Chapter 9: Civil Duty

Benjamin Sisko sat across the table, watching Kassidy as she ate. It had been so long since he had cooked anything; but, from the looks of it; he still had his touch. She ravishingly tore into the chicken paprika, like a dog deprived of food.

A small smile came to his face. My goodness, he thought to himself, she is so much more beautiful then I remember. Indeed, the past ten years had been good to her. Her face was rounder; her eyes more kind. She also had softened around the edges, their child having done a world of good for her.

She glanced up and said, "You barely have touched your food Ben."

"I'm fine baby," he replied, "I'm not really that hungry."

"Hmm," she replied, standing up and taking both plates to the replicator, which recycled the energy from them and cycled them back into the system, "You know, I've gotten much better at cooking ever since our daughter was born."

"I had some two weeks ago when you returned from your cargo run," Ben acknowledged, "It's not Dad's by any stretch of the imagination, but, it's a world better."

They walked to the couch, and sat down together. She leaned forward and laid her head on his chest, and wormed her arms around his body. She was content. Content that her husband was home. Content that they could start up their life together again.

He was also happy, but not content. The vision still bothered him, and despite his ten year absence, he felt the call of duty. He had secretly called his old friend Admiral Ross, but hadn't yet received a call back. And that was a week ago. Whatever happened, he needed to be a part of it.

It wasn't only his Starfleet talking inside of him. It was the Emissary too. The two different sides talking, combining forces top get him back on the path. Into the action. It was his civic duty.

As they sat, a door to a bedroom slid open and a beautiful girl of nine years walked out, rubbing her eyes. It was late at night, 2300 hours, but Benjamin couldn't help himself from taking a sharp inward breath when he considered the child. She had flowing copper hair which went halfway down her back, curly and bouncy. Her face was narrow, with a small button nose.

"What are you doing up so late Tennesa?" her mother asked, sitting up a bit.

"I can't sleep," she moaned, "Can you sing to me?"

"Sure baby," Kassidy said.

Tennesa squirmed a bit. She shook her head and said, "I want Daddy to."

Kassidy's mouth dropped open. Was she really hearing this? "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Come here," Ben said, beckoning her to him. The small girl walked forward sheepishly towards him. It wasn't that unexpected though. This was the first time she had ever seen her father in the flesh and it was a new experience.

But, she soon climbed up into his lap, leaning onto him, and he started to sing, in a calm soothing voice, a song he sung nearly thirty years ago to a much smaller Jake.


Kira Neyrs sat in her office; having slept wretchedly the night before. She had just learned that her godson, Kirayoshi was coming by for a week long visit. She had no children of her own, but, she had carried him for months when Keiko O'Brian had been unable, so, it made her as close to being his mother as even Keiko. She would love to have a child of her own, but, Yoshi would be more the worthwhile by himself.

The door chime sounded and she called out, "Come in."

A small Bajoran woman walked into the office and stopped three feet into the room. "General," the woman announced, "The Titan is requesting permission to dock."

"Who commands the Titan?" Kira asked, spinning the baseball on the table around.

"Captain Will Riker," the woman smartly replied.

"Alright," she nodded, "Have them dock in Docking Bay One."

"Very good sir," the woman replied.

For a couple seconds she just stood there, like an android. "Dismissed," Kira rolled her eyes, having almost forgot just how blindly obedient the woman was. She couldn't do anything without orders. How easy it was when Ben was in charge around here.

The woman turned and left, the door opening and closing behind her. Kira leaned back and sighed. How she hated what she was going to have to do now. She touched a key to her console and a deep voice said, "Gul Dranket here."


Captain Riker strode off of the hatchway into the main corridor to the station, and he saw Doctor Bashir, a man he knew only by his picture. He flagged him down and said, "I need you to attend to my wife and baby Doctor. Our doctor was killed by assassins, and they were poisoned. I fear they have little time left."

Julian's eyes bulged in surprise. "Right captain," he agreed, "Where are they?"

"My Chief of Security here, will show you the way," Riker said, nearly shoving him into Tuvok, who led the doctor into the ship.

He rounded on Christine Vale who was standing beside him. "We need to get to Ops. Send a message immediately to Cardassia Prime about the assassination."

"There is no need Captain," a very large Cardassian said, striding up to the group through the crowd, two guards walking beside him, "We know about it."

"Really?" Riker asked, his eyebrows furrowing in surprise.

"Yes," the Cardassian said, "And in the name of the Cardassian Union, you are under arrest."