Beginning: A Star Trek Novel (New Frontier Reloaded Book 2)

by ROVER MARIE TOWLE

  "Maybe their pagh knows."

  "Mmhmm, my thought too."

  "What can I do to help him?"

  She held his gaze again. "Just be there."

  Kejal squinted and faced the wall console. "Computer, display information about the Earth holiday called 'Christmas.'"

  "What are you up to?"

  He grinned, reading the information onscreen. "Absolutely no good, and I'm going to need your help."

  Chapter 13: Vows

  An odd, outdoorsy scent woke Mora from a sound slumber. Frost framed his window and the wind howled outside, indicating a miserably cold day. The last weeks before spring tended to be the coldest.

  Mora pulled up the leg of his silky pajama pants. The bruise marring his left kneecap looked like an angry purple splotch, but it didn't hinder his range of motion much. He groggily limped into the bathroom to shave, shower and change into fresh clothing. A few minutes and a metorapan patch replacement later, he considered himself more awake.

  "Father?" Kejal manually pushed the door aside enough to speak through it. "Are you up?"

  "Yes."

  Kejal slipped in bearing an impish 'I-am-up-to-something' smirk. "Oh, you're wearing the green pants?"

  "They go best with this." Mora fastened the clasps of his wooly white shirt.

  "Make sure you add the red vest."

  "Why red?" Mora reached for it.

  "You'll see."

  Definitely up to something.

  After Mora finished dressing, Kejal shape shifted his left hand into a blindfold and guided him into the living room, where the outdoorsy smell grew suddenly stronger. Mora felt himself being lowered into his favorite chair.

  "All right, ready?" Kejal asked.

  "Yes." Mora replied.

  The blindfold disappeared, and Mora found his living room transformed. A pine tree decorated with LED lights and colored baubles stood in the corner across from the eastern windows. Wrapped gifts glistened underneath it. Festoons of greenery framed the doorways.

  And Kejal wore an odd, floppy red and white hat.

  "Merry Christmas and happy birthday!" he said emphatically.

  "What in the...?" Mora sagged back into his chair, laughing. "Kejal, you rascal! What's gotten into you?"

  "He insisted." Odo appeared by the kitchen counter.

  "And I helped," Aleexa said, stepping out from behind him.

  "Me, too." Kira exited the guest bedroom, grinning.

  They went to all this trouble for him? It meant more than Mora could find words to say.

  "You are all insane. All of you...but I appreciate it." He gazed longingly at the glittering tree.

  Odo brought him his mug. Mora relished the first sip of hot deka tea.

  Aleexa nudged Kejal with her elbow. "Kejal? The gifts?"

  "Right!"

  Mora soon found himself holding a rectangular box wrapped in shiny green paper and gold twine.

  "Mom, mother, this one is for both of you." Kejal handed them a silver cube shaped package.

  "Kejal!" Aleexa exclaimed upon receiving an oval box covered in red paper. "Well, guess what? I got you one."

  She passed him something triangular cocooned in gold paper.

  "Aw, Aleexa!" He beamed. "Okay, everyone, let's open at the same time. Ready...go!"

  Kejal tore into his gift. The sound of shredding paper filled the room.

  "Oh! Kejal!" Kira cried. She and Odo lifted their chosen wedding bowl out of the box. The jewels encrusting it sparkled in the morning light pouring into the windows.

  "These are cute!" Aleexa peered at her new assortment of hair ties and barrettes. "Just in time. My last one broke yesterday."

  Mora examined the black socks nestled within his package. They appeared to have treads on the bottom. Kejal noticed his baffled expression.

  "They're grips for the floor." He indicated Mora's bare feet. "You can wear these and you won't slip. Now you can be almost barefoot in winter and not deal with cold feet. Try them on?"

  Behind him, Kira and Odo turned their wedding bowl over in their hands. They smiled at each other, leaned forward and shared a chaste kiss.

  Mora chuckled and slipped the socks onto his feet. They were soft and long, reaching almost up to his knees. He pulled himself upright. His feet didn't slip an inch.

  "Well, how about that?" Mora wiggled his toes. "Kejal, what did Aleexa get you?"

  Kejal reached into his package and lift out a crystalline pyramid. He clearly didn't know what it was. "It's pretty."

  "It's an imaging crystal." Aleexa said. "I noticed the holo-imager getting full, so I transferred everything on it. This can hold ten times more than a standard imager. Plus, it looks nice when it's turned off."

  He switched it on and images he'd taken over the past week popped up with realistic clarity.

  "Oh, wow! Thanks, Aleexa!" Kejal hopped over the paper to hug her.

  "Pfff, you can't do this Christmas thing without getting a present yourself. Thank you for these!" Aleexa shook her package, smiling.

  "Hold it." Odo gripped Kejal's arm. He pulled him onto the couch where he and Kira both caught him in a tight embrace. "This means a lot to us."

  "Thank you," Kira murmured. "That bowl is really special, Kejal."

  "I agree." Mora padded over to the couch and wrapped his arm around Kejal. "Now, what I'm wondering is how you got that tree into this house without waking me up."

  Everyone chuckled.

  "It's not a real tree. It came in a box and I put it together." Kejal pointed out. "I think the green ornaments on the bottom have the pine smell, but I need someone with an actual working nose to confirm."

  Kira sniffed one. "Mmhmm, it's the green ones. They smell so real."

  Mora caught another scent coming from the kitchen. "Is that cinnamon?"

  "Oh!" Aleexa bolted around the counter and removed something from the heating container sitting on the countertop. It looked like a toasted loaf of bread sprinkled in cinnamon. "I baked us some Talaxian toast. It's pretty rich, so I'll give anyone who wants it small pieces at first."

  She cut it lengthwise before slicing it into several wedge-shaped pieces. The creamy filling inside added another layer of sweetness to the warm scents wafting through the living room.

  Mora joined her and retrieved plates onto which she dished up two small slices of toast.

  "Butter or honey?" she asked.

  "Butter, please."

  "Nerys?"

  "The same," Kira answered.

  Mora happened to glance up at the green sprig hanging above Odo and Kira. Tiny white berries grew between the round leaves. "What is that?"

  "Ah!" Kejal followed Mora's gaze. "It's mistletoe. If you're under it and you kiss, it's good luck."

  Odo met Kira's eyes and smiled. "We make our own luck."

  "Oh, you're such a grump. Come here." Kira grabbed his shoulders, pulling him close for a long kiss.

  Mora could remember kissing Leruu that way on the very same couch.

  "Bajor to Pol...here's your toast."

  "Ah! Thank you." Mora accepted the offered plate and took a generous bite. Crisp, crunchy sweetness mixed into the butter and cream became a symphony for his taste buds. "Mm!" He swallowed. "This is delicious. Nerys, try a piece."

  Kira joined him in the kitchen. Her eyes lit up as she tried a bite from her own plate. "This would be a great treat for the wedding."

  "Really?" Aleexa blushed. "I'll make it...it's really easy. Are you sure you don't want something fancier?"

  "It's not going to be a high religious ceremony, so no. Just a simple garden wedding. Which reminds me, Pol-- " Kira gave Mora's shoulder a squeeze, "I'll need your measurements."

  Mora finished his toast. Aleexa wasn't kidding about its richness. He felt full from that tiny piece. "Let's do it right now, while I can stand up straight. Is that all right with you?"

  She ate the last bite of her toast. "Sure! Let's go in your bedroom where it's quieter."

  He swiped t
he measuring laser out of a drawer and led her into the other room. "I'm sorry about my bed."

  "Don't apologize...you have reasons." Kira gently lifted the measuring device from his grasp.

  Mora squared his shoulders. "Odo mentioned visiting my lab."

  The statement tumbled out of his mouth when he only meant to think it.

  Kira paused. When she spoke, her voice had a new edge. "Yeah...he showed it to me."

  Suddenly, standing up straight became much more difficult. "Odo tries to act fine about it, but I know him too well-- he still resents it."

  "It wasn't right." Kira measured his shoulders.

  "I know-- I know now, but I had no idea at the time. There was no indication he was a life form. I can't change the past, Nerys, but if I knew he was a life form going in, my approach would have been vastly different." Mora said simply. "Everyone told me not to grow attached to him, and I tried not to. He was so innocent. He needed someone. I did care about him, Nerys...he became my life. I never wanted to hurt him."

  "Hey, I'm not judging you. I won't lie-- if it was me who went through that, I'd never want to see your face again. The only reason I gave you a chance is because I know you're not the man you were back then."

  Her words made Mora's heart drop into his stomach. Before he pulled back, she went on, "I don't like it, but it's the past and it's long gone. Holding a grudge over your head won't solve anything. Like you said, it can't be changed. Odo walked into that lab looking terrified as hell, like a child afraid of the dark."

  "And I was the monster."

  "No, Pol, you aren't. Monsters don't regret their mistakes. They make excuses to justify them, and Odo knows that." To his shock, she embraced him. "He wasn't afraid of the lab anymore when we left it. I think he wants to see you like Kejal does, but he doesn't know how yet."

  Her kind words were soothing balm on his soul, yet they didn't erase his guilt. "All I want is to tell him I'm sorry...but 'sorry' isn't enough. Nothing will make up for-- "

  "Let Odo decide that." Kira smiled, though it seemed forced. She knelt to measure his inseam and waist. "He trusted you with Kejal, and it wasn't an easy decision. I think that says a lot in itself."

  Mora's eyes were faraway. The bitter-sweetness left a lump in his throat. "Kejal made my life worth living again. I owe Odo everything for such a gift. But what happened to Odo after I left with Kejal?"

  "Odo never got over giving up Kejal. Kejal's birthday was the hardest for him. We sat together in the Replimat every year and talked about it. I think it helped." Kira traced Mora's feet with the measuring device. "There. That's it."

  "Ah, finished?"

  "Yup." Kira jotted everything down on a PADD. "Back to what we were talking about before-- the lab was the worst part for Odo, but he did it. All that's left now is for him to talk it over with you."

  "I'll make sure I'm receptive." Mora squinted at the measurements Kira took. He'd lost eight inches off his waist in the past month because of the damn Delfeya syndrome. Putting it out of his mind, he managed a small, sad smile. "Thank you. Make sure you get a belt. I have no idea if my waist will be the same size by the time the tuxedo arrives."

  "You got it." She squeezed his hand. "Odo will come around...he just needs time."

  "I'll wait as long as I can...and I am truly sorry."

  "I know," Kira touched his shoulder. "I'll let you rest if you need to."

  And the days began to pass. Odo returned Kira to the space port for her trip back to Deep Space Nine, and they exchanged several communications related to the wedding in the meantime. Kejal cleaned up the Christmas decorations. Aleexa visited twice a day-- and sometimes stayed the entire afternoon. Mora swung between coughing up mucus and working diligently on his nearly completed treatise.

  The cloth coffin arrived on a rainy morning. Mora told no one for fear of spoiling the festive atmosphere. When everybody else became busy planning the wedding, he unfurled the oval-shaped coffin on his bed and laid himself down inside.

  It did feel like a sleeping bag, and it rolled up like one, too. He stashed it in the closet.

  That night, he dreamed of the star within Kejal's nebula. He couldn't be entirely sure, but he swore he saw a newborn planet and moon spinning through the remaining stellar dust.

  .o

  Odo spent a long, peaceful night regenerating in the vase by the wall. In the morning, Kejal dumped him onto the floor.

  "Mother! Father's tuxedo arrived! Come on!" He poked his fingers into Odo's substance. When that didn't get enough of a response, he huffed. "Okay, fine."

  Suddenly, Odo felt a rectangular weight settle on top of him. He grudgingly oozed out from underneath it and assumed his humanoid form.

  Kejal grinned. "Good morning."

  "You're the worst morning person I know," Odo groused without any true malice. He peered at the long, glossy black delivery crate. "Is Doctor Mora awake?"

  "Mmhmm."

  "Fine." Odo carried the container into the bedroom. "Doctor Mora, your tuxedo arrived. Would you like to try it on?"

  Doctor Mora didn't look well at all. He kept rubbing the left side of his abdomen. Yet, when he saw Odo holding the crate, he brightened.

  "Let's see how it fits." He got out of bed and took the transport container into the bathroom. "I may need assistance with the smaller details...I've never worn a tuxedo before."

  "Do what you can and I'll help with the rest." Odo replied.

  The sink gurgled for a few moments. Fabric hissed across skin. Shoes plopped onto the floor and paper crackled. Several minutes later, Doctor Mora called through the door. "All right, I'm coming out."

  Odo noticed Doctor Mora had combed his hair and shaved before trying on his new outfit. He did a decent job for someone who had no clue how to wear unfamiliar formal attire. His coat was unbuttoned and the bowtie hung loose around his neck.

  Amused, Odo popped Doctor Mora's shirt collar up and tied the bow tie. Their eyes met as he helped him smooth the collar back down.

  "Hm," Odo couldn't hide a smile. "It fits perfectly. Although to wear it properly, you need to button the jacket." He briefly fashioned his outer clothing into an identical tuxedo to show him. "See?"

  Doctor Mora buttoned the jacket as he turned to examine himself in the full length mirror by the door. "Well, look at that. Kejal, I should have a black cane in the closet. Get it for me?"

  "Got it." Kejal reached into the closet.

  Doctor Mora traded his lighter colored cane for the black one, which had a decorative gold handle, and it added the perfect detail to his wedding attire.

  "Hey, what's this?" Kejal tugged something and the cloth coffin popped out of the closet. "Oh..." He touched the beautiful custom embroidery. "Do you want to be buried wearing your tuxedo, father?"

  "No," Doctor Mora shook his head, "My old Science Institute garb will do. It's how most people remember me."

  Kejal nodded, his expression unreadable, and carefully tucked the cloth coffin back into the closet.

  Four days and a space port pickup later, Odo was kissed awake on his wedding day by a disheveled, yet beautiful Kira Nerys.

  "Mm..." Odo nipped her bottom lip. "Good morning."

  "You, too." Kira smirked and twirled her finger around his shoulder. "So, how will you justify kissing a married woman?"

  He chuckled. "By not informing her husband. What about you? People talk when they see a woman fooling around with a married man."

  "I'll court marshal anyone who tells his wife."

  They grinned at each other, their eyes gleaming.

  "And if I never have to see another bowl of koganka pudding for the rest of my life, it'll be too soon."

  "You don't like the taste?"

  "Oh, I do, but not every day!"

  Odo snorted at that. He sat up to look out the guest bedroom window, which faced northeast. Thick clouds darkened the sky-- the weather forecast said a chance of thunderstorms-- but his mood soared at seeing red and gold ribbons wrapped around the
deka tree's trunk. Several more tied its drooping branches together, creating a pathway. Doctor Mora's prayer mandala stood on a small altar set upon the very spot where Odo and Kira would say their vows. A wide, flat container and four small jars of colored sand gleamed in front of the mandala. The setup was all Kejal's idea, and it looked fantastic.

  The sand ceremony was something Odo never saw done before, but he'd heard of it. Kira wanted Kejal and Doctor Mora to be part of the wedding, and the sand ceremony symbolized unity as a family.

  Everyone chose a specific sand color. Doctor Mora preferred white, Kejal picked green, Kira wanted red and Odo decided on orange. Two days ago, they all practiced their part using ground up deka seed pods. Everyone knew where, when and how to pour. There would be no hiccups or errors.

  At least, Odo hoped not.

  He smiled again and traced Kira's delicate collarbone. "What I want to know is how you got someone as busy as Shakaar to officiate the ceremony."

  "I'm just that good, and I figured you'll be more comfortable with him rather than a vedek." She crinkled her nose in the cute way that made Odo ripple inside. "I love you."

  His eyes softened. "I love you, too."

  Together, they tacitly disentangled themselves. Odo kissed Kira one more time and left her alone to handle her personal preparations.

  Aleexa arrived wearing a gold corset-style dress. Its off the shoulder cowl neckline and wrap skirt flattered her plump figure well, and the color made her brown eyes stand out. Odo never realized how well endowed she was-- he'd only ever seen her wearing vests and loose fitting jackets. She topped the whole outfit off with one of the sparkly gold hair clasps Kejal gave her.

  "Wow, Aleexa," Kejal stopped in his tracks to stare. "You look beautiful."

  She beamed at him and set down the container of Talaxian toast she brought along. "Thank you! I managed to squeeze myself into this silly old thing. I hope it's not too much."

  "Not at all. It's very becoming." Odo nodded approvingly and nudged Kejal to stop him from staring.

  Her cheeks gained more color. "Thanks, Odo!"

  "Aleexa, you look lovely." Doctor Mora poked his head out of his bedroom door. His hair was wet and messy from a shower.

  "Thank you! Whew, compliments everywhere." Aleexa looked over her shoulder. "Do you need help, sweetie?"