Ficlet: Nothing in Her Way (Gaila)

[igrockspock]

Title: Nothing in Her Way
Author: igrockspock
Character: Gaila
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Not having good choices is not the same as not having any choices
Warnings: Gaila backstory. Contains non-graphic mentions of non-consensual sex and violence.
Notes: for "she had not yet decided whether to use her power for good or for evil" at where_no_woman's latest drabble

Comments

[coasterchild]

lsdfsjdkshjs (momentary incoherence)

So, so good. This is very similar to how I picture her escaping, and I love the way you present her choices. As always, your portrayal of Gaila is so believable I can see her in every little inch of it. Awesome.

[igrockspock]

Thank you! This version of Gaila is a bit darker and harder than the one that usually appears in my journal, so I'm glad the story was still resonant and plausible.

[illariy]

Wow, what an escape story. I like this more calculating, ruthless Gaila. It makes much sense that she'd develop such a disregard for life in certain circumstances after what's been forced on her. It's interesting to think of what that would mean for her future. Thanks for sharing this. :-)

[igrockspock]

I'm glad you liked this version of Gaila. In a way, I think it's more realistic than the lighter one I've been writing, although I don't know that the two are mutually exclusive. Maybe one is who she'd be after ten years of being treated as less than a person and the other is who she might become after finally learning to trust. I definitely hope to write more exploring the possible transition.

[illariy]

*nods* That's a very likely possibility. I wonder who she met on the way, which persons and situations helped her become the person we saw in the film... And I think if she ever landed in a serious situation again, she'd probably have no trouble taking out her former personality again. I like the thought of her as a multi-layered personality. ;-)

[uminohikari]

♥! I really like the way you present her last choice.

[igrockspock]

Thank you!

[faith_less_one]

Every time she fucks, she thinks I am making a choice not to kill you instead.

- loved that line. This Gaila is amazing - it makes the carefree girl we see in the movie seem so much more believable. She relishes life because she's been trapped and is now free.

Also, I like that she went to Vulcan. Is that canon somewhere? I've read it in a couple of other fics.

[igrockspock]

It's my personal canon because I think Vulcan would be the ultimate safe place for someone who'd been abused and exploited. Maybe other people find it appealing for the same reason. Sadly, it's not real canon.

[thistlerose]

Whoa. This is an awesome, intriguing look at Gaila's past and her motives.

(And now I kind of want an AU where she chooses the Klingons and works her way to the top of the Empire.)

[igrockspock]

You know, there's nothing that says she didn't choose the Klingons first. Maybe she lived that lifestyle for awhile, saw that she didn't want to live in a world so ruthless, and made another escape. I kind of want to write that story now...

[thistlerose]

You should write it!

(I admit, I have something of a weak spot for Klingons. I think they're lots of fun. Though not to live with, perhaps.)

[igrockspock]

I would definitely need to rewatch some TNG to reacquaint myself with Klingon culture, but I remember some really good episodes, so that would be no hardship.