Troy sat protectively close to Kassia as the transport headed to New Canada. Nearby was Kassia's new assistant Dandrane, or Danni as she liked to be called. Many other civilians from the station were crowded aboard. In fact there were several transports and each were full with civilians from the station being evacuated to New Canada until the coming battle was over.
Again, Kassia had missed her morning meditation and had not been able to make up for it. She did not tell Troy, however, and she had other things on her mind. Not only was she trying desperately to keep everyone's random thoughts from her mind, but she was worried about Tarik, to the point of almost being sick. Since her vision and dinner with Tarik, she had barely eaten. The few things she did manage to get into her stomach didn't stay for long . . . It hadn't been happening for too long, so she had not started turing pale yet. Though her energy level had dropped significantly.
She leaned against Troy, with his arm around her, when suddenly, she saw Danni crying. Immediately, she stood up to go to the young woman, who was quickly becoming a good friend, when the ship suddenly shook violently. The sounds of explosions echoed around them. Before anyone could react, several panels exploded, hitting several people. Then, a sickening creaking was heard right above Kassia. They watched, as if it were happening in slow motion as part of the overhead ripped apart and fell. Kassia couldn't react fast enough as it hit her, knocking her back against the bulkhead she had been sitting against. Everything went black.
Instantly Troy was hit by intense pain, as the metal from the overhead fell on his legs, pinning him to his seat. He couldn't reach Kassia who was unconscious and bleeding from a deep gash in her forehead. Suddenly, three men came at them, with angry looks on her face.
"The witch is going to die, before she kills all of us!" the rather larger leader with black hair and gray eyes said. "She is the cause of this misfortune!"
"Leave her alone!" Troy yelled, feeling helpless and trapped. There was nothing he could do to protect his sister now . . .
"We'll puncture her heart and send her out the airlock," another, younger man, suggested. Pushing his dirty blond hair out of his face.
The other two nodded in agreement. Troy was filled with angry rage and fear, but each time he struggled against the panel crushing his legs, he cried out in pain. His worst fear was happening before his eyes! His sister was going to be killed and it was happening right in front of him, by these simple, superstitious people!
"Please, just leave her alone . . . She hasn't done anything to you," he literally cried, his dark eyes filled with complete anguish.
"She is a witch and has brought this upon us!" The third man, with a crop of coppery hair spat with his blue eyes flashing angrily. "She's a demon, brought here to destroy us all!"
"NO!" he cried, "This is an old transport! It was pulled out of retirement and wasn't ready for this evac! It probably couldn't handle it! It has nothing to do with my sister!"
They shook their heads. "She will die," they replied again with certainty.
But as they took another step toward her, a young man jumped before them holding an old phaser in his hands.
"YOU will leave the girl alone, or suffer the sting of this weapon!" the young man cried. "Your superstitious ways will be the end of everyone, especially yourselves if you don't back off and leave this compartment now!" This young man was very familiar with these individuals. They were simple farmers from Kentori V on their way to New Canada to help develop the planet as an agricultural center. However, he also new of their strange cult. They feared anyone with psi abilities, and thought them a product of demons or such. However, they were not going to be allowed to hurt Kassia if he could help it!
They looked into the man's eyes as if testing him.
"You should know I have this set to kill, and its set on wide range. I can hit all three of you with just a little pressure on the trigger. Now, do you really want to test me?"
Angry that they had been stopped, but knowing this man would kill them, they began to back away carefully.
"And if you bother her again at any time, I WILL come looking for you! I know who you are!"
Once they were out of sight, the man turned around and went to Kassia. He pulled out another device that looked Starfleet. It was a medical tricorder. He sighed and gently touched her hair. As he turned to Troy, Troy's jaw dropped in surprise. This unexpected savior was none-other than the Bajoran that Kassia had save! It was Toren Len.
"You're sister's not doing so good. She's sustained a very bad head injury. Though this tricorder is a good one, it can't tell me how extensive the damage in her brain is and I can't do anything about it just yet . . ." Taking in Troy's appearance, he smiled, "I guess you never thought you'd see me again," he said, running the tricorder over Troy.
"No, I didn't . . . But thank you . . . You saved Kassia's life."
"She did the same for me, and I was a lot less deserving," he replied. "Well, it looks like you have a broken leg under this mental panel . . . and some cracked ribs . . . I can at least give you something for the pain."
Troy nodded. Instantly, Toren placed a hypospray against the common artery in his neck and injected some pain medication. "The doctor will be here as soon as possible, but there have been a lot of wounded."
"What exactly happened?" Troy asked.
"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. The next thing I know, is everyone is being asked if they have any medical experience, and I got drafted to go throughout the ship to do triage for the medical officer on this transport."
"How did you get the phaser? I know Starfleet doesn't just hand those out . . ."
He smirked. "Call it a perk from my old life, before Kassia touched it. I brought it along figuring that in the chaos it might come in handy. I guess I was right!"
Troy nodded. This certainly wasn't the same man they saw that night, he thought.
"Tell you what, I have another couple of compartments to check. As soon as I'm done, I'll come back here, okay? And take this," he said, handing Troy the phaser, "Just in case . . ."
As Toren began to walk off, Troy stopped him. "Thank you . . ."
Toren Len smiled and walked away.
"I'm sorry it isn't better news," the older doctor said as he looked at Troy.
The metal had been hoisted off him by several volunteers and his legs had been set until they could reach New Canada where medical facilities waited for them. But Kassia had not regained consciousness.
"She's in a coma and I don't have the means to treat her . . . At least she's breathing on her own so that's a good sign, but still . . . We'll have to keep and eye on her and hope she makes it to New Canada," he said.
Toren Len, Danni and Troy looked on at the Doctor and Kassia who was lying so still. The mood was somber.
"She'll make it," Toren replied. "She has too . . ."
Troy just hoped he was right.
She was walking through a battlefield strewn with the signs of war. There were dead bodies littering the area and she could hear the sounds of phaser fire all around her. Yet it didn't touch her. She was searching for someone, and had not yet found him. As she ran, she saw that she was wearing a white flowing gown that fluttered about her. It didn't seem or feel odd, though everyone else around her were in pressurized suits. She simply continued her search. As she went she looked on at the soldiers as they fought and yet not really seeing them.
Her search then lead her to a large building, and into its many corridors. Again, there were bodies and this time there was the smells of battle. The scent of scorched bulk heads and bodies filled the place. Just then, she saw him! He was there, leaning over a body. She couldn't see what he was doing, but he was all right and that's what mattered to her . . . She smiled . . .
Just then, from behind him, the image of a Son'a appeared. He had no way of knowing this enemy was approaching him, intent on ending his life!
"TARIK!!!!" she screamed.
For a instantly, he looked up. She sensed their eyes meet, and words passed between them unspoken, and yet heard. Suddenly, Tarik turned and knocked the disrupter from the Son'a's hand. Instantly the Son'a pulled a knife. Words were spoken, but she couldn't hear them. The struggling continued and she was unable to see who was in control as they rolled over the floor, each trying to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, everything became still, with Tarik on top of the Son'a. Kassia watched, waiting to see who the victor was, only to witness a pool of blood start to form under the bodies. It didn't look like Son'a blood. Suddenly, Tarik's form went limp.
"NO!!!!" she screamed, "NO!!!!"
She woke up with a start, tears still in her eyes. As she acclimated herself to her surroundings she realized she wasn't aboard the old transport. She was in a medical facility on New Canada. By her side was a doctor, Troy, Danni . . . and Toren Len.
"What happened?" she asked, feeling awful. Her head still hurt and now her heart ached also.
"You're going to be just fine," the doctor said.
"You've been in a coma for over 10 hours," Troy said. "We almost lost you on the transport."
Vague images flashed through her mind of the explosions and the overhead falling down on her.
"And Toren, over here, saved your life," he smiled, his brown eyes reflecting the joy at seeing her awake.
"Well, I had to repay the favor!" Toren replied, trying to make light of it. He wasn't the kind to be made a fuss over.
She nodded. "Thank you," she said. "Though maybe you shouldn't have . . ."
The three got a puzzled look on their face as Kassia's green eyes began to mist with tears.
"What is it?" Troy asked, gently touching her shoulder.
"I think Tarik's dead . . ." With that, she started sobbing and turned away from them.
"Is there anything you can do for her?" Danni asked the doctor, seeing Kassia's agitated state.
Taking another hypospray, he injected it into her artery. Within moments, she was asleep. "She needs some rest anyway, and this will give her dreamless sleep."
"How would she know if Tarik's dead?" asked Danni.
"She would know," was all Troy would say as he gently caressed his sister's hair. He was worried. This was what he had been concerned about... Her being hurt... The pain she was enduring... Maybe he would talk to the doctor about keeping her sedated until they had word about the battle. Especially with word on who lived and who had died...
The others looked on with concern.