The next morning, Kira woke to the scent of lilacs — or she thought she did. As she sat up, it seemed to fade. She shook the heavy sleep from her eyes. Exhaustion was a common after-effect of the Orb vision, she reminded herself, glad to have a reasonable explanation. Time to start the day.

She skipped breakfast in favor of morning services at the shrine.

Her first stop after services was at Security to check on protocols for the remainder of the vedeks’ time on the station, and the Orb viewing they had announced the evening before. She found things in a state of anxiety, with deputies running around and several computer technicians working at the main console.

“What happened?” she asked the first person she could grab, ready to upbraid whoever had decided not to inform her about the apparent emergency.

“Uh....”

“I’ll update the Colonel,” Emyn’s voice overrode. “Go ahead, Jomsa.”

“Yes, Constable.” The deputy bowed his way out.

“Constable.”

“Colonel.”

“What happened?”

“Someone tried to access the station’s main computer system through the assay office computer,” Emyn reported. The woman’s hair wasn’t even braided up yet, only caught in a clip, and hanging almost to her waist — she’d obviously been called from her bed, with no time even to tie up her hair as she customarily wore it. “Tried to override the main security lock-outs.”

“Did they succeed?” Kira asked tensely.

The other woman shook her head. “I think all they got was an earful of static and some jangled synapses.”

“One of Odo’s back-up measures.” Kira couldn’t help a satisfied comment.

Emyn nodded, but her expression seemed to close down. “Yes.”

“Any idea what they were after?”

“No. It looks like whoever did it was very good at hiding their tracks. From the point in the system they tried to access, they could have gone anywhere in our databanks — security, communications, technical data, confidential financial and property information — probably without leaving a trace, once they were in.”

“Could it be related to having the vedeks and the Orb on the station?”

“At present, we don’t know. I hope to know more when my investigation’s complete.”

The colonel waited uncomfortably for a moment as the bustle of activity increase with several additional deputies arriving for their shift.

After the constable gave instructions to those officers, Kira asked, “Do you need Nog or Kaoron’s help?”

“I think we’ve got it under control.”

“All right. Keep me informed.”

“Of course,” Emyn said brusquely. “It there anything else?”

“Uh.... No, I suppose not.”

“Then I’ll get back to work.” The constable turned back to her console.

Feeling rebuffed and a little irritated, Kira headed for Ops. She headed to her office to review status reports, stopping long enough for a glass of water before settling at her desk. What she really wanted was a raktajino, double strong, but after her experience the night before, she was dedicating the day to the Prophets.

She blinked hard to clear her sight, and tried to concentrate on work.

Duty rosters for the next week. One request for parenting leave, another for a family emergency. Ship manifests for incoming and outgoing vessels. Anticipated new arrivals and their ETAs. Rearranging cargo bay space to handle the additional ships. Repairs on one of the lower pylons. Shifting docking to accommodate the repairs. Updates on the internal sensors. A problem with the energy conduits in section Thirteen. And, she realized belatedly, an update on Emyn’s investigation of the incident, confirming there were no new details yet available.

She yawned. The words blurred. Her thoughts wouldn’t stay focused. They kept returning to the vision, and the images she’d seen in it.

A desert, dry and barren, buffeted by that hot, whispering wind that almost spoke words. Worse than the southern Outback of Ralinte Province. For a few moments she tried to concentrate on the wind, to pick out even one word that might mean something.

Nothing. She shook her head.

The woman and the scent of lilacs. Kira Meru. Her mother. Despite the awful slashing of her face and arms, it had to be. The clothes, the hair, the flowers. Meru had loved Bajoran lilacs. They had been her favorite flower. And they had been the flower Gul Dukat mocked her with when he revealed that he had known Meru intimately, that she had been a comfort woman who accepted him into her bed for seven years while her husband grieved and her children were taught to believe she was dead.

The woman running beside her. Emyn Lise, the station’s current security officer. Fleeing haunting, howling shapes. Why would she see the new constable in a vision? Why running beside her? While Kira had, to her own amazement, become more able to accept the woman in Odo’s place, her past actions during the occupation stood between any hope of friendship. After all, what role could a former traitor like Emyn play in the will of the Prophets? Emyn didn’t even follow the Prophets, she had no belief in anything beyond herself, that Kira could see.

So different from the firm belief and spiritual leadership of Kai Opaka. Opaka had stood beside the gate into the garden. Did that lush garden represent the favor of the Prophets?

And yet, Opaka claimed she could not enter. Opaka, who had regularly communed with the Prophets, who had heeded their call to try to save another world as she had saved her own, with leadership, courage, service, and personal strength.

Opaka, whose warm and comforting embrace had turned into the cold stone grip of Winn.

Why had Opaka turned to stone? And why then reshaped into Winn? What did it mean that the faces of all but Winn been cut and bloodied? But even her features had been stained red. And what did she mean, they all carried scars?

Restlessly, Kira stood up and paced.

The vision had reminded her of her mother’s birthday, just a week away. Last year, in the midst of the final phases of the Dominion war, she’d managed to forget the day. No such luck this year, the Orb had made sure of that.

Vedek Hatha thought she needed that vision. He felt she would need the guidance of the Prophets to deal with some upcoming event. Personal? As commander of the station? For Bajor? For the light and fire of Shabren’s Third Prophecy?

Dax and Kaoron watched from just outside the entrance to the Replimat. Across the Promenade, several monks remained clustered about the entrance of the station shrine, and prayers continued. Attendance at morning services had overflowed into the wide mall. Throughout the day, the shrine had remained, as always, open for anyone who wanted to walk in. While the Promenade was packed, only a few Bajorans entered or seemed to be waiting their opportunity for a moment before the Orb.

“So many people out here, but just a handful actually going inside,” Dax observed.

“If my observations of Bajoran spirituality are accurate, many are content simply to know that an Orb of their Prophets rests within and that they are close to it,” Kaoron remarked. “Tomorrow, however, I believe there will be many more Bajorans in the shrine.”

“Why?” she asked.

“I have been watching the shrine for several hours, and listening both to those passing by, and those entering. A number of these people have been praying all day. I have heard several state they spent the night in meditation. And many have not eaten or drunk anything since Ranjen Shayl announced that the Orb would be in the shrine for private viewing by any who chose to see it. After another day of fasting and prayer, there will be many who feel sufficiently ready to enter the presence of the Orb.”

The Trill looked perplexed. “Oh. How did you know that?”

“I am fascinated by the Wormhole beings, and the role they play in Bajoran culture and belief,” he replied. “And the Bajorans as a people place a great deal of emphasis on self-purification. Those who ask for the privilege of an Orb vision often take several days to prepare.”

“I should have remembered that. I’ve known Nerys long enough. But Orb visions aren’t automatic, even with preparation.”

“So I have learned.” Kaoron’s dark eyes were lively as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Rumor has it that both Vedek Ungtae and Vedek Carn plan to view the Orb, with the hope of being granted a vision. They have come and gone several times today, with their expressions more strained each time. Thus far, either they do not feel ready, or they are afraid of the consequences of admitting they have failed in their quest for that mark of favor, and thus are hesitant to make the attempt.”

She grinned. “It might look like the Prophets have rejected him, for a vedek to be denied an Orb vision in the middle of the election for a new kai.”

“Indeed.”

“I wonder if they’ll wind up waiting until the Orb goes back to Bajor.”

“That may depend on where it goes.”

“Oh? I thought it was going to Peri’ketra.”

“If I have overheard correctly—“

“A Vulcan, eavesdropping?” she teased.

“Simply good ears,” he replied with a twitch of a quickly-gone smile. “In any event, it appears Vedek Ungtae has suggested the Orb should travel to his monastery at Tempasa-Lur, which resulted in Vedek Carn insisting that if the Orb is to travel across Bajor, it should next come to his monastery in the Janitza Mountains. All claimed in the interest of equity, as the Orb has spent its hidden years at Yoljan. The population, however, seems fairly evenly divided in suggesting the Orb should remain at Yoljan because that is its ‘home,’ or taken to the capital for the benefit of the new kai, whoever that turns out to be.”

“No matter how we look at it, this Orb could play an important role in determining who gets elected.”

“So it appears.”

Craning her neck, Dax watched the shrine entrance a few moments more. She saw Commander Alden in the crowd, and considered calling him. As she opened her mouth, however, he entered the shrine vestibule. She blinked. It took a second to realize what she’d just seen. A moment or two later, Ranjen Shayl stepped out, pausing on the steps. She felt a sudden foreboding.

“Excuse me, Kaoron....”

She left the lieutenant and started forward across the Promenade — then froze. Dax hadn’t been in the shrine since shortly after arriving on the station as Ezri. She had to steel herself to continue toward the entrance of the place where her previous host had been murdered. Somewhere in her head, there was screaming. Jostled by the crowd, she started walking again, feeling as though she were being forced toward her own execution.

Shayl nodded a quiet welcome as she passed him. She managed a smile.

Inside the shrine, Alden stood motionless next to the pedestal holding the Orb ark. He was the only person in the room, and his attention was fixed on the case, his fingers resting on its filigreed surface.

“Endar?”

Alden looked at her, blinking. “It’s an empty box,” he announced, puzzled. “So what’s the big deal?”

“It’s called an ark, not a box, it’s—“ Her eyes widened in shocked disbelief. “You ... opened it?”

“I just wanted to see what everybody was talking about—“

“Kira will have your head!” Ezri hissed in horror, jerking him back from the vault.

“You’re the one who said she’d appreciate if I showed a little interest in her people’s culture and beliefs!” he protested.

“But not like this!” She was hyperventilating. “Half of Bajor would be howling for our blood if they knew—“

“Hey, hey!” Endar caught her arms. “Slow down, you’re breathing too fast. C’mon, Ranjen Shayl didn’t stop me from coming in, or keep me away from the thing. And if he’s not worried—”

“The vedeks—“

He shrugged and looked back at the ark. “Maybe they take the orb out and lock it up somewhere when they’re not here, and just leave the box for appearances.”

“They don’t—“ It finally sank in. “Wait a minute, you said it was empty?”

“Yeah.”

Ezri stared at the tightly closed orb vault. Empty? Nothing in it? She knew better than that.

“No. You’re crazy, that’s impossible.”

Impatience turned into a sulk. “So don’t believe me. I don’t know why I even came here. I try to follow your advice, and—” Endar’s voice rose in frustration.

“Shh!” She nervously looked back toward the entrance. “If Shayl or the vedeks—“

The commander cut her off, stubbornly repeating, “Shayl knows I’m here. He didn’t tell me to get out or to stay away. He told me to take as much time as I needed to find the Prophets. Hah! Looks like they’re not here to be found!” He stalked out, muttering under his breath.

Ezri stared at the ark for several seconds, wondering if she dared look for herself. The ark seemed to be getting farther away. After a few seconds, she realized she was edging back toward the door. She could fight down the urge to run, but she couldn’t stop herself from leaving.

Kira had stopped at the shrine for the second time that day, hoping to gain some insight from talking to the ranjen. But Shayl had simply smiled when she asked for his thoughts, assuring her that whatever message the Prophets had given her, they would make it clear for her in their own time.

“If that’s the case,” she’d asked, “why do we bother reading texts like Dinnek’s Meditations, trying to interpret the prophecies? Why even write down the prophecies?”

“The prophecies are for all Bajor. This vision was for you.”

Then he’d touched her ear and nodded, and changed the subject. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but it was all she got. Exiting the shrine a few minutes later, she made her way through the crowd toward the nearest turbolift, contemplating visions that she knew were hers alone to figure out.

“Hi, Nerys!”

Kira jerked to alertness as Dax joined her in the lift. She hadn’t even realized the other woman was beside her.

The Trill looked decidedly chipper. Almost too much so, in her tired opinion. Nervously chipper?

“Hi, Ezri,” she returned.

“I was just wondering if there was any word from Cardassia?” Dax asked as the lift began to rise.

“I haven’t heard anything, beyond the report of the medical ships S’len and Hopkins joining the mission.”

Dax’s face fell.

“Julian’s been gone a long time,” she remarked.

“Seems like forever,” Dax admitted. “He doesn’t write much, either. Too busy.”

“He’ll be back soon,” Kira assured her.

“I saw you coming out of the shrine,” Dax noted offhandedly. “Talking to Ranjen Shayl again?”

“That too,” she replied, smiling.

“Did he have ... anything interesting to say?”

“About what?”

“Oh.... The vedeks. Anybody having visions. Any problems with the Orb being here.”

Kira frowned. Her friend sounded a little jumpy. Had someone heard that she’d been in the shrine the night before? Was Dax trying to get details about that, or counsel her? Shayl wouldn’t have said anything, would he? No, of course not, he knew how personal Orb visions were. And Vedek Hatha certainly wouldn’t say anything. Did someone else know?

“No,” she said, “nothing that Shayl reported, other than the vedeks seeming more snippy and on edge than he expected. Why?”

“Just wondering. Everyone’s so excited about the whole thing.”

They reached Ops and stepped out.

Kira’s stomach growled.

Dax looked at her quizzically. “Missed lunch today?”

“Umm, actually, I’m fasting.”

“It’s not the month of cleansing. Or is it? Have I lost track of time?” the younger woman asked.

“No, it’s just a ... personal cleansing,” Kira evaded.

“Because of the Orb, isn’t it.” Dax nodded. “Kaoron mentioned that a number of Bajorans were fasting, along with the usual acts of spirituality. So, are you thinking of trying to view the Orb too?”

Kira shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

”Oh.” The Trill considered. “I suppose this means I shouldn’t bother asking if you want to go get some dinner later? Or will the fast be over today?”

“Not yet. Maybe tomorrow,” she hedged.

“Tomorrow, then. Well, for now I suppose I should get back to my office. Two more appointments yet today. See you later, Nerys.”

“Bye, Ezri.”

Her office was blessedly empty, with space enough to spread out her arms and twirl, if she wanted to, without hitting anybody.

Except for her desk. She stared at it dismally.

Reports. Reports, reports, and more reports. Had somebody taken the previous day’s reports and mixed them in with today’s? Or not filed away the morning’s updates? It had to be. That was the only explanation for the massive stack of reports on her desk. But the only person who could be blamed for not clearing her desk that morning, was herself — she’d been too preoccupied to remember.

“I hate paperwork,” Kira muttered to herself, then wondered how many times she’d already voiced that complaint.

Ezri watched Kira disappear up the stairs before stepping back into the lift, blowing a relieved breath.

At least nobody had seen or reported to Kira that Endar had been in the shrine and opened the Orb. Kira would have been ballistic if she’d known.

It was frustrating, being caught in the middle between her commanding officer and old friend, and her new friend and patient. Neither one was willing to give.

It would have been easier for her if she didn’t understand them both so well. But she knew them each too well to choose a side.

Kira Nerys had the tenacity and strength of a passionate woman who’d spent her entire life fighting for her cause. That cause encompassed her world, her people, her faith. There were scars from that fight, fears of weakness, pride in what her people had accomplished. She was no longer the angry and resentful woman who’d been assigned to work with the Federation, while hating their presence; she’d mellowed, and her perceptions had shifted. She was learning diplomacy. But Nerys still had a temper and did not take insult well. And she would not tolerate anything that endangered what was important to her. That included her people and her command.

Endar Alden was just as strong, focused, defiant, and temperamental. When he wanted something, it was hard to stop him; he would sacrifice anything for what he wanted and believed in. But he was psychologically and emotionally crippled by the traumas he’d endured — events she knew he hadn’t yet shared with her, and maybe didn’t even remember. While he continued to work with her to overcome those traumas, she knew there were moments he was out of control, even a danger. If not for Admiral Ross, Alden would have been gone his second day on the station. She wanted to help him; he deserved a chance. It would have been easier to give him that help in a civilian setting, or at one of the facilities that had been established to heal the mentally injured — but that wasn’t where Endar wanted to be, and he would never stay where he didn’t want to be.

They were both people of action, who hated sitting, hated waiting, hated roadblocks.

They clashed. The only way they seemed to work together was by avoiding each other.

It made life difficult for those who had to work with them both.

Today, she was glad she didn’t have to mediate between them about the Orb. She doubted she could have found a way to calm Nerys; she would have seen it as a deadly insult. And Endar would have reacted just as extremely in the opposite direction.

Wryly, she contemplated the effect of a matter-antimatter explosion on the station.

Then she reached her level and headed back to her office.