Leaving Home

Olmek stood, eyes closed with his head slightly tilted back. The hot salty unceasing breeze streamed passed his ashen gray face, through his flared nostrils and deep into the depths of his lungs. The sensation never grew old. Countless times had he stood in that spot, but today part of him couldn't help but wonder if he ever would again. The cliffs, the heat, the mist of the ocean were apart of him. He was unashamed to admit Vulcan would be sorely missed.

Opening his eyes in the mist caused by an unwavering updraft from the ocean below Olmek winced with a thin lipped grin. The tall, broad shouldered man looked out over the great Vulcan ocean where the waters of the Thanar and Varoth seas combined. As he starred at the great expanse of waves and water a large flash above the horizon caught his attention and Olmek's eyes darted to the world above.

The eruption was one of the largest he'd ever witnessed on the world T'Khut, otherwise know as The Watcher. That great, terrifying and inspiring world was a seething volcanic monstrosity that hung tidily locked above the hemisphere of Vulcan he stood on. It was an impressive sight to behold in the day and he could only imagine what the titanic spewing of lava and gases would have looked like had it occurred when The Watcher was obscuring Vulcan from Nevasa's light. In that moment he could almost feel the heat from the erupting super volcano even there from 149,895 kilometers away.

I will miss the heat the most. The warm nights and the warmer days. Bending down and reaching toward the ground Olmek scooped a handful of iron rich dirt into his palm and gazed at it for a moment. The reddish orange dust stood in stark contrast to his mottled gray leathery skin. Pulling a small closed container from his belt he opened it with his teeth and poured the handful of dirt inside before closing it back up and slipping it once more into his belt lining.

With one last look around at the view the Cardassian turned and headed back across the mesa towards home. Striding slowly toward the white washed walls of his family enclave Olmek tugged on the freshly tailored uniform he'd slipped into before heading down to the edge of the cliffs. It's reddish maroon tunic and black pants almost wore like Vulcan camouflage. His exposed skin though stood apart from the uniform as much as his ancestral home did looming ever closer in front of him from the terrain around it.

"A memento?" Came a voice from the balcony over looking the gates to the walled-in courtyard. A thoughtful, reminiscent look adorned the features of his father's face. At eighty he was looking his age but the heat kept a fire burning in his eyes that was apparent to any who looked at him. Before his son could reply Olmek watched his father turn and re-enter his office.

Locking the gate behind him and turning the young man saw his father step out into the air again this time out of the main entrance of their home. In his hand Olmek could see he was holding a small brownish red something in his black gloved hand. "I did much the same when our group left Cardassia." Teneer said gazing down at what Olmek could now make out as a polished rock as Teneer approached his son.

Teneer rolled the stone in his hand. "Used to be rough you know," he said looking up at The Watcher over head and then back down into his son's eyes before looking back to the rock. "But almost twenty-eight years of this," he said continuing to roll the stone end over end in his palm, "has made it smooth as glass."

"As romantic as your notions of Cardassia?" Olmek asked searching his father's face.

"When we left we hoped Cardassia would rise again. That we would contribute to that rebirth from here. We hoped that from the ashes of the cinder that the Dominion and then the Alliance left smoldering in space would slowly arise a Phoenix of democracy where the State and it's military were not paramount in daily life. That our people would have finally learned the err of our ways and turn back toward the society the Hebitian civilization knew." Teneer stopped there and sighed.

"And we hoped we would return also … eventually. Oh, how an old man longs to go home again. How I wish I could show you the geminite caves just outside Lakat. Or stroll through the streets of Lakarian City with your mother. We met there you know …" Teneer asked with a smile still rolling the stone over and over in his hand. Up until then Olmek's father hadn't shown signs of his illness, not that day anyway, but there it was. An otherwise innocent question belying a terrible truth. A once sharp mind was succumbing to old age and the onset of the Cardassian equivalent of Alzheimer's.

"Many times, father." Olmek replied placing a hand on his father's shoulder. Part of him, the loyal son, felt a horrible guilt for the decision he'd made to join Star Fleet and leave his father behind. Who knew if the next time he saw him if Teneer would even recognize his offspring? Would he lay awake at night wondering where his son had gone or wander as he did once every few months searching the grounds at night for Olmek's long deceased mother?

The eighteen year old young man took heart though that when his father had full command of his faculties he was proud of the decision Olmek had made to serve something greater than himself. "State, family, self – that is the order of priorities of a good Cardassian," he could hear his father drilling into him every chance he'd had over the years. "Except of course when the state is corrupt or ruled by the military," Teneer would occasionally add.

"Father, I must be going. The transport leaves for the Academy in one hour and I can't miss it." Olmek said still holding his elder's shoulder.

Teneer nodded. "Yes, yes, I know." His eyes were wet. Today was a good day. Olmek could tell the thought of walking down the streets of Lakarian City had reminded his father of his late wife's death some years before, but with all the strength he could muster the elderly man held back the tears.

"You should take this." Teneer said forcing a smile and trying to lighten the mood. "Yes take this. Place it with the souvenir I saw you scoop up from the cliff side. To remind you of this home and …" he trailed off in memories again but only for a second … "of another." Teneer took the hand Olmek had placed on his shoulder and pressed the glassy polished stone into it.

"We have good neighbors." Olmek said accepting the stone and placing it in his belt lining along side the small container of Vulcan soil. In the weeks leading up to his departure Olmek had made sure to visit the homes of each of the families in the little settlement their Vulcan hosts had provided more than thirty years prior. Each had assured him they'd all do their part to look in on his father each day. "They've promised to look in on you…"

"PASSSHHHHH!" Teneer said feigning incredulity. "No one needs to look in on me. Unless it's that lovely girl Natima. Natima, now there's a good Cardassian girl for you."

"Father!" Olmek said sternly- grinding his boot into the ground a little. "We've had this discussion."

"I know … I know, but your mother rest her would never forgive me for not playing match-maker for her."

Olmek knew his father was right. "And look who it is," his father said brushing by him. Turning as he heard the metal lock on the gate unlatch and the gate swing open there he saw Natima holding a geminite green colored pie. His father was right, if Olmek had chosen to stay he would have picked Natima for his bride, eventually. She was lovely. Several centimeters shorter than him, obsidian black hair and fair skin by Cardassian standards she was something he thought should be put on a shelf and admired. Or if not that then at least worshipped. He had never revealed that to anyone though. No, if you had asked Natima she would have told you Olmek was a rough minded, thick headed brute and every bit the Cardassian male.

"You again?" Olmek asked pulling his mouth to one side. "Don't you have other things to do than bother old men and their sons on days like today?"

Natima ignored him and instead handed the pie she had brought with her to Teneer. "Here," she said before glaring at Olmek, "and he's not to have a single slice." Starring at him for a moment she shook her head. "I thought you were off to explore the galaxy or something."

"Anything to be light years away from you." Olmek snorted. "Father, I'll take my leave now I think." Taking the pie carefully from his father's hands and handing it blindly back to Natima Olmek embraced the man. "Be well father. I'll call you when I get settled in."