I forced myself to un-ball the tight fists I’d subconsciously formed the moment I’d laid eyes upon that wretched eyesore. Truthfully, the establishment itself wasn’t all that bad; it was the owner that gave the place a gag-worthy vibe. Trixie, ever the observant one, nuzzled her head against me and gave me a small smile.
“You can do this, Cole,” she said, calmly yet firmly. “Trixie’s got your back.”
“Thanks, Trix,” I replied, steeling myself. Taking another deep breath for good luck, I crossed the threshold and entered the bar.
There he was, a mere few meters ahead, chatting with female customers and barking orders at his staff. In other words, same old Quark. As much as I righteously hated him, a small smile still made its way onto my face as nostalgia kicked in, reminding me of a time when I wasn’t running for my life on a monthly basis. Not that I have any regrets, of course; it’s just that until the Dominion invaded DS9 for the second time, I had a place to sleep, three square meals a day, safety…as much as I value my freedom, there’s something to be said about the perks of permanence and routine.
I shook my head and put on a stern, no-nonsense expression; it was time to put up or shut up, to find out why that little troll had been siphoning all of my earnings for the past year and a bit. Taking a deep breath, Trixie and I approached him as he delivered a harsh reprimand to one of his servers.
“...and if I ever see you offer a refund again, I’ll personally put you out an airlock! Rule Number One of the Rules of Acquisition clearly states that “Once you have their money”…”
“…“never give it back.” I finished, tapping the diminutive big-eared alien on the shoulder. He turned to face me and he regarded me with his trademark impatient expression. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Quark?”
“Do I know you?” came the expected response as the Ferengi returned his attention to his Personal Access Display Device, or PADD for short.
“Really? You don’t remember me?” I asked before mentally face-palming. To this day, I don’t know why I expected any different from my former employer/slave driver.
“Am I supposed to?” he continued as I followed him around the establishment. “All you hoo-mans look alike.”
“Oh, that’s real cute,” I replied, rolling my eyes. Trixie looked up at me expectedly. I gave her ears a reassuring ruffle and pressed on, staying hot on his trail until...
“Look, if you’re not gonna buy anything, then OUCH!”
I stifled a laugh as Quark yelped in pain and jumped, holding his behind with both hands as Trixie shook her head and grimaced, holding a hoof to her horn. It then dawned on me that, in my efforts to extract information from Quark, we had been following a little too closely, causing Trixie’s horn to remind the Ferengi not to stop suddenly when being followed at such close proximity. Needless to say, he wasn’t especially pleased.
“Your pet just tried to spear me, hoo-man!” he accused, pointing in the direction of the entrance. “No animals allowed in my bar!”
Wow, barely a minute into this whole charade and Quark already had two massive Trixie Strikes against him. Trixie looked up at me with fire in her eyes, to which I responded with a nod. It was the only way.
“…and furthermore, you’d better have a good lawyer ‘cause when I’m done with you, I’ll HEY! What are you doing!?” Quark shouted in surprise as he found himself suspended upside-down by a light-blue energy field. He struggled helplessly as Trixie effortlessly levitated him into a position in which they were face-to-face.
“You’ll do what exactly?” Trixie hissed. “Call Trixie a ‘pet’ again? Or maybe you prefer ‘animal’! Personally, Trixie prefers ‘executioner’!”
“Hey, take it easy, let’s not wreak too much havoc,” I cautioned her, not wanting to jeopardize our chances of accomplishing our goals on the station. While it wasn’t the first time Quark had been threatened with grievous bodily harm, I needed him in good enough condition to answer a few questions. Besides, while station security hadn’t shown up yet, I didn’t want to risk getting embroiled with local law enforcement.
“Look, just tell me what you want and I’ll do my best to provide it!” Quark begged, his former nonchalance replaced with abject terror. “…for a small and perfectly fair fee, of course.” I rolled my eyes and patted the top of Trixie’s head.
“I think we made our point. You can put him down now.”
“Fine, but if he tries to run, Trixie gets to punish him.”
“Agreed.” With that, the blue aura disappeared, providing Quark with an ample opportunity to demonstrate the subtle nuances of a crash-landing. He groaned and picked himself up, dusting himself off whilst trying to regain a degree of composure.
“You didn’t have to drop me like a female who breaches their marriage contract,” he grumbled, massaging his neck before continuing towards the bar itself.
“Yeah, memory loss can be a real pain,” I replied casually. “Speaking of…” I made a “Well?” gesture.
“You’re that employee who went AWOL after that Jem’Hadar savage and shape-shifting nutjob took the station over,” he answered, no doubt referring to Jem’Hadar fleet commander Kar’ukan and Loris, the leader of the massive fleet.
I visibly shuddered and my heart began to race as memories came flooding back, memories of fleeing evacuation ships and the one-sided battle raging around us. I unsuccessfully fought back an image of an exploding starship after it absorbed the brunt of a Dominion dreadnought’s beam attack, allowing the very ship I was on to warp away to the relative safety of Bajor. It’s safe to say that the second Dominion invasion, although not as widespread as the first, and condemned by their leaders, was still an event that will haunt me until the day I die. Sensing my distress, Trixie pushed her head against my side for a moment, calming me enough to continue our conversation.
“I didn’t exactly go ‘AWOL’,” I replied after taking a deep breath. “I left with the other evacuees, yes, but I decided it was time for a change. That’s when I bought my ship and decided to live my life as far away from any trouble as I could.”
“Oh, and how has that been working out for you?” Quark asked snidely. “In case you haven’t noticed, things haven’t exactly been perfect around the quadrants lately. Doesn’t it make you feel ridiculous for leaving a perfectly good job behind just to go out and risk your neck over some misplaced need for self-discovery?”
“That’s what Trixie thought at first, too.” I closed my mouth and kept my rebuttal to myself as Trixie unexpectedly intervened. “Trixie used to be happy with just…subsiding on whatever scraps of food and attention she could get. That’s why she decided to do exactly what Cole did and venture out and try to find something more. Of course, it took a little ‘convincing’ but Trixie has never regretted it!”
“Thanks, Trix,” I said with a small smile, giving her ears a good scratch. “Is that good enough for you, Quark? Sure, we’ve both been part of some crazy shit but it’s just made us stronger.”
“That was a touching story but it doesn’t explain why you’ve wasted my valuable time and assaulted me,” Quark responded from behind the bar, barely paying us any mind.
“It’s Cole.”
“What?”
“My name. Cole Stevens. I worked for you for seven years, Quark. The longest years of my life.”
“Hmmm…” Quark mused as he leaned towards me, scrutinizing me closely. “Of course; the hoo-man who couldn’t mix a Cardassian Sunrise to save his life.”
“Well then, it’s a good thing you had other bartenders, isn’t it?” I growled, annoyed at how he seemed to remember me. He was right, of course; I couldn’t seem to mix a drink without causing some kind of disaster but he didn’t have to be such a prick about it. “Also, let’s not forget that out of all your employees, I was the only one who completely memorized the Rules of Acquisition.”
“Oh yeah? What’s Rule Number 23?” Quark asked quickly.
“Nothing is more important than your health…except for your money.” I replied without missing a beat.
“That was an easy one. How about Rule Number 47?”
“Never trust a man wearing a better suit than your own. Any more brain busters?”
“Rule Number 75?”
“Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of latinum.”
“Not bad…for a hoo-man.” Quark grudgingly admitted. “Now aren’t you going to introduce me to your pe…er, friend?”
“You’re in the presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie, and you would do well to respect her!” Trixie exclaimed indignantly, somehow staring him down whilst staring up at him. Clearly, she had not forgiven him for calling her both a pet and an animal, of which she was neither.
…Okay, someone tell my conscious that next time she puts on the ol’ bedroom eyes and I get cold feet and start second-guessing everything.
“She’s right, you know,” I added for good measure. “Rule Number 125: you can’t make a deal if you’re dead, right?”
“I suppose not,” Quark agreed…grudgingly, once again. “Is that why you’re here? To make some kind of deal?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.” I confirmed. “See, I was looking over our accounts the other day and found a…discrepancy. Apparently, you’ve been making regular withdrawals from my account over the last several months and I want to know why. Oh, and if I don’t like your answer, I promised my friend here she could use you for transformation practice.” Quark gulped as Trixie shot him a manic grin and winked mischievously.
“Rule of Acquisition Number 10: a deal is a deal.” he stated after a brief pause.
“Um…what the Hell is that supposed to mean?” I demanded, in no mood for cryptic answers.
“Let me make this easy for you; when you left DS9, you violated the terms of your employment contract with me.”
“What!” Trixie and I shouted in unison.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing Trixie’s ever heard!”
“I left because I was ordered to!” I protested. “The station was under attack by the Dominion! All civilian personnel were evacuated and that included me!”
“Be that as it may, you still left and never came back to fulfill your contract, meaning that for every month you fail to serve the requirements of the contract, I as your employer am legally allowed to fine you until such time as the terms of the contract are fulfilled by you!” As Trixie and I stood there slack-jawed, the fast-talking Ferengi thrust the PADD towards us with my contract clearly displayed. “See?” he continued, jabbing at one of the paragraphs with a free finger. “It says it right there in Paragraph 64, Subsection 12.”
I could hardly believe it. There it was, plain as day, accompanied by my signature, a thumbprint from my right thumb. I stared at it in disbelief as I scoured the relevant sections for a “sudden state of war resulting in evacuation” clause, anything that could nullify the contract. It was airtight; there was nothing I could do (legally) to stem the outgoing flow of my hard-earned credits except fulfill my contract.
“H-how much time was left on the contract?” I asked, shakily handing the PADD back to Quark. He shot me a toothy grin as he took his sweet time finding the information, allowing me ample time to sweat over it.
“Two weeks, four hours, and 27 minutes.”
There was a pause as Trixie and I looked at each other.
“WHAT!?” we shouted in unison for the second time that day.
“You mean…you took 46,700 credits from me over a measly two weeks?” I demanded, my hands balling into fists, a common side-effect of dealing with Ferengi.
“That’s what the contract says,” Quark replied dismissively.
“What are going to do?” Trixie asked worriedly. I sighed and took a deep breath.
“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” I asked. “Looks like the only way to resolve this…legally…is to…” I paused, hardly believing what I was about to say. “…is to…” I shivered involuntarily. “…finish my shifts.”
“No…” Trixie muttered, shaking her head. “There has to be another way!”
Okay, maybe we were being a little melodramatic but seriously, have you ever worked for a Ferengi before?
“It’s the only way, Trix,” I explained. “Well, the only legal way, that is.” I shot Quark a scowl for good measure. “What do you think, Trix?” I added, glancing down at my companion.
She simply stood there wearing an expression best described as a mix of contemplation and a bit of a scowl. If her mind was cooking up a scheme, which I suspected it was, it was working on overdrive. As if to back up my suspicion, she very discretely winked at me, turning slightly so Quark couldn’t catch it, coughing slightly as well for good measure.
And then it that split-second, there it was, a glimmer, that familiar gleam in her eye that often served as a prelude to her trademark victory smirk. It was a look that I had grown to respect, especially given the extent to which the showmare could back her self-acclaimed talents. It was for that reason that I simply stood by for that few moments with something between dejection and a poker-face, waiting for her to make her move.
“Ahem.” Trixie cleared her throat, earning a look from Quark. “Trixie has an idea but she must consult her ‘business partner’ first. Would you mind waiting a moment?”
“Of course not! Be my guest! It’s not like you’ve already taken up enough of my time anyway…” Quark grumbled, rolling his eyes.
“We’ll be right back.” I added as Trixie tugged on my shirt with her magic, leading us away from the bar. I waited until we were hovering just to the side of the entrance before kneeling down to consult her on the plan.
“What’s this I hear about an idea?” I asked.
“Trixie thinks she know of a way to get him off your back but she needs your help to pull it off. Well, more like permission, actually.”
“What do you need from me?” I asked, eager to hear what she had in mind.
“Trixie needs you to help Quark cater the show tomorrow.” she explained. “If we can get him to agree to that so he can make a bunch of money in place of having to pay you for the next two weeks, then we won’t be stuck here for a fortnight!”
“That’s…actually a really good plan, Trix,” I replied, thinking it over. I guess a few hours’ worth of torture is better than two weeks. And best of all, we can get the Hell off this station a lot sooner.”
“Not that Trixie’s doesn’t appreciate your support but why are you so desperate to leave?” the showmare asked. “I’ve never seen you so anxious to leave a peaceful place before.” she added in a whisper. I sighed and took a deep breath.
“Let’s just say that being here is bringing back some really bad memories. I mean, don’t get me wrong; I’m really glad to see some familiar faces but this place…to be honest, I’d rather be almost anywhere else than here. The only reason we’re here right now is to take care of this business with Quark. I’m pleased that you’re able to make the best of our time here too but…please understand that there’s a lot of pain associated with this station, pain that I’d rather not deal with again. At least, not now.” Trixie listened with rapt attention as I did my best to explain my position, slowly nodding her head in understanding.
“Trixie understands where you’re coming from. Trixie hasn’t been to Ponyville ever since…you know…” she finished with a mutter. “She’s just not ready to deal with it either.”
“Guess we’re just a couple of tough cases, huh?” I asked with a small grin.
“Trixie supposes so.” the showmare replied with a small grin of her own.
“So just to be clear, you’re okay with helping Quark to cater the show tomorrow?” she asked once more, just to make absolute certain that I was okay with the idea.
“Definitely. I mean, your plan helps both of us, so of course you can count me in!” Apparently, my response made her very pleased, which she demonstrated in the form of a quick but tight hug and a discreet kiss on my cheek. She smiled and after a quick nuzzle, we headed back to the waiting Ferengi. I cleared my throat and leaned towards him over the bar.
“Quark…would you be willing to make a deal?”
“What kind of deal?” he asked, leaning towards me. Gotcha, I thought as I grinned.
“A profitable one,” Trixie assured him, having picked up the lingo from Quark’s pop quiz minutes earlier. “Trixie will get right to the point,” she continued. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is a very famous and talented magician and she’s gonna perform for the entire station tomorrow night. Now, she was thinking that since it’s going to be such a big event, someone who, maybe offers a catering service might do very well for themselves at an event like that. What do you think?”
I could see the gears turning as Quark gave it some serious thought. He’d be crazy not to take it, I thought. After all, Trixie had just handed him a free pass to some extra profit. All he (and I) had to do was serve a few drinks and meals.
“What’s the catch?” he asked after a few moment’s consideration.
“The catch is that you tear up his contract,” Trixie replied, gesturing to me. “And if you do a good job catering Trixie’s show, the profit you make from that will be a lot more than what Cole might’ve made for you in the span of two weeks.” We could see him considering it and decided to lay it on the line for him, just to be extra-clear about our intentions. “Trixie will put it to you this way; you can either pay Cole for the next three weeks, which we will not make easy for you, or you can forget about that and make a bundle of money tomorrow. Do we have a deal?”
I held back a grin as Quark weighed his options. I was pretty sure he’d take it but one was never sure when it came to Ferengi; their only predictable trait was their lust for latinum. Everything else might as well have been a crapshoot.
“Alright, it’s a deal.” Quark replied, shaking Trixie’s hoof.
“Perfect,” Trixie exclaimed. “Trixie needs you to make up a menu for tomorrow of possible food and drinks. She will be back later tonight to see what you come up with and make any necessary changes. By the way, Trixie is sure that Captain Sisko will want to look over the contract with us. You don’t mind, do you?”
“I…looking forward to it,” Quark said with a forced grin. “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I’m sure we will both do very well for ourselves.” Trixie flashed him a theatrical smile and stuck her nose in the air as she headed for the entrance.
“Hey, don’t thank us too quickly,” I said in a hushed tone, cuffing on of his shoulders. I grinned at his look of slight confusion and leaned down to whisper into his ear. “You work for the Great and Powerful Trixie now.”
***
The moment we left the bar and in doing so, escaped Quark’s line of sight, I surprised my companion with a hug, temporarily not giving a damn about any onlookers. Besides, it wasn’t as if they’d never seen a cuddly, occasionally punch-drunk couple leave Quark’s before.
“C-Cole, what are you doing?” Trixie asked with a squeal as I gave her a nuzzle and gently set her down
“That was great, Trix!” I exclaimed. “You’ve got him over a barrel now! Ferengi may be underhanded little trolls but they take any chance to earn profit extremely seriously! With Captain Sisko at the negotiation table, Starfleet won’t have to fork over too much to pay Quark and we get everything we want!” Trixie sighed and gave me a small smile.
“That would be correct if that was Trixie’s plan,” she replied.
“You mean you weren’t gonna throw Quark under the bus…er, carriage?” I asked.
“The old Trixie certainly wouldn’t have hesitated,” she explained as we sat on a nearby bench. “But the new Trixie has a better idea. When it comes time to finalize the terms of the contract, Trixie will be paying for the catering service out of her own pocket.”
There was a pause as I sat there, dumbfounded. Not only was she going to put on a free show, she was going to pay for all the food and drinks as well? After a moment, I smiled and nodded, remembering her change in attitude. I just had no idea that she was so serious about it.
Then it really hit me.
“Trixie…did you just…and I know this is gonna sound bad but…did you just buy my freedom from Quark?” I asked hesitantly. To my surprise, she shrugged.
“What did you expect? Trixie told you she wants to turn over a new leaf.” She then leaned up against me and planted a small kiss on my cheek. “Besides, what are marefriends for?”
“Um…I honestly don’t even know what to say but sure, why the Hell not?” I asked helplessly, shrugging as I smiled. “Thanks so much, Trix. I...I really appreciate this. I appreciate it a lot, trust me on this.” I leaned over and wrapped my arms around her once again.
“Trixie thought you might,” she replied, hugging me back. “Besides,” she added, leaning to my ear. “I’m sure you’ll make it up to me somehow…” she whispered, giving my earlobe a brief yet sensual lick. She giggled as an excited shiver ran through my body.
Clock’s ticking, Cole, clock is ticking, I thought as I endeavored to stay calm through the momentary promise of good things to come she’d just given me.
“I…I’m sure I will,” I replied as casually as I could. “Now, I actually have one more stop to make before we have dinner at Captain Sisko’s. Shall we?” I asked, standing up and offering her my hand. She smiled and took it, hopping off the bench.
“Lead the way.”
***
We found ourselves in Garak’s shop minutes later. While Trixie looked about at the various designs and samples on display, apparently intrigued by a long white dress with three stylized light-blue diamonds running down one side, I took the opportunity to seek out my co-conspirator. The description certainly fit; the cape and hat were intended as surprises for my marefriend, and long-overdue well-deserved ones at that. Especially since she’d just agreed to bail me out of two weeks of Hell.
“Ah, right on time, Mr. Stevens,” Garak announced from behind the counter, having just placed two boxes upon it.
“How’d they turn out?” I asked, trying to take a peek under one of the covers.
“Splendidly, if I may say so,” Garak replied proudly. “I believe your ahem, friend, will be very pleased.”
“I hope so,” I said with a nod. “She definitely deserves it. You wouldn’t believe how awesome she’s been.”
“As someone who has witnessed firsthand the capabilities of the Equestrians, I wouldn’t doubt it at all. Now, I’m sure you’re eager to see just what I’ve come up with.”
“That’s for sure. Hey, Trix, could you come over here for a sec?” I called.
“What’s up?’ she asked, taking a place beside me. “What’s in the boxes?’
“Well, this one is my new courier’s uniform, unless Mr. Garak’s replicator managed to turn it into a sandwich.” Trixie nodded as I set the box aside. “And this one is for you.” I finished, holding the box in front of her. She looked up at me, surprise written across her muzzle.
“How about you both try them on at the same time?” Garak suggested. “Just use the change rooms on the far side and then come out when you’ve changed.” I looked at Trixie, who smiled bashfully and nodded.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Minutes later…
Okay, this is it, I thought as I gave myself one last look-over in the change room mirror. I had to admit that Garak had done a great job; though it deviated slightly in design from standard Starfleet fare, unsurprising given that I was part of the civilian corps, it nevertheless retained enough Federation style to mark me as one of their own. It consisted of thick black pants (with pockets), a belt for personal equipment such as a phaser or a tricorder, and a long-sleeved zippered shirt primarily dark-grey in color while division-colored shoulders of dark-blue and white completed the ensemble. It was sleek, ultramodern, quite comfortable, and I was extremely pleased. However, I was more concerned about what Trixie would think of the gift I’d given her. Finally, curiosity overcame my self-consciousness and I stepped out of the small change room.
Garak grinned as I emerged and even went so far as to nod respectively.
“Alright, you can say it; you’re the best,” I conceded, rolling my eyes with a smile. “This is a great-looking outfit. You sure it complies with Starfleet standards?”
“Absolutely! I may have made a couple of small alterations to the basic design, but I personally guarantee that it is well-within standards.” Garak assured me. “It simply would not do to have you get into trouble with Starfleet over whether or not your uniform was proper. Why, my already-fragile reputation would be quite in ruins.”
“Well, whatever your reason is, thanks a lot,” I said, shaking the Cardassian’s hand. “Now, if you did half as good a job on Trixie’s outfit, you’ll have had a good day.”
“Oh, I think you’ll both be pleased…” Garak mused as the second change room door opened. “Computer, decrease ambient light in this room by 70 percent.” I was about to ask what he was doing when Trixie emerged.
I wasn’t surprised at Trixie’s expression, mostly because I wore the same one.
She stood there wide-eyed and slack-jawed in teary-eyed shock as the dark-blue cape and hat shone like quasars. Instead of simply glittering under ideal light like her old performance garb, the stars and crescent moons that adorned the two pieces were actually projected several inches from the material, creating a beautiful 3-dimensional starscape across her back and around her hat. I marveled at the added details; a tiny shooting star whooshed across the starscape and beneath it, the dark-blue material seemed to flow like a cosmic river under the many lights. In short, the ensemble made it look as though the showmare was wearing a galaxy on her back.
“Cole…” Trixie began before pausing, searching for the right words. “This…this is…incredible.” She paused once again to wipe a tear from her eye. “This is the most…the most beautiful gift I’ve ever received.” She sniffed and gently beheld a part of the cape with a front hoof, cradling it like one might a newborn.
“Well, I can’t take all the credit,” I replied with a smile, holding the back of my neck sheepishly. “It was Garak here who did the work…” I was cut off as her lips met mine in a quick yet passionate kiss that I’m sure was only brought to a halt in the interest of social graces. I looked over at Garak who to my relief, only nodded.
“I take it you are satisfied, Miss Trixie?” he asked. She blushed and nodded fervently. “While it was indeed my handiwork, it was Mr. Steven’s idea. I simply applied my own personal brand of creativity.”
“Thank you both so much,” Trixie said with a happy smile and small sniffle. “Trixie will take excellent care of it!”
“I assure you that the material is quite capable of holding together,” Garak assured her. “I used only the best materials available to ensure that it lasts. Even the miniature holo-emitters in the fabric have been reinforced to withstand whatever life happens to send your way. I assure you that this garment will serve you well.” His eyes widened momentarily as Trixie suddenly reached up and hugged him; he smiled and gently patted her back. She returned to her feet, turned, and grinned widely as her eyes took in every square inch of my new outfit.
“So?” I asked. “What do you think?”
“Wow, Cole, you almost look respectable!” the showmare exclaimed, waggling her eyebrows. “Trixie might actually be able to take you places!” I should’ve known, I thought, rolling my eyes. Even though a small part of me had been hoping for something a little more sincere than a backwards compliment, I still managed to smile. Her expression said it all; I definitely looked half-decent.
“That’s as good as I’m gonna get, isn’t it?”
“Yep!”
“Ah well, I’ll take it anyway. Garak, what’s the time? I don’t think I have computer access in your shop.”
“Computer, what is the current time?”
“The current time is 16:50 hours.”
“Oh man!” I exclaimed as our dinner plans returned at warp speed to the forefront of my thoughts. “Trixie, we’ve got dinner at captain Sisko’s in 10 minutes!”
“Well then, let’s go! Trixie doesn’t want to keep them waiting!” I turned to Garak and shook his hand once more.
“Thanks for everything,” I said with a nod. “Oh, I almost forgot; what do I owe you?” Nice one, I thought, mentally berating myself for forgetting something so important.
“Nothing.” Both Trixie and I blinked and regarded him with quizzical expressions.
“Um…what?”
“Consider it a thank-you for coming by to see me and listening to me ramble on,” Garak replied. “I haven’t had a good visit in a while and rather enjoyed our get-together. Besides, generosity is a virtue, is it not?” he finished with a wink. I smiled as I realized what he meant.
“Well…thanks a bunch again.” I replied. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
“I look forward to it, Mr. Stevens. Now, you’d better get going; wouldn’t want to keep the captain waiting!” With that, he waved us out the door.
“Cole…what do you think he meant by “generosity is a virtue”?” Trixie asked as we headed for Sisko’s quarters.
“I’ll tell you all about it later tonight,” I assured her. “For now, we’ve got a dinner to get to.”