Niva fell asleep and began to dream.

The Cardassians had been driven off of Bajor. There was celebrating in the streets. The Provisional Government had been formed, and members of the resistance had been offered positions in the new militia.

A seventeen year old woman with blonde hair stood in a tan security uniform ready to take her oath of office. The general picked up an identity card and said, "Are you Tora Niva, daughter of Tora Naprem?"

"Yes."

"Who is your father?" the General asked.

The hated visage of Gul Dukat flashed in her mind. Niva touched her bare ear and said resolutely, "I have no father."

The general made a notation and then said, "Please raise your right hand." Niva obliged as the general continued, "Do you, Tora Niva, solemnly swear by the Prophets that you will support and defend Bajor against all enemies regardless of their form, and that you will be true and faithful to your duties at all times?"

"I do," Niva said.

The general shook her hand and said, "Congratulations, Lieutenant Tora."

Niva was handed a piece of paper that contained her orders for her first assignment. She opened it and saw that she was assigned as a guard at the monastery of the Kai. She headed to the monastery and knocked at the gates. A young Vedek in his mid-thirties opened the gate. He said, "May I help you?"

Niva answered, "I'm Lieutenant Tora of the newly formed Bajoran Militia. I've been assigned as a guard here."

The Vedek motioned for Niva to enter, and he said, "I'm Vedek Bareil. Welcome."

Niva woke up in a start. She had forgotten that early encounter. She had only been assigned to the monastery for two days before being recalled to the capital. The Provisional Government had deemed her linguistic skills more useful than her guarding skills and had assigned her to intercept and translate Cardassian communications.

She tried to get back to sleep, but found that she couldn't. She decided to take a walk around the monastery, and she wandered into the library. She saw Vedek Sorad sitting down reading a dusty tome by candlelight. She turned to walk out when he looked up and said, "Good evening."

Niva said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

"It's no bother. I come here to read when I can't sleep," Sorad said. "What is on your mind?"

Niva sat down in a chair next to Sorad and said, "A lot. I've been through many changes in the past few months."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sorad asked.

"Will you keep it private?" Niva asked.

"Of course. I'm a Vedek. Whatever you tell me I will keep in the strictest confidence," Sorad assured her.

"I was adopted as an infant by a woman named Tora Naprem. Shortly thereafter, we moved to Terok Nor and she began a relationship with Gul Dukat. When I was three, my half-Cardassian sister Tora Ziyal was born. We lived together as a family, with Naprem and Dukat raising me as if I were their own daughter. I didn't know who my birth parents were," Niva said.

Sorad, to his credit, did not give a visible reaction to this revelation. Niva continued, "I didn't even find out about the occupation until I was fifteen. I had trouble reconciling the knowledge that the man I called my father, who cared for me and who loved me, was murdering my people and ravishing my planet. I finally ran away to join the resistance. My mother died a few weeks later."

Niva was on a roll. "In the resistance, I didn't have much time to deal with my emotions. I spent my time translating Cardassian communications. Once the occupation was over, I joined the militia. I tried to find my birth parents, but I had no information to go on. I had given up hope of ever finding them. Then Ziyal died in the war, and my uncle went missing. A few months ago, I received a posthumous letter from my birth mother."

Vedek Sorad reached for Niva's ear to read her pagh. He said, "Your pagh is strong. The Prophets can heal you, but it will take time."

Niva continued, "When I read the letter, I cried. I was glad to finally know the identity of the woman who gave me life, but I was devastated to find out that she had died. However, the letter raised more concerns than it answered."

"Such as?" Sorad asked.

"I grew up being the daughter of Tora Naprem and Gul Dukat. I decided that Dukat no longer deserved the title of father, so I spent the next ten years being only the daughter of Tora Naprem. Even after she died, I still called her mother. Then I found out that I'm the daughter of Winn Adami," Niva said.

"The letter didn't identify my father. I made a few discreet inquiries, but nobody had any information. Then I got sick. Dr. Bashir was able to identify my father as Bareil Antos. Now, here I am at the monastery." Niva touched her earring as she said, "And I don't even know who I am anymore."

"Who you are hasn't changed just because you now know who contributed to your genetic makeup," Sorad said.

"I just wish I knew why I was given up for adoption," Niva said.

Sorad replied, "I have something for you that may help. Come with me."

They stood up, and Niva followed Sorad into a storage room. Sorad took out a locked box and inserted a key. He opened the box and removed a series of books. Handing them to Niva, he said, "These are Ranjen Solbor's journals. He died recently, and we hadn't had the opportunity to locate his family yet to pass along his belongings. Just last week, we were able to discover that he had one sister, Tora Naprem. It would appear that you are Solbor's next of kin."

A tear slid down Niva's cheek as she said, "He would come to visit on Terok Nor every so often. I lost touch with him when I joined the resistance."

"I think he would have wanted you to have these journals," Sorad said.

Niva said, "Thank you."

She bid Sorad goodnight and returned to her room to peruse the journals. She opened to the first page of the first volume and began to read.

2351

I've been considering it for a while, but I have finally made my decision. I'm going to become a Prylar. Naprem isn't too happy about it because she will miss me. She has been so good, raising me ever since our parents died when she was sixteen and I was ten. Naprem's fiancé, Tora Ehln, is in favor of the idea of me joining the monastery.

Niva turned the page and read the next entry.

The wedding was today. In my first official act as a Prylar, I was privileged to perform the ceremony. It was beautiful. Naprem is pregnant and is due to give birth in about two months.

She skipped ahead a few entries.

Ranjen Winn is with child. She should deliver next month sometime. I still cannot fathom how any man could impregnate her and then leave her. Adami is an amazing woman and will be a wonderful mother. I have promised her that I will do all I can to help her raise and protect her child.

Naprem gave birth last week to a little boy named Zin. He is a beautiful baby, and I hope he can escape the horrors that the Cardassians are subjecting our people to.

There was a large gap of time before the next entry.

The Cardassians raided the village near the monastery. Ehln and Zin both died. Naprem is beside herself with grief.

Adami gave birth three months ago to a beautiful girl, Niva. Niva lights up the monastery. Sometimes when Adami is sleeping, I hold Niva and rock her to sleep.

Niva smiled as she read this early account of her life. She continued reading.

The Cardassians raided the monastery yesterday. We tried to stop them, but they took Adami. We don't know if she's dead or alive. I'm afraid they'll come back to get the rest of us. I would never forgive myself if something happened to Niva. I promised Adami that I would protect her. There's only one solution I can think of. I took Niva to Naprem's home. She will be safe there for a few weeks while we find and rescue Adami.

Niva skimmed the rest of the entries and found that it took five years before Winn was located and rescued by the resistance. By that time, Niva was safely living on Terok Nor with Naprem, Ziyal, and Dukat. Nobody would dare harm the Prefect's daughter.

Niva was getting tired, so she went to sleep. In the morning, she picked the journal up and began to read some more.

She got to the end of the journal and could barely believe what she saw.

2375

Adami has been behaving very strangely lately. It all started when Anjohl Tennan showed up. I don't trust him. He came out of nowhere and is now her chief advisor. I have advised her for almost 25 years, and now I have been set aside for some farmer. What's worse, they have become intimate. The men she takes to bed always end up hurting her. First there was the unknown man who impregnated her and left her with Niva. Then there was Minister Jaro, who tried to sell our world out to the Cardassians, and now there is Anjohl. I don't know what his story is, but I know it will only end in pain.

Niva turned the page to the final entry.

Adami has been studying the books about the Pah Wraiths. I am very concerned for her. I think she and Anjohl are attempting to release them. I took a DNA sample to see if I could find out more about Anjohl. It turns out he isn't Bajoran at all. He's Cardassian. Not only that, he's Gul Dukat! I'm going to confront her about this. Perhaps she can still be redeemed.

Niva slammed the book shut as she exclaimed, "That son of a vole!"

She continued with a string of curses that would make a Legate blush and only stopped when she heard a knock on the door. Embarrassed, she answered it. She took a few deep breaths before saying, "Father, come in. Please forgive my language. I forgot for a moment that I was in a monastery."

Bareil walked in and said, "Don't worry. I don't think the Prophets speak Cardassian. What got you so upset?"

"I have recently come into possession of my uncle's journals. He was Kai Winn's aide for many years. I read something rather upsetting in the journal," Niva said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bareil asked.

"Not really," Niva said.

Bareil said, "I remember Ranjen Solbor. We got to know each other when I became Kai Winn's advisor. He could have been a Vedek, and I never understood why he stayed with Winn."

Niva recalled the journal entries she had perused and said simply, "He was in love with her."

"May I look at the journals?" Bareil asked.

"There's some not so flattering stuff about you in it," Niva said.

"Really? I'm surprised. Solbor and I always got along just fine," Bareil said.

"Anytime you're mentioned by name, you are written about with the utmost respect. All of the choice words are reserved for 'that cad who knocked up Adami'," Niva said.

Bareil looked at the floor in shame. Niva said, "But I do have this letter that you might be interested in reading. I received it four months ago."

Niva handed Bareil a padd and he began to read.

2371

My Dearest Niva,

You probably have a lot of questions for me, and I regret that I was unable to answer them while I was living. If you are reading this letter, it means that I am with the Prophets. I'm sure you wonder why I didn't try to find you. During the occupation, it was safer for you not to be connected to me. The Cardassians imprisoned me for preaching, and if they had known that I had a daughter, they would have hurt you, too.

I never told your father about you. He was a good man. I did not deserve him, and I wronged him greatly. I apologize for depriving you of a relationship with him.

Ranjen Solbor can answer all of your questions. I suspect you have already been in contact with him; he was the one who arranged for your adoption. He has not told me where you are or what has become of you.

I hope you are well. Walk with the Prophets until we meet again in the Celestial Temple.

Your mother,

Winn Adami