Kira Nerys was starting to get a headache listening to the Vorta speak, he was almost as bad as the Cardassians. And the news the insufferable little creature brought was worse than Kira thought possible. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't look away from that screen. The one good thing in all of it, however morbid, was that the Dominion thought that they were dead. It was even important enough to vocalize.
"Well, at least they're not looking for us anymore."
No response came from her two Cardassian companions, each equally drawn to watch the Vorta's message with morbid curiosity. As the message continued, however, it got worse – if that was even possible. Kira's look hardened as she silently glared at the small screen the trio was gathered around.
"All eighteen…" Damar repeated breathlessly, unable to grasp such a concept. He quickly became outraged as the message ended. "How could they have comprised our entire organization? We took every precaution. Encrypted every transmission, screened every–"
"It doesn't matter how they did it." Snapped the Colonel, standing up from the edge of the bed she had been sitting on. "It's done!"
The Bajoran approached the unlikely comrade. She reached out a hand when she was close enough, and spun him around to look at her. "Now, we've got to find a way off Cardassia." She spun to the other Cardassian among them, "Garak, can we use that thing to contact the Federation?"
"With a signal that strong, the Dominion would trace our location in a manner of seconds." He explained, gesturing to the communications device now behind them.
"Well we've gotta do something!" The Bajoran snapped through clenched teeth. "We are not spending the rest of the war in this cellar," she reattached her communicator pin as she continued, "Are we?" She looked between her two comrades, gaze finally settling to stay on Damar.
The aforementioned Cardassian only let out a sigh and walked away from her, around the bed to take up the place she had occupied only moments ago. The former leader sat down heavily as Kira protested again.
"Are we?"
Neither of her two companions said a word, each shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
***
"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm not going to sit here and do nothing." Announced the former exile as he stood up and started to rummage through the crates and boxes in the cellar of his childhood home.
Kira looked up curiously.
"And what do you think we're going to do?"
The Bajoran's gaze snapped from Garak to Damar as the latter questioned the former. Garak did not respond, though, only continued to hunt through the contents of all the containers. Kira and Damar exchanged curious glances before looking up to the top of the stairs, where Mila, caretaker of the house, appeared with drinks.
"You all look so down – here." She declared as she descended the stairs, holding in her hands what Garak had apparently been searching for, as he dropped what it was he had been doing to approach the familiar Cardassian.
Once the drinks were handed off to Garak, Mila disappeared again, leaving the three to wallow a bit in their sorrows.
What was presented to them turned out to be alcohol, much to Kira's surprise. Damar, while he also appeared to be a bit surprised, didn't hesitate to take a glass of… whatever it was, none among the trio knew, but none were going to complain.
Damar was the known drinker, and didn't hesitate to down the first drink among the three. Kira was more hesitant, watching as Garak took the next drink. Deciding it best not to be left out, she inhaled a deep breath and drank. And drank… and drank; all three of them, drunk and happy about life for the first time in ages.
"Oh, and you should have seen the looks on their faces!" Concluded the Bajoran Colonel with giddy laughter; her two companions soon chimed in.
Kira told stories of her time as a resistance fighter, at least some of the happier and amusing memories that she had. Her two Cardassian companions found the stories funny, even if they were poking fun at their race.
The former resistance fighter leaned heavily on Damar, which would be much to everyone's surprise… if they weren't drunk. She leaned over to him and swiped the bottle in his hand.
"I think you've had enough." She grinned at him, face inches away from his. A half frown creased his drunken features.
"And I… could say the same about you." He then started to laugh, and Kira pulled her head away from him, laughing as well.
"And I think you've both had way too much," observed Garak, who didn't seem to be as drunk as his comrades.
Kira ignored him, and focused on Damar as she tried to come up with the right words, her speech rather slurred. "I always liked you more than Dukat." A nimble finger poked the Cardassian's armored chest with this revelation. "Quiet, respectful… and good looking too."
"Ah, now Colonel, maybe you should lie down." Garak said, getting up immediately.
Damar waved him off, "No, no – let her speak." He flashed a trademark Cardassian grin, earning a scoff from Garak in return, who sat back down and leaned back with an annoyed look on his features.
"Tell me more," Damar ordered as he leaned closer to Kira. His family was dead; they were likely to be dead soon as well, so why not enjoy life a bit? Mila had been right – they needed this.
"I don't think there's much else to tell." The Colonel grinned back at him, and then turned her head away to finish the bottle. Once it was empty, she placed it down and then looked back at Damar.
Garak spared one glance at the two before rolling his eyes and leaning his head back again. He touched his temples and let out an exasperated sigh. His companions had drunk themselves stupid and were now lip-locked. A few minutes passed and the most sober of the three spared a glance, but wasn't too pleased with what he saw.
"Oh, come on! We have a job to do." He snapped, standing up and looming over them.
Kira giggled like a school girl as her lips parted from Damar's. He, however, ignored Garak and left a trail of kisses down the Bajoran's neck.
"There is a war going on, in case you two forgot." Garak spoke icily, glaring at the two of them.
Slowly but surely, the other two started to come to their senses, what their companion had said starting to sink in. Kira was regaining herself faster, having had a bit less than their alcoholic leader.
"Damar – Damar, stop, Garak – Garak's right." Her breathing was heavy and rapid as her request went ignored.
"Why should I, Nerys?" He breathed to her, hot breath trailing up her neck. It was the first time she had heard her name spoken by a Cardassian and not been ready to gut them for it and she couldn't figure out why.
"Enough," commanded Garak, starting to quickly sober up. After a vague eye roll, Damar moved off and laid down on the other cot.
With a look that could almost be called dreamy, Kira picked up the bottle she had put down moments again and laid back as well. She started to play with it, turning it over and over again in her hands, focusing on its dark glass.
***
Having pulled her knees up a bit, so her feet could rest flat on the bed, Kira was still examining the bottle. All three had really sobered up, though, and the Colonel was trying hard not to think of what she had just been enjoying about twenty minutes ago. Damar had been quiet, lying in a similar position to the Bajoran in the other bed, though one leg hung off the side of the small cot as he stared up at the ceiling. Garak had long since sat back down in his seat and had also remained silent.
"If only they could see you now," Mila's voice wafted down the stairs as the door swished open from the main part of the house.
"Who?" The most silent of the trio was the first to speak, though he did not move. Neither did the other two as the elder Cardassian woman descended the stairs to the cellar.
"The people in the streets. Everyone's talking about Damar," she drawled out his name as she came to a stop a few steps from the bottom, leaning on the railing as she looked down at the trio. "And his rebels."
It was Kira's turn to speak up, though did not look away from what she was doing – peeling the label off the bottle in her hands. "What are they saying? How stupid we were for walking into a Dominion trap?"
"How arrogant we were," Damar picked up her sentence and ran with it, "To think we could beat them in the first place."
"How glad they are that we're all dead." Garak finished morbidly, staring at the floor.
"Actually, they don't really believe you are dead." Mila explained, seating herself on the step that she stood upon.
This caused Kira to turn her head away from the bottle she was playing with, looking to the elder woman as she continued to speak.
"Oh you should hear the stories," she started, taking a quick and sharp breath before recounting what she had been hearing. "Damar's alive, my cousin saw him on Kelvas Prime.' 'He faked his own death.' 'He's plotting a new offensive from his secret mountain hideaway.'"
Kira rose up from her position on the small cot, intrigued at what she was hearing. Damar, on the other hand, reacted only slightly to the sound of his name, mostly rolling his eyes at the extravagance of the stories. Garak easily made light of the situation.
"You never told me you had a secret mountain hideaway."
"I was going to surprise you." Damar remarked almost instantly, the vague hints of a smile evident on his scaled features as he closed his eyes – resisting the urge to shake his head or roll his eyes.
Kira, propped up on one arm, spoke up next. "I wonder why they refuse to believe you're dead."
"Oh, they've been lied to so often. They don't trust anything the Dominion says." Damar replied, opening his eyes again, but not otherwise moving as he spoke.
The Colonel rolled over onto her stomach, now propped up on both elbows. "No, what if it's more than that?" She didn't look at anyone in particular as she mused out loud. "What if we had more of an impact than we realized?" Slowly, she shifted her gaze over to Damar, "What if we turned you into a legend?"
He scoffed at this, "Tch, some legend…"
"Don't you see? The people want to believe in you, we can use that. Yes, the organized resistance is gone, but there's an entire civilian population out there that is fed up with living under the Occupation. And if Damar," She had looked away from him again, eyes going between Mila, the floor, and Garak, "tells the people of Cardassia to rise up against the Dominion…"
"Then we might have a revolution on our hands." Garak finished, earning a look from the Colonel.
"Or you might really get yourselves killed," added Mila, shaking her head a bit.
"Anything's better than rotting in this cellar," Damar finally spoke, glancing around a bit at the ceiling above him. "How do we begin?" He asked, finally sitting up and looking at the other three that were gathered.
Kira also sat up all the way, her eyes glimmering with an idea. "Where's the closest Jem'Hadar barracks?"
***
Everything had been a success so far, the people were now, finally, rising up against the oppression. After a rescue from what had seemed to be a check mate, the small team was now headed for their last target – the main base. They were going to get in there, get the Founder, and end the war once and for all.
Kira kept remembering the speech Damar had given to incite the rebellion amongst the people. It reminded her of her time during the Occupation on Bajor, and helped to inspire her to keep fighting – even if she wasn't fighting for Cardassia, she was fighting to free an oppressed people.
Images flashed in the Bajoran's mind at just an hour ago, when power had been lost all across the city, the three of them working in the dark to be ready to hit them again (and hit them hard, as noted by the Colonel); the look in Damar's eye, one that reminded her so much of herself when she was in the same position all those years ago; the sound of his voice as he thanked her for everything she had done, summed up in one eloquent set of words. Only when Garak had spoken of the irony did Kira find the words to speak and discount her role in all this.
He had become so strong. Since that kick in the ass over his family, and Kira's subsequent comment on his thoughts on it, he had really shaped up and grown from the experience – as predicted by Garak.
Now they sat behind crates and containers, waiting for the charges to be placed on the entrance to the cargo bay that would lead them to their goal. Nervousness was evident in Damar's hollow gaze; this was it – their last stand against the Dominion. A strong hand was placed on his shoulder, and his eyes lifted to that of Kira Nerys. Would they all make it? Seemed to be the question behind his eyes, but no comforting answer was received from his comrade and his eyes dropped.
Finally Garak came back, crouching down behind Kira.
"We have a problem."
"Just one?" She asked bitterly, not looking at him as the sounds of the Dominion attacks all around them created an air of uncertainty.
"I'm afraid it's a rather large problem." This caused the commander to turn her head to view the Cardassian more clearly as he explained what the problem was.
"The cargo door is made of neutronium.""Then the explosives we brought… aren't even going to make a dent…"
"You see the problem."
"What do we do?" asked the rebel sitting next to Damar, concern lacing his scaled features.
Damar readjusted his grip on the phase rifle he was holding, "I don't know, but I'm through hiding in basements." He looked at Kira and Garak, the latter of which began to laugh.
"I fail to see what is so funny, Garak." He stated, half an annoyed look on his features at the situation.
Garak explained, through laughter, what it was that brought such an emotion to the table at a time like this. "Well, isn't it obvious? Here we are… ready to, storm the castle," he made a few gestures with his hand as he continued. "Willing to sacrifice our lives in the noble effort to slay the Dominion beast…" He broke off into laughter, unintelligible words leaving his mouth as Kira started to laugh along side of him.
Kira started to lean on the laughing Cardassian as she, too, broke into fits of uncontrollable laugher.
"And we can't even get inside the gates…" finished Garak, still laughing.
A smile finally came from Damar, even a faint one from the soldier next to him as they chuckled at the humor behind the situation.
"Maybe… maybe we could go up to the door and ask the Jem'Hadar to let us in." suggested the commander through fits of laughter, making a knocking motion with one hand as she did so.
"Or will just have them send the shape shifter out to us." Damar added, causing the whole group of them to burst out laughing.
Once everything caught their breath and the laughter was quelled, Garak added, "As I said – we have a problem."
Everyone had settled, and each sat quietly trying to figure out how they could all get inside.
Damar was the first with a vocal suggestion, "What if I give myself up, and pretend to be a prisoner?"
"They'd kill you on site," observed Kira with a frown.
"And us along with you," added Garak with an uneasy confidence in the words he spoke.
Just then, the sounds of the heavy cargo door filled the air, observed by the solider sitting next to Damar.
"The cargo door…"
Everyone turned to peer over from their hiding place to see what was taking place. Cardassians were being dragged out forcibly from the instillation, one making rather loud protests at this fact.
"You're making a terrible mistake! I'm not a traitor! Please! Just let me speak to the Founder!" It was Damar's replacement as leader of Cardassia under the Dominion, and as he turned around to face the Jem'Hadar to continue his protests, he was killed by the two guards without a second's hesitation. His last words echoed in the group's heads, but in the end went ignored because of the amazing opportunity this had provided them.
Damar was the first to move and he didn't hesitate, picking up a second phaser, he shot both Jem'Hadar dead at the same time, advancing forward with his small team of four behind him.
"For Cardassia!" Was the shout heard over and over as the small group charged into battle, Damar at the head.
The resistance they met from the Jem'Hadar was heavy at first, and the initial soldier that had run out to meet them pummeled Damar with phaser blasts; two to the shoulder and one that grazed across his side and as he stumbled back, a few more grazed across his legs. A phaser blast came from just to his side, as Kira felled the Jem'Hadar monster than had shot Damar.
The Cardassian leader stumbled back against the Bajoran, and she cradled him with one hand carefully as she continued to fire her phaser at the oncoming Jem'Hadar soldiers. Pulling back a bit behind some cover, she came to a crouch next to Garak, the other two soldiers dispatching of the remaining Jem'Hadar in the corridor as Kira cradled Damar in her lap, eyes burning.
He may have been her enemy once, he may have been what she hated, but he was still a man – a man that was willing to die to free his people. He had the heart of every Bajoran resistance fighter from all those years ago, fought with courage and bravery. But Commander Kira was going to be damned if she saw him die like this, so close to the end.
"It's okay, stay with us, Damar." Kira shed her cloak that she had been wearing to hide her Starfleet uniform, Garak helping her with the fallen Cardassian.
"Keep…" were all the words the weakened Cardassian leader could get out as he lost consciousness. Not dead (at least not yet), but not able to fight.
Kira looked between the gathered group, "Remember his orders… we stop for nothing!"
"For… Cardassia!" Shouted Garak at the top of his lungs in response to this, the other two chiming in before Garak's voice had even faded out. They had come too far to be stopped now.
Kira signaled everyone on ahead and then lifted Damar to his feet, he groaned groggily, eyes flickering half open to peer into the eyes of the Bajoran.
"Come on, Damar, you're going to see this through." She said through clenched teeth, and wrapped his arm around her neck and helped to guide him forward. One arm was wrapped around his waist, so she could still use the phaser in it if need be. Their pace quickened as the sounds of the fighting got closer.
The first one to the briefing room killed one of the last two Jem'Hadar, but was killed by the last, collapsing back against the wall – dead instantly. Having allowed Damar a chance to rest against the wall just outside their target room, Kira whipped around the corner and took out the last Jem'Hadar soldier in the room, leaving Weyoun and the Founder.
Three of them came in unharmed, weapons raised and pointed at the Founder and Vorta. A look of shock came across the face of the pair, now without their Jem'Hadar guards to protect them.
Weyoun recovered quickly, though. "What a pleasant surprise." He drawled out, eyes still wide in shock as he moved around the Founder to get a slightly better view of the gathered group.
"Pleasure's all mine," Kira spoke sarcastically, eying the Vorta and his 'god'.
"The Federation fleet has surrounded the planet," reported one of the team survivors from a nearby console.
"I want you to contact the Jem'Hadar and the Breen – and you order their ships to stand down." The commander ordered, never taking her eyes off the two prisoners.
"And order your troops on Cardassia to do the same." Garak added, hand shifting uncomfortably with the phaser and his desire to squeeze the trigger.
The Founder relented, "I will do no such thing."
"Tell me, where is my old friend, Damar?" The Vorta asked, looking around for a brief moment, before bringing his weak eyes back on Kira and Garak.
"Right here," came the Cardassian's voice, just seconds before a phaser blast left the weapon clutched in his hand.
Everyone's eyes opened in surprise, but as soon as the energy was released from the weapon, it was dropped and Damar clutched his side – even if it wasn't the greatest pain, it was the least awkward place to try and hold himself, in hopes of the pain subsiding. His shoulders burned with the searing pain of the phaser blasts he had taken there, and his side wasn't much better. His clothing was starting to become soaked in blood as he staggered back, grabbing onto a console to brace himself against it.
"I wish you hadn't done that," the Founder looked up from her deceased Vorta to the gathered group, eyeing Damar specifically. "That was Weyoun's last clone."
"We were hoping you'd say that," Garak answered with a vague smile, pleased that the filthy creature was finally dead.
Kira approached the dying Founder, "This war's over – you lost."
"Have I?" The shape shifter turned and started to walk away from the Colonel. "I think you'll find that neither the Jem'Hadar or the Breen will agree with that sentiment." She walked around to her desk, "They will fight to the last man."
"And what will that accomplish?" Kira asked almost bitterly, everyone else silent, even Damar as he tried to stay focused on the situation.
The Founder spread her hands about as she answered the question, "Isn't it obvious? You may win this war, Commander, but I promise you – when it is over you will have lost so many ships, so many lives…" The Founder sat down at her desk, "That your victory will taste as bitter as defeat."
It was a stalemate, no one knew what to say or do. Damar managed to get the strength to come to Kira and Garak's sides, leaning on the former who readily offered to help him by wrapping one arm around his waist in support.
"Get me the Defiant," Kira ordered Garak, looking over at him. With a nod of his head, he obliged and soon enough they were speaking with Sisko and Odo.
"We're glad to see you in once piece, Commander."
"Very glad." To this, Kira smiled, happy to see everyone, especially Odo, were alright.
"What's your status?"
"Four of us made it to the briefing room."
"What about Damar?"
"Wounded, but I think he'll live." The commander looked off to the side to see him, sitting nearby in silence, eyes almost glazed over as he stared at the floor.
"Is your position secure?"
"I don't think the Jem'Hadar will attack, they won't risk endangering the Founder. And she's in pretty bad shape; she just… sits at her desk, deteriorating."
"If she dies before ordering the Jem'Hadar to surrender…"
"Then they will fight to the last man." Captain Sisko finished for his Klingon officer.
Odo turned to him, "Captain, I should beam down there. The Founder will speak with me, I can reason with her."
"You haven't had much success with her in the past."
"It's worth a try, think of the lives it could save."
"Very well," Sisko gave a very faint nod of his head as he acknowledged the Constable. "Commander," He looked back up to the view screen, where Kira brought her attention back to him. "Tell the Founder that Odo is going to pay her a visit."
She nodded in agreement, "And send Dr. Bashir if you can spare him, Damar needs a doctor."
"I'm on my way." Bashir piped up and headed out after Odo to join him in the transporter room.
Sisko nodded to him, and then to Kira, "Anything else, Commander?"
"I think we can handle it from here, Captain, Kira out."
The channel closed and Kira looked over at the Founder, who still just sat at her desk – dying. Then her gaze went to Damar, who was looking worse and worse as time passed. Approaching him, she kneeled down at his side.
"You doing alright?"
"I… look worse than I feel… I imagine." He provided a weak and encouraging smile to her. She took this with a nod, and started to rise to pace the room and wait for Odo and the Doctor. A hand reached out and touched her arm, and she stopped, looking back down at Damar and kneeling once again.
"We've done it… Nerys… Cardassia is… free," and then he passed out, eliciting a frustrated grunt from the commander.
She rose and started to pace, about to ask "where's that damn Doctor?" when she, along with the others, heard the familiar sound of the transporter. Turning around, Kira saw Odo and Dr. Bashir materialize.
The Doctor reacted right away, going over to the fallen Cardassian with a med kit and getting to work. In the back of her mind, Kira heard Bashir tap his com badge and contact the Defiant.
"Bashir to Defiant, two to beam directly to sickbay." And with that, he was gone with Damar.
Odo was much slower getting into the situation, approaching the one he loved very carefully.
"Nerys," he breathed softly, and Kira closed the rest of the distance between them, smiling a little.
"It's been a while."
"Yes," was all he could think to say in response.
"Watch yourself, I don't trust her." Kira got right down to business, after all, they had to stop the attack from the Jem'Hadar and Breen before the Founder, herself, died.
"But you trust me…"
"Of course," she answered with a small nod of her head and a smile.
"That's all I need to know," Odo replied as he turned and started to head toward the Founder. He was acknowledged by Garak on the way, but only paid enough heed to him to greet the Cardassian with his name, eyes forward and locked on the dying Founder.
***
"How are you feeling?" Kira Nerys appeared in the infirmary, eyes settling on Cardassia's hero. They had brought him back to Deep Space Nine so Doctor Bashir could keep an eye on him, but he was expected to be discharged at any time now. On her last visit, he had been asleep.
"Drugged." The Cardassian replied wearily. "How about you?" He smiled to her with as much strength as he could muster.
"I'm doing fine, but Odo's going back to the Great Link…"
"Ah," he responded, nodding his head and closing his eyes again, not pressing for any more information.
Kira came up to his side and covered his hands with one of hers. He opened his eyes again and looked up at her with those dull blue eyes of his. They were so easy to see in the bright light of the infirmary, Kira had never really noticed them before now.
"If you're feeling well later, there's a party in Holosuite two tonight."
"I'll see what I can do." He chuckled a little, but winced a bit at the pain the movement caused him. An encouraging smile spread across his lips, though, to assure the Bajoran he was alright.
Returning the smile, Kira gently patted his folded hands before turning and leaving, going to change into her Bajoran uniform.
Doctor Bashir came in a few moments later, checking some things over before turning to the Cardassian.
"Well, everything checks out – you're good to go." The young doctor smiled and assisted his patient up. He then disappeared for a moment, coming back the next with clothes in hand. "Garak left these; he thought you might need some new clothes."
"Remind me to thank him." Damar commented, taking the clothes from the Doctor, who left him alone.
***
"Colonel, could I speak with you?"
Kira turned around to see Damar smiling to her and Odo, the latter to which he nodded his head in greeting.
"Sure, what do you need?" She said, and followed him to as empty a part of the room as they could find to speak.
"I wanted to apologize to you, Colonel." A look of surprised crossed her features, but she stayed silent and allowed the Cardassian to speak. It was not often one of them came to her to apologize for their actions (at least without making an event of it, as Dukat had always been famous for).
"From the time we first met, I was nothing but rude and arrogant." Kira nodded slowly, she wasn't going to disagree with this assessment. "And even after all I did…"
"Like killing Ziyal?" She interjected with a frown and folding her arms across her chest.
Damar sighed, "Yes." His voice was low as he admitted to this, "I heard what she said though, and I deemed her a traitor, and then acted on sight."
Kira shook her head, "That girl was like family to me, and you took her life away," she snapped her finger in the air, "Just like that. She was a young woman with everything ahead of her in life, and you ripped that away. And I cannot forgive you for that Damar."
He sighed and rubbed the side of his face in a vague painful memory of the last time he had done anything against Ziyal and Kira had been there. She had beat him pretty good, even fractured the cartilage in the ridges encircling his eyes.
"I don't expect you to, Colonel." He had gone from calling her Kira or Nerys in rare occasions to keeping to her title.
"Then why are you doing this?" She asked, now confused as to what was going on.
Damar looked past the Bajoran that he stood with, noticing that Odo was observing them from afar, much like he always did as Security Chief. Eyes came back to Kira as he sucked in a deep breath.
"I've done and said things that I am not proud of, but I want you to know, I could not have done any of this without you… I probably wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you and for that, I thank you."
"You saved my life, and Odo's – I was only returning the favor." Kira observed quietly, even though part of her told her that this wasn't the whole truth.
"No, it's more than that." He shot back at her, only to have her shake her head and turn away from him.
"Maybe we can discuss this some other time, Damar." And without another word, the Colonel disappeared into the crowd to find Odo again and the rest of the crew.
***
"Do you mind?"
Odo looked over to see Damar, smiling as warmly as possible for a Cardassian. Stopping, Odo and Kira exchanged glances. The Bajoran shrugged and took Damar's waiting hand as he swept her back into the dancing. Odo was relieved; he was not a dancer – to say the least. He quickly exited the dance floor in favor of the bar and sat down next to O'Brian and Bashir.
Each man looked up at the changeling, surprised to see Kira was not with him.
"Where's –"
"Over there." Odo cut in with his gruff reply before O'Brian could finish his question. The two humans turned together to see Kira dancing with the Cardassian.
Both looked a bit shocked and turned back to the bar, deciding it best not to say anything in front of Odo, as much as each of them wanted to comment.
"He's a good dancer." O'Brian muttered as he quickly brought the glass of his drink to his lips. Odo snorted and left them, leaving the party altogether, in fact.
Bashir watched this, and then looked back at O'Brian, "I hope he's okay."
"Ah, I'm sure he'll be fine."
"Aren't you the least bit surprised?" Bashir asked, taking a drink and looking to his best friend.
"About what? Damar being nice to Kira? Or Kira being nice to him?" He shook his head, "Hnh, I don't know what to think other than they spent a lot of time together for that resistance."
Bashir nodded in agreement and both men took gulps of their drinks and turned around from the bar to watch all the dancers. There was Sisko and Kasidy, among others.