TITLE: The Serpent and the Hawk
RATING: R
SUMMARY: Ziyal's brutal death unites Gul Dukat and Major Kira in ways neither of them expected.
DISCLAIMER: Paramount owns the Star Trek universe and everything it encompasses. This story is not intended to infringe on any copyrights, and the only profit I gain by it is emotional satisfaction.
PART FIVE His heart was breaking.
He had given so much of himself to this woman; why did she refuse to see that? He was a sentimental old fool to think that she could ever truly love him as he loved her. She had probably only danced for him because she knew he was familiar with the tradition. Her heart had not been in it. He had only imagined her forgiveness. It was settled, then; now matter what he did or said, they would always remain enemies, because that was what she wanted.
It was not what he wanted. He wanted to take her back with him to Cardassia. He wanted to recruit her expertise in a plan he was formulating to incite civil war and overthrow the Dominion yoke. He wanted her fighting at his side as he reclaimed Cardassia for Cardassians. He wanted to make love to her every night for the rest of his life.
Disappointment was a bitter pill to swallow.
He stretched beneath her, releasing her hand as it lay against his chest, and yawned. "The sun will be up soon, Major," he said as nonchalantly as possible. "I'd better get dressed and leave before any of our hosts find me here." He extracted himself from her embrace and swung his legs down to the floor. Their clothes were jumbled beside the bed, and it took him several minutes to separate his clothing from hers.
As he eased one arm into his shirt, noting the large rip where it had caught on one of his ridges, he felt Kira move behind him. He closed his eyes when a bare arm slipped around his neck and her sweet breath warmed his cheek. "Don't go," she pleaded. "Stay here...with me...just a little while longer."
If she had begged him to forgive her for doubting his love, if she had proclaimed her own love and forgiveness, he might have acquiesced. But she did not, and instead he said, "No. We shouldn't be seen like this. It's not...right."
Her voice betrayed controlled fury. "Denying what happened between us isn't going to make it go away."
He clenched his fists. "I'm not denying it, Major, you are!" His head swiveled so he could stare into her dark eyes. "I would climb to the top of the highest mountain and tell all of Bajor that I spent the entire night making love to the most...amazing...woman in the Alpha Quadrant, and when I came down I would sweep you up in my arms and make love to you all over again. You, on the other hand, will find a way to pass this off as a momentary weakness or as proof that I care only about controlling you and Bajor!" He turned his attention back to his clothes.
She was silent for a moment, but Dukat did not dare to look at her. When her response finally came, it was so cold he shivered at the sound of her voice. "So that's how it's going to be. I didn't say all the right things, I didn't tell you how wonderful you were in bed, or how much you made me forget the past, or how much I love you, so then it obviously must not be true. Since I didn't dedicate myself to soothing your fragile ego, then what passed between us last night must have been nothing more than two people satisfying their craven lusts!" She climbed off the bed and stalked to her closet to grab a robe from the hook. Her voice softened a bit as she turned to address him. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It didn't come out quite the way I meant it to. But if you can be so quick to judge me, then maybe you're right. Maybe this could never work. Maybe, no matter how hard we both try, we just can't let go of the past."
Dukat stood and held out his arms. "Nerys --" he pleaded.
She wavered, but held firm. "No, Dukat." She looked as though she were about to say something else, but her mouth remained firmly shut as she stalked out of the room.
~ * ~
Kira stormed into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards, oblivious to the noise she made as she searched for a canister of ginger tea. At last she found it, hidden at the back of a high shelf. As she stood on her toes to reach as far as she could to grab the canister, she accidentally knocked a stack of dishes onto the floor.
"Damn!" she muttered as she bent down to gather the shards as they lay scattered across the floor. She was still so wrapped up in her own anger and pain that she did not hear Regnold enter the kitchen, nor was she aware of his first quiet attempts to catch her attention.
"Nerys!" Kira jumped, dropping several pieces back to the floor.
She looked at Regnold sheepishly. "I'm making a lot of noise, aren't I? I'm sorry, I --"
"Come with me." He turned on his heel and strode toward his office. Kira obediently followed. "Close the door," he ordered when she entered his office. She did as he said and stood before his desk.
Regnold activated his communications monitor and swiveled it on its stand so Kira could view the display. Her hand went immediately to her mouth, stifling the cry of outrage that issued from her throat, and she sunk heavily into a seat.
The images scrolling past were of the capital city in ruins. Mutilated bodies littered the streets. Buildings burned. Sirens wailed. Ground transports lay scattered about. The only signs of life evident were of the Jem'Hadar looting and plundering. Not even the Cardassians at the height of the Occupation had wreaked such havoc.
When she finally found her voice, she asked, "When --? How --?"
"The 'message' was here when I activated the terminal this morning. It had been sent on a secured channel."
Kira immediately knew who had sent the images. "Shakaar. He probably needs me to come in and help protect the Council of Ministers, or coordinate an evacuation to Deep Space Nine." She looked up at Regnold. "What will you do while I'm gone?"
"We still have the bunker stocked with supplies. If necessary, we'll go there."
"What about Dukat? Do you feel safe with him here?"
"No, but as long as the Dominion doesn't find out he's here, we should be out of harm's way. I don't recommend you take him with you."
Kira shook her head in agreement. "The Jem'Hadar will kill him on sight. He'll have to stay here until I can arrange safe transport for him off of Bajor. And, if the Dominion comes here, you'll need his help protecting yourselves."
"If he provides it."
"He will. He always rewards those who help him."
She stood to leave, but Regnold stopped her with a hand on her wrist. "Be careful, Nerys. Without the white to keep them under control, those Jem'Hadar will kill anything that moves. May the Prophets keep you safe."
~ * ~
Kira was finalizing her arrangements to travel to the capital city when there was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said. She looked up to find Dukat standing next to her, a serious expression on his face. She sighed with exasperation. "Save your speech, Dukat, I don't have time for it."
"Major, I wasn't going to give you any speech. I only wanted to ask you to reconsider your decision to go into that war zone."
She grabbed a spare change of clothes from her closet and stuffed it into her backpack. "That 'war zone' is my capital city, and I have an obligation to protect the few people still alive there." She added a few packets of field rations, a canteen and a portable light before zipping the pack closed.
"You'll never make it past the Jem'Hadar," Dukat said, resting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him away, and his voice rose slightly in response. "They've probably already found and executed the Council of Ministers as well as any vedeks that haven't fled for the monasteries."
Furious and afraid, Kira turned on her heel to face Dukat. "The Jem'Hadar wouldn't even be there if it weren't for you."
She retrieved her phaser from its case on a closet shelf, but Dukat took it from her, inspecting it as he spoke. "Then take me with you. Let me help."
Kira's arms were a blur as she gesticulated while pacing back and forth. "Why don't I just wear a sign that says, 'Shoot me'? You'll never make it past the first sentry, and I'll be shot just for being seen with you." She stopped pacing when she saw Dukat remove the power cell from her phaser and pocket it. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying to take it from him.
He twisted away from her, holding the phaser just out of her reach. "Your power cell is low; it needs to be replaced." He reached into the drawer and pulled out a fresh cell, inserting it in the compartment before he handed the weapon back to her. He lifted his eyes to her face and she returned his gaze; this time she let his hands remain on her shoulders as he stepped closer to her. "Don't leave me here with nothing to do, Kira. I can't sit by and watch Bajor be destroyed without doing whatever I can to prevent it."
She sighed as her gaze dropped to the floor. "I need you here, to help Regnold protect Jormal and the children. Potr can show you where they keep their weapons stored; they'll need to be inspected and charged. Make sure there are enough supplies in the bunker." She lifted her eyes to Dukat's face again and let her own hand rest lightly against his chest. "Please...keep them safe...for me."
"Kira, I belong --"
"Just do it, Dukat." Kira stepped back. "These people are the closest I have to a family. If you want to fight with me, then fight for me. Help me by helping them."
Dukat closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "All right, Major. Just...one more thing before you leave."
"What is it, Dukat?"
He reached out a hand and gently stroked her cheek, then lifted her chin to look deeply into her eyes. The depth of the passion she saw in his pale eyes reminded her of the joy his touch had brought her just a few hours ago. If she were not still hurt and angered by their earlier argument, she might have wrapped her arms around his ridged torso and kissed him until they were both breathless. But she did not, and instead he said "Come back to me. Preferably in one piece."
~ * ~
"Potr, have you ever fired a disrupter before?" Dukat asked the boy as he replaced the newly-charged power cell in the weapon he had just inspected.
Potr lifted another disrupter rifle from the storage locker, staggering under its weight, and handed it to Dukat. "Yes, sir. Aunt Nerys taught me and Panat how to handle disrupters last time she was here."
Dukat swore under his breath. "You're just a child," he muttered.
Regnold responded from the other side of the room, "So was Nerys when she joined the Resistance. So was Ziyal when she was with you on that freighter. As a father, you should understand that we have to do whatever is necessary to protect our children, even if it means teaching them to protect themselves."
"I understand the importance of teaching self-defense to a child," Dukat retorted, "but is it necessary they learn how to fire a disrupter? A phaser will suffice under most circumstances. No child should have to experience the total vaporization of an enemy."
"No child should have to experience the invasion of his homeworld by an alien species, and the Jem'Hadar are a far more formidable invasion force than the Cardassians ever were."
Dukat's jaw muscles clenched, but he said nothing. He was not about to debate history or politics with Chivas Regnold, at least not in the presence of the children. He finished inspecting the remaining weapons in silence, laying each one on the table in turn. When he was done, he slung the strap of one rifle over his head and balanced the remaining rifles in his arms. Potr followed Dukat's lead and collected the few phasers that lay on the table, leaving one behind for his father. They then left the house and walked the several meters to the bunker's entrance.
"Don't mind Father," Potr said as he trotted to keep pace with Dukat's long-legged stride. "He's always like that."
"Like what? Concerned about your safety? I should hope so." At the bunker door he shifted the rifles in his arms to free his hand so he could knock. Sounds of locks being opened manually filtered through the reinforced material of the door. "If I were in his shoes, I would have done exactly the same thing, and I would have reacted just as he did if anyone questioned my precaution. I just don't like the idea of you and your sister handling weapons as destructive as disrupters. Although, your father is right: a typical phaser would be ineffective against the Jem'Hadar, and if anything happens to him or me you need to be able to protect your mother and siblings as best as you can." Dukat looked down at the boy, whose serious expression belied his youth. He may not have suffered much during the waning years of the Occupation, Dukat thought, but he has aged far beyond his years.
The door creaked open to reveal Jormal's worried face, and she hurriedly waved Dukat and Potr inside. "Where's your father?" she asked the boy.
"He's finishing up securing the house. Where are the others?"
"Panat is putting them to bed, in the back room." She pushed the door shut behind them and secured several of the locks. "Go put the weapons on the table. I just heard from the ground transport station," she said to Dukat. "There's a band of Jem'Hadar on their way here."
Dukat handed one of the rifles to Jormal, observing that she handled it as deftly as she did one of her children; she obviously knew her way around a disrupter. "How long before they get here?" he asked.
"According to the station manager, they were spotted about an hour ago in a hijacked transport vehicle approximately seventy kilometers from the provincial border. With power out in most of Dahkur, they should be here in less than an hour."
Dukat offered up a silent plea to the Prophets to keep Kira safe. "I'm sure the major made it safely to the capital city," he said, hoping he sounded more convincing than he felt. Kira was probably the only person on the entire planet to have needed a transport vehicle today.
The look Jormal gave him suggested she was shocked at his implication that Kira might not have succeeded in her mission. "Of course she did. Nerys can do anything she sets her mind to."
Dukat chuckled. "You'll get no argument from me. I just hope that she'll stay with the Council of Ministers once she finds them, and doesn't try to --"
His words were cut off by a loud explosion just outside the bunker, quickly echoed by shouts and cries coming from the occupants within. Instinctively, Dukat threw his arms over Jormal, shielding her from the debris that rained down on them from the ceiling, and pulled her under the table. Behind him he heard Potr's frantic shout, "What happened?"
"I don't know yet!" he yelled. "Get back there with the others! Turn the cots over on their sides and hide yourselves between them and the walls of the bunker."
When Potr did not immediately reply, Dukat turned to glare at him as he stood, frozen with fear, in the doorway. He felt a momentary pang as he remembered the boy's youth and innocence, but he needed Potr's help; he could not protect all of the children alone. He crept over to the boy and grabbed his arm roughly, shaking Potr out of his frightened reverie. "Potr - you need to take care of your brothers and sisters," Dukat said. "Your father...may already be dead. You have to be the man of the house now."
Jormal appeared beside him and wrapped her arms around her son. "Come on, Potr," she said gently. "I'll stay with you until your father gets here." She turned and gave Dukat a baleful stare. "He will get here."
Dukat nodded and patted Potr on the shoulder to reassure him. "You'll be all right," he said. "Your mother and I will protect you." He closed the inner door behind Jormal and Potr and barricaded it with a heavy chest, smiling in grim satisfaction when he heard the tell-tale sounds of a similar action being taken on the other side. He then set about shifting the rest of the furniture - a table, several chairs, and another chest - and numerous boxes and crates around the room, to give him places to hide and keep an eye on the door should the Jem'Hadar attempt to enter. He wanted to look outside and see if anything remained of the house, but there were no windows in the bunker, and he did not dare open the door.
He wedged himself behind a stack of crates with one disrupter held at the ready and another on the floor beside him and waited. He did not have to wait long. Another explosion shook the bunker. The emergency lights dimmed, bathing the room in an eerie blue glow, and two support beams came crashing to the floor - one of them less than a meter from Dukat's head. He could hear the muffled sounds of Jem'Hadar troops searching the area around the bunker, probably looking for the well-hidden entrance, and another, lesser, explosion.
Then from the relative safety of his position he heard shouts - not from the children, but from outside the bunker, and not from the Jem'Hadar either. His hearing was too poor to be certain, but he thought at least one of the voices sounded...human.
In fact, it sounded like Captain Sisko.
There was a barrage of weapons fire, and he knew for sure that whoever had engaged the Jem'Hadar was using Federation ordnance. Then he heard several more shouts, another round of weapons being fired, and then silence.
Someone banged on the door and shouted, "Kira! It's safe! You can come out now!"
That, Dukat thought, sounded like Odo.
He rose to his feet and walked to the door, keeping his rifle ready just in case. It took him several minutes to disengage the locks, even though Jormal had only been able to engage half of them before the attack. At last he got the door open, and found himself looking into the puzzled and astonished faces of Captain Sisko, Commanders Dax and Worf, and Odo.
* ~ *
Kira had little difficulty finding space on a transport to the edge of the capital city's home province, but she almost had to empty her pockets and draw her weapon to convince the operator to take her that far. No one was going into the city now that the Jem'Hadar had made good on their threat to invade Bajor, and even the transports leaving the city held only those stalwart few who had refused to evacuate until the last minute. No amount of currency or threats would persuade the transport operator to take her beyond the provincial border, however, and Kira was forced to finish her journey on foot. It was nearly dusk when she finally arrived at the outskirts of the capital city, and she was tired, filthy and hungry.
The streets were dark and deserted, although the distant sounds of weapons discharges and rampaging Jem'Hadar echoed hollowly through the still night air. It was eerie to see the city so empty; when the Cardassians had invaded Bajor, the people were ignorant of the threat until it was too late, and the Cardassians were too efficient and organized to destroy everything in sight. They were interested in exploiting Bajor, not demolishing it; that very fact had played a significant role in Bajor's recovery after the withdrawal.
Kira's senses were on full alert as she crept through the shadows, her fully-charged phaser nestled comfortably in her hand. One of the first lessons she had learned in the Shakaar was that physical exhaustion dulled the mind but sharpened the senses, and her autonomous nervous system instinctively catalogued the various sensory stimuli that filtered into her brain, saving the information for when it might be needed.
She heard a crunch of heavy boots on broken glass and ducked into an alley, the muzzle of her weapon held beside her nose as her watchful eyes waited for the danger to pass. Fortunately for her, the Jem'Hadar have no sense of smell, or else the three white-deficient soldiers that stumbled past less than two meters from her hiding place would have detected her aroma of fear. Once their inarticulate voices were beyond her range of hearing, she peered out of the alley and resumed her course.
One of Shakaar's first actions as First Minister had been to establish an underground bunker for the Council to retreat to should the Cardassians attempt to invade Bajor again. Kira, with Sisko's blessing and the use of Deep Space Nine's engineering staff, had helped him design and equip the six-room complex to keep the Council alive and safe for at least three years. Neither Kira nor Shakaar had thought at the time that the bunker would first be used during an undisciplined Dominion attack on the capital city. On her last visit to the city, nevertheless, she had escorted several ministers and a few of Kai Winn's loyal vedeks to the bunker during the night. Shakaar had insisted that he remain above ground as long as possible, to assist Bajorans evacuating the city and to maintain a communications link with Deep Space Nine. Once Shakaar retreated to the bunker, she knew, the Council would be unable to communicate with the station; the forcefield enhancers Chief O'Brien had installed around the complex would shield the complex's inhabitants from all outside interference. Once the danger had passed, Shakaar, working from the inside, and someone on the outside with the necessary command codes, would be able to bring down the field. Kira, Sisko and a vedek whose identity was known only to Shakaar were the only people outside the bunker who knew the codes.
Kira made her way cautiously to the above-ground entrance to the bunker, taking care to follow an indirect route in the event she was being followed. It was probably an unnecessary precaution, as the Jem'Hadar who had landed on Bajor were attacking at random, without their usual systematic methods, but she had been a Resistance fighter far too long to set aside her own habits. She stole down several side streets, trying not to look upon the ruined husks of buildings, vehicles and bodies that surrounded her, backtracking several times and skirting any groups of Jem'Hadar she saw or heard careening through the streets.
She reached an intersection and pressed her back against a high wall, collecting her thoughts and judging the remaining distance to the bunker. For just a moment her guard slipped as her thoughts turned to the Chivas estate and its inhabitants, and particularly their Cardassian guest. Would she come to regret trusting him? Would he help protect them if the Jem'Hadar attacked, as she had promised Regnold, or would his own safety be his only concern? She shook her head to clear her mind of such distracting thoughts. This was not the time to be worrying about Dukat. One false move, and she would be another Dominion casualty.
Unfortunately, she was too late.
A hand slipped forth from the shadows surrounding her and clapped over her mouth, pulling her backward into the abyss. Kira tried to scream, but the hand's owner apparently possessed greater brute strength than she could overcome, and who would come to her rescue if she could scream? Instead she fought to throw off her attacker, but a second arm quickly disarmed her and twisted her hands behind her back. She kicked back with one leg, seeking an instep, but her assailant was light on his feet and dodged her attempt, throwing her off-balance. In a final desperate attempt to break free she bit down on his hand as hard as she could, taking vicious pleasure in the grunt of pain that came from her attacker.
"Kira! Stop!" a familiar voice whispered.
Kira blinked her eyes rapidly to clear her battle-fogged vision. The voice had come from her left, not behind her, and she turned in that direction. From beneath the brown cowl of a vedek's robe Dax' bright eyes looked back at her. Kira's eyes widened in confusion as the strong hands that held her fast loosened their grip. She turned to face the pained scowl of Commander Worf, similarly disguised and now clenching his fist to stem the trickle of blood from his wounded finger. Emerging from the shadows behind him were Odo and Captain Sisko, both of them glowering at her from beneath their hoods. Kira gaped in surprise, but she had enough common sense remaining to keep her voice lowered.
"What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
"Shakaar sent us a distress call just as the Jem'Hadar landed on Bajor, and we were able to use the Defiant to evacuate the Council to the station," Dax said. "Then we went looking for you."
Kira's mind raced furiously. "How did you know I'd be here?"
A fifth robed figure, which she had not seen before, stepped into her range of vision, and the hood was pulled back to reveal Dukat's craggy gray features. "They came to the estate looking for you, but they found me instead," he said with a trace of sly humor. "I was the one who told them where you'd gone."
Kira swallowed and looked nervously at Sisko. She knew that look on his face. There would be hell to pay once she got back to the station, but first she had to be sure of one thing. "How are --?"
Dukat anticipated her question. "They're safe, Major, although the house has been destroyed. I was able to get them into the bunker before the Jem'Hadar arrived. Regnold was wounded in the leg, but he will recover. Thanks to my effort and quick thinking, none of the children were harmed."
Sisko interrupted him. "We can discuss this back on the station. For now, we need to get out of here before any of those soldiers find us." He took Kira by the elbow and half-led, half-dragged her away.
~ * ~
Dukat did not think he had ever seen Captain Sisko so angry in all the years he had known him - and he had certainly seen many facets to the complex human. If fury like that could be harnessed, he thought, there would be enough energy to supply Terok Nor's power needs for a full month. Sisko stood behind his desk - their desk - and banged his fist on it so hard he sent his prized baseball flying from its perch. It bounced off the desk and rolled across the office floor until it came to a stop between Odo's feet as he stood in a corner just to Dukat's right. The shapeshifter ignored the object, choosing instead to bestow his disapproving glare on Kira, Dukat and Doctor Bashir.
"Dammit, Major, what the hell did you think you were doing?" Sisko thundered. "And you, Doctor, you are a Starfleet officer with enough sense to know not to harbor a known enemy of the Federation in the middle of a war!"
Dukat was amused that Bashir at least had enough common sense left not to try to respond to Sisko, but that Kira did not. Her replies were quickly and thoroughly quelled.
"QUIET!"
Sisko came around to the front of his desk to stand nose-to-nose with Kira. To her credit, she did not flinch, nor did she look away in shame. Her courage and defiance never failed to amaze Dukat.
When he spoke again, Sisko's voice was back to its normal register, but the anger remained. "Major, I am deeply disappointed in you. Not only did you disobey my orders, but you lied to me, put the lives of everyone on this station and on Bajor at great risk, convinced Doctor Bashir to go along with your scheme, and left the potential fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant in your own hands. I have half a mind to send you to Earth to stand trial for the same charges as Dukat. Then you'll really get to spend time getting to know each other."
Dukat recognized the set in Kira's jaw and began to grow concerned that Sisko was taking this too far. He thought the captain knew him well enough to trust him not to go back on his word - and the information he had provided Starfleet while still on Starbase 375 had, after all, enabled them to retake the station - but it was becoming increasingly apparent that Sisko intended to exact a harsh penalty for Kira's betrayal, no matter how well-meaning her actions might have been. He did not want to risk the repercussions Kira's resentment and anger would have on his relationship with her, whatever that relationship might be.
"Captain Sisko," Dukat said, "I wonder if I might have a word with you in private?"
Sisko's eyes never left Kira's face as he responded, "You'll get your chance to defend yourself, Dukat." He stepped away from Kira, walked behind his desk and sat down. Odo went to stand behind him. "Doctor Bashir, I'm placing you on report for one year. Another incident like this, and you'll be demoted to ensign. Understood?" Bashir nodded. "Dismissed." Sisko then turned his attention back to Kira. "Major, I am filing a complete report of your actions with the Council of Ministers. What they decide to do about it is their concern. In the meantime, you are confined to quarters except when on duty, and you are not to have any contact with Gul Dukat before he leaves Deep Space Nine. Have I made myself clear?"
Kira opened her mouth, about to retort, but Dukat watched in amazement as she reined in her fury and nodded meekly. "Yes, Captain."
"Good. Dismissed."
Dukat turned to watch Kira go, giving her a little smile as she glanced briefly at him, then admiring her figure before the doors to Sisko's office closed between them. When he turned back to face Sisko, he could not help but notice the hurt look that flashed across Odo's face, only to be replaced with his usual stoic scowl. You had your chance, shapeshifter, but you chose to waste it on that Founder, Dukat thought.
"So, Captain, here we are again," Dukat said nonchalantly.
Sisko ignored him as he addressed Odo. "Constable, show Dukat the transmission we intercepted two nights ago."
Sisko's cryptic response intrigued Dukat, and he watched with rapt fascination as Odo activated the vidscreen beside the desk. As the fuzzy images came into focus however, Dukat's easy humor was quickly replaced with horror.
The scenes were of Cardassia Prime in chaos - on the brink of civil war even. Dukat knew with absolute certainty that they were a deliberate message, not an accidentally intercepted transmission, and who the messenger was. He knew because, interspersed with scenes of rioting, looting, and general mayhem, the most prominent image was of Damar and Mekor hanging from a scaffold in the center of the Imperial Plaza. His former adjutant and his own son, executed. Whether they died at the hands of the angry mob that surrounded the scaffold or of Jem'Hadar acting on the orders of a superior, Dukat knew without question who had arranged to send this message to the station.
Weyoun.
Dukat's blood was boiling, and it took far more strength than he knew he possessed to keep from exploding in uncontrollable fury. He had his fists clenched so tightly blood streamed from his palms, but he was unaware of any pain.
A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he jumped in surprise, nearly lashing out with his fists. Sisko took a step back, raising his hands in supplication. "I didn't mean to startle you," he said gently. "I --" he glanced at Odo, who nodded in reply "-- Starfleet doesn't know you're back in our custody, and they're not going to find out. Against my better judgment, I'm setting you free."
Dukat turned on his heel to confront Sisko. "Setting me free? To do what? To go where?"
Sisko straightened his shoulders. "I know that you care more about Cardassia than anything else, and that you will do whatever you can to save her. I'll never forgive you for the treaty you signed with the Dominion, but I am giving you another chance. Go home, to Cardassia. Help your people fight off the Dominion. Right now, without the hope of any new troops coming through that wormhole, the Dominion has its hands full trying to hold power on Cardassia. If you go back there and lead a full-fledged rebellion --"
"I'll be dead in less than a week --"
"-- I'll see to it that you get supplies and...information...to help you eliminate the Dominion presence."
"And Cardassia."
Sisko sighed, and Odo said, "You should have thought of that before you welcomed the Dominion with open arms."
"I've discussed the matter with Garak and Quark," Sisko said, "and they've agreed to help you - provided that you use the supplies and information they provide to overthrow the Dominion. If you use it for your own ambition...."
"Why, Captain? What do you hope to gain from...helping Cardassia - helping me - like this?"
"I want the Dominion out of the Alpha Quadrant for good. As long as they maintain a presence here, they're still a threat."
Dukat's eyes narrowed. "Why do you need my help? Why not just...invade Cardassia?"
A fleeting smile crossed Sisko's face. "Because someday, I hope, Cardassia will join the Federation of its own accord, and not as a...territory...of Bajor. An unstable Cardassia will be an invitation to anyone who wants a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant - the Dominion, the Borg, perhaps even a world we've never even encountered. A strong Cardassia, on the other hand, will benefit your people, as well as mine, as well as the Bajorans. Give Cardassia the chance she deserves. Take back your world for your people. Don't make the same mistake twice: do it for Cardassia, not yourself." He took a step toward Dukat. "Do it for Ziyal."
Dukat threw back his head, about to laugh, but nothing came out. Then he looked back at Sisko and said, "You know, Captain, you'd make a very good dictator." He turned to leave the office, but the doors did not open for him, and he twisted around in irritation. "Am I dismissed, Captain? I do have a revolution to plan, you know. Mercenaries to hire, arms merchants to swindle, strategies to plan..." His eyes widened in understanding as Odo approached him. "Ah, I see. You still don't trust me when I'm on this station."
"Dukat, I would be a fool to trust you anywhere within Federation or Bajoran territory. Odo will escort you to your quarters, where you are to remain until you're ready to leave. I'll send Quark your way in a few hours."
Dukat bowed slightly. "Very good, Captain. And thank you...I think."
~ * ~
Dukat and Odo strode through the corridors of Terok Nor - Deep Space Nine, Dukat reminded himself - in silence. Dukat was mentally tabulating a list of items he would need to purchase through Quark, and trying to determine what he had to offer in exchange. Then he happened to glance sideways at Odo, and something occurred to him with startling clarity.
"He doesn't know, does he?" Dukat asked.
Odo stopped. "Who doesn't know what?" Something in his tone told Dukat all he needed to know.
"Captain Sisko. He doesn't know about you and that Founder. Quark wouldn't have told him unless he could make a profit from it, and Major Kira has been...otherwise occupied. That's why he still trusts you; he doesn't know about your little...affair."
Odo's eyes shifted back and forth. Dukat was enjoying his discomfort immensely. "There's no reason why he should need to know. Starfleet was able to retake Deep Space Nine, with or without my help."
"Ah, yes, but your change of heart did endanger his own son. And...what Kira and Doctor Bashir did on my behalf had no effect on Starfleet's success in retaking this station." He resumed walking, and smiled to himself when he heard Odo's steady pace behind him.
"Just what are you getting at, Dukat?"
"Imagine how...disappointed...Captain Sisko would be if he learned his trusted security chief possessed such wavering loyalty."
Odo was quiet for a moment, then said "Go on."
Dukat stopped and turned on his heel to face Odo. "Major Kira. I want to see her before I leave. Alone."
"What if she doesn't want to see you?"
Dukat smiled and leaned close as he whispered conspiratorially, "She will. I'm sure of it." He could have sworn the shapeshifter wilted a little as the insinuation hit home.
* ~ *
Kira was glad to be back on the station, surrounded by people she considered friends - and not the Cardassians and Jem'Hadar that had occupied Deep Space Nine for the past four months - but something in her had changed in the interim, and she was unable to make herself relax even in the privacy of her own quarters. She could not sit still for more than a few minutes at a time, and had in fact spent the last hour pacing from one end of her quarters to the other. When she was not pacing, she occupied her off-duty time by staring listlessly out the window, her thoughts turning often toward Bajor and the continued threat posed by the now-weakening Jem'Hadar blockade. When she was on duty, she found her duties as the station's First Officer tedious and aggravating, her uniform ill-fitting, her co-workers too slow to respond to her commands, and the Starfleet officers too given to idle chatter while on duty. And her nose itched. She thought she was going to lose her mind, waiting for the Council of Ministers to determine her fate.
Her door chimed, and Kira automatically acknowledged the summons. "Come in."
Dax stepped cautiously over the door frame. "Have I come at a bad time?" she asked politely.
Kira gave her a rather unenthusiastic smile. "No, not at all, please come in." Dax walked over to the sofa and sat down, but Kira turned her attention back to the window.
After several minutes of silence, Dax said, "It must have been quite a challenge for you, to spend so much time on Bajor alone with Gul Dukat."
Kira sighed heavily as she turned around. "Jadzia, I'd really rather not talk about Bajor, or Dukat, right now."
"I didn't realize there was anything to talk about."
"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"
Dax rose and went to stand beside Kira. "It's just that you have been on edge ever since you returned to the station. You didn't say a single word to Dukat on the trip here, and in fact you made such an obvious effort to avoid even looking at him that no one could miss what you were doing. And as for Odo - you haven't said a kind word to him all day. Something must have happened between you and Dukat when you were on Bajor."
Kira stiffened. "Nothing happened. He had been injured, and I helped take care of him. That's all."
"Sometimes that's all it has to be."
"Are you suggesting that Dukat and I - that we - that there was some sort of relationship between us on Bajor?"
"You and Dukat have always had a rather unusual bond between you that went beyond your mutual love for Ziyal." Kira rolled her eyes and snorted, but Dax pressed on. "Did you develop a relationship with him?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Kira huffed.
Dax withdrew. "If you insist. But I think you should at least go and talk to Dukat before he leaves Deep Space Nine."
"Leaves? He's still here? I thought he had already been sent to Earth."
Dax shook her head. "Ben decided to let Dukat go, on the condition that he return to Cardassia and work to overthrow the Dominion. He's scheduled to leave tomorrow."
Kira's shoulders sagged as she turned back to the window. "I couldn't go see him even if I wanted to. Captain Sisko has me confined to quarters except when I'm on duty, and he expressly forbade me to have any contact with Dukat."
Dax smiled gently as she walked towards the door. "You'll think of something, Nerys. You always have." Before she had a chance to leave, the door slid open to reveal Odo. "Constable," she said, then turned back to Kira. "We can talk more about this later."
Odo waited for the doors to close behind him. "What did she want?"
Kira shrugged. "She was just keeping me company. What can I do for you, Constable?"
Odo looked down at the floor. "I'm here to escort you to meet...someone. I can't give you the details right now, Major, you'll just have to trust me," he added gruffly when she looked at him with puzzlement.
"What about Sisko's orders?"
"You let me worry about that."
Kira gave Odo a strange look, but obediently followed him into the corridor.
~ * ~
Odo led Kira deep into the innermost corridors of the habitat ring, to the area of the station where they usually housed guests requiring extra security. At last he stopped before a door guarded by two of his security officers and keyed in the security override command. The door opened and Kira followed Odo inside. At first, his bulk blocked her view of who they had come to see. Then he stepped aside and her eyes fell on Quark, Garak...and Dukat, looking as imposing as usual in a new uniform. Kira was so confused she did not know who to turn to first.
Quark was the only one to respond to her intrusion, by sidling up to her and leering at her. "Major, so good to see you back on the station," he purred. "I hope that you'll make use of my holosuites once Captain Sisko lifts your restriction."
Kira nodded in reply, but she was too busy looking back and forth between Garak and Dukat, bent over a star chart, their heads almost touching as they discussed various systems, to answer Quark. "What are you doing here, Garak?" she asked once she had found her voice.
Garak and Dukat were apparently unaware of her presence, because their heads shot up and both looked at her with startled eyes. Garak said, "Major. I might ask the same of you. I, on the other hand, am helping Dukat plan his little rebellion." Kira glanced at Dukat, who was studying her intently, his expression inscrutable. "War does make for strange bedfellows, wouldn't you agree, Major?" She sensed Odo stiffen beside her, but ignored its implication. "The Obsidian Order may have been abolished, but I still have several contacts in Cardassia who would be useful to this venture. Dukat knows that, and he would be a fool not to make use of them."
Garak, Dukat and Quark returned their attention to the star chart as Kira turned to Odo in confusion. "I don't understand," she said. "Why did you bring me here?"
"I owed someone a favor," he said, looking over her shoulder. "Be careful, Nerys. Don't do anything you might regret later. Contact me when you're ready to return to your quarters." He did not give her a chance to answer as he turned his back on her and left.
Behind her, Kira heard the sounds of equipment being shut down and put away as the three conspirators concluded their discussion. Garak brushed past her as he left, then Quark tapped her on the shoulder. "Here, Major," he said, handing her a holosuite program cylinder. "On the house, to use when you have the chance."
Then he was gone, and Kira was alone with Dukat.
Dukat's eyes were shining as he walked over to Kira and took both her hands in his. "Please, Major, sit down," he said. Kira was too numb to resist and she obediently sank down on the sofa beside him. "Kira, are you unwell? You look pale."
She shook herself out of her reverie, pulling her hands free of his and folding them in her lap. "Dukat, what is the meaning of all...this?" she asked, sweeping her arm toward the piles of equipment that lay scattered about the room.
"This is the ticket to Cardassia's freedom...and, perhaps, my redemption," he said, trying and failing to reclaim Kira's hands.
She jumped to her feet to put some distance between them. "Don't be a fool. This is your suicide you're planning, not some half-baked rebellion against the Dominion. You know nothing about organizing a rebellion; if you did, then you'd know you can't organize one!"
Dukat nodded, a slow grin spreading across his face as he sprawled back against the sofa. "You're right as always, Major; I don't know anything about organizing a rebellion, about working with the underground to overthrow an occupying force, about thinking on my feet. You, on the other hand, do."
Kira crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Don't even think about it, Dukat. We've had this discussion before."
"This isn't like it was two years ago, Kira. I'm not asking you to join me in my own 'private little war' with the Dominion," he said, rising to stand before her. "This is a completely different situation. Cardassia is now in much the same position Bajor was sixty years ago - you of all people should see the similarities. And I know you don't want Cardassia to suffer the same miseries Bajor did, no matter how much you may claim to still hate Cardassia...or me."
Kira glanced at him briefly, then her eyes darted away. "I don't hate you," she whispered, turning away from him. "I hate what you did to Bajor - I may even hate that part of you that imprisoned and murdered my people - but I don't hate you."
Dukat grasped Kira's arms and turned her around to face him. "Then help me, Nerys, please," he pleaded. "Help Cardassia. For Ziyal's sake, if not for mine." He forced her to look at him, searching her face for any sign of acquiescence. She knew he would be disappointed, but not surprised, by her answer.
"I - I can't," she finally said. "I can't live that kind of life again. I can't leave behind this station, and Bajor, to fight a fight that isn't mine." She rested her palms against Dukat's armored chest, and he took a deep breath. "Overthrowing the Dominion is your responsibility, Dukat. I'll do what I can to get tactical information to you through Garak, but I can't bring myself to join you in a fight that is sure to be doomed from the start."
Dukat inclined his head. "Ah. So you say you don't hate me, but you're more than willing to send me off to my certain death."
Her temper flared. "That's not fair!" she cried, thumping a clenched fist against his chest. "I don't want you to go - but I know you have to, and we both know you can't stay he --"
Any further protests were silenced by his lips against hers. At first, she tried to resist, and squirmed in vain against the confines of his tightening embrace. But despite her anger, despite her pain, despite her fear, she needed this - she needed him. How had she managed to resist him for so many years?
When he broke away from her to regain his breath, she realized, much to her astonishment, that she was fumbling with the buckles holding his armor together. He removed his arms from around her waist and assisted her, years of practice - and present urgency - giving speed to his movements. Soon his armor fell to the floor and he reclaimed Kira, pressing her against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with passion and fervor, oblivious to the tears that streamed down her face. She would regret this in a few hours, she knew, but for the moment she was going to make the most of what would certainly be the last time she could feel his arms around her, his scaled skin rubbing against hers, his cool breath filling her
lungs.
~ * ~
Dukat draped his arm over Kira's waist, leaning in to her so his chest rubbed against her back, and nuzzled the nape of her neck. She had been asleep, but the contact interrupted the rhythmic pattern of her breathing and she sighed and stretched against him before reaching one arm back to caress his thigh. He groaned in response and nipped at her ear as his fingers traced idly up her abdomen to her breasts. When she rolled on to her back to look up at him with sleepy delight, he bent his neck to kiss her, his hand now sliding back down her waist to stroke her hip as hers caressed his dorsal ridge.
He growled in frustration when she pulled away from him, and was tempted to push her back down on the bed to finish what they started, but he reluctantly restrained himself. "Is something wrong, Kira?" he asked.
She pulled herself to a sitting position against the pillows and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on top. "No, nothing's wrong. At least, nothing that either of us can fix." Dukat sighed and rested his hand across her foot. "I should be going soon. Odo's probably about to explode, and if Captain Sisko finds out about this --"
"Your secret's safe with me," Dukat joked. He sat on the edge of the bed and began pulling his bodysuit back on. "I need to get back to work myself. Garak and I still have a few last-minute details to go over before I leave." At the sound of Kira's chuckle, he turned. "What's so funny?"
She shook her head. "I just never thought I'd live to see the day when you and Garak would cooperate with each other."
His laugh echoed hers. "Neither did I, but this doesn't exactly mean that we've become friends. We just happen to have one very important thing in common, and right now, that's all that counts."
"Cardassia?"
"Exactly. And Garak is as eager to take revenge for Ziyal's death as I am." He felt Kira's breath against the back of his neck, and bent his head to expose more of his scales to her. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek against his neck ridge as he entwined his hands with hers.
"Don't go into this thinking only of revenge," she said softly. "Revenge is all about hate, and hate clouds your judgment. If you start this war thinking of Ziyal, then do it because you loved her and she loved you."
Dukat turned his head so he could see Kira. "And what about you, Nerys? How shall I think of you when I go into battle?" He knew what he wanted to hear her say; he wondered if she had yet found the courage to say it. He watched her eyes flutter closed and felt her take a deep, ragged breath as she leaned against him, but she said nothing. He should have suspected as much, and released her hands so he could bend down to put on his boots.
When her answer came, although it was not exactly what he had been hoping to hear, it shook him more profoundly than he would have imagined possible. "Remember me," she whispered, "as the woman who tried to fill the void left when you lost Naprem and Bajor." He gulped with astonishment. "Remember me as a lover and as a...home. Remember me as someone who loved Ziyal as much as you did."
Dukat thought he wanted to hear Kira say that she loved him; what she did say meant so much more, and all he could do for several moments was to stare at her in shock and incredulity - and, perhaps, adoration. When he at last recovered his wits, he bent down and said, "Kira, I could never, ever, forget you, or what you did for me. Thank you." He kissed her gently, exulting one last time in the feel of her soft lips against his own, then straightened to his full height, gave her a brief nod, and left.
He was aware of her departure several minutes later as he and Garak finalized the plans for his mission, but he forced himself to remain focused and did not look up to see her go.
~ * ~
Kira watched through one of the large windows lining the Promenade as Dukat's ship - a Jem'Hadar battle cruiser 'acquired' from an Orionese black marketeer at a rigged Dabo table - departed the station. Just as it went into warp, her commbadge beeped.
"Sisko to Major Kira."
She tapped it to reply. "Kira here."
"May I see you in my office please?"
"I'll be right there, Captain. Kira out."
As Kira strode through the Promenade to the turbolift that would take her to Ops, her hand strayed up to rub at the ridges across her nose. Her head had felt clogged all day, and now whatever it was that had dulled her wits seemed to be gathering strength in a spot just above the bridge of her nose, right between her eyes. She would go see Doctor Bashir when the captain was finished with her, she thought as she entered the turbolift.
Would she ever see Dukat again? She was no longer sure what to hope for, so much had changed between them in the past few weeks. Would there come a time when she and Dukat could resume what they had started on Bajor - and if so, did she want to? If Dukat succeeded in overthrowing the Dominion, what would that mean for Bajor? For her? Was there some way she could get news of his progress without arousing suspicion? Garak would surely keep her apprised of events in Cardassia, if she asked - but at what price?
Had her dance been in vain?
Kira took a deep breath and stepped off the turbolift as it arrived at Ops and walked directly to Sisko's office. It felt good to be thinking of it as Sisko's office again, just as it felt good to see Bajoran and Starfleet engineers manning the various Ops stations.
Her head was so congested she could barely see beyond the milky haze before her eyes, and she stopped a moment to try to clear her head. The wave passed, and she signaled her arrival to Sisko.
"Come in," he said.
She stood before his desk, hands clasped behind her back. "You wished to see me, Captain?"
"Yes, Major. Thank you for coming so promptly. "I've heard from First Minister Shakaar regarding your actions concerning Gul Dukat."
"And what did he have to say? Has the Council decided my punishment?"
Sisko leaned back in his chair, rolling his baseball around in his hands. "No. He decided that it was not necessary to put the matter before the Council, and as long as the Jem'Hadar continue to conduct raids on Bajor, we can't afford an administrative shakeup. After a lengthy discussion, the First Minister and I agreed that no further action should be taken against you at this time."
Kira was overjoyed, but restrained herself. If she knew Sisko, there was a "but" on the horizon.
"However, Major," he continued, rising to his feet, "you will remain on report for one year, like Doctor Bashir. And, like Doctor Bashir, if there is another incident like this --"
"-- I'll be sent back to Bajor for good."
"Exactly."
The throbbing had started again, and Kira closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against the spot, praying to the Prophets to take it away. She heard Sisko come around his desk and felt his hand against her shoulder. "Major, are you all right?"
She shook her head slightly, afraid it might explode. "I'm fine. It's just a - a --" The pressure had increased to an unbearable level, and something had to give. With a deep intake of breath and a mighty, shuddering heave, she expelled the irritant through her nose and mouth with violent force, splattering moisture on her hands as she reflexively cupped them over her face.
When she recovered enough to open her eyes, Sisko was staring at her with a mixture of concern, curiosity and amusement. "Gesundheit, Major," he said.