Alrighty, the next two chapters have gone through a couple of rewrites, and you'll understand why when you get to those parts…

Chapter 2

"Are you alright?" my husband asked, sliding his arm around my waist.

"It just feels… strange being here again, after all these years," was my answer.

"I felt that way as well," Jasta admitted. "But, we all find our place."

I nodded at Jasta's wisdom.

"How long have you been rebuilding your cities and lives?" asked Garak.

"Since we were liberated from the camps over two years ago."

"You have accomplished so much in that time," the Cardassian commented. "Cardassia is still trying to pull itself back together."

"We do our best," Jasta replied before we boarded a public airbus. She gave Julian and Tholme a datapad each. She said in a low tone, "Everything we know or think we know about this rumoured imprisonment camp on Skonia is on those. We can't make heads or tails of it. There isn't enough out there about it."

"May I see that?" I asked. Julian handed me his datapad. I was almost instantly hit with a vision, but I pretended to read the data for a few minutes. I carefully said, "It seems to me that this camp is in one of the mountain ranges."

"One of the mountain ranges?" echoed our military escort. "How do you know?"

I ignored her question and asked one of my own. "How long have there been rumours of this?"

"Not long at all after the Dominion had us rounded up and sent to camps on other planets."

Garak inquired, "How many civilians know about it?"

"Not many. We hope to keep it that way until we are absolutely certain that it's there." Jasta rose from her seat and pressed an orange button on the back of the seat ahead of her. "This is our stop."

We followed her off the bus and into a nice hotel. "Lieutenant Jasta," she introduced herself to the young man at the desk. "I reserved a small suite."

The young man checked the computer. "Ah yes." He handed Jasta two electronic passkeys. "Room 225."

Our escort bowed her head before leading us through the corridors until we found Room 225. "I can't stay long," Jasta informed us. "I've got a meeting soon. Kantu, I'll be sure to tell them what you said. We have no food replicators available yet. If you get hungry, call the front desk. I recommend the sastan. I'll see you at 0900," she managed to rush out before bowing out the door.



"What an interesting woman," Garak remarked.

"Don't start," Julian warned.

Tholme touched my arm. "You didn't tell Jasta your real name."

"I don't want anyone here who knew me before know that I'm here now," I explained. I could see that Tholme knew it was more than that.

Garak brought us back to business. "You said that the camp is in one of the mountain ranges."

"About a fifth of Skonia is in the mountain ranges. I don't know which one it is."

"But, now we know what we're looking for," said Julian.

We were still reading and re-reading the reports for any evidence of a specific region long after dinner. Garak had gone to bed almost thirty minutes ago. It wasn't long before Julian laid his head down on my lap and drifted into sleep.

Tholme said, as soon as he was certain that my husband was asleep, "You've been troubled since I arrived at DS9."

"Since before that," I corrected.

"Why?"

"Julian asked me how I felt about us having children."

"That's only a natural question. You have been married for over two years."

"I know, but… it's just…" my voice drifted as I ran my hand down Julian's face and neck.

"Tengu, you'll make a great mother."

"How do you know?"

"You consider me as a father. Is a father not supposed to know and understand his daughter?"

I smiled and glanced down at the sleeping doctor. "I didn't have a normal childhood, if you could even call it that. My real parents were always away on long business trips. Then the Dominion came along and took them away."

"That's made you into the strong, independent woman you are today. And, you won't make the same mistake that your real parents did. Is this what you told Julian?"

"I also told him that I would think about it."

"It's been plaguing you since then. And, something about being back here is troubling you, but that is also to be expected. Well, I see that Garak and Julian have called it a night. How about we do the same?" Tholme kissed my forehead before going to his bedroom.

I tried to sleep, but my mind wandered until it settled to thinking about Skonia and Jasta.



I opened the door when I heard its buzzer sound. "We're almost ready," I told Jasta.

She slightly smiled. "Kantu, do you mind if I talk with you alone for awhile?"

I was somewhat taken aback by the request. I glanced to Tholme, who said, "We'll meet you in the reception area."

"Alright," I agreed to Jasta's request.

I followed the lieutenant out of the hotel and walked with her in the streets. We stopped a few minutes later in an alleyway. I asked, "Why all the privacy?"

"Kantu, I could have you arrested and turn this into a formal interrogation. I could hand you over to my superiors, and not even your Starfleet friends could get you out before the end of the month."

I crossed my arms and sat down on an overturned crate. "On what charges could you arrest me? I've only just arrived." I tried to keep my voice as emotionless as possible.

"You apparently do not understand how seriously we take security matters. Kantu, you lied to me, you lied to the military."

"Then why aren't I sitting in a jail cell?"

"I was hoping that we could settle this, and the military wouldn't have to know a thing about it."

"So, what is it that you think I lied to you about?"

"Your identity."

I stood and held my ground. "Who do you think I am?"

"I have no doubt that you are married to Doctor Julian Bashir. But, Kantu isn't your name, is it?"

"What exactly is it that makes you doubt my identity?"

"You instantly knew the camp's general location. You only pretended to read the reports, to fool me. That tells me that you already knew where it was and that you were sent here as a spy."

"I am no spy. I'm not here to deceive you. I'm here with Tholme and Julian to help them to help you."

"Make me believe that. Tell me who you truly are."

I glanced away for a second to avoid her penetrating gaze. I looked back up and was surprised. Jasta shoved me against the stone wall and held me still with her forearm against my neck and her grayish organic claws under my chin. I didn't struggle, but was still recoiling from her touch.

"You don't like to be touched," she observed. "Tell me who you really are. I don't want to have to hurt you."

I closed my eyes as a vision played in my mind.



"You, come here," the Jem'hadar ordered, pointing to a face in the group of imprisoned Skonians.

Jasta, her long purple-black hair covering half her face, made no move to follow the order.

The Jem'hadar lost patience. He strode to her and lifted the girl in her mid-teen years to her feet, nearly dislocating her shoulder in the process.

"Get your hands off my daughter," Rolayi challenged.

"If you do not be silent, she will serve as target practice," the Jem'hadar warned. He pulled Jasta along after him.

Jasta struggled to get free of the guard's iron grip. "Stop, let me go!" she cried. "Where are you taking me? I've done nothing wrong."

The Jem'hadar suddenly turned and backhanded her with his armoured hand. Jasta's head snapped to the side as blood flew from her mouth. "Consider yourself fortunate. The Vorta want to study you," the guard growled.

"St-study me?"

"Maybe they'll even experiment on you."

Jasta shook her head and tried again to wrench her arm from his grip. The guard kicked her feet from under her, stepped down on her shoulder blade, held her aching arm up, and twisted it. Jasta's gasps of pain were muffled by the dirt her face was in. "Would you like me to snap your arm and use you for target practice?"

Jasta's reply was drowned out by her following cry as the Jem'hadar stomped on her shoulder blade.

"I didn't hear you," he said.

"No, please don't," she pleaded.

"That's better," the guard replied before he kicked her ribs and hauled her to her feet. "The Vorta don't like to be kept waiting."