"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", and the characters of that TV series are
  copyright Paramount Pictures.

 This fan-fiction is neither supported nor endorsed by Paramount Pictures.
 The treatment given to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series herein, is
 intended as personal creative expression of which no commercial or
 financial gain is obtained or sought, and is not meant to infringe on any
 cpyrights held or implied by any individuals or companies. All such
 copyrights whether mentioned or not are hereby acknowledged.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

                              - A Xmas Tale -
                                -----------

                    a STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE story

                          written by Peter Bryce
                          10th of December, 1997
                                 (c) 1997



Sisko came up behind Kira at a station in Ops and said, "This can wait 
until later you know."

She nodded, "It's okay. I'll have it finished in a little while."

He smiled, "Don't forget that it's Xmas day tomorrow."

Kira sighed, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Sisko frowned for a moment and then commented in a fatherly tone, "Don't
stay up too late. - Goodnight Major."

She nodded once more and as Sisko made his way out of Ops, Kira
concentrated on the readouts on the screen before her but it was of no use
because although she was looking at them, her mind was elsewhere 
remembering the past.......




A younger Kira Nerys intently watched two armed Cardassian soldiers walk
slowly through the marketplace. Occasionally they would randomly stop a
passerby and demand to know his business here. It was the usual procedure
but today Kira wished they were elsewhere in the marketplace.

She recognised a fellow Resistance member across the way and she was
relieved when he casually walked past the Cardassians and wasn't stopped.
Kira stepped back into the shadows of a building and the man joined her.

"What have you got?", she eagerly asked.

The man handed her a padd quietly saying, "The latest troop numbers 
for the garrison and the duty rosters."

As Kira quickly secreted the padd inside her clothes she asked, "Are you 
sure we can trust this human?"

"The data seems genuine enough and so does the man."

"How much is this going to cost me?"

"Nothing. The human said it was a 'Xmas present'".

"A what?"

"Apparently Xmas is a festive time for humans where they celebrate the
birth of the son of their deity. It's also a time for giving presents."

"So you're saying this is a present?"

"I suppose so. Let me know if it turns out to be anything useful."

Kira nodded and then the man moved off in a direction away from the two
patrolling Cardassians.

* ************************* *

It was late at night when Kira made her way towards the garrison that also
housed Gul Rowdahs' living quarters. As she paused to catch her breath, 
Kira looked up into the night sky to see a bright star slowly moving 
across the Bajoran heavens.

The Cardassian mining station in orbit was something Kira hated because it
was always a visible sign of the Occupation, even when she was looking
outwards for hope.

Kira took a deep breath and continued on.

Evading the guards, disabling the security, scaling the walls, and finally
entering the living quarters was certainly no easy task but Kira had been
planning this for a long, long time. Tonight she would make Cardassia pay
for the tragedies she had seen. Tonight she would bring judgment to Gul
Rowdah.

The last piece of information that she had sought had been supplied to her
by way of the anonymous co-operative human, and now Kira had at long last
been able to put her private plan into action.

She crept into the sleeping quarters of Rowdah and in the very dim light
she could make out a form on the bed. Kira smiled and pulled the dagger
from her sheath. It's wicked blade was honed into a shape that guaranteed
death even in the hands of a novice.

Kira moved closer and gently took a free pillow in her left hand whilst
raising the knife in her right.

For a second she paused and whispered, "Merry Xmas Gul Rowdah!"

And with that Kira simultaneously plunged the dagger deep into the body on
the bed whilst also holding the pillow firmly down so no screams could be
heard. As the body bucked beneath her, a hand clutched at Kiras' arm. - It 
was at that moment that Kira realised that something was very wrong.

But the grip on her arm suddenly loosened and the hand fell away from Kira
to lay limply alongside the now still body.

Kira stepped back in a panic and she fumbled for a bedside light switch. 
When it came on her eyes fell upon the body of a young, pregnant Bajoran
woman with Kiras' dagger protruding obscenely from her.

Kira looked at the blood on her hand, the blood on the light switch, and
all she could do was to softly utter, "No,...no......you were supposed 
to be....."

It was the sounds of footsteps that made Kiras' instincts take over and she
ran for the curtained window. It was a very long drop below but a small
ledge ran a short way outside so she quickly scrambled upon it and tried to
decide what to do next as she breathed hard.

She heard a male scream from inside and Kira couldn't help but look through
the curtains to see Gul Rowdah on his knees beside the dead woman with her
unborn child.

To one side of the bed stood three Cardassians in civilian clothes, and it
was one of these who pulled aside the pillow.

The woman was beautiful even in death and Kira knew she would always
remember her face.

Without another thought, Kira let herself drop to the ground below even if
the fall might kill her. She rolled to break the fall and it helped but it
still didn't lessen the impact entirely.

Kira didn't know how she got away without being caught that night but as
she limped away into the darkness she looked up to find the large star was
no longer visible.

************

"Are you alright Major?"

Kira broke from her reverie to face the young Federation ensign by her side
in Ops.

She took a deep breath and nodded, "I'm okay. What are you doing here?"

"Change of duty shift. I didn't expect to see you still here though."

"I've....I've got something to finish before tomorrow."

The ensign smiled, "I think you're too late then. It's Xmas day. - Merry
Xmas Major."

Kira sighed, "Yeah,.....Merry Xmas...."

* ************************* *

*           END             *

* ************************* *