Cassandra stood in front of the mirror in her quarters on the Opaka. These had always been hers, she remembered that. When Ch’otok had finally purchased the ship, he’d picked the second largest quarters and had them ‘fixed’ for her. She remembered that. She had a clear memory of that. When the Opaka was in service these would have been for the first officer. Usually only the captain’s quarters were actually comfortable. The rest were meant to harden a warrior and so there was a shelf and a wash basin and a place to hang one’s armor. She remembered Ch’otok had told her, “Bengwl’, my bright light, you fight hard enough, here you will always find comfort.” She stared at herself curiously as tears slipped down her face. She was crying…Cas didn’t cry…she didn’t cry. Not in a long time.

She stared into solid black eyes, they hadn’t changed, but she didn’t recognize the gaze staring back at her. Natural deep red hair that was - wavy. She was confused, she didn’t remember red hair, but black, solid blue black and straight no life or bounce to it. Braided so tightly it hurt her scalp. But her hair was naturally red. She turned away from the confused and foreign reflection in the mirror. Across the armor stand hung a Ha’quj, her baldric, given to her when she was adopted into the house of Ke’dass. “Sos jIH batlh SoH” she whispered, carefully tracing the house pin attached near the shoulder. She remembered the candles and the R’uustai, the rite of bonding. Ch’otok had taken her to Qo’noS so that Ke’dass sister would perform the ceremony with her.

Now she was Ch’otok’s wife. She shook her head. She clearly remembered standing on the bridge of Opaka and Ch’otok placing a Bajoran earing on her. She shook her head, that wasn’t her earing. It belonged to Rutresh, his wife, she and Tonja, his daughter, had died on Delotha. They were…going somewhere then…she ....

Pain, intense and sharp and burning…Cassandra collapsed to the floor waiting…letting the memories clear.

Heavy confident foot steps. She knew that gait anywhere, on the deck plating of ship, of the soft tilled dirt of…their?…farm, or the wooden floors of the orphanage. She pulled herself up and began to wander the corridors. No one else was on the ship, all run by a holographic crew. She turned suddenly into a room, the training room. She had clear memories of being in this room, over and over again. Of Ch’otok teaching her to use the mek’leth he’d given her.

She found him in the mess. Ch’otok, her friend, her partner, Bengwl’ her beloved brother…no the inflection was wrong..bEngwl’ beloved husband. She walked over to the replicator, another modification Ch’otok had made, with just the two of them fresh food wasn’t practical. Jestral tea…she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this, and it was her favorite. She sat down at the table with him, legs curled into the chair. “My memories are so confused, Ch’otok. Yesterday was so much better, and today it hurts to try and remember what I ate yesterday.”

Cassandra