AU story. No particular time frame, it's just important to note that the dominion war is no longer going on. Or it never existed, whatever you want. It's not part of the story. The story skips around in time a wee bit, so watch out for that. For simplicities sake times are in twenty four hours.

Conference - Day 1, 1300 hours

Odo looked about the large crowd for any signs of danger. It was difficult to say the least, yet it was a challenge he enjoyed. Besides the chances of danger were little to say the least. He had been pleasantly surprised by the security - he couldn't have done a better job himself. Nonetheless he was keeping his eyes on the crowd. No amount of security could prevent a fist fight in the next few hours when the various diplomats, federation officers and non-federation personal would be sitting down to eat lunch. It seemed almost every species was represented there - particularly the Ferengi. It was, after all, a trade conference.

This was not, however, a small one. The Federation was restructuring the way it did business with non-federation peoples (and even those within the federation) and as such most species in the quadrant had a very good reason to attend. Not only in attendance was the president of the federation, but the president of the Bank of Bolias, the Grand Nagus (plus his large group of - in Odo's opinion - unscrupulous escorts). The restructuring could have been completed with only a few hundred people, however many had taken the opportunity of the conference to negotiate new treaties, sort out some small-ish diplomatic issuses etc… As a result there were over 100,000 people representing various interests and doing various duties.

Odo glanced down at the PADD in his hand before surveying the crowd for Deep space Nine personnel. He had taken the liberty of memorizing their schedules. Only eleven - including himself - had come to the conference, all for varying reasons. Odo had spotted five in the room so far - the right number. The rest were still supposed to be engaged in other activities.

Sisko had come to represent the dozen or so deep space stations through the alpha and beta quadrants. Kira had come in conjunction with the Bajoran government. Jadzia Dax had come mainly because the Klingon Empire had requested her presence - General Martok had requested that Worf come as well. Bashir and O'Brien were sitting in on several meetings relating to the allocating of supplies in their fields. Quark had wormed his way in with the Nagus's band of unscrupulous escorts.

Lieutenant Bork was attending too, because his sister's co-wife's aunt's best friend had once invited him to a dinner that the Vice President of the Bank of Bolias had been attending. The two had kept into contact due to their shared interest in tholos ball - a little known or liked sport. A young ensign was attending too; Ensign Westveiw was going to be looking in on the negotiations - she'd been trained as a diplomat, and was spending her first year out of the academy on Deep Space Nine and on Bajor. Two weeks ago had marked her first negotiation. It had gone well - which was not surprising seeing as it was between a Betazoid philosopher and a Bajoran monk regarding the use of the Betazoid's book in educating monks-to-be. Amy Westveiw had been feverously studying numerous texts on the way over. She'd been told by someone that there was a chance that she would be able to negotiate an agreement between a Vulcan and Benzite regarding the exporting Hayolos tea leaves.

The final person attending was a civilian. This is what worried Odo the most. He knew little of the Betelgeusian man. The only things other than the man's name (H'Kevi) and that he was a retired business man who'd sought the solitude of deep space. Odo had deduced that, whatever H'Kevi's business had been was not only shady but very profitable. A little digging had shown that H'Kevi had an account with a bank on Ferenginar with a little over 50,000 bricks of gold pressed latinum. It had been very suspicious indeed, but simply being rich hadn't been enough for Odo to take the man into custody.

Once again Odo surveyed the area looking for Dax and Worf who would be getting out a conference soon. Just on time Worf walked in with a small band of Klingons. Jadzia was undoubtedly talking with someone. A minute later she followed, having a lively conversation with another woman. The pair were obviously not new acquaintances.

A few minutes later Lieutenant Bork and a large group of people who worked for the Bank of Bolias trickled in looking neither happy nor unhappy, merely hungry. Captain Sisko and Ensign Westveiw walked in together - not entirely unexpected. Their meetings had been in rooms next to each other's. Though Sisko's had gotten out earlier than Westveiw's he had waited for her apparently.

Out of the cornor of her eye Odo spotted Kira and turned to give her a nod. She gave him a smile back, before turning back to the tall Bajoran she was speaking with. A moment alter she had excused herself and joined Odo by his side, just as he was making note that Bashir had found his way to the main area (with a young blonde on his arm) and that O'Brien had found his way back too - with a new engineering friend and some new tool that the pair was examining. The only ones who had yet to arrive were Quark and H'Kevi.

"Everything going to plan?" Kira asked, referring to the members of Deep Space Nine returning to the lunch area.

"So far. But no surprise there," Odo said gruffly.

After a moment Kira spoke again. "I heard that someone asked you to remove your shoes for inspection!" she gave a small laugh, and Odo too gave a small show of his amusement at the situation.

"I'd expect nothing less, Nerys. There are very important people here,"

As Odo spoke the nasally laugh of the Nagus Zek and faked laughter of his fellow Ferengi could be heard.

"Indeed," Kira agreed, "One can only imagine what would happen if one of them were to be killed,"

Odo didn't have to say anything for her to know how much he agreed with her.

"Well," she spoke again, "I'd better go find a seat before they're all taken,". Quick as could be she was heading down the stairs, looking to find a familiar face in the crowd of people.

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