Disclaimer: I do not own anything in ST and never will.

A/N: Well, I finally got this next chapter,(I'm sure you're thinking 'tookyou long enough to get it.') Sorry, it took me so long, fans of Castel. I really hope you like it, b/c I had to write it twice. Once when I originally did it, and the other time when my computer memory was erased. Hope you like it.

The Tortures of Living

Chapter 4

Meeting the Team

I was thinking back to the conversation with Commander Sisko, and suddenly felt embarrassed that I hadn't known his name. I mean I should have looked it up since I was being assigned to this station, but I forgot. Jake left to do something, I can't remember what, soon after his father had left. Nog took me to a place called Quark's Bar on the, I believe it was called the Promenade. They brought me to a table and introduced me to the people sitting there.

"This is Doctor Julian Bashier and Lieutenant Dax, and this is Lieutenant Castel Rivers."

"Pleased to meet you," Dr. Bashier said the same time Dax said, "Welcome to DS9."

"Hello, sirs, I mean, sir and ma'am." I reached out and shook their proffered hands.

"Nervous?" Dax asked.

"How could you tell?" I asked.

"Because you forgot to put on your rank insignia," Bashier said as he pointed to the collar of my dress. I looked and saw that he was right. But then, I knew he wasn't right. I was sure that I had put my rank on, other wise, wouldn't the Commander have said something to me? It wasn't on my collar though. I chuckled nervously and looked at my feet.

"I thought I had put it on."

"It's okay. You were probably so nervous you just thought you had put it on. You can just look in your bag and find it, and I suggest that you do it quickly because you don't want Major Nerys to see you without it. Trust me." Bent down and looked through my bag and found the insignia after a short search. I didn't know it then, but I had indeed put on my rank insignia. What had happened was that Nog had taken it off when he put his arms around me in a friendship hug. When I had opened my bag, he dropped it in. I pinned the star back on my collar and smiled nervously.

"Not to sound rude," Bashier said. "But aren't you a little bit young to join Starfleet?"

"I am eighteen, sir."

"Please don't tell me that you're going to go around calling me sir all the time. Please, call me Julian."

"And call me Dax."

"Of course, uh, Julian and Dax."

"You were saying about the age?" Julian prompted.

"I'm eighteen. It's just that my species' body grows at one-third the speed of Terrans and other sentient beings."

"I see, well, good luck on DS9. And don't forget your star anymore."

"I won't sir, er, Julian." Then Nog led me to another table where the next group of officers sat. Nog once again introduced me.

"This is Lieutenant Castel Rivers, an eighteen-year-old who looks like a six-year-old because of her body chemistry. Lieutenant, this is Security Officer Odo, Lieutenant Commander Worf, and Chief Engineer Miles O' Brian."

"Very glad to meet you all sirs." Worf looked up from the data pad he held.

"I'm not sure that you are going to feel that way after you get to know us." I wasn't sure, but I thought that that was an attempt at humor. When the engineer laughed, and the other one smiled, I knew it was. That was the first time I had ever heard a Klingon attempt humor. I chuckled a bit.

"You may be right sir," I said smiling. Worf then looked coldly at me and I turned my eyes down and dropped the smile.

"What are you here for Lieutenant?" Miles said.

"I'm the new engineer," I said.

"Oh."

"Then you have the worst commander of them all," Odo said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"I really can't say whether that is true or not sir," I replied. I looked around to the other tables and spotted two male Ferengi looking in my direction. I smiled at them and one smiled back. The other said something to him and smacked him in the head. Then they turned away from me. I dropped my gaze and turned back to the men at the table I was standing in front of.

"Oh, Castel…Lieutenant, you must meet my dad and uncle," Nog said. I looked at him and gestured for him to lead the way. He led me to the table with the two Ferengi. The one that smiled at me poked the other one in the ribs. Then he pointed to Nog and me, smiling while he did so. Then we were at the table.

"Castel, this is my Father, Rom and my uncle Quark. He runs this bar."

"Pleased to meet you," I said as I shook their hands.

"Yeah right, you probably only want to marry Nog and get part of the family fortune," Quark mumbled.

"What was that sir?" I asked him.

"Nothing."

"How old are you Castel, six, seven?" Rom asked me.

"No," I said as I laughed. "I'm eighteen." Both of the Ferengi looked at me.

"What?" Quark asked. "How—?"

"A genetic reason." Just then a woman burst into the room and headed straight for the table we were standing at. When she had gotten to the table she faced Quark.

"Quark, I have had it up to here with you antics," she said as she ran her finger across her neck. "First you 'accidentally' blow out the power on the entire top deck. Then you insult a foreign dignitary by downing his religious rituals, and now I find out that you made one of the holo decks respond to a code that only you know. This time you have gone too far. I don't care what Commander Sisko says, I want you to serve time for all of your crimes, which would add up to," she counted on her fingers, "Ten years."

"Do you mind, Major, I'm entertaining—"

"Major? Are you Major Nerys?"

"Yes I am. Why does that mean anything to you?" I did a quick salute and halfway nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Lieutenant Castel Rivers. I'm your new engineer."

"This is no time to be joking with me, Miss. Rivers. I'm not in the mood."

"Of course ma'am, I understand, but I'm not joking. I am your new engineer. I'm eighteen."

"You look an awful lot like six to me."

"It's a genetic reason; all of my species are like that."

"Like what, Miss. Rivers?" Nerys had a bit of disdain in her voice.

"Our species' body grows at one-third the speed of Terrans and other sentient beings."

"A few more people ask that and you might have the answer memorized," Nog said. I glanced at him and gave him a look that told him I would handle my own problem. He shrugged. "I was just saying that you've had a lot of people ask you about you're age." I turned back to the Major.

"I am sure that you wouldn't believe me but I have my transfer orders in the bag. I really am your new engineer. I wouldn't lie, especially not to my commanding officer." The Major sighed and said,

"Fine, let me see your orders." I reached into the side pouch in my bag and gave Kira the orders. She nodded and said, "Welcome to Deep Space 9." So here I was, as humans say, 'the first day of the rest of my life.' I just hoped this life would be better than the other one.

Well, It's the longest chapter of this story for anyone who wanted my chapters longer.

Please R&R to this one, I think I sorta got off of the charracters this time. I really need your help, and I'd like to thank Anarra and Empress T'pau for their reviews. Thanks y'all.