10. Rebel
Leliyani sighed in relief, entering her quarters and breathing in the familiar, amiable aroma of which roamed within her home. She was pleased at the fact that she was now standing among proverbial surroundings. For approximately four days, she had been confined in a malevolent, ghastly holding cell and it was delightful to finally return to her quarters. She strolled calmly to the couch and sat down, immediately staring into space.
She had remained at Garak's tailor shop for a couple of hours; a customer had arrived and demanded that he sew a Bajoran wedding dress. Due to the woman's urgency and the potential length of the appointment, Leliyani left the shop, promising that she will revisit the following day. She sighed, her eyes wandering aimlessly around the room. Despite the monotonous amount of tranquility soaking into her, something felt slightly warped. She was not able to locate the hidden discrepancy, because her mind was rapidly dosing off.
Sinking in a deep breath, Leliyani stood up and ambled to her bed. She practically tunneled into the covers, thrilled at the sensation of true comfort compared to the bunks sited in the brig. Absentmindedly, she began to run her fingers through the sheets. She stared at the ceiling, its vacuity suddenly infusing itself into her. Leliyani closed her eyes, ostensibly eternal blackness arching over her. Drenched in relaxation, she was swept into the realm of sleep…
Leliyani shuddered in terror, struggling to breathe inside the sweltering bag of which she was trapped in. She stifled a frantic screech, fearful of what the cannibals actions would turn out to be if she etched a single sound. She was clueless as to the amount of distance that she was from her brother; she was desperate to know if he was alright…if there was even a spark of life quivering within him…
Grief conquering her body, Leliyani began to sob silently, listening to the cannibals' conversation:
"I am starting to regret this…"
"Rivek, there is no need to worry. What are their lives compared to ours?" The woman replied carelessly.
"They are children!"
"Feeble-minded children," Another man added.
"We should have brought the male with us," One of the men stated, "He appeared rather plump than that girl we caught… he was still thin and starving… but he looked more stout and appealing to feast on."
"It is too late to turn back now," The woman avowed.
"Did you check to see if he was dead?"
"Nope," A man answered rashly, "I would not be surprised, however. If he wasn't, either way he is going to die."
"Well, if he is in fact deceased, perhaps we should take the chance of traveling back," The other man suggested.
Leliyani's heart lurched at the thought. 'NO!' She screamed inside her head, apprehension surging through her.
"As I have said before, he is too far away," The woman protested.
A different voice abruptly stepped into the conversation. "He is not worth going after; he could not have been dead…"
"What do you mean?" Rivek inquired.
"Thou cannot assume that what has occurred is in thy favor."
"What you can at least do, Haratt, is hope for the best. The only reason that we let you travel with us was because of your extra weapons. Otherwise, we would have eaten you a long time ago," A man averred.
"Oh, what a shame," Haratt sneered.
Abruptly, something cracked nearby. Leliyani tensed, suspicious of anything that was outlandish. The reverberation was of a snapping nature, almost as if someone had bitten into a bone-like structure, shattering it in half. She curled her arms protectively over her head, trembling in horror. Before she could make any further movements, another noise approached the scene. It sounded as if somebody had stepped in liquid. Her jaw dropped in revulsion. As an attempt to distract herself, she tried to listen to the cannibals' conversation. Unluckily, she could infer nothing but blurred and furious tones, each word mingling with the other…
Leliyani jolted at the sound of an expeditious, earsplitting blare. Its intensity overwhelming her, she swathed her hands over her ears. When the blast continued and did not become anywhere near muffled, she was instantly convinced that it was nothing but her pure imagination. Leliyani gritted her teeth, willing the piercing, infuriating blare to end. Unfortunately, her wishes were not the result. The exasperating noise rapidly began to grow more profound each minute—almost as if a bomb was exploding.
She slowly started to distinguish a faint ringing… and realized that it was screams of agony. The terrified shrieks became thunderous, sending a timid shiver slithering down her spine. Frightened, she thrashed viciously at the bag, desperately flaying at it like an animal.
Suddenly, something landed on the bag. Leliyani froze, apprehending the fact that the maddening noise had terminated. In place of the blare was uncanny silence, causing her to furrow her eye ridge in disbelief. Wary of the peculiar stillness, she remained immobile, her eyes scanning the gloom as if it was a foreign object. A revolting scent soaked into the area around her. Leliyani resisted the urge to vomit. She was all too familiar with the disgusting aroma—the whiff of death and blood.
Her eyes widened. The blare that had occurred was not a product of her imagination… the sound had emerged from out there….
Shock spurting into her, Leliyani started squealing uncontrollably, losing any sense of rationalization, "HELP! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" She jerked at the bag, continuing to shriek, "HELP!"
Regardless of her screams, nothing transpired. "PLEASE! HELP ME!"
As her squeals persisted, time stretched into endless minutes. Leliyani shrieked until her throat hurt; which apparently directed her nowhere near assistance. Just when hope was about to elude her, someone untied the bag. She crawled her way out, relief showering her as she stood up. As soon as she opened her eyes, revulsion immediately leaped up and snatched her.
Arbitrarily positioned near her were lifeless bodies. Leliyani took a step back, attempting to ignore the hideous stench that pervaded the air. She stared at the wreckage, identifying the various inert faces: The man that her brother had beaten earlier was now enveloped with blood-streaked sand, a massive gash curving down his cheek. Her gaze wandered to the bag that she was once confined in; the woman lay on top of it, her eyes dull and white without reflection.
Not bothering to glance at the other corpses, her stare meandered forward only to be faced with the man who had released her: Haratt's eyes were crazed with lunacy while his chest was plastered with fresh blood. Leliyani gaped in horror as she spotted the now-scarlet blade that he held in his hand.
Panicked thoughts rapidly racing through her, she whimpered, "Please…don't kill me…please…"
He ogled her meticulously. "Thou shall not be harmed, Leliyani."
She stayed where she was, frightened and wondering how he knew her name.
"I have learned a great deal of thy life; I've also heard what thou little brother had uttered before he passed."
Her pupils dilated as he continued, "He has received callings from the Celestial Temple!"
She gawped at Haratt, oblivious to what he was stating. Just then, Leliyani spotted something that she had lacked noticing before: An earring was hanging from his left ear… A Bajoran earring…
He chuckled. "Thou should not be surprised; I as well have been granted with the Gift of Prophecy…thus the earring. The Prophets are capable of many things… their ardor is strong…and so is their wrath."
Leliyani gulped, not wishing to listen to his madness. Although she was not an expert on the religions of other species, she did recall her elder brother mentioning the gods, or 'Prophets' of Bajor and how their beliefs were nothing but superstitions.
Haratt sighed, gazing down at the now blood-soaked sand. "Ah, thou shall face obstinate challenges in thy lifetime… Ye will encounter unruly ploys and conniving assassins… however, there will be a time when a miracle will surface…"
Leliyani blinked, pondering over her potential speed involving the theory of stealing his blade. In spite of her violent thoughts, she did not move an inch.
Haratt drew a bottomless breath, shifting his head position to stare forlornly at the glittering stars. His eyes reflected his sorrow, causing Leliyani's heart to char with slight incomprehension. Promptly, he began to recite a bizarre yet inexplicable poem:
"In the midst of the days of woe,
A blue planet shall rest
And neighbor the orange planet
Of colossal size and sit
Among the stars of splendor
Inside a vast
Galaxy.
In a swift and stormy riot,
A collision between
The galaxy and another world
Will occur, sending
The orange planet flying into
Space and leaving him
To his own endeavors, while
Abandoning the blue
Planet to endure the burden
Of sovereignty.
Amongst the new and haughty
Occupants will be
A pallid yet conceited moon,
Imbibed with clouds
Of appalling and embryonic
Thoughts of
Affliction.
Not long after, another collision
Will occur—
This time between the
Now united
Galaxy and a minor realm,
Causing numerous
Casualties to transpire amongst
The blue planets
Stars, tossing them into the
Nothingness as if
They are mere garbage,
Causing the blue
Planet to observe the wreckage
And discover the
Truth of his existence, granting
Him no choice but
To confront the sinners and
Rebel!"
Unexpectedly, he turned his blistering gaze towards Leliyani, his eyes sizzling with severe intensity. She glanced down, obtaining the conclusion that he was more fanatical than she had anticipated.
Haratt took a step forward. "I am aware that thou consider me senseless, but neglect misjudging my words: Thy have been endowed with a superior destiny of which the Prophets had charily contemplated. I, a simple messenger, had not arrived in thou presence by chance; Thy have been released due to the commands that the Prophets have bestowed upon Me."
Before she could think, he swiftly glimpsed back. She tilted her head to the side, his actions baffling her. He returned his frightened stare to Leliyani, only to jolt in alarm. He staggered backwards, glancing in the opposite direction once again and raising his blade in the process.
After a silent, sinister moment, Haratt finally turned around. "Thou must leave," He urged.
Despite her impulse to obey his command, Leliyani remained motionless.
He shuddered, scanning the area as if a predator was approaching. Haratt glimpsed her way, sighing in exasperation. "LEAVE! NOW!"
She gawped at him, still not complying.
He lifted the blade even higher, his eyes flashing in desperation. "THOU, LEAVE MY PRESENCE! GO! GO BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!"
Cautiously, Leliyani started to draw away, her gaze failing to depart from his blood covered figure.
As he continued to shout, she blurred his words together, watching him direct the point of the blade towards his stomach.
"GO!"
When Leliyani realized his intended course of action, she allowed the adrenaline to spurt through her, fleeing the scene with incredible speed. She resisted looking back, anxious of what she might perceive. As she continued to sprint among the sandy desert, she winced as she took notice of a distant holler of agony, causing her alacrity to accelerate.
Leliyani persisted in moving promptly, even if her swiftness had slowed into a mere jog after a while. She made an effort to shove the tragedy out of her head, but unfortunately it was nearly impossible to do so. Her mind was plagued with the atrocious image of Haratt and his terrified eyes, his blade point directed toward his gut.
She shuddered. 'It must be comforting to believe in a supernatural force that is more powerful than you,' she thought as she jumped pass a random lump in the ground. It would be an odd theory, accepting something as existent when it would be unachievable to catch a glimpse of it. In the environment of which Leliyani was raised, the idea of religion was generally frowned upon. Fundamentally, she was told repeatedly that loyalty and sacrifice to the State was all that was expected of her. Leliyani's elder brother had once spoken of the other various religions scattered throughout the universe and how some people were willing to perish for their beliefs.
Her brother…
Fatigue sweeping over her, she drew herself to a halt, abrupt desolation infecting the air. She gulped down a wail of grief, searching the distance for any sign of a dim or familiar shadow. Leliyani scowled at her defeat, allowing her body to drop to its knees. She gazed bleakly at the sky, which was now splashed with the faded, early morning sunlight.
Suddenly, Leliyani jerked awake. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, removing herself out of her bed before inquiring, "Computer, what time is it?"
"The time is 0500 hours."
She moaned, aggravated at the fact that she had slept the entire day. She placed her hands on her hips, surveying her flimsy yet delicate interior. Concluding that there was no other alternative, she slipped off her clothes and selected a long-sleeved brunette blouse with khakis out of her dresser. As soon as she was completely clad, she untied and combed her hair, fastening it into an elegant bun. Leliyani then took a glimpse of what lay on the surface of the dresser: The mirror and the photograph sat on top of it, appearing rather incompatible. She constructed a mental note to present the picture to Garak; he was exceedingly inquisitive regarding her family and would be satisfied to view it.
Biting her lip, she wandered into the washroom, vigorously brushing her teeth and rinsing her face. Within a few minutes, she was strolling into the living room and erratically seating herself on the couch.
An appetite lapping at her stomach, she ambled to the replicator, calmly ordering a mug of hot fish juice.
"Ah, how much your lovely décor reminds me of old Cardassia," Garak remarked when he entered her quarters that evening, "Such a pity that our planet is under the influence of tyranny."
Leliyani murmured in agreement, sauntering to the replicator and glancing back at the former intelligence agent. "I'm glad that you are fond of it."
He assessed the room, seating himself on a chair next to the petite dining table. "I must add, however, I find your willingness to invite me to your quarters rather surprising."
She laughed. After instructing the replicator to produce zabo meat with yamok sauce, she took the plate in her hand and sat across from him. "Feel free to order what you wish," She stated.
Garak stood up and walked away; within a succinct moment he was approaching the table with a bowl of sem'hal stew.
As he settled down to eat, Leliyani gazed at him, her blush growing increasingly evident. She shook her head, gruffly attempting to focus on her meal when he avowed, "You might be gratified to know of the information that I have obtained."
Her eye ridge crumpled. "What sort of information?"
"The vaccine seems to have been already manufactured and given to other corporations in Culat."
Leliyani stared vacantly at her plate. "I see…"
"I have also learned that a sizeable amount of the remedy will be transported to Lakarian City sometime this week," Garak affirmed.
"I am assuming that you have a plan?"
A grin smeared across his lips before he replied, "Considering that I have spent many hours sewing alone, I am sure that I would have contemplated a brilliant plot."
"I'm in no doubt that you would," Leliyani sneered.
Despite her sardonic comment, he continued, "However, there is a question that has been lingering among my thoughts and I believe that it may be an intriguing one particularly to you."
"Which is?"
"Is it in your interest that Corat Damar is possibly aware of the vaccine's travels?" Garak inquired, imparting an eerie, unfathomable expression.
Leliyani sighed, pondering over her response before answering, "I find it difficult to know whether he is or isn't, but I would not risk informing him in case he is active in the operation."
Almost as if her reply was not adequate, Garak pursued for more information. "What specific knowledge do you hold about him; For instance, his personality?"
A peculiar inkling beginning to kill her appetite, she gulped down a stern remark and said, "If I do not even remember my brothers' names or how my parents had died, then I am sure that I hardly know anything about Damar."
"Oh…how unfortunate," He replied, taking a sip of his stew.
Leliyani shoved her plate away, glaring at him with a merciless impression. "I'm certain that I have already loaned you enough data. Besides, are you using my memories for your own personal purposes or are you actually willing to assist me?"
A mischievous twinkle lurked in his eyes. "Why, Leliyani, of course I am using you; have you ever met anyone from the Obsidian Order who was completely honest?"
Comprehending his point, she rose from her chair and plunked the food dish back in the replicator, even if she lacked touching her zabo meat.
"I believe that I have fabric of the identical pattern in my shop," Garak stated as he examined the comforter of her bed. Leliyani stood at the archway, eyeing him with profound suspicion. She stared at him without a blink, refusing to evade any sight of his movements.
As he began to wander around the room, he meandered to her dresser, where he took the photograph in his hand and studied it. "What a charming picture," He noted, "I never knew that you could appear so striking and innocent."
In spite of her growing notion, Leliyani could not help but blush severely.
He continued to survey the item, pointing at certain spots in the picture. "I suppose that the two boys that were with you were your brothers?"
Leliyani nodded solemnly.
"It is such a shame that you are unable to recall their names. There is a strong resemblance." At that moment, Garak glanced in her direction, a spine-chilling, knowing guise gleaming within his pupils.
Leliyani shivered, attempting to ignore his intense expression as well as the thought that her brothers' bodies were buried somewhere in the desert back in Cardassia; their remains submerged in the sand like damaged toys or playthings.
Garak positioned the photograph back in its original place, still not detaching his gaze from it.
Unnerved, she reluctantly turned away and strolled into the other room, where she picked up Garak's bowl off of the table. After planting it into the replicator, she perceived the sound of footsteps echoing behind her.
"I grow fatigued," Garak stated, his voice crammed with satisfaction, "Perhaps I should bid farewell."
Leliyani gave a sigh of relief. "Alright."
"Shall we meet at my shop tomorrow morning?"
"I suppose," She approved, regretting it immediately.
"I will be looking forward to your arrival," Garak affirmed, the door to Leliyani's quarters swooshing shut abruptly after his words were spoken.
She closed her eyes for a minute, breathing in the saccharine fragrance that squirmed around her. When a tranquil, elongated moment had passed by, Leliyani returned to her room. Her stare wandered to the mirror that sat upon her dresser, which appeared to be utterly alone in its presence. She inclined her head slightly to the side, questioning why the piece of furniture seemed oddly vacant. Paying no attention to the wariness clouding her mind, she rotated and walked the opposite direction when an unfamiliar noise emerged out of nowhere.
Becoming rigid, Leliyani turned around, alarm rising in her as she gaped at the blood-soaked sand written on the wall:
REBEL