Explanations:
Anjohl Tennan: "In 2375, Gul Dukat assumed Anjohl Tennan's identity after he had himself surgically altered to appear Bajoran. As Anjohl, Dukat claimed that he was a farmer from Relliketh, coming to Deep Space 9 to seek the blessing of Kai Winn Adami for prosperity in the coming growing season. […] Solbor eventually discovered what happened to the real Anjohl Tennan and exposed Dukat's true identity." – memory-alpha
Palandine: "Palandine was a female Cardassian who was a student at the Bamarren Institute for State Intelligence where she was given the designation One Ketay. Palandine first met Elim Garak in the pit after training, where defying the institutes rules shared her real name and persuaded Garak to do likewise. She encouraged Garak to enjoy himself to get through the pains of homesickness and physical torment of the institute. Palandine and Garak became good friends and often spent time together in further deference to the rules, they talked of politics and family and she introduced him to poetry [...]
"Palandine married Barkan and they had a daughter Kel. For a while she worked in security at the ministry of science but eventually gave up her career. Some years later Elim Garak spotted Palandine and Kel playing in the grounds of the Tarlak Sector of Cardassia City. He took to watching her, which she was entirely aware of but did not approach him until years later when he decided to follow her home. Shortly after finally making contact with Elim the two began an affair." – memory-beta
When it rains… (episode): "Sisko and Kira aid Damar's rebellion against the Dominion; Bashir discovers that Odo is infected with the disease that is threatening the Founders." – memory-alpha
Chapter 9
"I'm no engineer, and neither is Mr. Worf here. You on the other hand, my dear Mr. Garak, are a man of many hidden talents."
"Hm..."
"If you can't do it, nobody can."
"It's nice to feel needed."
- Bashir and Garak in 'By Inferno's Light'
(When it rains…) He heard the doors open and knew it could only be her. But he was still upset having lost his eyesight.
"Adami?" he asked nervously. Hasn't he done everything the Pah-wraith had demanded? Why was he punished like this? Was it his destiny, punished by the flaws of his past, not considering his moments of change and his uprising to former power, power of another other kind, no gain for country or reputation anymore but for religious strength? "Are you there?" he said, she didn't respond. After all he had done for her, did she really have to punish him as well? She was there, he sensed it and leaned back again. Despite all, he doubted that the punishment was right. He has dedicated his life to the Pah-wraith and how did they thank him?
"I'm here," she said and he leaned forward again. So his senses were right. "I spoke with a doctor. She says she can find nothing wrong with your eyes."
"Then she's incompetent. A Cardassian doctor would have cured me by now." He rose from his chair, staring to where he believed the Kai standing.
"You still don't understand, do you?" she said and he heard her moving. It feared him that there was only black he could see and that he had no power on anybody. "The Pah-wraith have taken your sight in punishment for your arrogance."
Punishment, always punishment, he thought. What for? He has always done what needed to be done and the unfortunate death of his daughter had brought him to the evil Bajoran Prophets. Shouldn't they be thankful that he tried to release them so that they could gain power again?
"Only they can give it back to you."
"I meant there no disrespect. I only wanted to study the book to see if I can help you learn how to release them."
"You wanted to see if you can do it without me."
He couldn't respond. Of course, that has been the plan but even if he needed her, he could still kill her afterward.
"Well, you can't." The tone of hers annoyed him so much that he wished the Pah-wraith would have taken her sight, would punish her for betraying her own people and religion.
"Pray with me, Adami. Help me earn the Pah-wraith's forgiveness." He walked toward her, tried to reach her with his hand but she continued avoiding contact.
"I'm afraid you need to do that on your own," she encountered. He heard the ring of the door.
"Door," she said loudly and he noticed the opening sound. "Deputy Bodon will show you out," she hissed.
He looked up. That couldn't be. "Show me out?" he asked surprise. "I don't understand."
"Well, you need a lesson in humility. I'm going to see that you get it." Although she failed to sound evil, her intentions were clear.
Did the Pah-wraith order her to those decisions or was there an evilness he has never noticed before? "By putting me out on the street," he whispered. Anger came up, anger he had felt the last time when actually 'being' a Cardassian. Even when hitting the monk he hadn't felt anger, just relieve to express his sentiments.
"You'll find the Bajoran people are very kind. A blind beggar will have their sympathies, I'm certain. And with a bit luck, you earn enough to eat, and perhaps even enough for a shelter each night," he heard her turning her back to him.
"You're not serious," he laughed and tried to reach her. But he felt so weakened and so helpless without his sight. He remembered this Bajoran man he had ordered to be interrogated. It has been twenty years ago and the man was suspected contact with the Resistance. Dukat had watched an Obsidian Order agent asking this man all kind of questions. When he didn't answer or didn't answer fast enough, he was punished with random electric shocks and at the end of the 'conversation', when the man had given up all hope and just endured the pain, the agent took the knife this man had carried, probably for the attempted assassination of a Cardassian security officer by whom he had been arrested, and started stabbing the man's eyes until his whole face was covered in white eye liquid and red blood.
He looked back to those times without regret but it was not fair that he had to endure the same right now.
"You may return when you've proven yourself worthy and your sight has been restored," Kai Winn answered and he noticed her sitting down behind her desk.
"Adami, listen," he started but suddenly was grabbed by large hands. He continued crying her name while being pulled out of the room by the Bajoran security officer. But she didn't answer, she ignored him. "You'll pay for that," he muttered when he soon sensed the coldness of the Bajoran night. He wanted to go back to Cardassia where even at night it was warm enough.
He was brought to the city but he had no idea where he actually was. All of sudden, he was alone. On his cheek he felt the slight wind from the direction he suspected the Dahkur hills and he kneed down to touched the floor which he recognized the tiles of the business sector of the capital.
He had no idea where to walk and he felt around for the walls. Finally, he found a little corner where he sat down on the pavement. He closed his eyes but it made no difference. He didn't know how much time has passed but he heard people talking. He looked up but couldn't make out any voice he'd recognize.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?" a male voice answered.
"I…think so," he stammered and tried to look in the direction of the voice.
"I am Vedek Sorad of the Dahkur monastery. What happened to you?"
"My name is Anjohl Tennan. I…am just homeless…wandering around for some help. I was expelled from my love when I lost my eyesight," Dukat answered trembling.
"Can you stand up? I will bring you to a doctor."
"I've seen one already. She couldn't do anything," he answered while Sorad helped him up. "Can you…lead me to the temple? I'd like to pray," he asked.
"Of course," the Vedek answered and guided him through the city.
Dukat has never actually cared much for Bajoran culture or civilization but as Kai Winn has said, the people were very kind. Throughout their walk he received pity and the assurance he'd find a place in their prayers from the Bajorans who he passed on the streets. Sorad helped him climbing up the stairs to a large temple and Dukat heard the voices of the streets getting lower. Now, there was silence and he kneed down on the floor.
He noticed the Vedek kneeing beside him, obviously praying that he regained his sight. Dukat closed his eyes and hung his head down. There had to be a possibility to win the Pah-wraith's trust again. He prayed and hoped for a guiding vision but nothing came. Finally, he got up again. Vedek Sorad immediately stood next to him to ask if he could do anything more.
"You have helped me very much, Vedek Sorad. But I don't think I am worthy yet to have my wishes answered by the Prophets," Dukat said with his rough voice.
The Vedek stepped forward and touched his ear. "Your Pagh seems strong. But there is something else. Let me allow you to invite you to dinner at my house. I would like to hear more about you."
"I am just a lost man not even worthy to be listened to by his Prophets," Dukat answered shyly.
"Every man has a past and a destiny that will drive one ahead. Let me hear your past and we can figure out the destiny that the Prophets created for you."
Dukat finally nodded and walked with the Vedek back into the city.
=/\=
It was a strange feeling. She knew it was somehow wrong but this knowledge has never cared her. She has done so many wrong things in her life and there were so many things she regretted. But why was she doing this?
She left her house at a very late hour, bringing herself and her daughter into danger. There were night patrols of the Jem'Hadar and Cardassians. She doubted that a man from her people would kill her for simply being out at night. But as soon as they suspected her any affiliation with the Rebellion, they'd eliminate her and her family, her parents and her only daughter. Perhaps she was doing this for Barkan but he would have never allowed her to join the Rebellion. Probably exactly that was why she was here. She didn't want to think that she had felt joy when hearing about her husband's death. But it had been obvious to come that way.
She sighed. She hadn't thought about this for long. She hadn't thought about him for so long. She tried not to think what has happened to Elim. The last thing she knew was that Tain assigned him to Terok Nor and that he didn't return after the occupation was over. When she believed the rumors, he has been exiled to the station forever. She entered the dark cellar of the building. It reminded her on the meetings of the Oralian Way she has visited. Since the Dominion took over the planet, the reunions have become rarer until finally nobody dared to come anymore.
She was happy that at least some have joined the Rebellion of Damar. It had brought up hope among the people and she looked forward to when they finally decided to attack. She has always been against the coalition with the Dominion, knowing that it would only bring shame over their families. She was still welcomed by the Lokar family as they didn't know that her lover has killed her husband. She had feared Lokar, he had beaten her up several times knowing that she betrayed him with Elim.
Palandine rushed down the stairs and sat down on one of the rocks. Although it was a cellar, the room itself rather reminded one on a cave. Some other Cardassians she knew came in after her and finally they were more or less complete for this night.
"Damar has sent me a message," their leader said and stood up. He was taller than most of them and without doubt the strongest. His voice was rough and low and a huge scar decorated his face, nobody knew more than that he had once been a soldier. "He said that three men from the Federation have arrived, willing to help us."
"Is that changeling among them?" another Cardassian wanted to know.
The leader nodded. "He is on our side, on the side of the Bajoran militia."
"Who else is with them?" Palandine asked. She wasn't sure if they could trust the Bajorans. They still wanted revenge for the occupation and they'd take every possibility they got for destroying the Cardassian government and society.
"A Colonel from the space station and a Cardassian."
"A Cardassian? From the space station?" someone else asked.
Could that be Elim? Palandine thought suddenly. As far as she knew, he was the only one left near Bajor. Has he returned? Would she be able to see him? Some new hope rose from her heart. If Elim has returned, she'd have a new reason to fight for her home planet.
The meeting passed without Palandine noticing much of what happened. She was too lost in thoughts. There was grief and pain and anger. She had allowed that Garak disappeared so easily, she didn't stop him. She could have offered to stay with him, now that her husband was dead. She would have lost her relation with the Lokar family, she would have lost her good reputation and her job.
But they could have happily lived on another planet, perhaps Cardassia IV or Celtris or not even in the same solar system, there would have been so many possibilities. But no, she has just watched the time pass and did only hear from friends that Garak disappeared. A mission, she was told, finally she had found out through a lot of contacts who have owed her, that he was living on that space station near Bajor. Rumors indicated he was working as a tailor, but she never believed it. Was it a cover or was he really doomed to a life of lower work?
He could have become a great man with power but all he was now was a servant to the society. Not even their society anymore.
When the meeting was over they all left one after another but before she could go, the group's leader held her back. "What do you know?" he asked and tried to read any expression from her eyes.
She freed herself from his grip and stepped back. "Nothing, why?" she answered. Many men mistook her for a helpless woman but no one knew that she has once been One Ketay from the Bamarren Institute and pursued a straight career – until Barkan had persuaded her to give it up for him. How could she have been so stupid to think that she'd love him? She has still been a child, and he also was. Garak had always been the one grown up, the earliest adult of them.
"Your reaction, do you know the Cardassian who is said to have returned?"
"There're rumors."
"Tell me about them."
"You already did," she hissed. She didn't like him, Elim has never had this quick brutality and never tended to irrational violence… only rational and thoughtful one. He must have been a perfect interrogator.
"Who is this Cardassian who came from the Federation basis? A collaborator?"
"No…I don't think so."
"Then tell me why he has spent so many years on this damn Federation station that nobody here seems to remember his name?"
There was a long silence between them but Palandine knew that the more she hesitated, the less he would trust her. And the Rebellion was everything she had now. "His name is Garak…he was an agent of the Obsidian Order years ago and exiled from Cardassian space," she slowly answered and looked on the floor.
"Ah," the leader said and nodded. "I thought you were married to Barkan?" he added with a certain tone in his voice that made her feel uneasy and embarrassed.
"I only said that I knew him, not that we shared a bed," she hissed and turned around to go.
She already has climbed up some stairs before she heard: "You don't need a bed to betray your husband, Palandine. Did Barkan know?"
She rested silent. What if word spread? She couldn't afford losing everyone on her side and the Lokar family possessed a lot of influence. Her parents had some but she mostly became One Ketay in her second period for having gained so much power at the Institute. She had started as number three.
She turned around and walked back to the man. "Listen to me, I knew Garak well and he is an honorable man. He would not have stayed on the space station if he wasn't forced to. And my personal relationship toward him is only a matter between us and I don't think that the current political situation allows us to handle any non-politically important topics, do I make myself clear?" she said and showed disgust in her voice for this fellow rebel. She was glad to be nearly as tall as he was or it may have sounded even more ridiculous.
He hesitated for a long time, thinking about if this was a threat or just a warning. He nodded slowly and tried to look down to her.
"Good," she answered in a neutral voice and turned around to finally leave the meeting place. It was early in the morning and there were Jem'Hadar again patrolling the entrances of the next sector. When she wanted to pass, she needed to be eyeballed by one of those emotionless soldiers. She sighed. They wouldn't arrest her for wandering around but it had been close enough already too often.
She thought about taking another way and disappeared into a side street. She headed into the opposite direction again and after an eternity of walking, as she didn't dare to take a hover shuttle, she arrived at the open landscape where there wasn't a patrol guarding the sector. She left the city and walked toward the mountains. She knew that she could get in trouble when she was discovered hiding in the fields but it was better than being stopped for the xth time passing another sector at night.
The guards might get curious what she was doing so late. And since her daughter wasn't living at her house anymore, she was even more scared. She knew Kel could look after herself but when Palandine was suspected any affiliation with the Rebellion, they were tortured and killed. She reached the first trees and walked faster to disappear into the woods. Trying not to stumble over some roots or bushes, she crawled upward and straight toward the Paldar Sector.
She nearly got stuck in the huge root of a Makarian sawtooth. She laughed as she remembered stumbling into one when she has first time been to the Mekar wilderness in the Bamarren institute. She pulled out her leg as fast as she could because the longer the plant had time, the stronger its grip got. She caught herself from falling down and walked on, barely seeing anything although she could spot one moon shining brightly over the city.
Finally, she was walking parallel to the Paldar Sector and returned to the city itself. She had no problems entering the wide streets again and hardly anybody could be seen outside. Most people here still slept and only a few servants crossed the streets for already beginning their duties.
Palandine kept her head low. She did not want to be recognized, she still had her pride and good reputation and it had been very hard to establish the few things that remained after Barkan's death. It was said that the responsible person was found and eliminated but she knew that it wasn't like this. Garak had killed her husband, no matter how often she repeated this sentence, it never seemed real. Garak, the loving and so tender person, killing a violent guy like Barkan.
It sounded unnatural but Palandine knew that it had been his only chance, after being tortured by her husband. She knew that they both had never been all-good persons and she wondered why she had decided for Barkan after all, she was the one who had recognized Garak's abilities and skills and all she did was use him. She remembered that last day of his first three-year-period. How he had been close to crying when he was told to leave the Institute. He has not been the only one thinking that he would get promoted to One Lubak. But instead, he had to go.
Palandine had felt so sorry for him but she had been so deep in love with Barkan that she hadn't thought about what would happen to him. In the end, she was, of course, happy, that it turned out so well for him, being an agent of the Obsidian Order. And now? What has happened to him? Has he returned, finally? Was he ready to fight for a people that betrayed him so often?
Palandine returned to her house. It seemed far too big for her but her parents had wanted her to get used to the upper class' lifestyle on Cardassia Prime. And the time at Bamarren had been the best time for her to learn what really counted in life. She slipped through the door and sighed relieved when she went to her living room.
Now Jem'Hadar soldiers who had stopped her tonight and no major fights between rebellion members. It had been quite a successful night but right now she needed the last few hours to rest before returning to work.
=/\=
He had a strange feeling leaving work today. Julian had only seemed to be worried about finding the cure and helping Odo but Miles wasn't even so sure that this would be the easy part. Section 31 definitely didn't want them to uncover the truth but now that they had, it was only a question of time until anybody noticed. And he swore that as soon as Sloan heard about what they were trying to do, he'd send his best men to stop Julian from continuing work.
Miles was sure that sooner or later, they'd have to encounter some members of Section 31 anyway and they hardly knew anything about them. It was possible that Sloan even knew already what was going on, perhaps he had bugged Julian's office or whole sickbay to stay informed. After all, he had wanted his best friend to join them. But still, they were like ghosts and they couldn't just appear and tell them to stop the work. They would need a cover to reach Deep Space Nine and with the war problems increasing every hour, it seemed unlikely that a member of this secret organization would come here so fast.
Miles became ill of the thought that Section 31 might use his family to blackmail him or Julian. And the scariest thought was that Julian, without family and with too much ambition, would endanger anyone. This is rubbish, he thought and went to Quark's to become distracted from work. He hadn't noticed how late it was until he stepped into the nearly abandoned location.
"Already so empty?" he asked Quark who was cleaning up some glasses.
The dabo girls sat bored on the tables and the few Ferengi barkeepers already mopped the floor. There were a few guests in the upper level, two drunken Klingons who nobody dared to boot out. Miles smiled imagining a small Ferengi trying to explain opening hours to a Klingon.
He sat down at the counter, next to Morn who nodded greeting and continued sipping his drink. "You're already closing?" Miles asked a bit surprised. It wasn't as late as usual when he still noticed light in the bar.
"The war is ruining my business."
"I thought Ferengi rule 35 said that war is good for business?"
"Rule 34. But with all those intrigues and battles going on, nobody wants to stay long on a 'doomed' space station and drink and especially not play."
"Uh, I'm sorry, Quark. We try to end the war as soon as possible just for your business then booming again, alright?" he teased the Ferengi.
"Very funny," the barkeeper muttered and put some glasses into the replicator behind him. "So, how's it going?" he whispered and filled a glass of human beer. He had once tried this stuff but it was disgusting. Especially after he heard that there actually existed hundreds of sort of this gross liquor. "It's on the house," he explained and put the glass on the table.
"What's this all about? First, coming into sickbay offering us a coffee and now this generosity?" Miles asked surprised but despite his doubts, sipped the beer.
"I'm curious, I like Odo."
"Since when?"
"It got boring…being able to do all the stuff you'd like to…"
"If you want I can still send some Starfleet security after you and you'll be faster imprisoned than you think."
"No, thanks. But it's true that Odo's ill?"
"Yes, but we're trying to find a cure."
"How's it going?"
"No idea. Julian's the doctor, I'm just an engineer," the chief said.
Quark nodded slowly. "I assume you won't let me know if there was any progress?"
"No, why?"
"Why not? Do you fear somebody stealing your ideas?"
"What makes you think so?" Miles asked suspiciously and put down the glass again.
"You both have been so…mysterious…closed. Not like always, you know, not like Julian uses to be. What have you been doing? In case you need anything, let me know. I can fix a lot of things."
"Yeah, you do? As soon as Odo's back I'll let him fix some things here," Miles answered and finished his beer. He felt uneasy with Quark's sudden abjectness and so he stood up, wished both Quark and Morn a good night and left toward the Promenades again. While walking down the already darkened corridors, he had the feeling that Section 31 may be closer than he thought.
