Kira took a deep breath, a bit of nervousness tickling the back of her throat. This was the day she had been working towards since her first day at the Academy; the day she would finally report to her first assignment, as Chief Medical Officer, onboard a Starship. And not just any starship. She was assigned to the one being captained by one of her closest friends; Eric Sanders.

Eric Franklin Sanders was born and raised in San Francisco. His parents were both artists and wished for their only child to follow in their footsteps; it wasn't meant to be. Eric had other ideas. His sights were set on the stars. So at the age of sixteen he entered into Starfleet Academy with the hopes of someday becoming a Starship Captain. He was in his sophomore year when he met a young, enthusiastic, Kira Cross; two years his junior. An automatic friendship was formed between the two, very different, cadets. They stayed friends throughout the Academy but lost contact for a time when Kira entered into Starfleet Medical. The death of Benjamin Ashmore, Kira's husband, brought the two friends back together.

In a transporter room on the U.S.S. Dakota, Captain Eric Sanders had already been waiting for several minutes when the transporter platform finally began to sparkle, and four forms began to take shape. The ship's Captain could barely contain his excitement as the officers began to materialized. As soon as the transport was complete, Kira didn't move while the other three officers, who were transferring, filed out of the room after being warmly welcomed by Chief Rawson; Transporter Chief . It had been about four months since they had seen each other in person, due to the fact that Eric had been promoted to Captain of the Dakota; having served as the first officer for a year.

Captain Sanders stood stiff and rigid as he stuck out his hand to Kira. "Doctor." He greeted, formally.

Kira copied his pose as she stepped down off the transporter pad, duffle bag over her shoulder. "Captain." She greeted him just as formally as she shook his hand. "I am honored to be serving on board." She left go of his hand.

"The Dakota is a fine ship." The Captain commented as he steered her out of the transporter room and into the corridor. "I think you'll enjoy it here, Doctor." He began to walk, knowing that she'd follow.

"Really?" Kira raised an eyebrow as she strode after him, matching pace with his strides. "I don't think that will be a problem, Captain. I'm excited about being here, sir." A mischievous twinkle appeared in her eyes briefly then was replaced by her serious expression, once again.

"Can we please drop the whole stiff, stuffy, attitude until your shift starts? It'll feel good to hear my name for a change." Eric gave her a smile to show that his request was genuine. He stopped and leaned against the nearby bulkhead.

"That would be unprofessional, sir." Kira protested as she stopped beside him. She couldn't afford to get into any trouble. Not since the incident at her previous assignment.

Captain Sanders almost laughed. Between her, his Vulcan science officer, and the ship's computer, he'd likely go insane. "This is your second position on a starship, correct?" He asked, and motioned for her to follow him, again. He'd keep it professional for the moment.

"Yes, sir. I served on the U.S.S. Yeager for six months. I was then transferred to your ship since you were in need of a CMO." Kira paused for a moment and then added. "It is an honor to be a part of your crew, Captain." That wasn't entirely true. She was transferred since her last Captain requested it. She also knew that Eric had snatched up the change to have her as an officer and put in for her assignment.

The Captain nodded. "Thank you." After a moment, he added. "Forgive me for saying so, but this is a very demanding position. Are you sure that you're ready to start so soon? Maybe you'd like to take sometime before you start? We don't leave dock for another week so it wouldn't be any trouble."

Kira didn't try to hide the frown that had formed on her, otherwise, unemotional face. "I thank you for the offer sir, but I'm more than ready to begin. I don't need any time before we get underway." She felt slightly betrayed since it appeared to her that Eric was questioning her skills and mental state. "I would like the extra time to get acquainted with sickbay and to settle in, sir."

Eric raised his eyebrow and dropped the subject since he had clearly hit a nerve. "Alright. I was just offering." After a brief moment he added, "I would have done the same thing for any of my senior staff."

A pair of doors whooshed open in front of them and they stepped onto the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge!" Someone, off to the right, announced.

"Carry on." Sanders dismissed, and then added, "I would like to introduce you all to our new Chief Medical Officer, Lieutenant Commander Kira Cross."

Brief introductions were made, and a woman walked up to Kira. "I'm Commander Parker Jaxon, First Officer."

Kira nodded. "Commander." She acknowledged as she quickly gave the Commander a once over.

Parker grinned. "I can't tell you how nice it is to have you on board. Our last Doctor was a real pain in the ass." She explained.

Kira grinned then nodded. "I know the type." She already liked the Commander. Turning to the Captain, she asked. "When would you like me to begin my duties?"

Eric blinked. "Why don't you go to your quarters first and get settled in. You can start next shift."

"As you wish, sir." Kira turned briskly and walked off the bridge.

Behind her, Parker smiled slightly at the Captain. "She certainly is...different, isn't she? Vulcan?"

The Captain nodded. "Very different. She's prides herself on that. She's, recently, gone through a rough spot, she needs friendship, not judgement, Parker." He avoided the question about her race and kept his tone final.

Behind her station, N'alae turned. "She is Vulcan isn't she, sir?" N'alae, a Vulcan, is the ships science officer. She is also part Romulan but doesn't know much about that side of her.

"Half Vulcan, actually." Sanders clarified after a brief moment of hesitation. "Her mother is human." He knew that Kira was a private person and hated when people treated her by the way her ears looked. But this was his crew and they deserved to know about the newest crew member.

"Really." N'alae raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating." She had sensed the captains hesitation and made a mental note to herself to find out more about the new doctor.

Glancing at Cecilia Thomas, a Vulcan-Human helmsmen, the Captain added. "I suppose between the three of you, I now have two full loads of Vulcan logic to deal with."

Cecilia turned and observed the Captain. "You are certainly very fortunate, sir." She then turned back to the helm. They were docked but she had several programs that she had to run before they were cleared to depart.

In her quarters, Kira began to put away her belongings. " Computer, temperature?" She queried. Since she had walked into the room, she had been feeling uncomfortable with the temperature.

"Vulcan normal." Responded the computer in its monotone voice.

Kira sighed and shook her head. "Computer, change temperature to Earth normal." The computer beeped as it complied with her command. Finally the temperature adjusted and she began to relax. She then continued with what she wad doing. She lifted a sculpture out of her duffle bag. It had been a gift from her father; her real father, for her fourth birthday. She paused for a moment, remembering.

Flashback

"What is it?" Four year old Rhian asked her father as she turned the sculpture over in her small hands.

D'Nal looked at his young daughter with pride shining in his eyes. "It's a set'leth, paenhe. My di'ranov, your hru'diranov, gave that to me when I was your age. I want you to have it now. Keep it until you have children of your own. Then pass it to them."

"Thank you, di'ranov." She hugged the sculpture to her chest then looked up at her father. "Can I show ri'nanov?" She asked in a small voice; already knowing the answer but wanting to try anyways.

He thought about his ailhun locked in her room and shook his head. "Your ri'nanov is resting. You can show her another day." D'Nal hated the way Luna treated Rhian. But there was nothing he could do.

Rhian stomped her foot as a surge of anger shot through her small form. "Why does ri'nanov hate me!" The child demanded. She was confused and no one ever gave her a straight answer; her being a child and not being able to understand it.

D'Nal watched his daughter, intently, for a moment. "Your ri'nanov does not hate you, Rhian." He said, firmly. She might be only four but she had a fire about her that made her act much older and wiser sometimes. This was one of those times. Luna didn't hate Rhian, at least not directly. She hated him and he helped create the child; so her anger and hatred were transferred, in some part, to Rhian. "She is ill." That was the excuse he had used since Rhian had been old enough to ask for her mother. "Now calm yourself. She will be well again and then you can show her your set'leth."

This answer seemed to appease Rhian; for the moment. "Can I have set'leth?" she asked in all her childish glory.

Laughter sprang from D'Nal's straight lined lips. Only his paenhe could make him laugh so. " Let us go play D'elo and I will think about getting you a set'leth; when you are older." He offered his hand to Rhian.

Studying his hand, Rhian placed her sculpture onto the table then accepted the offered hand. "Alright." She lead him outside for a game for D'elo.

End Flashback

Shaking her head, to clear away the memory, Kira stared at the sculpture of the set'leth for a moment longer, and then placed it on a nearby table. Turning away, she proceeded to finish unpacking.

The sun beat down on the plains of Aihai as she stood motionless. She lowered her eyes and squinted, listening. The wind seemed to whisper her name as it swept strands of dark hair into her face. As she relished the tranquility of solitude, the whispers grew louder and she realized that they were coming from behind her.

"Rhian."

Turning, she found that her beconer was a man in a long, dark green robe, a hood hiding his face. He began to speak, and Kira was startled when she realized that the language was Romulan or at least a Romulan dialect.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked. His voice steady and cold.

"No." Kira felt her heart rate increase and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end , but she wasn't sure why.

"I am many things. I was, for one, a member of the military faction that attacked the U.S.S. Zapata." He spoke of death and destruction as one would speak of the weather.

Kira stood completely still, hearing in her mind for a moment, the screams of those who had died on board; her adopted father included. She wanted with all of her being to throw logic to the wind, to abandon all that she believed, and to kill the man where he stood. This shocked her. She never felt this angry towards anything, except the Borg and never a Romulan, before At least she assumed that he was a Romulan since she couldn't see his face.

"Are you sure you do not know who I am?" He asked again, and let the hood fall back off his head.

Kira looked on in horror as she stared at a mirror image of herself.

Kira sat up in bed, breathing heavily, sure that her heart would burst from her chest. The image of her dream haunted her as she stood and walked to a mirror on the opposite side of the room. "Computer, lights on. Full illumination."

The computer beeped as it complied. Light flooded the room.

Kira closed her eyes in pain and took a moment to let them adjusted to the sudden light. Then, she slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom where she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

The reflection stared back at her, conveying the look of bewilderness and even fear, that showed on her own face.

"I am not afraid." Kira said aloud; in a firm tone. As a rule, Kira only dreamed of her husbands death. However, lately, she had awoken nearly every night for the last month with this same one. There were variations of course, but she knew the meaning and significance of the dream; it was rather obvious. She was afraid of her heritage which was shocking since she always accepted her Romulan side.

Kira knew that half-breeds, she used this term with a mental flinch, were not altogether uncommon, even on Earth. Perhaps it was the beliefs that her adopted father tried to install in her, coming to the surface, that made her so wary of her heritage; he made it clear that he considered Romulans to be the enemy: warlike, unmoral, deceitful. It hadn't helped matters, of course, that his wife had been held prisoner by the Romulans and had a child, fathered by one. So he tried his damnest to get Kira to turn against her Romulan heritage; this entailed stories about the brutality of the Romulans, as bedtime stories.

She knew that cultural stereotypes were cruel and usually unfounded. Kira had nothing against the Romulans; how could she? She wanted to believe that biological father was a good man. But there was a part of her that didn't want to find out, for fear that she would discover otherwise. That would make her cherished childhood memories nothing more than lies. And she couldn't handle that.

Disgusted with herself, Kira put on her uniform, giving up hope of falling asleep again. "Computer, time and return lights to normal setting?" She grunted out as she rubbed her bloodshot eyes.

"Thirteen hundred hours." Came the instantaneous, mechanical, reply of the computer. The lights dimmed to a bearable lumination.

Her shift wasn't for another two hours. Deciding to do some exploring, Kira opened the door to her quarters and stepped out into the corridor.