“I don’t really see what that has to do with anything,” Bashir said, feeling defensive in spite of himself.

“You loved her,” she repeated, turning to face him. “You don’t have to be embarrassed to talk to me about it. Worf may have arranged a place in Sto-Vo-Korfor her, but she’s still right here.” She placed a hand on her abdomen, where the Dax symbiont stored the memories of all its previous hosts.

And she’s in my heart as well,he thought. And always will be.He slumped into the seat next to Ezri’s, knowing he was beaten.

“All right. I didlove Jadzia. What of it?”

“You were in love with her, but you lost her to Worf before you could do anything about it. And you lost her again when she died. Then Ezri Dax blundered into your life. Suddenly, you had a second chance at Jadzia. And now, here we are.”

“I love you,Ezri. Not Jadzia’s ghost. Don’t you believe that?”

She nodded, the tears in her eyes sparkling like distant quasars. “I do believe you, Julian. But I’ve always wondered if the only reason for that is because you loved Jadzia first.”

He was feeling adrift; when he’d decided to air his grievances with her, the last thing he’d expected was for her to reciprocate. “What’s your point, Ezri?”

“My point is that we came together under some pretty strange circumstances. There was the emotional baggage you had with Jadzia. The Dominion War. The final battle for Cardassia. We became a couple not knowing whether we’d even survive the first day.” Tears began painting wide stripes down both her cheeks.

All at once he saw precisely where she was heading. And he was more than a little surprised when he realized that she was making perfect, if painful, sense.

“And none of that bodes well for a stable relationship,” he said quietly. He suddenly noticed that his own cheeks were damp as well.

“It isn’t that you’re not important to me, Julian,” she said. “You’re a dear, sweet, man. A goodman. But the part of me that’s just plain old Ezri wonders if we’d have been drawn together at all if I didn’t see you through Jadzia’s eyes…or if you didn’t see her in mine.”

He opened his mouth to protest, then stopped himself. Was it egotistical to acknowledge that he might not have developed feelings for Ezri if not for her symbiosis with the renowned polymath Dax symbiont—and the link to his beloved, dead Jadzia that had come with it?

“I suppose we’ve both changed quite a bit over the past year,” he said finally, knowing that his words communicated little of value even as he said them.

“Me especially,” she said, gracefully permitting his obvious dodge as she chuckled through her tears. “And now we’re two very different people.”

We’ve matured together,he thought. I don’t think we could have had this conversation just a few months ago. At least not without a good deal more shouting.

They sat together in silence, watching the stars. Holding hands.

“I suppose we’re done now,” he said at length. “As a couple, I mean.”

They faced each other. He studied her eyes, just as she was clearly studying his. The truth now stood revealed as obvious.

“I hope you don’t mind my telling you that I still love you,” he said, fixing his eyes back on the interstellar void ahead. “I think I always will.”

Her fingers felt cold against his as she squeezed his hand. “And I’ll always love you, too, Julian.” A brief sidewise glance told him that her gaze now faced front as well.

Very gently, he released her hand. She withdrew it. Whatever cord had connected them romantically seemed to snap with that gesture. They were friends now. Dear friends, and colleagues.

The Rio Grandecontinued hurtling homeward, mere hours away from Deep Space 9. And though Ezri remained seated beside him, the blackness of space seemed not nearly so deep and cold as the gulf that now yawned between them.

Bajor

Fragments and Omens

J. Noah Kym

About the Author

J. Noah Kym has been characterized by his friends as a tough nut to crack.

For Mom

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, deepest gratitude to Paula Block for her support, her enthusiasm, and her suggestion of this story’s villain.

Muchas graciasalso to Heather Jarman and Jeff Lang, scribes extraordinaire, whose help and inspiration were invaluable to the crafting of this tale.

A big shout out to all the folks who make Star Trek,on screen and in print, for all the worlds and characters they continue to create.

Finally, a tip of the hat to my editor, Marco Palmieri, for inviting me to explore the world of Bajor.

Historian’s Note

Chapters 1, 2, 11, and all the “Rena” portions of this tale unfold over the three weeks immediately following the Star Trek: Deep Space Ninenovel Unity.The rest of the story transpires during a single day at the end of that period, in late October, 2376 (Old Calendar).