I don't own Star Trek Deep Space Nine.

Unlike the other series, Star Trek Deep Space Nine showed many episodes where the writers are not afraid to add a touch of gritty realism. For the Bajoran arc, the writers didn't say "oh, the Federation are here, let's be happy." No there was xenophobia, terror, and blood. And they were not afraid to really bring in real-world aspects, many of them were seen in episodes like Sanctuary where the Skrreans were turned away from Bajor...with nasty results.

Please let me know what you think.

X

I pity you.

As she approached the airlock after asking the computer to find out which one Haneek was at, Kira felt as if her stomach had dropped like a stone inside of her. She felt as if her entire world had collapsed within itself as she remembered the look of betrayal on the Skrrean woman's face after she had been told in no uncertain terms would the Skrreans not be allowed anywhere near Bajor.

While she could understand Haneek's point of view, Nerys still felt the settlement of an uninhabited, untarnished planet was better, although she was disappointed with just how final her people's decision was. It shouldn't have been like this.

Deep down Kira knew what Varani had told her was true, which was why she had told Haneek that Bajor was not Kentanna, but the Skrrean woman who had struck up a deep friendship with Kira very quickly had been so insistent and had quickly brought Kira around although not by much, about how much Bajor had changed, but she was also aware the Bajoran Provisional Government and the Vedek Assembly were correct as well. Hell, it had surprised and stunned the hell out of Nerys when Varani, who was one of the warmest, kindest, and gentlest of her people that Nerys had ever had the pleasure of knowing wanted the Skrreans to be kept away from Bajor, as it was still in shambles after the occupation. It surprised her but not by much because deep down she agreed with the sentiment.

The Cardassian occupation had shattered Bajor. The planet had been gutted by 60 years of oppression. The Cardassians had methodically strip-mined the planet for the mineral wealth, massacring Bajorans to do it, and they had polluted large amounts of the planet until the Bajorans were left with wastelands and were forced to breathe in polluted air.

Their world could barely support them, that was why the Provisional Government was asking Starfleet and the Federation council to help them send teams of scientists into the Gamma Quadrant, to find worlds and colonise them so their people would finally have a better chance at life. Many Bajorans had left Bajor itself to start a new life in the Gamma Quadrant because they felt their world was beyond saving and it was time for a better life for their families, and whenever she read one of the reports about the state of her world, Kira couldn't blame them.

And then the Skreeans arrived and claimed Bajor was Kentanna, a sacred world and a sanctuary to their people. But it was not going to happen.

But despite knowing what her people would have said regardless, a small part of Kira had hoped the Skreeans could have done something to help their people, but what upset her the most was how frightened her people were by the prospect of taking in refugees when they would have helped in the past.

Oh, who am I kidding? Nerys snapped at herself angrily for being so naive. My people would have turned them away regardless; we can barely feed ourselves, never mind a whole population.

Kira's nose wrinkled when the scent of the Skrreans became stronger, and she found the Skrreans boarding one of the ships on the docking pad. She smiled hesitantly and with relief when she saw Haneek's signature hairstyle. The Skrrean woman was standing with her back to Kira as she supervised her people boarding the ship.

Kira opened her mouth to quickly grab Haneek's attention, hoping she had caught the woman in a good mood, but after what she had been through she doubted she would want to speak to a woman who, in her view, betrayed her. "I just stopped by to wish you luck on Draylon Two. Haneek, I still believe this is the best choice, for Bajor and for you," she added, although by the end of her sentence she wished she hadn't added that part at all. Haneek and her people had gotten their hopes up about finding Kentanna, only for it to be destroyed in a plasma explosion. Tact had never been one of Kira's strong points, and this time would be one of those moments she would truly regret.

Even now the conversation they'd had before Tumak, furious with how his people were going to be turned away, haunted her.

"The thing I don't understand is why you pretended to be my friend," Haneek had said after Minister Rozahn and Vedek Sorad had spoken to her, as the representative of the Skrrean refugees.

"I wasn't pretending," Kira had argued.

"Ah," Haneek had gone on in a way that inflicted more pain. "So you are my friend until I need you."

Kira had been horrified and realised just how far Haneek and her people had been pushed. "I know it's hard for you to see right now, but I am trying to help."

And she was.

She wanted the Skrreans to see things from the point of view of the Bajoran people. People like Varani and Rozahn were right; their people just could not support anyone right now.

But Haneek had had enough, more than enough. "I think I've had quite enough of your help," she had spat in a dismissive voice, the way she held herself at the time made it very clear to Kira that she really wanted this conversation to end, and for Kira to leave.

And never return.

But Kira had to keep trying, and she had persisted. "You've got to believe me, Commander Sisko has found you a wonderful home."

But Haneek hadn't wanted to hear what she had to say. "You betrayed me, Kira."

Kira had flinched, knowing it was true but it was such a strong way of describing what had happened. She tried looking at it from the Skrreans' point of view, and she could see that she had let them down, but it still hurt because it brought back bad memories of the occupation, where many Bajorans cared more for their own selfish hides and not the greater good for the rest of their people, betraying them to the Cardassians.

"No, I didn't," Kira argued, but she knew her argument was built on shaky foundations since she hadn't really helped the Skrreans in Sisko's office. "I honestly believe the provisional government made the right decision, for both Bajor and the Skrreeans."

She'd made the mistake of pausing to take a breath, but at the same time, she had needed a moment to collect her thoughts to make the point known. She'd had so much to say to Haneek to get the Skrrean woman to understand the state that Bajor was in. She had wanted to tell them about the xenophobic groups that were still on Bajor, even if their image had taken a battering when word of how the Cardassians had covertly backed up the Circle in preparation for reinvading the planet and getting their hands on Bajor and the wormhole, they were still going strong. She also wanted to tell them how life would be hard, but she didn't get the chance.

"If that's true, we have nothing more to discuss," Haneek snapped with a cold finality that frightened Kira.

Right now in the present, Haneek's expression was cold, closed off. Unhappy. Kira couldn't blame her; Haneek had lost her son on top of how Bajor had turned them away. Kira tried not to flinch, but she genuinely did not like the way Haneek was staring at her, as if she was the carrier of a terrible disease. But it was worse; right now that disease, to Haneek, was a betrayal. "You still believe we would have been a burden to your people?"

Nerys sighed, "Yes."

Haneek's tone changed for the first time, and Kira realised the colder Haneek was mixing with the warm, kind, friendly version she had met not so long ago. "I think you've made a terrible mistake. All of you. Maybe we could have helped you. Maybe we could have helped each other. The Skrreeans are farmers, Kira," she explained passionately. "You have a famine on your planet. Perhaps we could have made that peninsula bloom again." A sad, hurt and dead tone crept into her voice like dry rot spreading through the wood of a tree. "We'll never know, will we? Fifty years of Cardassian rule has made you all frightened and suspicious. I feel sorry for you. You were right," she added with the kind of finality that brought Kira's mind back to an execution squad. "Bajor is not Kentanna."

As Haneek stepped into the airlock onboard the ship and closed the outer hatchway, the Skrrean woman turned and her expression of hurt regret tore into Kira more effectively than a disruptor blast.

But Kira knew in her heart what Haneek had said was right. They had become frightened and suspicious; that mess with the Circle was one of the greatest proofs, and now this.