So, I've had this idea for a while now, and I've finally decided to write it. I picture Benedick Cumberbatch's Khan because he's a very pretty man, but it shouldn't make much of a difference if you think of Richard Montalban instead. Reviews are adored, if you're that way inclined.
Chapter One
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in Earth's history," Julian explained with a sigh to his travelling companion. He wasn't sure how they'd gotten onto the subject of human versus cardassian composers, but surely not even Garak could fault Mozart?
"Competent, certainly," the tailor nodded, "but not even comparable to the operas of Tkaa Ryin."
Julian hid a wince. He'd once regarded Klingon operas as long-winded, but they weren't even comparable to the 3 day spectacle of The Second Sin, Cardassia's proudest opera.
"I will say this though, for human music," Garak smiled benignly. "Not even Zenbara Talk herself measures up to your John Cage."
The doctor stared at his friend in shock. Did Garak, known censure of all-cultures-human, just praise a human composer?
"You really think that?" Julian demanded. "Mozart was 'competent', Bach was 'amateurish' and Beethoven should have been drowned at birth, but John Cage is better than the greatest composer in Cardassian history?"
"Don't you like him?" Garak inquired, raising a cool eyebrow. "A silent symphony, doctor. It's quite ingenious. What better way to celebrate musical tradition than by depriving an audience of it?"
Shaking his head in bemusement, Julian turned back to the controls. It was a quick journey from Bajor to Deep Space 9, with few dangers along the way, but it never hurt to be cautious. Almost as soon as he glanced at the panel, he frowned.
"I'm picking up a reading on our short range sensors," he announced.
Garak turned to his own controls.
"I have a visual," he told the doctor.
The screen lit up with what looked like the battered remains of a ship, older than anything Julian had seen since Sisko had decided to sail to Cardassia years ago in an ancient Bajoran vessel.
"One life sign aboard," he murmured, frowning. "Can you get a transporter signal?"
"Energising," Garak said in such a good imitation of a cool, detached Starfleet officer that Julian had to smile. A young man who materialised, unconscious, on the floor of the runabout as the ship on the visual screen tore itself apart.
Rushing to his patient, Julian began to work frantically to repair a number of lacerations about his shoulders and neck.
"Doctor?" Garak prompted patiently. "I appreciate your work is important, but we have a Dominion vessel approaching.
Freezing – he'd been out of the internment camp for less than two months and had no desire to be recaptured – Julian made his way back to the controls in an effort to escape the Jem'Hadar.
"Evasive manoeuvres activated," Garak read out calmly. "And I've raised shields."
"I'm sending out a distress signal," Julian responded, just as detached. "The Defiant should be here in-"
He broke off as the rescued man shoved him away from the controls.
"Their ship has a weak spot," he murmured as Bashir rolled to his feet. "If I can just-"
It exploded and for several long moments the runabout was silence.
"There was a bomb planted where their shields were weakest," Garak surmised, impressed. "How did you know to find it?"
"I put it there," the man responded coolly. "While they were busy tearing my ship apart, they weren't keeping an eye on their own transporters."
Garak beamed at their passenger.
"How very devious of you," he complimented. Julian rolled his eyes and approached the stranger with his tricorder.
The moment the instrument came near him, the passenger lunged into action, wrapping a hand round Julian's throat. The doctor gaped for a moment, stunned by how strong the other man was, before forcibly wrenching the hand away, using all of his genetically enhanced strength. The two men stared at each other for a long moment before the stranger crumpled suddenly. Garak stood holding a phaser and smiling blandly.
"Rather touchy, isn't he?" the cardassian mused. "Don't worry, doctor, I only stunned him. I would like to know what a man was doing flying a 20th century earth ship in the wormhole, wouldn't you?"
"Quite," Julian agreed, checking the stranger's pulse. "I've never fought so strong a human," he muttered, scanning the man with his tricorder. "If I were to guess, I'd say he's been genetically enhanced!"
"Well then doctor," Garak settled himself at the controls, smiling. "It would appear you've something in common."