Instinct Isn't Instruction
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Salia presses for concrete duties and guidance; the TEENAGE GIRL refuses specifics—'You will know'—and instructs Salia to arrive with an open mind, replacing actionable counsel with vague destiny.
Salia breaks eye contact, moves to the window and pets a FURRY ANIMAL for a brief, tender respite, then voices a core fear—that instinct alone won't equip her for Daled Four—turning quiet comfort into a plea for real preparation and agency.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Troubled and anxious on the surface; uncertain and resentful underneath — yearning for agency while feeling trapped by obligation.
Salia presses for practical answers about ruling Daled Four, holds the teenager's gaze, then moves to the window to stare into space; she then stoops to pet a small furry animal and voices her doubt aloud, revealing emotional fragility.
- • To extract concrete, practical guidance about ruling Daled Four
- • To test whether she can trust the teenager's counsel and find emotional reassurance
- • To articulate and externalize her fear that she lacks preparation
- • Leadership requires knowledge and preparation, not just lineage
- • She has been placed into this role without meaningful choice
- • Emotional honesty (to the animal and the teenager) will clarify what she needs
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The window functions as Salia's focal point for reflection — she moves to it after the terse exchange and stares out at the stars. It frames her isolation and provides physical distance from the teenager's ritual answers, turning interior doubt outward toward the void.
The distant stars visible through the window supply a visual metaphor for unreachable possibilities; Salia's gaze into them underscores her sense of isolation and the vastness of the responsibility she faces.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Daled Four exists in the conversation as the looming, combustible polity Salia must govern; though physically absent, it is the narrative force driving Salia's anxiety and the teenage girl's ritualized counsel.
Salia's private quarters provide a secure, semi‑ceremonial setting for the exchange: intimate enough for confession, controlled enough to underscore the artificiality of Salia's protected life aboard the Enterprise. The room converts political pressure into a private, emotional confrontation.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"TEENAGE GIRL: "You will know.""
"SALIA: "It's not only that. Nobody's asked me if this is something I want.""
"SALIA: "Don't you think I'm going to need more than instinct to do whatever is expected of me on Daled Four?""