A Family Defined in History

Terok Nor

"Illnoira, please..."

"No, Christian. I've been planning this since Zophar's birth, I'm not turning back now."

The Captain sighed. "And you will not reconsider transport? There is enough time to bring you to Aurora-Penthe Seven before we meet with the Orion Syndicate."

"Love, the Vulcans are trustable enough. And if you really wish someone to come with me, you can order David or Wiv to come with me." the Cardassian told, her tone softened.

"I will need both of them during the negotiations. I will let you leave with the Vulcan transport, but I will worry about you every single day."

The helmswoman smiled. "Of course. I'll send you a transmission once I've arrived in Rikkuu, alright? Then you can stop being such a worrywart."

"Of course. I shall miss you, my wife."

"And I you, my husband." and the woman left him to enter the small transport that had docked with the larger star vessel.

Chris let out a deep breath as he saw the doors close.

The Chief of Security crossed her arms. "You really love her, certainly for a couple in an arranged marriage."

"I never forced her to be with me. She was free to choose another until the day our wedding was set, I told her so when I met her. Still she stayed true to me, even when I made a couple of huge mistakes." the half-Hatorian told. "Even after all these years, I feel like I do not deserve her. She has been loyal all our time apart, I had a girlfriend back at the Academy and later on I had an affair with a Romulan."

"She thought you were worth the wait." the Klingon suggested as they began walking through the hallways of the Typhoon.

"Which makes her even more a saint and me a sinner." the part-Vulcan pointed out.

Wiv rolled with her eyes. "Please, as if."

*//*

"How does an interspecies bond even work?"

Illnoira turned her head from the window to find a female Vulcan standing in the door. "Well, it begins with accepting someone for who and what they are. Character is far more important than someone's looks or bloodline. I believe we haven't met."

"That is true. My name is T'Lan, I am one of the engineers. My bondmate Sopek is the pilot." the Vulcan replied. "May I take a seat?"

"By all means." and the Cardassian gestured to the empty seat beside her.

The other woman sat down. "Thank you, Lady Illnoira."

"Please, just Illnoira." the Starfleet officer said.

"Illnoira, how is it to not know your own people? You know what you are and your name, but you do not know anything about the rituals of your own species." T'Lan stated.

Illnoira shrugged. "There's enough to find in the Hatorian database, but I've never had the interest to take a peek. There're enough stories on Aurora-Penthe Seven of young Cardassians who went crazy after learning certain customs. You've got to go through a series of mental tests before you're even allowed to read a single article. It's a lot of bureaucratic shit."

"And the stories a true?"

"I was told by eyewitnesses."

Suddenly, the ship shook.

"Officers, report to your posts. We are under attack by two Cardassian Heidiki's."

"I am sorry that our conversation has been cut short." and T'Lan left the room, leaving for the engineering sections.