“Oh, you won’t be spending your time in a Federation facility,” Arya told the increasingly confused-looking Cardassian seated across the interrogation table in front of her. “You’re being handed over to the Bajorans. Now, all we need to do is work out where the line is between murder and genocide and sentence you accordingly.” These were very strange words for such a gentle and kind-looking person, but Lieutenant Caidyn Arya had done a few of these interviews now and was becoming adept at baiting the Cardassians. Whether that was simply by being Bajoran or due to any particular skill on her part, she wasn’t sure. What she was sure of was that it didn’t suit her, and she was coming to hate it.

“Murder?” He asked with some surprise. “I never murdered anyone!” The bleak white lighting reflected off his pale gray skin, making it even paler. Arya snorted.

“Please, we know what you did at Parnath.” The prisoner leaned forward.

“I was never at Parnath!” He protested. Another snort of derision.

“You can claim all you want, Kitaan. That does not make it true.” Arya smiled. But then she always appeared to be smiling.

“Kitaan?! I’m not Airon Kitaan; my name is Kragar, Tolis Kragar!”

Without another word, Arya stood from the table, and with a whirr, the door admitted her to the antechamber beyond.

“Tolis Kragar,” she told the officer waiting for her outside who’d been viewing the interview on the monitors.

Major Cinti Maru of the Bajoran Militia consulted her PADD. “No mention of a Tolis Kragar on the war crimes list. That doesn’t disregard a… a less prominent role in the occupation.”

“Mmm,” Arya agreed. It was important to her that any prisoners who were on the list were rooted out and exposed, but the work had never sat well with her, despite her somehow being adept at baiting the P.O.W.s. Something was pressing on her mind. She had been working with the major for a few weeks, and while the two didn’t know each other particularly well, Arya had managed to build up a decent idea of who Cinti was.

“Major, may I ask you a personal question?”

Maru didn’t look up from her PADD. She was going through the records they had from the Central Command. It had considerable holes, but it had been used to root out lesser-known war criminals in the past. “Hmmm? Oh, yes, of course.”

“Do you ever dream about the occupation?”

Maru looked up from the PADD. After a brief pause, she spoke, “I expect we all do from time to time. My family was lucky. We were spared from the worst of it, though nobody had it easy unless you were a collaborator. The Occupation doesn’t haunt me like it did for some, but I still saw things no young girl should ever have to witness. That sticks with you, and, well, yeah, it gets into the dreams from time to time, and you wake up in a cold sweat, and your heart racing.”

Arya nodded sympathetically. The major had described a familiar experience. She didn’t know what Maru had been through specifically but she was doing important work, holding the Cardassians to account. So was Arya. And yet…

“Yes, exactly,” she replied, moving a little closer, but not disrespectfully close. “I’m sorry to broach a painful subject, I ask because, well, when I escaped the occupation, I saw my way to freedom in a dream. The next day events unfolded in a way similar to what I had dreamed. I dreamed that I should join Starfleet, and here I am. I believe, right or wrong, that the prophets guide me through these dreams. Last night I dreamt that I was among the stars again, on a ship, as I was before. Perhaps my dreams simply reflect my dislike of this posting, your company excepted of course. Still, I… would like to go back to ship operations. Every day here I feel like I am reliving the occupation. Thoughts and memories I’ve tried hard to escape.”

Maru sighed,  “I think… I think you should do what you think is best for you. I can see how it could trigger unpleasant feelings.”

Unpleasant was perhaps an understatement, but at least the Major wasn’t objecting.

“I appreciate that,” Arya told her. “I shall put in a request and continue here until it comes through. Right, who’s next?”

Maru entered commands into her PADD, “Prisoner 1228-5B, Thirak, Lorim.”