"And still I don't get one thing," Julian began, pushing his food around on the plate absently, "you say that on Cardassia the loyalty to the Empire and family are valued above all else. But what if the second comes into conflict with the first?"
"The loyalty to the Empire is always supreme, doctor," Garak smiled forbearingly. "Cardassians indeed are devoted to their families and value these ties as no other race in this quadrant. However, service to the state is what every cardassian must aspire to."
Julian grinned.
"Even if it requires unreasonable victims?"
Garak's eyes flashed.
"The state is always right, doctor. Even if decisions adopted seem questionable. All our politics that, as you might have noticed, allowed us to create such a powerful Empire are built on that. Besides, all the decisions are made for the welfare of the state — one way or another. On Cardassia we have advanced sciences and arts, the highly valued institution of the family, so what more do you need?"
"And what about justice?" Julian glanced at him frowningly, sending a fork to his mouth. "I had the opportunity to take a look at your court system, and it didn't seem to me much like the fair trial."
"What justice are you implying? The one accepted in your Federation?" Garak snorted. "So you think your views only on what's fair and what isn't may be treated as the only one right?" he gave Julian a condescending look. "I didn't expect such narrowness from you, doctor."
"Don't mix narrowness with objectivity. Besides, I'm not idealising the Federation," returned Julian.
"Oh, don't you, really? But you are claiming that moral perceptions that differ from yours are a priori false. So what objectivity are you talking about?"
"Anyone can be accused unjustly, and he must have right to make defence."
"That's exactly what I mean, doctor. You care about personal freedoms and completely forget the commonweal that should be observed by the state."
"Isn't the commonweal formed by personal weals of each single individual?"
"Here, doctor, you're speaking as a fighter for the rights and freedoms. However, to my knowledge, everything is not so smooth in the Federation as well, and rebel groups who disagree with the given situation are constantly emerging in the disputed territories. Your splendid Federation declares them criminals and pursues them. Well then, if one of your close friends or a relative were among them, would you refuse to fulfil your duty? Then why all this pride, why the uniform you esteem so much, though it doesn't suit you?"
Having put his plate aside, Julian wiped his lips and threw a napkin into it, drawing up the tea.
"I would try to convince my friend, and if I failed — I would do anything I could to better his lot. We don't execute criminals," he raised his eyebrows eloquently. "Unlike Cardassia, where the accused doesn't have a single chance to perceive his mistakes or to accept the current situation."
Garak snorted again, putting his plate aside too.
"You say it now, doctor. But who knows how would you really act and what would you say about justice if one of your friends were turned out to be in the ranks of Maquis."
Julian looked up at Garak with a heavy stare.
"I am fully aware of the limits that justice, existing in the Federation, has. And yet I claim that Cardassia can't boast even that," he made a gulp. "Tell me, Garak, what would you do if one of your close friends of a relative were wrongly accused and doomed to death?"
There was a flicker of steely glint in the Garak's eyes.
"If for some reason you were declared an enemy of Cardassia, my dear doctor," the cardassian chuckled, "you may have no doubt — I would execute you myself," said he without a shadow of doubt or tremor in his voice.
Julian looked thoughtfully at his friend, reflecting once again over the ephemerality of such a concept as friendship between them. And if only he could count his pulse as he spoke, Julian would get that despite all this bloodcurdling emotionlessness, Garak's heart missed one beat.