Dez stared in disbelief as a Jem'Hadar soldier materialised in front of him!
"Don't move," he shouted. "We've got you covered."
The Jem'Hadar just stood there and looked at them with a look of contempt on his face as Dez realised how stupid his threat must have sounded.
"What do you want from us?" asked Dez, trying to sound firm and threatening when, in fact, he was scared for his life.
"I have come to help," replied the Jem'Hadar calmly. "Why are you pointing a gun at me?"
"Come to help?"
"You sent out a distress call and I have come to answer it."
"Don't believe him, Dez," called out Facity from behind on of the bridge seats. "He is here to kill us. To finish what he started."
"I did not start anything," replied the Jem'Hadar. "And had I wanted then you would be dead already. If you wish I will leave."
"No," replied Dez. "You will go with Brad who will take you to a room for holding while I consider what do to."
Facity left the bridge and when to the infirmary hoping to keep an eye on Glessin. When she arrived she saw that the infirmary was as total mess. As well as cracked monitors and fallen ceiling tiles like on the bridge, there were all sorts of medical devices strewn across the floor. There also seemed to be some not so pleasant things in broken jars. Facity was sure that she did not know what those jars had contained.
Glessin seemed to have escaped uninjured physically from the battle. It was a wonder that he didn't come out of it with more serious injuries. There must have been sharp objects flying around. Either he was very lucky or he managed to dodge the flying objects.
We are going to have to completely restock when we are out of this mess , she thought.
However, Facity reasoned, the real injuries and scares were mental ones. She could clearly see on his face that all was definitely not well.
Facity herself was sporting a big bruise on her head. She had taken the time to change her clothes and was now in a matching set of loose jacket and trousers. Perfect working clothes and there was certainly a lot of work to be done to get the ship into some sort of reasonable state.
Meanwhile, her top priority was to keep Glessin's spirits up. He had had problems in the past that Facity has helped him through and they could not afford to have him sink into depression again. He was essential to the crew. A crew can survive without their first officer and, in extreme circumstances, even without a captain. However, a ship like theirs, which is in constant trouble, cannot manage without its doctor.
She looked around the infirmary and saw the three medical beds were also in a mess. Normally, there would be instruments over them, indicating the condition of the patient lying on the bed. However, everything was broken in one way or another.
In reality, it didn't make any difference because the only occupants of the beds were bodies.
Lying on one, covered by a sheet, was the body of the young Wadi man, Coamis. On the adjacent bed was Neane's body. Looking at the beds caused emotions to rise up in Facity and she had to turn away quickly and fight in order to hold back the tears. She knew that it was important for her to keep her composure especially with Glessin there. I cannot afford to let him see how upset I am, she thought.
She may not be the captain but she was still the first officer and, as such, was a leader for these people. Facity knew that it's at time like this that the crew look to their leaders for strength and direction. She could do her crying later in private. At this time she had to keep showing a brave face.
Meanwhile, Glessin was standing by the bed visibly shaken.
"We are not a war or battle ship," he said, with a forlorn look on his face. "We are scavengers and smugglers. Why would someone do this to us?"
Facity look at him and had no real answer.
"I don't know," she said. "I know that this is difficult but we all feel the same and we can get through this together. Then, we will look for answers to those questions."
Glessin's face showed that he was not convinced but he refused to share more of his feelings. As a Cardassian he was brought up to face adversary and not flinch. On a world where you were under scrutiny all the time people tended to keep everything bottled up inside. You never know who might be listening. It was a hard habit to kick. So the hurt he had in his heart from the deaths of his crew-mates continued to fester and just made him feel weaker.
I am a Cardassian! I should not be feeling like this , he thought. We are taught from childhood to accept death of people we know. Millions of my people died in wars over the last few years. Why should I feel any different about these people ?
However, all he said to Facity was "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"It's okay not to be fine. It's completely understandable. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I am not ashamed!" snapped Glessin.
Facity jumped back from the ferocity of his exclamation. He was obviously suffering but there was nothing she could do to help if he didn't want it.
"I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "It's just that, as a Cardassian, Jem'Hadars do not bring back pleasant memories."
"I know what you mean," replied Facity.
Glessin stared at her with anger in his face. "You have NO idea what I mean! You knew they were the enemy from the start. The Dominion came to us as friends and then wiped out billions of our population."
Facity just looked at him feeling sad at his suffering.
"What sort of people do such a thing?" continued Glessin. "Coming as a friend and then turning our people into slaves."
Facity couldn't help but see the irony. However, she decided that it was probably best not to mention the stories she had heard from Jake about what happened in the Alpha Quadrant a few years back. Cardassian were like any other species - they only see the evil when they are on the receiving end.
"At least they have gone now," said Glessin.
"Yes ..," replied Facity hesitantly, deciding to err on the side of caution and not to mention their prisoner.
"Thank you for being here," said Glessin. "Getting it off my chest has really helped."
Facity could see that he was sincere in his gratitude and that it really had helped him.
"You're welcome," replied Facity, as she turned towards the door.
When she reached the door she turned round to him and added. "Feel free to come and chat with me again if you feel that you need to."
Facity breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the infirmary. Her decision not to mention their "visitor" seemed to have been the correct decision. She was not sure how Glessin would have reacted had he known there was a Jem'Hadar on board.
Facity emerged from the infirmary into total chaos in the corridor. If the damage to the bridge was bad then this was ten times worse and it wasn't exactly in great condition in normal times. Keeping the corridors of your ship spick and span is not exactly at the top of the list of priorities for a smuggler. Most of the time they were just happy to keep the ship moving. Now, with the damage caused by the fight it looked more like a scrap yard than the inside of a working ship.
Facity saw Dez and Pif heading in her direction and both of them looked the worst for wear. Dez had his leg bound and splintered and was walking with the help of a stick. Pif was hobbling; trying to avoid putting too much weight on his bandaged front paw.
"When this crisis is over, we seriously need to consider investing in some more advanced medical devices," said Pif.
"Yeah," replied Dez. "Dermal and bone regenerators for a start."
"Let's get more important things first and then we can worry about luxuries," suggested Facity.
They continued down the corridor, wading their way through parts of wall and ceiling whilst carefully avoiding any open circuits. Dez and Pif were pleased to have Facity there to 'open a path' for them through all the rubble.
"So, how's Glessin doing?" asked Dez, carefully stepping over an open cable. "Think he will hold up?"
"He's not too great," replied Facity. "But I don't think he is going to snap, if that's what you mean. I think he just needs time to himself and to keep doing things to keep himself distracted. He'll pull through in the end."
"Well, I hope it doesn't take too long," said Pif, who narrowly missed treading on a broken piece of glass. "We can't manage very long without our doctor."
"Did you tell him?" asked Dez.
"About our 'guest'?" asked Facity. "No. I decided that it's probably best we don't mention it to him at this moment. No need to upset him more."
Dez and Pif both nodded their agreement.
Dez looked around at the mess as they continued and turned right down another corridor.
"Boy, what a mess. What have we gotten ourselves into this time?"
"Yeah," replied Facity, "but I think you will find that this is the worst of it."
"And the repairs …?" asked Dez, hopefully.
Facity sighed. The news was not great.
"Prees is doing the best she can but it's not going to be easy. We don't have half the stuff we need to fix the ship."
"Any more news from Srral?" asked Dez
"Not much. There are large areas that are so damaged that even he can't get there."
Finally, they reached another door.
"You ready for this?" asked Dez.
"As ready as I'll ever be," replied Facity.
They approached the room where the Jem'Hadar soldier was being kept with Brad on guard outside. They didn't have a brig; it's not the sort of thing you need on a smuggler's ship. So, they had chosen the next best option and put the Jem'Hadar in an unused crew quarters.
Dez smiled as they approached. The situation was actually kind of ridiculous. There was no way Brad could actually guard the Jem'Hadar. It was purely symbolic and even Brad herself knew it. Still, sometimes even symbolic actions have their importance.
Dez signalled and Brad pressed the door button. The door slid open and the four of them each took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The room was unremarkable. Just another crew quarters. As with most of the other places on the ship, there were clear indications of the battle. Broken panels, missing bits of the ceiling and a crack in one of the floor panels.
However, there was one major difference. The floor had been tidied. Nothing had been repaired but the floor was totally clear. All the rubble was piled up neatly in the corner.
Dez gave Brad a quizzical look.
"Don't look at me," said Brad raising his hands. "I've been guarding the room from outside. I certainly didn't clear up."
"It was I who tidied up," said the Jem'Hadar.
Dez smiled to himself. Not a bad job, he thought. Maybe I should get him to tidy the rest of the ship while we have a well-earned rest.
"So," said Dez, "my question is the same: Who are you and why are you here?"
"I am Taran'atar and I am here to help. Why do you keep me prisoner?"
"You are a Jem'Hadar! That's why you are a prisoner!" answered Facity. "In fact, there are some who thought you should have been killed immediately."
Taran'atar stood up and they all took a step back and they braced themselves for a possible fight. They looked at each other and realized how silly they must look. The Jem'Hadar could kill them all in a second without even exerting himself. Nevertheless, Brad raised her rifle and Pif raised his hackles and growled under his breath.
Taran'atar looked at them clearly not understanding what he was doing there. He looked from one to the other trying to decide who to talk to.
"Are you the captain of this vessel?" he asked Dez.
"Actually, yes I am"
"I do not understand," said Taran'atar. "Why have you locked me in this room?"
"Because we don't have a brig!"
"But I am no threat to you."
"You are a Jem'Hadar, so you are a threat. A big threat!" replied Dez.
"What I don't understand," said Facity. "Why would a Jem'Hadar transport over to our ship and then do nothing?"
"I received your distress call and came to help," replied Taran'atar matter-of-factly.
Dez was taken aback by Taran'atar's answer and paced back and forth thinking.
"You answered our distress call? Since when do Jem'Hadar go on rescue missions?"
Taran'atar looked at them bemused. "I did so because I wished to." The answer came so naturally that it surprised even him.
"Wished to?' asked Dez, equally bemused. "Since when does Jem'Hadars do what they wish?"
"I am Taran'atar."
"Yeah," replied Facity. "You already told us that. So what?"
"I only follow Odo. I am free."
"Dominion stopped giving you orders?" asked Brad jokingly.
"Odo is a founder. The founders are the Dominion. I follow Odo, thus I follow the Dominion. It is logical."
Facity raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A philosophical Jem'Hadar. That's a first."
"This is getting us nowhere," said Dez. "Just tell us exactly why you came."
"As I told you, I am here to help."
"Why should we trust you?" asked Dez.
"I have allowed you to confine me with no argument and have made no attempt to escape."
"He's right," agreed Brad. "It's not as if the door or I would have been able to stop him had he wanted to escape. Look at him. He's not even in uniform and he doesn't have that feeding tube. Maybe he is different."
"I am different. I do not need the white."
Facity looked at him, puzzled. Could this really be true?
"So, you just wander around doing what you want?" asked Facity.
"I was assigned as an observer of life on board the Federation output Deep Space Nine. Founder Odo wished me to learn about monoforms."
Dez, Facity, Brad and Pif all looked at each other with wide-eyed surprise.
"Isn't that where Jake comes from?" whispered Dez
"I think so," replied Dez. "Maybe he knows how he is."
"I am aware of this Jake," said Taran'atar. "I have encountered him rarely."
They all jumped back not realizing that he had been listening in.
Taran'atar sat down again clearly indicating that he had done all the talking he was going to.
The others huddled together in the corner to discuss what to do.
"I think we should get rid of him" said Pif and saw Facity nod in agreement.
"And by 'Get rid of', I assume you mean kill," replied Dez.
Brad looked less enthusiastic about the idea. "We can't just execute a prisoner without a really good reason," she said. "Besides being a crime, it is also totally immoral."
"A really good reason?" asked Facity astonished. "You want a good reason? I'll give you one. He's a Jem'Hadar! That's a very good reason in my opinion."
"So, just because of who he is we condemn him to death? If we do something like that then how are we better than any Dominion soldier?"
Facity backed down in a huff. It was obvious that she was not pleased but she agreed that Brad did have a point. Did they really want to become cold-blooded killers?
"So," she asked, "what do we do with him?"
"We could just keep him here," suggested Brad.
"Not really much point doing that," replied Dez. "As you said yourself, he could escape without any problems."
"So you are going to kill him?" said Facity hesitantly. She was suddenly not so enthusiastic about the idea.
"No. I am going to release him. He can stay and help or leave if he wants."
A look of shock and alarm appeared on Facity's and Pif's faces.
"No! You can't do that! You can't let him out, even to help us!" snapped Facity.
"There is no point keeping him here and I think we all agree that killing him is not an option."
Dez looked around at the others. He could see that Brad's little speech had had the desired effect. It was clear that Facity did not like the direction this conversation was headed.
"We could always make him more secure. Force-fields and more," she suggested.
"Yeah? And where would you get the equipment for that?" asked Dez.
"How about just leaving him here and trusting him to stay put? He hasn't made any attempt to escape so far," suggested Facity.
"Not much point in that either, is there? If he wants to cause trouble then he could get out and do it anyway and if he doesn't then why not have him working with us? An extra pair of hands, and super-strong ones at that, are always useful."
"You run the danger of traumatising Glessin," warned Facity. "You can't do this!"
"I can and I will," replied Dez firmly. "I am still captain of this vessel - or what's left of it."
It was obvious from his tone that the discussion was over.
Dez turned to Taran'atar who, despite hearing everything that transpired, was sitting stock still waiting for the "official" answer.
"Okay. I will let you out but you will be under armed guard at all times. Any problems and we don't ask any more questions. Agreed?"
Taran'atar nodded and Dez and the others turned to leave.
As he turned, Dez saw the look on Facity's face and knew he was in big trouble. He may be the captain of the ship but when they are alone Facity will tell him exactly what she thinks.
At least she is sensible enough not to undermine my authority in front of the others , he consoled himself, though he knew that it wouldn't mean anything later when he had to face her alone.
What they had all failed to notice was Glessin following them from the infirmary.
He had a feeling that something was wrong. Facity had sounded overly cautious when he mentioned that the Jem'Hadar had gone. What was she hiding from him?
Even though he was fully a member of the crew, his Cardassian upbringing had taught him never to trust anyone one hundred percent. Everyone has secrets.
When Facity left the infirmary he went over to the door to listen out. He had planned to follow her and see if he could find out exactly what was going on. However, as he reached the door he heard Pif and Dez approach her.
He listened in and heard them chatting with Pif and Dez but he could not hear clearly what was being said. Approaching closer was not an option for fear that the door might open up. Nevertheless, the way they were whispering clearly indicated that they were talking about something they did not wish for him to know. Since when were there secrets on the ship?
Even though he was only a medic, he was still a Cardassian soldier and knew how to follow people without being noticed. So, as soon as they had passed the next corridor, he slipped out of the infirmary and trailed them from a distance, making sure he was not seen. Careful, not to tread on anything that might injure him or make any noise he continued following always keeping them in sight.
Eventually, reach a crew quarters and stopped there. He thought it curious that Brad was standing outside armed. Was there someone in there? Even more important, was it someone dangerous? That was the only thing that could explain Brad being armed. Well, it appears that there are secrets on this ship after all. Once they were all inside and the door had closed, Glessin crept up closer. He knew he wouldn't be able to see the occupant but hoped he would be able to pick up enough details from the conversation and maybe find out what they were hiding this from him and why.
He listened but with the walls being fairly soundproof he could only pick up small snippets of the conversation. He heard Dez ask the guest his name and heard a muffled answer that sounded like "Tantar" or something like that. It didn't matter that he didn't catch the name. That definitely wasn't the reason they were hiding it from him.
He continued to listen for a bit and then he suddenly heard Facity shout out "You are a Jem'Hadar, so you are a threat". Glessin jumped back. THAT'S what they were hiding from him! They have a Jem'Hadar on board!
After recovering from the initial shock, he returned to listen and, as before, he managed to catch bits and pieces of the conversation until once more Facity shouted out. "You can't let him out, even to help us!"
Glessin couldn't believe his ears. Dez was going to let a Jem'Hadar soldier wander around the ship!
He heard them approach the door and managed to duck into the next corridor just before they exited the room. He silently headed back towards the infirmary ensuring that they had no idea that he had been there and had heard their conversation.
