In both predecessing stories, Mia and Annora were portrayed by two real-life actresses so people have an idea as to how the characters were like. Mia is played by Summer Glau (Tess Doerner, "The 4400") and Annora by Emma Watson (Hermione Granger, "Harry Potter"). The reason I am saying this is because since Jadzia Dax is alive in the entire trilogy, there will be no Ezri Dax, so her actress (Nicole deBoer) brings Lynet Ross to life. :)

Normally I begin every story in the trilogy with the female lead, but this time is different, so now we concentrate on Yelgrun first. He's gonna be much tougher than Weyoun and Keevan before him, as he's a little more...hostile in temperament.

Chapter is also named after the episode in which these events - save for the ending - take place.

Chapter One

The Die is Cast

"Sir, we have not been able to pick up the fleets on our sensors."

"You honestly think I do not see that?" he snapped at his first-in-command. "I spot it as clearly as you, even if my eyes aren't as brilliant as yours."

The Jem'Hadar bowed his head in minor apology. "Forgive me, Commander. I meant no disrespect."

The Vorta snorted and turned his attention away. "Of course you didn't, First Yaran'alon. But at least we both agree that we are on the same page." If there would ever be a way to agree that he was growing tired of waiting, but it was not like his own men would ever turn on him. He had many dislikes but no great enemies so far. He shoved the thought aside and concentrated on the task at hand. Why did they have to wait so long for the Cardassians and the Romulans to come to them?

One hundred and fifty Jem'Hadar fighters were cloaked and waiting for the targets to arrive. The other side of the galaxy, in the Alpha Quadrant, were impending danger to the Dominion as they intruded more times than enough, something the Founders no longer tolerated, although Yelgrun and his fellow Vorta always knew along with their gods that someday soon, the Federation would come into their territory again - and they'd be ready for them.

Yelgrun hated to wait. He liked to think he was the only one of his own to admit his lack of tolerance in waiting. First Yaran'alon and the rest of the unit knew that very much, even his peers. Even the Founders knew but did nothing to change that part of him. It seemed as if it didn't matter if the Vorta carried the trait of perseverance or not, as long as they mastered the abilities to trick and trap the opponent, and revered their makers.

And now, the long wait had ended, after days of it. Yelgrun thought he would die from the boredom. But if there was one thing that kept him from going mad, it was the little...daydream that he would not let anyone know about at a time like this, if only for a few minutes before the First reminded him that their mark had not yet appeared on their sensors.

Until the long-awaited recently decloaked fleets. The twenty Cardassian vessels present must have modified their cloaking so the Jem'Hadar did not detect them on the sensors. Very impressive.

The Founders wanted the Obsidian Order and the Tal Shiar to combine and eventually arrive to attack their homeworld, and that was also why they initiated an automated transponder to give the fleets the false sense that they were still in the Omarian Nebula, and they would be no match against the Jem'Hadar. The Founders were safely away from this location, but their armies were ready for the attackers. The Cardassians and the Romulans thought they could just strike at the heart of the Dominion without thinking that the other would strike back, did they? Or did they just assume they would come through victorious? Yelgrun thought with a smirk as he watched with his men - and the rest of the fleet - as the combined forces fired onto the surface of the Founders' homeworld.

This was the signal of their time to strike.

The Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order both needed taken care of, which Yelgrun looked forward to, but that still left the Klingon Empire as well as the Federation - and they would be the even bigger issue to focus on against the Dominion very soon.

~o~

"First, report!"

In accordance: the Cardassian Koranak met its demise, and its crew would lose their chance soon enough - this was Yelgrun's doing, and one of his greatest prides. Nothing but a thrill of the field of fire, only unlike many of his people, he was satisfied with himself that he survived so long in each of his past three lifetimes unlike most of his people. He was positive that this time would be made just as recognizable as his past accomplishments; the credit would not go to just himself, but to the entire fleet - namely those who lived through in their current incarnations. The Vorta were all decent but replaceable, and he knew it. But how could anyone object to the Founders?

His ship was wracked then with an impact. A Romulan warbird had fired on them - and it targeted their dorsal field junction. Which meant - "Men, get us -!"

The last thing he knew was being consumed painfully with fire, and his men's roaring echoed into his eardrums...and then nothing at all but darkness.

~o~

He opened his eyes and groaned at the light in his eyes, hearing the hissing and echoing of voices in his ears. Just his luck. Yelgrun 4 was right on schedule. He laughed sarcastically at the thought, turning his face away from the figure beside him.

Borath frowned down at him. "Honestly, Yelgrun, I do not see anything funny about awaking into your fourth incarnation."

"No, of course you don't," he replied, sitting up and stretching. "Am I allowed to know how the rest of the fight went when I lost my senses and my men - AND the ship?"

The scientist shook his head, muttering something to himself even Yelgrun could not catch. "I'm afraid I was not told every ounce of the details, but I will tell you there were no survivors from the Obsidian Order." Unless if there were any, then they would be taken to the Internment Camp 371. "And if it is any consolation, Yelgrun," Borath said, interrupting his thoughts, "you did a fine job as always, as did the others. But you have more than another chance to prove yourself to the Founders."

"As ever," he muttered as he stood from the table, not caring about the blanket on his body and accepting his new wardrobe from the cloning assistant. She looked at him reproachfully but kept her mouth shut. "Will the Founder wish to see me anytime soon?"

"Perhaps, but I can't be certain. But...there is one other thing."

Yelgrun did his best to not roll his eyes. "Enlighten me, friend," he said sarcastically. Borath might treat all of his subjects like blood children - a rarity within the Dominion - but with Yelgrun in particular, it was his attitude that prevented a mutual respect between them. But it was not like Yelgrun ever had the time for what Weyoun enjoyed for himself, having Eris and Gelnon, and several others in a circle. Yelgrun was not welcomed into that circle.

"It might seem like a terrible timing for you in recent events," Borath began, irritably calm and the other, impatient man wishing that he would just get it over with, but his back faced him that the scientist and cloning overseer did not see his face, "but it is the Founder's wish. We have recently received the DNA of a new cloning candidate who will become one of us in a matter of time - a new Field Supervisor in our ranks. She thought you would be the likely choice to oversee the new one's training."

Of all the things...! Did the Founders really deem HIM out of all people to train a new little seeker?! Whoever this one was...

"So, this is Yelgrun."

He whirled around at the sound of the purr of a voice, laced with curiosity and suspicion at once. He thought he was going to turn into ice when he looked at the face, struck at what he found but shoved it down. The new Vorta was...young. Much younger than he thought, and visually different than the rest of the males of their species, and completely opposite of Yelgrun. The latter Vorta kept his face stoned expressionless as he continued to look down and up the younger male, wondering what good would come of this one. A trainee would just slow him down, for all he knew. "Yes, and you are?" he asked, not afraid to show this side of himself notorious to everyone else.

The younger Vorta lifted his chin and sniffed before responding. "Keevan."

Borath cleared his throat, coming between them. "The record of Keevan's progenitor is extremely remarkable that the Founders deemed him a wondrous candidate," he said with a slight smile, gaze switching back and forth between the senior Field Supervisor and the newest one. "You will be impressed by the results. He is like no other Vorta that has ever served the Dominion in existence; I have the upmost confidence in him, Yelgrun."

"I will not let you or the Dominion down," Keevan promised, his wide amethyst eyes shining and glittering with so much life that it contrasted with Yelgrun's dull dark purple ones. He inwardly recoiled; why were his gods doing this to him?

He snorted as he returned the gaze. "We'll have to see about that...little one," he almost sneered.

In response, Keevan's nose scrunched up as his lips almost curled, the obvious competition making Borath sigh and shake his head behind them. This was going to be difficult to get his newest student to get along with one of the longest-running, more restless agents.

Yelgrun himself, however, felt his anger subside the longer he looked deep into the younger man's eyes, something along the lines of heat growing in his stomach and twisting his insides in a knot he had not...felt in a long time.

~o~

"You're nothing."

He spun around to look at the older Vorta's gray-violet eyes, fuming with more fire than before. All these weeks progressing into months had turned into strain in their relationship. They weren't together physically; how could they? Keevan was never interested in Yelgrun in that manner, but the older Field Supervisor took nothing to heart. The backlash was to be expected, but to be called nothing? How could he call his best pupil this?!

Keevan lost his cool then and swung his fist over a table, knocking some useless items off the table. These were Yelgrun's quarters, but he didn't care. "How dare you call me nothing!" he yelled back, the corners of his eyes burning with hurt. "You're not favored all that well by the Founders while I am their newest and so far favorited, most prized. You simply do not take refusals and never forgive for anything. What was I thinking you would be a better man than this?"

Yelgrun's face was unflinching, but the fire was there, reflecting Keevan's. So was the betrayal. "And what was I thinking about, thinking you would be more than just my student?" He moved forward then, leaning halfway so his face was meters away from Keevan's. "And you were the first to ever accept me, understand me and never once questioned me, never complained about anything about me -"

He was just reaching up to cup Keevan's face with both his hands, but the young Vorta wanted nothing to do with any form of contact. Scoffing disgustedly, he drew back and snarled, baring his teeth. "Nothing other than your lack of patience. I could put up with Borath and Eris better than you. Sometimes I wished I was assigned to another teacher than you, Yelgrun." Someone who actually treated him as an equal, praised him more often than Yelgrun would sigh and shake his head at any mistake he made, make him feel special - he would never bring in singling out his gods. He would accept glares and disapproval from the Founders if he erred, disappointment from his friends, but not from someone whom he wanted to call...a friend.

"I thought you would be my friend, Yelgrun," he said softly, throat closing in around his esophagus as he felt the tears finally roll down his cheeks. He never cried, the original Keevan never cried, so why was he now? He never thought he would long to find someone to actually care about him in a way more than just appraisal for his talents. He didn't want just the love that the rest of his people scrambled for from their makers and gave them because they had to; he wanted more. But not the way Yelgrun of all people wanted him.

"And I thought you would see more in me than just a friend and teacher," Yelgrun returned, softly but still dark with anger. "I could see and smell it off you. You saw the way I looked at you, you might have heard me call your name at night, and I never stop having those thoughts about you -"

Something in his being broke that he exploded. "Stop this!" He turned to walk out of these quarters, wanting to get away, but Yelgrun would not let him go that easily. The young Vorta was grabbed by the arm and pulled back, his body enveloped against Yelgrun's. He struggled. "Let me go this instance!"

"No," Yelgrun growled, leaning down and smashing his mouth against Keevan's, his tongue forcing his mouth open so he could taste Keevan for the first time, but the young man wouldn't have this. He did NOT like this in the slightest; he knew little to nothing about physical attraction, but this did not feel right. Yelgrun did not say the words directly, but he had fallen for Keevan who did not feel the same way. He would stand his ground and fight to protect himself; Yelgrun had become a danger to him now.

He brought his hand up in an effort to caress that one vulnerable spot on a Vorta's body besides between their legs, while one of Yelgrun's arms held him as his free hand explored Keevan's back and eventually came down to grope his buttocks, and Keevan grasped Yelgrun's left ear and scratched his nails along the sensitive ridges, causing the older Vorta to roar in pain and release him, only to swing out and strike Keevan's face, the impact sending him onto the table facedown. Another blow had come, this time to his backside as an addition to wound his pride. He bit back the groan as he tried to stand up, but Yelgrun was on him again, reaching for the tight waistband of his pants. He yelled to the computer to send in the security team to Yelgrun's quarters in time for the other Vorta to slap his hand over his mouth.

"You're selling me out after everything, after betraying my trust, Keevan! They'll keep you away from me, do everything to keep us separated! Do you realize what you're doing to me - to US?"

He looked up with Keevan in time to see three Jem'Hadar guards beam into the quarters and raise their rifles at them. "Stand down, sir," one of them ordered, "and step away from him." Yelgrun begrudgingly obeyed and released Keevan, who ran away for the doors as the guards moved to handcuff Yelgrun and take him in for questioning. The Dominion wasn't entirely brutal, executing without further investigation, but Yelgrun would be dealt with most accordingly if not executed for assaulting a fellow operative. He was currently incarnation number four, so they'd have to see. Keevan was about to open the doors and return to his for the time being, but Yelgrun continued to explode with hateful words that would haunt Keevan for a long time to come.

"We're not done, Keevan. I took you in and you thank me this way. You can go about your business and serving the Dominion as faithfully as I do, but you will always be a pretty little face with nothing from the inside to give back. You will always be alone as I am, even if you do manage to feel something for another and they don't return it to you. When that day comes, you'll feel the same pain that I do. You'll NEVER be happier than you are giving your life for the Founders."

Mentioned halfway through "Forged in the Desert Heat", Keevan trained for a short amount of time under Yelgrun before with Weyoun, but it ended in terrible terms. Weyoun eventually became the young Vorta's mentor and best friend, but ending it with Yelgrun is part of the demons he faced in his story and is also a part of Yelgrun's own in this one.

The end of the chapter happens to be a flashback that took place in Keevan's story, remains told in his point of view. Over the course of their short-lived working relationship, Yelgrun began to develop something that he never thought he ever would jut because of his appearance and temperament. He thought Keevan would become the one he was looking for all this time, but the other Vorta never loved him like that.