Subject: Grail: Unexplored Spaces - Arda

"Batteries Not Included"

Lt. Arda Kaje

After the game, Arda went and got Kaede to bring her home. She was sleeping when she arrived and quickly denied being tired when she brought her back to their rooms. Of course, soon after getting home, the girl fell asleep again.

Arda had let her sleep on the floor. She had refused to go in her crib and after their last disagreement like that, Kaede had been very upset. So, Arda gave her a few stuffed animals and a blanket on the floor and let her stay there. She played herself back to sleep anyway.

A quick glance at the computer terminal in her room told her there was a message. Well, it was either Epic, one of the shuttle operators, or an engineer. The latter two having to do with the repairs that were currently going on in the shuttlebay, she really hoped it wasn't from them. The last thing she wanted to do after just picking up Kaede from the nursery and letting her take a nap was to wake her up again to bring her back.

Of course, a message from Epic could be anything. It could be about Kaede, it could be about the shuttles (which she had sent him that report on their progress, the Thames being the only one that needed heavy repairs), it could be a social call. She sighed and hit the appropriate button.

*****

=/\=Kaje.

I was hoping we could dine together tonight. If you are feeling social, I would enjoy your company.

Epic.=/\

*****

'Feeling social'? Well, okay, she wasn't Miss Social Butterfly of the Month, but she wasn't a hermit, either. Then there was........

No one had called her Kaje since her mother's death. She had refused to let anyone call her that. It felt strange being referred to by that name. Once or twice, Luc had used it to try and get close to her, to get her to trust him on Xzarre's ship. Each time, she either didn't answer, or she corrected him. The only reason she did that was because he wouldn't hit her like the others did.

Yet, here it was, staring her in the face. As she looked at the note closer, she knew it wasn't a mocking call. This was a genuine show of friendship. He wanted her to call him Epic. Why couldn't she let him call her Kaje?

She shook her head. Something still hadn't clicked right. Here

was someone who wanted to be close, someone who enjoyed their new

friendship, despite its strange origins. Why did she have such a strong

mental block against this?

Because her mother was dead.

As harsh as that outlook was, it was true. Her mother was the only one who ever loved her. Everyone had treated her as an outcast, as someone they hated just because during her most formative years. She was built on a foundation of self-hatred and pity. Sometimes, it would disappear into the walls for a while, but, everytime she got settled in, it would come back to haunt her. When the resistance cell left her on Bajor, she managed to start a life for herself, but then began to hate who she was as Circle members began attacking her. So, she ran. On Delta VII, she started a new life once again. But then, because of who she was, she ran when the Cardassians moved in. She thought she would be accepted in the Maquis, but, no. They hated her because of who she was. She began to settle in on the Nova, but, because of who she was, she was sent to the Grail.

Now, the Grail was headed on a neverending mission to the Delta Quadrant. If only she knew what to expect. She was beginning to settle in once more. She could only hope that this was permanent.

Her attention came back to the terminal in front of her. Epic's message hung there on the screen. Should she accept it? Should she correct him? She didn't know. That name represented a happy time with her mother. It was suddenly and violently taken from her when she was thirteen. Hence, she never used it. When people called her Ms Kaje or Lt. Kaje, she didn't mind. It was a simple mistake that people often made when presented Bajoran names. But, when they called her Kaje like a friend, it grated her a bit.

She read the message again. It wasn't malicious, it wasn't mockery of her lack of use for the name. It was a simple request for trust and friendship. She smiled.

*****

TO: Epic

FROM:

SUBJ: Dinner

*****

I would love to join you for dinner this evening. I've scheduled myself for Beta shift, so if you're free after that, I'll see you then.

~Kaje

*****

=/\= "Message sent," chimed the computer.

Jessica-Lynne Sullivan

-+=+- anuther viktum uv the publik ejukashun sistum -+=+-