2366: Bajor

AMBUSH

She tried to scream, but no words came out. A large, grey hand was clamped around her mouth. She felt something digging into her back and squealed in terror when she realised it was a phaser. She highly doubted that it was set on a reasonably low setting. She squirmed about as much as she could, but he was too strong for her.

As he spun her around, she caught sight of a pair of Cardassian soldiers. One of them was the one she had seen a few days previous. She pleaded with him with her eyes, but she was received with silence.

"Told you she wasn't Bajoran," he said proudly.

The Cardassian holding her pulled her away from him, holding her firmly at arms length. "Aren't you pretty," he exclaimed, his eyes wandering scrutinisingly over her small, slim physique.

Her eyes were wide with terror and she wondered what was going to happen to her. She knew of the appetites of Cardassian men and gathered, with mixed horror, that she was not going to be killed by their hand. She had seen off the one officer earlier, but he was one. There were three broad, strong and powerful soldiers before her now.

When the soldier who had a grip on her threw her back, wanting her to be caught by the other two officers, Keela saw her chance. She took a deep breath and then spun around, driving her foot into the crotch of the first officer. He howled in pain, but the other two soldiers caught her with no problem. One of them ran his hands through her hair and she shuddered at the feel of his warm breath as it hit her ear. She tried to wriggle out of their grasp, but it was in vain.

"Your attempts are futile," one of them said with a broad, evil smirk.

Nonetheless, she continued to orchestrate her escape attempts.

"What's your name?" a different officer asked, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze.

She blinked and stuttered out the word, "Keela."

"What a pretty name," he announced, pleased.

Keela stared into his eyes; the bright green burning like emeralds. Then, her gaze flickered over to the soldier whom she had seen a few days earlier, wondering just how pleased with himself he was at the moment. She should've left as taken his words earlier as a hint, but she didn't. She stayed. She wanted to stay. She had to stay, to look after the Bajorans. It wasn't her world that was falling apart around her, and which had been doing so for quite some time. Still, it didn't feel right to just leave for Earth.

"Leave it, Tokal," another soldier ordered him.

The one named Tokal took one last, long look at Keela and then stepped away. He cleared his throat. "You'll do very nicely."

Keela scowled at him, her dark brown hair falling in her face. She flinched away when the Cardassian moved the strands out of her eyes. "I'll do nicely for what?" she demanded.

"You don't need to know."

"No!" she countered angrily. "Tell me!" she ordered.

One of the Cardassians took her hands and bent them behind her back, causing her to yelp in discomfort. She felt him fasten them, and knew instantly that she was being handcuffed.

"Tell me!" Keela maintained her anger and determination. She lashed out with her legs and managed to land another kick in the groin of the Cardassian who had been on the receiving end of her previous rebellion. He started forward and hit her hard across the face.

She whimpered in pain and hung her head wearily. She began to sob and curse as the three Cardassians led her to God knows where.