7/2/2259
Skinar's Quarters
2:45 am

Nehru gently wrapped the blanket more tightly around Skinar. Over the ensuing hours the Tausian's skin had become ever
more pale and now flaked constantly. His features, naturally wrinkled before, had become ever more creased and pitted,
and his voice was now a hoarse whisper. His eyes remained sharp however and he had again assured McCoy, who had once
again come by to check on him, that while increasingly weary he was in no pain.

As McCoy stood to leave, Skinar motioned to him. "Don't go, Doctor. There are some matters that I need to discuss.
You have been serving as an Attendant in your own way, so these matters are for your ears as well. Sit with the others."

As McCoy wordlessly complied, Skinar nodded toward his bedroom. "Trolan, there is a large grey box in my bedroom.
Bring it to me, please."

The Kresarri silently rose from his chair and made his way to the room, a moment later he returned with the requested box
and handed it to Skinar.

"This box contains my most cherished personal belongings," Skinar whispered. "Over the years I have gifted various items
to my kin. These, however, I kept. But before another twelve hours have passed I shall be gone so I must now attend to them."

He looked at Kirk who silently sat in front of him. "If you had not offered to be one of my Attendants, Captain, I would have
asked Trolan to take this to you and make the request that I am about to now." He leaned forward slightly. "I ask that you
make certain that this box and its contents gets to Tausia. You don't need to take it yourself; I ask only that you arrange
its transport."

Kirk nodded solemnly. "You have my word, Elder."

Skinar's gaze returned to the box. "Once on Tausia, the Archivists will sort the objects and have them sent to my various kin.
I've already sent instructions on who is to get what." He paused. "There are, however, some objects that will not be journeying
back to Tausia."

He placed the box on the small table before him. Opening it he carefully lifted out a pendant that bore an image of a collection
of stars. "This belonged to Tor'ia, the woman who bore me," he said quietly. "She was a Medical Technician and an instructor.
Aside from the stars her two greatest joys were to aid others and to instruct others in how to aid others. In the seventy-five
years that she lived, she served on both the civilian and medical transports of over a dozen different species. Her services were
much in demand and she was especially sought out for her skills at teaching. When her Time came upon her, thirty five years
ago, she was the Chief Medical Technician of the Nlvekian hospital ship, Kesar. She arranged to have this sent to me and I have
kept it with honor ever since."

Putting the pendant down he once again reached inside and brought out a bracelet set with bright diamond-like gems.
"This belonged to Freyna, the woman with whom I mated. She was a navigator, one of the most skilled that I ever knew."
He smiled slightly. "She was also very adventurous and loved to travel to places that others had not gone. In the seventy-two
years that she lived she served on numerous scout and survey vessels and when her Time came upon her, four years ago,
she was Chief Navigator of the Antaran scout ship, Zloden."

He was silent for awhile as he gazed at the bracelet. "We met for the first time at the age of thirty, when we had both returned
to the Birthworld to seek out a suitable mate. We chose each other because of our genetic compatibility and like all Tausian
couples there were no feelings between us other than respect and a desire to further the continuation of our race. We were
together for three months; long enough to mate and bring our offspring into the world and after that was done we parted ways.

"Tausian couples do not have the deep emotional attachment that is common with couples from other species. But there is
respect between them. Deep respect. From the moment that they mate until both of then die, a woman always refers to her
partner as her Noeron, the man with whom she mated and who sired her offspring. And he always refers to her as his Noerye,
the woman with whom he mated and who bore his offspring. Although they never come into each other's physical presence
again, that bond always remains true and when a Tausian's Time comes upon him or her, their former partner is always
the first person that they contact. When Freyna's Time came upon her she contacted me to say farewell and arranged for
this to be sent to me."

He picked up the pendant and handed both it and the bracelet out to Nehru. "Both of these are yours now, Darshana."

The young woman's eyes widened and then grew moist. "S-Skinar…" she whispered.

"It is tradition," he said simply. "When our Time approaches our belongings are sent back to Tausia and from there bestowed
to our kin. However, Attendants are also regarded as kin." He noted the startled expression on Kirk's face as he said this.
"In return for standing beside us during our final days, they become our Kin-by-Choice. And gifts are bestowed upon them
as well."

With tears in her eyes, Nehru silently accepted the gifts. "I will treasure them always."

"I know. Which is why I have chosen to bequeath them to you."

Skinar reached into the box again and took out another object, a small metal pipe. "This belonged to Vryel, the man who sired
me. He was an engineer who specialized in internal systems. In the seventy-one years that he lived he served on several
freighters and tankers. When his Time came upon him, thirty eight years ago, he was Chief Engineer of the Ocrtan freighter
Glameer."

He smiled as he gazed at the flute. "He was also a musician who greatly enjoyed the pipe. He found that it helped him to focus
and come up with solutions and he often played during breaks in his work. He heard music in all things, both living and non.
He often said that machines sang as well, and that an engineer was merely one who knew how to listen to their song and how
to sing with them."

The Tausian's gaze once again went to the window. "He especially loved to play as he gazed upon the stars. He would listen to
their song and would sing back to them with his flute." He gave a slight chuckle. "Like all Tausians I heard the song of the stars
and I became quite skilled at hearing the song of computers, but that was the only music that I had a talent in. Nevertheless,
when his Time came upon him, he had this sent to me, knowing that I would keep it with honor. Although I had no skill with
playing it, I gazed upon it from time to time and it reminded me to heed the music in all things."

He handed the pipe to his roommate. "It is yours now, Trolan. Like the man who sired me, you too hear the music of machines.
And like him, you also have a talent for musical instruments. I know you will honor this well."

The Kressari wordlessly took the pipe and bowed his head deeply in respect.

Skinar nodded and reached once again reached into the box. This time he pulled out a tiny wooden symbol. "This is a Tausian
symbol of life. I carved it fifty years ago on the Birthworld after I beheld my three offspring for the first time. I carved it with
the same blade that I used to cut open their birth sacs. I carved five such images and gave three to my offspring and a fourth
to Freyna. This one I kept. For fifty years it has reminded me that life springs from the darkness of the womb, both of mothers'
and of space. For fifty years it has reminded me that sometimes life is accompanied by pain and blood, but it is still the most
priceless of treasures. And while it's to be taken seriously, one should know joy in it as well."

He smiled and gently handed it toward McCoy. "I think that this carving will suit you, Doctor. I hope that you will benefit from
its lessons."

A silent, but obviously moved McCoy, accepted the gift.

Skinar reached into the box again and brought out a small sandstone rock, smoothed, polished and engraved with intricate
designs. "This rock came from Vshora Canyon where I was born. I selected and hand-carved it seventy years ago. That is another
tradition; we select an object from the area where we are born and when we make our First Journey and leave the Birthworld
for the first time, we take it with us and carve in symbols to mark the occasion. It is a symbol of coming of age, but for me
it is more."

He ran his hand over the etched symbols. "When I left Tausia I etched these symbols, not only as a celebration of coming
of age, but as a commemoration to Anaser, the man who sired the woman who bore me. I asked him to etch some symbols
on it the night before he left for his Final Journey. He had not been able to roam among the stars until the very end of his life
and I wanted something partially made by him to be able to continue that journey. He was severely weakened at that point,
but he was able to manage."

He pointed to a design. "He etched this, the Symbol of Completion. His physical life had reached its conclusion and after finally
being able to feel the embrace of the stars, he was at last complete." He pointed to another symbol. "This is the Symbol of the
Great Cycle. We both etched it together. It means that things end and new things continue, that the past and future come
together and bring things full circle."

He paused for a long time. "This rock was formed in the forge of creation long before my race was born. It was etched by both
an old man beginning his Final Journey and a young man beginning his First. For seventy years it has accompanied me on all
of my journeys. For seventy years it has for me been a symbol of both journeying into the future and honoring the past, a reminder
of the ever changing seasons and of how everything come full circle."

He handed it to Kirk. "It is yours now, Captain. Once again it changes hands…from an old man at the end of his life, to a young
man at the beginning of his."

Kirk swallowed hard, obviously struggling to contain his emotions. "I…I'll treasure it," he finally whispered.

Skinar carefully closed the box. "Now, there is one more matter. Captains are not the only ones who keep logs. My people
have always been aware of the importance of combining their resources and of passing on their knowledge to those who will
come after them. That task is primarily undertaken by the Archivists and Guardians, but those who leave the Birthworld
contribute as well.

"From the moment we leave the Birthworld until we depart on our Final Journey, we keep a detailed record of everywhere
we've been and everything we've seen. Everything we've learned and everything we've accomplished. When our Time approaches
we have the record sent to the Great Archive on Tausia, adding to the collective history and knowledge of our people."

He gestured toward the room's computer terminal. "My logs are contained in two data chips. One chip is for the Great Archive
and has already been transmitted. The other is for the Saratoga to keep."

At the others' surprised expressions he continued. "It is another tradition. We bestow our knowledge as a gift, not only to our
own people, but to the people among whom we spend our last days. I served on board this ship for seven years, the last seven
years of my life. I now bestow upon it and its crew all of my knowledge to use as they will."

He gave a deep sigh. "I need to rest. Even speaking is difficult now and I will need every bit of strength I have left to reach
shuttlebay at 0900 tomorrow. Please help me to my bed."

Trolan and Kirk assisted him and once he lay down, Nehru gently drew the covers over him. McCoy ran more scans with his
tricorder and upon hearing his increasingly labored breaths, injected him with another compound to ease his breathing.

Skinar silently gazed at all of them. "The four of you have served as my Attendants. And for that I thank you. Take what
I have bestowed upon you and use it well."