A/N: As a reminder, this weird version of Star Trek is based on my life, so there's no telling what will happen because life is unpredictable.
Ode to A Starship by Lina Shay
Chapter Twenty Eight: Pagh-Tem-Far
Kenchi Prime didn't have a Bajoran temple, but Kenchi seven did. Normally, just being near a temple wouldn't have meant much to me, but this temple was the holder of the Orb of Identity. I thought that if maybe I could see it, I might be able to figure out what my life means.
During my shift, I checked again the position of the Gundam and found that it was indeed in the system. It was orbiting Kenchi seven. I didn't want to be the one to contact him first. I wasn't that brave. What if he thought I was being to forward? What if he had forgotten about me?
After making a computer connection with the Gundam, I made a casual inquiry from the Gundam's computer as to where Joel was. The computer said that Joel was not onboard. If they were orbiting Kenchi seven then he was probably there. I scanned Kenchi seven for human biosigns and found that there was a small concentration of humans on a continent in the southern hemisphere. After duty, I decided to check it out.
Kenchi seven was a desert planet, but was rich in natural mendosene. Bajor had long ago aquired rights to mining by the Kenchis. That was before the occupation of Bajor. Many Bajorans were here when news came to them that Cardassians had destroyed their homes.
I didn't really know where to start and decided that since I was already in the neighborhood, I would check out the temple. Randomly, I spotted someone who had hair a lot like Joel's. I stood and stared a moment as this man hugged a Ktarian woman rather intimately. They kissed after that. I was frozen until he turned around, and I saw that it was indeed Joel. I knew that he couldn't have been just friends with that Ktarian woman back when I saw them on Deep Space 4.
I made up my mind that it was none of my business, that I hardly knew him enough to care for him, and that if he saw me, I would be very embarrassed. I continued on to the temple as fast as I could without attracting attention. When I was away from the people and away from Joel, I wanted to cry.
"Is something the matter, my child?" Asked a kind Mylar.
I looked at him and shrugged.
"Why have you come, my dear?" He asked.
"I am lost, Mylar," I muttered. "I can't seem to understand myself or my life."
"Ah, and you have come to consult the Orb of Identity," he assumed.
I nodded.
He put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Yes, I believe you do need to consult the orb. Follow me."
I did. We entered a large chamber, and at the far end sat an orb box.
"Open the orb when you are ready," the Mylar told me. "I will be just outside if you need me."
He started out of the chamber, and then turned back. "I suggest you pray." And then he was gone.
I stared at the orb box. I hadn't seen an orb in years, and I was afraid what I might see. I was here to get answers and I was going to get them. I walked over to the orb box and knelt before it. I prayed hard to the prophets for guidance. When I opened my eyes, I reached up and opened the doors of the box. It was so bright inside that I could barely make out the purple hourglass shape. The swirling orb seemed to expand suddenly until the light completely engulfed me. Before my consciousness flashed images. There were images of the past, of my childhood. I saw the first boy I ever liked. I saw myself kneeling before the first orb I ever saw. I saw my best friend being ordained a prylar. The images flashed faster. I could see Vedek services and Kai addresses that I had witnessed throughout my life. I saw the sacred text of the prophets before me. My reflection in a mirror gazed back at me. I was dressed in an orange robe. There was another bright light, and then it all went black.
I was awoken by the Mylar. He held out a hand to me and I took it. When I was back on my feet, I looked at the orb. The doors were now closed. That was all there was.
"Is that my path?" I said in a whisper.
"I suggest, my child," the Mylar began, "that you ponder these images. They may not all make sense right now. But as you pray and ponder and study, the meaning will come to you."
But I knew what it meant. I was just scared to admit it. I did as the Mylar suggested anyway. I spent days praying to my shrine, studying the words of the Kai, and thinking a great deal about it. I kept coming to the same conclusion.
I sat alone in my quarters contemplating as I looked over my resignation from Starfleet. I knew I would have to turn it it eventually, but that didn't mean I had to do it now. I closed the file, and then started a recording to my mom.
"Hey, mom. I'm so glad that dad is doing better. Are you sick of Earth yet?" I laughed nervously. "Mom, I have been thinking about something for quite some time. It has always been on my mind, and now I know for certain that it is my destiny. Mom, the prophets have revealed to me that I am to quit Starfleet and train to be a vedek."