I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.
The sun rose slowly over the only settlement on Gaia. Nearly two dozen houses lay intermingled among various storehouses, workshops, and the clinic. Carols and stables for the chattel and other domesticated animals were guarded by sentries armed with spears and bows and arrows. The fields surrounding the village were tended to by a number of people, some adults and a few children. Wind turbines and water pumps provided the settlement with all the electricity and water it needed, both during summer and winter. And in the center of all of this lay the original shelter build by the Defiant crew, now serving as the town hall and occasionally a school house.
Kira could not believe how much the crew had managed to build in only twenty years. In the last two decades they had managed to expand the settlement, secure all the food, water and power they needed to live comfortably throughout the year, and nearly double their population. Nearly everyone had either paired off or formed small groups within the first few years after the crash. Others, such as O'Brien, had refused to settle down believing they would still return to Deep Space 9, but eventually even O'Brien had to accept the truth and eventually settled down.
Kira laughed as she recalled O'Brien's wedding to his fellow engineer, Rita Tannenbaum, ten years after the crash. The Irishman had formed a close friendship with his fellow engineer and since Rita was one of the few people left unattached a decade after the crash, the two had decided to get married. They were close friends and Kira knew they loved each other, but everyone, including Rita, knew that Miles O'Brien still secretly held out hope of returning to DS9 and returning to the wife and children he had left behind. But now more than ten years after he had married Rita and with a few children of his own with her that he had to worry about, Kira could see that her friend was beginning to heal from the wounds left from abandoning his first family.
Everyone in the crew had somewhere between three to ten children, though it averaged out somewhere close to five. Worf and Jadzia were the only couple who married early that had only one child. It was not from lack of trying (Bashir had reports of the two of them coming to the clinic for his aide multiple times over the years) but Klingon and Trill genomes did not easily combine. It took them several miscarriages before they had been able to have a single healthy child, and the two were still trying for more.
Kira shook her head as she watched Worf teach his and Jadzia's child, along with a handful of other children and a few teenagers, how to fight like a Klingon in the center of town. The Bajoran had a feeling that in a few years there would be more people choosing to live as Klingons and might even chose to leave the village, but she knew that was a long ways off. For now Worf only taught his child and others who were willing as a way to pass of his Klingon heritage and to inspire them to live as brave warriors.
She spotted Sisko walking with his wife, the three youngest of their seven children with them. Kira remembered when Jadzia had come to visit her a few days ago. The Trill had told her that Sisko was excited about becoming a grandfather. Apparently the oldest of Sisko's children was going to become a parent, making Sisko the first grandfather in the entire colony. He was planning to tell everyone the news tonight at the community dinner, but had told Jadzia before anyone else. She in turn had told Kira, just to keep Sisko busy while she prepared a surprise with Sisko's expecting child.
"What has you so lost in thought, my love?" asked Odo.
Kira turned around to see her husband, Odo, standing behind her. Of all the people who had changed since the crash, Kira suspected Odo had changed the most. No longer did Odo present the security uniform he had worn for most of the first years after the crash. Now he presented his humanoid form clad in a simple work tunic, pants and boots like most of the men of the village. His shape shifting had also improved. His face no longer appeared to be half formed, looking now almost indistinguishable from a genuine humanoid. Kira had insisted Odo did not need to change for her, but Odo had told her that he himself had changed since they came to Gaia and he wanted his appearance to show that.
"What were you thinking about, Nerys?" gently asked Odo.
"I was just thinking about all that has changed since we first arrived." replied Kira.
Odo let out a hearty laugh and gave Kira a warm smile, something he would not have done before the crash when they were still on Deep Space 9.
"You can reminisce about the past later. Benjamin has called everyone in for dinner early. Apparently he had an announcement that he wants to make." informed Odo.
Kira smiled to herself, deciding not to tell Odo about what Sisko was going to announce. The two joined hands and walked to the town hall, where everyone was gathering for dinner as they did every night since their first day on Gaia.
Sorry about the late update. I have been having writers block and couldn't think of a way to continue the story. I'll try to update faster in the future. Tell me if anyone seems out of character. Comment if you like the story.