"This is not Minos Korva." Major Kira noted dryly shifting her pressure splinted leg into a more comfortable position.
"No it's not." Grevas agreed from his seat in the cockpit.
"No it's not." Luv Shara said from behind them as she kelt next to Fizz.
"Where are we?" T'Rik asked, "I've never seen anything like it."
"I would guess a nebula of some kind, the question is which nebula?" Kira replied.
"It's the McAllister C-5." Shara said.
"Then we're still in trouble." Kira replied.
"It's not that bad." Shara said. "The Maquis have operated here for years."
"Until the Dominion." Kira replied turning away from the swirling gas displayed through the shuttles large viewport.
The shuttle lurched suddenly tossing everyone slightly. T'Rik cursed from his seat.
"This place IS dangerous, I hope you can get us out of here." Grevas said.
At that moment Tom Riker, who had been mostly silent during the trip from Torvan V stood up and looked out the viewport.
"Are we where I think we are?" he asked.
"The Nest, or at least the last known location of the Nest." Shara said.
"What's the Nest?" Kira asked.
"It's a Maquis base." Riker said. "A lucky find for us."
"I thought the Dominion raided and destroyed all your bases and secrect hiding spots." Kira said.
"The Nest is special." Shara said. "Only a few know of it, four actually. Two of us are here in this shuttle, and the other two are dead."
Tom Riker's expression suddenly sunk as he looked at Shara.
"You mean...?"
"I'm sorry Tom, she vanished almost a year ago." Shara said.
"But you don't know for sure." Riker said.
"Dominion activity was high, they had no ships with cloaks... They got everyone we thought, even Eddingtons band is gone. If Chakotay hadn't told me then no one would know about the Nest, and now Chakotay is gone, killed by the Cardassians or the Federation, no one knows which."
Riker slipped back into his seat with a heavy sigh.
"Chakotay..." Kira said quietly to herself.
"Chakotay was a hell of a man." Riker said. "And my friend."
"I heard something about this man, Chakotay, well, a Commander Chakotay anyway." Kira said. "It was mentioned in that briefing about the missing starship.
"The one sent to hunt Chakotay down, the Intrepid." Shara said.
"Voyager, Intrepid class, something happened to the Maquis ship and the Voyager, they're not dead." Kira said looking up.
"What?" Shara and Riker both looked at her.
Kira closed her eyes and concentrated. "It was a classified report, I don't know how Starfleet got the information but the Voyager is in the Delta Quadrant, the Maquis they were chasing have been integrated into the crew and one of them... the first officer is named Chakotay."
"What about the others, B'Elanna, Shuman-"
"I don't have individual crew biographies." Kira said. "I only glanced the report over, I had other things on my mind."
"Well at least the Delta Quadrant is safer than where we are." Shara said.
"If this Delta Quadrant is safer," T'Rik said. "Can we go there?"
"We have to find the Nest." Riker said. "It's our best hope, there are supplies and ships there."
"Ships?" Kira asked. "How did you manage to hide ships from the Dominion, even out here?"
"The Nest is a special place." Riker said. "A large asteroid that contains large amounts of kelbonite and fistrium. Elements that naturally foul sensors, even Dominon and Cardassian sensors."
"We hollowed out a small portion and put in a small hanger, some storage space and living quarters." Shara continued.
"The added bonus is that this asteroid is adrift here in the nebula, the rock is thick enough to protect it from the worst of the particle flux and it makes a perfect hiding place." Riker said.
The shuttle shuddered again and Fizz chirped alarmingly.
"What?!?" Kira demanded.
"Something is attacking the weakened parts of the hull. We've ruptured one of our fuel cells." T'Rik said. "If we do't find shelter, or Jump someplace else we could be in big trouble."
"It's the particle flux," Riker said. "It slowly breaks down the hulls of ships, even starships."
"The only other co-ordinates I programed into Fizz are for JA125." Shara said. "I didn't think I'd be needing him right away so I didn't put anything else in there."
"Let's go!" Kira said. "Staying here is no option, if the patricle flux doesn't kill us the Dominion will."
"We can't go!" Riker exclaimed. "If the Nest is nearby we have to check it out. We can repair this ship there!"
"For all you know this Nest of yours has been destroyed, or taken over by the Dominion." Kira said. "And we are not in the best shape to go hunting for it."
"Damn!" Riker cursed.
"We can't go anywhere." Grevas said pointing to a red light on his panel.
"What's that?" Riker asked.
"We're in a gavity field." T'Rik said. "Something massive is close to us."
"My scopes are clear." Grevas said. "But in a nebula I'm not surprised, these Lambda's are great craft but they were not designed for this..."
"It's the Nest!" Shara snapped. "It has to be, these co-ordinates were the last known location, it couldn't have drifted that far! And it's pretty massive!"
"This is an outrage!" Quark said in a loud voice as he was hearded roughly down a corridor towards a docking bay.
"Keep quiet Quark." Odo said coming down the passage from the direction of the airlock.
"We're about to be invaded and you're sending me to a holding cell?" Quark asked indignantly. "What did I do except make a few sub-space transmissions?"
"You broke into the stations computer." Odo replied. "Not for the first time I might add."
"I really didn't do anything." Quark said. "It was that droid from the Aurora."
"And who does the droid know in Ferengi space?" Odo asked.
"How should I know?" Quark replied. "I don't speak it's language!"
"Okay, how did the droid end up in your office?" Odo asked. "How did the droid get through the access bulkhead in your office to access the main computer links?"
"It's an industrious little thing." Quark replied. "I thought it would be a nice novelty item to have around the bar for a few days. But no one was paying it any attention so I left it in my office..."
"Yes Quark." Odo replied. "Tell it to the magistrate when you see her."
At that moment Rom came rushing through the crowd to join his brother and heard the exchange.
"The Dominionn is coming." Rom said.
"Odo!" Quark pleaded. "What about my bar? I have a business that needs to be taken care of!"
"Captain Sisko ordered all non-essential personel and civilians evacuated." Odo intoned with great impatience. "And you are definately NON-essential. Now get on the transport with the others or you'll spend more than a couple of days in a holding cell... on Bajor."
Without waiting for a rejoinder from Quark Odo stomped down the corridor issuing orders to his deputies.
"The man has no social graces." Quark said then looked at his brother. "What are you looking at!?! Run ahead and make sure I get a window seat."
"Yes brother!" Rom said pushing his way through the crowd.
Odo went to the promenades upper level and watched the activity below him with with satisfaction. The evacuation order came as no surprise, and for the most part people seemed willing to leave rather than stay aboard what was sure to become the focus of some fairly intense fighting. Odo straighted, he had other worries at the moment, his deputies were very good at their jobs.
"Okay Chief, let's hear it." Sisko said to O'Brien, they were standing near the main monitor in Sisko's office.
"It's a simple three stage operation." O'Brien said. "These first charges are small ones, when they detonate they seal the main and secondary plasma vents on the main reactor."
"Okay." Sisko said nodding.
"A second later the computer runs a special sub-routine that supersaturates the fuel manifolds to the reactor." O'Brien said indicating on the display. "Here, here and here."
"So the reaction starts to run away." Sisko said. "And without the plasma vents we start to build to an overload."
"Right, at this point the only way to save the station is to eject the reactor core."
O'Brien pointed to several more placed charges. "In the third and final stage these charges here go off a half second after the reactor supersaturates, if you look close you'll notice that not only do they disable the core ejection system but they also rupture the main coolant tanks."
Sisko nodded in satisfaction. "How long?"
"After the first charges? Five minutes, maybe less. Depends on what the reactor load is when the system is initiated."
"Probably combat conditions."
"Well then we'll probably be running the reactor at 115-125% anyway, definately less than 5 minutes, more like 3."
"Once it's started there is no stopping it?"
"One the reactor supersaturates, no. You can't even get a transporter lock because of all the radiation so there is no way to beam it into space. Once you give that order there is nothing that will save Deep Space 9."
Sisko nodded again. "Now let's just hope we don't have to use it."
The door chime sounded and both men turned to look. Sisko snapped the display off. "Come!"
The doors parted and Odo stepped in.
Sisko moved around and sat behind his desk.
"I'll get back to work." O'Brien said to Sisko then nodded to Odo. "Constable."
"Chief." Odo replied and watched as the doors closed behind O'Brien.
"What can I do for you Constable?" Sisko asked.
"The evacuation is proceeding."
"Good." Sisko replied. "I heard from Worf, things went rather badly, they're retreating now, they should be here in less than a hour, and the Dominion is right behind them."
"Captain..." Odo began but faltered as he searched for words.
"I haven't heard anything." Sisko said. "I talked to Captain Lorran before the Aurora left and he assured me that if he found anything out they would be in contact with us."
Odo nodded. "There is one other thing."
"What's that?"
"I have put all the occupants of my holding cells on transports for Bajor, except for one..."
"The Robot."
"Exactly, I'm not sure exactly what its status is, is it a piece of equipment, or is it a criminal?"
"I'm not sure what to tell you Constable." Sisko said, "I haven't got a lot of experience in these matters. I've met a lot of holosuite characters with an amazing amount of depth, but none that could be considered sentient."
Odo nodded thinking of one holosuit character in particular.
"However the Federation protects the rights of all sentient life, including artificial life, it's now a matter of determining if the robot is sentient, or just seems sentient. Take no chances constable, send the Robot to Bajor with the rest."
"Aye sir." Odo said the turned and left the office without further ado.
Odo had just cleared the office doors when he ran into Garak coming up towards the office.
"Constable." Garak said congenially.
"Mr. Garak." Odo responded then waited a second for Garak to step aside before continuing. Garak turned and slipped into Sisko's office before the doors could close.
"What is it Garak?" Sisko asked.
"I have a favor to ask." Garak said.
"I have no time Mr. Garak." Sisko replied impatiently. "A couple of hundred Dominion and Cardassian ships are about to pay us a visit and I have a lot of work to do."
"That's just it Captain," Garak said. "Dominion and Cardassian ships are about to attack this station, and you and I both know that there is really little chance that you'll be able to stop them."
"The point Mr. Garak?"
"I find myself in a somewhat akward position, as a Cardassian in exile I'm not exactly welcome on Bajor with the rest of the evacuee's. Also, well, as you know I'm not exactly welcome back amongst my own people, many, Gul Dukat in particular, would love nothing better than to see me dead."
Sisko nodded. "Courting his daughter did not earn you a soft place in his heart did it?"
"Indeed it did not."
"Speaking of Ziyal, you're not thinking of having her stay as well are you?"
"Absolutely not!" Garak said louder than he intended. "Ziyal is half Bajoran and will be perfectly safe on Bajor. She's already been contacted by friends of Major Kira's who have offered to take her in, and if need be, protect her."
Sisko nodded. "So you want me to protect you?"
"I would like to offer you my services." Garak replied. "As a former member of the Obsidian Order I'm sure I can be of some service to you, perhaps in an advisory capacity or something."
"Or something..." Sisko said thinking hard for a few moments. "Okay Mr. Garak, you can stay, but make no mistake, you do one thing, one thing to make me regret this and I'll personally hand you over to Gul Dukat... Alive!"
"Your point is quite clear Captain, thank you." Garak said with a half bow before turning and exiting the office.
"Dax to Captain Sisko."
"Go ahead."
"The fleet has just dropped out of Warp." Dax said. "The Defiant has docked and the Trafalgar is requesting permision to dock as well."
"How long until the Dominion fleet arrives?"
"Half an hour, maybe less." Dax paused for a second. "Captain, there are no Klingon ships in the fleet."
"None?"
"None."
"Get Mr. Worf in here." Sisko commanded. "Sisko out."
Sisko had only been seated for a few minutes when the office doors parted and Lieutenant Commander Worf stepped in.
"Captain." Worf said.
Sisko looked at Worf. There were numerous small lacerations on his face, neck and chest as well as several scortched spots on his uniform. For all of that the Klingon looked ready to jump into a fight at a moments notice.
"What's the status of the Defiant?" Sisko asked.
"We sustained heavy damage in both of our engagements with the Dominion and Cardassian forces." Worf replied. "The port side Quantum torpedo launcher has been badly damaged. There are numerous hull breaches and we are leaking plasma from the Starboard warp nacelle. Shields down to 58%, we lost two phaser power couplings and suffered lesser damage to 12 other sections."
"Casualties?"
"Eight dead, fifteen others wounded."
"Tell me what happened to the Klingon ships?"
"Commander Krenn broke off after we withdrew from our last engagement in order to link up with another force of Klingon ships headed into the area."
Sisko sighed and nodded thinking for several long moments. "Hows the rest of the fleet?"
Worf averted his gaze for a moment as he framed his reply. "We were only able to bring back seven ships."
"Seven!" Sisko said in disbelief. "Which ones?"
"The Trafalgar, Cannock, Temeraire, Peleliu, Malverne, Estocin and the Menahga." Worf said.
"And all damaged."
"Yes sir."
"We were expecting a full wing of Marine Fighters, but they've been recalled to protect Starbase 117." Sisko said. "The next hope we have for relief is in four days."
"Captain..." Worf started then paused trying to frame his words. "With all due respect, we can not hold out against the Dominion fleet that is coming, not with the Defiant and seven other damaged ships. We must consider withdrawl while we still have time."
"They'll not take this station without a fight Mr. Worf."
Worf nodded in approval. "Agreed, but Captain, may I suggest sending the Temeraire, Peleliu and Estocin to Starbase 117."
"Why?"
"They are heavily damaged and full of wounded, they would be easily destroyed in any battle and their crews slaughtered."
"That's almost half of our prospective fleet." Sisko said.
"If these were Klingon ships I would not make the suggestion knowing that their crews would crave to die in honorable combat. But these are not Klingon ships and I believe that their Federation crews would... appreciate the chance to live and fight another day."
Sisko sat silent for a moment then nodded to the stern looking Klingon and hit his communicator. "Sisko to Dax."
"Dax here."
"Send new orders to the Temeraire, Peleliu and Estocin. Tell them they are to take on as many wounded from the other ships as they can carry and depart immediatly for Starbase 117."
"Understood."
Sisko sighed heavily and stood up. "Let's get this done."
Worf nodded and followed Sisko out into Ops. Garak and Odo were standing there along with Dax and O'Brien. Sisko looked at Dax for a long moment then turned to Worf.
"I want you at tactical." he said. "Dax, you have the Defiant, stations people!"
Dax stood up and winked at Worf as he moved down to the tactical station. Dax slipped into the lift a ordered it to take her to the Defiant.
"Can we scan the Dominion fleet?" Sisko asked.
"They are entering the outer perimiter of our long range sensors." Worf replied.
At that moment the lift to Ops returned carrying Captain Geoffrey Shawn.
"Captain." Sisko said as the officer stepped off the lift and looked at the large tactical display which now was starting to fill with Dominion and Cardassian Warp signatures.
"The Trafalgar, or whats left of her, stands ready." Shawn said. "I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about re-enforcements."
"Four days." Sisko said.
Shawn shook his head.
"Captain." Sisko said. "On my order I want your group to withdraw not to DS9 but to Starbase 117, understood?"
"I was under the impression we were to stay here." Shawn replied.
"DS9's shields can protect a few small ships, maybe the Defiant and Cannock but not a Galaxy class ship."
Shawn nodded. "Good luck Captain."
"Same to you." Sisko replied as Shawn stepped into the lift again.
"Trafalgar!" he ordered.
"I have scanned the Dominion fleet." Worf said.
"Let's hear it."
"There are twelve Jem'Hadar Battleships, seventy four Jem'Hadar attack craft, eighteen Galor Class destroyers and thirty two Hediki class ships." Worf reported.
"The Defiant and Trafalgar have undocked." O'Brien said. "The rest of the ships are moving into a defensive screen."
"Tell them not to get to far away, I want them to stay inside DS9's weapons range so we can come to their aid."
"Understood."
"Mr. Worf."
"Sir."
"Raise shields and arm weapons."
"Aye aye."
"I can't see anything." Grevas said. "And all our scopes are dead."
The shuttle lurched and an alarm sounded briefly.
"Our shields can't take much more of this." T'Rik said. "If we don't find this Nest of yours pretty quick we're going to have to head for JA125."
"And hope the fleet is still there." Grevas added. "They were getting ready to pull out, remember?"
"I know!" Shara snapped impatiently. "It's here!"
"I have to get back to DS9 and make a report." Kira said. "All those Jem'Hadar ships on the move can only mean that the Dominion is getting ready to make their move."
"Or they're making it now." Riker said. "That was a pretty good sized fleet of ships and they were headed towards the border."
"All the more reason to get back to DS9." Kira said.
"Well DS9 is not an option at the moment." Shara said. "We don't have the Nav data even if we wanted to."
Kira cursed silently thinking of the Padd full of navigational data that she had entrusted to Commander Mojari before joining this expedition.
"I think I see something!" Grevas snapped excitedly.
"Where?" Shara demanded.
"There!" Grevas pointed a blurr in the swirling plasma.
"I see it to, it's large enough to be your asteroid." T'Rik said.
"That's it." Riker said quietly as the asteroid materialised out of the swirling clouds.
"There's something else moving out there!" T'Rik said. "It's a ship."
"What kind?" Kira and Shara asked in unison.
"I can't tell... wait... It's a Maquis raider." T'Rik said.
Shara pushed her way between the two pilots and squinted. "Yeah, it's a Peregrine alright, but who's flying it?"
"A very good question." Grevas said. "Do we have any way of contacting them?"
"I doubt it." Shara said. "They'll check subspace but I doubt they'll be able to pick-up or interpret hyper-wave transmissions."
"Wait." Kira said suddenly. She tapped the communicator on her breast. "This is Major Kira aboard the shuttle Carashin calling Maquis vessel, do you read? This is Major Kira of the Bajoran militia on board the shuttle Carashin calling the Maquis vessel just outside the Nest, do you copy?"
They waited.
"It's getting closer." Grevas said. "I hope they don't open fire."
"Maquis vessel to unidentified ship, halt and stay where you are." came a sudden and harsh voice from Kira communicator.
"Understood." Kira said. "I suggest you halt."
"Halting." T'Rik said.
"What are they waiting for?" Grevas asked.
"Who knows." T'Rik replied.
"Let me talk to them." Shara said.
Kira shrugged and hit her communicator and turned towards Shara.
"This is Captain Luv Shara of the Maquis vessel Dragon, who am I talking to?"
"Unidentified vessel, stand by." the voice responded.
Suddenly the shuttle lurched.
"They've got us in a tractor beam." Grevas said.
"Unidentified vessel, shut down all your propulsion systems at once."
"Shutting down." T'Rik said.
The Maquis raider pivoted and started towing them towards the Nest. As they rounded the large asteroid they could see the opening to the docking bay. It didn't take Grevas a moment to realize that they were going to be hard landed by tractor beam, he hit a switch that folded the wings up and deployed the landing gear. Then he turned to his passengers. "Hang on!"
The landing was a little rough and the hovering Maquis ship released the tractor beam and moved off to a bay that held three more similar vessels, one looked space worthy, the other two were opened up either for repairs or canabalisation.
A small crowd of people started to gather in front of the Carashin. Shara looked out at them. No Jem'Hadar and no Cardassians. They looked like a motley collection of Federation and independant races. Maquis.
"Open the hatch." Shara commanded. "I'm going out there."
"I'm going with you." Kira said struggling to her feet.
"Why don't you wait Major, you're not on DS9 anymore."
"Hey, without me they would probably have just blown us to bits." Kira said. "I'm going."
The ramp descended and Shara helped Kira down. They stopped at the bottom under the shelter of the Carashin's nose and stared at the small sea of impassive faces that confronted them. Someone pushed their way through the crowd and took up a position in front. It was a woman, early thirties, short dark hair and unmistakably Bajoran.
"Who is that?" Kira hissed to Shara, "She looks familiar."
"That's Ro Laren." Shara said.
"Ro Laren..." Kira said softly to herself. "Of course... The Enterprise traitor."
"I know you." Ro said to Shara then turned her gaze on Kira. "And I know of you."
"We thought you were dead." Shara said. "Long time Ro."
Ro's face broke into a quick smile. "It has been a long time Luv, and we thought the same of you."
There was the sound of booted feet descending the landing ramp and a strong voice called out. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?"
Ro's composure broke and after a failed moment of attempted self restraint she launched herself running past Shara and Kira and throwing herself into Tom Rikers waiting arms.
"Shields down to 44%!" Worf shouted over the sounds of battle.
"Chief!" Sisko shouted. "Route auxillary power to the shields!"
"Done!" O'Brien responded. "Sir, the Malverne has been destroyed and the Menahga is breaking off!"
"Get me Captain Shawn on the Trafalgar!" Sisko commanded.
"Aye sir!" O'Brien said. "I have Captain Shawn."
The view screen changed and they could see Captain Shawn standing on the Trafalgar's smoke filled bridge.
"That's it for you." Sisko said. "Break off with the Menahga and retreat to Starbase 117."
"What about the Cannock?" Shawn asked.
"Tell them to get close to the inner ring, we'll open our shields and let them in." Sisko said.
"Understood." Shawn replied. "Good luck Captain, we'll be back!"
The channel closed and the station shook under the strength of the attack.
"Get ahold of the Defiant and tell Dax to follow the Cannock in." Sisko ordered.
"Shields down to 25%!" Worf shouted. "We have expended nearly 1000 photon torpedoes Captain, several launchers are nearing their thermal limits!"
"The Dominion forces are concentrating their fire on upper pylon two!" O'Brien shouted in warning. "Our shields are about to fail."
"Mr. Worf, do what you can to protect that pylon!"
"Aye sir!" Worf snarled firing phasers and photons at the Dominion forces that were pressing themselves on the vulnerable part of the station.
The Station lurched and the lights failed for a long moment and everyone in ops were tossed violently.
"They've breached the hull on upper pylon two!" Worf shouted.
"We've lost structual integrity through that whole section and the shield generators as well!" O'Brien added. "We've got several fires in sections 20, 21, 22, 25 and on the promenade!"
"We have to cover that hole in our defenses!" Sisko shouted. "Mr. Worf!"
"I'll try and extend coverage from other shield generators." Worf said.
"Those generators are already heavily taxed, I don't know how much of this they'll be able to stand." O'Brien reported.
"Captain," Worf cut in, "A Jem'Hadar battleship is moving towards upper pylon two, they are attempting to establish multiple transporter locks in sections 22, 23 and 24."
"Damnit!" Sisko cursed. "Can we do anything to stop them?"
"I recomend releasing the plasma from the central power grid in that section, that will prevent them from transporting." O'Brien said.
"That will also rob several of our weapons of their power supply." Worf responded. "That is something we dare not do!"
"If they start boarding then there will be no stopping them." Sisko said. "Chief, release that plasma!"
"Releasing the plasma captain! It's working! They have abandoned their attempts to use their transporters!"
The station shuddered heavily.
"They have resumed their attack on the weakened section!" Worf reported.
"They must know it's only a delaying action, sooner or later they're going to get through." O'Brien replied.
"Prepare to evacuate the station." Sisko commanded. "Order the crews to their Runabouts."
"Captain!" Worf shouted again. "Some of the Cardassian ships are breaking off their attack."
"What?"
"There appears to be some chaos in the Dominion formations, the Cardassian ships are breaking off their attacks and forming up... Several have just gone to warp."
"They have us." Sisko said. "Why are they withdrawing? Are they going after the Trafalgar and Menahga?"
"Negative." Worf replied as the station shook again and an access panel exploded. "However the Jem'Hadar are not breaking off their attack."
"How many Jem'Hadar ships are left?" Sisko asked.
"Five Jem'Hadar Battleships and nineteen Attack craft." Worf replied.
"What's the status of the Defiant and Cannock?"
"The Defiant has burned out all her primary phaser coils, expended all her Quantum and Photon torpedoes and has lost her main deflector system. The Cannock has expended it's torpedoe magazines as well but still has her primary phasers although her impulse system is badly damaged and her shields are at 11%."
"Keep fighting!" Sisko ordered. "I have new orders for the runabout crews, they are to join the fight, but order them to keep within 300 kilometers of the station, I want them where we can protect them!"
"Understood." Worf said. "Runabouts launching."
"The Defiant and Cannock and within the stations shields." O'Brien reported. "They are effecting repairs."
There was several more minutes of intense fighting then the Jem'Hadar ships started to break off.
"They are withdrawing!" Worf snarled.
"Where are they headed?"
"They are taking up positions just beyond the stations weapons range." Worf said.
"But they haven't gone to Warp?"
"No."
"They're waiting for re-enforcements." Sisko said. "They'll probably get them before we do."
"Most likely."
"I wonder what caused the Cardassians to withdraw?" O'Brien queried aloud. "If they had stayed we'd never have been able to hold the station."
"I don't know, but whatever it was we have to take advantage of the opportunity, get those shields back up and get the Defiant and Cannock repaired.
"Easy!" Kira chided the young medic who was inexpertly working a bone mender over her broken limb.
"Sorry." the young Maquis responded. "I've only done this a few times and each time the patient was unconscious."
"Slower movements." Kira advised him gently.
A minute later they were done and Kira hopped to the floor from the crude bench she had been laying on and tested her leg gently.
"Not bad Doctor." she said walking around. "Not bad at all."
The young medic blushed and pushed the bone mender into a satchel and slung it over his shoulder.
"If you need anything else Major just ask." he said leaving.
Shara came in just as the medic was leaving she nodded a greeting to the young man then looked at Kira.
"Hows the leg?" Shara asked.
"Better." Kira replied.
"Fizz feels terrible about that." Shara said. "But I told him you forgive him."
"I forgive him?" Kira asked in disbelief. "How can you keep referring to that thing like it was a person?"
Shara shrugged. "Fizz isn't a person, but as for his sentience, I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean in the universe that the Rebels come from artifical life forms are fairly common. Some are as dumb as bricks, others have uncanny intelligence."
"Smart machines and not uncommon." Kira said.
"Not just intelligent Major, wise, friendly, funny... I'm no expert in this sort of thing, but if you'd interacted with them more you might surprise yourself. I think some of them are indeed sentient and treating them like mere tools bothers me."
"How do the Rebels treat them?" Kira asked.
"For the most part like indentured servants, and for the most part that is how many of them behave. However there is a number that enjoy almost citizen like freedom even though they have no recognised rights that I know of."
"Well if any of them do prove to be sentient then you can count on trouble with the Federation." Kira said. "They bend over backwards to guarantee the rights of all sentient life forms, even artificial ones."
"Well don't tell the droids that, I don't want to be responsible for causing a mechanical insurrection amongst my friends."
Kira picked up her phaser and holster and donned them.
"You know I had to scream and shout to allow you to keep that." Shara said. "There are a lot of people here who don't exactly like or trust you, Ro Laren among them."
"I'm surprised you were able to influence them, I didn't get the impression that Ro Laren liked you."
"She doesn't." Shara admitted. "It was Tom who eventually made up her mind."
"Where is Tom?" Kira asked.
"They're still celebrating their reunion." Shara said grinning. "I'm pretty impressed for a man who spent so much time in a Cardassian prison."
"Maybe they're doing something else." Kira said a touch of color coming to her cheeks.
"I doubt it... Are you blushing Major? Embarrased to talk about sex?"
"No! Don't be stupid!"
"Oh, okay, then when was the last time you...?"
"What?"
"Sex!"
"Let's change the subject." Kira said. "How soon before we can leave?"
"I don't know." Shara said. "The Maquis haven't let our intrepid pilots back at their craft since we landed. Let's go talk to them."
"Lead on!" Kira said marching towards the door.
Gul Dukat was sitting at his desk reading some information on a Data Padd when the door opened without sounding a chime and Weyoun stalked angrily in.
"WHAT did you think you were doing?" Weyoun demanded his face flush and eyes glowing with more emotion than Dukat would ever have believed the slimy little Vorta capable.
"Come in Weyoun, please make youself comfortable." Dukat said congenially. "Would you care for something to drink?"
"I should have you killed." Weyoun said. "And replace you with that miserable little aid of yours Demar."
"Let me guess." Dukat said stroking his chin and enjoying the dangerous game he was playing with the Vorta. Dangerous because he knew that it was easily within the Vorta's ability to carryout his threat. "This is something to do with my order to divert some of our forces to Yuridar."
"We have fleets of ships crossing the Federation border." Weyoun fumed. "As the will of the Founders commanded we had the Federation Starfleet in full retreat. Deep Space 9, your own special little target, was nearly in our grasp and you suddenly split our attacking force and order all the Cardassian ships to... to... to this inconsequential spot of space!"
"Inconsequential." Dukat said setting his Padd down on his desk. "A few hours ago I might have agreed with you, but I think things are different now, much different."
"What are you talking about Dukat?"
"I'll explain." Dukat said with a wide smile. He turned to his computer brought up a rough image of a large triangular shaped vessel.
"About 22 days ago the Cardassian ship Horinar encountered this vessel in the system AS40501, called Yuridar on Federation star charts."
"Yuridar... Yuidar... " Weyoun said thinking outloud. "This name means nothing to me."
"It shouldn't, there's nothing there." Dukat said. "Except this ship. The Captain of the Horinar interacted briefly with the Commander of this vessel, the details of that interaction are unknow because shortly thereafter this unknown vessel destroyed the Horinar."
"And you consider this vessel enough of a threat to withdrawn so many ships?"
"Of course not." Dukat replied condecendingly. "Although this ship is very interesting. First is does not resemble anything, even remotely, in our data bases. Second it's exceptionally large, sixteen hundred meters long, more than twice the length of one of your battleships."
"And many times larger than the Horinar, her captain must have been a fool to attack such a vessel." Weyoun said. "A trait I'm finding all to common in the Cardassian military."
Dukat chuckled choosing to ignore the jab for the moment. "Of course what else is interesting was the life-form reading. Thirty thousand plus, human life forms..."
"Human? Are you sure?" Weyoun asked.
"Very sure." Dukat replied. "More than thirty thousand, in a ship that could not possibly need all of them for a crew, what do you suppose that means?"
"I don't know Dukat, you tell me."
"What else is interesting is a report filed by the Horinar about 10 hours before her destruction. While on routine patrol she passed the Yuridar system and her sensors registered some very interesting readings."
"What sort of readings?"
Dukat consulted his computer. "I'll read this for you from the science officers report: A burst of tachyon and neutrino energy consistant with the formation of a spatial rift or wormhole..."
"A wormhole!?!" Weyoun looked surprised.
"A wormhole. Natually when the Cardassian central command recieved this report they ordered the Horinar to make a full investigation rather than report to their invasion jumping off point. When they reached the Yuidar system they encountered this strange vessel and were destroyed by them."
"And you think this new vessel came from a Wormhole?"
"Quite possibly." Dukat said. "But there is more."
"What?"
"Ten hours ago the prison complex in the Torvan system was raided." Dukat said. "All the prisoners were released and many were conveyed to unidentified transport craft and taken off planet."
"I thought the Torvan system was defended." Weyoun said.
"A single Galor was on station."
"If this complex held important prisoners why was only one ship delegated to it's defence?"
"Because Torvan is almost seven hundred lightyears into Cardassian space!"
"Seven hundred!?! How did these ships penetrate so far!?!"
"I don't know." Dukat said. "But I tell you what the Galor, The Founders Pride, reported. First a ship appeared out of empty space at the edge of the system-"
"One of these triangular ships?"
"No. A different ship. Anyway, this ship stayed at the edge of the system for a few moments while the Captain of the Pride scanned her. Then the ship vanished and re-appeared a moment later near the fifth planet, the planet with the prison."
"Vanished? What do you mean?"
"Vanished, disapeared, poof! As I was saying it re-appeared near Torvan V and launched some thirty or so small one man ships, paltry little things, and a half dozen larger craft. The small ships moved towards the Pride and the other ships headed for the planet."
"And your ship of course moved to intercept them."
"Of course, the small ships presented no danger, but this other ship, the larger carrier vessel..." Dukat worked his computer controls and several sharp well defined images appeared of the long cylindrical vessel appeared. "This new vessel also closed with the Pride and engaged it with heavy weapons."
"So what happened?"
"The Pride took heavy damage, the small ships rescued some prisoners, but thankfuly a fleet of Dominion ships were moving towards the front line and picked up signals from the damaged Pride and came to it's aid, they drove these raiders off."
"So that ends that threat." Weyoun said. "Were there any prisoners taken?"
"No."
"No?" Weyoun asked in disbelief. "According to the sensor information from The Founders Pride this carrier ship had a crew of thousands and each of these other ships carried more than a dozen life forms. None of them surrendered?"
"The carrier recovered all the one man craft and then the larger craft and the carrier changed course and vanished... again..."
"Vanished... you mean cloaked?"
"The Jem'Hadar probed extensivly for cloaked ships, none were detected."
"How could a ship more than a kilometer long, along with five other smaller vessels simply vanish under the noses of so many Jem'Hadar attack craft?" Weyoun wondered out loud.
"That is proving to be the great mystery." Dukat said. "But there is just a little bit more."
"What?"
"You may recall that some months ago we got reports that Maquis survivors were operating again in unclaimed space near Minos Korva. We also received reports from our intelligence sources that certain traders and merchants in the Federation that were suspected of working for the Maquis had their activity levels increased."
"So?"
"These ships, right before they vanished, were on a course that if followed straight would take them straight to the same area as Minos Korva."
"You're being paranoid Dukat." Weyoun replied. "The Maquis are destroyed, and those that weren't killed do NOT have the resources to build a ship, or ships like these new ones."
"I agree, but... Of the prisoners taken off the planet by these unknown invaders were all twelve of the Maquis prisoners including their one-time leader Tom Riker. Four Starfleet officers and more than twenty two others including some Romulans, a Bolian and two humans."
"Coincidence." Weyoun said. "Why would these new...whatevers want to help the Maquis?"
"I don't know, but I have been thinking of something else."
"What?"
"Why do you suppose these ships have such large crews?" Dukat asked.
"Redundancy, inefficency, I don't know Dukat, what do you think?"
"Invasion troops." Dukat said.
"You think we're being invaded through a wormhole in the Yuridar system and that these invaders are somehow in league with the Maquis? Dukat you really entertain me sometimes!"
"Thirty thousand on one ship, thousands more on another, think about it... Small one manned craft, not very effective against larger ships but probably very effective as ground-support craft. Larger shuttle like craft clearly designed to operate in a atmosphere, just look at the wings!"
"So what if you're right?" Weyoun asked. "They would be fools to invade the Dominion."
"Perhaps, perhaps not!" Dukat replied. "What is the biggest obsticle to your conquest of the Alpha Quadrant Weyoun? The Wormhole is in Federations hands."
"Still in Federation hands, thanks to you."
"Their Wormhole is in their hands, they have an unbreachable conduit to their own supply lines and forward bases, a conduit that we have no access to and no way to stem or stop the tide unless we do exactly what the Federation has done, seize the Wormhole and prevent others from coming through."
"Providing that this Wormhole is a stable one." Weyoun said. "I can see your point."
"Your Wormhole is stable."
"It's stable because of the aliens living in it."
"What if there are aliens living in this one?" Dukat said. "Until we get a scientific team inside there is no way to tell."
"Very well Dukat, these ships you broke off of the DS9 task force can be sent to this Wormhole, seize it and conduct a complete analysis. However you are NOT to divert any more resourses to this matter without consulting with me first. Is that understood?"
"Perfectly."
"Very well, I shall inform the Founder of this development and see what wisdom she might bring to this."
"Splendid idea." Dukat replied with a wide smile.
Weyoun nodded his head and stalked out of Dukats office. Once the doors closed Dukats smile disolved into a scowl of anger and frustration. The Vorta was a pathetic little puppet with little insight or imagination. Dukat's scowl deepened as he thought that Cardassia was currently little better than a puppet state itself. Puppets now, maybe, but not mindless and not forever. This alliance was a means to an end, a means to end the war with the Klingons and bring all the major Alpha Quadrant powers to heel, then, when the time was right, Cardassia would throw off the yoke of the Dominion and take their place as the rightful leaders of the Alpha Quadrant. And once the Alpha Quadrant was secure it would be only a natural step to neutralise the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant and wipe the founders out once and for all.