Tasting Freedom

Posted on Fri Jan 8th, 2016 @ 9:45pm by Indra Nyyar & Eldren Tohr

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: The Arboretum

* Nyyar’s Quarters *

Sleep had been a long time coming after Nyyar’s meeting with Zikar. She’d sat staring at the vase of yellow flowers as her first day ever with Zikar replayed in her thoughts. He’d been so eager to put her at ease, to get her to talk, to share his day with her and draw her into his world back then. The man she’d seen in the Arboretum seemed so different. That could be due, she supposed, to his trying to hide his hurt that she’d left him. She recognized the signs - he tended to put on a tough shell when something bothered him and only Nyyar herself could get through. What now, though, when she was the source of that hurt? Still, there had been moments when she’d seen her Zikar, the man she knew so well.

Or thought she did. Now she wasn’t so sure. He’d never ordered her to do anything but this time he had. She’d seen hints of a much more forceful, hard man and it had shaken her. When she finally did sleep, her rest was fitful, full of dreams of the day she’d left, only in the dreams he’d caught her and pulled her from the ship. The dream had cut out there and started over, stuck in a continual loop. She’d awakened with a feeling of dread that she’d never felt where Zikar was concerned.

Finally, the lights in her quarters had come up, simulating morning. The beep of her terminal had sounded, indicating a message. It had been waiting since last evening, but she’d been so wrapped up in Zikar’s package, then dashing off to meet him, that she’d missed it. It was from Paz. She was sure he’d be many lights years away by now but he was here and wanted to see her. She’d sent a quick reply to let him know she was free that evening, along with a warning that Zikar was on the station and to be careful, even though Zikar had no idea who he was.

Now she sat, still in her robe, coffee in hand and once more regarded the sunny yellow flowers. The dish of pink stones sat on the table beside the vase but she resisted touching them. Something was different, both with Zikar and with her. She felt certain that there was no going back to what they’d had together. What that meant was that she had a big decision to make. Her asylum request was in process and even if it took a while for Cardassia to acknowledge it, and for it to be finalized, she was safe here and couldn’t be removed, either by the Cardassian government or a determined husband.

Which led to the next move. If she intended to stay here as a Bajoran citizen, she needed to cut ties to her old life completely - including Zikar. She ordered the computer to request a meeting with someone in the JAG office, then rose to refill her coffee. As she stood in the kitchen sipping it, she thought over her day and a smile relaxed the strain on her face. As far as differences went, there was a big one for her and that was meeting Eldren. She hadn’t wanted to explain how he knew her to Zikar She had seen clearly how angry he was that she’d dined with the man. Telling Eldren’s story would only have enraged him further.

It didn’t matter really. What she did was no longer Zikar’s concern. Besides, she was meeting Eldren soon and that buoyed her spirits immensely. She returned to the bedroom, coffee in hand, to get dressed. Zikar’s accusation that she had been dressed like a tart rose to mind and was just as quickly dismissed. She knew the real problem was that she had worn it for someone besides him. He’d have to get over it. What she wore was no longer his concern either.

* The Arboretum *

Walking on a small path of flat stones lined by well-kept bushes Eldren let his eyes linger on the details of the much fabled Arboretum. He had to admit that the engineers and architects of the starbase had made a remarkable job for being something of a greenhouse suspended in space. It paled in comparison to the landscapes that he remembered from Bajor. Especially the sights of the valleys he could take from the Kohn-Ma hideout perched high in the mountains long ago.

Proceeding towards the small lake he looked around to see if he could spot Nyyar somewhere close there. He felt nervous as each time he left his safe den down in Saturnalia, everywhere else on the base was hostile terrain to him full of potential enemies. Still the choice of the place seemed right, not many people were around there and all keeping to themselves and their businesses.

Nyyar reached the grass and after speaking to her escorts, she bent down to slip off her sandals. Today she wore a casual red sleeveless dress that stopped above the knee. The feel of real grass under her bare feet was an absolute luxury and she took a moment to revel in it. She began to walk across the grass, the security escort a little ways behind. She could see Eldren up ahead and now she looked out over the area, checking to make sure Zikar was nowhere about. After his reaction last night, she wanted to take no chances or put Eldren in danger. Finally, she drew near and, dropping her shoes by the rock where she’d sat with Zikar the night before, she reached Eldren.

“Hello,” she said, her smile a bit shy. “It’s good to see you.”

“Hi, that’s good for me too,” he replied smiling. Casting a look beyond her he saw the two men of the escort not far away. “The diplomatic officer is taking her task very seriously it seems.” He ended in an attempt to sound gamesome.

Nyyar nodded as they began to walk slowly along the shore of the lake. “Let’s hope it won’t be for much longer. Today, perhaps, it’s good for us both they are here.” Hearing him say he was glad to see her pleased her. She was also happy to find that she wasn’t nervous as she had been on her trip here the previous night. The calm made her a little bold. “How was your evening after I left you? Better than mine I hope?”

“An usual evening of an usual day for me. If better than yours I can’t say. What had yours to distress you?” He asked looking at her intently.

She told him of the package that had been waiting when she got home and Zikar’s plea to speak with her. “So, I met him here. I figured it was safest since we are in plain view. I owed him an explanation after all the years together but the one I gave him did not go over well. He was unhappy that I had not brought my problem to him directly and that I’d been listening to what he claimed was idle gossip. I didn’t want to tell him that my source was a reliable one. He’d have demanded to know and that person’s safety would have been lost. You can imagine, I am sure, what would happen.” She shrugged. “He swore he was not that person but I can tell when he is lying. The discussion did not end as he had hoped.”

Eldren snorted and sat on the stone inviting her to do the same and took a large leaf from a bush nearby to play with it. “A luck that a security detail has been given to you. He’s a Cardassian and any version of yourself that wasn’t totally submissive you’ve delivered couldn’t do anything but enrage him. You’re free now. Have no doubts on your future and don’t look back. If you go back to him I’m sure that after this episode your life there will be very different from what you think it’s been until that fated day you discovered truth.”

“I agree.” Nyyar nodded slowly. “He brought up the idea of breaking trust. That works both ways, unfortunately, and he’d never again trust me as he did before. Even if I went back there, our happy life is over, and you’re right. It would never be the same. Not that I want to go back, you understand. I am making friends here. In fact, the man who got me off Cardassia has returned to 900. And then, there is you.”

Eldren started to slowly shred the leaf into thin tapes letting them fall to the ground. “Still you must be careful. Gul Zikar is not a man to forgive. He’ll try anything to have you back and then he’ll clip the wings of his precious little naughty birdie that escaped the golden cage. Do not trust his presents, should he send more, and do not meet him again alone… Or with just two guards. Should he manage to get you on his ship nothing will save you… Federation will not risk starting an incident with Cardassia for a single person.”

He paused then as his words lingered in the air, the leaf growing thinner in his hands while his lips twitched in a hint of a snarl. Should he been able to have his way Nyyar would have been free forever without worry of finding Zikar one day crossing her path again.

He breathed to vent his anger and suddenly focused on something she’d said. “The man that helped you flee Cardassia, you said? Here?” He asked his brow furrowing.

“Yes,” she answered. “A Bajoran named...well...name doesn’t matter. It wasn’t his real name, which was a good idea. It meant I couldn’t be forced to reveal him to Zikar if things went wrong.” She watched Eldren for a moment, then reached over, covering his hand with her own to still his fingers. “He left me on Bajor and took off, as I insisted he do. Coming out this far makes some sense.”

“Perhaps.” He replied none too convinced “You were the wife of a Gul… On Cardassia Prime, how is that this Bajoran could come and go there as he pleased? And how could he come to contact you?...” Eldren didn’t finish his phrase, truth being that he didn’t trust anyone or anything. He’d seen many a collaborator during the Occupation and downed one himself in cold blood. He was reluctant to concede extenuating circumstances to this Bajoran even if he’d helped Nyyar’s flight. Why would he take such a great risk? And for what? Something was definitely amiss... But then he was distracted by her touch and looked down at her hand on his remaining silent.

“Zikar is a legate now,” she answered, her voice soft. “I met Paz a year ago when I was out at the museum one day. We became friends and then planned my escape. He had his own reasons for leaving and I never asked what those were. Better I didn’t know.” She shrugged lightly. “But there’s something we need to talk about Eldren and it concerns you.”

“Me?” he asked almost surprised “About what?”

“Somehow, Zikar knew about our dinner. He had some choice words to say about it and demanded to know who you were. I told him only that you were a friend of someone I’d known on Bajor and that I’d never laid eyes on you till the day before. All true but it was intended to reassure him that I didn’t really know you and he needn’t concern himself with you. He wasn’t thrilled at my attire either.”

“That means you’re being watched,” he said starting to scan around. “How could he possibly know? There must be someone reporting to him able to shadow you despite security and the fact he’s no weight here.” He turned around then to check if the goons were doing their job. “They wouldn’t have lasted a week during the occupation.” he scoffed, then turning to look at her again he said “I’ve nothing to complain about your attire. Not the other day and not today.”

Nyyar finally laughed. “He found it a little too...sexy for dinner with someone besides him. Tart is the word he used, actually. As for seeing us, well, finding me in a Bajoran restaurant, after over twenty years on Cardassia? Not a real stretch to figure out is it? Just promise me you’ll be careful? If I see you again, perhaps it would be better done out of sight.”

“Keeping a low profile is always desirable. I’m not afraid of him or his lackeys,” he responded quietly. He desired indeed that Zikar could come within reach. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good. I won’t have you endangered because of me, nor will Zikar know anything about you from me either.” She looked out at the lake now and relaxed. “Shall we move on to more pleasant topics than my problems?”

“Yes, why not?” he responded. “Are you starting to figure out what would you like to do now? There are so many places to visit and things to do out there.” He offered for a change of subject.

“That’s next up on my list,” she answered. “I”m covered as far as staying here and being safe from removal. I have an appointment with the JAG office to deal with the legal aspects of ...being on my own. Other than that, I have the time and the means to explore, once Zikar is no longer an issue. I suppose that makes me a lady of leisure, at least for now. I’d love to see more of this area of the quadrant though. The golden cage was a little small.”

“Well, while you wait to have a free hand on deciding where to go also the starbase offers some sights. And the Holodecks are a nice addition to the structure. They can take you everywhere you wish. I tried them sometime, recreating Bajor landscapes, helped easing the homesickness.”

“I’d like that. Maybe next time?” She hesitated then. “That is….if you...would like?”

“I would.” He nodded smiling “And how long do you think it will take to this ‘next time?”

Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled once more. “That depends on you I suppose. My time is open completely.”

“Why wait then? The day after tomorrow; I have some work to do in the meantime. Then it will be the eerie forests of Lonar province, Kael… Nyyar.”

She raised her eyebrows at the slip, but then she smiled. “I went there once when I was very young, so I don’t recall much about it. I always wanted to see it again, especially given my grandfather’s stories. I’ll come ready to trek through the forest.”

“It’s settled then. I’ll meet you to Holodeck 41. That should be not too far from your current lodgings.” He looked back again at the two guards. “Perhaps they’re growing restless.” He joked.

“I wouldn’t blame them. This has to be a dull assignment and I did tell Paz I was free tonight if he wanted to say hello.” She held up her hand to stop Eldren’s protest. “On the Promenade, not my quarters.”

“Watch out for that guy. Sounds too strange he took such a risk with nothing to gain and everything to lose. Perhaps he’s contacted you now to collect… Whatever reward he may think is appropriate.” He could not refrain from saying.

“I will. Should we take a short stroll before I have to go?” she asked. “I’ll get my shoes on the way out. The grass feels too good to wear them.”

“Fine for me.” He said standing from the stone “The way around the lake?”

“Perfect.” She stood and fell in step beside him. “Absolutely perfect.”

*******************
Indra Nyyar
This Time Seeing Someone She Wants To see

Eldren Tohr
Becoming A Target