Kassia walked through the corridors of SB901, back from her first voyage with the Arizona-A, and as a Brevet Ensign. As she walked through the commerce section, many people who knew her threw her odd glances as they saw her clad in a blue and black Starfleet uniform. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she entered her shop and saw Danni busy replacing several crystal items on a shelf. As the young girl turned around to see who had entered, her dark eyes popped open.
"Kassia?!" she exclaimed with surprised as she saw the uniform.
"Hey, Danni!" she smiled. "I just got back and . . . I need to talk to you . . ."
"I guess!" Danni replied with a smile. "Are you really a Starfleet Officer? I didn't think it could happen that fast!"
Kassia laughed. "Well, not usually . . . and right now, the title of Ensign is only honorary . . . But Captain Wallace intends to make me an actual officer if and when I complete the training and testing . . . And that's why I need to talk to you . . ."
"Sure! What?" Danni asked, her smile bright.
"Well, I'm going to need someone to run the shop for me . . . Between my training and possible Away Missions and such, I'll need someone here all the time . . . Full time . . . Now, since you're my assistant, I figured that wouldn't be such a big deal for you . . . but it is a lot of extra work . . . I wasn't sure if you'd want to do that . . ."
Danni's eyes opened wide. "I could . . ." she replied. "Its not like I have a lot of other things to do . . ."
Kassia knew Danni didn't have a lot of friends, but she didn't want the girl just working her whole life away . . . "Well, what I was thinking, is that, I would give you a third of the business . . . I would also give you the control to hire an assistant of your own . . ." she explained. "You can't work every day! You need some time for yourself!"
"Well, Len, has been coming by and helping me out a bit . . ." she said, as a light blush tinted her cheeks.
That got Kassia's attention as she thought back to the day she had left on the Arizona and how Len has professed his love for her . . . and then she remembered Tarik's suggestion on finding someone well suited for Toren . . . Was Danni the girl, she smiled to herself? She'd have to find out . . .
"Well . . . maybe he'll want the extra work then . . . You can certain ask him," Kassia replied. "And I will be around. Just not as often . . ."
For a minute Kassia looked around her little shop. In some respects she missed being there and doing the readings for clients . . . She'd put a lot into the place . . . But now she was doing something she truly felt she was meant to do . . .
"Does Troy know yet?" Danni asked tentatively.
As Kassia's green eyes met Danni's dark, she sighed with concern and shook her head. "No, he doesn't . . . and I can only imagine how he's going to react . . ."
Once Kassia was bask in her quarters she checked Troy's schedule. He had left one for her, knowing she was suppose to return. He wasn't scheduled to be off work until close to 0200 hours. With that, she realized just how tired she was. She went to the replicator and ordered herself a cup of hot, sweet, herbal tea. She then changed out of her uniform and into a long, white nightgown trimmed with lace. Carefully, she laid out her uniform on the back of the couch.
She knew that he would see it as soon as he walked in the door. No matter what time it was, she was willing to talk with him. This was something she wanted to settle. If he wanted to let it go until morning, she was more than willing to. If not, she was ready to deal with it that night.
She drank the tea, as she stared out the porthole, enjoying the view. Memories of her time on the Arizona-A and her away missions played through her mind. As images of the Son'a Commander intruded into her thoughts, she flinched. She knew that only time would dim that response.
Thinking of him, she returned to her bag that she had set on the couch. She hadn't finished unpacking. From the contents, she pulled out the knife that had belonged to the dead Son'a Commander. Her gift from Tarik . . . It was a reminder that the Son'a Commander was dead. And now, it was her prize . . . Not that she necessarily looked at it as a trophy, but as a reminder that he could never physically hurt her again. And now she could use it herself as protection . . . After she finished her tea, she finally headed to bed, taking the knife with her. She carefully set it on her bedside table. Almost as soon as she slid under the covers she was asleep.
It was 0223 hours when Troy walked into the quarters he shared with Kassia. He knew she had arrived back earlier that day. That was the news buzzing around at Soma. At that late hour he didn't expect to find her awake, so he called for the lights at 50%. Suddenly, something on the couch got his attention. He walked to it and picked it up carefully. It was a Starfleet uniform for someone in science or medical. His first thought was that Kassia had brought home some other company outside of Tarik, which brought concern into his eyes. That wasn't like Kassia at all . . . Then he noticed the cut was definitely for a woman . . . This peaked his curiosity . . . Quietly, he crept to Kassia room. There he found her sleep and alone . . . But something was wrong . . .
She was strapped in the chair again, facing the Son'a Commander as he stood in front of her, with his dark eyes gazing at her with menace. Kassia could feel the pain in her face and jaw where he had already stuck her, and no matter how she struggled against the restraints she could not budge them.
"What are you doing here, Starfleet?!" he demanded again, angrily.
"We are here doing scientific research!" she replied back. She readied herself for the blow she knew was coming. She was going to shut her eyes against it, but she couldn't. She was compelled to look at him . . . To look at his instrument of pain. She watched as his closed fist came at her. Suddenly fear seized her!
As her eyes flew open, she realized she was in a bed. The room was dark, and she was still momentarily disoriented. Immediately she sensed a presence. Swiftly and instinctively, she grabbed the knife on the table next to her, quickly unsheathing it. "Lights, full!" she called out.
As the lights came up, she squinted in the brightness. She was ready for anything. But suddenly, she realized where she was as she saw Troy's face. It was filled with a mixture of emotions. But worry was the strongest. She lowered, the knife and put it back on the table and rubbed the sleep from her eyes and then rubbed her temples, as she gave a heavy sigh. These nightmares had to stop at some point, she thought . . . She just didn't know when . . .
"Welcome home," he replied, with concern. "Are you okay?"
As she met his dark eyes, she nodded. "I'm okay . . . I just had a bad dream."
"Just a dream, huh?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Okay . . . " he replied, not really believing her. "You mind telling me what that is on the couch?"
With a sigh, she knew that this was not going to wait until morning. She got out of bed slowly and went to him, meeting his gaze. "That is my uniform," she said.
"What do you mean, uniform?" he said, with upset surprise.
"I'm a Brevet Ensign in Starfleet," she explained. "Captain Wallace asked me to accept a position as Counselor for the Station and for the Arizona-A . . . and I did . . ."
"What?!" he exclaimed. "I thought a Starfleet Officer had to go through the Academy. How can you just leave with Captain Wallace as a Civilian and return two weeks later as an Officer?"
She walked past him, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. His tone of voice was bringing back more images from the interrogation. She fought to suppress a shudder.
"For one thing, Brevet means that my title as Ensign is only honorary at the moment. I'm not a real officer . . . yet . . ." she explained, taking a deep breath. "But I have agreed to go through training and studies. If I pass the tests, I'll be made an officer."
"Why would you do that?!" he asked, taking a step toward her.
"Because its something that feels right, Troy," she replied.
He drew closer. "I don't understand! Why?" he said again, this time he reached to caress her face. Only before her could touch her, she flinched. That was unlike her . . . Especially when it came to him. "Kassia, what happened out there? What happened to you?" He knew there was something she wasn't telling him now. Something more than just the fact that she had decided to join Starfleet without telling him . . . It was something in his gut. He just knew . . .
"Nothing," she lied.
"You're not telling me the truth, Kassia," he said, staring into her green eyes. "You've never lied to me before . . ."
"It's not that I'm lying . . ." she said, "But now there are things that I just can't tell you . . . Some things because they're classified and others so that you won't worry . . ." This time she reached for him and caressed his face. She felt terrible with what she was putting him through.
"And which is this?" he asked, holding her hand against his face, his eyes still reflecting his upset concern.
Troy never got an answer from his little sister and he wanted one. He didn't understand how, but he had a gut feeling something had happened while she was gone. She had been hurt . . . and she wasn't telling him. He wasn't happy with her decision to join Starfleet as it was, but this concerned him even more . . . Whatever happened to her, was it because of Starfleet? And if it were, how could it be the right decision? He knew that no matter what she decided, he wasn't going to have much luck changing her mind. He'd have to find a way to accept it, but he didn't have to be happy about it.
He laid on his back in bed, staring wide-awake at the overhead. He had finally had to give up on questioning Kassia. The more he demanded answers the more shaken she had become. Finally, he had just dropped the subject. Once she seemed calm, they had both gone to bed . . . But things kept turning over and over in his mind. He had to know what happened . . . And he was going to find out one way or another . . . He had to know for himself what his sister had gotten herself into.
In the morning, he would see the one man who might be able to give him the answers . . . Tarik . . .