Hok stepped into Commander Allen’s office in main security on deck 4.  He immediately sensed something unusual had happened, especially since Doctor Weaver was also there.  He couldn’t think of anything he had done wrong, so his curiosity was piqued.  Allen motioned for him to sit.

“I’ll get right to why I asked you here,” said Allen.  “We received a subspace communique from Ferenginar from a man named Glosh.  Your mother wakened from her coma.”

At first, Hok wasn’t sure what he just heard.  It was like someone whispering in the wind.  You thought you heard what they said, but you probably really didn’t.

“Hok?” said Weaver.

“She’s awake?  Moogie is awake?”  Hok’s words were barely a whisper.  It was like someone else was saying them.

“Yes and she’s been asking to see you.” said Weaver.

Hok was a whirlwind of emotion.  His stomach churned in disbelief.  His lobes tingled.  He wanted to leap for joy and do a dance.  He was also afraid.  His father and brother died under mysterious circumstances not long after joining the Orion Syndicate.  Enforcers roughed him up, demanding he return the item.  When he didn’t because he didn’t have it or know what it was, his mother fell into a deep coma doctors couldn’t explain.  That was nine years ago and she was awake.

“Hok, are you all right,” said Weaver.  Her voice was soft and her eyes were lit with concern.

Hok was still processing what he’d been told, so he didn’t respond.

“Leave time has already been authorized for you,” said Allen.  “The captain said you can take one of the shuttles.”

Hok nodded.  “Yes, sir.  Thank you, sir.”

Hok had left his home world to hide from the Syndicate.  Now he could be walking back into danger.

=====

“What can I do for you?”

Hok went to see Iziraa in her quarters.  “Did you hear about my news from home?”

“I did,” said Iziraa.

“I’m going back to Ferenginar to see my mother.  Will you come with me?”

Iziraa tilted her head, a surprised expression on her face.  “Why?”

“I need someone to watch my back, someone I trust.”

Iziraa’s antennae moved slightly forward.  “I don’t understand.”

Hok sighed.  “I need someone to watch my back, someone I trust.”

Iziraa frowned.  “Hok.”  Her voice was demanding.

There was an awkward silence.

“If I’m going to do this, you’ve got to tell me everything,” said Iziraa.  “Everyone knows you’re a man of secrets.  Ferengi don’t just walk away from earning profit to join Starfleet.  Whatever happened in your past, if I’m going to risk my safety, you’re letting me in.”

Hok knew she was right.  He was trusting her to keep him safe after all, so why not tell her about the Syndicate?  “Captain Kirby is letting me take one of the shuttles.  If he says you can go with me, I’ll tell you everything.”

Iziraa nodded.  “Once we get there, if they say I can’t wear clothes, I’m shooting you.”

Hok knew Iziraa was joking.  She was, wasn’t she?

Shuttle Eaglet 2

“Candy corns?”  Izi offered a handful of the confections to Hok.

“No thanks.  They’re too sweet.  They make my eyes water.”  Hok pointed to his travel bag.  “Slug-o-Cola?  I brought extra.”

Izi wrinkled her nose.  “No, I’m good.”  The tips of her antennae wiggled.

The two looked at each other.

“Okay, Hok.  Time to talk.  What have I gotten myself into?”

Hok rolled his eyes upward, not making contact with Izi.

“Hok?”

Hok sighed.  “It’s been nine years, but there’s the possibility, a small one, we might run into the Orion Syndicate.”

Izi blinked in disbelief and drooped her head.  Letting out a long sigh, she glared at Hok.  He gulped.

“Well?”  Izi drummed her fingers on the armrest while her antennae leaned forward.

“My father and brother joined the Syndicate, but I wouldn’t do it.  I told them it was too dangerous, but they wouldn’t listen.”

Izi could see sadness forming on Hok’s face.

“For about six months, they were earning more profit than ever.  I still didn’t like it, but they seemed like they were doing well.”  Hok paused.  ”Then it happened.”

Hok’s expression of sorrow deepened.  Even without knowing the story, Izi could see he was still in much pain.

“I started noticing that my father and brother were abnormally agitated.  They wouldn’t talk about it, but I knew they did something wrong.  They were going to meet their Syndicate boss, but their shuttle crashed and they both….”

Izi thought Hok would begin weeping, but he held it in.

“A week after the death rituals, I was dragged into an alley by a very large man.  He demanded I return the item.  I had no idea what that was, but he told me things would get very bad if I didn’t return it.  A week after that, my mother became very ill and fell into a coma.  Doctors couldn’t explain it.”

Hok stopped to compose himself.  Izi could almost feel his grief.

“I was accused of improper business practices, which were false, and my business license was revoked.  I was being followed, so the only thing I could think of to do was leave Ferenginar.  I had some latinum hidden away, so I made sure my mother was provided for and I left.”

“You went to Earth,” said Izi.

“Yes.  I figured the Hewmon world and the center of the Federation would be the safest place.  It was until the Syndicate found me.  Desperate, I tried to enlist in Starfleet, but my test scores were high enough for the Academy.”  Hok chuckled.  “If you would have told me I’d end up being a Starfleet officer, I’d have laughed at you.”

Izi thought for a moment.  This was certainly an interesting tale, but she suspected there was more to it than his mother waking from a coma.

“You do realize this could be a set up, right?”

It seemed Hok didn’t want to answer at first.  “Yes.”

Izi nodded.  There wasn’t anything more that needed to be said.  She knew the backstory.  She would do whatever needed to be done.

Shuttle Eaglet 2

“I had mixed feelings about going back to Andoria.  It’s my sacred duty to make little Andorians.”  Izi giggled.  “But I still want to serve in Starfleet.”

“You can do both,” said Hok.

“Yes, but I would be a shidei.”  Izi noticed the unspoken question.  “A mother.  I couldn’t just sail away and leave my child.”

Hok nodded.  “I understand.”

“When we were approaching the system, my antennae were twirling with excitement.  I hadn’t realized how much I missed my bond mates.”  Especially Keval, thought Izi with a smile.  “I was surprised when two Imperial Guard warships met us.”

Izi sighed.  “Captain Kirby tried to assure them we weren’t compromised by the Borg, but they wouldn’t listen.  The system was closed until the Borg threat was stopped.”

“How did that make you feel?”

Izi smirked.  “You’re sounding like a counselor.  Andorians don’t gush our feelings.”

Hok shrugged.  “We’re sharing.”

Izi thought about that.  She supposed they were.  “Can you be happy and sad, angry and relieved, at the same time?”

“Of course.”

“That’s how I felt, Hok.  I wanted to be part of a family, but Starfleet is what I want more.  At least right now.”

“I’m getting the sense you’re feeling guilty,” said Hok.

 “Before we left the system, I was able to talk with my bond group.  They understood and said come home once the situation was resolved.  They were so casual about it, like the Borg were a minor inconvenience.  I told them I would think about it.”  Hok was right.  She was feeling guilty.  She was letting down her bond group, her clan, and her people. 

“Yikes!”  Hok winced.  “I bet that didn’t go well.”

“It didn’t.  After the argument, I told them they could find another shen if they wanted.”  Izi was strong and not easily broken by emotion, but it hurt and she hated feeling like she was weak.

An awkward silence filled the cockpit.

“I want to say something to make you feel better, but I don’t know what,” said Hok.

“You can tell me what you and Haia did to Commander Perry.”

Hok laughed.  “That’s still our secret.  Besides, it really is fun tormenting you about it.”

Izi scowled.  “I still don’t understand why the captain doesn’t make you tell him.”

“I’m a trustworthy fellow,” said Hok.

Izi just looked at Hok.  She chuckled and changed the subject.  “What are we going to do once we get to Ferenginar?”

“I’ve been thinking about that.  Since I don’t have a business license and because I left under less than normal circumstances, we might want to go in as Starfleet.”

“In uniform?”

“Yes.  If anyone means us harm, that will give us a measure of protection.”

“Can we carry weapons?”

“Nothing more overt that the old-style cricket phasers.”

“So my ushaan would be a bit much?”

“Yes.”

“All right, Hok, I’ll follow your lead.”

“Good, because I’ll be making it up as we go.”

Izi’s eyes widened and her antennae wiggled.  “Well then.  This is going to be more fun than I thought.”

Ferenginar

“What is this?” said Izi in a demanding tone.

The Ferengi at the customs counter took back the PADD.  “It’s what you owe.”

“For what?”

“Fees for entering Ferengi space, for entering the planetary atmosphere, and for a landing fee.  There’s dock rental, minimum of two days, security, insurance in case you damage anything.  There’s a charge for the medical and weapons scans, permits to enter and traveling in the city, as well as taxes and a general Commerce Authority fee.”  He showed Izi the PADD.

Hok watched Izi snatch the device from the clerk’s hand.  Staring at it, her face grew a darker shade of blue.

“This is outrageous!”  Izi tossed the PADD onto the counter.

The clerk picked it up, tapped it and showed it to Izi.  “Your new total for abusing FCA property.”

Izi’s eyes narrowed and her antennae were vibrating.

Hok half-expected smoke to pour out of them.  It was all he could do to keep from snickering.

Tapping the PADD again, the clerk placed it on the counter.  “This is the charge for a permit to wear your Starfleet uniforms, plus tax of course.”

“You doubled the amount!”

Hok would have turned away to hide his bemusement, but he had to make sure Izi didn’t throttle the clerk.

“Lieutenant, if you would like to contest these charges, you can submit a formal complaint.  I can help you with the paperwork.  Of course there will be filing and scheduling fees and court costs.”

Izi was so furious, Hok could no longer contain himself.  He burst out laughing, but stopped when a phaser glare from Izi felt like it would drill two holes in his forehead.

“We.  Will.  Wear.  Civilian.  Clothes,” said Izi, her cheeks purple, her antennae flat against her head.  She tapped the PADD, transferring the funds.  “Hok!”  She stormed off towards their shuttle.

“Andorians,” said Hok.

“Females,” said the clerk.

===

Moving off the street and entering the hospital main lobby, Izi let out a long and loud sigh.  Her hair was wet and matted against her head.  Shaking her antennae, rainfall sprayed in every direction.  Her clothes were soaked.  She looked like a lost puppy.

“I told you to replicate an umbrella,” said Hok.

Not saying anything, Izi pointed to the information desk.  Without waiting for Hok, she walked towards it.

“She’s not going to like what’s going to happen,” muttered Hok, a smile on his face.

“What do you mean I’ve got to pay first?  This is the information desk and I need information!”

The Ferengi woman sitting behind the desk didn’t budge.

“My friend doesn’t understand our ways,” said Hok, coming alongside Izi.  He removed a slip of latinum from his pocket and handed it to the receptionist.  He noticed people were beginning to gather and watch.

“How may I help you?”

“We’re here to see my mother,” said Hok.

“Patient’s name?”

“Jexa, wife of Esh.”

The receptionist accessed her computer.  “There’s no one here by that name.”

“Was she discharged?” said Hok.

“Sir, what I mean is, there’s no record any such person was ever here.”

Hok’s mouth fell open and he felt like someone kicked him in the gut.  “What do you mean?”

“Sir, I don’t know how I can say it anymore plainly than that.”

Hok couldn’t move.  What was happening?  When he left Ferenginar all those years ago, he said good-bye to his moogie in her room in this hospital.  “Are you sure you checked everything?”

The receptionist leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.  “Sir, I know how to do my job.  If there’s nothing else, there are other people behind you in line.”

“But…”  Hok felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Hok, let’s go,” said Izi.  “We’ll figure this out.”

Hok looked at Izi.  Her hair was still dripping water, but her face showed a compassion he’d never seen before.

“Yes, of course.”  Hok nodded, still stunned at the news.  They stepped away from the desk and found two empty chairs off to the side.

“Are you sure this is the right hospital?” said Izi.

“Yes. Yes, this is the one.”

“All right.  Where else could your mother be?”

“I left her with Glosh.  He wanted to marry her, but my father paid a higher fee and won the marriage contract.”

“Then we find Glosh,” said Izi.

“But why would moogie’s medical records be erased?”

“We’ll worry about that later.  We find Glosh first.”

Hok got up.  “We’ll need to access a public comm booth.  It will cost more latinum to use.”

“Of course it will,” said Izi.  Getting up herself, she did a body shiver looking outside at the rain. 

Ferenginar

Izi and Hok rushed off the street and stopped under a canopy just outside a typical Ferengi house.  Frowning, Izi shook off as much of the rainfall as she could. 

“Are you sure this is it?” said Izi.

“Yes.”

Hok’s tone was flat and void of feeling.  Izi could easily see how being there was emotionally affecting him.

“Let’s do this.”  Hok rang the door chime.

While they waited, Izi thought about the situation.  It made perfect sense that Hok’s mother had been discharged from the hospital after waking from a coma.  By the time they received the news and traveled to Ferenginar, she would be at home.  It was odd there were no records of her as a patient.  Ferengi were meticulous at keeping records.  Izi hoped it was just some sort of error.

Hok was nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other.  Reaching again for the chime, the door slid open first.

“Hello, Glosh.”

“Hok!”  The older Ferengi looked at Izi.  “And friend.”  He poked Hok in the ribs.  “I always knew you were good with the females.”  He chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, Izi studied the man.  He had typical features and appeared to be about age 60.  He seemed genuinely glad to see Hok, but something about him set off an alarm in her mind, though she didn’t know what.

“Come in, come in.  It’s good to see you again.”  Glosh stepped to the side to allow his visitors to enter.

“Welcome to my home.  Please place your imprint on the legal waivers and deposit your admission fee in the box by the door.”  Glosh touched his wrists together, palms angled upward with his fingers curled.  “Remember, my house is my house.”

“As are its contents,” said Hok.  He placed a slip of latinum in the box and left his thumbprint.  He handed a slip to Izi.

With another eyeroll, Izi took the slip and did as instructed.  Glosh handed them small towels to dry themselves.  Hok wiped his head and face.  Izi did the best she could to carefully dry her antennae and wipe her hair.

“Please sit.  Would you like something?” said Glosh.  “I can give you a discount on the replicator fee.”

“No, we’re fine,” said Hok.

Glosh shrugged.  “So Hok and friend…”

“Iziraa.”

“Hok and Iziraa, what can I do for you?  Why have you come back now after so many years?”

Izi squinted.  What was that supposed to mean?

Hok glanced at Izi before answering.  “I got your message.”

“What message?” said Glosh.

“The message you sent that my mother woke from her coma.  I got it through Starfleet.”

Glosh had a confused expression on his face.  “Starfleet?  You’re in Starfleet?”

“You didn’t know?”

“How would I?  I heard you drifted from planet to planet and ended up on the Hewmon world, but I had no idea you did something so silly as joining Starfleet.”

“Then who sent the message and where is my mother?”

Izi saw regret in Glosh’s eyes.

“Hok, your mother died three years ago.”

Hok gasped.

Izi felt like she had been gut-punched.  Hok must have been devastated.

“I tried to contact you, but no one knew for sure where you were.  I’m sorry, Hok.”  Glosh paused to give Hok some time.  “I loved Jexa, too.”

At that point, Izi had to step in.  Something bad was happening and she needed to find out what that was.

“What’s going on, Glosh?”

It had been over 25 years since Ferengi females were given equal rights, but Glosh was alive under the old ways and he initially appeared uncomfortable being addressed so aggressively by one.

“I don’t know, Iziraa.  I’m just as surprised as you.”

Izi tried to interpret Glosh’s body language.  Ferengi were expert negotiators, which meant they could lie to your face without any way to read them.

“Who would send Hok that message?  Who would want him to come back here?”

“How should I know?  I said, I’m just as…”

“You have three options, Glosh.”  Izi cut him off.  “You can just tell me what you know, we can bribe you…”  Izi leaned in close, her eyes narrowing,  ”…or I can tear off your lobes.”

Glosh’s eyes bugged out.  “You can’t talk to me like that.  This is my house and you’re a female!”  He looked to Hok for help.

Hok’s face was buried in his hands.

“It’s been a long time since I interrogated…”  Izi made air quotes.  “…a Ferengi.  I need the practice.”

“Hok said you’re in Starfleet.  You can’t treat people that way.”

Izi grinned.  “Hok said he’s in Starfleet.  He didn’t say I was.”  She got up, reached into a pocket, producing a small device.  Pressing a button, it clicked and a blade popped out.  “I guess it’s option three.”

Glosh stumbled to his feet, holding out his hands in a defensive posture.  “Why are you doing this?  I don’t know anything.”  He let out a short whimper.

“Who wanted Hok back on Ferenginar?”

“The Orion Syndicate.  Hok’s father and brother stole something from them and they think Hok has it.  That’s all I know.  I swear.”

Izi slowly caressed her blade.

“I really don’t know anything else.”

“Luck is with you today, Glosh.  I believe you.”

Glosh collapsed back onto his chair.

“Tell me how to contact the Syndicate,” said Izi.  “I’ll pay you for your effort.”

“You don’t need to do that.”  It was Hok.  “If it is the Syndicate, they’ll find us.”

There was a crack and a spark of electricity at the door, which slid open.  Three large men with disruptors rushed in.

Izi jumped, ready to fight.

“Drop the knife, Andorian, or you die where you stand.”

Izi considered her choices, then tossed her weapon onto the floor.

“It’s nice to see you again, Hok.”

One of the men pulled the door closed.

“Please, everyone sit.  Let’s chat.”  A satisfied grin formed on his face.

Ferenginar

Izi was fuming.  The three men from the Orion Syndicate had gotten the drop on them and she felt it was her fault.  She was in charge of keeping Hok and herself safe, but they were now at the mercy of dangerous criminals.

“Let’s get down to business,” said the one that was the leader.

“Business?” said Izi.  “We’re Starfleet officers.  Tread carefully.”

“Don’t you just love Andorian bluster?  They’re outdone only by Klingons.”

Izi harrumphed.  “I’ve made Klingons twice my size back down.”

The Leader studied Izi.  “Perhaps.”

“I still don’t know what you want.  I don’t have the item,” said Hok.

The Leader appeared to be confused.  “Item?  What do you mean?”

It was Izi and Hok who were confused now.

“The item.  That’s what your thugs demanded every time they roughed me up,” said Hok.

The Leader pondered for a moment, which was followed by an expression of realization.  “I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood.  Perhaps you should get your lobes checked.”  He chuckled.  “We’re not looking for some item, we want the Ay-tim.”

“I still don’t know what that is,” said Hok.

The Leader sighed.  “The Ay-tim is a small statue, about twenty centimeters.  It’s a representation of the goddess of life on Lorica.  Whoever possesses it is said to be blessed by the gods.  It’s literally priceless.  By returning it to the Loricans, we’ll have their unending gratitude.  As a former businessman, I’m sure you can envision what that means to the Syndicate.”

At the mentioning of Lorica, Izi noticed the look on Hok’s face.  It was there only a moment, and the Leader missed it, but it was there.  Izi was certain Hok knew what the Ay-tim was.

“Your father and brother stole the Ay-tim from us after we stole it from the Loricans.”  The Leader looked at Izi.  “We did it under the noses of a Starfleet protection detail.”  He chuckled.

“I presume you’re the ones that sent the message about Hok’s mother,” said Izi.  She saw Hok wince.

“An excellent idea, don’t you think?”  The Leader showed a satisfied smile.

Izi laughed.  “Yeah, and it took you nine years to do it.”  She enjoyed watching the smirk disappear from the Leader’s face.

“We tracked Hok to Earth, but we lost him again.  Who would have thought a Ferengi would join Starfleet?”

“How did you find him again?” said Izi.

The Leader seemed to be considering if he should say.  Apparently his ego won.

“About four months ago, we tried to make a business deal with the leaders of the Red Heaven cartel on Lextis III.  After bribing several government officials, can you imagine our surprise when we learned the Ferengi working for the cartel was an undercover Starfleet officer?”

Izi didn’t bother to look at Hok’s reaction.  “And it still took you all that time to think of the message idea.  Your bosses must be proud.”

“The people responsible were dealt with.  There’s accountability in the Syndicate.”

“Glosh is obviously innocent in this and it’s unlikely you’re going to escalate something with Starfleet by harming us.  So what happens next,” said Izi.

“We still want the Ay-tim.”

“And Hok doesn’t have it.”

“Yes I do.”

Izi didn’t know who was more surprised that Hok admitted having the statue.  “Hok?”

“Well now.  We’re finally making progress.” said the Leader.

“It was in my mother’s closet.  I thought it was just some gift my father bought her, so when I left, I took it with me,” said Hok.  “It’s in my quarters on the Eagle.”

Izi burst out laughing.

The Leader scowled.

“I’d hate to be you!”  Izi’s antennae bounced, matching her mirth.

The Leader pointed his disruptor at Izi.  His face was an explosion of fury.

“I’m giving the Ay-tim back to the Loricans,” said Hok.

The disruptor shifted to Hok.

“You’re not coming out ahead on this one,” said Izi.  “You kill us and I promise you our captain will make it impossible for the Syndicate to do any business in our sector.  There’s accountability in the Syndicate.”

The tension in the room was so thick, it was like being shrouded in a heavy, wet blanket.  Seconds ticked past, feeling like time had stopped.

The Leader roared in anger and quickly spun around, striding to the door.  His thugs followed him out.

Glosh let out a huge sigh.  “Thank you!”

Izi nodded.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Hok.  “We’ve got something important to do.”

Izi emerged from the aft section of Eaglet 2 and rejoined Hok in the cockpit.  After sitting in the co-pilot chair, she set a PADD on the console.  Hok glanced at her, but didn't say anything.  Izi let about thirty seconds of silence pass.

“We still have a long way to go before we get back to the Eagle.  You're going to tell me the rest of the story.  No more excuses.  I'm in too deep already.”

Hok glanced at Izi again and nodded.  Tapping the console, he set the shuttle to auto pilot.  “What do you want to know?”

Finally, thought Izi.  “When we were in Glosh's house, there was a flash of recognition on your face when the Syndicate guy mentioned Lorica.  It was there for only a moment and he missed it, but I saw it.  What does Lorica mean to you?”

“After my undercover mission with Doctor Weaver, Commander Perry was transferring the Doc to Intelligence.”

Izi nodded.

“I wasn't going to let that happen,” said Hok.  “We were partners and you always have your partner's back.”

“That's right,” said Izi.

“From chatting with Haia, I knew her maternal grandmother was an administrative yeoman at Starfleet HQ on Earth, so I asked Haia to reach out to her.  I thought she might have connections that could do something.”

Izi was impressed Hok thought of that.

“When the message from Earth arrived, all it said was, Lorica Operation.”  Hok shrugged.  “I had no idea what that meant, but I trusted it would help.”

“It all makes sense now, Hok.”

“When I mentioned it to Perry, he almost wet himself.”  Hok chuckled.

“How did the captain react?” said Izi.

“He was glad Doc Weaver was staying, but he wanted to know what the Lorica Operation was and how I knew about it.  I didn't know anything and I wanted to protect Haia's grandmother, so I said it was better that he didn't know.  I asked him to trust me and he did.  I'm kind of surprised I managed to pull that off.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” said Izi.  “You know I can keep a secret.”

Hok smiled.  “Sometimes you're so fixated on knowing everything, it was fun tormenting you.”

Izi frowned, but let that pass.  She knew how aggressive she could be.

“I did some research on Lorica,” said Izi.  “Every year, they have a celebration of life festival.  It recognizes all the blessings and good things they enjoy.”

“Many cultures have holidays like that,” said Hok.

“On that day, the Ay-tim is put on public display as a symbol of the favor on their lives.  The rest of the year, it's kept in the most secure location on the planet.”  Izi paused.  “The odd thing about this is there's no record the Ay-tim was stolen.  They have the celebration every year and the statue is displayed.”

Hok wrinkled his nose.  “I can understand the government keeping it secret that it was stolen, but it's still displayed?”

Izi had more to tell, the part she wished she could keep to herself.  “I contacted the Eagle and talked with the captain.”

Hok didn't say anything.

“I asked Captain Kirby to call in any favors he had to dig into this.  He wanted to know why, but I told him we'd give a full report when we got back.”  Izi pointed to the PADD.  “There's information there you're not going to like, but because of what you've lost, you deserve to know.”

Hok's reaction told Izi he was expecting the worse.

Izi sighed.  Here goes, she thought.  “About nine years ago, there were ongoing talks about Lorica joining the Federation.  A diplomatic delegation was there to honor the celebration of life holiday.  A Lieutenant Perry was in charge of security of both the delegation and helping to protect the Ay-tim.  Perry was held accountable for failing to protect the statue and it almost ended his career."

Hok chuckled.  “The Syndicate guy said they stole it, but there's no record it was,” said Hok.  “I have the statue.  I don't understand.”

“Lorica joining the Federation was important, so the theft was covered up.  That's why you were able to blackmail Perry,” said Izi.

Izi wanted to stop, but there was no going back.

“The Ay-tim is so important and valuable to the Lorican people, it never leaves its secure location.  Only a small number of officials know this, but what goes on public display is a replica and not the real thing.”  Izi stopped and waited for Hok to react.

Hok's face went from curiosity, to realization, to shock.  “Are you telling me my father, mother, and brother died, I lost my business license, was hunted by the Orion Syndicate, had to leave my home world, and hide in Starfleet because of a statue that's really a fake?”

“Yes.”

Hok turned in his chair, leaving his back to Izi.  He wasn't saying anything and his head was bowed.

Izi wanted to help, but didn't know what to say.

“I have nothing.  Everything's been taken from me," Hok whispered.

“Hok, that's not true.  You have your friends and crewmates on the Eagle.”

Hok spun in his chair to face Izi, his countenance a fury of anger.  “Haven't you figured it out yet, Iziraa?  I'm a Ferengi!”  He pounded his chest.  “That's who I am.  That's what I want to be.  I don't want to be a Starfleet officer!"

Izi didn't see that coming.  “Hok…”

“Hok nothing and that's what I am.  A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi.”

This was bad.  Izi had to say something.  “Hok, I get what you're saying, but you're far from nothing.  In the short time you've been on the Eagle, you helped bring down a dangerous drug cartel and you were part of getting the Breen deployment plans that helped defeat the Jem'Hadar fleet.  You've already done more than many officers do in years.”

“So pin a medal on my chest.  If it's made from gold, maybe that will count as profit and I can actually be a Ferengi.”

Izi started to say something, but Hok stopped her.

“I know you're trying to help, but this is all on me.  I need to decide what to do next.”

“Fair enough.”  Izi knew Hok was right.  She would respect his decision, but if he left, she would miss him.

Izi was in the corridor outside Hok’s quarters, but she hadn’t pressed the chime.  She wasn’t normally one to display her emotions, which caused her hesitation.  Members of the crew passing by chuckled or gave her odd looks, but none of that mattered.  Taking a deep breath, she rang the bell.

The door slid open.

“Hey, Hok.”

The Ferengi security officer looked at Izi, an amused expression on his face.  “You can come in.  You don’t need to stand out there.”

“Mm?  Oh!”  Izi stepped inside and the door closed behind her.  She glanced around the room.  “You’re packed and ready to go.”

“I’m almost finished.  My travel arrangements came through.  I’m leaving in two hours.”

Izi respected Hok’s decision, but that didn’t mean she liked it.  “I can’t talk you out of it?”

‘No.  This is something I need to do.  I’ve got to know for sure.”

Izi nodded.  She had made the decision to remain in Starfleet rather than go back home to be with her bond mates.  Maybe she expected Hok to make a similar choice.  “What about getting back your business license?”

“The captain wrote a letter of recommendation.  It seems I’m an awesome guy.”  Hok chuckled.  “Of course, it will probably take the last of my latinum in taxes and fees.”

Izi frowned at the memory of what Ferengi customs put her through.  “I do respect your decision, but I meant everything I said on the shuttle.  You’re a good Starfleet officer and an asset to this ship.”

“Thanks, Lieutenant.  I appreciate you saying that.”

Silence.

“Is it okay if I bring up something personal?” said Izi.

“You’re asking?”  Hok laughed.

Izi ignored that.  “What are you going to do with the Ay-tim?”

Hok sighed and took a few seconds before answering.  “For now, I’m taking it with me, but I think I’ll end up vaporizing it with a phaser.”

Izi regretted asking, as she could hear the emotion in Hok’s voice and see the sadness on his face.  “Hok I….”

“It’s okay, Lieutenant.  It’s the way things worked out.”

“Yeah,” said Izi.  “I should go.  I need to get back to the bridge and you have more packing to do.”

“Okay, Lieutenant.”

Izi nodded and turned to leave.

“Iziraa, wait.”

Izi didn’t expect Hok to stop her or call her by name.  She faced him, her antennae moving in slow circles.

“On the shuttle, when I said I don’t want to be a Starfleet officer, that was how I felt when I joined,” said Hok.  “I was also hurt and angry.  Being in Starfleet has actually been, well, not a bad thing.”

Izi was glad to hear Hok say that.  Being in Starfleet was special, unique, and an amazing thing to do.  People not part of it couldn’t truly understand.  “It was an honor serving with you, Ensign.  Be well, Hok.  May you never want for latinum.”  With a quick wave, Izi walked out.