Dax and the Time Lord
Prologue
22 May 2375
Deep Space Nine
Lieutenant Ezri Dax stepped off the turbolift onto the Promenade. It had been a long and fruitful day. Most of her patients were making progress. She smiled as she remembered some of the more productive sessions. She headed towards Quarks.
As she approached Quarks, Ezri heard a familiar sound that she hadn’t heard since before she was joined.
It was a sound as of some strained mechanism. (She supposed it was strained, given how old it was.) She turned and saw a blue box appear out of thin air near the security office. ‘He’s here!’ she thought. She moved towards it.
A man with curly hair stepped out of the ship.
“Ezri?”
Ezri was confused. “You’ve regenerated!” she said.
“I haven’t!” the Doctor said.
Ezri reconsidered, trying to sort her memories of her travels with the Doctor from those of the previous hosts. Eventually she said. “No, you haven’t. But Jadzia travelled with an earlier you.”
The Doctor paused. He was considering something. “You’re joined?” he asked in surprised. “With Dax?” he added quickly.
Ezri nodded, she remembered telling the Doctor many times that she didn’t want to be joined.
The Doctor then responded. “But what happened to Jadzia?”
“Come with me into Quarks. I’ll tell you,” Ezri said.
“Quarks?”
A Ferengi run establishment.”
“I see, lead the way.”
Meanwhile in the Station’s Operations Centre, an alert came up on Chief Miles O’Brien’s panel. “Odd, he said.”
Recognised Subspace Distortion detected on level 5, section 2, Promenade. The Station has been boarded. Report to commanding officer that the Doctor has arrived.
“O’Brien to Captain Sisko.”
Captain Benjamin Sisko read the alert on O’Brien’s console.
“I see,” he said.
“And?”
“There is little to be concerned about.”
“There is?” O’Brien asked.
“If the Doctor is here, he can help us handle whatever crisis comes our way.”
“I doubt he’d be able to help if a Dominion fleet were to approach, sir.”
“Not that sort of crisis, Chief. More localised,” Sisko said. He then looked as if he was in thought.
“Sir?” the Chief asked.
“I was just remembering a few of the tales that Curzon told me about him.”
“Curzon?”
“Apparently, he travelled with him a few times,” Sisko said. “I will go down and meet him,” he decided.
“Acknowledged,” O’Brien said.
Sisko went to the turbolift. “Promenade.”
Quark had seen Ezri enter with the strange man a few minutes before. He approached the table. “What would you want to order?” he asked.
“Why is the owner of the establishment asking for my order,” the stranger asked him.
“You look like a gentleman with exquisite tastes...” Quark began.
“You Ferengi are all alike, you only care about the Latinum that your customers can give you!” the stranger said.
“Not true!” Quark shot back. “We care about other things also.”
“Yes, but most of the time, you care about the Latinum and the status it can give you.”
“You’re good. But I am going to ask you again...”
“Water,” the stranger said.
“Root Beer,” Ezri said.
Quark shook his head. “You’re as bad as Nog!” he said.
Ezri just smirked. “It grows on you.”
“Root Beer for Ezri, and water for...”
“The Doctor.”
“The Doctor... right.” Quark said, in thought.
As Quark went away, Ezri turned to the Doctor. “So you’ve been on Ferenginar?”
“A few times,” the Doctor said, enigmatically.
“You got in trouble, didn’t you?” Ezri asked.
“Yes,” the Doctor admitted. He lowered his voice. “I am known to External Audits, but I’m sure he can’t afford the bribe.”
Ezri nodded.
At that moment, Captain Sisko walked in.
“Hi, you’re the Doctor?” Sisko asked.
“Yes, you’re the Commanding Officer? I was wondering when you would show up.”
“Captain Benjamin Sisko.”
“I see,” the Doctor said.
“I see that you know Ezri, and not just because of Curzon.”
“It’s a long story,” Ezri said.
“I’d like to hear it,” Sisko said.
Ezri looked at the Doctor.
“You can tell it,” he said.
“It started on New Sydney...”
Prologue
22 May 2375
Deep Space Nine
Lieutenant Ezri Dax stepped off the turbolift onto the Promenade. It had been a long and fruitful day. Most of her patients were making progress. She smiled as she remembered some of the more productive sessions. She headed towards Quarks.
As she approached Quarks, Ezri heard a familiar sound that she hadn’t heard since before she was joined.
It was a sound as of some strained mechanism. (She supposed it was strained, given how old it was.) She turned and saw a blue box appear out of thin air near the security office. ‘He’s here!’ she thought. She moved towards it.
A man with curly hair stepped out of the ship.
“Ezri?”
Ezri was confused. “You’ve regenerated!” she said.
“I haven’t!” the Doctor said.
Ezri reconsidered, trying to sort her memories of her travels with the Doctor from those of the previous hosts. Eventually she said. “No, you haven’t. But Jadzia travelled with an earlier you.”
The Doctor paused. He was considering something. “You’re joined?” he asked in surprised. “With Dax?” he added quickly.
Ezri nodded, she remembered telling the Doctor many times that she didn’t want to be joined.
The Doctor then responded. “But what happened to Jadzia?”
“Come with me into Quarks. I’ll tell you,” Ezri said.
“Quarks?”
A Ferengi run establishment.”
“I see, lead the way.”
Meanwhile in the Station’s Operations Centre, an alert came up on Chief Miles O’Brien’s panel. “Odd, he said.”
Recognised Subspace Distortion detected on level 5, section 2, Promenade. The Station has been boarded. Report to commanding officer that the Doctor has arrived.
“O’Brien to Captain Sisko.”
Captain Benjamin Sisko read the alert on O’Brien’s console.
“I see,” he said.
“And?”
“There is little to be concerned about.”
“There is?” O’Brien asked.
“If the Doctor is here, he can help us handle whatever crisis comes our way.”
“I doubt he’d be able to help if a Dominion fleet were to approach, sir.”
“Not that sort of crisis, Chief. More localised,” Sisko said. He then looked as if he was in thought.
“Sir?” the Chief asked.
“I was just remembering a few of the tales that Curzon told me about him.”
“Curzon?”
“Apparently, he travelled with him a few times,” Sisko said. “I will go down and meet him,” he decided.
“Acknowledged,” O’Brien said.
Sisko went to the turbolift. “Promenade.”
Quark had seen Ezri enter with the strange man a few minutes before. He approached the table. “What would you want to order?” he asked.
“Why is the owner of the establishment asking for my order,” the stranger asked him.
“You look like a gentleman with exquisite tastes...” Quark began.
“You Ferengi are all alike, you only care about the Latinum that your customers can give you!” the stranger said.
“Not true!” Quark shot back. “We care about other things also.”
“Yes, but most of the time, you care about the Latinum and the status it can give you.”
“You’re good. But I am going to ask you again...”
“Water,” the stranger said.
“Root Beer,” Ezri said.
Quark shook his head. “You’re as bad as Nog!” he said.
Ezri just smirked. “It grows on you.”
“Root Beer for Ezri, and water for...”
“The Doctor.”
“The Doctor... right.” Quark said, in thought.
As Quark went away, Ezri turned to the Doctor. “So you’ve been on Ferenginar?”
“A few times,” the Doctor said, enigmatically.
“You got in trouble, didn’t you?” Ezri asked.
“Yes,” the Doctor admitted. He lowered his voice. “I am known to External Audits, but I’m sure he can’t afford the bribe.”
Ezri nodded.
At that moment, Captain Sisko walked in.
“Hi, you’re the Doctor?” Sisko asked.
“Yes, you’re the Commanding Officer? I was wondering when you would show up.”
“Captain Benjamin Sisko.”
“I see,” the Doctor said.
“I see that you know Ezri, and not just because of Curzon.”
“It’s a long story,” Ezri said.
“I’d like to hear it,” Sisko said.
Ezri looked at the Doctor.
“You can tell it,” he said.
“It started on New Sydney...”
