Elim stepped over the phaser-charred bodies of a shop keeper and his wife.
"What a waste" he muttered, hissing with a sharp intake of breath.
Terok Nor had once been a shining citadel perched above the planet Bajor, a small but modest planet in the holdings of Cardassia. After years of cultivating its riches, the Bajoran inhabitants fighting them at every step, the government of his home world had finally ordered a withdrawal.
He waited until the pair of soldiers in the hall finished dismantling the replicator installed on the far side of the habitat ring, before stepping out of the shadows.
One of his contacts had mentioned a list to be found in one of the shops. Specifics to this list were not divulged, only its importance. In the usual way of what might have been useful information, its exact location was not included. He was running out of time. He glanced briefly at one of the station monitors on the wall as he stepped down an empty corridor. Half the power was out and backups were only functioning sporadically.
Elim ran a hand through his jet black hair. His features were typical Cardassian, from the black hair to the blue eyes that seemed pale next to his grey skin. The ridges framing his face made his expressions more intense, whether in joy or anger or surprise.
15 more minutes on this wreckage and he could complete the initial task that brought him out here, and return home. The list was only a minor secondary objective, hardly worth his attention. He did regret not being able to complete both in time, his mind warring only briefly with a distaste for leaving something undone.
"Come with me Nerys" Elim could hear the patronizing voice of Gul Dukat through the open- yet force-fielded door leading into the Gul's office.
"A woman of your beauty should not be left in rags, I will find an..appropriate place for you in my household. You do so remind me of your mother".
Dukat's leering tone set his teeth on edge. He silently cheered the Bajoran ex-slave's sarcastic retort. He despised the Gul's entire lineage and agreed with the idea that Cardassia would be better served without him. He was more then happy to volunteer for this assignment. It was almost a shame that Kira Narys was next on his list.
He heard the computer announcing an incoming message from Central Command. Dukat ordered the Bajoran out of the room. Elim watched the redhead stomp past him, fists clenching, but not seeing the Cardassian in the shadows. He counted to 5, then darted his head into the doorway long enough to catch a glimpse of the interior. Gul Dukat was leaning intently over his desk frowning at the monitor. If he stayed low, the screen would block him entirely from the Gul's vision as he slipped into the room.
"I am pleased with your report Gul Dukat, I especially like that little bit about the code you slipped into the replicators, you'll have to show me that little gem later" The voice from the screen droned.
"I'd be pleased to Legate, at your convenience of course. I should start seeing to that the last of my men depart" Dukat responded beaming with pride.
Elim fingered the nodule under the flesh of his palm, waiting for the transmission to finish.
"One last thing Dukat.."
"Yes sir?"
"Catch the dagger" The screen flashed, cutting the transmission.
Elim granted himself a full second to grinding his teeth. His vision flared white hot before he recovered himself.
"Well sir, it looks as though you have been granted a reprieve" Elim spoke brightly with false enthusiasm from behind Gul Dukat.
"YOU." Dukat snarled hiding his fear.
"What are you doing on this station?" Dukat straightened himself to full height.
"Assisting with the house cleaning, naturally". Elim spared him only a few pleasantries while the Gul blustered, off balanced, and then excused himself.
Elim reluctantly chose out quartets for himself at the bend of two meeting corridors at far point from a turbo lift. Who knew what rabble he would find moving into the station now that his own people had called it quits. Best to find a spot out of the way from where he could watch his new neighbors and perhaps maintain some semblance of piece and quiet.
Stepping over the tripwire and into the room he grimaced. Whomever had left the bed had made him regret that they had. Still the lights functioned, which gave him hope for the showers. A piece of what had been furniture made for a testing stick. As long as nothing exploded too grandly or decompressed the compartment he would simply note and add to the sabotage with traps of his own.
Elim stood for far too long in the dim shower, rubbing the tension from his shoulders. This station would be his new home until he was able to complete the secondary objective of his assignment or until he was formally recalled.
Humidity filled the quartets until Elim began considering the possibility of black mould.
Saving his personal settings into the shower before shutting it off, he stepped across the questionable carpet and righted the office desk. It should end be a simple enough matter reprogramming the files to indicate his rightful habitance.
A few hours of work acclimating the room's only chair, while he tapped in commands on the console, left it damp under his skin. The next order of business would be to lay claim to the previous occupants place of work. That, and find some towels. Before discarding the thought, he grinned to himself getting dressed. Wandering around the station without clothes might give his new neighbors pause before shooting him, on the other hand the first thing they were likely to do was reconfigure the life support temperature levels.
The corridors were ghost like, empty with the exception of scattered debris. Lights flickered on and off at random and an uncomfortable electrical whine followed him. Counting each door as he passed on his left he found the shop. A lucky find! The original shop keeper lay strewn across the floor amidst various bolts of cloth and sundries.
The man's clothes did not fit well. He would need to make adjustments immediately, no self-respecting tailor would be caught dead in such ill-fitting attire. Bad for business.
Caressing the settings on his sidearm, he lifted it to vaporize the body.
The shop was going to need a lot of work. Elim mused while cracking a chem light and began up-righting furniture.
Two figures passed by outside talking to themselves in Bajoran, the universal translator was still offline. Elim could still make out a semblance of their conversation nonetheless. He waited for their lights to pass before he continued perusing the contents of the establishment.
There was something about a section of paneling at the back in the storeroom that caught his eye. He set down the chem light and ran his fingers along the metal framework.