Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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By MTrek

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Episode 3: Waltz - In this episode, we will finally see the two DS9 Cardassians come together. But how will each of them deal with this fledgling relationship? Enjoy!

Dedicated to Megilla Treez. ;D

Sisko went over the evening personnel requests as he walked down the habitat ring hallway. He'd been in his office far too long that day, getting ready for his mission to Hzlne. He and the doctor had been requested to be the first Federation ambassadors… just because one undercover Hzlnite had gotten a good impression of both them. Although he was honored to be the one of the first humans on the planet, he wasn't looking forward to going back into the Gamma Quadrant. True, Hzlne was one of the only worlds that weren't owned by the Dominion – but it was on the other side of their space. A week away from the wormhole entrance. But Sisko didn't let it bother him; at least they'd have a cloaked ship to go in.

He came to the end of his request PADD when he saw a request from his newest Stellar Cartographer. Lieutenant Commander Jeluik was asking for a larger, better equipped work area than the pylon windows.

The commander smiled at the thought of the female Cardassian. Why she had requested a transfer to DS9 was completely beyond him. Hell, the fact that she was even in stellar sciences escaped his understanding. She was more at home in engineering or operations.

Having only been on the station for a little over a month, she was still an out of the ordinary topic with the staff in Ops. But to those who knew her, she was an excellent companion – especially to the senior officers. He'd gathered that Dr. Bashir and she were good friends from far back and she had developed a good camaraderie with Dax, O'Brien, and even Kira. His Bajoran first officer was notorious for despising Fyi's kind; yet through the last two months, Kira had grown to like and even respect the Cardassian.

Sisko hadn't had the time to get into a deeper talk with the anomalous woman yet, but he planned to when he got back. After all, she was the second highest ranking resident on the station.

He put her work area request near the top of his priorities. He didn't want her breathing down Kira's neck while he was gone.

Garak and Fyi walked down the very quiet Promenade to the upper level of Quark's, heading for the holosuites.

Over the time since Dukat's appearance, Fyi had spent a lot of time with the tailor – secretly and after hours, of course. But much of the others' fronts and playful guises were not as evident as it was when they first met. Garak had come to consider her as his sole confidant, and compared to everyone else on Deep Space Nine, she knew more than anybody probably ever would. It was for her benefit.

Garak clenched his teeth at the thought of the Dukat incident. He blamed himself when the man tried to use her as a "playmate" in his little holiday games. He had ripped the gul a new gash in his forehead with his phaser when he caught Dukat attempting to shove Jeluik into his quarters.

Fyi was basically a tough cookie, but he knew the woman better than that. The look on her face that day... he'd never forget it. She was still recovering and he knew that the best way to deal with trauma was to converse, particularly for their kind. He couldn't bear to see her despondent or damaged.

Walking silently into the door way on the holosuite, both Cardassians waited for the doors to close until they spoke. "Well, I don't know about you, my dear, but I find one-on-one socializing much more pleasant when areas are deserted."

"I couldn't agree more, said Fyi, smiling at the inactive walls.

Garak enjoyed the smooth quality of her voice. To him it had become more and more like an ebbing flow and less like words. It was one of her most disarming qualities and he had to stop himself from falling too deep into admiration. He had been searching too long for this program and he didn't want to ruin its effect.

So with no further delay Garak called out a command. "Computer, load program CR-1 Index 924."

Instantly, their surroundings phased to an interesting arena. A frozen band of four Cardassians stood on a reverse model of an Earth stage. Instead of the band being elevated, it was in a semi-circle three steps down. Around were soft Carăsda designs but the ceiling was low, seemingly for the purpose of drowning out sound.

Surprised, Fyi slowly stepped forward, studying the band. "What is this?"

Garak couldn't hold in his smile. "What do you think it is?"

Fyi looked back at him warily. "I know what it is; I've just… never seen one before – not of Cardassians before."

"I don't suppose you have," Garak came next to her. "The very notion of it, as I'm sure you're well aware, is absurd."

Looking slightly confused, Fyi hesitated.

"Don't you recall that music and the participation of it on Cardassia Prime is prohibited?"

Fyi shook her head, as if remembering. "Oh yes, yes. But even you have said that you would choose the state's decisions over personal preferences every time."

"Ah, not much escapes you. You're right; normally, I would frown upon a thing such as this… but if living on this station has benefited me in any way, it's given me a greater appreciation for all society's diversities. Chiefly ours."

Fyi nodded thoughtfully. "I can see your reasoning." Then she laughed shortly. "I think I may be fraternizing with a countercultural activist. But yes—"

She held up a hand to Garak's next comment, anticipating what he would say.

"—you could say the same of me."

The tailor smiled at her and without looking away, he said. "Computer, run program."

The band came to life and began playing one of the most diverse songs that had yet to graze DS9. Soft and melodious, it seemed like an entirely different language from Carăsdan. The dialect was sounded like it was conceived just for the function of melodies.

Garak held up a hand for her, palm out. She looked cagily back at him. "I'm not sure I know how."

He smiled and gently lifted her hand to his. "I'll show you." He led her to the stage stairs and began a Cardassian waltz.

In sweeping, deliberate motions, Garak danced on the lip of the stairs. Each transition matched the song perfectly, each move nearly undetectable from the last. Fyi quickly learned the basic point was to keep in contact with him, a part of the other's body always touching their partner.

"Why am I not surprised?" she commented as he let go of her hands and consecutively placed one hand on her shoulder.

"Surprised at what?"

"That you know how to dance to one of the most illegal activities on Cardassia. I don't know how you found an instructor."

Stepping back, he smiled mischievously. "Whoever said I had an instructor? No this skill," he put her hand on his shoulder and began walking in a circle, "was honed entirely from observance."

He continued to lead her until she caught on, and before long, Fyi was flowing to the melody with him, melding to his moves and even contriving her own. Garak was pleased she caught on so quickly, but he'd known she would.

As their waltz continued, their proximity to each other grew smaller and smaller. Soon they closed their eyes, forgetting the room and even the fact that everything was a hologram.

Finally, the music came to an end and the two Cardassians stopped in one last move, both with their hands interlaced at their sides and their abdomens not three centimeters apart.

Garak was the first to open his eyes again. He hadn't been this close to the commander before… and neither had she.

Fyi opened her eyes as well and looked into his azure, a shadow of surprise on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but could find nothing really relevant to say.

Garak fully understood that the Cardassian waltz was… disarming, to say in the least. And that its function was meant to be more than beguiling.

Fyi finally spoke up. "You planned this, didn't you?"

"Now honestly, Fyi. Do I look like a man with an agenda?" he said quietly with a slight curving of his lips. Next, he slowly moved his left hand to cup her cheek, hoping that she wouldn't shrink away from past experience. He studied the color of her irises intently… she was so striking to him, soul and body.

She didn't, but inwardly Fyi's mind was running away as fast as it could. She knew this would happen and her head told her to swat his hand away, to not let him do anything, to not allow someone like him to attempt this. But she let him stay.

With no resistance shown, Garak's hopes were encouraged. Tilting her face up, he moved closer still, tracing the scales of her jaw line, taking in her smooth feel. With his right hand, he slid his fingers up her arm, halting on her upper arm. Garak moved his face within nine millimeters of her lips, lingering there… waiting… At last, she gave into her irrational emotion, touching her deep steel tinted lips to his achromatic gray.

Garak inclined deeper into the kiss, drinking in the feel of her lips against his, her permeating sweet smell… it was a very new sensation to him. He had never had time for any physical romance in so, so many years.

His hand sliding from Fyi's cheek to her neck, she resisted the urge to shiver in pleasure, but it was extraordinarily hard.

By the time they parted, both Cardassians were out of breath. Garak kept a tentative hand on Fyi's neck-ridges, enjoying her heat and her equally fast pulse. He swallowed with a degree of difficulty then opened his eyes again, expecting to see her stirred as well. But what he saw was disappointing to the tailor.

She had barely any expression, staring at his tunic emotionlessly.

Trying to catch her eye, he leaned his head lower to the side. When she looked up at him, his heart nearly broke. Tears mingled and grew in size, her face contorting indistinctly.

Garak assumed that this was a remnant of her incident with Dukat; and he felt a stab of regret at having kissed her so brashly. He pulled her to his chest and held her tightly, comforting her with his embrace. He loosened his grip on her enough to press his forehead ridge to hers, a gesture of total trust and security. "I will not let any harm come to you ever again, my love. You have my perpetual word."

Fyi felt a greater stab of guilt at his words. And it wasn't for the reason he specified. It was something she dared not speak aloud. She couldn't – would not. He was always so kind to her, going out of his way to protect her, talking with her, and just being with her. The tears in her eyes grew bigger, spilling out and staining her gray skin to a near black color. She absolutely did not deserve a man like him. She gambled that he had never said such a truthful statement to anybody. Why did that somebody have to be one like me?!

Fyi wanted to tell him everything, but… not at the moment. She was glad to be there with him right then and there. In his strong, assuring embrace… one that she never wanted to break away from for the rest of her days…