Shara walked down a street in Serenity City, looking for the Horseshoe. As she found it, she walked in, surprised by the low lighting, but there was no mistaking the smell of grilling steak. It smelled wonderful. She smiled as she was escorted to a booth where Tyran was sitting. As she slid into her seat, she smiled, her dark eyes sparkling in the dim lighting.
"Interesting place," she replied. "It smells good!"
"I thought, that you would like this as a place to eat. It's only known to the locals, like me. Not really a tourist attraction." He smiled.
"It's great," she replied. "And I love steak. Well, meat in general. I guess it has to do with my feline DNA." She smiled. "You know carnivores and all."
"Feline DNA?" He asked her grinning. "I wouldn't know. I just like steak. It's actually Danayal who dragged me inside here the first time." He grinned.
"How is Danayal?" she asked as a waitress came over in western attire to take their order.
"Fine, but sometimes I feel like I need to keep my fingers crossed that it'll stay that way." He replied. "One medium steak, fried potatoes and some of that salad fantasy, and some fresh pressed peach juice."
"You got it," the waitress smiled. "And what about you, honey?" she asked.
"I'll take the t-bone, medium rare. I want a baked potato with cheese, butter and sour cream and I'll try that salad fantasy. I'll have a cola to drink."
"All righty," she replied. "I'll be back with your drinks in a jiffy."
As she walked off, Shara looked over at Tyran. "So you worry about Danayal a lot?" she asked.
"I think you must have read his file, since security will have to grab him if he gets out of line. He's an ex drug addict I took the liberty of placing in my care, when he burglarized the bar."
She nodded. She had read the file. It was a habit to do a background check on anyone she spent time with. It gave her an idea of who she might be dealing with. After all, she knew she couldn't risk mistakes.
"But he's done a remarkable job turning his life around," she noted as she remembered the information from the file.
"He has, but he sometimes craves the drugs when he gets really depressed or when everything goes wrong. I wish he would talk to a councilor, but since he doesn't trust them, he doesn't even want to go near one."
Shara paused for a moment. "You know, my sister's a counselor. One of the best in her field. She doesn't always adopt for the clinical route for helping people, because she's worked with people like Danayal before; people who don't trust councilors. Maybe she could help Danayal?" Shara suggested with a shrugged as their drinks were brought.
"Just let Danayal learn to trust her in that case; don't let him know he's dealing with a councilor, or he'll hit the road and not come back." He sighed.
"She's perfect at that. People that don't trust counselors. She becomes their friends instead. It allows them to talk without feeling like every word they say is being critiqued. She told me that's how her and Captain Evans became close. He didn't trust counselors either, but there was something different about her. Of course, come to think of it, he told me that too. He didn't trust any councilor except Karissa." A sad smile crossed her face. "He was a good man."
"Who was Captain Evans?" Tyran really had no clue and it showed in his eyes.
"He was the Captain of the USS Ronin-A," she replied with a sigh. "And the man my sister was originally going to spend the rest of her life with. He died..."
"How did he die?" Tyran asked calmly, while their food was served.
"It was during a fight. He was stabbed and pushed through..." she stopped not knowing how much was classified. "Well, anyway, he couldn't have survived. Karissa had to watch it. She was there with him. But she couldn't get to him in time to save him. A Naussican stabbed him first. It was a very dark day."
"Naussicans, I get them in my bar sometimes. Nasty people, not much patience." He sighed. "But since there are more humans here, I don't see much of them."
"Well, most Naussicans are all right," she replied, having lived among a few on Starbase 901. "It's just the ones that don't want to follow the rules that are the real problem. That one that killed the Captain was... He was the leader of a band of pirates. They had something we needed and we had to take it from them. The cost was Ryan Evans." Her voice grew quiet. She remembered that day. After all was said and done, she had been the one to watch over Karissa. "Karissa was a mess after that. I mean, it's bad enough when someone you love dies, but then to have seen it, and to feel as if you should have been able to stop it. She carried a lot of guilt around with her. Still does sometimes. I see it in her eyes. But then, I think, because she's gone through it, it makes her a better counselor."
"Because she understands what others, who need counseling, must have felt. Danayal for instance was neglected. His mother repeatedly told him, that his birth was a mistake. She gave him food and clothes, and that was it."
Shara sighed and nodded. "My Uncle and I use that term lightly, was not a kind man. He was also cold and distant. Had nannies look after me, and when one started getting too close or me, or I to them, he would dismiss them and bring in someone new... He would also take my favorite toys and destroy them in front of me just for a kick I think... He was a very cruel man."
"Not much better than Danayal's parents... They just gave him toys to make him shut up or to keep him away from them. There was no one else to take care of him, and so he ended up on the streets.
"And that's where he fell into trouble I imagine," she replied.
"Oh yes. then he began meeting the wrong people, and then he started buying drugs..." Tyran took a sip of his drink.
"And the further he fell into that world, the more he was willing to do to get his next fix?" she asked, though knowing.
"Yes, the pushers even got him to use Crystalline dust. You know, even the dealers stopped selling that, because it was way too dangerous for the ones taking it. They got either too aggressive or suicidal if they did not get their next dose in time. Apparently it meant less repeat customers; less business."
Shara sighed. "On the station we were trying to catch the smugglers and dealers of Dust. Only caught a few..." She said. "Drugs really are a dead end road for people that don't believe they have a future and who carry around a lot of emotional pain."
"That's the drug he used when I met him here. A Ferengi ship smuggled him to Serenity. He was heavily addicted to Dust, and even now, he has to take blood and urine tests so we're absolutely sure he hasn't taken anything."
"He has that regimen until he's 21?" she asked, believing she'd read that in his file as well.
"Yeah, unless he gets released early from it; or unless he falls back into the drugs, then everything is out the window. If he does, they'll put him either on a penal colony, or in a very strict rehab program. Then all the privileges he's earned will be taken back."
She sighed. "But he's been all right, I take it."
"Until now, yes... I might file a release request in a few months, if he keeps to the straight and narrow. Then he'll be out of the system when he is around 19 I guess. He can continue to work in the bar still. To be honest, I can't let him go. I have plans to marry Jaya Bourne, and to retire... meaning I'll give the bar to Danayal when he knows how to run it. That's also specified in my will, but I'll probably outlive everyone I know and love now... except Jaya maybe."
She smiled. "So how are things going with you and Ms. Bourne? She's quite a mystery at the security office. There's hardly anything about her at all."
"I know. we're doing fine. I know all the files about her are marked classified. The same goes for me - I bet you did research on me as well, and I bet you found gaps in the history of Tyran." He said grinning.
Her smile brightened. "As a matter of fact..." she said. "I did see a few gaps in the story. . . So her file is classified. That's highly irregular for a civilian. She must be pretty special. Of course, she'd have to be to have captured your heart!"
"Oh yes, she's certainly special. Know you, some of those older gaps in my file are no longer classified. If you knew a few codes you could read them. I worked for Starfleet intelligence and that's the cause of most of the gaps you see." He said calmly. "Sometimes my bar was used to find certain things... people... I was recruited... I hear things, you see..." He said. "But that was years ago..."
"And Jaya Bourne... She's Starfleet Intel?" Shara asked softly, not expecting an answer, but wanted to ask anyway. Her curiosity was peaked - just like a cat.
"I have no idea actually. As I said, I'm old news to them. I've not spoken with anyone from intelligence in years." He lied with a straight face.
She smiled a knowing smile. She could sense that he was lying, but wasn't going to contradict him. If he couldn't say, he couldn't say... It was the way Starfleet had to run. Secrets were necessary. "Well, I hope I get to meet her one of these days. So you two are going to get married?"
"I don't dare to ask her yet. She has some issues from the past she has to solve. But when I get up the nerve, I'll ask her and let you know." He smiled.
"You'd better!" she smiled. "You know, maybe you should meet my sister..." She said thoughtfully.
"That would be a good idea, because I want Danayal to go to her. Or better, her go to Danayal... and she can't wear a councilor uniform. He knows what they look like... in fact he knows each and every uniform and rank in Starfleet. He said he learned what they meant the hard way. to him that means when he was in trouble..."
"She doesn't wear a uniform all the time," Shara replied. "In fact, she's the mother of twins so she can be found all over Serenity without her uniform."
"That's how she should approach him. no uniform, just casually in the bar or somewhere. He likes to swim in the ocean here... or he likes to read books in the park."
"She could definitely find him in the park," Shara replied. "Does he like kids?"
"Yes, he does. Joshua Peters' daughter, Rachel, is a friend of his. He often takes her swimming or goes on walks with her..."
"Great! Then the park would be perfect," she replied. "When can he be found there?"
"Tomorrow afternoon if the weather is good. He's reading some old children's books I got from earth when I came to live here - the Harry Potter series... I'm glad he at least reads something. He hardly had any education besides elementary school and 2 years in a juvenile delinquents educational program. I bet you know how those works..."
"Well, I know about them... Through the criminal system of course, with the contact I've had through Security."
"Yeah, he had to be on time every day, and report to them when he was home with me again. He wasn't allowed to go out without supervision in the beginning... because he tried to commit suicide..."
Shara was quiet for a moment. "He must have felt pretty bad... I know there were times I wanted to die... But then I focused all my emotions into physical activities... Everything and anything. Has he tried anything like martial arts? Sometime it can help focus the mind and the body..."
"That's why I taught him how to swim. That's something that relaxes him, but I wouldn't be against it if he'd try to learn some self defense, because he could use it in the bar," Tyran said thoughtful.
"I could probably teach him," she replied. "We'd just need a place to practice. Though even the park is good for that... Or a holosuite. I know Adventures Emporium has good rates..."
"Try to convince him. He always claims he's bad at physical things, and such..."
"Well, it's certainly physical," she said with a wry smile. "It takes strength, agility and focus... It's helped me through some dark days. Gives me something else to focus my attention on other than my problems... Sometimes that's what a person needs."
"I know, Jaya also has that habit. She runs to her gym if life seems to work against her. Maybe it'll help Danayal. Who knows.?" He said thoughtfully.
"Well, you can put forth my offer to him," she smiled. "He's a nice guy, though I can't say I know him very well... and I know he has a bit of a crush on me," her smile brightened a little as she laughed softly.
"He does?" Tyran gaped at her. "That's the first time that he's taken an interest in a woman..."
"You didn't notice that first night he saw me?" she replied. "I could pick up his feelings a kilometer away..." Her brown eyes gazed at him. "And ever since then, I've sensed his attraction and interest each and every time I've entered the bar since... You know, if I wasn't already taken, who knows... Of course, he might actually find me sort of frightening... I'm not what you call a regular girl."
"You are Tanzarian?" He suddenly asked.
She shook her head. "Nope, not Tanzaran. I can't shapeshift, but I have other nifty abilities. I'm telepathic and empathic... I can jump extraordinarily high; I can balance like a cat. I have incredible vision and hearing... and... I'm very strong." She added softly at the end. She'd broken a few necks in her time, taking lives she'd had to take.
"That doesn't frighten him. He's only scared of empaths in Security when he's in trouble, or councilors, of course..."
"Well, I won't tell him about Karissa if you don't," she winked. "My sister too, is just like me... In fact, she was the first -" She abruptly stopped her explanation. Had he caught her slip? After all, she and Karissa weren't technically sisters. She was Karissa's carbon copy; a genetic reproduction right down to the last DNA sequence.
"I see my abilities made you say something you didn't want to say. Maybe you forgot I am El Aurian..."
She smirked. "Yeah, maybe... But you were in Starfleet Intel. I suppose I could tell you. You know how to keep secrets... Though I guess it's not that big of a secret anymore. It's in my file... It's just... Weird sometimes."
"If you want to tell me, your secret's safe with all the others I heard, until the day it doesn't matter any more," he said calmly, pointing to his temple...
She smiled again. "Well, I am not what I appear to be. I am a genetically engineered human, with a lot of feline DNA in my system."
"I guessed it was something like that..." He replied gently. "But what was it about you and your sister?"
"Karissa was the first," she replied. "At least we think she was the first... because I came after by a few years... I'm... her carbon copy... The same template was used for me..."
"I see. Why were you created, and by whom? And you don't have to tell me, if you rather not."
"Well, to be honest, we don't know... We suspect Bakar Mikori - my supposed uncle," she said almost with a hiss. "We didn't even know about the genetic engineering until a couple of years ago... It was discovered by the Chief Science officer aboard the Ronin-A... I wasn't aboard yet. But... well, Karissa, from what I learned then and know now didn't take it very good... For me, I was almost relieved to be honest. It meant I wasn't genetically linked to that monster."
"But you are linked to each other and I think you are a great asset to Starfleet security. I haven't forgotten how you threw that goon out of my bar." He said grinning.
She smiled. "Thanks, glad I could help... Of course; I've had to learn to use my strength wisely over the years. I have the capability to kill easily... It's frightening sometimes to know that I could snap almost any person's neck within a few seconds... Karissa can do the same. She ended up killing that Naussican Pirate who killed Captain Evans."
"Better for him..." He said calmly. "Or he would have died a more painful death later." He finished the last of his steak and looked at his chronometer. "Oh, it'is almost time for me to get back to the bar."
She had just finished the last of her cola and pushed her own plate way as she looked at him. "Well, next time you think Danayal's going to go to the park, let me know and maybe we can get both Karissa and Danayal together... If they meet so benignly he can't think she's a counselor... He'll get to know her as a person... and she'll get him to talk." She smiled. "My sister's great at that."
"I'll let you know. As I said I think he'll go there tomorrow, since I have the early shift."
"Good! Then I'll talk to Karissa and see what she'd doing. I guarantee she'll be there. She wouldn't turn down a request from me for someone that really needs her."
"I do think the boy needs help. The court also thinks that and they want to assign him a councilor that he'd have to go to. Of course, that was if I couldn't find one within the next few months."
"Then try to get him to the park tomorrow," she smiled. "Anyway, I'd better go myself... But let's do this again! And say hello to Jaya for me. Hope I have a chance to meet her in person."
As she left, she took care of the entire bill before Tyran had a chance to stop her. She flashed him one more smile before she vanished out the door.
He shook his head with a smile and laugh. Life was sometimes beautiful. He walked back to the bar, whistling one of Danayal's favorite songs.
back to TOC