B'hala Beckons

Posted on Mon Sep 28th, 2026 @ 10:24pm by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Remal Kajun

3,254 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Character Development
Location: DS9 - B'Hala

Remal woke before the station had fully settled into its morning rhythm. For a moment he remained still, listening to the quiet breathing of his family. Rhenora was asleep beside him, and beyond the adjoining door Patina remained blissfully unaware that the day had already begun. He slipped carefully from the bed, taking a moment to make sure he didn't disturb either of them before pulling on his clothes.

As always, the first order of business was coffee. He moved quietly through the temporary quarters, preparing a small pot, allowing the aroma to slowly fill the room. Once that was underway, he put together a simple breakfast, nothing elaborate, just enough to give them something in their stomachs before the journey. There was something comforting about the ordinary routine of it all.

A small rustle came from Patina's room, followed by the unmistakable sound of a child. Patina rarely cried from just waking up alone in the morning, but hunger had a way of making her opinions known.

Remal moved toward the doorway and entered. "Good morning, little one," he murmured as he moved to collect her.

Patina greeted him with a sleepy, slightly disgruntled expression that made it perfectly clear she had expected breakfast to be ready the moment she opened her eyes. Remal chuckled as he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the table. "I know, I know. Terrible service. I'll make certain to speak to the management." Patina's expression remained unimpressed.

He settled her into a seat and began getting her something to eat, keeping one eye on his own breakfast while the coffee continued to steam nearby.

Rhenora was the last to emerge.

A good sleep was hard to come by. Between starships and small children there was a part of her that never switched off. This morning therebwas no rush, no crisis, just the smell of breakfast and coffee.

Remal looked up as she entered, a warm smile crossing his face. He poured another cup of coffee and set it within easy reach before returning his attention to the preparations. "Good morning love."

"I have missed this" she smiled in return, taking in the calm vibe that permeated the room. She accepted the coffee gratefully and kissed their daughter on the top of her head.

Remal smiled as he watched the two of them together, the quiet moments doing more for him than the coffee ever could. "I've missed it too," he admitted. "Although, we'll likely appreciate it even more after we spend time wandering ancient ruins."

His attention shifted to Patina, who was already showing considerably more interest in her mother's arrival than her breakfast. "And someone needs to finish eating before we go exploring."

"But Daddy, the world is more exciting!" Rhenora parroted in child speak as she sat at the table and cuddled their daughter. "Eat up, you'll need energy for our adventure."

Remal let out a warm, wholesome chuckle, clearly enjoying the sight of Rhenora in such a playful mood. There was something wonderfully familiar about it, the woman who could face battles and impossible situations with determination now sitting at the table and playfully speaking for their daughter.

"Well," he said, his smile widening as he watched them. "I suppose I can't argue with this lovely pair of Princesses against me." He reached over and gently ruffled Patina's curls before taking another sip of his coffee. "Although I have a feeling your mother is going to be encouraging a great deal of adventure today."

---

Their packs were already waiting near the door, the day ahead requiring little more than food, water, basic supplies, and enough practical sense to deal with whatever an archaeological site decided to throw at them. He checked the contents of the larger bag once more before securing the smaller carrier. Patina would ride against his chest for the journey, safely tucked into the harness while the supplies went over his shoulder. It was hardly an expedition by their usual standards. At least, that was the plan.

Rhenora shouldered the larger pack, leaving Remal the lighter one along with Patina. If their previous jaunts were anything to go by, the young one would spend more time wanting to walk than be carried.

---

Bajor - B'hala

By the time they stepped off the transport shuttle onto Bajor's soil once more, the morning had given way to a clear, gentle day. The air felt different from the controlled atmosphere of the station, carrying the scents of soil, vegetation, and open space. Remal adjusted the straps of the bag across his shoulders and checked the harness holding Patina securely against his chest.

B'Hala stretched before them. The ancient city rose from the landscape in a way that made its history difficult to comprehend. Towers and weathered structures emerged from the green, their stone softened by centuries of growth. Vines climbed ancient walls, trees crowded the spaces between ruins, and grasses moved gently across places that had once been streets and courtyards. What had once been lost beneath time and legend had been reclaimed by Bajor's forests, only to be uncovered again and preserved as one of the planet's most extraordinary archaeological treasures.

Remal stood quietly for a moment, taking it all in. This was the city that had been lost for twenty thousand years. The city of stories, prophecy, and discovery. And somewhere within those ancient ruins was the answer to a dream that had brought them here.

He glanced down at Patina, who seemed considerably more interested in the world immediately around her than in a city twenty thousand years old. A quiet smile crossed his face before he looked toward Rhenora.

"It's larger than I remembered, but then again, it's been a few decades between visits." Rhenora was awestruck by the majestic but decaying structures. She looked around, looking for some clue as to who they were looking for. All she had to go on was a feeling, and it wasn't a clear one at that.

"Shall we look around?" She spied what was left of the towers and headed in that direction.

Remal hefted the pack more securely onto his shoulder and adjusted Patina against his chest before following after her. There was no hesitation in his step. Whatever had brought them to B'Hala, whatever Rhen was searching for among the ancient ruins, he was here for her, plain and simple.

Husband, friend, and protector, he would walk beside her and face whatever came next. He glanced once toward the towering remains ahead before turning his attention back to her, ready to follow wherever the path led. "Any idea what you're hoping to find here?"

" To be honest, it's more a feeling. There's something or someone we need to find, but that's all I have. Damn it wouldn't kill them to provide a little detail would it?" Rhenora grumbled as she hiked towards the towers, eyes keenly looking around.

"I've always trusted your feelings," Remal replied, keeping pace beside her. "But I agree, details don't seem to be their thing. Maybe we could find a local Vedic or a guide. Someone who knows the ruins might have a better idea where to start."

He followed her steps, the green overgrowth crunching beneath his boots as they moved across ancient stone. Ahead of them, a single tower still stood tall within an open courtyard, its weathered walls surrounded by thick vegetation. Nearby, another tower had fallen, similar in shape, size, and design. It lay broken and unfinished, but its remaining structure still offered shelter from the elements.

The area around the ruins was far from abandoned. Several tents had been established nearby, with people moving between them and the ancient structures. Voices carried through the courtyard along with the steady sounds of archaeological work, tools scraping and tapping against stone as the researchers carefully uncovered what time had hidden.

Remal slowed slightly, taking in the activity. "Looks like we're not the only ones looking around." He glanced toward the tents, then back toward Rhenora. "Maybe someone here can point us in the right direction."

"Let's go have a look-see." Rhenora changed trajectory and headed towards the conglomeration of tents. Several people looked up as they approached but dismissed them as random tourists.

"The tourist information is over there," one of them said dismissively.

"We're looking for someone..." Rhenora started, before failing to adequately describe who it was they were actually looking for.

"I see." They looked Rhenora up and down and then around. "It appears you've found someone. Perhaps if you could describe whom you're looking for, this someone might be able to help. Otherwise, the information tent is, as I said, over there."

Before she could reply a wizened old man appeared from the side of the tent, scrolls tucked under his arm and a white shock of hair on the top of his head.

"Ahhh, you are here. Come come" he motioned for them to follow him.

A small grin crossed Remal's face as he eyed the old man, then side-eyed Rhenora before adjusting his stance. There was something about the man's certainty that made him curious, especially considering neither of them had actually managed to explain who they were looking for. Still, he wasn't about to argue with an unexpected guide.

He shifted Patina's weight slightly against his chest and moved to follow the old man. Rhenora fell into step beside him as they left the cluster of tents behind. Patina remained quiet in the harness, her little body held close against her father's chest. Even without words, there was a reserved sense of wonder in her posture as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings and the ancient ruins around them.

Remal glanced down at her, then toward the old man leading them deeper into B'Hala. "Well," he murmured, mostly to himself, "I sure hope he knows where we're going."

Rhenora felt oddly certain that this was the person they were looking for, despite the strange circumstance and the vaguity of information.

"You were waiting for us" she said as a statement, and a proclamation that she felt he was something more than he appeared to be. "We gave no indication of our intentions nor arrival"

He pressed on walking at a brisk pace. "Waiting? Yes. No. Well... not precisely. Ah, here we are." The old man ducked through the stone doorway of a small, weathered building without so much as a pause. Remal barely had time to glance at Rhenora before the Architect's white shock of hair disappeared from view. A moment later, his head popped back through the doorway, his expression brightening as though he'd suddenly remembered something terribly important.

"Come, come, you must join me. There is much time and very little to do..." He paused, brow furrowing as he considered his own words. "No, wait... scratch that and reverse it." He disappeared back inside again, already talking to himself as though the correction had settled some great problem in his mind.

Remal raised an eyebrow and looked toward Rhenora. "Well, at least he's consistent."

He shifted Patina slightly in the harness and followed through the doorway, curiosity winning out over caution. Whatever this strange man was, he clearly knew they were coming. Now Remal was beginning to wonder exactly how long the Architect had been waiting, and what was about to happen.

"She is the Emissary? Hmmmm, much younger than I anticipated. Never mind, The Two will protect and guide her," the architect muttered to himself as though putting the pieces of a puzzle together in his mind.

"You will raise her to be a leader, strong, independent, but also carry kindness and love within her. " he pointed a grubby finger at Remal and Rhenora. "The Two were here earlier, asking many questions. Curious they are."

Remal was filled with questions, but as with their previous adventures, he had learned the art of quiet patience. Sometimes answers came more readily when he stopped trying to force them out of people. Still, the Architect's words had given him one question he couldn't quite leave be. "The Two?"

The Architect slapped his hands together, his expression brightening as though he'd suddenly remembered something obvious. "My, oh yes, I've forgotten my manners. Please, the four of you, come in, sit down. You are no strangers here."

He turned away, disappearing for only a moment before returning with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. He started to offer the tea to Rhenora and the coffee to Remal, only to switch them halfway through, leaving his arms crossed awkwardly between them. The Architect smiled, apparently finding nothing unusual about the arrangement before finally handing each cup to its intended recipient.

Patina watched the exchange with growing interest. Then she looked down at the empty space in front of her, her little expression slowly turning into an unmistakable pout.

Remal noticed and chuckled softly. "I think you've forgotten someone." He glanced down at his daughter, whose attention remained fixed on the drink she had not received. "And judging by that face, she's not too impressed with your hospitality."

A jumja stick appeared from a satchel behind the desk, and he settled the treat into the young one's hand with a flourish.

"You said 'The Two... and then Four of you" Rhenora's brow furrowed in confusion as she thought over the deliberate choice of words.

"The four of you... Yes, there are." The Architect dismissed her query before moving on to the other query. "The angry one, and the curious one, the sister and the advisor. Yes, they were here, but they went back to find something." he shrugged as he pulled a scroll from the satchel, unravelling it before them.

"The first tower, the first sister. The second tower had to fall before it 'can' be built anew." He displayed the plan with a flourish.

Remal watched quietly, taking in as much detail as he could from the scrolls and the strange collection of models scattered across the Architect's worktable. The plans somehow appeared both ancient and brand new, as though the lines had been drawn yesterday and also twenty thousand years ago at the same time. He resisted the urge to interrupt.

The Architect seemed perfectly content to continue without prompting. He reached across the table and picked up two small models of the towers, holding them side by side as though they were pieces of a much larger puzzle. "The elder sister," he said, lifting the first model slightly, "bright, bold, a leader of the stars. She stands in the middle, beloved by many. Worshiped upon a pedestal despite her upbringing."

He studied the little tower for a moment, then placed it carefully back on the table and picked up the second. "The sister..." His brow furrowed as though the word itself wasn't quite right. "Hard as stone, but with a tender, compassionate center. Scrutinized in her placement, almost hated by many. Yet respected by some. She had to fall." He paused, turning the model slightly in his fingers. "A sacrifice of sorts, for them to understand. She was more than a sum of her parts. As we all are, eh? Hmm."

The Architect set it down with surprising care. Then his attention shifted to a third model, a larger structure. He lifted it from the table and turned it around several times before placing it among the others. Its walls extended outward into the surrounding courtyard, encircling the two towers rather than standing apart from them. "Advisor..." He frowned. "No, no, that is the wrong word. A mistranslation."

He tapped one finger against the model as the answer finally seemed to occur to him. "Guardian. Yes, that is closer." His eyes brightened. "A Beholder, perhaps. She stands watch over the sisters for all time. Dedicated. Ever present. Always overlooked in the garden, yet essential to its growth."

He looked at the three models together, apparently satisfied that they now occupied their correct places. They were but three pieces upon a larger structure that represented the city of B'hala. 

Remal's watched as the strange man described the plans, the models, and their layouts. There was something deeply strange about the way he spoke. It was as if he wasn't just describing buildings. He was describing people, relationships, perhaps even their lives.

The Architect suddenly reached for another model. "Oh, and this one..." he began, his attention already moving elsewhere.

Rhenora look the subtle language and drew her own conclusions. "You have met with Patin and Marie?" She asked openly, hoping that he would know their common names.

"Patin.... and Marie. The sister and the Beholder. Yes they are one and the same. Here recently they were, then they went to the Red Sun" he shrugged his shoulders as though it were a minor detail. It made Rhenora's heart swell, to know they were still pushing boundaries, still curious and asking questions.

"The Red Sun? There are no red suns around Bajor" she commented after a beat, confused.

"Well... Red Daughter, perhaps. There was, and there may be again, I suppose. That part is yet to be determined." The old man smiled, the cracks of age showing across his face as though even time itself had left its mark upon him.

Remal had sat quietly long enough. "If I may be so bold, who are you in all of this? What is your role?"

The Architect stopped, the model in his hands hovering halfway between the table and wherever he'd intended to put it. For a moment he simply stared at it. "Who am I?" he repeated, as though the question had caught him by surprise. "Well, that isn't what matters now, is it?"

He set the model down, then immediately picked it up again. "But if one must know..." His brow furrowed. "I am the Designer." He nodded once, apparently satisfied, then shook his head. "No. Not quite. Designer suggests one merely draws the thing. I do more than draw." He paced two small steps beside the table. "The Builder, perhaps."

"No, no, that's not right either. A builder takes what has been designed and makes it real. I..." He waved one hand vaguely toward the walls, the models, the scrolls, and perhaps the whole of B'Hala beyond them. "I suppose I have a hand in both." His expression brightened. "Maybe, Architect?"

He pointed at himself with sudden certainty. "Yes. Yes, that's it. More than a designer, more than a builder. An Architect." Then, just as quickly, his attention drifted toward one of the models again. "Architect suits me."

Remal stared at him through the entire erratic process, waiting patiently until the Architect seemed to have finished deciding what he was. There was clearly little point in interrupting him when his thoughts were already moving faster than the conversation.

Finally, Remal asked the question that had been sitting behind the first one. "And what is our place in all of this?"

The Architect slowly looked up. He didn't immediately answer as his gaze moved from Remal to Rhenora, Rhenora's abdomen, then finally down toward Patina who was content with her Jumbja stick, before settling on the four of them sitting together. Something in his expression changed, the scattered quality briefly giving way to an unsettling clarity. "Ah," he said quietly. "Now that..." He leaned forward, as though about to reveal the most obvious thing in the world. "...is a much better question."

TBC

 

RSS Feed