The Stranger (Part I)
Posted on Tue Apr 8, 2025 @ 4:51am by Commander Cara Letsul & Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Lieutenant JG Kael "Vex" Tharien
1,416 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Time After Time
Location: Promenade
ON
T'mpest and Cara were taking a stroll through the promenade to check on repairs and to see what shops were open. It was important to the commodore to help the businesses get back on their feet so the station could return to normal.
Vex slowed his pace as he passed a Bajoran spice vendor, the air thick with the rich aroma of Kaspar, Yarim-fel, and something faintly metallic that he couldn’t quite place. The vendor, an older Bajoran woman with deep-set eyes, measured out a portion of red spice, her hands practiced and steady.
For a moment, he considered stopping—not to buy anything, but because there was something oddly grounding about the scene. A woman tending to her craft, unfazed by the chaos of repairs and recovery around her. There was something to be said for routine.
The moment passed.
He caught movement in his peripheral—Starfleet uniforms, moving with purpose. Vex didn’t need to stare to recognize authority when he saw it. The pips were high, the posture confident, the kind of presence that usually meant someone was in charge.
His grip tightened slightly on the strap of his duffel. First day, and already brushing shoulders with command. Perfect.
Vex exhaled through his nose and shifted his weight, his gaze drifting back to the vendor’s neatly arranged spice canisters and drying herbs. Keep it casual. Let them decide if they care.
It wasn’t clear if they were expecting him or if this was just an inconveniently timed encounter. Either way, they were heading straight toward him, and he was about to find out.
Cara walked alongside T'mpest gazing at the progress of repairs being done. "Looks so familiar, almost like dejavu to me." she chuckled. "Repairs to shops, and eateries-" she paused , noticing someone observing them and picking up his seeming interest in the two of them. "I think we've caught someone's interest. Care to go investigate?"
"He does not seem eager to see us, which does make me curious," T'mpest admitted. Then she looked over at the man and met his gaze. It was the best way to measure his reaction to the two of them.
Vex didn’t flinch under the weight of the officer’s gaze, nor did he immediately look away. Instead, he held steady, maintaining the calm, neutral expression he had perfected over the years. Reading, measuring, calculating.
They had noticed him. Expected, but not ideal.
With a subtle exhale through his nose, he shifted his attention back to the Bajoran spice vendor, feigning interest in the delicate way she handled the finely ground Kaspar root. His posture remained relaxed, but his mind was already working. Were they just curious? Suspicious? Or had word traveled faster than expected?
His duffel still hung over his shoulder, a quiet reminder that, officially, he wasn’t stationed here. Not yet. Not unless Starfleet Command decided otherwise.
For now, he let the moment play out. If they wanted to engage, they would. And if they didn’t? Even better.
"He appears to ignore us but there is a sense of...watchfulness...about him," T'mpest said quietly. "He may simply be a traveler, but go have a look at the spice vendor. I will stop where I can observe. There are many on edge right now, this may be nothing." But she would get his image to check in the computer as soon as she had the chance.
"I am rather interested in the spices, it would do me good to investigate and procure some." Cara left T'mpest's side gracefully making her way to the Bajoran spice vendor. Her nose twitched slightly as she caught the scent of some of the spices there. Cara almost bumped into the man near the vendor. "Oh sorry." she commented, then turned her attention to the vendor, and the display. "So, do you have a favorite spice you enjoy the aroma of?" Cara picked up a package of what she considered Bajoran cinnamon.
Vex barely reacted to the near collision, offering a slight nod in acknowledgment before shifting his attention back to the vendor’s display. Intentional or not, it was an opening.
His fingers traced the edge of a container filled with Kaspar root, the deep, earthy scent standing out against the sharper spices surrounding it. He didn’t pick it up, just let the aromas settle around him.
Then came the question—not directed at him, but at the vendor.
An easy way to start a conversation. Casual. Non-threatening. But he could still feel it—the weight of attention. Measured. Watchful.
He exhaled quietly, rolling a small pouch of Yrillian spice between his fingers before glancing at the commander.
“Good question,” he murmured, his voice even, laced with the faintest hint of curiosity. “Aromas leave an impression, after all. Some linger longer than others.”
He turned the pouch over once, his dark eyes settling on the Bajoran vendor.
“What do you recommend for someone passing through?”
The words were neutral, as if he was just another traveler. But the way he said them—that was the real test.
The Bajoran woman looked towards the young man, "Passing through?" she looked at the spices that were there. "There are those who pack spices with them to travel to different places."
"How about a spice that hopefully makes you connected, to where you'd want to stay." Cara murmured softly and air of wistfulness as she picked up the Bajoran cinnamon and another which smelled like ginger. "The scent of home baked goods, making a person feel at peace or at ease." Cara for herself, she wanted this station to be like that for herself.
Vex listened, absorbing not just the words but the tone beneath them. Wistfulness. Longing. A desire for something steady in a place that was anything but. It was not a sentiment often spoken aloud, yet it lingered in the way the commander handled the spices, in the soft cadence of her voice.
He set down the Yrillian spice with careful precision, aligning it neatly with the others before stepping forward. His movements were measured, deliberate—not rushed, but purposeful.
“Commander.” His voice was even, composed, but unlike a full Vulcan’s, it was not devoid of all emotion. There was an undercurrent of something—not warmth, exactly, but understanding.
“I am Lieutenant Kael Tharien—though I prefer ‘Vex.’” His voice carried the steady cadence of Vulcan precision, yet there was an unmistakable undercurrent of something more—a subtle, knowing ease that set him apart. I recently arrived and am currently awaiting clarification of my orders. Until such time, I remain... in transit.” His dark gaze flicked briefly toward the Commodore, still positioned at a distance. Observing. Assessing.
He did not look for long. Instead, he returned his attention to the commander and the spice in her hand.
“You are correct,” he stated, his tone neutral but carrying the faintest note of agreement—perhaps even a trace of personal recognition. “Scent has a profound link to memory. It is why certain aromas evoke a sense of familiarity, of grounding.”
A pause. Calculated. Purposeful.
“It is logical to seek such things in a place of transition. Stability, even when intangible, can serve as an anchor.” He studied her for a brief moment, not intrusively, but with quiet curiosity. The need for belonging was not a purely human trait.
His gaze drifted back toward the Commodore before returning to the commander. “Is that what Deep Space 5 is to you, Commander? An anchor?”
This time, he did not fill the silence that followed. He had asked a question, but he had also offered something in return. A piece of himself—however small.
A shifting of her body as Cara turned to regard Vex. "I hope that it will be, time will only tell. My name is Cara Letsul" She got a good glimpse of Vex, his features, the way he held himself. "I have recently come to this station myself. It will also depend on if the station itself will accept me. " Cara turned to purchase the spices from the Bajoran vendor. "I will return especially since you have quality spices." she said with a warm genuine smile towards the Bajoran woman. The woman smiled in return, pocketing the latinum strips that Cara had given to her.
(To be continued...)
Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5
Commander Cara Letsul
Executive Officer
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant JG Kael "Vex" Tharien
Star Fleet Officer
Deep Space 5
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