Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [161]
Sito pulled a face. “Ooo, I just saw a plate of it once and that was enough for me.”
The tactical officer gave her an appraising look.
“Commander,” Sito said, somewhat confused, “is there something you wanted to ask me?” The two of them, the only Bajorans on the Enterprise-and, in fact, among the relatively few in Starfleet altogether-had never been close. They hadn’t been what one might call friends, and Sito figured that she had probably spent less time talking to Ro than any other member of the senior staff, the captain included.
“Well, Lieutenant…” Ro began.
“Please,” Sito interrupted, “call me Jaxa.”
An awkward smile quirked the corners of Ro’s mouth. “Jaxa.” Her expression was uncomfortable, and it occurred to Sito that Ro really wasn’t friendly with anyone, and that casual conversation was probably not something covered in Advanced Tactical Training. “And you can call me…you can call me Ro.”
Sito grinned. “Okay, Ro.” It was probably a big step for the tactical officer. Sito couldn’t imagine what it would take for Ro to allow anyone to address her as Laren.
“Jaxa, I wanted to ask you about Bajor.”
“Bajor?” Sito raised an eyebrow.
“I have a cousin, whom I’ve not seen since my family and I fled during the occupation. She writes to tell me that she’s about to have her first child, a daughter, and that she…well, she plans to name her Laren.”
Sito’s mouth opened and she almost gasped.
“After me,” Ro explained, unnecessarily.
“Of course,” Sito said. “That’s so wonderful, Ro. You must be so proud.” Family was a big part of Bajoran culture, and the birth of a child an extremely special and cherished event. To have a child named in one’s honor was an act of great respect.
“Well,” Ro said, shifting uncomfortably. “They have invited me to come for the naming ceremony.” She paused. “On Bajor.”
Sito tilted her head to one side. “I’m not sure I see the problem.”
“The problem…” She broke off, and gave a ragged sigh. “The problem is that I haven’t been back to Bajor, not since I was…Well, not since I was a lot younger. And to be honest, I haven’t wanted to go back. Too many painful memories, none of which I have any interest in revisiting.”
Sito nodded, wearing a sympathetic expression. “I understand. It was…difficult for me to go back, too.”
Ro leaned forward, hands wrapped tightly about her mug. “That’s what I wanted to ask you about. How was it? Going back? Was Bajor…” She averted her eyes. “I’ve heard horror stories about what the Cardassians did to the planet during the final years of the occupation, the ravages to the landscape.”
For a moment, Sito closed her eyes and saw it again, as if it were before her. “Oh, Ro, no, no. I mean, there was damage, to be sure, but if you could see the way that the planet has already begun to heal itself. And the people! How they have begun to heal, too. I mean, you can still see the scars beneath the surface, but it’s becoming a living world, a thriving world.” She paused, and tentatively reached out to place a hand over Ro’s. “But you have to go. A niece? Named in your honor? How exciting that must be, especially considering…”
Sito trailed off, but gestured around them, a single motion taking in the rest of Ten Forward, the whole of the Enterprise, and the cold void of vacuum beyond. The message was simple: Few officers in Starfleet chose to start families in the field.
Ro nodded, thoughtfully. “It’s not as if I haven’t thought about having children,” she said in a quiet voice. “It just isn’t something that I’ve placed any real priority on.”
With a somewhat weary smile, Sito nodded. “I know what you mean.” She paused, lost in thought. “What must it have been like for Data and the others, though, to be told that they couldn’t have children, whether they wanted to or not? That the law prohibited them from reproducing?”
Ro sneered. “Sounds like something the Cardassians would have done.” When Ro said the name, it was a curse.
Sito drained the rest