The First House (Nira and Malik)

[Nira Said]

[Lieutenant Nira Said | Chief Sec/Tac and Chief Flight Control Officer's Quarters | Deck Three | USS Discovery NCC-78393-B]

Once Nira found out by surprise that Malik had transferred to Discovery, at their first chance off-duty, Nira asked Malik to move in with her. Naturally, she didn't want to be separated from her Imzadi. And immediately, their quarters became an exotic paradise, though they got a space enough where it can be formal should either one of them meet one of their colleagues there. All the same, the Risian decor fit in perfectly with Nira's taste in Arabic decor.

They had just finished their dinner and now Nira and Malik were bathed in the fumes of the incense that made it feel like they were back in Risa, and they were in the midst of a passionate embrace of romance and their lips were locked and didn't want to be separated when...

"Bridge to Lieutenant Said. You have an incoming call from Betazed."

Nira scowled briefly, lips pouting that Mister Strider interrupted her, but when he mentioned that the call came from Betazed, suddenly she was more interested.

"Excuse me a moment, Imzadi," said Nira sweetly to Malik, kissing him briefly. "I have to take this."

She had good reason to take the call from Betazed, and why, inwardly, she was glad that the call came. She had been making inquiries about her Betazoid family ever since she had gotten back from her Officer Exchange Program. The fact that the Klingons fondly referred to her as "Princess" and the fact that she could've come from an unknown house made Nira curious. She wondered what House of Betazed she was from. As such, she sent her inquiries to Betazed, asking about Tenids or Atruks, because those where the names of her Betazoid family. Finally, it was apparent that one got received.

"Put it through down here, Mister Strider," Nira replied as she wrapped a veil around herself until she looked from the neck down to her thighs a mummy loosely wrapped with elegant cloth. At least she would look elegantly formal.

The screen at her desk came on and Nira was taken aback. The woman on the other end of the transmission...Nira had seen pictures of her Betazoid parents and with shock, she realized this woman looked exactly like her own mother.

"Mother?" she asked in surprise.

The woman at the other end smiled warmly.

"Not exactly, but close enough," she said. "You are Nira Said?"

"Yes, yes, I am," she said. "If you're not my mother..."

"I'm not, exactly," the woman replied. "I'm Muri's sister, Mesi. Mesi Tenid."

She pronounced the last name like "ten-eed," almost in an Arabic fashion. Nira, of course recognized Muri as her mother's name.

"Oh, it's...it's good to meet you, Aunt Mesi," said Nira.

"I know, the resemblance is uncanny," Mesi replied. "People always mistook us for twins. I'd be glad if you can come to Betazed. Oh, you can take your time, I was informed you have your ship to serve on."

"Oh, I can come," Nira replied. "Me and my Imzadi, if he can come along," she added, turning back to Malik with a smile in an expression that asked if he's interested, before turning back to the viewscreen. "Where on Betazed do you want us to meet? I can inform you when we can get there."

"Medara," Mesi answered. "At the Old City, where the ancient structures are preserved."

Nira became all the more interested. She had seen plenty of Old Cities where newer buildings were built around them in the Middle Eastern cities of Earth, and they had force fields around them for the sake of preservation, but they were especially popular tourist attractions for people who wanted a taste of the ancient times.

"I'd be glad to see you there," she said. "Oh, one more thing, Aunt Mesi, what House are we Tenids a part of?"

"The First House of Betazed," said Mesi, and Nira flinched in surprise.

"The First House? You mean...?"

"The most ancient House of Betazed," Mesi elaborated. "Descendants of the Goddess Karawati herself. The House of Honesty and Truth."

Nira understood that Karawati was Betazed's most prominent deities, even if most Betazoids don't worship her or their old gods anymore, just as Allah was prominent among the Arabs or how the Prophets are prominent to Bajorans.

"So...I'm a Princess? We're...royalty?"

"Not necessarily," Mesi said with a shrug. "Besides, the Fifth House is the currently ruling body of Betazed, even if it was represented by that lunatic Lxwana."

She looked like she wanted to refrain from criticizing Ambassador Troi, but Nira could relate; she heard plenty of horror stories of the mad escapades Lxwana Troi engaged in in the past, and that her daughter was a lot more respectable...

"But...the House of Honesty and Truth?" said Nira. "It's fitting...I always prided myself an investigator, and thus one who seeks honesty and truth."

Mesi smiled at that. "That is good of you," she said. "You certainly remind me of Muri when she was alive. I look forward to seeing you on Betazed when you arrive."

Once the transmission ended, Nira turned back to Malik and said, "Fancy a trip to Betazed when time for leave comes? I mean, we've got some time for leave in a few days, we can make the most of it together, Imzadi."