Garm Bel Iblis
Commodore
Part I: Penumbra
Benjamin Sisko sat in the small Bajoran skimmer as the craft was expertly piloted across the valley of the Kendra Providence, following the northward bend of the Yolta River. It felt good to be on Bajor. He’d been at a strategic conference in Rokantha with a number of vedeks and ministers, working out a protection agreement for Bajoran shipping that were moving in sectors adjoining the front lines. Jem’Hadar had stepped up their attacks against convoys recently and Starfleet would be sending additional ships to bolster the freight lanes.
Vedek Olum had been adamant about showing him his monastery, a small but very artistically built place a few kilometers away.
“Quite a sight, isn’t it, Emissary?” Olum asked.
Ben smiled, taking in the valley. The sun was just beginning to set behind the mountains and the valley seemed to be shimmering in the light. Then something hit him. A clarity he’d not felt since his patemfar over two years ago. He pointed out the port. “This is it, Vedek. This is where I’m going to build my house.”
By the end of the day, he was the new owner of twelve hecapades of land.
<><><>
Ezri Dax sipped at her tea and smiled as Miles finished his latest tale of family life. Apparently Kirayoshi had finally discovered where the chief kept his tools and littered them across the O’Brien’s quarters.
“He’s got you now, Chief,” she said. “The terrible two’s are something that people who aren’t parents call them. For those of us who have been, it’s far far worse.”
From her left at another table in the replimat she heard a snort.
She turned and saw Worf, reading a PADD and drinking prune juice (of course.) “And just what is so funny?”
“You are not a parent,” the Klingon said.
“I’ll have you know Dax has been a mother and a father many times over.”
“Yes, Dax has, but not Ezri,” Worf said, putting the padd aside. “It is not the same thing.”
“Says you,” Ezri said. “Alexander was nearly five by human standards when he came to live with you.”
Worf frowned and Ezri immediately regretted her words. Worf had not known about Alexander’s existence for the first two years of the boy’s life. And their relationship still wasn’t the best. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.
Worf brushed off her comment. “You are right, you possesses the memories of parenthood, memories that I regret not having.”
Ezri smiled. For Worf that admission alone was akin to a weaker man’s cries of regret. He looked up at something over her shoulder. She immediately spun around to see Nerys coming towards them, a somber expression on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Miles asked.
“We just got word from Starfleet; the Armstrong and the Pasteur were attacked by the Jem’Hadar near the Badlands.”
Ezri’s heart sank. “Julian was aboard the Pasteur.” Bashir had left four days ago to help Starfleet set up a field hospital on Athos IV in the Badlands.
“It didn’t make it,” Kira said flatly. “The Armstrong recovered a couple of dozen escape pods, Julian wasn’t aboard any of them.”
Chapter One:
Quark set the dirty glasses in the bin under the bar for later matter reclamation and offered a glass of synthale to Ezri. “Heard anything from the Defiant?”
“I spoke with Benjamin this morning. He talked to survivors of the Pasteur. They said Julian was the last one to leave Sickbay when the evacuation started, he was trying to stabilize a woman who’d been badly hurt.”
“My latinum says he made it,” Quark said.
“You don’t know that,” Ezri said.
“With the genetically enhanced brain of his? He probably had the number steps mapped out to the nearest pod.”
For the first time in three days Ezri cracked a smile, albeit a small one.
Quark leaned forward and in a low voice said, “You’re in love with him aren’t you?”
Dax looked away and then back at Quark’s stern gaze. With a few quick nods of her head she bit her lip and felt tears sting her eyes. “I guess I always have been,” she said, her voice now hoarse and raw. “And now I may never get to tell him.”
“It’s all the sensor interference in the Badlands,” Quark said, “they’ll find him. He’ll be back before you know it.” He patted her hand.
“Thank you Quark,” Ezri said.
“Ops to Lieutenant Dax.”
She felt her heart flutter. It was Ensign Selzer from communications. “Go ahead,” she said tapping her combadge.
“You have an incoming transmission from the Defiant.”
“I’m on the Promenade, can you patch it into Quarks?”
She got out of her seat and rounded the bar, activating the companel. Benjamin’s somber face appeared. She knew that look. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to call of the search,” the captain said.
“You’re giving up?” she snapped.
“We don’t have a choice. There are a dozen Jem’Hadar ships out there converging on us.”
“But he could still be out there somewhere!” she pleaded.
Sisko looked away. “Let’s face it, the odds aren’t good. We don’t even know if he made it off the ship. I’m sorry.” He reached for something off-screen and the link terminated.
Ezri stared at the Federation symbol before it too disappeared.
<><><>
Colonel Kira Nerys shifted from one foot to the other outside docking bay three. She waited anxiously as the door rolled aside and Sisko emerged, followed by O’Brien and Worf.. “Colonel,” he said.
“Captain, we have a problem. Ezri’s gone.”
“Gone?” Sisko asked his voice rising.
“There’s a runabout missing,” Kira explained. And it was her felt, she was in command when Sisko was off-station, and she’d been sitting in his office working when the Gander and been hijacked.
“She must’ve got it into her head to looking for Julian,” O’Brien said. Hell, he thought, he wished he was with her. Julian was his best friend and he’d wired sensor relays that he thought would never work together on the Defiant to try to pierce the plasma storms interference.
“She’s in love with him,” Worf said. Everyone looked to him in amazement.
“She told you that?” Kira asked. She’d only known Ezri a short while, but she knew about the past between Jadzia and Bashir, she just didn’t think that would survive to this new Trill host.
“No,” Worf said. “But it is obvious.” He looked towards Sisko. “We should let her try, sir. A runabout will be much less conspicuous than the Defiant.”
“Much less defended too,” O’Brien added.
“Let her go,” Sisko said. “Send her a copy of the Defiant’s sensor logs. There’s no use in her searching same area we did.”
“You really think she’ll be able to find him?” Kira asked.
“I don’t know,” Sisko said. “But she’ll never forgive me if I don’t let her try.”
<><><>
Ezri Dax had been a pilot many times over. Tobin, Toriss, Jadzia. They’d all been very good pilots. Retaining the best of their knowledge, Ezri Dax possessed just enough to keep the runabout flying straight and steady. She’d felt awful about stealing the Gander and running off like that, but she owed it to Julian. She owed him a lot. Julian Bashir had been a friend to Dax for seven years and required every chance of being rescued.
After several hours she hit the edge of the plasma fields, luckily sensors were clear of enemy Dominion activity. “Computer,” she said turning to the auxiliary display next to her. “Computer, show me the position of the Pasteur at the time it was attacked.”
The logs that had been retrieved from the ship’s black box appeared on screen, a schematic of the Olympic-Class medical ship drifting through space at the far edge of the plasma fields. “Assuming someone made it to the nearest escape pod to sickbay, calculate it’s trajectory.” From the port side image a line extended out into space and into the fields. Ezri quickly input the coordinates into the helm and fired the impulse engines. The ship began to rumble as it hit the leading edge of the plasma bursts. “Computer, cut all engines.”
“Warning, without maneuvering thrusters, the ship may be swept into areas of plasma flare activity.”
“I know,” she said, gripping the edge of the conn. “But with any luck the currents will take us to the same coordinates they took Julian. Cut the engines.”
As the ship went silent and was swept forward, she vowed not to get space sick.
<><><>
Ben Sisko loved to build things. He always had. It had been what had drawn him to the shipyards at Utopia Planitia. Now he sat in his quarters aboard the station and put together a scale model of the house. Not a house, but ‘the’ house, the one he planned to build on Bajor once the war was over. He looked up as the doors hissed open and he smiled broadly, despite his somber mood. “Kassidy Yates,” he said.
“Hello Ben,” she said, setting down her duffle bag. She’d just returned from a freight run on the Xhosa. “What’s all this?” she asked indicating the model.
Sisko pulled a padd from the drawer next to the sofa. The aerial image of the land he’d purchased. “This is the place where you and I can grow old together.”
Kas took the padd and was struck by the sheer beauty. “It’s lovely. Bajor, right?”
“That’s right. And all ours, twelve hecapades.”
“You’re finally going to do it, then,” she said.
“That’s right,” he said, taking her into is arms. “I’m going to start construction as soon as the war is over.”
“The Emissary’s private retreat,” Kas said quietly. “Did you ever think seven years ago you’d be planning your retirement on Bajor.”
Sisko set the padd aside and shook his head. “It certainly wasn’t par of the master plan. But then nothing has turned out the way I expected since I first arrived here. No, not there. There.” He pointed out the windows.
“The Prophets, ”Kas said hesitantly.
“Does that bother you?” Ben asked.
“Not really,” Kas said. “But when you found out about Sarah, I was a little shocked.”
“You and me both,” Ben replied. He picked up the image of the woman he’d learned had been his mother. “I look at this picture and know, yes this woman is Sarah Sisko, my mother. But I see more than that.”
“And when you think about yourself you see more than that.”
Ben nodded. “I want this to our house, Kassidy. I love you.”
Kas sidled up next to him and felt his strong arms wrap around here.
“Let’s get married,” Ben said.
<><><>
Ezri Dax pressed the hypo to hear neck and cursed in Klingon. The hypo was empty, she was at her limit, and her stomach was still not done doing summersaults. The Gander was tossed port to starboard and then end over end when through the viewport she got a partial glimpse of it. “Computer, re-engage engines, full stop.” She brought the ship around and saw it. A Starfleet escape pod. “Lock a tractor beam onto the pod and fire up the transporter.” She got out of the pilot’s seat and slapped the actuation sequencer.
A column of quantum mist descended from the transporter array and Ezri felt the relief she’d be hoping to find.
Julian sat there, covered in soot, his face stricken, his hair ragged. “Ezri,” he said, his spirits brightening. He got to his feet and Ezri took him into her arms and kissed him.
“I love you,” Ezri said to Bashir’s surprise and elation.
<><><>
Cardassia Prime was a hot, arid, miserable place and Weyoun was tired of it. Hopefully the war would be over soon and he could move to Earth. Vast in climate and much more temperate in most areas, he looked forward to the day when he was in charge of the former Federation territories, the Founder willing, of course.
He stood in the command center deep within the bowels of the Cardassian Central Command and watched the main screen as indicators blinked. “We need to send ships to the Uneffra system. The Romulans have destroyed three regiments in the past two weeks. The Cardassian units there are performing miserably.”
The goading got the reaction he was expecting. The clank of a bottle hitting a table and the throaty sigh of Gul Damar made him smile. “Something wrong?” he asked.
Corat Damar, leader of the Cardassian Union shook with anger. “Those Cardassian troops have been holding out against constant Romulan attack for months. Their sacrifices are to be honored not scoffed at.”
“You are right of course,” Weyoun said. “They’ve still lost control of nearly two thirds of the system and the Romulans are setting up orbital weapon platforms and space docks. The Jem’Hadar will eliminate them.”
“Fine,” Damar said. “What about the Badlands. I see we chased off the Defiant.”
“Yes, finally,” Weyoun admitted. “They spent a long time there; I wonder what they were looking for.”
“Survivors from the Pasteur,” Damar said.
“For three days?”
“Yes, our enemies actually value their comrades. They don’t just breed more in hatcheries.”
Weyoun ignored his petulance. “The Founder would like a secure comlink installed in her quarters with unlimited encrypted access to the subspace array.”
Damar drank from his glass of kanar. “What for? Who’s she going to be talking to?”
“That doesn’t concern you,” Weyoun said. “Have it done by the end of the day.” Before Damar could respond, the Vorta supervisor left and entered the quarters of The Founder.
He lowered his head and spread his hands in reverence. ”Founder,” he said.
She sat behind her desk, working a data terminal. Her once smooth face was parched and several layers of flesh flaked off body. The disease that had afflicted the entire Great Link was still being researched by the very best minds in the Dominion. “You have something?” she asked.
“I’m afraid the doctors have been unable to stabilize the latest sample,” he said sadly. “They require another specimen.”
The Founder rolled her eyes and placed the tip of her finger into the vile he offered. Sealing it, and holding it close to his chest he nodded.
“Have the doctors terminated, and their clones activated,” The Founder said. “Perhaps a fresh approach to the problem will spur success.”
Weyoun nodded, his heart telling him it was an evil gesture, his brain telling him: “The Founder is wise. I’ll see to it immediately.”
“See that you do,” The Founder said. “This disease will destroy the Link and all with it without a cure. And if the Link falls, the Dominion will crumble at the gates of our enemies throughout two quadrants.”
“I’ll have the orders issued at once,” Weyoun said, taking his leave.
<><><>
Their clothes strewn about the cockpit of the runabout left nothing to the imagination. Both Ezri and Julian spooned together on the deck. “And that answers that,” Julian said. “I always assumed the spots went all the way down, but I wasn’t sure.”
Ezri nuzzled his neck. “I was so worried about you,” she said.
“Shh,” he said. “Everything’s all right now. I still can’t believe you found me. I spent three days calculating trajectories and odds.”
Ezri held up a hand. “No augment-enhanced odds, please, let’s just leave it at ‘not good.’ “
“Deal,” Bashir said. “That was quite a risk you took coming after me like that.”
“I had to,” Dax said. “I felt an urge to save you the moment Kira said your ship had been destroyed. When Benjamin said they were calling off the search, something primal in me flared. I had to act.”
“My hero,” Julian said and kissed her.
The spent the rest of the trip back to DS9 in each other’s arms.
<><><>
Captain’s log, Stardate 52576.2. Lieutenant Dax and Doctor Bashir have returned safely to the station. I gave Ezri a stern talking to, but also my thanks for the recovery of the Doctor. Dominion activity near the border continues to escalate.
Ben set the roof atop his model and sat back. “What do you think?”
“Nice,” said Jake, who’d come over for dinner. “Does Kas like it?”
“She does,” Ben said.
“So when’s the big day?” Jake asked.
“She told you?” Ben asked his son. He’d been hoping to surprise Jake. It had been his son who had introduced Ben to Kassidy almost four years ago.
“No, I heard it from Nog, who heard it from Quark, who heard from…”
“All right,” Sisko said, laughing, holding his hands up. “I should’ve known better. We haven’t decided yet. But when it happens I want you to be my best man.”
“Seriously?” Jake asked excitedly. “Not Dax or Grandpa?”
“Nope. You.”
Jake grabbed his dad in a bear hug. “Thanks, Dad. That means I get to plan the bacerlor party!”
“Ops to Sisko.”
“Sisko here.”
“Sorry to bother you, Captain,” Kira said, “but you have an incoming transmission from Starfleet Command It’s Admiral Ross.”
Jake nodded and headed for his old room. He new these calls were ‘captain’s eyes only.’
“Put it through, Colonel.”
The desktop monitor flashed to life. “Ben,” said Ross, from his office on Starbase 375. “We’ve got a situation and maybe a chance to turn this entire thing around once and for all.. I need you to get to Starbase 375 for debriefing as soon as possible.”
“I can leave right away. What’s the problem?”
“Nothing I can get in to over subspace, but bring Mister Garak with you.”
Ten hours in a runabout with Garak, it better be damned good. “Understood, I’m on my way, Sisko out.”
<><><>
Benjamin Sisko sat in the small Bajoran skimmer as the craft was expertly piloted across the valley of the Kendra Providence, following the northward bend of the Yolta River. It felt good to be on Bajor. He’d been at a strategic conference in Rokantha with a number of vedeks and ministers, working out a protection agreement for Bajoran shipping that were moving in sectors adjoining the front lines. Jem’Hadar had stepped up their attacks against convoys recently and Starfleet would be sending additional ships to bolster the freight lanes.
Vedek Olum had been adamant about showing him his monastery, a small but very artistically built place a few kilometers away.
“Quite a sight, isn’t it, Emissary?” Olum asked.
Ben smiled, taking in the valley. The sun was just beginning to set behind the mountains and the valley seemed to be shimmering in the light. Then something hit him. A clarity he’d not felt since his patemfar over two years ago. He pointed out the port. “This is it, Vedek. This is where I’m going to build my house.”
By the end of the day, he was the new owner of twelve hecapades of land.
<><><>
Ezri Dax sipped at her tea and smiled as Miles finished his latest tale of family life. Apparently Kirayoshi had finally discovered where the chief kept his tools and littered them across the O’Brien’s quarters.
“He’s got you now, Chief,” she said. “The terrible two’s are something that people who aren’t parents call them. For those of us who have been, it’s far far worse.”
From her left at another table in the replimat she heard a snort.
She turned and saw Worf, reading a PADD and drinking prune juice (of course.) “And just what is so funny?”
“You are not a parent,” the Klingon said.
“I’ll have you know Dax has been a mother and a father many times over.”
“Yes, Dax has, but not Ezri,” Worf said, putting the padd aside. “It is not the same thing.”
“Says you,” Ezri said. “Alexander was nearly five by human standards when he came to live with you.”
Worf frowned and Ezri immediately regretted her words. Worf had not known about Alexander’s existence for the first two years of the boy’s life. And their relationship still wasn’t the best. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly.
Worf brushed off her comment. “You are right, you possesses the memories of parenthood, memories that I regret not having.”
Ezri smiled. For Worf that admission alone was akin to a weaker man’s cries of regret. He looked up at something over her shoulder. She immediately spun around to see Nerys coming towards them, a somber expression on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Miles asked.
“We just got word from Starfleet; the Armstrong and the Pasteur were attacked by the Jem’Hadar near the Badlands.”
Ezri’s heart sank. “Julian was aboard the Pasteur.” Bashir had left four days ago to help Starfleet set up a field hospital on Athos IV in the Badlands.
“It didn’t make it,” Kira said flatly. “The Armstrong recovered a couple of dozen escape pods, Julian wasn’t aboard any of them.”
Chapter One:
Quark set the dirty glasses in the bin under the bar for later matter reclamation and offered a glass of synthale to Ezri. “Heard anything from the Defiant?”
“I spoke with Benjamin this morning. He talked to survivors of the Pasteur. They said Julian was the last one to leave Sickbay when the evacuation started, he was trying to stabilize a woman who’d been badly hurt.”
“My latinum says he made it,” Quark said.
“You don’t know that,” Ezri said.
“With the genetically enhanced brain of his? He probably had the number steps mapped out to the nearest pod.”
For the first time in three days Ezri cracked a smile, albeit a small one.
Quark leaned forward and in a low voice said, “You’re in love with him aren’t you?”
Dax looked away and then back at Quark’s stern gaze. With a few quick nods of her head she bit her lip and felt tears sting her eyes. “I guess I always have been,” she said, her voice now hoarse and raw. “And now I may never get to tell him.”
“It’s all the sensor interference in the Badlands,” Quark said, “they’ll find him. He’ll be back before you know it.” He patted her hand.
“Thank you Quark,” Ezri said.
“Ops to Lieutenant Dax.”
She felt her heart flutter. It was Ensign Selzer from communications. “Go ahead,” she said tapping her combadge.
“You have an incoming transmission from the Defiant.”
“I’m on the Promenade, can you patch it into Quarks?”
She got out of her seat and rounded the bar, activating the companel. Benjamin’s somber face appeared. She knew that look. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to call of the search,” the captain said.
“You’re giving up?” she snapped.
“We don’t have a choice. There are a dozen Jem’Hadar ships out there converging on us.”
“But he could still be out there somewhere!” she pleaded.
Sisko looked away. “Let’s face it, the odds aren’t good. We don’t even know if he made it off the ship. I’m sorry.” He reached for something off-screen and the link terminated.
Ezri stared at the Federation symbol before it too disappeared.
<><><>
Colonel Kira Nerys shifted from one foot to the other outside docking bay three. She waited anxiously as the door rolled aside and Sisko emerged, followed by O’Brien and Worf.. “Colonel,” he said.
“Captain, we have a problem. Ezri’s gone.”
“Gone?” Sisko asked his voice rising.
“There’s a runabout missing,” Kira explained. And it was her felt, she was in command when Sisko was off-station, and she’d been sitting in his office working when the Gander and been hijacked.
“She must’ve got it into her head to looking for Julian,” O’Brien said. Hell, he thought, he wished he was with her. Julian was his best friend and he’d wired sensor relays that he thought would never work together on the Defiant to try to pierce the plasma storms interference.
“She’s in love with him,” Worf said. Everyone looked to him in amazement.
“She told you that?” Kira asked. She’d only known Ezri a short while, but she knew about the past between Jadzia and Bashir, she just didn’t think that would survive to this new Trill host.
“No,” Worf said. “But it is obvious.” He looked towards Sisko. “We should let her try, sir. A runabout will be much less conspicuous than the Defiant.”
“Much less defended too,” O’Brien added.
“Let her go,” Sisko said. “Send her a copy of the Defiant’s sensor logs. There’s no use in her searching same area we did.”
“You really think she’ll be able to find him?” Kira asked.
“I don’t know,” Sisko said. “But she’ll never forgive me if I don’t let her try.”
<><><>
Ezri Dax had been a pilot many times over. Tobin, Toriss, Jadzia. They’d all been very good pilots. Retaining the best of their knowledge, Ezri Dax possessed just enough to keep the runabout flying straight and steady. She’d felt awful about stealing the Gander and running off like that, but she owed it to Julian. She owed him a lot. Julian Bashir had been a friend to Dax for seven years and required every chance of being rescued.
After several hours she hit the edge of the plasma fields, luckily sensors were clear of enemy Dominion activity. “Computer,” she said turning to the auxiliary display next to her. “Computer, show me the position of the Pasteur at the time it was attacked.”
The logs that had been retrieved from the ship’s black box appeared on screen, a schematic of the Olympic-Class medical ship drifting through space at the far edge of the plasma fields. “Assuming someone made it to the nearest escape pod to sickbay, calculate it’s trajectory.” From the port side image a line extended out into space and into the fields. Ezri quickly input the coordinates into the helm and fired the impulse engines. The ship began to rumble as it hit the leading edge of the plasma bursts. “Computer, cut all engines.”
“Warning, without maneuvering thrusters, the ship may be swept into areas of plasma flare activity.”
“I know,” she said, gripping the edge of the conn. “But with any luck the currents will take us to the same coordinates they took Julian. Cut the engines.”
As the ship went silent and was swept forward, she vowed not to get space sick.
<><><>
Ben Sisko loved to build things. He always had. It had been what had drawn him to the shipyards at Utopia Planitia. Now he sat in his quarters aboard the station and put together a scale model of the house. Not a house, but ‘the’ house, the one he planned to build on Bajor once the war was over. He looked up as the doors hissed open and he smiled broadly, despite his somber mood. “Kassidy Yates,” he said.
“Hello Ben,” she said, setting down her duffle bag. She’d just returned from a freight run on the Xhosa. “What’s all this?” she asked indicating the model.
Sisko pulled a padd from the drawer next to the sofa. The aerial image of the land he’d purchased. “This is the place where you and I can grow old together.”
Kas took the padd and was struck by the sheer beauty. “It’s lovely. Bajor, right?”
“That’s right. And all ours, twelve hecapades.”
“You’re finally going to do it, then,” she said.
“That’s right,” he said, taking her into is arms. “I’m going to start construction as soon as the war is over.”
“The Emissary’s private retreat,” Kas said quietly. “Did you ever think seven years ago you’d be planning your retirement on Bajor.”
Sisko set the padd aside and shook his head. “It certainly wasn’t par of the master plan. But then nothing has turned out the way I expected since I first arrived here. No, not there. There.” He pointed out the windows.
“The Prophets, ”Kas said hesitantly.
“Does that bother you?” Ben asked.
“Not really,” Kas said. “But when you found out about Sarah, I was a little shocked.”
“You and me both,” Ben replied. He picked up the image of the woman he’d learned had been his mother. “I look at this picture and know, yes this woman is Sarah Sisko, my mother. But I see more than that.”
“And when you think about yourself you see more than that.”
Ben nodded. “I want this to our house, Kassidy. I love you.”
Kas sidled up next to him and felt his strong arms wrap around here.
“Let’s get married,” Ben said.
<><><>
Ezri Dax pressed the hypo to hear neck and cursed in Klingon. The hypo was empty, she was at her limit, and her stomach was still not done doing summersaults. The Gander was tossed port to starboard and then end over end when through the viewport she got a partial glimpse of it. “Computer, re-engage engines, full stop.” She brought the ship around and saw it. A Starfleet escape pod. “Lock a tractor beam onto the pod and fire up the transporter.” She got out of the pilot’s seat and slapped the actuation sequencer.
A column of quantum mist descended from the transporter array and Ezri felt the relief she’d be hoping to find.
Julian sat there, covered in soot, his face stricken, his hair ragged. “Ezri,” he said, his spirits brightening. He got to his feet and Ezri took him into her arms and kissed him.
“I love you,” Ezri said to Bashir’s surprise and elation.
<><><>
Cardassia Prime was a hot, arid, miserable place and Weyoun was tired of it. Hopefully the war would be over soon and he could move to Earth. Vast in climate and much more temperate in most areas, he looked forward to the day when he was in charge of the former Federation territories, the Founder willing, of course.
He stood in the command center deep within the bowels of the Cardassian Central Command and watched the main screen as indicators blinked. “We need to send ships to the Uneffra system. The Romulans have destroyed three regiments in the past two weeks. The Cardassian units there are performing miserably.”
The goading got the reaction he was expecting. The clank of a bottle hitting a table and the throaty sigh of Gul Damar made him smile. “Something wrong?” he asked.
Corat Damar, leader of the Cardassian Union shook with anger. “Those Cardassian troops have been holding out against constant Romulan attack for months. Their sacrifices are to be honored not scoffed at.”
“You are right of course,” Weyoun said. “They’ve still lost control of nearly two thirds of the system and the Romulans are setting up orbital weapon platforms and space docks. The Jem’Hadar will eliminate them.”
“Fine,” Damar said. “What about the Badlands. I see we chased off the Defiant.”
“Yes, finally,” Weyoun admitted. “They spent a long time there; I wonder what they were looking for.”
“Survivors from the Pasteur,” Damar said.
“For three days?”
“Yes, our enemies actually value their comrades. They don’t just breed more in hatcheries.”
Weyoun ignored his petulance. “The Founder would like a secure comlink installed in her quarters with unlimited encrypted access to the subspace array.”
Damar drank from his glass of kanar. “What for? Who’s she going to be talking to?”
“That doesn’t concern you,” Weyoun said. “Have it done by the end of the day.” Before Damar could respond, the Vorta supervisor left and entered the quarters of The Founder.
He lowered his head and spread his hands in reverence. ”Founder,” he said.
She sat behind her desk, working a data terminal. Her once smooth face was parched and several layers of flesh flaked off body. The disease that had afflicted the entire Great Link was still being researched by the very best minds in the Dominion. “You have something?” she asked.
“I’m afraid the doctors have been unable to stabilize the latest sample,” he said sadly. “They require another specimen.”
The Founder rolled her eyes and placed the tip of her finger into the vile he offered. Sealing it, and holding it close to his chest he nodded.
“Have the doctors terminated, and their clones activated,” The Founder said. “Perhaps a fresh approach to the problem will spur success.”
Weyoun nodded, his heart telling him it was an evil gesture, his brain telling him: “The Founder is wise. I’ll see to it immediately.”
“See that you do,” The Founder said. “This disease will destroy the Link and all with it without a cure. And if the Link falls, the Dominion will crumble at the gates of our enemies throughout two quadrants.”
“I’ll have the orders issued at once,” Weyoun said, taking his leave.
<><><>
Their clothes strewn about the cockpit of the runabout left nothing to the imagination. Both Ezri and Julian spooned together on the deck. “And that answers that,” Julian said. “I always assumed the spots went all the way down, but I wasn’t sure.”
Ezri nuzzled his neck. “I was so worried about you,” she said.
“Shh,” he said. “Everything’s all right now. I still can’t believe you found me. I spent three days calculating trajectories and odds.”
Ezri held up a hand. “No augment-enhanced odds, please, let’s just leave it at ‘not good.’ “
“Deal,” Bashir said. “That was quite a risk you took coming after me like that.”
“I had to,” Dax said. “I felt an urge to save you the moment Kira said your ship had been destroyed. When Benjamin said they were calling off the search, something primal in me flared. I had to act.”
“My hero,” Julian said and kissed her.
The spent the rest of the trip back to DS9 in each other’s arms.
<><><>
Captain’s log, Stardate 52576.2. Lieutenant Dax and Doctor Bashir have returned safely to the station. I gave Ezri a stern talking to, but also my thanks for the recovery of the Doctor. Dominion activity near the border continues to escalate.
Ben set the roof atop his model and sat back. “What do you think?”
“Nice,” said Jake, who’d come over for dinner. “Does Kas like it?”
“She does,” Ben said.
“So when’s the big day?” Jake asked.
“She told you?” Ben asked his son. He’d been hoping to surprise Jake. It had been his son who had introduced Ben to Kassidy almost four years ago.
“No, I heard it from Nog, who heard it from Quark, who heard from…”
“All right,” Sisko said, laughing, holding his hands up. “I should’ve known better. We haven’t decided yet. But when it happens I want you to be my best man.”
“Seriously?” Jake asked excitedly. “Not Dax or Grandpa?”
“Nope. You.”
Jake grabbed his dad in a bear hug. “Thanks, Dad. That means I get to plan the bacerlor party!”
“Ops to Sisko.”
“Sisko here.”
“Sorry to bother you, Captain,” Kira said, “but you have an incoming transmission from Starfleet Command It’s Admiral Ross.”
Jake nodded and headed for his old room. He new these calls were ‘captain’s eyes only.’
“Put it through, Colonel.”
The desktop monitor flashed to life. “Ben,” said Ross, from his office on Starbase 375. “We’ve got a situation and maybe a chance to turn this entire thing around once and for all.. I need you to get to Starbase 375 for debriefing as soon as possible.”
“I can leave right away. What’s the problem?”
“Nothing I can get in to over subspace, but bring Mister Garak with you.”
Ten hours in a runabout with Garak, it better be damned good. “Understood, I’m on my way, Sisko out.”
<><><>
