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

by ROVER MARIE TOWLE

  "I just have a question." Doctor Mora glanced at Odo and Kejal. "It's pretty rough today. Would it harm anything if I took the triptacederine with the metorapan patch? I don't want my aches and pains interrupting the wedding."

  "It's fine. Just don't use any metorapan hyposprays for at least six hours after you've used triptacederine, or you'll end up in liver failure. I don't think you want that just yet."

  "Definitely not! Thank you, that's all I needed to know. Kejal, a hand, please?"

  Odo nudged Kejal. "Go help him."

  "Sure, mother." Kejal scrambled into Doctor Mora's bedroom.

  Aleexa peered at Odo's state of undress. He'd only bothered to shape shift loose brown pants to avoid appearing naked. She giggled good-naturedly. "Nerys is one lucky lady." She set the container holding her toast on the hotplate to warm it. "Shouldn't you be getting dressed?"

  Looking down, Odo gave an amused sniff. "The clothing I wear is part of me."

  He politely turned his back to the guest bedroom when Kira slipped out and padded through the kitchen carrying everything she needed to prepare for the ceremony. When the bathroom door closed, he faced Aleexa again.

  "As I was saying..." Odo let his arms fall to his sides. His surface shimmered and became a formal black tuxedo with coattails, red lapels and a shiny red bowtie. A gold waistcoat and cufflinks complimented the wedding colors. As a finishing touch, he wiped both hands over his hair and its waves disappeared, making it appear like he used gel.

  Aleexa's mouth dropped open. "That's handy!"

  "Do I look enough like a groom?" Odo asked with a wry smile.

  Aleexa started to reply, but the door opened and Doctor Mora stepped out looking absolutely impeccable. Aside from the cane, Odo noticed he didn't look ill at all.

  "Well, well, well!" She eyed Doctor Mora, grinning. "You clean up nice, young man!"

  Doctor Mora winked at her. "It's been a long time since I felt this fancy. Kejal? What are you doing in there?"

  "On my way!" Kejal clambered out. He spun around once and his green jumpsuit transformed into a tuxedo identical to Doctor Mora's, save for the red stripe running down the length of his slacks. His slicked back auburn hair gained a noticeable sheen. "How do I look?"

  "Quite charming!" Aleexa circled Kejal and Doctor Mora. "Earth attire suits you boys nicely. Get together, you three, I'm taking a holo of this."

  Kejal slid over to Doctor Mora's left side. Odo stood on the right. Doctor Mora threw an arm around both their shoulders. Aleexa gave them a three count and captured the image.

  "Doctor Mora, you look nice."

  "So do you, Odo." Doctor Mora squeezed Odo's shoulders and held his gaze for a moment. "I feel like I'm seeing my oldest son get married today. You've come so far from where you started. I'm proud of you. Never forget that."

  Something within Odo's substance tightened, and his eyes felt prickly. The feeling went away as soon as he blinked.

  "I won't," Odo replied. He straightened Doctor Mora's bow tie, smiling. "I've dreamed of this day for a long time. It's all happening so fast, but I wouldn't change it for anything."

  Then he turned to Kejal and smirked. "I like the stripe."

  Kejal eyed his legs. "It's not too much?"

  Odo shook his head. "No, it suits you."

  The door chime rang. Doctor Mora answered it. "Ah, First Minister! Welcome to my home!"

  "Thank you." Shakaar ducked through the doorway. He wore a long, formal gold Bajoran jacket and brown slacks. "I'm glad I chose the right color. I'll fit right in with the ribbons. Oh, thank you." He let Doctor Mora take the ceremonial flask of wine off his hands.

  Kejal disappeared to knock on the bathroom door. "Mom, the First Minister is here."

  The reply was too faint to hear.

  "Odo, you look...well. Very well." Shakaar shook Odo's hand.

  Odo shrugged, smiling slightly. He noticed streaks of gray peppering Shakaar's hair. "It has been awhile, hasn't it?"

  Shakaar chuckled and patted Odo's shoulder. "I suppose we all look a little older."

  "Ah, First Minister. I'm Kejal, nice to meet you." Kejal gave Shakaar a vigorous handshake.

  "You look just like-- hm, it's great to make your acquaintance, Kejal."

  Kejal grinned and put his arm around Odo. "He's my mother." With that, he walked off laughing, leaving Shakaar looking baffled.

  "It's...a long story," said Odo. "So, are we starting?"

  Shakaar nodded, his Bajoran earring bouncing. "I'm ready if everyone else is. Please don't mind my security team stationing a perimeter."

  "Hah! I'd be worried if I didn't see them." Odo noted the eight officers taking up positions around the yard.

  Doctor Mora knocked quietly on the bathroom door. "Nerys, it's time. Are you ready?"

  Kira cracked the door. "Anytime you are. Just say when."

  Kejal scooped up the ceremonial bowl and beckoned for Shakaar to step out first. Aleexa followed the First Minister.

  Everyone jumped when thunder rumbled. Odo groaned mentally at the threat of rain ruining everything.

  "Let's just do it. If it rains, it rains." Kejal said.

  "It won't rain. It never rains on weddings." Odo said sarcastically. "Go on, dais bearer."

  Kejal poured a tiny portion of ceremonial wine into the wedding bowl and stepped out the door. Holding it high, he began a beautiful chant asking for blessings upon the bride and groom as he carried the bowl towards Shakaar.

  Odo followed several feet behind his son. He joined Shakaar beside the altar. While he couldn't smell, he felt the cool wetness of the air in his nose. He hoped the rain waited for the ceremony to conclude.

  Kejal bowed towards the door. "The bride arrives!"

  He completed the ritual with a Janalan Order chant welcoming a bride into the sun-- and the irony brought a few chuckles.

  Time and space funneled into a single point in the middle of the doorway. Odo watched it intently, waiting to set eyes upon the woman he loved long before he knew the meaning of the word.

  Doctor Mora stepped outside. Kira joined him, gently taking his arm.

  And suddenly, the sun came out and shone down on her like a spotlight.

  She chose the wedding dress Odo saw in Garak's shop. A simple red gown beneath a golden floor length lace jacket. There was no jewelry other than her betrothal bracelet and her Bajoran earring.

  Time had added lines to her features that weren't there thirty years ago. Gray streaks began at her temples and disappeared into the loose auburn braid dangling behind her. In another hundred years, her hair would be all white and her face deeply wrinkled...and he realized he didn't care.

  Odo met Kira's gaze. Her eyes were brown like stained glass windows hiding an inferno, such a contrast to his icy blue.

  "Odo, I offer you your bride's hand," said Doctor Mora.

  Odo forgot about accepting Kira's hand until Kejal nudged him back into reality. A part of him feared waking to find all of this a fanciful vision created within the Great Link.

  Kira arched an eyebrow. Odo cast out his worries and interlocked their fingers. Her touch sent a thrum throughout his fluid interior. He let his palm liquefy, hidden and secret against hers. The only way he could say the things that always stuck somewhere between his mind and voice was through touch.

  You look beautiful beyond imagining, Nerys. I want to live in this moment forever.

  Kira's expression softened. He felt the quickening of her heartbeat through the pulses her fingertips. A small vibration capable of driving him towards ecstasy if he let it.

  "You look amazing, too," she whispered in his ear. Softer, she added, "And yes, so could I."

  Doctor Mora joined Kejal and Aleexa near the altar. Odo hardly noticed, his attention focused solely on his soon-to-be wife.

  "Ready?" Shakaar cleared his throat. "To all who hear me, we gather to honor the unity of not just Kira Nerys and Odo, but of a family." He accepted the bowl when Kejal handed it to him. "We begin with the p
ouring of the sand. I ask that the Prophets send down their blessings. May the pattern we see unfold be a symbol of today's union."

  Doctor Mora leaned against the altar, picked up his jar and poured a small portion of white sand in the very center. Kejal went next, sprinkling his sand around Doctor Mora's. Kira followed him, and Odo did it last.

  Then, together, they all dumped the last of their sand into the flat container, screwed on the lid and shook it once. The pattern inside stayed white in the center, but the green, red and orange surrounded it in graceful swirls.

  Doctor Mora dabbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Over this new mandala, we unite as one." He smiled shakily at Odo and Kira.

  "May this circle never break," Kejal added quietly.

  "And with love, we will stand together." Odo squeezed Kira's hands.

  "In life, in death, and in marriage, we are bound now and forever." Kira finished.

  The new family grasped the mandala and lifted it up for the gathering to see.

  Aleexa gave a huge sob and blew her nose. Odo stepped on Kejal's foot to stop him from laughing. They propped the sand mandala against the deka tree.

  "Congratulations on becoming a family." Shakaar bowed and handed Kejal the wedding bowl. Kejal swirled it once before passing it to Kira.

  Shakaar began the marriage blessing, and Odo felt his substance tingle. In moments, he would be Kira's husband...he was about to belong to her forever.

  Odo accepted the bowl. He sipped from it and offered it to Kira. She also drank. Their hands interlocked as they held the bowl between them.

  Shakaar unrolled a small scroll and recited the ceremonial scripture.

  "Boray pree hadokee. Tolata impara boresh. Preeya Odo, Preeya Kira Nerys, abrem varo atel." He closed the scroll and held his hand out for the bowl. Joy radiated from his eyes when he said, "In the sight of all present, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May the Prophets bless you always. Odo, it's time to kiss your bride."

  Odo flashed the most radiant smile of his life. Kira's expression mirrored his. They leaned in simultaneously and kissed like it was the first time they ever touched lips.

  Everyone present applauded. Aleexa burst into sobs and Doctor Mora wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

  "Wife," Odo whispered.

  "Husband," Kira whispered back. "Now I'm yours."

  "Forever."

  They kissed again.

  "Oh! A rainbow!" Kejal pointed south. "The Prophets approve!"

  And then the rain came blasting down.

  "Ack!" Aleexa helped Doctor Mora back into the house. Kejal rescued the sand mandala. Shakaar and his guards took the altar and prayer mandala inside.

  Odo and Kira stood under the only part of the tree that blocked the rain. They hardly noticed the downpour-- their eyes remained riveted on each other.

  .o

  Kejal finally had his long-coveted hologram of Odo smiling. He captured the exact moment Odo and Kira became husband and wife. The rainbow he'd spotted glowed in the background, barely visible between the deka tree's branches. It shone brighter in the next picture, which caught the official smooch.

  Aleexa and Mora were also in the background, both crying into the same handkerchief as though someone died. Kejal found it too funny for words.

  "This toast is delicious!" Shakaar said from the kitchen. "Do you have the recipe?"

  Aleexa passed him a gold napkin. "I can write it down for you. But to make it work, you have to mix it with a little love. And make sure your handsome security guards get a piece. They're included in this party!"

  "I'll make sure of it...on both accounts." Shakaar chuckled softly. "It's been a long time since I tasted a Talaxian dish."

  Kejal noticed Mora sitting in his favorite chair by the oval window. He was looking at the hologram of his own wedding. Shakaar saw him sitting by himself and joined him. They talked quietly to each other for quite awhile.

  Outside, the rain slowed to a light drizzle. Kira seated herself on the swing, looking up at Odo. Odo held onto the ropes to keep the swing from moving. They talked quietly, kissed and exchanged gentle looks while surrounded by greenery and ribbons.

  Kejal grinned and snapped the images for posterity.

  "We better head inside," remarked Odo.

  "But it's all muddy now!" Kira laughed.

  "I'll fix that."

  Odo, ever the gentleman, scooped Kira up into his arms and carried her to the door. Kejal, of course, recorded the whole thing. Odo wiped his feet before setting Kira down inside.

  "That was some wedding." Kira eyed the holo-imager in Kejal's hands.

  Kejal laughed. "I think Aleexa cried through the whole thing."

  "And then some!" Aleexa tittered. She went right back to telling one of Shakaar's security guards about meat pies and sauce.

  Anyone not engaged in conversation came forward to congratulate the newly wed couple. Shakaar's security detail proved itself quite friendly.

  "I'll get you some toast." Odo said.

  "No, we will." Kira grabbed his coattails.

  Kejal took a great holo-image right when Odo looked back at her. It was the second picture showing his mother's most genuine smile.

  A little while later, just after Shakaar and his security team left, Kejal saw Mora hobbling into his bedroom.

  "Father?"

  Mora made a face. He laid back on his bed, sighing. "I'm all right. I just need a little rest."

  Kejal noticed Mora holding the left side of his stomach. His lips were tense and he looked pale.

  "At least it waited until after the ceremony," Mora turned his grunt into a chuckle. "The triptacederine works well. I don't have any back pain at all."

  "But you still hurt." Kejal laid his hand over his father's.

  "It'll pass."

  "Should I bring Alee-- "

  "No. Kejal, please. I don't want anyone focusing on me. This is about Odo and Nerys. Please, Kejal, don't make them worry. When you're just married, you fall under a spell of utter happiness. Don't spoil it for them." He picked his head up. "Do you understand?"

  Nodding, Kejal glanced across the bed where Mora's prayer mandala had been returned to its proper place under the window.

  "Hey," Mora whispered.

  "What?"

  He patted the PADD on the bedside table. "I finished it."

  "Oh! Is it published yet?"

  "I sent it off when I woke up this morning. Today is a celebration of life-- why not have today be the reception date? Even if it takes three or four months to go public, you will remember me finishing it today."

  Kejal leaned over and hugged him. "And you call me a scoundrel!"

  "You are one." Mora kissed the top of his head.

  Something rustled towards the doorway. There stood Kira, sparkling in her wedding finery. Snacking on Aleexa's toast caused some of her ruby red lipstick to rub off. She didn't appear to mind.

  "There you are, Pol." She approached the foot of the bed. "Is everything okay?"

  "I'm taking a little rest." Mora smiled at her. He sat up and swung his legs off the side of the mattress. The gel he used in his hair didn't let a strand move out of place. "You look beautiful, Nerys. Odo is such a lucky person to have you."

  Kira hung her head and smiled a little. "I like to say I'm the lucky one. He's wonderful under that grouchy exterior."

  Mora clasped her hand between both of his. "But you opened him, Nerys. That was something I've never been able to do."

  She rubbed his knuckles with her thumb. "We both had the right keys to each other."

  "Where has my wife disappeared to?" Odo's words carried through the living room. His gruff voice had a note of merriment, and from him it sounded genuinely odd.

  "We're in here!" Kejal answered.

  "I better go see what he's up to." Kira squeezed Mora's hand. "Are you sure you're okay?"

  Mora shrugged. "I'm feeling my age, that is all."

  It was more than that, however Kejal kept his mouth sh
ut. Kira let go of Mora and nudged Kejal with her shoulder, whispering, "Take care of him."

  He nodded once, meeting her eyes. Her dress rustled as she left the room.

  "It went so fast. Three weeks of planning and it's done." Kejal sighed to himself. "Was your wedding that quick?"

  Mora reached for his shiny black shoes. "Leruu and I got married in secret between Cardassian inspections. We took the wedding hologram outside the Bajoran Institute for Science. The Ital wasn't a thought in anyone's mind yet, so we had a lovely meadow behind us. There was no party after the vows. We changed and went right to work. So, yes, it happened quickly."

  Mora made another attempt at untying his shoes before Kejal knelt and did it for him. "The best thing about a special moment is your memory's ability to relive it over and over again."

  "A lot of mine include you," said Kejal.

  "I'm glad." Mora blinked. "Ah, go run along. I can handle this tuxedo myself."

  "Sure." Kejal set Mora's shoes on the mattress and dashed into the living room.

  Kira and Odo sat together on the couch, holding hands and whispering amongst themselves.

  Rain began falling within seconds of Kejal stepping outside to remove the ribbons from the deka tree. By the time he had the decorations taken down, the rain morphed into a downpour. Soaked, he scrambled back inside just in time to avoid a hailstorm.

  Loud thunder shook the house. Hail knocked down leaves and seed pods. The noise outside was comparable to a war zone. Up above, the ragged gray clouds swirled.

  "Whoa!" Kejal slammed the door shut and stood there, his "tuxedo" dripping. "Talk about a storm giving birth on your head, haha! Mother, mom, I think you timed that wedding perfectly. Any later and you'd be getting married in that!"

  "The Prophets waited for us." Kira said cheekily.

  "I can always shape shift into an umbrella." Odo added.

  Kira slapped his arm. "I can't kiss an umbrella."

  Hail beat against the roof like hoofed beasts. Strong winds sent the deka tree's drooping branches whipping past the oval window. Kejal prayed his garden wouldn't be torn apart by the jagged ice.

  "Is it hailing outside? Oh, yup." Aleexa emerged from the guest bathroom. She'd changed out of her gold dress and into her usual nursing jumpsuit and vest. "Quite a storm. I hope Shakaar and his security team aren't caught in it."