USS Grail: "They Were Expendable"

USS Nova: "Shore Leave"

"Meeting Epic on the Grail"

Arda picked up Kaede in Sickbay on the Nova. Despite being Helm officer, she spent more time here than anything. She cuddled Kaede close. Not that she minded why she had spent it there.

"Before you go," said S'skamatz, catching her at the door, "we need to register Kaede." She nodded, following the doctor into his office. "Let's start shall we? Name?"

"Arda Kaede." He looked up.

"But-"

"I know. No one's ever called me by my given name except my mother. I'd prefer to keep it that way." He nodded.

"Arda Kaede," he repeated. "Mother. Arda Kaje. Father. Well, this is perplexing. How do we explain alien spirits giving you a child?"

"Epic Terrakian."

"What?"

"Epic adopted her."

"That's noble of him. Are you sure you want 'Lt. Dracula' adopting your child?"

"They need each other. It has to do with the spirits." Arda sighed. "Please believe me when I say that it's for the best." Ski merely nodded at the half-breed.

"Right. Birthdate. 49711.03." Arda just nodded as he filled out most of the other stuff on his own. "Well, that's it. Rather painless?"

"Yes," she said, rather than her usual, "I suppose". It was time for her to start believing in herself and her abilities. She had to be sure of herself, for Kaede.

"Right then. Good luck to you, Ka-Arda." Arda smiled.

"Thanks." She didn't correct him on her name. Her given name was very personal to her. More so than normal Bajorans. "Perhaps I'll see you soon."

"Perhaps." With that, they parted. Arda didn't bother checking her quarters to see if anything had been left behind. She had only spent one night in there and hadn't had time to accumulate more than four uniforms and two sets of spare clothes. Most of her baby stuff, given to her by Eve, Epic, Luc, Tali, and Cat, had been in Sickbay with her and the baby. She hadn't had the chance to move back to her quarters.

So, she headed back across the umbilical<sp?> to Lerins Station and headed towards the nearest transporter. All her stuff had already been moved, well, what little there was of hers, it was mostly Kaede's, so all she had was Kaede in a small basket. She walked in.

"I'm headed for the Grail," she said. The transporter operator gave her a strange look. Why would she be going to the Grail with a child? They may never come back!

"Of course." She clenched her jaw and stepped onto the pad. "Coordinates set. I must ask you to put the basket on the pad."

"But she's only a baby."

"Safety reasons." Arda frowned at him nastily and carefully placed Kaede's basket on the pad next to her. "Thank you." Then, he looked at her. She stared back a few moments before realizing what was next.

"Oh, energize." He rolled his eyes and did so. The blue sparkles engulfed them and, after a moments disorientation, they were looking at Epic and the transporter operator of the Grail.

Arda Kaje smiled warmly at Epic, the smile feeling a little strange on her lips. She was excited, she couldn't deny it (oh oh oh oh), but she had her reservations about the mission. At least Kaede would be with her father.

She bent and picked up Kaede. Epic rushed forward to grab his soulmate in a deeply needed hug. Epic lifted the baby girl from the basket and hugged her like she was the only thing in the universe.

The baby laughed and squealed and gummed his ear in a fit of affection. Epic laughed out loud with a roar akin to pure pleasure and carried her out of the transporter room, waving his hand for Arda to take and follow. She did both, letting him lead her to her new home.

After baby Kaede had finally settled down enough to go to sleep, Epic and Arda sat and talked. Epic's smile was plastered to his face. His joy was unmistakable.

"So, Arda. Tell me what's happened since we parted. And...." There was a hesitation as his thoughts faintly crossed his face. He looked at her with a little embarrassment. "And maybe you could tell me more about yourself. You let me adopt your beautiful baby girl, but I know so little about you."

Arda thought about it. What was there to know about Arda Kaje? She was a single mother of one, that he knew. She had a torrid past, that he knew. Was there anything worth talking about?

Her thoughts had registered in Kaede. Epic looked at her a moment, obviously knowing what she was feeling. She gave a hefty sigh.

"I can't hide much from you, can I, Epic?" He shook his head. "I grew up in the prison camps, looked down upon by Cardassians because of my Bajoran mother, hated by Bajorans because of my Cardassian father. I never knew my father. That's why I want Kaede to have a father so desperately. She deserves that." She blinked away a tear, years of practice prevented it from falling.

"I managed to escape by a fluke, years after my mother had been killed. The cell took me in and became part of the Maquis when that formed. Unfortunately, the faction leader, Xzarre, took a liking to my mixed heritage's vulnerability in the Maquis.

"He used it against me often, sending me on ridiculous missions.." her voice faded, looking to Kaede. Did she want to subject her child to these feelings so soon? The tiny baby slept peacefully, apparently not noticing what her mother was going through by reliving her life for the man in front of her. "I can't go on," Kaje whispered bitterly. She pulled the tears back again and bit her lip until it turned white. "I can't go on."

<<There, it's official. I'll be moving Sunny into the Nova later on today. Right now, I need some sleep.>>