Chapter Ten
Cremor blinked his eyes open, around him was total chaos and people ran around screaming. Some of them injured supporting each other while others seemed to be in chock. He felt the pain in his chest and saw the blood dripping down on the floor. He would not live long, but he had achieved his goal. His people would once again rise, together with the Breen, and become what they had once been.
Someone, a medic, he didn't know grabbed him and started running a medical instrument over him.
"Can you hear me?" The voice was concerned.
He chipped for breath and nodded.
"You have been injured, there has been an explosion. I need to assess your injuries before transferring you to the infirmary."
Cremor's bloodied hand reached for the medic's sleeve. "He tried to kill us all."
The Cardassian saw the medic temporarily stiffen. "Did you see something that could help the investigation?"
It was so hard to focus right now and he cursed his own weakness. "The…Vorta…I saw him yesterday walking around here."
The young Federation medic nodded and Cremor could see that he believed him. "He must be working for the Dominion…I thought the war was over."
The Federation ensign, who was studying to become a doctor, gently applied pressure to his wounds. "The security force will see to that the person responsible for all this will pay rest assured. Please remain calm now and we will help you."
Cremor nodded, thankfully slipping away to oblivion.
"Ensign Bradford!" Doctor Julian Bashir shouted as he stumbled in his direction.
"Sir, we have several severely injured on location." He said professionally.
Julian glanced down at the Cardassian adjutant. "That's Garak's aide, how is he?"
"I am afraid he will not make it." The ensign replied calmly.
"What about the people in there?" Julian asked concerned, looking at the debris that was once a conference room.
"The structural engineers are surveying the area but it doesn't look promising, cross your fingers sir."
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"How's Captain Sisko and Cremor?" Garak asked concerned as he walked into the crowded infirmary.
Bashir stood in the center of the activity with his sleeves rolled up. He looked at the Cardassian he had considered his friend. "The Captain is going to be fine Garak, your adjutant is dead."
"And Colonel Kira?"
"I am no worse for wear." The Bajoran said where she sat on a bed not far from them.
She favored her right side and her right cheek seemed swollen, but the gash over her temple had been taken care of. You could only see the thin red line that the medical wonders of the century couldn't take away.
Kira looked from Garak to Bashir, her determined face suddenly full of concern. "How's Weyoun?"
Julian sighed deeply leading her, with Garak in tow, to a biobed separated from the others. The Vorta seemed even more pale than usual, if it was even possible.
"I don't know Kira. Several ribs on his left side have been crushed, the lung is amazingly just bruised but inside he is a bloody mess." He ran a hand through his hair while looking at the alien occupying the bed in front of him.
"I have sedated him and healed as much as I can, but even if we regenerate the bones it's going to hurt and the Vorta are hard to drug due to their effective immune system."
The Cardassian walked up to the bed studying the Vorta with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Let him feel it. Let him feel the pain." He turned to Bashir and Kira. "He has caused so much to others, to my people."
"Garak what's happened to you?" Bashir asked with dismay. "It's not a clone lying in front of you, it's a real Vorta."
Garak chuckled. "I have heard you say that but what makes you believe that he is any different? The clones are based on him, on his personal believes and values!"
"That's not entirely true and you know it!" Julian answered angrily.
"The Changelings took the Vorta prisoner and used their skills and good physiology for their own benefits." The Bajoran said in response.
The colonel continued. "You talk about fanatics Garak, and how the Dominion destroyed your home; how they used your people. What makes you so different from them?"
The Cardassian had a sour expression on his face pointing at Weyoun. "I have seen him walk around the station, making decisions causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands or even millions of people." He said in a low voice.
"It wasn't Weyoun, Garak, and deep down you know it. "Julian answered.
"It's a trick; all he wants is to ensure the survival of the clones that are now hunted by the Jem'Hadar. The Vorta are dying now that the Founders can't protect them and the Jem'Hadar is beginning to break free of the drug."
Bashir shook his head sadly.
"When I saw him in Sisko's office he called me a fool and he accused me of being incompetent. The arrogance and the nonchalant behavior haven't changed."
"I doubt you made a great first impression on him Garak, by trying to kill him." Julian said softly.
"Besides you where there and you heard the female Changeling say it was the last clone of Weyoun that you shot dead on Cardassia Prime." Kira said looking directly at him.
She continued. "I never thought I would say this but give him a chance; he is not so bad."
Garak looked down at the floor.
Doctor Bashir turned around to once again look at his patient. "Why did he do it? Why did he try and save Sisko and the Breen ambassador when he knew he couldn't make it?"
"I think I know why. He wanted to prove himself, he wanted an end to this."
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Kira saw the room in front of her once again, she saw the dead Breen assistant and the destruction around her. She saw the walls collapsing and heard the sound of the alarm for hull breach. Bulkheads started to close down and several sections of the wall began to buckle. She saw Weyoun, dusty and lightly injured gently dragging an unconscious Sisko out of harm's way. Seconds later the bulkhead where the captain had been lying collapsed and slammed into the floor below. She shuddered at the thought of the emissary dead. She pushed herself clear of the debris that had come down over her and managed to stand.
"Weyoun, why are you doing this?"
"I refuse to be accused for any more deaths!" He stumbled over the ruble and headed for the Breen ambassador. "Take Sisko and get out of here!"
She looked anxiously at the failing hull integrity and grabbed the Captain's still form and held on for all she was worth, pushing him out in the open corridor.
When she turned around to watch for Weyoun everything had come apart and the chances of finding anyone alive in there was close to zero.
oooooooooo
"He wanted to show us that we could trust him."
"Trust a Vorta?" Garak replied suspiciously.
"It was your adjutant and the Breen assistant that wanted the war to continue, not us and not the Vorta!"
"Maybe you should consider what Kira is telling you Garak. It's time to move on and let the casualties of the war rest, and build up the trust among people instead." Bashir offered patting the Cardassian on his shoulder. "Now get out of here and leave Weyoun alone. We have all lost the war in some way." The doctor said.
Garak looked at the sleeping Vorta. "Perhaps I was wrong." He said solemnly.
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Benjamin Sisko slowly opened his eyes only to have Jake and Kasidy hovering over him.
"Easy Ben, you have been to quite an ordeal." Kasidy cautioned.
"What happened?" He asked confused.
"Don't you remember?" Jake asked concerned.
Kasidy looked at him. "Jake, go and get Julian." She took Sisko's hand.
"The meeting…something exploded." He said.
"Benjamin?" Doctor Bashir asked. "I am pleased to have you back. However I had to work quite a lot on you and I don't want to redo it, so keep still." He ran a medical instrument over the Captain.
"Did anyone die?" Sisko whispered, closing his eyes.
"It's a wonder any of you actually survived." Kasidy said concerned.
Julian nodded grimly. "We lost ten federation officers, two Bajoran officers and five civilians. The Breen assistant and Garak's adjutant are also dead. There are a lot of casualties; we estimate around twenty severely injured and around thirty lightly injured." Julian looked up as Chief O'Brien came through the doors. "And here comes one of them."
Miles looked at the Captain and then around the room and finally at Dr. Bashir. "How are they?"
"Holding on." Julian replied.
"What's the situation out there?" Sisko asked, looking at the engineer.
"Ben, it's not your concern you need to rest." Kasidy said softly.
"I have to know." He said determined.
"We have a hole in the station, the area is unstable and most of the sections around it have been sealed off. There is a team working on it as we speak. Luckily the force field is holding."
"Do we know who did this?"
"Not at the moment, but we have several tips." Julian said as Colonel Kira walked up to them.
Sisko smiled. "I was just to ask about you."
She returned the smile. "I will be fine, don't worry."
"Garak's adjutant said that the Vorta was responsible, not wanting an end to this war." Julian said.
"That is bullshit and you know it." Kira said angrily.
Bashir nodded. "Unfortunately several people on the station relies more on information from the Cardassians than from us."
"Wait a minute…I saw adjutant Cremor walk around the promenade yesterday acting rather suspiciously." O'Brien said.
"He was talking to the Breen assistant this morning." Julian added.
"The Breen are divided in the question about peace with the Federation." Jake said. "I have been interviewing a lot of people." He added.
"Run a full investigation about the matter I want the people responsible nailed and thrown away without lock and key." Sisko said with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Ezri Dax walked over as she entered. "Ben, you are awake." She said softly.
"Hello old man." He replied tiredly.
"Worf is out in the Defiant together with a bunch of engineers to try and seal the breach." She said looking at O'Brien.
"I better go to the command central and coordinate." He said excusing himself.
"Captain when you feel a bit better the Breen ambassador is requesting to see you." Julian said.
"Is he still alive?" The Captain asked hopefully. "Then it isn't a complete disaster."
"The good news is that he is even more determined to sign the treaty with the Federation than ever." Kira said. "But he wants you and Weyoun to both be there."
Sisko slowly opened his eyes again. "Where is he?" He asked, expecting to see the little Vorta around.
Bashir swallowed. "Benjamin there is something you should know."
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To be continued