New Friends

Jaya had looked forward to her time with Rachel. After all the recent events that had happened, she needed this time to remember the good things she had in life. One of which was her relationship to Rachel Peters who so reminded her of her own daughter.

As she watched Rachel play on the swings, she stood, bundled in her own warm jacket. It was cool enough to see ones breath. But she could hear Rachel giggle and smiled as she watched the young girl's delight.

K'Tag had not been on the planet surface for months. The air was cleaner, the skies clearer, and K'Tag knew the atmosphere was brighter, then that of his own home world.He had left the planet of serenity with his new wife, three months prior to have his own child on the Klingon home world.Now back on Serenity, holding his own child in his arms, it truly felt like home.

When he landed in the spaceport, he met a hanger full of new faces. It seems Serenity had attracted all sorts of people since he ha last been on the planet.Some friends had come and gone, others had just left. Most of all K'Tag would miss Captain Mallory, after all it was her who married Claire and himself only a year ago, and she is the godmother of his child.

K'Tag thought to himself, *Everything happens for a reason, and this may be my opportunity to make new friends.*.

Jaya had pushes Rachel on the swings for close to half an hour as they both laughed.

"Watch me climb the jungle gym!" Rachel said as she jumped off the swing and ran.

Jaya laughed. "Okay, let's see how fast you can make it to the top!" she called as she headed toward a bench that she could sit down on and yet still see Rachel perfectly.

K'Tag moved across the field towards the play structure, talking to child as if the young male could understand. "Soon you too will climb that tower and swing from the uppermost point, like that child."

Jaya immediately noticed the Klingon's approach and saw that he was carrying an infant in his arms. She smiled at his words as they drifted to her on the soft breeze. For a moment, their eyes met.

"Hello," she smiled.

"Hello", K'Tag responded, somewhat surprised, he hadn't noticed the woman on the bench.

"Is the child yours?" K'Tag again raised is arm motioning toward the child as she swung from the jungle gym.

"No," Jaya replied with a smile, but a sadness in her eyes. "You could call me an aunt of sorts, I guess . . . My name's Jaya. Jaya Bourne. That little one over there is Rachel. She's six . . . So how old is your little one?" she asked.

"Almost two months." K'Tag almost had to stop and think about his response. "My name is K'Tag, I am the executive officer here on serenity." K'Tag slowly sat down on the bench as he spoke. "Jaya, what do you do here on Serenity?" K'Tag looked back at Rachel as she played.

"Actually, Serenity is where I have my vacation home, though it seems I spend more time here than my actual home on Parissean III.  I'm . . . a consultant. I get called away to different businesses around the galaxy and help them run more efficiently. It's boring but the pay is good." This was the cover she'd been trained to use.

"Sounds... interesting." K'Tag had slowly moved his head back towards Jaya, who now was watching Rachel in the distance. "I'm lucky that he is so good." K'Tag bounced his arms, as the baby wrapped in a warm blanket starred back up into the skies, but made no sound.

There was something in her demeanour that seemed to tense slightly as unforgotten memories came upon her.

"You're very lucky," she replied softly. "Just keep him safe . . . If you can . . ." She didn't look at him as she spoke.

K'Tag may not be a betazoid, but he is married to one, and could sense this women had been through a traumatic experience. It wasn't his place to ask questions, he tried his best to send the conversation in a different direction.

"He will be a great bat'leth champion same day." K'Tag looked back down at his child. "Are you familiar with the Klingon Bat'leth?" K'Tag glanced back up to Jaya.

She grinned a bit. "I am," she replied. "It's a good weapon to know . . ." she replied. "Though I'm good with close combat too . . . a Bat'leth allowed a good distance between you and your opponent. A dagger on the other hand . . ." Realizing what she was saying she smiled, and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I let myself go on that one for a moment."

"A bat'leth can do everything you can do with a dagger, and more. It all depends on how you use it." K'Tag grinned back. "It sounds as if I may have just found myself a new duelling partner."

Jaya's grin widened to a smile. "I could use a partner to practice with . . . After all, a girl has to work to keep her figure or so I've been told."

"I'm not concerned with such things, however I would like to stay in top form. Someday I dream about returning to the front lines... that is where the real action is." K'Tag grinned to himself. "I served aboard ship as the tactical officer during the dominion war. That is when you begin to realize all the training is important." K'Tag glanced away as if he was starring off into space somewhere.

"Yeah," she replied. "It's good to know that when you need it, the training is there . . ." She didn't elaborate. Though she had not been on the front lines of a battle, she had been on the front lines of her own war. But victory was still unforeseen and many times she wondered if the war would ever actually end.

"I almost miss those days. Everyday was a good day to die." K'Tag has almost snapped back to earth again, when he realized what he was saying. He had a child now, he couldn't say that. "What type of conflict have you been involved in?" K'Tag pushed the attention back onto the woman.

"Personal," she replied. "My life was ripped from me once and I . . . I swore it would never happen again," she replied, as  an image of her home exploding in front of her crashed into her mind. It was an image she had seen so often in the last few years. And the image of her husband dead and her little girl dying in her arms. Though she had tried to deal with the pain, she knew there would always be that ache within her for the life she'd lost so long ago.

"I too know how life ripping feels. My father was dishonourably killed in the Klingon civil war. He was killed by another Klingon in an dishonourable fashion. I feel pain for my father everyday." K'Tag again glanced out at Rachel. She was now climbing up the slide.

"My little girl was Rachel's age when she died," Jaya said softly, watching Rachel wave to them before sliding down. She waved back with a smile tinged with sorrow.

"Who would have the nerve to kill a child?" K'Tag squeezed his son his arms tighter.

"An assassin," she replied flatly. "The Dark Shadow. He planted a bomb in my home . . . I was late getting home that night that day . . . It's what saved me, but not them . . ." She sighed. "and believe me, the Dark Shadow has no problem with killing children. as you probably know, he kills whole families a lot of the time."

"I have not heard of such things before. Would this Dark Shadow ever come to peaceful places such as serenity?" K'Tag had no fear in his voice, but moved quickly to the pointed question.

A darkness entered her eyes. "He's just like his name . . . a shadow. If he gets a contract that brings him here, then he'll come here . . ." She was matter of fact about it. She knew him; knew what he was like. But she still wasn't able to draw him out into another face to face meeting. This time, she knew, she couldn't care if it were in the middle of the Police station, she would kill him. And then it would all finally be over.

"Why doesn't Starfleet pursue people like this?" K'Tag fell back into his role of leadership, both in his stature and voice.

She shrugged, knowing she still had to maintain her cover. "Who knows . . . maybe they are trying to pursue him. But he's the kind the guy that's hard to track . . ."

"I once tracked an ex-husband half-way across the quadrant. Anyone can be tracked." K'Tag tried to reassure Jaya that somehow she would be safe, but she didn't seem to need his reassurance.

She smiled and nodded. "And he'll eventually be found," she said. "Then I'll have my retribution . . ." she added quietly, yet could still be heard.

"So you're definitely looking for a partner to work-out with then?" she asked turning the topic of conversation back to something more pleasant and productive. She was concerned she was beginning to say too much anyway.

"Yes, my wife is not a warrior, she is a wonderful cook, but no warrior. I am half-tempted to offer a self-defense class, or maybe a bat'leth course. I could use a partner instructor." In the distance the chimes could be heard of a bell, signifying nine 'o' clock.

"Well, I'd be interested," she replied. Suddenly, before she could say another word, Rachel ran up to her and hugged her.

"Can we go for hot chocolate now, please? Please, please, please?" The smile she wore melted away any of the negative feels that had welled up within Jaya.

Jaya nodded. "All right," she smiled. "Hot chocolate time," she laughed as she got up. But before she left, she turned to K'Tag. "Why don't you contact me and we can work out a time to get together . . . I'm easy enough to find."

"You will be hearing from me, soon. have a good night." K'Tag also stood and began making his way back toward his complex. "Come on Martok, it is time to go home." K'Tag set off across the field and towards the towering buildings of the star fleet sector of Serenity city.

Jaya watched K'Tag walk off for a moment before she allowed Rachel to drag her off toward the cafe where they could seek refuge from the cold with the hot chocolate Rachel had wanted. Jaya smiled as her mind thought of the possibilities of working with K'Tag. It was just another reason for her to continue to stay in Serenity . . . not that she would ever willingly leave now. She looked at Rachel and thought of Tyran. This was home . . .