Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Garak Stories

Breakfast on the Promenade

Pale slender fingers tapped on the matte surface of a padd, in the rhythm of the Klingon opera. Lieutenant Worf had recommended the music to her and she was discovering a deep appreciation for it. While reading the station's schematics diligently, her other hand clutched a warm cup of Ractajino. That was a tip from her auntie Nerys, who was the closest thing she had to a friend aboard this station. She watched Kira drink it every morning and it did a good job of warming up her half-cardassian metabolism. Ziyal raised the cup to her lips, drank the warm liquid and felt a pleasant sensation spreading from her stomach to the rest of her body. Cardassians loved warmth. 

As the opera reached an emotional high, Tora Ziyal glanced up. Taking in the sight of her quarters was both a satisfying and disturbing habit she had developed. Satisfying for it belonged to her. It was such a big space, filled with comfortable furniture, warm, cosy and safe... It was even equipped with a personal replicator that she could use freely for anything she desired. The disturbing part was that this lifestyle was so new to her, that she felt it had to be a dream. Every time she closed her eyes, she was half sure she'd wake up in the dark damp caverns of Bajor together with her co-prisoners, working day and night....

She felt a sting of sadness and guilt. They had been her family for most of her life. She hoped, that wherever they had ended up, they were also safe and warm. The doorbell interrupted her thoughts. She put the padd and cup on the glass coffee table and got up to answer the door. She tipped on a panel near the quarter's silver entrance and it swooshed open revealing-

"Nerys." she greeted her friend enthusiastically and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Morning Ziyal." Nerys smiled, throwing a glance into the room. Ziyal moved aside to let her enter. Major Kira entered her young protegés quarters. The table was littered with drawings she had fashioned over the last weeks and photos of exotic landscapes. Soon after her arrival on DS9 Nerys had asked her what she'd like to do. Ziyal expressed the wish to learn new things and explore the rich knowledge contained in the station's database. When she was stuck in that mine, her greatest wish was to be free and somewhere else and finally learn something else than just mining or cooking stew. There were so many worlds in the galaxy, so many cultures, so much to learn... And Ziyal was eager to.

She was not helpless and naive as some might think. She survived years inside a prison camp. Not even Nerys could say that of herself.

"What do you say we have breakfast together?" Kira asked.

The Promenade had a comfortable amount of busy noise in these early hours. Of course, a space station didn't have a day and night time the way a planet had. The outside space was always dark filled with brilliant stars and nebulas and they could adjust their inner lighting any way they wanted. However, it had been observed early on in first space travels that humanoids functioned better if they retained a sense of their bio-rhythm even in space.

Nerys led Ziyal to the replimat. A few of the round tables were occupied but many were free. They could sit where they wished to. Kira was about to order her usual breakfast but seeing the wonder in Ziyal's eyes as she stared at the many foods in the replicator's database she felt a twinge of deep sadness for all the girl had missed. "You know what? Let's order something new today, something both of us haven't tried yet."

Ziyal's eyes brightened immediately and she nodded giddily. Nerys' sadness mixed with a warm feeling in her stomach at seeing her smile. Ziyal was to her like a Niece to her. Kira opened up the list of foods on the side panel "Let's see," she muttered under her breath. "Denobulan sapphire nebula pudding, how does that sound?" she asked Ziyal while the computer showed them a miniature image of the portion.

"It looks amazing!" Ziyal chimed in. "Let's get one each."

Kira tapped the panel and the heard rewarding sound of the replicator materializing their food. For drinks Kira searched in the database of teas. She chose one called Jin'Ra. "Trust me." she winked at Ziyal handing her one cup. "It's a traditional a Bajoran tea. Very aromatic."

They headed to an empty table. "For lunch, we can go to one of the restaurants on the promenade. Replimat food doesn't beat the real thing." Kira explained. They exchanged some small talk until Kira got to what she wanted to say and told Ziyal about Jadzia's idea. "Yeah so basically me and Jadzia dress up and play a scenario in the holodeck and you're welcome to join us."

"I'd love to." Ziyal replied enthusiastically nodding with her head, a big smile plastered on her face.

"How are you... dealing with your new life here?" Nerys asked carefully.

"All of it is so different from my life before, yet so pretty and comfortable. The variety, the foods... the cleanless of my quarters, the replicators and the vast database..." Ziyal looked all around. "Sometimes I still can't believe it. Sometimes I feel... like I don't deserve it."

Kira looked at her with sadness in her eyes.

"I understand that. And nobody is pressuring you, take as long as you need." Kira reached out with her hands. Ziyal joined their hands together. "What did you like most so far?" Kira asked.

"The replicator." Ziyal chuckled. "It's got millions of various kinds of food, after the porridge we had most of the time... I  wonder I'll ever taste them all. Last night I tried ice-cream and some pie oooh it was sublime." she sighed. Kira chuckled.

 "But I feel so guilty when I enjoy it. For all the people who do not have this luxury. I wish I could share it with all of them." Ziyal sounded serious again.

Kira squeezed her hands.

"The comfortable bed and bathrooms are also incredible. But mentally I am fascinated by the technology. The database with trillions of languages, the holodeck... If we have all of this, why must there still be war and prisons...." she trailed off deep in thought.

Kira felt like she shouldn't interrupt her. She just had to listen. She knew what Ziyal was talking about she too had felt it after the occupation ended. She felt like an imposter. And she too wished there was no war anymore, but unfortunately it wasn't that simple. She didn't want to bombard Ziyal with advice. Right now she was happy that Ziyal even felt comfortable sharing these thoughts with her.

Ziyal remembered the two Bajoran men who were in love. Where were they now? "Kira..." she started, "Do you think it would be possible for me to contact the other co-prisoners from my camp?" she looked up at her friend.

Kira bit her lip. "I will look into it. I promise."

"Thank you." Ziyal smiled at her warmly. "You are truly my best friend Nerys." she circled her thumb on Nerys' hand.