Yene Taheth hadn’t been to Bajor in about a year, and usually when he had shore leave and permission to travel wherever he’d like for a week, that’s where he’d be headed. But this time, he had other plans.

It had been about 9 years since he’d last seen his cousin, Avak Karine. He hadn’t even spoken to her that time. He’d just gone to the Starbase he’d known she’d be at and watched her. He wondered if he’d try to speak to her this time. She’d spent the past 7 years as the XO of a ship, but now she was a Security Officer at Starbase Bravo. She tended to take positions at Starbases in between major assignments. Taheth had kept track of her entire career.

Besides, Starbase Bravo was a suitable place for vacationing anyway. Even if Karine still wanted nothing to do with Taheth, maybe he’d at least have some fun.

He started his day at a cafe that to his surprise, was staffed by real people as opposed to replicators. A Tellarite teenager took his order, saying that this job bored her and she couldn’t want to return to Tellar Prime when her exchange program was over.

“Really? Well, I’d be at Bajor if I wasn’t here looking for my cousin. Wish she’d talk to me already.” He was aware of the Tellarite customs of commiseration and debate.

The Tellarite seemed to light up, glad Taheth hadn’t taken offense. “Who’s your cousin? Maybe I’ve seen her?”

“Her name is Commander Avak Karine. She should be a security officer here. This is basically a break for her.”

The Tellarite nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen Commander Avak. She orders deka tea here too every now and then. But I don’t know where she is now. I think the security patrols vary.” She shrugged, leaning closer to Taheth. “Which is fine with me, because there’s one officer I absolutely can’t STAND. An ensign, who thinks he’s better than everyone who isn’t Starfleet. I swear, one of these days, I’m going to slip talaxian wormroot in his drink…”

Bitching with a Tellarite had been surprisingly cathartic, and the deka tea had been almost as good as it was on Bajor. Taheth had told the Tellarite how his dad brewed it, and she took notes. Turns out she was here from a culinary school.

Taheth wasn’t sure if he wanted to try to find Karine first, or explore one of the entertainment focused areas. Maybe it was better to get it over with, though. So he followed the map on his PADD to the security office.

“New transfer?” The human officer sitting at the front desk asked.

“No, actually. I’m here for my cousin. Commander Avak? Do you know her?”

The blond man frowned, checking his PADD. “I’m sorry, but Commander Avak has requested to not be disturbed by anyone claiming to be her family. Seems like she’s had some problems from that before?”

Taheth’s face fell. Damn it. Of course it wouldn’t be this easy. “Oh, I see. Sorry about this.”

He apologized and left the office. What now? The Starbase was huge, and he wasn’t sure how to find her without any direction. Then he thought back to the interaction with the Tellarite barista. Security officers had set patrols they switched through, seemingly, so maybe he could find people who had an idea of what they were.

The problem was finding those people.

Minutes later, Taheth was walking into The Pit and Pendulum. He’d never been much of a drinker, but he’d been told this was a popular place for those who weren’t part of Starfleet, and tended to be ‘rougher’ than some of the other establishments onboard the Starbase. Wisely, he’d changed out of his Starfleet uniform and into the type of clothing often worn by visiting freighters. First impressions were everything and he didn’t want to be read as another officer wanting to control things.

He sat at the bar, ordering one of the house made beers and taking a sip. It wasn’t terrible, actually, though he’d have preferred a cocktail, or better yet, something without alcohol.

Luckily for Taheth, he was a communications officer, and socializing came easily to him.

“There’s this officer who’s really been getting on my nerves. I think her name is Commander Avak. Blonde haired, brown skinned?” For once, Taheth was grateful he and his cousin looked nothing alike. “Would any of you know where she tends to patrol? Hoping I can avoid her.” He said, after some exchanges of pleasantries and commenting on the Klingon bat’leth matches that had been playing on one of the viewscreens.

An Orion, who Taheth now knew was named Mikuh, gave him a sympathetic look. “Avak? Yeah, she’s a pain. Got a PADD?” He asked.

Taheth felt himself panicking a little. He did have one, but it was a Starfleet model. That wouldn’t do. He pretended to be searching his pockets, then frowned. “Should, but I must’ve left it in my ship.” He hoped this would work.

“No problem. Have a look.” Mikuh beckoned Taheth over to look at his PADD, a translucent glowing screen. There was a map of the Starbase on it, with lines in various colors.

“The red is for Avak,” Mikuh explained. “Check this out.” He tapped the red line, and it showed a time. “It might not be fully accurate, but should be pretty close. Unless security’s changed patrols again.”

“Thanks. I was actually planning to look around the Starbase a bit more soon, but could you tell me where she should be right now?”

According to Mikuh’s map, Karine was supposed to be patrolling one of the docking bays. That was where Taheth was headed next, after thanking the Orion and finishing his drink.

Still, Taheth found himself waiting outside the turbolift that would take him down to where, in theory, his cousin should be. He desperately wanted to talk to her, but she didn’t seem to want that. Maybe just seeing her would be enough. Taheth already knew it wouldn’t be.

Somehow, he took a step forward, then another. Then he was pressing the button on the turbolift and hurtling downwards.

He first saw her from a distance, her blond dyed hair luminous in the harsh light. There was a group of Tamarians in front of her, and she looked exasperated.

“I don’t care about your damn valleys. Your ship doesn’t have the proper authorization to land here, so you have to go.” She snapped.

“Ara and Liat at sea!” One of the Tamarians exclaimed.

“Kiteo, his eyes closed.” The other said, with obvious irritation. Taheth ran over to the scene.

“Sir? I believe they’re saying they were attacked by pirates.”

“Jinza, when the truth was uncovered!” One of the Tamarians said in agreement.

Avak Karine turned, meeting eyes with Taheth. “You.” She stepped closer to him, jabbing a finger in his face. “Stalking me again? I told you, I’m not going back to Bajor, and have no interest in a family I don’t remember.”

The words cut into Taheth like a blazing knife, and he stumbled back as if he’d been struck, before hastily straightening himself up. He was a Starfleet officer now, not a child desperate for attention.

“O-of course not, sir.” Taheth lied. “I was just here for shore leave. Checking the docking bay to see if any of my friends who were stationed elsewhere were visiting.”

Karine’s gaze didn’t soften, but she looked to the Tamarians, then back at Taheth. She sighed. “You understand them?”

Taheth nodded. “Of course, I’m a communications officer after all.” It also hurt Taheth that she hadn’t even managed to remember that, but he tried to push his feelings aside. “They speak in cultural references. Ara and Liat at sea references a story where the characters are attacked by pirates, for example.”

Karine rested her head in her hand for a moment, then turned to the Tamarians again. “Repeat your story again.”

“Jalow in the valleys.” The middle Tamarian started. “Ara and Liat at sea. Hinyl, with his book closed.”

“Well?” Karine said to Taheth.

“They said they’re scared because of being attacked by pirates and didn’t know they needed authorization to land.”

“Imra, eyes wide in joy!” The Tamarian on the right said.

“Yorzo at his darkest hour.” The leftmost Tamarian added.

“Then they thanked me, and also said they’re willing to obtain the authorization. Could you explain to them how to do that, sir?”

“…yeah. Sorry. Been having a rough day.”

Taheth waited as Karine explained the procedure for getting authorization to land at the Starbase to the Tamarians, and had them fill out some forms on her PADD, before allowing them to proceed past the docking bay.

“What are you waiting for?” She snapped, when she noticed that Taheth hadn’t left.

“If you don’t want to come back to Bajor, you don’t have to. You don’t have to be someone else. I want to know the you who’s in front of me. And I’m sorry for having been selfish, having put pressure on you over the years. I won’t do it again.”

Karine blinked. Her face began to settle into a scowl, and Taheth worried she’d yell at him or tell him to go away. Instead, she tried to smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Maybe things would never be as they were, but Taheth had already accepted that. He looked forward to getting to know his cousin again and who she’d become.