky nick nacks, the Founders put me here to explore life away from the Dominion and to mingle with Federation citizens. It's part of their ongoing efforts to make amends with our former enemies and test the waters for allowing more Vorta their freedom," She thought she had to explain considering Yoro'clis was not her helper and thus probably had no idea what he actual purpose was on the station. "Here, take the lights," Aella skipped over to the box and pulled out a string of christmas lights and held them out for the Jem'hadar. "Right around the mural. It's the Great Link, isn't it soothing? It reminds me of the Founders. If you want one, I can arrange to get you one too!" If Yoro'clis was old and traditional then surely he would enjoy any reminder of his gods, right?

Yoro'clis listened as Aella described their purpose both on the station and in the room. It appeared to all be an attempt at cultural discovery or something along those lines. In the end he did not care too much about why Aella felt the need to make their room pretty. He war far more comment on the comment on giving the Vorta more autonomy. As far as Yoro'clis were concerned the Vorta already had extreme amounts of freedom compared to the Jem'Hadar, but then that was the order of things. It was very interesting to hear that the Founders were looking to change the way of things. Yoro'clis had to wonder if his purpose on the station was to see if Jem'Hadar could serve in higher roles normally reserved for Vorta. He knew his duties were important but was not sure if he, a mere Jem'Hadar, was an important part of the Founders greater vision. "How interesting. It is good to hear that we are both part of the Founder's mission and views. Truly an honor." He would take a string of lights and begin to hand them up without making any comment on that. It was a simple task and from how Aella described it the decorations furthered the wish of the Founders. Therefore he would do it and not bother to ask any more questions on the topic. The Elder was intrigued by the idea of a mural but did not see a need for one. He did not sleep or relax so he had barely ever been to his quarters. Jem'Hadar did not normally have barracks after all. It was a nice offer but not one that he had need for. "I do not use my quarters normally, there is no need for a mural."

"Yes! Preceisely!" Aella giggled and swayed her head from side to side, which in turn made her veil and hair sway too. She looked far from the typical 'commanding' Vorta. Some may have even said she looked soft. Although she did still have her commanding and bossier side, she was not a very threatening sight. At a little more than five feet tall with a petite build, Aella was not going to be throwing hands at anyone anytime soon. Just her words. Aella stepped back and watched as the Jem'hadar hung the lights. It was nice to be surrounded by so many tall people! She couldn't help but feel a little pity for the Jem'hadar when he mentioend that he did not use his quarters. Yes, Jem'hadar were soldiers, but that didn't mean they had to be boring! Her zhimata was also from a warrior race, the Klingons, but his room was anything but bare. "That's so sad!" Aella exclaimed with furrowed brows and a slight frown. "And I thought you guys were without White? Doesn't that mean you need to sleep? Anyway, you're missing out. Oh wait, do you want some slippers? I just got the limited edition Shrek Crocs in my replicator, you want a pair?" Aella held out one leg so she could show Yoro'clis the bright green footwear.

Yoro'clis would continue to put the lights up, meaning that he was facing the wall and could not see Aella. He heard her however and was starting to notice how truly different she was. Most Vorta sounded like they were scheming how to kill everyone around them but this one was just happy and cheerful. Was this some sort of unique tactic for diplomacy or just the way that they were? Yoro'clis was somewhat off put by this all but also did not mind a nontraditional Vorta. As per the white it was somewhat surprising to see that the Vorta was not better informed. They were supposed to be an expert on the troopers that they commanded but did not seem to know anything? Yoro'clis figured that they had likely been on diplomatic placement for years and had not commanded any troops. It was interesting that the Dominion had not given Aella a small contingent of Jem'Hadar on the station, but then it was clear that the Founders had other intentions. "I need to eat food now that I no longer have the white but Jem'Hadar are still free from sleep and recreation." The Elder was not even going to give the crocs comment a response. It seemed like a bad idea to do so. In the end he just said his few words and then went back to hanging up the lights.

"Oh, is that so?" That wasn't the case with the other two Jem'hadar she spoke to. Or maybe it was just different across the board? Either way she was still unsurprised with how boring Yoro'clis' life seemed. If anything she felt a little bad for him. Thinking of an idea to try and lift the mood from the current dullness, Aella skipped over to one of her many chests of drawers that her zhimata had lovingly helped her decorate. It's okay if the Jem'hadar didn't want the crocs, she had other things that may entertain him! She grabbed a small cup and headed back to where Yoro'clis was hanging the lights. "Hmm, it looks good," Aella peered up to see how the man was affixing the lights around the mural. As to be expected, he was performing the task well just like any other Jem'hadar would. "Do you wanna take a break and see some of the cool toys I got? I think.... The Founders really want us to integrate in Federation society. I've been here for a year and a half and I've learned a lot. I think working on our social skills is just as important as learning how to fight or command," Aella's voice was still upbeat and friendly, but there was a serious undertone to her words. It may have seemed like all she wanted to do was boss Yoro'clis around and play, but she was happy to see him. She was always happy to see other Dominion on this side of the galaxy and she was excited as ever to get the chance to speak with one of her own about her experiences on a Federation starbase.

The Jem'Hadar nodded, knowing that this was simply how he lived his life. Yoro'clis had been serving with Starfleet ever since the switch had occurred so all that he knew was rumors that he had heard. Instead of adapting with the rest of the Dominion he had needed to adapt to life with a completely new faction. "It is for me, yes. I believe that those designed after the switch require sleep instead." Yoro'clis paused as the offer about toys was made. He personally had spent a lot of time in the armory familiarizing himself with all of the different grenades and phaser weapons, but then he also knew that this was likely not the type of toy that Aella 5 had in mind. Perhaps they had meant some sort of puzzle or something relating to the holodecks. He was curious and also could tell that Aella was not going to take no for an answer. Nobody in the Dominion casually brought up the Founders like she had, there was some sort of motivation. "What sort of toys?" When it came to social skills the Elder was severely lacking. He was generally short spoken and blunt, something not too common around the Federation. Yoro'clis had also spent his entire life being told that chit chat and recreation was little more than time wasted. He was slowly warming up to the idea that recreation was good but it was difficult for him to do so. "And I have been working on my social skills but I did not train them during my time with the Dominion."

"Ohhh, I see," Now that Aella thought about it, there was a different between Jem'hadar 'born' before and after the switch from the White. She honestly knew very little about the physiology of the Jem'hadar and had little care to. That was something for the Founders to know, after all. "Cool ones," Aella held up the cup of slime, unscrewing the top so the Jem'hadar could see the gooey transparent purple with sparkles inside! "This is called 'slime'. There are a lot of videos of it on SpaceTube, umm, it's a video sharing website where people can upload their own content. The Dominion has an official SpaceTube and I am one of the faces of the channel!" As she said that, she smiled with the brilliance of a thousand suns. What Aella lacked in commanding skills (honestly, none of the Aellas, or Kelrons for that matter, were very good at their actual jobs), she made up for in cuteness. With her naturally deeper voice and soft features, she was a calming presence. Perhaps it was a result from her living on the Starbase for almost two years now, but most likely it was the fact she had so many precious friends who definitely had an influence on her life. "Wanna try?" Aella dumped the slime into her hands and moved it around to try and show Yoro'clis how it was supposed to be played with. The bits of silver in the slime sparkled under the light as the goo moved through her dainty fingers. "I showed Founder Kronos-- oh, that's our Founder in charge. I video call him once a week!" Even though Yoro'clis did not need to report to the Founders, Aella did. "Anyway, Founder Kronos loves this slim, here, you try!" She now offered the goo to the Jem'hadar with an expectant stare.

Yoro'clis would take the smile and begin to play with it a bit, not understanding its purpose. He was also not familiar with this so called SpaceTube. As far as the Elder was concerned he was still just a solider sent to server with the Federation and did not need to worry about things such as public relations. He would stretch the slime and try to be friendly with all of the Starfleet personnel. That was the extent of his role. The Jem'Hadar would pause the moment that a Founder was mentioned however. The comment on the Founder liking slime was not what was interesting but instead the fact that Aella 5 spoke to one weekly. Yoro'clis reported to a lieutenant commander, Aella reported to one of the creators. That meant that the Vorta was truly directly acting as a vessel of the Founders. Perhaps their strange attitude they had was what the Founders wished for. "You speak regularly to a god?" Yoro'clis looked down to the ground for a second with a look of awe on his face. He had gotten the opportunity to see a Founder from a distance once but had never even thought about the posibility of speaking with one. Jem'Hadar reported to Vorta who reported to Founders. That was the order of things. "Please tell the Founder that I would be honored to speak with them if they wish for me to." As with all things in the Dominion the Vorta were above the Jem'Hadar. Aella would determine whether or not Yoro'clis had a chance at speaking to one of the Founders. The Elder knew that he would likely need to start spending more time with the Vorta if he wished to ever be included in one of these weekly reports.

".... Don't all Vorta?" Aella's big purple eyes only grew wider at the question. She knew that many Jem'hadar had never even seen the Founders or knew what they looked like. There were many Jem'hadar who had never even spoken to a Vorta directly excluding the White distribution. Unless one was a First or some leadership position, there was little reason for any of the Dominion's 'soldiers' to speak with anyone but their own. It was something that Aella had only learned after the Hur'Q conflicted when she witnessed the awkwardness between Jem'hadar and Vorta when neither were dependent on each other. Most Vorta still retained their command over their own units, but without the white, the relationship was much different than before. She was amused at Yoro'clis' reaction to the slime, giggling and swaying her body side to side. It was also very funny to see his reaction about her talking about the Founders. She forgot how fiercely loyal the Jem'hadar were and considering he was an honoured elder, life as an ally to the Federation was a whole different culture than before. "I will ask him! He's very nice, he loves hearing all about my adventures!" The Changelings were Aella's gods just like they were to all Dominion species, but in many ways she felt like her designated Founder was almost like a best friend. "He used to be Bajoran... Umm, like he lived on Bajor for a while," Aella explained, her eyes following Yoro'clis' hand movements with the slime. "You're an honoured elder and you really have never spoken to a Founder?"

Yoro'clis knew that many Vorta reported to the Founders but then he also knew that many others reported to other Vorta. The order of things also had it so that Jem'Hadar always just reported to Vorta. It was not the Jem'Hadar's concern where exactly the Vorta got their orders from. His role was to simply follow orders and maintain discipline within his unit. Yoro'clis had been taught this rigid chain of command during his first few days and had been following it ever since. That was never going to change. The Elder would continue to fidget with the slime soley due to the fact that he had been told that the Founder used it. That was all that mattered. "I have not had an opportunity to ever speak to a Founder, no. Thank you for allowing me a chance at the honor Aella." As the two began to speak Yoro'clis realized that he had no idea what exactly it was that Aella did in the station. They had no rank or responsibility officially, so what was it that they did? Did Aella spend the entire day socializing and chatting with different people? Yoro'clis had been sent to serve with Starfleet security and had a clear role. He knew that Aella did not have any tittle like that however. "If I may, what is it exactly that you do on this station?"

"Of course," Aella let Yoro'clis continue to play with the slime. She was glad to see he liked it-- or at least was amused by it. Founder Kronos was also fond of that particular slime. Upon hearing there were so many 'Changeling' like things in the Federation, the Founders were quite intrigued. They liked hearing about what daily life was like especially since for a long time, their focused had solely been on conquest. "Well I am the Dominion Liaison so if anyone has anything to say to the Dominion or the Founders, I handle those inquiries," Aella explained, although it wasn't like Starfleet officers or even civilians had much to say to her aside from 'leave me alone' or 'I don't want to join the croc lover's society'. "The Founders have tasked me with documenting my life on the station and to make as many friends as I can. They want to improve their relationship with the Federation and what better way to do that than to have a Vorta become friends with Starfleet officers!" Aella batted her eyelashes and smiled innocently. "You know, you Jem'hadar are all dedicated to war and being the best soldiers, but... I have come to realise genuine loyalty is much more powerful than any command or 'order of things'," Aella slowly walked over towards the table where the lava lamp was and right below the Great Link mural that Yoro'clis had so nicely strung the lights around. "Have you ever had a friend, Yoro'clis? A genuine friend. Not a subordinate or someone who had to follow you?" Aella posed the question to the taller man, her head tilting slightly as she placed a hand on the side of her lava lamp. The lamp cycled through the colours of the rainbow, with the goo blobbing around inside.

Yoro'clis listened to Aella, hearing about what he expected. It appeared that they simply went around chatting and socializing, occasionally taking notes for the Founders. Perhaps it was an important mission befit of a Vorta, but the Elder thought that such a task would be boring and without honor. There was a good reason that a Vorta was sent to act as a cultural ambassador and a Jem'Hadar was sent to serve as an officer aboard the station. When one stepped away from the order of things it was clear that the two species designed by the Founders had very different skills. Perhaps it was best that they were not normally sent to work together. In the end Yoro'clis was not too concerned with what Aella did on the average day. The Elder paused for a moment when asked about friends. For years he had served with other Jem'Hadar as if they were brothers. He had fought along with these other soldiers, risked his life with them, and watched many of them die. There had been a hierarchy and discipline within the unit, but the group all still had a close bond. Yoro'clis was not sure how to explain this to a Vorta however. The bonding that happened on the front lines was like little else. "I have become very close with many who I have served with before. Due to the nature of my life I have not had any friends for long however." Jem'Hadar generally did not waste time on frivolous things and therefore normally did not bother with things such as friendships. It was somewhat ironic to Yoro'clis. The Vorta of his past had taught him to spend all of his hours in service to the Founders but this Vorta seemed to have other priorities. Perhaps the Dominion truly had changed. "It is not a Jem'Hadar's place to waste time on things such as friendship. Things are different during this placement however."

Aella wondered what the Jem'hadar made of all of this. Her mission, the slime, the lava lamps. Out of the... Three Jem'hadar she had met on the station, only one seemed to really 'get it', and honestly she had a feeling no one really 'got it'. At first, Aella didn't think it mattered that Jem'hadar usually didn't have hobbies or were strict to follow the 'order of things' or whatever they called it, but after living her life of freedom for nearly two years now, she realised how sad it must have been for them. But Yoro'clis didn't seem sad. Not in the slightest. Which was the saddest thing about all of this. He didn't even know what he was missing! Aella didn't care about aesthetics, but she was of the opinion the Jem'hadar would be much happier if they all had some comfortable pair of crocs. "Well.... I can be your first!" Aella turned to face Yoro'clis and waved both of her hands. "I can show you all the cool places on this station! Oh and you can eat things and tell me what they taste like," Maybe that was the real reason Aella wanted another friend. Another person to tell her what things tasted like. "Oh, do you wanna keep the slime? You can, by the way," She skipped back over to Yoro'clis and held out her hands in case he wanted to return the slime to her. "Or I can order you your own slime if you want a different colour or something. There's a slime shop on the promenade!"

Yoro'clis listened to Aella speak about friendship and was unsure how to feel. He was trying to make friends on the station but was not sure if a Vorta was going to be one of those people. He had spent decades living with the order of things and everything that went along with that. The Jem'Hadar could just not see himself ever casually chatting with a Vorta. He had spent too many years reporting to one to see them as anything different. Still Aella likely had a relatively good understanding of what Yoro'clis was going through. Perhaps it would be difficult to become friends with a Vorta but then perhaps it would be easier than becoming friends with anyone else. Yoro'clis was unsure of what to say so he went with something in the middle. "I would appreciate any guidance or friendship that you would offer." The slime was a rather strange toy that Yoro'clis did not understand the purpose of. A Founder believed in its use however, and that was all that mattered. At the very least that was a good enough reason for the Elder to continue using the toy. Yoro'clis saw an opportunity to act as a Founder did and incorporate himself in the Federation so he would gladly do it. He also knew that Aella could not give him any orders but was pretty sure that the comment on that was a joke. "And I will keep the slime, thank you."

Aella could never be sure how Jem'hadar thought of the Vorta now that they no longer depended on the white. In the past, Aella's men had all resented her. To no surprise, she was bossy and ruthless, often not seeing her men as much more than soldiers. For a long time too, she thought this was the same for all Vorta, but clearly not seeing how some Vorta and Jem'hadar went on to... Form relationships. Meaningful relationships. Things that made Aella slightly jealous at first, but now she had her zhimata and friends so there was no longer any ill feelings between her and her colleagues who chose to pursue partnership with their former soldiers. "Great!" Aella exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. Truth be told, she was initially worried about Yoro'clis because he seemed very 'traditional', but clearly he was ready to take the next step to independence! "Sounds good! Oh lemme grab the container for it," Aella went to grab the clear container that had housed the slime, along with what looked to be a small laser cutting device. "Yoro'clis, in Standard that would be," Aella paused as she tried to sound out the letters, but after her failed attempts at the Standard alphabet 'Y', she stopped her motion and chuckled. "You know what, I'll just write it in Vortawa," It seemed a little 'childish' to be writing one's name on things, but for Aella, it made her happy to know she 'owned' things. There were not many things she had owned in her life, but looking at all the things she had in her possession reminded her that this was her life. Not the Founders, not her predecessors', just hers. Maybe Aella 6 will get new items to call her own, if she ever came to be, although Aella 5 had no plans of leaving anytime soon. "Tell me, Yoro'clis, what's the Dominion like recently?"

Yoro'clis took the box and looked at it, realizing that he had not seen anything written in Vortawa in years. He also realized that he had barely even spoken the language in the past few years. It was a kind gift however, and one of great importance. The Vorta was giving up something cherished by a Founder. That was not something to be taken lightly and the Jem'Hadar knew that. He felt somewhat strange taking a box full of a toy with his name on it, but then was also not sure exactly what to do with it. Yoro'clis was rarely in his quarters so it seemed wrong to leave it there. He did not have room for this slime in his uniform however. He knew he would have to figure this out later. Without thinking, the Elder thanked the Vara'toran in his native language. "Athifa." When Aella asked their question Yoro'clis paused for a moment to debate how to respond. He did now know what things were like in the Dominion and was curious about what was happening there himself. It was possible that the Vorta had spent a decade away from the Dominion and wanted any recent updates. More likely however they simply did not know that Yoro'clis had been assigned to Starfleet for years. He thought that it was best to explain this to them. "I do not know. The last time that I was in the Dominion was Yadera Prime three years ago. Since then I have been assigned to serve as a security officer within Starfleet. I know more about the situation on the Europa Heavy Battlecruiser Elysium and Tellar Prime. When we joined the Khitomer Alliance I was one of the first sent to serve with another faction." The Elder thought about the fact that he was currently surving on this station with Starfleet. Whichever Vorta had been in charge could have sent him to the Klingons, Romulans, or many other organizations instead. Yoro'clis wondered how different his experience would have been if he had been sent to a more militaristic faction.

"You are welcome," Aella giggled in response as she handed the little container to Yoro'clis so he could place the slime back inside. She wondered what would become of the slime or if the Jem'hadar would really keep it. She hoped so, but then again it was just a toy, not a weapon or anything of actual utility. Jem'hadar didn't even keep like.. Battle trophies. “Really?!" Aella's eyes widened when she heard that. Oh, so this guy was hot stuff? "I am not the first Vorta to be sent away, but one of the few lucky ones with this opportunity. Wow," How was this guy selected to be one of the first to leave yet had never spoken to a Founder? All the communication was undoubtedly handled by the Vorta in charge, but it was still strange. She briefly thought about... Who was it, Dukan'rex? The Jem'hadar who had sacrificed himself to save the Hur'Q and was partly the reason for the whole alliance to begin with. "Well, I guess I would know more than you. I bet you have cool stories-- wait and no friends?" Maybe it was just Aella's outgoing attitude that earned her so many friends, but she was shocked that this Jem'hadar didn't have any strong connections with people he had met on his last postings. "Well, I am sure Founder Kronos will be happy to see you making friends here then! Oh, thanks for helping me decorate! Ohhhh wait do you want a lava lamp? They're also blessed by the Founders!" Aella bounced back to her table and tapped on the rainbow colour shifting lava lamp as a playful smirk spread across her face.

Yoro'clis was confused by Aella's sudden excitement and curiosity. They seemed to think that there was something special about him having been given a placement such as this. The Elder had to wonder if the Vorta that he had served under most recently, Nomer 2, had something to do with the placement. Realistically Yoro'clis thought that it was more likely that he was just randomly selected. Any senior Jem'Hadar could have been given a role such as this. In the end the will of the Founders had led him to the station and that was all that mattered. The Elder could tell that the Vorta did not fully understand his general mindset however. Yoro'clis was a simple warrior who did his duties and devoted his life to the pursuits of the Founders. For years he had been trained to only spend time in battle and preparing for battle. There was no need for him or any other Jem'Hadar to do anything else. "I have spent two decades in the service of the Founders and have many different tales of battles to tell. When it comes to friends I have simply had no need. I have served with many but then I am always moved to a new world, base, or ship. All that I need is a weapon, a role, and the faith of the Founders. That is the way of the Jem'Hadar." From what Aella had said it appeared that things were changing back in the Dominion. The Vorta clearly had far more autonomy and were far less bound to the order of things. He doubted that the Founders wished for the Jem'Hadar to have the same leniency, but then time would tell. Perhaps the order of things was becoming archaic. Things were changing, at least to an extent. "Perhaps it does not make sense to you, but it is how things have always been and will always be, at least for me."

"Wow, two decades," Aella may not have known much about Jem'hadar's physiology or even their way of thinking, but she did know that 20 years was a long time to live for them. Honoured Elder indeed! She herself was much older than 20, of course. Most Vorta lines lived well over a century, although individual clones typically didn't last more than a few decades before either a mutiny or battle took them out. Despite being the commanders and 'brains' of the Dominion, they were surprisingly weak physically. "That's all good, but now you will get friendship too," Aella was excited to show Yoro'clis what friendship was and hoped that he would treasure the slime she gave to him. She took the Jem'hadar's lack of answer about the lava lamp as a no, but at least he was taking the slime. "I understand, well, I hope you can enjoy the slime and I am looking forward to you exploring your independence as an individual, not just a soldier. I'll tell you if Founder Kronos does want to chat with you, he likes hearing about my life, I would imagine he would be equally intersted in yours!" But there was also a chance maybe a Founder wouldn't want to speak with just another soldier? Either way, Aella was going to try and get Yoro'clis and audience with her favourite Founder. "I think that's it for decorating. Thanks for helping and go and make friends and connections!"

Yoro'clis just nodded at the statement on his twenty years. One had to be that age to be considered an honor elder. It was the order of things, just like everything else. With the changing ways of the Dominion Yoro'clis wondered if even that would change however. Would the age of such seniority be raised due to greater survival in peacetime? Time would tell. The Elder really was not sure exactly what he was getting into here, but knew that by now everything was inevitable. He now had to learn how to make friends and serve as a regular civilian or at least a regular Starfleet officer. Yoro'clis may have served for two decades, but he had never really lived a standard life. Now was his time to make friends, mentor younger officers, and be far more independent. The Elder was not sure how to do all that that but the Founders had tasked him with learning it. That was now his mission. "I am looking forward to it as well. Living as a Starfleet officer and not as a Jem'Hadar will interesting to say the least. A new order of things." Yoro'clis was focused on the meeting with a Founder in his mind as he said this all. No matter what happened with friendships or work he had a chance to meet with a god. It was clear that Aella was going to represent him and try to earn the Founder's favor. The Elder could only hope that he eventually received an audience with Founder Kronos. "Thank you for everything Aella, I hope to speak again soon. Goodbye." The Elder turned around and walked out of the room.