Stardate
51703.4
In orbit of Earth, Sol
System
The U.S.S. Besiege was ready to depart the
Sol system and meet up with the Tenth Fleet for training exercises. In the transporter room, they were waiting
for their last visitor to depart. Commodore
Val’ri Raiajh had called in
a favor to the ship’s commanding officer, Captain William McLeod. Raiajh’s husband,
Dr. Sylvan Xaran, and his sister Dr. Jill Xaran needed to return to Betazed
for their father’s funeral. Raiajh would normally have gone with them as well; however,
she was due to give birth in five weeks and was advised not to travel due to
the war. The Besiege was going to stop at Betazed
just long enough to transport both doctors to the surface before meeting up
with the fleet.
Raiajh gave her husband a hug and a kiss goodbye, before
stepping onto the transporter platform.
‘I love you, Imzadi,’ Xaran said to
her.
‘I love you too,’ Raiajh
responded telepathically. Aloud, she
added, “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
Seconds later, the transporter beam enveloped her. Little did either of them know, at the time,
it would be the last time they would see each other until late the following
year.
Star Trek: Personal Logs
“Innocence Lost” by Nadine B. Bach
Stardate 51722.0;
Commodore’s Log, Val’ri Raiajh
recording:
The Tenth Fleet
has been ordered back to Betazed with all due
haste. However, I’m afraid they will
arrive too late. In a surprise move, the
Dominion have begun an invasion of the Betazed system and is gaining ground quickly. Dr. Sylvan Xaran,
who is on personal leave, is still on Betazed,
attending funeral services for his father.
There are also additional Starfleet personnel on the planet who were
unable to be evacuated before the invasion and who are now in harm’s way. I fear it’s going to take quite some time to
liberate Betazed from the grip of the Dominion and
their Cardassian allies.
Personal Log,
Supplemental:
This is beginning
to wear on me personally, as I believe I have felt a contraction. After more than three years of waiting for
Julian’s treatment to work, Sylvan and I were ecstatic when we found out about
Katrina. However, under the current
situation, in all likelihood he will not be here to witness her birth.
Stardate
51724.0
Starfleet Headquarters,
Lieutenant Marie
Quintero, Raiajh’s aide, walked into Raiajh’s office.
“Commodore, we
have received some news from the front,” Quintero began. “We lost Betazed to
the Dominion.”
“I know, Marie,”
was Raiajh’s reply as she looked up from her monitor
screen and wiped a tear away.
“Dr. Xaran is still there, isn’t he?”
“Yes, though he’s
alive and apparently safe for the moment,” Raiajh
replied.
“Let’s hope he
stays safe,” Quintero remarked before moving on to the business that brought
her into Raiajh’s office. “Commodore, you have an appointment at
Starfleet Medical in ten minutes. You
know Dr. Simmons doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“I know. I’ll see you in a bit, Marie.
“What’s wrong?”
Quintero asked with concern.
“I’m fine,” Raiajh assured.
“I’ve been experiencing minor, intermittent contractions since late last
night, but nothing of concern. They’ve
been weak and well over an hour apart.”
“Well, get to it,
Commodore.”
Raiajh left her office and transported over to Starfleet
Medical and her appointment with Dr. Simmons, who was a colleague and long-time
friend of her husband. Dr. Jack Simmons
not only worked with Xaran at Starfleet medical, but
had also been born on Betazed to human parents who
still reside there. Xaran
and Simmons had grown up together and their families were close. Simmons was waiting for Raiajh
as she stepped off the transporter pad.
As the two walked back to Simmons’ office and exam room, they spoke.
“Commodore, I
received a call from your aide. She said
you have been having contractions since last night?”
“Jack, I’m fine,”
Raiajh assured.
“The contractions are over an hour apart. I don’t believe I’m in any danger of
delivering today. Besides, I knew I was
coming to see you.”
“Other than the
contractions, how are you feeling?” Simmons asked.
“Physically, I’m
fine. Mentally, it’s a different
story. Jack, the Dominion took Betazed. Sylvan and
Jill are still there, now trapped behind enemy lines.”
“Not an ideal situation,
even in the best of circumstances. I
hope my parents are okay.”
“I’m sure they
are,” Raiajh said quietly. “They were supposed to be with Sylvan and his
family in the Loneel Valley, along with a few other
members of the family and friends, including Tessa and her husband. My Father-in-Law always liked the valley and
wanted his ashes scattered to the winds there.”
“When we were
younger, our parents would take us for vacations there,” Simmons
explained. “They should be fine. There are emergency shelters and caves in the
mountains, and they are incapable of being scanned due to a large amount of fistrium deposits throughout the region. If they are in the valley and made it to one
of the shelters then they will be fine; physically at least.”
Just as they
arrived at the office, Raiajh had another
contraction, this one was slightly stronger than the ones she had been
having. Simmons noticed Raiajh’s reaction and quickly grabbed his medical tricorder and began scanning her.
“We need to get you
over to labor and delivery. Your blood
pressure is elevated and the stress of today isn’t helping matters.”
Raiajh looked concerned.
“Is Katrina alright?” she asked.
“My due date is still four weeks away.”
“Val, the baby is
fine. She’s gestationally
mature, and weighs over 3600 grams, which is more than sufficient size. What you are going through now is the
earliest stages of labor. I’m just going
to help it along.”
“Jack, contact my
aide. Marie is going to have to get Charissa and watch her until Katrina and I can come home.”
“Don’t worry,”
Simmons assured her. “I’ll make sure it
gets done.”
It was 0645 hours
the following day in San Francisco when Katrina Xaran
was born.
* * *
Stardate 51733.5
Loneel
Valley Cave System, Betazed
In a shelter created by the Betazed government within the caves, Sylvan Xaran sat away from a small group of Betazoids
and humans, his knees bent in front of him so he could hide his face because he
was crying.
Anatessa Kitrin walked over and
quietly sat down next to him. Despite
what had happened in their past, the two families having bonded Sylvan Xaran and Anatessa Kitrin in their youth – a bonding that Xaran
had broken with his marriage to Raiajh – the Kitrins and the Xarans had
remained friends. Tessa eventually ended
up meeting someone else, Steve Callahan, on what was supposed to be her last
day and night on Earth back in 2367, fallen in love, and was enjoying married
life. They hit it off so well the night
they met that she had put off returning to Betazed to
get to know him better, then carried on a
long-distance relationship until Callahan got a job that allowed him to move to
Betazed in late-2368 and he proposed marriage to her
the next year, tying the knot in late-2371.
Tessa, like Raiajh, was also pregnant, seven
and a half months along when the Dominion invaded the system.
“Thinking about
Val?” she asked.
Xaran nodded, then looked up and tried to scrub away the
tears.
“Wishing I was
back in San Francisco. Something feels different
about the bond I share with Val. I
think she’s had the baby.”
“Are you sure?” Kitrin asked. “From
what you told me, she would be a month early.”
“Deltans, Vulcans and Betazoids have different gestational cycles between 8 and
10 months. Val had just about completed
9 months. I should have been there.”
“I’m sure she
understands,” Kitrin assured.
“I hope that
Jonathan is safe where he is,” Xaran then remarked,
referring to the boy he and Raiajh had adopted, along
with his sister Charissa, when his brother and
sister-in-law had died shortly after he and Raiajh
had married.
“He’ll be safer
where he is then in these caves,” Kitrin
answered. “And I’m sure the Federation
forces will do what they can to take control of Betazed
back as soon as possible.”
“They will, but
it will take time. The Dominion is
making us fight this war on multiple fronts.
Starfleet will expect those of us here on the planet to aid in any
resistance, and I don’t mean just those of us in Starfleet. I for one am not going to cower in these
caves while the Dominion takes over Betazed. I want to get home to Val and our daughters
as soon as possible. We are going to
have to do what we can to fight back.”
“But we don’t
have any weapons like phasers here, Sylvan.”
“Phasers wouldn’t be of much help in this situation anyway,”
Xaran remarked.
“The soldiers of the Dominion, the Jem’Hadar,
are not going to be the easiest to fight in a traditional sense. They have the ability to blend into their
surroundings and cloak themselves.”
“We have to fight
that?” Kitrin asked incredulously. “If not with phasers, then how?”
“Sometimes
primitive weapons can be more effective.
There is everything we need to make weapons in this valley. I believe the toxins in the zintaba root should work on the Jem’Hadar
as effectively as any other species.”
“Blow guns?” Kitrin asked. Xaran nodded.
“Sylvan, I doubt anyone here, including me, have ever used one – let
alone made one!”
“Making one is
the easy part,” Xaran said. “And I can show everyone willing to learn how
to use one. We’re also going to need
slings and other small weapons of that type for hunting. We’re going to need food and supplies if
we’re going to hold out here, and we can’t use the blow guns to hunt because of
the toxins.”
“I can understand
not wanting to use blow darts for hunting, but do you really think we will
really need to do so?”
“Tessa, we don’t
know how long we are going to be out here.
Chances are it’s going to be months before Starfleet can break-through
the Dominion lines in this sector and get through to us. It’s not generally known, but the war isn’t
going as well as people think.”
Kitrin sat in silent contemplation for a moment before
finally saying, “I think Steve can help with the hunting. He mentioned something about going with his
buddies to hunt deer and turkey back on Earth; someplace called Antigo,
“I’ve heard of
the place actually,” Xaran remarked. “I was told that the rural areas of Wisconsin
were good hunting grounds. Jack Simmons
has gone up that way a few times.
However, the only thing he shot were holo-vids of his time there.”
“How is Jack
doing these days?” Kitrin asked.
“Good. Spends a lot of his time at
Starfleet Medical. He dates here
and there but no one steady. Just the
way he is.”
While the pair
was talking, Steve Callahan – Kitrin’s human husband
– walked over and joined them.
“What are you two
over here talking about? Nothing I need
be jealous about, I hope,” he joked.
“Nothing you need
worry about, Steve,” Xaran assured. “Babies; an old friend; and
defending ourselves against the Dominion.”
“How can I help?”
Callahan asked. “I’d hate to see the
Dominion destroy this beautiful world.”
* * *
Stardate
51825.1
Betazed
In the seven
years that Xaran had been married to his wife, she
worked to teach him how to better shield his thoughts from others and himself
from the other’s thoughts. Although Betazoids learn some shielding techniques, it was generally
just enough on a world that was idyllic and peaceful, such as Betazed was before the Jem’Hadar
and the Vorta arrived. Now, under occupation by the Dominion, nerves
were raw and on edge. Amongst those
hiding in the caves, the close, cramped quarters were no help. Teaching the Betazoid
population hiding with him in the cavern the techniques Raiajh
had taught him proved harder than expected for Xaran. Unfortunately, many refused to learn, feeling
the techniques ran contrary to the openness of Betazoid
society that had lasted for centuries.
As a result, tensions were running high.
Xaran was thankful for what Raiajh had taught him.
It was certainly helping now.
The mood of his
mother was the worst of all those present.
She had started blaming the Federation, and more specifically his wife, Val’ri Raiajh, for allowing the
Dominion occupation of Betazed. Xaran tried to
explain to her on several occasions that his wife was responsible for
overseeing Starfleet activities in the Beta Quadrant, not the sector where the Betazed system was located in the Alpha Quadrant, but to
this point she was unable to distinguish the difference. To her Beta equated to anything with the term
Beta in it, including the Federation name for the planet, Betazed.
What saddened him
even more was her response when he told her about Katrina, her grandchild. Xaran’s mother had
reiterated that she would never accept his marriage to Raiajh
nor any child born of that union. To her,
her son’s ultimate insult to the family was turning his back on his society’s
traditions. While Xaran’s
father had eventually accepted what his son had done, after seeing that he and
his daughter-in-law truly loved and cared for each other, his mother never did,
going so far as not allowing Raiajh to be recognized
as a daughter of the Tenth House. Their
House was small as it was, and aside from Xaran’s
mother, the only women allowed to claim the title of Daughters of the Tenth
House of Betazed were his sister Jill and his adopted
daughter Charissa, actually the offspring of his late
brother.
Steve Callahan
walked over and sat down on a rock near where Xaran
and his sister Jill were sitting.
“I still can’t
believe your mother. I understand that
the stress of the situation can cause mental impairments…”
“Steve, my Mother
never liked off-worlders,” Xaran
explained. “She tolerates humans
because, with the exception of eye colors, they generally look like Betazoids. Growing
up, our Father tried to teach us to be accepting of all species. Our mother, on the other hand, was just the
opposite. Always
talking about keeping things ‘pure.’
That we needed to set an example for the other Betazoid
Houses. She always told my brother and I never to even consider bringing home any ‘pointy-eared’
girls.”
“Or boys in my
case,” Jill added.
“Oh geez… I can
imagine what happened after you met Val!”
Xaran nodded. “While
on Earth, after I married Val, my mother took me aside at the Betazoid Embassy and practically read me the riot act. ‘How could I do this to the family? How dare I marry someone like Val after she
told me not to ever consider a girl like her?’
My Dad was able to temper her hatred a bit, but not enough.” Xaran shifted on
his seat briefly before continuing.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor and I always wanted to join
Starfleet. I studied hard and I got
accepted into
“I remember
reading about the Arcturus
when it was found in 2367. An old Tikopai-class starship that appeared in the Sol system
seemingly out of nowhere after it had been listed as ‘lost with all hands’
about eighty years earlier. I didn’t
realize you were a part of that initial contact team. When you first went aboard the Arcturus, were
they still wearing those maroon uniforms with the flap we see in the old holo-vids?”
“They were,” Xaran replied with a nod.
“In fact, except for feeling the emotions of the crew, it felt a bit
like walking through a display at the Fleet Museum.”
“Has anyone ever
asked you any weird questions about Val?”
“You mean like
how does it feel to be married to someone who is old enough to be my
grandmother?”
“Seriously? Someone
actually asked you that? She’s not
actually that old!”
“Seriously,” Xaran confirmed.
“Sometimes people don’t stop to think that just because 79 years passed
from when the Arcturus
disappeared to when they reappeared, doesn’t mean the crew actually experienced
those 79 years. For the crew of the Arcturus, a day
late in the 23rd century suddenly became a day in 2367. My wife may have been born in 2262, but I
don’t let it bother me. I have
absolutely no regrets about falling in love with and marrying Val.”
“I know what it’s
like being separated from Anatessa even though we’ve
never been formally bonded. It must be
tough on you being apart from Val like this?”
“It is,
Steve. What keeps me going is each day
that passes is one day closer to seeing her again. It just hurts knowing that I’m missing out on watching our
daughters grow. Charissa
started learning about her telepathic abilities shortly before I left
Earth. And now I’m missing out on all
the firsts with Katrina. It’s amazing
how quickly they grow.”
“I hope that I
get to enjoy watching my son grow up,” Callahan remarked.
Xaran glanced across the cavern, to where Anatessa Kitran helped prepare
food with several other women, her enlarged belly prominent. “You will,” he assured.
* * *
Stardate
52002.2
Earth Year 2375
Betazed
Xaran was leading a small scouting party. The darkness of night was soon going to
fade. The scouts were hiding in the
brush, watching the Dominion munitions supply depot at the foot of the
mountains outside the Loneel Valley. They had chosen this early morning hour to
gather intelligence on the depot because the Dominion guards tended to be less
vigilant and prepared, bothered more by the local wildlife most active at that
time of day.
The Betazoid resistance, as they now considered themselves, had
been watching this particular Dominion outpost for the last several days to see
if there would be any opportunity to infiltrate the facility and destroy the ketracel-white supplies that were stored there. At present, there were only two Cardassian soldiers guarding the entrance to the lone
structure.
Steve Callahan
and a Starfleet Lieutenant (JG) named Aidan Barrows had proven over time to be
the best with the blow guns the resistance had fashioned out of bamboo-like
plants growing across the valley. Both
sat up in a crouching position and in quick succession darted the guards, who
slumped to the ground before they got a chance to alert anyone that something
was amiss. Xaran
then gave the order for Barrows to proceed with the fourth member of their
team, a Betazoid/human named Jessie Hernandez, who
was a third-year Starfleet cadet home on leave because of the death of her
brother in battle. The pair made it to
the door and opened it carefully.
Keeping away from the door frame, one on either side, they made sure the
interior was safe to enter. After
confirming the interior of the depot was empty of Dominion soldiers, the pair
quickly entered and gathered up all the weapons they could carry on their
shoulder and in the sacks they carried with them. Inside they also found some much needed
medicines and grabbed those as well.
Unfortunately, they were unable to find any of the ketracel-white
their intel had indicated
should be stored there. With their raid
complete, they left the Depot and headed back into the mountains to meet up
with Xaran and Callahan at a pre-arranged location.
“How did it go?” Xaran asked once the pair had returned.
“Partially
successful,” Lt Barrows replied as all four headed back toward their base of
operations in the caves, careful not to leave behind a trail the Dominion could
track. “The White wasn’t there, but we
managed to grab some much-needed supplies.”
Once the scouting
party was back in the cave, everyone gathered around and looked over what they
had managed to take from the depot. Most
of the weapons had weak charges and would be almost useless. However, Barrows and Hernandez did manage to
come away with a few grenades, and the medicine they brought back was the best
of their haul and made the raid worth the risk, as it included ryetalyn, which the resistance was in desperate need
of. Though the adults had been
vaccinated against Rigelian fever, many of the young
children who had been brought to the valley in the months since the invasion
were vulnerable.
* * *
Stardate
52405.2
Raiajh did her best to keep everything together both at
home and in her duties at Starfleet. The
toll the war was beginning to get the better of her. She was lying on the couch in her quarters holding
Katrina and crying, at present because of the current state of the war. Things were not going well, and if the
Federation could not turn their fortunes around soon they would not be able to
stop the Dominion.
Charissa was worried about her mother and called for Dr.
Simmons to come over and help. Before he
arrived Charissa had taken Katrina from Raiajh and put her down for a nap in her own bed. Raiajh was still
crying softly when Simmons walked in.
“Val, I hate to
inform you, but crying on the couch is not proper behavior for a Flag Officer,”
the doctor chided her as he sat down in a chair opposite the couch. His remark had the desired effect; she
stopped crying and sat up, looking directly at Simmons.
“Jack, I’d tell
you to go to hell, but considering we’re already there…”
“Then let’s find
a way to get out of hell.”
“If we can. I’m
beginning to think I’m never going to see Sylvan again.”
“You have to stop
thinking like that!” Simmons scolded.
“It’s not good for Charissa and Katrina and
it’s definitely not good for you.”
“Jack, nothing
we’ve tried against the Dominion is working.”
“Then it’s time
to try something different.”
“You’re right,
but what?”
“Figuring that
out is your job.”
“Jack, we’re out
of ideas,” Raiajh remarked. “All we can do at this point is keep
fighting, but even with the Romulans on our side now,
it still isn’t enough.”
“What if you
could get the Cardassians to turn against their
Dominion allies?” Simmons asked.
“That might
work. But how?”
“You’ve got that
Yeager-class ship, the U.S.S. Hawk,
at your disposal, right?”
“Yes, I have use
of the ship, but because of the war there is no staff for it. It just sits in dock at Utopia Planitia.”
“Let’s round up a
crew from those who are sitting around waiting for reassignment and find some Cardassians that would be willing to listen.”
“I’m sure we
could find some Cardassians willing to talk. Jack, my biggest problem is not that. It’s getting Starfleet to agree to such an
idea. However, I do know someone I can
pitch the idea to. Once Starfleet
agrees, he’s a lot closer to Cardassian space. If anyone can get it to work, it’s him.”
“See, isn’t this
better than crying on the couch?” Simmons asked with a smile. Raiajh nodded.
“Jack, a good cry
every now and again never hurt anyone.
However, the headache that goes along with it… That’s something I can do
without.”
* * *
Stardate
52595.6
Commodore Val’ri Raiajh sat with Captain
William McLeod of the USS Besiege in
her office as they discussed the proposed mission at hand. McLeod and his crew, while the Besiege was under repair, were to man
the USS Hawk for one mission to
assist the
“Commodore, my
CMO was injured in our last battle. He’s
not going to be able to be a part of this mission.”
“I know someone
who will work in his place. His name is
Doctor Jack Simmons. He has lived on Betazed and knows the area where many of the resistance
cells are located. He will be able to
help your security and tactical officer with the best plan of attack.”
“Commodore, I
have to admit that Lieutenant Pearson has proven to be an exceptional fit at
that position, since Penji Fil
was promoted to first officer. She has
gotten us out of more tight spots than I care to speculate since this war
began. If all goes well at Betazed, I’ll be putting her in for promotion. She certainly deserves it.”
“I’m happy that
she’s finally found her niche. Captain,
how soon can you be ready?”
“I’ll need 72
hours to call the crew back from leave. I’m sure some of them will be
disappointed, after having spent so much time on the front, but when they hear
what our mission will be I’m sure they’ll understand. Have Doctor Simmons report aboard before that
time.”
“Not a
problem. Thank you, Captain.”
“Thank YOU,
Commodore, for allowing us this opportunity.
You and Doctor Xaran may no longer be aboard
the Besiege, but many of those on the
Besiege still think of both of you as
part of the crew. When
we first heard that Betazed fell while Sylvan was
still there, everyone wanted to attempt a rescue. They will perform their duty well.”
“I expect no
less, Captain. Dismissed.”
* * *
Stardate
52678.7
USS Hawk en route to
rendezvous with starships Defiant and
Enterprise
Fleet Captain Penji Fil, wearing his Surface
Ops Blacks, or S.O.B.’s as the crew started to call them, walked into sickbay
to greet his CMO for the mission. He
found an auburn-haired man working behind the desk in the CMO’s office, wearing
his standard duty uniform.
“Doctor Simmons, I’m Fleet Captain Penji Fil, the executive officer.”
Simmons stood up
and greeted Fil.
“Greetings, Sir.”
The pair
exchanged handshakes before Fil said, “According to
your records, you grew up on Betazed.”
“Yes, sir. My parents
still reside near Lake Cataria. Doctor Xaran and I
were friends growing up. Our families
would go on camping trips together in the Loneel
Valley, where I believe we’ll find the resistance.”
“Good. We need someone who is familiar with the
area. Lieutenant Cathryn
Pearson, our tactical officer, just returned from leave. You will be working closely with her. As soon as she’s ready she’ll brief you on
our mission. A bit of
advice for you, Doctor. If you
don’t wish to be a patient in your own sickbay, don’t call her Cathy or Kitty
or anything like that. I learned that
lesson the hard way years ago when we were both wet-behind-the-ears ensigns.”
“I’ll keep that
in mind, Captain.”
“One other thing, Doctor.
You’re out of uniform. Please
make sure in the future that you are wearing your S.O.B.’s,” the Catullan officer said as he turned to exit sickbay. As the doors swished shut behind him, Simmons
looked down at his standard duty uniform.
“Yes, sir,” he
finally said.
* * *
Stardate:
52680.4
USS Hawk
Although Captain
William McLeod and his crew were unfamiliar with the Yeager-class ship, which
was a variant of the Intrepid-class but with better armament, he accepted the
short-term assignment of the vessel while the Besiege underwent refit and repair.
They were now headed to Betazed in the hopes
of assisting the Enterprise-E with
the final push to free Betazed from Dominion grasp
and to rescue a former crewman, Dr. Sylvan Xaran,
whom the Besiege had transported to Betazed just prior to the Dominion occupation.
Down in sickbay,
sitting on the bio-beds facing each other, Dr. Jack Simmons – who was now
wearing his S.O.B.’s – was conversing with Lieutenant Cathryn
Elisabeth Pearson, the crew’s tactical officer.
Since settling in aboard the Hawk,
Simmons had found Pearson easy to work with, and she was definitely good at her
job, though that was not surprising as he did not expect anything less from
this crew. Every last member had
volunteered for duty aboard the Besiege.
Their tasks in
preparation for their arrival at Betazed completed
and their watches over, the pair were just sitting in sickbay, talking. He was surprised to find that Pearson knew
his friend Sylvan Xaran and Sylvan’s wife Val’ri as well as she did, even more so to find out that Raiajh and Pearson had been cabin mates when they were
posted together aboard the original Arcturus.
“How is Val?”
Pearson asked. “I haven’t seen her since
before the war began except for her brief visit aboard before we transported
Sylvan to Betazed.”
“As well as can
be expected under the circumstances,” Simmons replied. “A new mother who also has the responsibility
of coordinating resources to fight this war at the same time her husband has
been trapped behind enemy lines. She’s
been trying to hold thing together for her two girls. And she misses Sylvan something terrible.”
“Two girls?”
questioned Pearson, a slight smile coming to her lips. “I knew Val was pregnant, but I never did ask
what she was having.”
“Katrina was born
on September 25th back on Earth.”
“That would have
been right after we received word that Betazed was
captured by the Dominion. That must have
been hard for her.” Simmons nodded as
Pearson continued, “I’m sure that she does miss Sylvan. If two people were ever meant to be together,
it would be them. After all, they
crossed time to be together.” Pearson’s
expression turned dreamy as she thought back to when Raiajh
and Xaran met.
“When I met up with her after the Arcturus crew went back to the
Academy for re-training, I could almost swear that they were even closer than
before they had gotten married.”
“I remember,”
Simmons said. “I had just begun my
fourth year at Starfleet Medical. When
we returned to classes, Sylvan told me he had gotten married. He was supposed to have gone back to Betazed over the break, so at first I thought he had
married the girl his parents had arranged for, Anatessa
Kitrin, despite his repeatedly stating that he would
not. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. They had known each other since they were
small children and had been bonded. But
for some reason, the two were never able to read each other or communicate
telepathically. They couldn’t get past
that. He told me that he always knew he
would never marry Tessa. He once told me
that the girl he would marry was not on Betazed. I just chalked it up to him having a bit of
wanderlust.”
“When Val first
noticed Sylvan,” Pearson explained, “she didn’t know much about Betazoids except that they existed. The first time she noticed him, we were
sitting in one of the recreation areas on the Arcturus talking. Suddenly she stopped talking and looked up
right at him. As Sylvan walked away I
teased her that it because he looked human.
Then I asked her what made her look when he passed by. She told me that as he passed, she felt him
touch her mind. She didn’t find it
invasive or anything, just a brush, but it got her attention. Over the next week he kept trying to engage
her in conversation. It wasn’t that she
was trying to avoid him or anything, he just had
really bad timing. They finally got a
chance to talk over lunch one day and they never looked back since. Sylvan and Val got married the day before
Sylvan was scheduled to leave for Betazed, less than
24 hours after we had returned to Earth.
They weren’t being sneaky about it, but they didn’t advertise it
either. My friends from the Arcturus and I
happened to see them on Fremont Street in Las Vegas. We had one of our shipmates, Penji Fil, follow them to see
what they were up to in Las Vegas and he came back with the news that they had
married. From what I heard, after that
they never left Earth.”
“I heard some of
the story behind that,” Simmons remarked.
“Sylvan told me his parents went to great lengths to try to and have
their marriage annulled. Their petition
to the Deltan Embassy fell on deaf ears, which was
not surprising since the Ambassador is a member of Val’s family, and Starfleet
pretty much told Troy Xaran they had no regulations
against service members marrying. The
day that Starfleet held its hearing was also the day that Sylvan’s brother died
and Charissa came to live with them. Sylvan said his father only accepted Val
after she communicated with him telepathically.
That didn’t surprise me. Betazoids generally only use verbal speech to converse with
small children and off-worlders. Between Betazoids,
what they call polite or civilized conversation is done telepathically. And Trina Xaran,
Sylvan’s mother, never accepted Val, which hurt Sylvan. However, she never cared much for anyone who
wasn’t Betazoid.”
“I’ve always
admired Val’s strength and commitment to her principles,” Pearson
remarked. “In a 45-day period she went
from there being just her to meeting and marrying Sylvan, and by the time we
returned for the Academy retraining, becoming the guardian of a four-year-old.”
“They did go
through a bit of turmoil very quickly,” Simmons agreed. “Any other pair would have probably packed it
in before their first year was over. I
think many believed that was exactly what would happen.”
“I have to admit
I was one of them. From the beginning I
counseled Val to take it slow. She said
she would, then did just the opposite. In
the beginning I was thinking that Val fell for Sylvan the way she did because
he was the first telepath who took an
interest in her in a way no one else had.
Several of the Terran men on Arcturus took an
interest in her, but none of the Vulcans or Deltans ever paid her any mind beyond work.”
“That’s ok,”
Simmons admitted. “I was among those who
thought it would never last too, for reasons similar to yours. That first time I met Val, I was surprised. Before I actually met her, when Sylvan told
me she part Vulcan, I was expecting someone who acted more like a typical
Vulcan. You know what I’m getting
at… That icy, logical
façade.” Pearson nodded as
Simmons continued, “It turned out she has such a wonderful personality. She’s not exactly outgoing, but she’s not
totally reserved either.”
“She probably
would be more outgoing if she hadn’t been teased so
much as a child and a teen. First, it
was the other Deltan children at the Embassy on Earth
where she grew up, then from the full-blooded Vulcans
of similar age when she attended the Vulcan Science Academy. She said she found the human children who
lived in the Sausalito neighborhood where the Deltan
Embassy is located more accepting of her than her own relatives.”
As the evening
ticked by, the pair continued talking, oblivious to their surroundings. It was nearly 0200 when Simmons finally
walked Pearson back to her quarters and then retired to his own. Once back in her assigned cabin, Pearson
berated herself for losing track of the time like she had. It was a long time since she had done
anything like that. Then, as she thought
back on the evening, Pearson hoped that she had made a new friend today. Taking off her uniform and climbing into bed,
she tried not to think about anything more.
Simmons was certainly nice, but she did not expect anything further to
result, considering that after this mission he would be returning to his
assignment on Earth and she would be returning to the Besiege, and there was no guarantee that either of them would survive
this war.
* * *
Stardate
52689.9
Betazed
A small away team
from the Hawk, consisting of Pearson,
Simmons, and four of Starfleet Marines, beamed down to the surface of Betazed, crouching in a tight circle, each facing outward, phaser rifles at the ready.
The area showed no activity according to sensors, but since situations
change quickly, it was better to play it safe.
They had chosen this particular area for beam in because it was the same
area where the Xaran and Simmons families would go
camping years earlier. It was the most
logical place to start their search for Xaran and the
others as both Simmons and Dr. Xaran were quite
familiar with this area. Pearson took
out her tricorder and began scanning.
“I’m detecting a
cave opening a half-kilometer ahead, but I can’t tell if there are any life
signs in the cave,” she reported.
“You won’t,”
Simmons remarked quietly. “As I said in
the pre-mission briefing, the caves here are naturally resistant to scanning
due to the high fistrium content in the rocks. But that’s also a reason why it’s probably
the best place to start looking for them.”
The away team
made their way through the brush as quietly as they could until they were only
meters from the cave opening. Pearson
reached for her tricorder again, but Simmons stopped
her.
“The only way to
find out is to go in,” he advised.
“Not the best of
ideas,” one of the Marines remarked.
“The cave could be full of Jem’Hadar.”
“Not likely,”
Simmons replied. “Look!”
Everyone turned toward
where the doctor was pointing to find a human-looking male child of about 10
years of age peeking out of the low cave entrance. The boy appeared to notice the Starfleet
officers and quickly ducked back inside the cave. The six quickly followed the child into the
cave to see exactly what they had found.
After passing through a narrow entrance that extended for several dozen
meters, the cave opened up into a large open space.
“No need to be
afraid,” Pearson called out. “We’re from
Starfleet.”
Pearson’s voice
echoed through the cavern for a moment before a female voice form somewhere
inside called back, “You didn’t bring that pointy-eared demon with you, did
you?” Almost immediately another pair of
embarrassed-sounding voices exclaimed, “Mother!”
“Commodore Raiajh sends her regrets that she couldn’t join us today,
Mrs. Xaran,” Dr. Simmons called out as he stepped
further into the cavern.
Pearson knew they
had stumbled right into the right place on their first try. She had recognized the embarrassed
voices of both Sylvan and Jill Xaran. She then remembered Raiajh
telling her about the fact that Trina Xaran, Sylvan’s
mother, did not exactly like her.
However, she had no idea the woman was so xenophobic. The Marines accompanying them were even less
enthused by their greeting.
“At ease,”
Pearson ordered. “People are still
entitled to their opinions.”
From further
within the cave there was another male voice, which grew louder as it came
closer.
“Can’t you give
that boy of yours a break? It’s really
getting quite annoying.” When the man
came into view there was no mistaking who he could be, since except for the age
difference, he looked exactly like Jack Simmons. He smiled when he saw the Starfleet officers
before a look of surprise appeared on his face.
“Jack! What are you doing here?”
“We’re here to
help you. Dad, I’d like to introduce you
to Lieutenant Cathryn Pearson. She’ll be helping us coordinate an attack
against the Jem’Hadar.”
* * *
Stardate 52698.2
Betazed
The stronger telepaths in his
group had received word that they were mounting an attack against the Jem’Hadar, using a telepathic projection of emotions to
distract and overcome the Dominion soldiers.
As he was too weak telepathically, Xaran would
not be participating in the telepathic assault.
Instead he would be leading some the human members of his resistance
cell to help round up the Cardassian and Jem’Hadar soldiers. Cathryn Pearson led a second group with a similar mission
while Steve Callahan would stay behind in the shelter with the children,
including his own son who was born just two weeks earlier. As both his wife, Anatessa
Kitrin, and their friend, Jill Xaran,
were among the strongest telepaths in their cell, they were needed
elsewhere. Even Xaran’s
mother Trina had also volunteered to help.
Xaran knew there were several Starfleet ships in orbit, and
their crews were assisting in the effort as well. Word had reached the surface already that the
space station the Cardassians had
started building in orbit, Sentok Nor, had
already been destroyed.
The resistance
had chosen the time for their planet-wide attack against the Jem’Hadar soldiers. Xaran’s cell had gotten into position near the closest
Dominion camp and waited for the time of the attack to arrive. At first, as they observed enemy, the
resistance members did not notice any change in the demeanor of the Jem’Hadar. But as
they sat there, the behavior of the Jem’Hadar
soldiers began to change. The alien
soldiers were either becoming catatonic or had begun fighting amongst
themselves. Xaran
employed the mental shielding techniques that his wife had taught him, otherwise the wave of emotions that were assaulting the
Jem’Hadar would have been overwhelming for him as
well. Even with the full mental control
he was practicing, Xaran was still able to feel some
of what was happening.
After some time
had passed, a signal was transmitted, signaling for all the cells to move in
and begin rounding up the Dominion soldiers as they captured their
objectives. In their current state, the Cardassians and Jem’Hadar were
easily subdued, and all were transported to holding areas.
It took less than
an hour from the time the attacks had begun before Betazed
was freed from Dominion forces. However,
they had paid a high price for that freedom.
When Xaran and the others returned to their
shelter in the caves, they learned that both Xaran’s
mother Trina and Anatessa Kitrin
had both died from the strain of using their mental powers in such an extreme manner
and Jill Xaran was extremely weakened, but was
expected to live.
* * *
Xaran sat down next to his sister Jill, who was lying down
resting.
“Sylvan, I don’t
think I should have helped today. Even
though I didn’t want to admit it to myself before, I should have listened to my
instincts. I’m probably going to be a
horrible parent to my child. When I
volunteered, I didn’t even think about it.
I didn’t want to think about it; or believe it to be true. I’ve made some pretty bad decisions in my life
but this one…”
Xaran thought he knew what his sister was trying to tell
him, but her thoughts sounded a bit incoherent.
“Jill, what are you trying to tell me?”
“Sylvan, six
months ago, I made a terrible choice. At
the time, I thought it was just one time and no one would have to know. Now I have to live with the consequences of
my actions. How could I have been so
stupid? I’m not ready to have a kid!”
“Jill, sometimes
we all make decisions that we regret afterward.
You knew the possibilities of the choice you made.” Xaran lowered his
voice as he asked, “Are you going to tell me who the father is?”
“Yes, I knew the
possibilities,” Jill replied. “I just
didn’t think I would actually have to face them. And to answer your question, no, it would not
be prudent to tell you. I hope you
respect my decision and not ask again.”
“I won’t ask
again. But perhaps one day you’ll decide
to tell me. Until then, I will respect
your decision.”
“Thank you,” Jill
quietly replied. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t play games
with me. I know better.”
“It hasn’t really
hit me yet. Mother really strained the
relationship we had through her treatment of Val.”
“That’s not what
I meant,” Jill scolded.
“I know. I’m sorry Tessa is gone, and I’m going to
miss her, but if I’m supposed to feel as if I lost something, I don’t. Jill, Tessa was a great friend and all, but
that’s all she was. If we were bonded
like our parents claimed, I know I should feel some sort of loss of that, but I
don’t, and it’s not because of Val.”
“You know, I
think you may be right,” Jill admitted.
“Our parents made sure we knew from the beginning who
our bond mates were. When Soronen died in that shuttle accident, I felt it. Tessa once told me that for her it was like
you weren’t there. She found it odd that
she couldn’t even read your surface thoughts, even when you were nearby. She could read Jack Simmons and everyone else
she knew with no problems, but never you, which was surprising. Tessa was as strong a telepath as Mother.”
“I was never able
to read Tessa either,” Xaran admitted. “I remember if you and I were in a crowded
room, you were always able to find your way to Soronen
without seeing him. I never had that
with Tessa. I tried everything I could
think of, but nothing worked. I even
went for religious counseling to see if that would help. I was told that it was possible that the Four
Deities had other plans for me and bonded me to another at or before
birth. It explained why I always felt
that I would find my love among the stars.
Oddly enough, the first time I felt the kind of connection you had with Soronen was the first time I encountered Val aboard the Arcturus. The moment I walked into that rec room, I was able to sense her over everyone else who
was there. When I asked her why she had
looked at me so directly that evening, she told me that she felt my touch in
her mind. And I felt hers too. Neither of us did it consciously, it just
happened.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never taken much stock in our religious
beliefs. I know that Mom and Dad did
what they felt was best for us. For you,
perhaps it is possible that a higher force was involved, considering what you
felt the first day you met Val. I know Vulcans bond their children to their future mates similar
to what Betazoids do.
Since Val is half-Vulcan, was she bonded to anyone?”
“She never knew
her father, so she was not bonded to anyone in her youth.”
Jill sat up and
looked around the cavern. She noticed
Simmons and Pearson sitting together across the space, talking.
“How did he ever
manage that?” Jill asked, looking in Simmons’s direction. Xaran turned his
own attention on the pair across the cave.
“I haven’t a
clue,” Xaran replied.
“Cathryn does talk to her ship mates when she
needs to, but once she was posted to the Besiege
all she usually did was her job and studying when she wasn’t on duty, rarely
interacting with any of the crew except for a
occasional times in the mess and infrequent discussions with the executive
officer, Penji Fil. She hasn’t been this relaxed around anyone
since she was posted on the Sarek, and then it was only with her former Arcturus
shipmates and one of the security officers she often drilled with.”
“You know, I
haven’t ever seen Cathryn that relaxed around someone
she hardly knows,” Jill remarked, still observing the pair. “Unless I’m mistaken and you’ve introduced
her to Jack before?”
“On the occasions
when Cathryn visited us, Jack was usually working, so
no. Val never wanted Cathryn
to feel as if we were trying to set her up with someone, so even if their
schedules allowed, we probably would not have introduced them.”
“Then it’s
probably for the best that they met this way.”
* * *
Stardate
52710.1
USS Hawk, en route back
toward Earth
Simmons was
relaxing in his quarters on the Hawk. He had pulled out a bottle of bourbon that he
brought with him from Earth, but before he had a chance to replicate a glass to
drink it out of, his door chime sounded.
“Come in,” he
said, expecting it would be either Captain McLeod or first Officer Fil. The door slid
open and Cathryn Pearson walked in.
“Hi. I got your parents settled into the guest
quarters. They said, after the last
several months under occupation, they wanted to stay on Earth for a while so I
offered them the use of the cabin my brother left me in Mississauga. It just sits empty anyway, as I spend my time
on the Besiege and never get to enjoy
it. They started asking how long I’ve
known you?”
“That must have
turned into an interesting conversation,” Simmons remarked.
“When I told them
that we only knew each other a few days, they didn’t want to believe me. I explained to them that the cabin was
sitting empty and I was looking for renters and that I have been friends with
Val and Sylvan for several years. Especially Val. In
the end they said they would think about it and I left it at that.” She then noticed the bottle of amber liquid
on the table. “Jack, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I can leave.”
Simmons pressed a
few buttons on the replicator control panel, and a pair of glasses materialized
instead of just one.
“Please
stay. I actually prefer to drink with a
friend.”
Pearson smiled
and took the offered empty glass.
Simmons then filled each glass with about a shot’s worth of liquor.
“A toast to the
end of a successful mission,” Simmons said as he raised his glass.
“And to those we
leave behind,” Pearson added, raising her own glass before clinking it against
the one in Simmons’ hand. They quickly
emptied their drinks and placed the glasses on the table. The latter part of the toast had become a
weekly ritual, on Fridays, in the mess hall on the Besiege since the war with the Dominion had began. Pearson then asked, “Mind if I replicate
something to eat? I haven’t had time to
stop and grab a bite all day.”
“Sure, if you
don’t mind me joining you.”
Pearson nodded, then ordered a New York style thin-crust pepperoni pizza
from the replicator while Simmons returned his bottle of bourbon to its storage
locker and pulled some beer out of a small refrigerator that was installed in
the quarters. Pearson looked at the doctor in amazement.
“Where did you get all this?
Captain McLeod doesn’t allow us to have the real stuff, at least while
the war is still going on.”
“Easy. It was one of the stipulations I gave
Commodore Raiajh in exchange for agreeing to come on
this mission. I refuse to drink Ferengi synthaholic swill.”
“You didn’t!”
Pearson asked with a laugh.
Simmons nodded,
removing the caps from the beer and handing one to her. A few hours later, the pizza consumed along
with a few of the beers, they were still sitting at the table and talking. During a brief pause in the conversation,
Simmons leaned over and kissed Pearson.
The tactical officer was not sure what to make of the gesture, but in a
few days they would be back at Earth and she probably would not see Simmons
again, so she allowed herself to get caught up in the moment. It had been a long time since she had
experienced such a moment, and at the present a drunken one-off didn’t seem to
be such a bad idea, despite the fact that it might mean losing someone she
hoped would become a friend.
The following
morning Jack Simmons awoke to the subtle scent of peaches and the sound of
quiet snoring. He turned to find Pearson
asleep next to him in the bunk. He
gently turned over on his side to face her and gently stroked her hair. Pearson opened her eyes at his touch. She had hoped to be gone before he woke, and
mentally berated herself for falling asleep.
Simmons moved his hand away, recognizing the look on her face.
“If you want to
leave, I won’t stop you. However, you
are equally as welcome to stay.”
Pearson did not
get out of the bed, but she made no effort to move closer to Simmons either.
“Jack,” she began
awkwardly. “I’m not sorry for what
happened. I’m not looking for a
relationship. I was hoping we could have
been friends, but I understand if that can’t be the case.”
“Why can’t we be
friends?” Simmons replied. “I can
understand not looking for a relationship, especially in the middle of a
war. But I certainly don’t want to lose
you as a friend. You are the most
interesting person I’ve met in a long time.”
“I enjoy working
with this crew,” Pearson explained.
“Sometimes it’s tough working on such a small ship as the Besiege, especially being just one of
four females. I’m sure word has reached
half the ship by now that I haven’t yet left your quarters.”
“Try not to let
it bother you,” Simmons implored. You
did nothing you should be ashamed of.”
“I know. What I did doesn’t bother me. It’s just…”
“Just what?” he
asked.
“It’s been almost
eight years since my world was turned upside down,” Pearson explained. “I’m still having difficulty adjusting on a
personal level. I was very close to my
family. When the Arcturus disappeared in 2288, my
Mother was still pregnant with my youngest brother. Next thing I know, its 79 years later. I was shocked to find out that my parents and
all my siblings except Jake, a brother I never even knew, were gone. And I never got a chance to really know Jake
either. I was always close to my
family. What I have now are nieces and
nephews who are grandparents themselves.
When I return to Earth, it doesn’t feel like home anymore. Since then, I’ve found it difficult to let
new people into my life. Now I feel that
Val and a few members of the original Arcturus crew are the only ‘family’ I have left. And thanks to this damn war, I’ve lost some
of them too.”
“Cathryn, I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve gone through,
but you shouldn’t punish yourself for it.
What happened to the Arcturus wasn’t anyone’s fault.”
“I know. I’m sorry.
I shouldn’t be burdening you with this.”
“It’s fine. I’ve seen the weekly casualty reports
too. It hurts when it lists someone you
know and worked with. It hurts even more
when they were a friend. I’ve lost my
share of friends too.”
“I’m sorry, Jack. I realize some of those that died in
liberating Betazed were your friends,
and Sylvan’s too.”
“They did what
they did willingly to free their homes and families. Their deaths were honorable. It doesn’t make their deaths any less painful
though. They will be missed.”
“I’m sure they
will,” Pearson said. “Betazed paid a high price for its freedom.”
“Enough talk
about death,” Simmons remarked as he pulled the covers off himself. “How about some breakfast?”
“Trying to get
rid of me after my tirade?” Pearson joked.
“Not at all. I want
you to stay,” he replied, pulling her into a hug. She returned the hug. Feeling her relax in his embrace, Simmons
smiled.
* * *
Stardate
52775.1
San Francisco, California,
Earth
Xaran’s debriefing went easily and he was quickly on his
way to see his wife. Finding his wife’s
office in the Admiralty Building, however, was proving difficult. He quickly located what had been her office
before he left for Betazed, now empty. It was vacant and being prepared for whomever
its new occupant was going to be. When
he stepped back into the corridor he asked the first person he saw, another
flag aide, where Commodore Raiajh had been moved to
and how to get there. Several floors and
a corridor later, Xaran finally found the correct
office. He stepped through the door and
found Lieutenant Quintero sitting behind the reception desk, facing away from
him.
“Hello, Marie,”
Dr. Xaran greeted.
Quintero turned
around from unpacking shipping boxes to look at the man standing in front of
her desk. The voice was familiar, but
the goatee was a new feature.
“Doctor Xaran?” she asked uncertainly. Xaran nodded. “Oh my! It’s good to see you again!” Quintero rushed around her desk and embraced
the doctor in a tight hug.
“It’s good to be
home,” Xaran agreed.
He then took the smaller of two bunches of flowers he was holding and
handed them to Quintero. “For you.”
“Thank you,
Doctor Xaran!
I’ll let your wife know you are here.
She’s currently meeting with Admiral Nechayev.”
Still carrying
the flowers Xaran had given her,
Quintero walked over to the door and knocked before it swished open. She then peeked her
head inside and said, “Admirals, Doctor Xaran is
here!”
Admiral Alynna Nechayev stood up from her
chair, a smile appearing on her face as she said, “I guess this means it’s time
for you to start your leave, Val’ri. We’ll continue our discussion when you
return.”
Xaran walked into Raiajh’s
office, Nechayev passing him as he stepped in.
“It is good to
see you again, Admiral Nechayev,” he remarked as he
took one of the carnations from the second bouquet and handed it to the Fleet
Admiral.
“It is good to
see you home safe again too, Commander,” Nechayev
replied. “I hope you both enjoy your
well-earned leave.” The admiral then
accepted the carnation and walked out of the office while sniffing it, allowing
the door to close behind her as she left.
Once the door was closed, Raiajh stepped out
from behind the desk and jumped into Xaran’s waiting
arms. She hugged him fiercely with her
arms around his neck and her legs around his back as he held her around her
waist.
‘I’ve missed you so much,’ she projected
into his mind.
‘I missed you too, Imzadi,’
was his reply.
After sharing a
passionate kiss, Raiajh unwound herself from her
husband and planted her feet firmly on the ground. She then looked up at him and stroked his
chin.
‘I can remove it if you don’t like it,’
he remarked, referring to his goatee, all that
remained of the bushy beard that had grown during his exile on Betazed.
‘Don’t you dare,’ Raiajh
replied. ‘I like it.’
Xaran leaned forward to kiss his wife again, but stopped,
noticing for the first time that her rank insignia now had two gold pips.
“Now that I think
back on it, I did hear Marie call you Admiral!”
“Rear Admiral-select, actually. The new rank doesn’t officially take effect
until Stardate 53001, but they held the ceremony
yesterday because I was going on leave until after that date. Speaking of leave, it’s time we get going. There’s a little girl down at the daycare
center waiting to meet her Daddy.”
Raiajh tried to pull back from Xaran,
but he brought his hands up to encompass each side of her face as he leaned
over and kissed her. He felt her lower
lip begin to tremble and her tears on his face.
Then, as she lowered her mental shields, he was flooded with her
emotions. He held her close, allowing
her this release. Xaran
knew this forced separation was tough on both of them. Now, letting her emotions wash over him, he realized
just how difficult it had been for his wife all these months.
Soon enough, she
had cried herself out and regained her composure. Looking at her and wiping the tears from her
face, he asked, “Feel better?”
Raiajh nodded. “I’m
sorry. I hate when I lose control like
that.”
Xaran smiled at her.
“Val, there’s nothing to be sorry about.
After what we’ve been though, you have every right to feel the way you
have felt. I know it has been hard on
you all these months. It’s been hard on
me too, being away from you, Charissa, and
Katrina. There were times back on Betazed that I cried too.
I hated not being there for you when Katrina was born. My mother constantly putting you down made me
miss you even more.”
Raiajh stared into her husband’s inky black eyes and spoke
aloud, “I love you, Sylvan Xaran.”
“And I love you, Val’ri Raiajh,” he replied. Xaran then leaned
over and kissed her again, a kiss she passionately returned. A few moments later they separated and, hand
in hand, left Raiajh’s office behind for six weeks of
leave with Katrina. Four would be spent
in Sydney, Australia with just Katrina, the new parents getting to know their
infant daughter together. The final two
weeks would be spent at home, in San Francisco, with Charissa
– who would be cared for by Jack Simmons while her parents and baby sister were
away in order for her not to miss too much school. Raiajh had
discussed her plans with Charissa, who
understood. For her, she was happy
simply knowing her Dad was back at home.
As they passed
through the reception room, Raiajh turned to Lt
Quintero and said, “Can you call down to the daycare center and ask them to
have Katrina ready?”
“Of course, Admiral.
I hope you and Doctor Xaran enjoy your
leave. I’ll see you when you return in
six weeks.”
* * *
Stardate
52780.6
USS Besiege
Newly promoted Lt
Commander Cathryn Pearson settled into her quarters
on the Besiege after her afternoon
watch on the bridge. She had just
started to get out of her S.O.B.’s when her combadge
chirped.
“Pearson here.”
“Commander,
there’s a subspace communication coming in for you from Earth,” announced the
Officer of the Deck.
“I’ll take it
down here.”
She walked over
to the nearby wall-mounted viewscreen and activated it,
thinking the incoming message was probably Commodore Val’ri
Raiajh calling to congratulate her on her
promotion. As the monitor blinked past
the image of the Starfleet Command emblem, Pearson was surprised that it was
Jack Simmons on the other end.
“Hello Cathryn,” he said warmly.
“Jack! What a pleasant surprise!”
“Sorry we
couldn’t meet up before the Besiege
left the Sol system. However, I was able
to get up to the San Francisco Fleetyards in time to
see the Besiege crew receive their
promotions. Congratulations on making
Lieutenant Commander. Unfortunately,
with everything that was going on, I couldn’t get close enough to talk to you
in person before you returned to your ship, and I am sorry for that.”
“It was nice that
you could be there,” Pearson replied, touched by Simmons effort. “It would have been nice to see you
again. How are things back in San
Francisco?”
“Good. However, I’m ready for Val and Sylvan to get
back from Sydney already. Charissa is getting to be quite a handful. I should have let Marie take her instead.”
“She’s nearly a
teenager,” Pearson observed.
“That she is,
with everything that entails. So,
where’s the Besiege headed now, if I
may ask?”
“We’re
rendezvousing with the fleet to strike at Chin’toka
again. Hopefully we’ll have better
results this time.”
“Hopefully,”
Simmons remarked. “Liberating Betazed and the Kalandra System
seemed to be a turning point for the Federation and our allies. I hope that we can continue this surge.” Simmons then turned his head briefly before
looking back at Pearson through the monitor.
“Sorry I can’t talk more today.
I’ll call again as soon as I can get through. Until then, stay safe, Cathryn.”
“I’ll try my
best,” she promised. Then, as the screen
flashed back to the Starfleet Command emblem before going dark, she
smiled. Slowly she stepped back to her
bunk and laid down on it as she activated her personal log.
Stardate 52780.6
I can’t believe
Jack actually called. It was good to
hear his voice again…
* * *
September 1, 2376
Stardate
53680.1
The Year Following the End
of the Dominion War
San Francisco, California,
Earth
The early morning
sun was beginning to shine through the window when Raiajh
woke them both with a muffled scream.
“Imzadi, what’s wrong?” Xaran
asked as he tried to clear his head from the sudden shock.
“The baby’s
coming!”
“Then let’s get
you to Starfleet Medical.”
“Sylvan, you
don’t understand,” Raiajh said with a sense of
urgency, a tear sliding down her cheek.
“He’s coming now!”
“Try not to
push,” Xaran implored. “Let me check.” He looked around for his tricorder
and remembered he had left it in the kitchen.
“Lean back a bit, I’m going to have to check you without the tricorder.”
Raiajh did what her husband requested and after a quick
examination he realized that getting to Starfleet Medical was not an
option. He called out to the replicator
to provide a birthing kit. He quickly
grabbed it once it had materialized and set it up with a speed that spoke of
the urgency of the situation. Then,
turning back to Raiajh, he asked, “Ready?” She nodded.
“I need you to push now.”
Raiajh complied, pushing as her husband counted to ten. He then
paused for a moment for her to catch a breath before they repeated the
process. After a few minutes and several
more pushes they were greeted with Julian’s strong and healthy cries. Xaran cleaned up
the boy and wrapped him in the blanket that came with the birthing kit. He then sat down on the edge of the bed,
holding and looking at the child as if trying to memorize his features. Raiajh sat up and
quietly watched Xaran holding their son, smiling
gently. After a while she noticed the
baby getting a little squirmy. She
looked at Xaran and said, “You’re about to…” The sudden change in Xaran’s
expression cut her off momentarily before she finally finished, “…get wet.”
Slowly shaking
his head, Xaran handed the baby to his wife and
stripped off his undershirt. Meanwhile Raiajh removed the wet blanket from little Julian and did
the best she could to keep him covered.
‘Can I get a diaper, a dry blanket, and
something to clean him?’ Raiajh projected to her
husband. Once he had finished cleaning
himself, Xaran retrieved the requested items,
allowing Raiajh to diaper the infant before wrapping
the boy in the fresh new blanket. As she
performed the tasks, Xaran took a moment to call
Simmons to come over, then cleaned up the bed before
returning to sit by Raiajh. She sat and held the child, looking at him
lovingly. Except for his Vulcanoid ears, the boy looked almost exactly like the vids she had seen of Xaran as a
baby.
‘How are you feeling Imzadi?’
Xaran asked.
‘I feel fine. I’m a little tired, but I was tossing and
turning most of the night.’
‘You really didn’t feel anything prior to the need to
push?’
‘Just some minor cramping all night. I used that pain relieving trick I know. Easy births are not uncommon.’
‘I have to admit that was definitely the easiest birth
I’ve attended. You did wonderful.’
‘I had you there to help me.’
‘You know, he looks like you,’ Xaran remarked.
‘And you tell me I don’t lie well,’ Raiajh replied.
‘Except for the ears, he looks just like you.’
There was a knock
at the bedroom door. Both looked toward
the door and Xaran called out, “Yes?”
The couple heard
Dr. Simmons’s voice from the other side say, “You asked me to come over,
remember?”
“I remember. Door open.”
The door slid
open and Simmons walked in, the door remaining open behind him. Entering the room, Simmons was greeted by the
sight of his long time friend and his wife holding the pair’s newborn son.
“You two are
aware that there is a hospital just down the street, right?”
“There was no
time,” Xaran explained. “When I checked her, she was ready to
deliver.”
“Uh huh,” Simmons
said with a smirk. “I’m not objecting to
you two having the baby here. I just
feel the need to give you a hard time.”
As Xaran and Simmons exchanged remarks, Raiajh
looked toward the open door and smiled.
“Cathryn,” she called out to the living area. “You don’t have to sit out there, you can
come in too.” A moment later, Cathryn Pearson walked into the room.
“Sorry,” she
said. “I didn’t know if you were up for
company or not.”
“If you were
anyone else, probably not,” Raiajh admitted. “How are you feeling?”
“Good actually.
Jack’s Dad said I’m healing nicely.
I’m told I’ll probably be able to return to duty by the beginning of the
year.”
“That’s good to
hear. The grapevine tells me your
shipmates miss you.”
“I miss being on
the ship too, but at the same time I haven’t enjoyed being back on Earth this
much in a long time,” Pearson replied with a smile.
Raiajh noticed Pearson looking at little Julian. “Would you like to hold him?” she asked.
“May I?”
Pearson sat down
on the edge of the bed next to Raiajh and the Vulcan/Deltan woman passed Julian over to her as Simmons looked
over Pearson’s shoulder at the boy. Raiajh noticed the look in his eyes while he used his tricorder to scan the child. Telepathically she noted to Xaran, ‘I feel for
Jack at times like this. He puts on a
brave face for everyone, but it hurts him, knowing he will never be able to
enjoy a moment like this with his own child.’
‘I know. I see it
too,’ Xaran replied. ‘It seems a bit worse today
with Cathryn here.’
“The boy’s
perfectly healthy,” Simmons announced.
“Just make sure you bring Val and Julian by Starfleet Medical later
today to be checked out. Now if you’ll
excuse me for a moment.”
Simmons quickly
stepped out of the bedroom. As she
watched him leave, Raiajh felt him trying to keep his
composure. Xaran
followed his friend out of the room.
With both men gone, Pearson looked at Raiajh.
“I’ve never seen
Jack do that before,” she commented.
“I know. It was seeing you holding Julian that
affected him more than he realized it would.
You’ve had a profound effect on Jack.
It has made him change how he thinks about his own life. Until he met you, he never gave much thought
to having a family.”
Handing Julian
back to Raiajh, Pearson said, “Val, I’m enjoying what
I have with Jack. He told me about the
fact that he cannot father children, and I’m fine with that. We’re taking things at a pace we can
handle. Having him in my life has
changed me more than I want to admit. I
meant it when I said that I was enjoying my stay here on Earth. As strange as it sounds, I feel like I have a
family again. I don’t want to marry
Jack, but what he has given me these past few months has been wonderful.”
“That’s great to
hear,” Raiajh remarked.
“It’ll be good to
see everyone on the Besiege again
too. I heard that we lost a few
crewmembers after the war and they haven’t been replaced. I’ll probably be one of those transferred off
by the end of next year too. I wonder
what my next posting will be after the Besiege?”
“Actually, McLeod
was asked to present the Starfleet Chief of Operations with a list of the
twenty crewmembers he wishes to keep.
You aren’t going anywhere. Your
name was right at the top of the list, so the Chief of Starfleet Operations has
already approved your continued assignment to the Besiege.”
“You’re pulling
my leg!”
“Nope. You earned
everything you’ve got on the Besiege,
and you did it all on your own.”
“I would think
that my record from my first career in Starfleet would have hindered me.”
“Cathryn, being a quartermaster wasn’t a good fit for
you. And you aren’t the only officer in
Starfleet who ever switched departments more than once. Once you found where to best put your skills
to use, you excelled. That’s what’s
important.”
“Perhaps I should start thinking bigger and
take the bridge officer’s test?”
“That sounds like
a very good idea. Never stop reaching
for new goals,” Raiajh’s replied.
“Perhaps, I’ll
earn a posting as someone’s first officer one day?” Pearson said half-jokingly.
“You never know, Cathryn,” Raiajh replied. “You never know.”
Fin
Return to 2374.
Return to Stories Archive.