Lieutenant Calog Tir stared out of the shuttle windows as they sped through space toward the Hasada Colony.  His confidence in their mission was uneasy, and his symbiont wasn’t improving the situation.  Yoria, the previous host, had been a diplomatic mercenary, for lack of a better word. She had worked most with the Trills in handling negotiations with various groups, but she’d found a unique friendship working with the Bajorans.  Calog knew everything she knew, and he wasn’t surprised that she had been able to build what she had built.  Yoria had been everything he wasn’t – able to read those around her well and figure out what pressure to apply or remove to get an equitable solution.

He glanced to the cockpit and felt his stomach churn a little more.  Ensign Athena Catari was young and Bajoran.  She was strict in her service and focused on her security and tactical duties.  It was a recipe for a challenge once they landed on Hasada.  Parica had gotten his side of the story down.  It was now all a matter of wording. 

“I don’t believe you.”  Parica’s father stared at his son, his face red with fury.  “This is a repeated issue with you returning late, forgetting the time, or getting distracted at the station.  I have half a mind to pull your docking reports from the station.  You’re unbelievable!”  He turned to the Starfleet officers, “I trust you even less.  Bringing a Bajoran along doesn’t make us feel any better.  You’re pandering to us for a reason.”

Ensign Catari practiced her silence while she simmered on the inside.  She hated being talked down to and hated being told why she was there by someone else who hadn’t had a part in her being here.  Being outranked helped her maintain some semblance of control.  She yielded to Tir.

“I know your people, Vedek Parica.  There is enough anger and rage within them…I don’t know if adding to it will help matters.  Is there not some…amount of charity that could be extended here?”  Lieutenant Tir motioned to the son, “He’s been humble in his admission of his transgressions…he’s exhibited the proper stance of atonement.”  He implored, “Things happen for a reason…he’ll be far more careful of respecting and honoring your time and shuttle in the future.”  He glanced at the young man, who nodded, understanding the message he was being sent.

The younger Parica turned to his father, “I am sorry.  It is unacceptable to continue to cause this level of harm to our relationship, Father.”

The Vedek eyed his son carefully, turning the words over in his head.  He turned to Tir, “You seem to know us and our words.  They’ve bought you charity for today…and today only.  We’ll take care of our son.  You take care of yourselves.”  He turned and led his family back to the colony.

Catari waited until they were a distance away before telling Tir, “That kid’s gonna run again.  Those were not truthful eyes.  Reminds me of me in my less obedient days.”

Tir frowned, “Dad seemed to believe his son.”

“He does believe him.  He has to.  You didn’t see any sisters or other siblings.  Parica is all he’s got.  There’s a lotta sin that being the first and only child will cover.”

The Trill asked, “So…what do we do?  Go tell Dad?  Go push around Parica to convince him to stay here and never leave again?”

Catari chuckled, amused.  “Previous host never had kids, did she?”  He answered with an annoyed shake of his head; she smiled, “Kids gotta make mistakes.  Gotta learn the consequences of their mistakes.”

He stared at her, wondering what she meant.  Did she really mean to let him run away again and cause what would amount to a skirmish between two colonies?  He thought farther down the line and realized, “We’re going to stake out the family shuttle and try and talk him out of it, aren’t we?”

She whispered conspiratorially, “We’ll make a security officer out of you yet.”

“That’ll be the day.”