Chapter 1
Moritet scrambled over the rocks, his heart pounding. He had to find help before it was too late. The aliens brought doctors with them when they arrived on his world; they may be able to do something. He glanced up the cliff where a small light glowed from the entrance of a cave. That was where he had to go, but he was only a fledgling; he had never climbed that high before. Still, he had to try; lives were at stake. He dug his claws into the rock face and began to climb, the wind buffeting the feathers on his forearms and scalp. Finally, he reached his destination. Shaking, he entered the cave, where a man stood with his back to him.
Doctor Julian Bashir turned around when he heard a noise, spotting Moritet. "What is it?"
Moritet spoke in the high voice that was customary to his species, his large golden eyes panicked. "Korina's hurt!"
Julian grabbed his medical kit. "How bad is it?"
"She won't wake up."
"Take me to her."
Julian followed Moritet across the barren, mountainous terrain of Kazel. A Vulcan survey ship discovered the small planet in the Gamma Quadrant not long after the Dominion abandoned it. Kazel was home to a primitive, avian-like species that posed very little threat to anyone, but it contained a vast amount of a rare and valuable mineral called Elendore. After extracting the majority of the Elendore from the planet's crust, the Dominion withdrew, leaving the majority of the inhabitants dead. In an attempt to improve relations between the Gamma Quadrant and the Alpha Quadrant, Starfleet sent the Defiant and its crew to offer aid to the devastated world.
When Julian and Moritet reached the cave where Korina was, a strange sight greeted them. A fledgling who could only be Korina lay unconscious in the back of the cave, her skin pale. An adult Kazelon that Julian assumed was Korina's mother crouched over her, screeching at anyone who came too close. Julian's wife, Counselor Ezri Dax, was trying to calm her with little success. "What happened?" Julian asked.
"Korina was scaling one of the cliffs when she lost her grip and fell," Ezri explained. "We managed to get her back here, but Azaelon won't let anyone near her. I don't know how bad she was hurt."
Moritet scurried back to his mother, a tall woman named Orineth. She was the dominate female of this clan of Kazelons. "The Dominion killed Azaelon's mate and other fledglings when they became too sick to work in the mines," she said. "She won't let anyone near Korina while she's injured, especially if they're outsiders."
Ezri and Julian shared a look. They had been on Kazel for nearly three weeks, but they were still having trouble earning the trust of the natives. It was understandable; the last time aliens came to their world they had almost been wiped out. Still, if Korina did not get help soon, she could possibly die. Julian slowly approached Azaelon, his arms outstretched. "Please, I can help her."
Azaelon glared at him, clacking her beak warningly. Ezri tried once more to leave her child's side. "We're not your enemies, Azaelon. Julian won't hurt her." Azaelon suddenly leapt forward, slashing at Julian's face. Only his quick reflexes saved him from harm. Ezri grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Are you okay?"
"Fine, but I'm not so sure about Korina."
Ezri bit her lip. "We could try stunning Azaelon," she muttered.
"That would do the trick, but it wouldn't make them trust us anymore."
While they were talking, Orineth approached Azaelon. She watched her warily, but made no move to attack. "They are not the Dominion," Orineth said soothingly. "Korina needs their help."
Azaelon hesitated, but then allowed Julian to approach Korina. Julian crouched down next to the young Kazelon, scanning her. "A broken arm, a few cracked ribs, and a mild concussion. She'll be fine."
Ezri watched as her husband began to treat the fledgling's injuries, a soft smile on her face. The compassion Julian showed for those who need his help was just one of the many reasons why she loved him. The past year had been one of the happiest of Ezri's life; she hadn't felt this much peace since before her Joining. Sharing her life with Julian wasn't always easy, but at the end of the day she loved him and he loved her. In the end, that was all that mattered.
Julian straightened up. "Her ribs and arms are healed, and I've given her something for the concussion. I'll check in tomorrow to see how she's doing."
Azaelon brushed past Julian and crouched over her daughter, nuzzling her gently. Sensing that they were no longer wanted, Ezri and Julian took their leave. "That went better than last time," Julian said bitterly.
Not long after they arrived on Kazel, they came across an elderly Kazelon who was dying of cancer. Julian had offered him care, but the Kazelon didn't trust him and refused. He died a few days later. Ezri touched Julian's arm comfortingly. "You can't blame them for not trusting us."
"But we're here to help them!"
"I know," Ezri said soothingly. "And soon they'll realize that, but for now, we just have to be patient."
Julian still looked irritated, but he let the matter drop. "Where are you off to now?"
"I was going to beam up to the Defiant; get some real food instead of those awful ration packs. Care to join me?"
"I might, but there's something I want to show you first."
"Julian, I'm exhausted. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"No, it can't. I promise you won't regret it."
Ezri sighed. Julian could be very stubborn when he wanted to be. "Okay. Just what is it exactly?"
"That would spoil the surprise." Ignoring the exasperated look on his wife's face, Julian took Ezri's hand and led her through the rocky canyons of Kazel.
Night had long since fallen, and Ezri was starting to lose her patience. She tried to get Julian to tell her what was going on, but all he gave her was vague responses. Right now, she didn't care if Julian had found a talking dog; she just wanted to go to bed.
"We're here," Julian said suddenly.
Ezri gave Julian an incredulous look. "A cave? You brought me all this way just to show me a cave?"
"Go inside. It's a special cave."
"Julian…"
"Just trust me."
"Fine, but if this is some sort of rare fungi, I swear, I'll-." Ezri stopped mid-sentence. Julian was right; this was a special cave. The walls glowed, most likely due to trace amounts of Elendore left in the rock. However, this was not what surprised Ezri the most. Some had prepared a picnic in this small cave, complete with candlelight.
Julian came up behind Ezri and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Happy anniversary," he murmured.
"You did this?"
"Surprised?"
"Yes! I thought we weren't going to celebrate until we got back to DS9."
Julian shrugged. "It's our first wedding anniversary. I wanted to do something special."
Ezri turned to face him, putting her arms around his neck. "I didn't realize you were this sentimental," she teased.
"I'm full of surprises." Julian kissed her deeply. When they separated, he asked, "Are you hungry?"
Ezri's eyes were sparkling mischievously. "I can wait for a bit. You?"
"I'm not the least bit hungry anymore." Julian recaptured Ezri's lips with a passion. Even though they were thousands of light-years away from home, he could spend the rest of his life in this cave, so long as Ezri was with him.
D'aww that's so cute I think I'm going to get a cavity! Welcome to Stars and Spots: Book Two! I'm very excited to have you here. Please keep all arms and legs inside the fandom at all times, and please refrain from feeding the wildlife. They might try to eat you instead. Review and subscribe!
