Trovek/Zorkal - Path of the Prophets - The Bracelet

[Arys Trovek]

((OOC: This is the start of a storyline spanning over the next two shore leaves. The events references were part of A Good Death, in particular A Good Death - The Bracelet ))

((Ambassador Zorkal’s quarters, Unlisted, Starbase 118))

A few weeks after the Narendra's return and the successful recovery of the SS Belladonna, things appeared to have calmed down considerably. The FNS (Federation News Service) no longer reported truths, half-truths and not-truths about the incident, hailing the crews of the Narendra and the Prophecy as heroes under the wise leadership of Sal Taybrim - the Commodore who had, once again, saved the not only the day, but a whole passenger liner of people. Not to mention the planet of Betazed. 

But Ops’ Chief Medical Officer and her partner, Ambassador Lukin Zorkal, there wasn’t really a normal to return to. And that was a good thing.

Upon Arys’ return from the mission, Lukin had informed her that Ferri had once more been assigned to him as an aide, and that the position was, this time around, a permanent one. The young Cardassian had gone ‘missing’ for several weeks, leaving both Lukin and Arys worried, and now delighted that she had returned. 

Both for different reasons. 

Arys had felt guilty about essentially forgetting about Ferri - not out of malice or because she didn’t care, but because she had, only weeks prior, adopted her deceased half-brother’s little daughter. Geleth. As someone who didn’t dislike children but had never wanted some of her own, Arys had been overwhelmed with the new situation, and not paid any mind to the fact that Ferri had stopped responding to her messages.
She truly hoped they would be able to reconnect, be friends again, and that she would once more be able to offer experience and guidance to a young woman who was more than a decade younger than her. 

Lukin too cared about Ferri, even if he hadn’t used these exact words, and didn’t plan on doing so in the near future. To him, she embodied a new Cardassia - free, full of potential, yet mindful of their ancient traditions, customs, and history. But at the same time fragile, susceptible to the influences of the old, and corruptible.
He was well aware that Ferri’s loyalty was not to him, but to a man called Garo. Lukin did not yet fully understand the relationship between the two, but for now, he had decided that it didn’t matter.
Loyal to him or not, Ferri adored Geleth. That was why he allowed her to watch the girl while he and Arys were both unavailable due to their work schedule, or simply because they needed some time to themselves. 

Today, Lukin and Arys had made arrangements for their new home. As part of a lengthy process that would lead to them registering a family unit and getting married, they had chosen a townhouse in Coranum District, into which they would move together, and despite the relative ease technology had brought to people’s lives, moving was never a simple affair.
Walls needed to be painted, furniture purchased and assembled, and security systems upgraded - all of it fairly boring for a six years old child. 

After hours of coordinating, discussing, and a stop by one of the stores offering Cardassian cooking ingredients and delicacies, Arys and Lukin returned to their current quarters. The door swished open and the pair stepped inside and into the living area, unsurprised that Ferri and Geleth were nowhere to be seen. Lukin liked his living area in order, and Geleth - as most six years old - was a little too chaotic for the Ambassador’s standards.
Even now, remains of what looked like a ‘tea party’ were on the large dining table integrated into the living area, where cups, cold tea and leftover biscuits had been forgotten once the game was over. 

Zorkal: I see they did not do the dishes.

There was no anger in his voice, but he definitely would have preferred to come home to a clean dinner table. Arys, herself a rather messy person - did that run in the family? - responded with a shrug. 

Trovek: It’s not much of a mess. Just a little. 

Zorkal: Which means it would have only taken a little time to take care of. 

Which was true, but Lukin wouldn’t make a point of it, not to Ferri and Geleth. Instead, he would simply model how things should be done the next day and likely indicate that was the way it should be. And hopefully, this time, it would stick. 

Trovek: Let me check up on them, and I will take care of it afterwards. 

She took his grunt for assent and made her way through the narrow hallway and to the room Geleth occupied. The door opened, and Arys found both her adopted daughter and Ferri sitting at a desk, studying a PADD that displayed illustrations of different fruits and vegetables, and upon touching the surface, first the Cardassian, then the English name for said fruits and vegetables appeared. 

Ferri looked up and greeted Arys with a polite, but reserved smile. Geleth on the other hand was too occupied trying to figure out the name of what Arys could easily identify as a terran strawberry, and Geleth called ‘the tiny fruit with dimples and green hair’. 

Trovek: We’re back. oO Obviously. Oo 

Arys still didn’t always know how to talk to Geleth. The girl’s blue eyes lifted from the PADD and studied her. 

Geleth: Hi. 

Lukin would have gotten a hug from her, but Arys wasn’t going to force her to something she didn’t want to do. Though that didn’t mean that Arys wouldn’t have appreciated being greeted with more than a simple ‘hi’.
Despite guessing that it didn’t matter to the little girl, she decided to announce their plans for the rest of the evening. 

Trovek: We will eat dinner in a bit. ::she looked at Ferri:: As usual, you are welcome to stay. As a matter of fact, I believe Lukin is cooking for the four of us. 

Ferri dining with them was a quite common occurrence ever since Lukin had invited her the first time. Arys was well aware of the implications - dinner was for family, not for staff - and she was pretty sure that Ferri was as well. She was also fairly certain that Ferri enjoyed those times at the dinner table. 

Emlott: I… ::she paused as she noticed the obvious dismay with which Geleth was regarding her:: … yes. I would like that. 

Geleth smiled, evidently pleased with herself, and Arys nodded. 

Trovek: I will call you when dinner is ready. 

The two girls nodded and Arys returned to the living area, seeing Lukin already in the process of removing the ‘leftovers’ of the tea party, and Arys joined him. 

Trovek: Ferri is staying for dinner. 

Lukin grunted in acknowledgement, for a moment glancing in the direction of the room Ferri and Geleth were currently in. 

Zorkal: I am glad.

Trovek: So am I. So is Geleth. 

They all liked Ferri, and they all knew that something must have happened while she was on Cardassia Prime. The Ferri who had returned was quieter, more obedient, and more distanced. Arys could only hope that this would be remedied in time. 

She removed a few plushies from the table as the soft chime of metal hitting the tiled floor interrupted her thoughts. Lukin, always attentive, had heard it too. 

Zorkal: What was that?

Arys returned the plushies to the table and bent down to pick up what had fallen. She identified the source as a necklace, and it was one she hadn’t seen before. The metal shimmered like gold but was likely something else, and was skillfully crafted into a simple, yet beautiful necklace. 

Trovek: What’s that? Having an affair? 

She raised an eyebrow at Lukin, and her tone betrayed that she didn’t believe this was the case. That however did not mean that she wasn’t curious as to where this piece of jewellery came from. 

Zorkal: You’re more than enough.

Lukin’s tone was light and he moved so that one arm brushed hers as he passed before stretching out to finger the necklace, his smile fading into a frown.

Zorkal: This is Geleth’s.

The gold shimmered in the light, it's simple twist catching it in such a way that it was brighter than mere gold would normally be. He released it, leaving it in Arys’ hand then shook his head.

Zorkal: I suggested that she only wear them on special occasions. It should be put away in a safe place, not left out.

Trovek: Them? So there is more? ::Arys frowned, turning the necklace in her hand:: I’ve never seen it before. 

And yet, it seemed familiar. 

It was almost a solar year ago that Arys had last seen her family. The USS Juneau had docked at Deep Space Nine for a prolonged shore leave, and Arys had taken the opportunity to book a spot on a vessel with an (almost) direct flight path to Earth, where she would visit her father and grandfather.
To her surprise, while on Deep Space Nine, she had run into her brother Aaron. The relationship between the two siblings was beyond strained, and Arys blamed their mother, Sileah, for that. She had filled Aarons head with nonsense about the Prophets, and hatred towards alien races, Cardassians in particular.
Arys had, for a short few days, hoped that their relationship could be mended. Then her grandfather had died, she had uncovered the existence of Taril, and she had found herself unwilling to maintain any sort of contact with her remaining family. 

Zorkal: Ferri brought them. She said they belonged to her mother.

Trovek: … I see. 

There was something in her tone of voice, something in her expression, something in the way she stared at the necklace. Lukin eyed her, studied her, uncertain as to what would cause such a reaction.
A moment later the woman regained her composure, her face an unreadable mask to most, something she had always excelled at, but had improved ever since she was spending time with Lukin on a regular basis. He, however, had already seen what came before the mask was set into place. 

Zorkal: What is it?

Trovek: I-... 

Arys didn’t finish the sentence. Instead turned on her heels, and crossed the room towards a chest of drawers, unlocked it, and took out the wooden jewellery box she had brought along from Earth, placed it on the nearest surface, and opened it.
It contained, amongst other things, her grandmother’s jewellery, which she had inherited upon her grandfather’s death. The newest addition were the ribbons she had received during the last awards ceremony. But Arys wasn’t looking for those. Instead, after a few moments of looking through the rings, necklaces and bracelets, she brought forth a piece of jewellery not unlike the pieces Geleth had inherited from her family.

It was a bracelet, reminding her of a Bajoran Promise Bracelet, but it wasn’t quite that. It was a lot smaller, for one, fit for a child’s wrist. And now that she could compare it to the necklace, she realised that the make and design were the exact same. Lukin, who had followed, drew alongside her, and arched his eye ridges.

Zorkal: Where did you get this?

Trovek: Aaron gave it to me. When we met at Deep Space Nine, and before you and I travelled to Earth. Before any of this happened.

Which did not bode well. There was a connection - a possibility, and not a positive one either. 

Zorkal: I see.

Arys did her best to recall the conversation surrounding the unconventional ‘gift’ Aaron had made her. 

Trovek: He said the Prophets told him to... give this to me. That’s all I know. 

And it really was. Arys trusted Lukin, and she would let him know if there was anything else she remembered.
So what did that mean? Did Aaron have something to do with the death of Geleth’s parents? Granted, they couldn’t be sure, but it was a strong possibility, especially since the involvement of Sileah and her sect had been suspected before. 

Ria and Taril Zantett, Geleth’s parents, had died in an ‘accident’ only a few weeks after Arys had uncovered Taril’s existence, and threatened her mother to expose her. 

Zorkal: May I borrow this?

He lifted the necklace, but then motioned to the bracelet that Arys still clutched in her hands. There was no doubt they were made by the same person, and for two people related, even very distantly, to have such jewellery of the same style was not coincidental. 

Trovek: … Yes. 

Though she did not seem convinced. She held the bracelet out to him, but didn’t let go of it. She didn’t look at him either as her mind tried to comprehend what the discovery meant.
After Geleth’s adoption, she had done her best to ignore the rising suspicion that her own mother had something to do with the little girl losing her family, and in turn, that Arys discovery had triggered a series of events that had done more harm than good. 

Eventually she dropped the bracelet into his hand. Lukin’s fingers curled over the bracelet, but his gaze remained fixed on Arys. She was troubled, even if those who might look upon her from the outside would have no indication of it. He did. He knew her. 

Zorkal: Arys?

Trovek: I … ::she hesitated, then shook her head:: I think I forgot some reports to work through. I would like to do that before dinner, if that is alright with you? 

Which was Arys’ way of saying that she needed space, and a moment to gather her thoughts. Despite her closeness, there were times the Bajoran with a Cardassian soul didn’t quite trust the security Lukin offered. 

Lukin nodded, his eyes watching as he walked away. He would give her space, but they were not done with this conversation. Eventually, they would come back to it - and they would deal with it together. Until then, he would seek to find some answers. 

[End Scene]

---

Lt. Trovek Arys
Chief Medical Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
J239809TA4

And 

Dalin Lukin Zorkal
Cardassian Ambassador
Starbase 118 Ops
M239008AD0