Going Home - and yet on....

Posted on Wed Sep 8th, 2021 @ 11:20pm by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Remal Kajun

Mission: Gamma Quadrant
Location: Bajor
Timeline: Backpost

The dreams were a mixed bag as far as Rhenora was concerned, there were images of children laughing by the water, there were images of her people divided and choosing a path of eternal peril and damnation. She had no idea what the ultimate goal of the Pah Wraiths was - the Prophets already inhabited the Celestial Temple and were the true Gods of Bajor - what could the usurpers hope to accomplish? Turning people from their faith for what purpose?

She rolled over, her back warmed by the fire, her mind adrift over the possibilities and outcomes that could play out in the medium to long term. What would happen if the people turned from the Prophets? Would the ever gracious Gods turn their back on their children and cast them from the land? Would there be a battle similar to The Reckoning where both Prophet and Wraith struggle for supremacy. Where did She and Remal sit in all of this? What of their child? She rolled again, shifting restlessly as her mind refused to settle.

His dreams were much the same. The couple that had visited them soon after their cabin burnt to the ground popped up over and over again. Even as Remal visited his youth, the Brotherhood, the resistance, they seemed to be everywhere. Their staring, knowing eyes just watching him as he went through the motions. Their faces haunted him and each time he saw them, it brought him out of sleep just enough to roll over.

When the morning sunlight broke he was already awake, if you could call it that, and the coffee was already brewing. While he prepped the cooking area with some simple omelettes, he watched her tossing and turning in her sleeplessness. Clearly there was more going on on Bajor than any one individual knew.

The kiss of the warm sun roused her from the restless slumber, leaving her feeling anything but refreshed from a night of tossing and turning. The scent of coffee was a lure that couldn’t be resisted and so she rose, dragging her weary frame to the fire where Remal was prepping breakfast. He looked as tired as she did.

“You too huh?” She said by way of a Good Morning, dropping onto one of the nearby logs that served as communal seating. Dark circles ringed his eyes, his expression drawn and making him look older than his years. If he looked old, she must have looked like death warmed up.

Hiding his initial worries behind humor, he joked, “Something to be said for a nice bed and four walls I suppose.” Then he slid a fresh omelette onto a plate in front of her. “I’m sure we will sleep better once we’re back on board the ship, and if not, a visit to see Sarah may be in order.”

“ I’m sure she’ll make her presence known if she gets wind of the lack of sleep” Rhenora smiled ruefully as she accepted a cup of freshly brewed coffee. It was like a balm to her tired soul, lightening her spirits and soothing her mind. There was something ever calming about looking into the flames of a fire with a warm cup of something pleasant in your hands.

“ Did you see the two faces in the news broadcast? I swear they were the same ones I saw in the village after the fire” Her voice trailed off as she tried to remember the details. “A man… and a woman”

He swallowed the coffee, like a bitter pill, “Yeah, I saw them. There, and everywhere in my dreams last night. Seems these two have a way of getting around and making themselves seen. I’m still on the fence as to what to think about them. Wouldn't be surprised if they were the cause of the fire. Still haven’t heard from the Constable.” He unloaded.

“ You think they might be connected to the Wraith cult? I’ve heard rumblings in town about the Cult having a compound nearby and causing a stir in neighbouring towns, preaching about how the Prophets have forsaken Bajor” She admitted, staring into her coffee as though the dark liquid would reveal the answers.

While staring into his cup, he shook his head, “I’ve heard similar things. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I would hate to point fingers without proof. What they do is their own business until it impacts good, honest, hard working people’s lives. When that happens they will have to answer to someone, somewhere for their depravity.”

“ There’s a certain level of discontent, of dissension almost” Rhenora mused, tracing the rim of the cup with her finger “ It’s almost like if someone tells you something often enough you tend to believe it, or at the very least question your own beliefs”

He swigged his cuppa, “too late for some.” Then he turned and began packing things away. What started out as a wonderful weekend for the two of them had once again been greeted with a division, growing and twisting at their souls. He began to feel as though he didn’t want to come back, not if it meant feeling this way. Like he was helpless to stop the changes that were happening.

“Sometimes the path is dark and twisted, sometimes the sun is bright and lights your path - does that make the destination any less satisfying or desirable?” She asked quizzically, recalling the words from an old proverb she had heard somewhere, sometime.

TBC