Date: 10 Dec 2011 01:13 Title: Vantage Points
It's interesting seeing Jeto's journey progressing. She's beginning to see Saratt, if not with empathy, then at least with an idea that things for him must have been awful, and they remain awful, and he's not out of the woods yet.
It's also good that she's not just accepting O'Riordan's words and reports without question, as the doctor isn't exactly an impartial observer.
Author's Response:
I think Jeto suspected there was more to that "meeting" that O'Riordan mentioned, than the doctor actually said honestly to her. O'Riordan assumed she'd picked the most irrationally Cardassian-hating person possible, who'd be the most sympathetic to her. But Jeto is more rational than that.
We'll see how things go for Jeto as events in the AU continue to play out!
Date: 08 Dec 2011 16:20 Title: Vantage Points
First Cardassian she didn't hate? First thing she could tell about him--that wasn't bad? First not hateful feeling toward a Cardassian?
Jeto hates everything Cardassian to the point where she even blames the ship to be guilty of Ha'varra's action. The ship is a horror on its own and there's a lot to blame it for, but not that. And then she, Jeto, gradually starts to think more about the people and she discovers that not everything Cardassian is evil. One person was driven mad by the ship, another person was driven to help through self-sacrifice by someone on that ship (I can't write "a part" of that ship, even though right now that's exactly what he is :( ). She isn't even sure if calling him a "Cardassian" is right, because he is nothing like a scaled monster, pillaging her planet and killing her people--and that's what Cardassians are about, right? Right?
So what's wrong with this picture: this man, her own officer who smiled at thing this Cardassian-non-Cardassian told her and her own feelings and sympathy for him. He is more like her than like Cardassians.
Hopefully, some day she'll see that there are more Cardassians like him and not all are like those who pillaged her planet and killed her people.
Author's Response:
Seems like this may be a big first for Jeto, definitely. Perhaps O'Riordan made a mistake, thinking she could get a guaranteed sympathetic ear with Jeto...
Whatever it is Ha'varra did, she's mad not just at the ship, but at Ha'varra for sinking to a level inhabited--in her mind--only by Cardassians. I'm not sure whether that or Ardema's extreme self-sacrifice is harder for her to wrap her mind around.