Kassia's room was dark, except for the golden glow from several lit candles. On her dresser there were several sticks of incense burning. Quietly, she took a seat on a small, beautifully woven carpet in shades of blue and purple on the floor. She folded her legs as she sat, bringing her hands together in front of her, as if in prayer. Taking a deep cleansing breath through her nose and releasing it through her mouth, she forced out the random thoughts filtering into her mind from others on the ship. She concentrated on controlling herself and the voices. Each breath gave her more strength, more clarity and more control. Just as she was completing the beginning of her morning meditation and ready to move on to the next step, the door chime sounded, disrupting her concentration. She tried to continue only to be interrupted again. The person was quite insistent. Sighing, she withdrew from her meditation. Troy wasn't there to answer the door. He had been asked to help a new friend on the station move a few things, so he had been gone the better part of an hour.
Finally opening her green eyes with a sigh, she gracefully got to her feet and made her way to the door. She concentrated on the person at her door, and was surprised by the image of Paul. As she got to the door she immediately opened it to see him there, seeming tense. Whatever was going on was worth interrupting her meditation for.
"Paul . . . come in," she said with concern, as images flooded her mind and his feelings of anger. "What has you so upset?" she asked as she lead him to the couch.
"I am not a man zat likes to walk away from a fight!" he said with his strong french accent laced with frustration. "And I feel az if I ave been forced to do so . . ."
She was at the replicator as she listened to him and replicated two hot herbal teas. She brought him a mug. He took at it and looked at her as if she were crazy.
"Tea?" he asked incredulously, raising his eyebrows.
"Trust me," she said with her soft smile, taking a seat near him. "Now what happened on this mission of yours?" She took a sip.
He looked at his mug for a moment and then looked at her. "Jou know, don't you?" he asked. "I was in zee shuttle. It was my job to get Captain Tarik an two of is men onto zee Galatea. Zen I was ordaired back to zee station, leaving zem behind . . . "
Kassia could sense his anger and frustration as Paul stopped and took a sip of his tea. He seemed to nod to himself with surprise that it tasted good.
"What would have happened if you had stayed?" Kassia asked, taking another sip of her own tea.
He shrugged. "If zee Son'a would ave seen me before zee Banshee Squadron arrived, I would ave been dead. An it was necessary to get zee information to Captain Wallace," he replied.
She nodded. "So you understand that it was important for you to leave them behind, but you would have rather stayed and died?"
"Perhaps I would not ave died . . . Perhaps I could ave done somezing to elp," he replied sullenly as his eyes hit the floor, still troubled. "Instead, I feel as if I ran like a coward!"
She smiled softly and gently touched his shoulder. "I understand," she replied.
He looked at her and sighed. "But ow do I get rid of zis feeling now, eh? If I am not a coward, why do I steel feel like one?"
She put her mug down. "There are many types of cowards, Paul. There are those than run from fights. Those that hid from life and those that end their life. Cowards are those people who give in to fear and what I have seen of you, that's not in your make up. You are no more a coward than I am a Klingon!"
He laughed a little at the thought of her last words. No, she was no Klingon . . . "Perhaps you're right, zen."
"I know I'm right," she replied smartly with a devilish grin.
He shook his head and finished the tea. He was feeling a little better. "Jou know, for some reason I can talk wiz you. It . . . uh," he paused finding the right words, "does not seem odd, or uncomfortable."
Her eyes sparkled. "I'm glad," she replied. "We all need someone to talk to. Even if its only now and then . . . Would you like some more tea?" she asked.