"A Good Death"

Plot Summary

Prologue

Cardassia Prime, 2361 Ciron Zantett tells his wife Aski about his reassignment to Terok Nor, promising her that he will make it possible for her to follow after him. Upon arriving on Terok Nor a year later, Aski learns Ciro he has been killed by his comfort woman, and that he had a son with the Bajoran. Despite the implications she will face on Cardassia, Aski adopts the child. She names him Taril.

Part 1

Arys sends a message to her friend Ohara, a Klingon security officer who is assigned to the USS Saint Raphael. In that message, she summarizes the events of the past weeks, her desire to leave the Juneau, and her diminished confidence in her abilities. Due to a lack of sleep and distraction from her roommate Tito, she sends the message to Lukin instead of Ohara. She meets with T’Lea in order to hand in her resignation. Instead, she is sent for a medical checkup and on shore leave, with the expectation for her to return after she has cleared her head.

Part 2

On the way to a transport from Bajor to Earth, Arys meets her brother Aaron. It’s unclear how he knows her location. The two have a relatively friendly but short conversation, and Aaron hands his sister a golden bracelet that’s just large enough to fit around a child’s wrist. He does not answer Arys’ questions about it, and the two of them part ways. Once she has boarded the USS Starfarer, Arys touch with her father to inform him that she is traveling to Earth. Her father encourages her to make use of her shore leave instead of visiting him instead, and seems displeased that his daughter is already on the way. Two days from her destination, Lukin join Arys on her way to Earth.

Part 3

Arys offers Lukin to stay at her family home, and he accepts. Tuomas returns, greets Lukin but vanishes quickly, seeming stressed. Lukin and Arys talk about her worries, and she tells the Cardassian about Lauer, the man she was engaged to. The next morning, Arys visits the Ihalainen Fertility Clinic. There, she learns the truth about her grandfather, who is kept under a false name in a stasis-unit inside the clinic. Arys reconnects with Lauer, a paediatrician working in the same clinic, who comforts her after finding her grandfather. He helps her to make a copy of the medical files, but then tries to take advantage of her. She kicks him.

Part 4

The medical file reveals that Leevi was brought to the clinic unconscious, and that he has been taken out of the stasis-unit several times for no apparent reason since he is not receiving any treatment. Due to his progressed age, no real improvement can be expected, and Arys notes that her grandfather would not have agreed to being kept in stasis. She and her father have an argument about their different opinions, and Arys pretends to back down. Tuomas seems convince Arys to leave the decision-making to him, accidentally revealing that Leevi left her power of attorney.

While Arys writes a letter to Tito. Tuomas has a call with Sileah. It is revealed that she is the one behind keeping Leevi alive.

Arys returns home to find Lukin busy in the kitchen. After dinner, she asks his advise about the situation she has uncovered.

Part 5

Later that same night, Arys makes her way back to the clinic where she disables the stasis unit. Leevi does not recognise her, but speaks fondly of his granddaughter Arys. He dies a few moments later.

Arys returns home crying, and Lukin comforts her.

Part 6

During the funeral, Tito, who has made his way to support Arys, returns to Earth. Leevi’s last will is declared, and while Tuomas receives the house and some other property, Arys receives a crate with old PADDs and documents. Tuomas asks for the crate, and as Arys refuses, he kicks her out.

She and Lukin move to Berlin, where Arys reviews the things in the crate. Aside several old books and personal logs, she finds a folder with Cardassian documents. It is revealed that Sileah isn't the true name of Arys' mother, and that Arys has a Cardassian half brother, Taril. She ponders whether to go and find him.

Part 7

Arys speaks to Tito. As she discussed her findings with him, she realizes how much Taril's existence would harm Sileah, and Aarons ambitions to become Kai. Believing now that her mother has something to do with how Leevi was treated, she returns to her apartment to confront her.

During the call it is revealed that Sileah promised Tuomas a place on Bajor by her side, should he be able to convince Leevi to disclose the location of the file. Arys realises that Sileah has made use of her father's vulnerability and blackmails her into inviting him to move to Bajor, regardless of his 'failure'.

Arys and Lukin decide to leave Earth.

Epilogue

Cardassia Prime, late 2375 Aski and Taril have dinner, where Taril tells his mother about the Jem'Hadar that now seem to be everywhere on Cardassia Prime. Taril finds them scary, but Aski tells him not to worry. She lets him know that she leave for Lakarian City the next day and won't return home until very late, and Taril asks if he can watch the Feeds when he is done with homework.