Later, in the messhall.
"Typical!", Nog cried exasperatedly. "We go on one school trip and we get stuck in space!" Jake grinned. It was just like Nog to blow things out of proportion.
"Come on, Nog it's only two days."
"But there's nothing to do here! Why did we agree to go in the first place?"
"You were the one insisting on going! You said you wanted adventure, well, here it is!"
"This isn't adventure! We're just sitting here, waiting."
Suddenly, Jake thought of something that would wind him up.
"And here I thought you wanted to be in Starfleet," he mused mischievously.
"I do! What about it?"
"Well, Starfleet's not all about adventure and danger you know. It can be really boring. Are you sure you can handle it?"
"'Course I can!"
Jake smirked. He had fallen straight into the trap. Now the clincher.
"Prove it."
Nog scowled. Those hyumons could be sneaky. They pretended to be saints but they always had an agenda. Oh well. That's probably what made them good diplomats.
Keiko entered the busy mess hall, searching for her most evasive pupils. Most people didn't have much to do except sit around in torchlight, waiting for the systems to come back online. Which meant that this is where she would find Odo. He had very little to do on these trips as Quark generally hid in his quarters conducting business. She soon spotted him in a secluded corner, looking out the window. People often believed that he was unsociable and grumpy. However, those who knew him could see past the gruff exterior to the quiet, kind and slightly naive man hidden behind it. Keiko got on well with him as a fellow introvert and he often pointed her in the direction of her elusive students. In the dim torchlight he would especially useful as his changeling "eyes" didn't really need light.
"Keiko, what can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for Jake and Nog, have you seen them around?"
"Hmf, yes, they're in the corner over there. Probably plotting and scheming some new form of trouble. He is more like his uncle than he likes to believe."
"I presume you mean Nog."
"Of course."
Keiko smiled. Odo would never offend a member of the Sisko family. She soon spotted the boys in a corner, thanked Odo, and made her way over to them. Hopefully she would be able to relieve their boredom before things got out of hand.
