Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
The hiss of the doors interrupted my thoughts, and I mentally steeled myself for this meeting with Weyoun. But to my surprise, it was Odo and Kira.
I sighed in relief and sat back down. "Hi."
They nodded in greeting. "What's your name?" Kira asked.
"Emma. It's nice to meet you, Major Kira."
Despite all that was happening, I felt a twinge of excitement as they stood before me. Odo was grumpy and aloof, but he had a kind and caring heart underneath all that. And Kira had always been one of my favorite characters. I hated all the wimpy slutty females from the original series, from their simpering and subordinate attitudes to the horrible impractical uniforms they wore. Kira Nerys was the opposite of that. She was headstrong and willful, and she did not take anyone's crap, not for a second. It was great to have a strong female lead who wasn't an annoying know-it-all like Dax.
I didn't worry about Kira knowing what I knew, because I was certain she would never reveal anything. But even so, I would have to watch my mouth around Odo. He would betray Kira and the resistance cell by linking with the Female Changeling, thus revealing valuable information to her if she wanted it.
Kira raised her eyebrow in surprise. "How do you know my name?"
"You don't want to know, trust me. But I am glad to see you. As you can see...we have a bit of a problem."
"What do you mean?" asked Odo suspiciously.
"What's the status of the minefield?" I replied, hoping he would see my point.
A glint of fear entered Odo's eyes, but Kira wasn't so easily daunted. "You're meddling in things a girl your age shouldn't meddle in."
"It wasn't my choice to meddle in them. I was thrown in, and I need your help to get out."
Odo chuckled dryly. "Do you think it's that easy to escape this holding cell?"
I shook my head. "No, but it's not impossible."
"Why should we help you?" probed Kira incredulously.
I stood up and walked toward her, coming to a stop right before the screen.
"Because I know things that could help the Federation win this war. And I also know things that could help the Dominion win as well. You're Major Kira Nerys, a member of the Bajoran militia. You've served under Captain Sisko for five years now, and although at first you weren't sure how to address him considering you considered him the Emissary to the Prophets, now you've developed a close friendship with him. You've had a relationship with Vedik Baryl. You were a member of the Resistance Movement during the Occupation, in Shakaar's cell. Do I need to keep going?"
The Major and the Changeling stood dumbfounded as I rattled off Kira's life story to them.
"How do you know this?" she whispered to me.
"Like I said, you don't want to know."
"Yes, we do. And Weyoun will want to know as well," Odo said grimly.
I snorted. "Trust me, I'm not going to be as forthcoming with him."
"Then he'll execute you," replied Odo. "I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that."
"I'll give him enough information to prove that I'm useful," I countered. "Then I'll keep him guessing the rest of the way. And this will probably be the last free conversation I'll be able to have with you, at least with you, Kira. Once I prove Weyoun right, I don't think they'll let just anyone talk to me."
"Once you prove Weyoun right?" Odo repeated, confused.
"He's very perceptive. He could tell that I knew things, and he's right. And what better prisoner for the Dominion than a stupid fangirl with knowledge she shouldn't have?"
I sat back down, trying to hold in my tears. "I guess it's not so bad, though. I don't know every little detail or anything, I just know some important stuff."
I glanced up at them and a worrying thought came to my mind. "I hope you don't think I'm cocky or anything." The last thing I wanted was to sound like Dax.
Kira laughed soberly. "You sounded like it for a bit, but I can see your predicament. You're worried...we all are."
A soft impatient cough caused us all to turn around. Weyoun, escorted by two Jem'Hadar, was standing in the doorway. He bowed to Odo and gave Kira a reassuring smile, but his glance strayed to me, and his eyes were filled with triumph.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I think it best to restrict this prisoner's access to outside contact."
"Why?" said Odo, and for a moment, hope made my heart skip a beat.
"I have orders from the Founders. I contacted them this afternoon and they agree with my assessment. No one is to talk to her without my permission."
He bowed his head contritely. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Kira threw him a stone-faced look before striding out, and Odo reluctantly followed her. The Jem'Hadar also left, and I saw them station themselves on either side of the door before it closed. Weyoun walked forward, and I had to try to steady my pounding heart as he released the security screen. When he saw the terrified look on my face, he chuckled.
"Please, Emma, try to relax. You have nothing to fear from me."
I expected him to have me sit at the table again, but instead he came and sat beside me. Having him this close was...uncomfortable. He smiled and clapped his hands together, as was his mannerism.
"Now, have you made up your mind?"
"About what?"
"About how we are going to treat you, my dear."
I looked away. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I? I'll help you...to a point."
He raised his eyebrows and laughed. "And here I was expecting you to refuse! I'm glad you've made the right choice, Emma. I would hate to have to execute you."
So Odo was right. "What do you want to know?"
He smiled maliciously. "Before I ask my questions, I'd like to ask a favor of you."
"What's that?"
His smile widened. "You seem to know...a great deal about me. Would you care to tell me what you know? How am I perceived where you come from?"
"I come from Earth, and I'm sure you know how they feel about you there."
He laughed. "I know perfectly well. But you're not from Earth...at least not the Earth I know."
My heart stopped. "What are you talking about?" I croaked, cursing that my voice betrayed me.
He stood and towered above me. "Do you really think Starfleet is so incompetent that they would let a mere girl like yourself be an informant? Or are you disillusioned that you believe you could bypass Starfleet's security codes? Honestly, I think you know as well as I...you're far too well informed to be from Earth, but I'm sure you have the Federation's best interests at heart. Besides, you admitted yourself that you know things that would help them win the war."
I closed my eyes and sighed. I hadn't even been face to face with Weyoun and already I had slipped up. Those ears of his could pick up conversations across rooms and probably through doors.
"What do you know about the minefield, Emma?"
"That it's the only thing between us and destruction," I said irritably. He was winning this game and it ticked me off.
He laughed humorlessly. "Now is not the time to be smart with me. Do you know how to bring it down?"
"I'm sure you'll find the answer soon enough," I replied vaguely.
He turned to me, intruiged. "And when will that be?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me."
This made him angry, and suddenly he was in my face and nearly growling in his anger.
"Stop playing games with me, Emma," he said slowly. "This is the last time I'm going to tell you. If you defy me again, you'll regret it."
The anger dissipated off his face and a smile returned, then he backed up and relaxed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he did, I interrupted.
"How so?"
His brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't follow you."
"You said I would regret it. What are you going to do to me?" I had to know what I was up against, because there was no way I could do everything he wanted me to do.
His eyes twinkled in merriment as he came back to the bench. Again, he towered over me, but this time I was much more apprehensive of his actions. I could deal with an angry Weyoun, but a playful Weyoun?
He half-knelt on the bench and his face was inches from my own. He could probably hear my pounding heart at this distance. I looked into his pale purple eyes and waited.
"Do you really want to know?" he asked softly, and chills crawled up my spine.
I nodded.
"I'm sure I can think of something...unpleasant..." he replied, his lips nearly touching my cheek. If studying Weyoun on the show had taught me anything, it was that he had no respect for personal space.
I find inter-species mating rituals fascinating to watch.
The quote came out of nowhere and I couldn't suppress my shiver. He laughed softly, and now that he saw that invading my bubble made me uncomfortable, I'm sure he would use that to his advantage.
"Now, my dear, we were discussing the minefield."
I sat stock still, my lips sealed tight. I had already revealed enough, and Weyoun would have to try harder than that to get the answers he wanted. But I was afraid that he might succeed.
"It's such a shame that you don't want to talk to me. If only we worked together, we could bring an end to this terrible war. You could be a hero, Emma. Think of the lives you could save," he whispered into my ear.
He still hadn't backed off; the holding cell was so small that even if I pulled myself away, he could corner me easily.
But his words rang in my ears and I answered him very carefully.
"Why do you think I'm not talking? You'd destroy Earth the minute the Jem'Hadar had taken care of the Federation. We both know that."
He looked hurt, but I knew it was only for show. He had used this technique before on Sisko.
"For someone who is so well informed, it's disappointing to see that you don't understand us at all."
"I understand you well enough!" I shouted back, my restraint giving way to my irritation. I stood up. "The Dominion is a cowardly, slippery, power-hungry organization based on fear and conquest! You knew you couldn't take on a united quadrant, so you did your best to tear us apart! You started the Klingon-Cardassian war and then offered to help when Cardassia needed you the most, and then you sign non-aggression pacts with half the quadrant, leaving the Federation and the Klingons to fend for themselves! Don't play the 'you don't understand us' card with me, Weyoun."
During my tirade, his expression had hardened. He was no longer pretending to be offended. His gaze was calculating and cold as it swept over me, and despite my anger, I shivered.
He stood and walked over to me. "No," he said softly. "I won't underestimate you again, Emma. You know far too much for your own good, and believe me...you'll wish you didn't know a thing by the time I'm through with you."
I held in my horror and kept a straight face as a sickening, triumphant smile raised the corners of his creamy white lips. I already wished that I didn't know anything, but I had a terrible feeling that Weyoun was going to show me just how much I regretted being here.
