Tara couldn't believe how good she had been feeling over the last several days. She had found herself walking the Promenade and enjoying herself more and more often. She became familiar with the different species she was now living with and the places around the station that seemed to appeal to her most. She was even Christmas shopping a bit, though a lot of it was preparations for her baby'e arrival in two months' time.
This day was even more special. The night before, she had made it a point to contact Kassia. She hadn't really made any friends yet, however she had only been on the station a short while. But she felt that Kassia was one of the friends she had made. Tara had asked if she had wanted to go to lunch. Kassia had readily accepted which had really made Tara's evening. As she waited for Kassia to meet up with her, she window shopped.
"There you are," Kassia smiled. "I see you've been busy today so far," she said, noticing the bags Tara had with her.
"Well, I find myself replacing everything for the baby now," Tara replied. "Back in my reality the Nursery was just about complete."
"And have you found some suitable items?" she asked.
"I have found amazing items!" Tara replied with a smile. "I think mydaughter will be very lucky to grow up here..."
"I dare say you have found your smile," Kassia laughed.
"I have come to peace with whom I have left behind," she replied. "They know I'm safe. I'm not sure how I know that, but they do. I'm sure of it."
Kassia smiled. "I'm very glad... So what did you have in mind for lunch? Any place in particular? Terran food or are you in the mood for something more exotic?"
"Actually, Terran food sounds wonderful today... Perhaps tomorrow I'll go for something a little more extraordinary," Tara laughed.
"Well, it looks like there's a little French Bistro right here. Care to try it?"
"Why not!" Tara smiled.
Kassia and Tara were greeted at the door of Chez Orleans, the newest restaurant to open on the Promenade. It was a French-style bistro complete with sidewalk tables and a maitre d'hotel named Louis Deveraux.
"Bonjour, madames, welcome to ze Chez Orleans. Do you have a reservation, perchance?" he asked.
"No, no reservation," Tara replied, looking at him with her green eyes suddenly picking up something about him that didn't sit well with her.
"You don' have a reservation?" Louis asked. "Well, you'll just have to wait at ze bar..."
Kassia raised an eyebrow as the girls gazed at one another. "But it looks as if you have plenty of open tables," Kassia said as she looked around.
"Eet is ze policy of ze management zhat you must have a reservation! Wait at ze bar..."
At that moment Paul Deveraux came up. "Louis! I tought Ah'd never see you again!" he said. "What are you doing 'ere, eh? Besides overcharging your customers!"
"Paul? I had no idea!"
"Eez zhis man giving you a 'ard time about reservations?" Paul asked. "Zhese are very good friends of mine, an' officers of zhis station! You will seat zhem at once!" Paul said. "Or will Ah 'ave to rearrange your tables?"
"Of course! They'll be seated at once!" Louis said, his attitude changed markedly after seeing his cousin.
"This is Lt. Paul Deveraux, Chief Science Officer here on the Station," Kassia said to Tara.
"Pleasure to meet you," she said, as she extended her hand, Chiron peeking out of the sleeve of her blouse.
"Eet eez always a pleasure to meet a charming woman!" Paul said, reaching down to take her hand and kiss it. Then he saw Chiron.
She smiled at the comment and the kiss, but she also noticed his reaction to seeing her skryll. "That's my Skryll. His name name is Chiron," she explained.
"A Skryll? What eez a Skryll?" Paul asked, the scientist in him suddenly intrigued.
Louis returned, and saw Chiron. "Madame, there are no pets allowed in this establishment!" he said, indignantly.
"Ah, Louis, my cousin, you are mistaken! Eet ez not a pet, eet eez a Skryll," Paul said, even though he didn't know what a Skryll was just yet. "Jes' like a Trill! Are you turning sentient beings away like a stupeed racist peeg-dog? I'll 'ave you off zhis station for zhat!"
Louis turned away in a huff as another waiter led them to a table.
Tara laughed softly. "Thank you! Chiron is a part of me. He's attuned to my nervous system. He's basically a living weapon. But with my mind, I control the strength of the blast I want. Chiron fulfills that desire... And in exchange for this he gets his nurishment from me... So right now I am eating for three!" She smirked.
"Ah see. Perhaps Chiron should 'ave spoken for 'imself to my eediot cousin Louis, eh?" Deveraux laughed. "We'll 'ave to talk about zhis later. Ah've got a date!"
Kassia became serious. "How are the visions?"
"Zhey come an' zhey go," Paul said. "Anudder friend of mine gave me some additional insight. Ah must look into eet," Paul said, not wanting to go into great detail about his session with Piccolo.
"Well, I'm sure the truth will come," Kassia replied. The girl obviously had her reasons for doing what she did.
"Anyway, I must go now. Ah'll talk to you later!" he said, winking at Tara as he left. The waiter brought the two ladies a menu.
They both purues the menu and selected what sounded the best, though Tara ordered two items. The waiter raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and walked away. He brought their drinks and walked away again.
"So you have to eat a lot because of the Skryll and your baby?" Kassiaasked with curiosity.
"Well, I had to eat quite a bit with just Chiron! A Skryll requires a lot of extra nourishment from the bloodstream. But then throw a baby into the mix and there you have it, I eat like a horse!" she laughed. "Grace and I use to go out for lunch and would eat several items apiece after we became pregnant."
"Did you dine out often?" she asked.
"More often than the average person," Tara replied. "Who wants to cook for one? But then there were times I would cook at home. You know, I had a cat... I wonder which of my friends took her in... Maybe Ron took her... I miss her a bit."
"You also had a cat?"
"Yes, she was a gift from my friend, Boone, who died. Her name's Jewel," Tara said. "I wish I had her with me as well... But I know she'll be looked after."
Kassia shook her head in amazement. "I have to say I am really surprised by your turn around. I really wasn't sure you'd be able to pull out of the culture shock and the loss you were experiencing. I am very happy for you!"
"Thank you!" she said, "I know this will sound a bit crazy, but I had a dream that made this all right. That's how I know everyone knows I'm safe. It sounds absurd, but its not, believe me..."
"Oh, I believe in the power of dreams," Kassia replied with a bright smile. "I've had a few incredible ones of my own."
"Then you understand," Tara replied.
"I think I do..."
"Well, I got the chance to tell everyone I was all right, including Ron... He told me the best thing for me was to stay here, stay safe... Hearing that from him was what I needed."
"And it wasn't just a dream?" she asked.
"I can't explain how I know it wasn't, but it wasn't," Tara smiled. "And that's what's enabled me to truly start living again... Not that I don't still miss them and not that I still don't want to be with them, but they know that I'm safe. I'm not dead... That's enough for now," she smiled.
Kassia returned her bright smile. "That definitely leaves you open to make some new friends too, right?"
"Correct!" Tara replied happily.
Just then, their food arrived. They continued talking all through lunch and into dessert. They had definitely found a friend in each other, they thought. When they'd finished their meal, Louis brought Tara and Kassia their cheque. Kassia looked at the cheque and saw an astronomical amount of money, all charged to an account she did not recognize. "Madames, your bill eez paid in full!" Louis said proudly. That would teach Paul to interfere in his business!
"But who paid for us?" Kassia asked, as she looked suspiciously at the Maitre'd and the bill. Something didn't seem right and he seemed just a little too happy. She was picking something up from him, but it was unclear.
"Complements of ze house!" Louis said.
~He's lying,~ Tara said to Kassia. Kassia looked at her and nodded.
~I know... I can feel it too... ~ she replied.
~Who do you suppose he stuck with the bill?~ she asked.
Suddenly an image of Paul leaped into both of their minds, and they turned their eyes to the Maitre'd - Louis Deveraux.
"Mr. Deveraux, did you know my friend and I here are telepaths?" Tara asked coolly.
"I... I was not aware," Louis said, suddenly very panicked. He'd just committed fraud on a Starfleet officer in the presence of yet another Starfleet officer. "I see some irregularities here. I will have these corrected at once! Marcel, you idiot! You should not 'ave charged zhis bill to zhis account! Charge it to ze house immediately!" he shouted as another waiter scurried away with the cheque. "Eet eez so hard to find good help these days, especially on ze frontier, no?" he asked with a Gallic shrug.
"Oh, no doubt," Tara agreed amiably with her British lilting voice. "I trust there shant be another problem should we come here again?"
"Of course not, madame! You shall be extended ze full courtesy of ze Chez Orleans!" he said. Ah should 'ave known better zhan to deal with ze English! he thought. Suddenly he caught himself. "Zhese tings, zhey are force of habit. I assure you madame it will never happen again!"
Tara smirked. "Well, your food was very palatable. Perhaps you will see us again... But I do suggest you keep a handle on what you are doing here, or next time I might have to show you just what my pet can do."
Before he could answer Kassia and Tara began to leave. But at the door, Tara turned around. Louis Deveraux was facing away from her... It was perfect, she thought. She aimed Chiron and fired a light blast. It hit him right in the seat of his pants.
A loud scream could be heard from the kitchen, accompanyed by the smell of burning fabric and the sound of pots and pans clattering to the floor. Marcel grinned as they left the bistro.
"What did you do?" Kassia asked.
"I just gave Mr. Deveraux a little scare. Don't worry, he's fine... I would never have hurt him, even if he is a snob and jerk of the highest magnitude! His rear end just might be sore for a day!"
Kassia shook her head and suppressed a laugh. "Well, I wouldn't do that too often around here. It could get you into trouble with security."
"Well, I think that was a one time occurance... Unless there is a reason for me to use Chiron I don't..." Tara said. "And I could have made that blast lighter on Monsieur Deveraux had I wanted it to be..."
"How light can you go?" Kassia asked.
"Do you trust me?" Tara asked.
She nodded and then she watched as Tara raised her skryll at her. Suddenly, a light blast hit her face like a strong breeze. She saw Tara smiling.
"That was a blast from Chiron?" Kassia asked with amazement.
"Yes," she replied. "It's all a matter of control."
Suddenly, Kassia began thinking. Tara was finally adjusting to her surrounding well. She had experience in Security... In her dimension, she had been a Police officer and she had been Head of Security for someone of importance... Maybe she could fit into Starfleet Security, she thought...
"Your CVI helps you learn things rapidly, right?" she asked.
"Yes, I've been reading all I can about this dimension and all the species and everything. Its been quite fascinating."
"You know, I need to speak to the Captain, but perhaps there's something you can do here on the station... Are you interesting in Starfleet at all?" Kassia asked, feeling her out about her budding idea.
"Everything I've read about Starfleet sounds wonderful. So of course I'm interested in Starfleet! In fact, Starfleet rescued Ryan and me. You've given us a place to stay, you've taken care of my growing child and I, you have given us expense accounts and have really asked nothing of us. We owe you all a debt of gratitude."
Kassia could tell that Tara was being completely serious. "You know, I'm going to talk to the Captain about something that I think you might like. But I can't really tell you anything yet."
Tara crinkled her brows. "All right... I'm not sure I understand, but that's all right."
"Anyway, I have an appointment in about fifteen minutes so I need to run, but I had a great time!" Kassia smile, her green eyes bright.
"So did I," Tara replied, "I hope we can do this again. Maybe next time throw some shopping in it!" She laughed.
"Maybe," Kassia replied. "Bye, Tara! See you later!"
"Bye, Kassia!"
As Kassia walked away, Tara smiled brightly. She remembered Grace as she continued to talk along the brightly decorated Promenade, but alsothought about the new memories she'd made with Kassia, her new friend.There would be more lunches in the future.
"So, you wanted to discuss Ms. Carmichael with me, is that correct?" Captain Kitara Mallory asked Kassia.
"Yes, Captain. I've been working with her and I'm convinced that she does not need any counseling at this time. She seems to have come to terms with her situation, and has adapted marvelously to her new environment. If anything, she's relieved to be here as opposed to the world she left," Kassia said, a little nervous.
"I'm very gratified to hear that. How do you propose we "deal with her?" Kitty asked. "She has no family in this universe, and a lot of catching up to do on our society. I'm not sure she's even employable at anything in our universe that would help her earn a living for herself and her child."
The moment of truth, Kassia thought. She had seen several possible pathways for Tara: most good, a few very bad, but all hinging on Captain Mallory's decision.
"I think she would be very good in Starfleet Security, Captain. She has prior experience in police work and in coordinating security for VIP's, and her Skryll's a very potent -- and controllable -- weapon."
"It would be a good idea to keep the Skryll where Starfleet can keep an eye on it," Kitty said. "As for her experience, keep in mind that her law enforcement experience was gained on 21st-century Earth. I'm no expert on the subject, but I'm sure police work has changed in the past 400 years. And her experience with the Taelons was by her own account as a fifth columnist. We have only her word as to the veracity of her claims."
"Captain, I sense that Tara's telling the pure, unvarnished truth about the Taelons. How many times have we seen similar things in our own history? Earth's relationship with the Vulcans wasn't much different in the early days from what Tara describes about the Taelons' plans. And look what the Son'a tried to do with the Ba'ku, or what the Mullurans did to the G'kar. I think someone who's been in exactly that situation could provide valuable insight," Kassia replied.
"You raise some valid points. And from the reports both you and Dr. Cherrin have supplied, the Taelon technology in her system could speed the learning process considerably. Even so, I want to keep her on a short leash for now. I'm willing to accept Ms. Carmichael -- and hercompanion, if he so chooses -- as warrant officers in Security. Colonel Tarik will instruct her on our tactical and strategic situation and on our weapons systems; Mr. K'Tag will instruct her on Starfleet Security procedures and station operations. I'll talk to Chief O'Hara of the New Canada Constabulary and see what he can do about updating her police training on an ongoing basis."
"Thank you, Captain!" Kassia said.
"There are some conditions: I want Ms. Carmichael's full cooperation with Mr. Deveraux and Dr. Cherrin in a complete examination of the Skryll. I want to make sure that there is absolutely no way this weapon can fall into enemy hands, or be replicated. I also want her fully debriefed with regard to the Taelon technology she brought into our universe. Perhaps the Taelons have a few tricks they can teach us."
"I'll raise the proposal to her," Kassia replied. She had no doubt that Tara would jump at the chance to put her skills to good use.
"Very good," Kitty said. After what had happened with Zac, she was relieved to have another hand in security. Particularly a hand with a weapon attached that was capable of blasting holes through the bulkheads...
Kassia left the office. Tara Carmichael was waiting outside, looking over a PADD containing a magazine. "I think the Captain would like to speak to you," Kassia said with a bit of a wink.
"Oh really?" she asked, suspecting what was about to happen but not entirely sure. According to what Tara had read, Captain Mallory was not only a telepath but also a career diplomat... and thus very good at shielding her thoughts.
Tara entered the office. "Kassia seems to think very highly of you, Ms. Carmichael," Kitty said. "And I've read over your statements and our own profile on you. I had some reservations at first, but our Station Counselor can be most persuasive. How would you like to join Starfleet Security?" she asked.
Tara smiled. "I... I would be delighted!" she said. "What do I need to do?"
"There is some information we'll need from you; Kassia will let you know about that. Keep in mind that since there are no Taelons in this universe, you won't be betraying any loyalties you may have felt to them. We also need medical information on the Skryll. Aside from that, all you have to do is take the oath."
A few seconds later, Tara Carmichael had pledged to uphold and defend the United Federation of Planets and its member worlds. "We're starting you as a Warrant Officer 4th Class, until you finish training. I'll arrange new quarters for you, and the civilian police on New Canada will begin updating your police training as soon as I can set that up. Report to Lieutenant K'Tag in Security at 0800."
Tara was speechless. "You may also inform Mr. MacLeod that he may also join Starfleet at the same rank or its equivalent in any billet for which he is initially qualified. We need some good shuttle pilots right now," Kitty said, smiling as she assessed the impact she'd just made on Tara. Yes, I think she'll work out just fine, she thought.