Wrong
Chapter Two: Colleagues
Kilana's first few weeks on the station had gone well. She adapted quickly to her new position, as Weyoun knew she would. Her natural aptitude for ingratiating herself proved useful easing the tensions between the major power players on the station. Even Major Kira seemed rather less hostile lately. He suspected she was pleased that Dukat was paying more attention to Kilana and less to her as of late. Her presence on the station seemed to please him, and to a lesser extent Damar, to no end. But Weyoun was starting to worry that perhaps it pleased them too much.
The way they behaved around her alternately amused and annoyed both Vorta, but they could certainly live with their rather obvious interest in her. What Kilana should not have to tolerate, however, were the lewd, lascivious comments both men would make about her, sometimes in her very presence, when they thought she couldn't hear – but of course she could. Vorta hearing was excellent, the better for them to surreptitiously listen in on an enemy, or even an ally if the situation called for it. He'd see her flinch slightly at their thoughtless and inappropriate 'whispers' more than once, though she wouldn't dare risk offending them by letting them know she was aware of every distasteful word. When he walked in on the two of them doing it again, it was the last straw.
"Why couldn't Kilana have been assigned to Terak Nor in the first place?" He heard Damar ask as he approached Sisko's – no, Dukat's – office. "What do we need Weyoun for anyway?"
Dukat chuckled softly. "Now, now, Damar, don't speak ill of our valued ally. He has his assets, and he's provided us with valuable insights."
"Sir, I'd much rather look into Kilana's 'insights,' and I find her 'assets' a great deal more appealing than his. I think you do too."
"Yes, she is quite attractive, isn't she? Such a pity the Vorta have long since abandoned sexual reproduction in favor of cloning."
"Wait, you mean, you don't think they – do you even think they can?"
"I've seen no indication that they can, or that they do. Who knows? Perhaps the Founders simply genetically engineered it out of the Vorta. Perhaps they still can, but they don't know how. Though if that's the case, I'd be more than happy to … educate her." He could see Dukat's predatory smile as the two men laughed together, and he strode into the office and confronted them without preamble.
"That's enough."
They looked at him in confusion, unaware that he had overheard their conversation. "These disgusting comments about Kilana are going stop. Now. If you cannot respect me, then you will at least respect her. She should not be made to feel so uncomfortable merely because the two of you cannot keep your primitive urges in check."
Damar glared at him. "How did you –"
"The Vorta have excellent hearing," Weyoun cut him off. Dukat regarded him with interest.
"Do they? Ah, which means our dear Kilana has probably heard some our … less discreet comments as well," Dukat said, and Weyoun nodded curtly. "Forgive me. I had no idea…"
"I'm not interested in your apologies, I just want it to stop," Weyoun said, a little more sharply than he meant too. The Cardassian's eyes widened, and Damar started to say something, objecting to the Vorta's tone, but Dukat gestured for him to be silent. He met Weyoun's gaze squarely.
"It will stop, I promise you. Perhaps we should make an apology? I didn't realize we were making her so uncomfortable that she would have to come to you with –"
"She didn't come to me, but I could tell that your words were upsetting her, even if you couldn't." He didn't understand why Dukat's expression was now slightly smug, but he didn't particularly care. "As for an apology, I think it would be best for her if you simply pretended none of this ever happened."
"As you wish," Dukat said, his tone surprisingly mild, given the situation. "Damar, you heard Weyoun? None of this happened. And from now on, we will keep our … appreciation of our new ally to ourselves."
Damar looked less then pleased, but he nodded obediently. "Yes, sir." Dukat gave him a pointed look, and he excused himself to attend to station business. Weyoun turned to leave after him.
"Weyoun." The Gul's voice called him back. "I really am sorry about this. It's just in our nature…"
"That's no excuse. She should not have to be subjected to such indignities."
"Of course," Dukat said deferentially. "And you have my word, she never will again. Not from us, in any case." He titled his head at the Vorta, looking at him as though she was trying to puzzle something out. "You're very protective of her, aren't you?"
The question caught him off guard. "No, I … it's just … she is young. Things that might not faze someone older who was in her position, she takes to heart."
"Young? What does that word even mean among the Vorta? She's a clone like the rest of you, isn't she?"
"Yes, of course, but she's only on her third life."
"Ah. Whereas you, on your fifth, are older and wiser."
"Something like that."
"But you've worked with her before, haven't you? How many lifetimes ago was that?"
"Two for me, one for her. Is there a point to this conversation, Dukat?" What was the man getting at?
As he was wont to do, the Cardassian picked up Captain Sisko's baseball, studying the thing as though it fascinated him.
"No, none beyond idle curiosity. Is there anything else you needed to discuss with me?"
"Not at the moment. Just so long as we're clear on this."
"Quite clear. And again, my deepest apologies for offending your …"
"Colleague," Weyoun finished for him, puzzled at his odd manner. There was something in his tone that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but he wasn't going to waste time wondering about it, so long as the situation was resolved. He nodded and exited the office, even as he heard Dukat chuckling, "Colleague indeed."
"It's a terrible idea."
"No it's not."
"I am telling you, assuming she even agrees, if you go through with it, it's guaranteed to end badly."
Weyoun and Kilana were dining at Quark's – lunch this time. It had quickly become their habit to share a meal together at least once a week, trying the different cuisines the station's promenade had to offer, while discussing Dominion business and station politics. Despite their limited sense of taste, they rather enjoyed sampling the foods of different cultures and races. And yet they found themselves returning to the Ferengi's bar more often than not, perhaps because he was really the only merchant who was genuinely pleasant to them rather than coldly polite.
Of course, at first, he was rather overly pleasant to Kilana, but a few glares and well-placed words from Weyoun soon curbed the Ferengi's attentions – though, observing their consumption of his food and drink, he had once muttered something odd, something along the lines of, "Well, two out of three isn't bad,*" but the comment seemed fairly innocuous, if confusing, so he let it pass.
In any case, he and Kilana never discussed it, nor did they mention the newly respectful attitudes of Damar and Dukat. On some level, he knew that Kilana knew, or at least suspected, that he had interceded on her behalf. While she was probably grateful for the help, she was also likely equally embarrassed to need it in the first place. Weyoun was happy to leave the issue unremarked upon between them. What she was proposing now, however, was entirely different, and a matter on which he would not stay silent.
"You don't know that, Weyoun. Stop being so negative! This is what I do. I establish rapport, I build connections."
"All Vorta do that, as the situation requires, Kilana."
"Well yes, but I'm especially good at it. Just as you excel at military strategy and diplomatic intrigue. That's why you requested my assignment here, isn't it? Because you still have faith in my abilities?"
"Yes, of course, always, but …"
She folded her arms across her chest, her look daring him to come up with a better argument.
"But what?"
"You don't even know how to play Springball!"
Dropping her arms at her sides, Kilana laughed. "Really? That's the best you can come up with it? For your information, I'm well acquainted with the rules of the game. I've been studying it for some time now…"
"Studying it and playing it are quite different, I assure you. We are not made for such things, Kilana. It is not a game Vorta should aspire to play."
"Oh, but Dabo is?" She teased him. Weyoun scoffed.
"I hardly ever do that anymore."
"Liar, you were in here just last week –"
"The point, there is a fundamental difference between Springball and Dabo."
"You mean, one is a respectable Bajoran pastime while the other is an emblem of Ferengi debauchery?"
"Nooo. One game is physical, the other is not. And despite the natural grace of our species, and of you in particular, my dear, the Vorta are not suited to such blatantly physical activities or exertions. It's why the Jem'Hadar do the fighting, and we do everything else."
The look on Kilana's face was a familiar one. It was the look she got when he'd made a valid point, but her stubbornness didn't allow her to concede.
"Well … well … you're wrong," She huffed at him. "I'm going through with it."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, just don't come crying to me when you injure yourself."
"You know, I thought you would applaud my initiative, Weyoun. Major Kira is my colleague … our colleague … and she needs to start viewing herself as such if we are to make any progress here. And after all, if she is, as you suspect, planning some sort of organized resistance against us, my establishing a connection with her might cause her to let down her guard and inadvertently reveal something …"
"Oh, and here I thought you were only interested in deepening the grand friendship between our two peoples."
"You disapprove?"
"Not at all. It's good to know you can still be devious," he said, and they smiled conspiratorially at each other. "But you should not underestimate the Major. She's on her guard around us, always."
"Which is exactly why I need to interact with her on a different level, and in a different setting, in order for her to let her guard down."
"You premise is not with merit, Kilana, but I still say it's a bad idea –"
"Major!" Kilana said as the woman in question entered the bar, standing up and smiling. Kira nodded at her, barely managing a small smile in return. Weyoun shook his head almost imperceptibly, but Kilana was already striding over to the other woman. He heard the reluctance in Kira's voice as his colleague went on about her supposed 'fascination' with Springball, but eventually she said something that made the Bajoran agree.
"Come Major, it's a chance to channel some of our pent-up frustrations. We could put a picture of Dukat's face on the ball and whack it around the holosuite."
For a moment Kira stared at her, astonished she would so blatantly express her distaste for the man. She had always harbored a sneaking suspicion that the female Vorta's friendly, almost flirtatious manner with Dukat and the other Cardassians was for show, but had never been able to confirm it. And now, despite her antipathy towards the Dominion, she couldn't help but laugh at her proposal, and Kilana laughed with her. Weyoun had to admire her skill at manipulating the Major. However, he still felt this Springball experiment would be a disaster.
"And Damar's face on the other side, I suppose?" The Major was asking. Kilana nodded.
"Naturally."
"Do you even know how to play?"
"I'm familiarized myself with the rules of the game, yes."
"Well, alright. One game. But don't expect to go easy on you."
"Major, I wouldn't expect you to 'go easy' on anyone. Except perhaps Ziyal." Well played, Weyoun thought, as Kira's visibly softened at the mention of the young woman.
"Well, Ziyal is special."
"Indeed. Quite a remarkable young woman, with an incredibly even and sweet temperament, given all she has been through. She must get it from her mother," Kilana added, and they chuckled again.
The made arrangements for a match the next day, and as Kira went to Quark to book a holosuite, Kilana returned to Weyoun, wearing a look of triumph.
"Tell me I'm good."
"You're brilliant. But I still think this is a terrible idea." Kilana smirked.
"Well, I looked forward to proving you wrong."
*Quark's line here is in reference to when the Dominion Occupation first started, and Quark worried that his business would suffer, because, as he said, "The Jem'Hadar don't eat, don't drink, and they don't have sex. And as if that weren't bad enough, the Founders don't eat, don't drink, and they don't have sex." Ziyal, trying to cheer him up, said "It might not be so bad. For all we know, the Vorta could be glutinous, alcoholic sex maniacs."
