Chapter 10

Departure

The pain could no longer be ignored. Alec walked the short distance from security to the infirmary. He could feel the pressure from the internal bleeding in his hips but kept walking at a steady pace regardless. He knew full well that Dr. Bashir would be able to repair the damage in a matter of minutes. His first meeting with Tasmith had taken it's toll on him physically, and his second confrontation had them it's toll on him mentally. It was the second one which would take him longer to recover from.

He already knew that Tasmith would use his children to get to him given the chance, but going all the way to Earth would be too time consuming and left the door open for another bounty hunter to swoop in and grab him. He could rest easy knowing his children were safe.

Bashir had returned to the infirmary by the time Alec got there. He was looking over something on one of his wall monitors. Glancing up at Alec when he came into his view, he immediately stopped what he was doing and picked up one of his instruments. "I was wondering when you'd show up, Commander."

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Alec got up onto one of the biobeds. Pain flashed in his hips momentarily, but he didn't mind. "I had something to take care of."

Bashir took notice of Alec's right hand, it was more swollen than it should have been. "I see that. Can I expect to see Commander Jones in here shortly."

"If he comes in complaining of a broken nose, tell him he shouldn't have walked into my fist like that." Alec had let Jones off easy, he deserved a lot worse. Jones' career was most likely over. If no, he had most likely ruined any chance for advancement in Starfleet, Captain Sisko would make sure of that. Commanding officers were not often impressed when their subordinates went behind their backs.

"I'll be sure to let him know." said Bashir. He started with Alec's hand. The swelling went down as he ran a regenerator over the fracture, repairing the bone and any other subdermal damage.

"Julian," said Alec. What he was about to ask a sharp turn away from the events of the past hour. "Is Deep Space Nine a good place to raise children?"

As far as unexpected questions went, it was rated very highly on Bashir's list. "It's an excellent place, especially now that the war is over. And being this far away from Romulan space ensures not being on the front line should anything happen." He placed the regenerator over Alec's hips where the internal bleeding was. The relieved look in Alec's eyes told him the pain was going away. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Regardless of whether or not he was able to resume his career, he was giving serious thought to Deep Space Nine being his next posting or place of residence. There would be a perfect opportunity in the coming days to discuss it with Rene. It was two days travel back to Vesuvia, and wherever else their path led afterwards.

Alec lost track of the next few minutes. He didn't even notice when Bashir had finished.

"There you are." said Bashir, placing the synaptic mollifier back on the instrument tray. "Good as new."

"Thanks, Julian. You're a fine doctor, I don't care what they say about you."

"Thank you. I think."

"Lieutenant Nog to Commander Wilson."

"Go ahead, Mr. Nog."

"Sir, I just wanted to inform you that the holoprojector is ready to go, sir."

Alec jumped off the biobed, happy there was no pain as he did so. "Finished ahead of schedule. Excellent."

"Yes, sir. I felt it best to expedite the process."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll be along shortly." He turned to Bashir. "That's a talented little Ferengi you have there."

"He's done us all proud."

"Well, Doctor." said Alec as he held out his now healed hand. "I guess this is where I say 'until next time.'"

Bashir took his hand in friendship. "Until next time, Commander. Good luck."

Jones winced in pain as he touched his nose. Even though it was most likely broken he was reluctant to go to sickbay. He knew Dr. Bashir would crack jokes despite the Hypocratic Oath. He now regretted not standing up to Alec. Ever since the Academy he had disliked the man who as ahead of him in every venture. It made no sense why he was on such a backwater posting while Alec was a senior officer on the flagship.

He still had to get back at Alec for all the practical jokes that he and James Moore pulled on him over the years. The most recent one was two years ago when Alec and Moore somehow rigged his replicator to spray chicken soup all over him. It had the bad timing to immediately precede a call to ops from Colonel Kira. Months passed before he had been able to walk around the station without hearing some kind of joke or laugh.

The idea of Alec being beaten in a physical confrontation by a woman, Klingon/Vulcan mix or not, brought a smile to his face. Jones sat up from his desk, he had to see this woman for himself. He dismissed the guards, but it took more than one order from him for them to leave their posts. The looks towards his nose did not go unnoticed. Jones stepped in front of the prisoner's cell. Lying on her back, she watched him with curious eyes since he entered.

She didn't look like much to him. Maybe Alec had gone soft over the years, a wife and children tend to do that. He could probably take her, she was without her weapon. Her beauty was enthralling, he thought it ridiculous that she would be capable of the brutality of which was described. In fact, despite her half-Klingon cranial ridges, she almost looked fragile, and undeniably sexy in her attire. She further caught his attention when she sat up and stretched, arching her back and pushing out her chest.

Jones knew exactly what she was doing, he was no idiot. He didn't mind it either. A woman with a figure like that should be flaunting it. "So you're the one that put Alec in his place."

"That I am." She lay back down on the bench, only this time she was facing him upside down with her legs running up the wall, providing him a more ample view. "Is that of interest to you."

"More than you know." He wished he could have been there to see it. Two lingering bruises remained on her face, but they were the only ones visible. He had seen both her and Alec, and he had walked away with the worst of it. Jones let a slight laugh out, but stopped when the pain in his nose increased. He held his hand up to his nose.

"It seems that you had an altercation with him as well." she observed, concern in her voice.

Jones removed his hand from his nose. "He caught me off guard. He never would have gotten close enough if I had seen him coming." He had gone over those words enough times in his head that he was pretty sure they came off as truthful.

"I'm sure."

He saw admiration in her eyes, it worked. He knew he could impress her if he played it right. "Have you been at this a long time?" It was time to talk about her, women liked that.

"Longer than some."

"I'm assuming you're good at it." said Jones with a grin.

She fixed him a longing stare. "I always get what I want."

"I bet you do." It didn't take an empath to know what she had on her mind. "Hopefully you get to mix business with pleasure."

"Whenever I get a chance."

He inched close to the cell, knowing she wanted the same thing he did. "I have a proposition."

"Oh?" she said inquisitively, flirty even.

"What's Alec worth to you?"

"More than you know."

"And if I were to release you so you could catch him."

"I would be extremely grateful." she eyed him amorously.

"I thought you would be." He hadn't a second thought. She wouldn't harm him, she was only interested in fulfilling her contract right now. Anything else was senseless.

Jones touched the control panel to the cell. With almost cat like reflexes, she pounced off the bench and had him on his back. She quickly got off him and grabbed him by his nose, making him scream in pain. He was dragged into the cell and picked up as if he were an isolinear chip. She dropped him on the bench and once more climbed on top of him.

"Men," she said. "Your biggest enemy is not Romulan, Borg, or Jem'Hadar. It's your ego. For some of you it takes only the idea of a woman taking you into her bed to make your I.Q. drop fifty points. How you've lived as long as you have is a surprise to me."

Jones was still in pain, it made it hard for him to think. "Are you going to kill me?"

Tasmith laughed as she grabbed him by the throat. "I could. It would be so easy. There's nobody here to stop me. And I don't think anyone would care much about your passing." She let go of his neck, allowing him to breath. "But there's no fun in that. You were far too easy. I've taken out Ferengi that were smarter than you."

Jones breathed in as much as his burning throat would allow. "What are you going to do?" he asked between coughs.

She grabbed him uniform and pulled him up, lowering her head and inhaling deeply. "The smell of fear, there's nothing like it. You pathetic man, I'm not going to do anything. Killing you would be a release from your worthless life. I'm not in the business of doing favors." She placed her feet on the floor, and stepped out of the cell, activating the forcefield as she passed the panel and headed for the exit. The two guards were standing with their backs to her as she stepped through quieter than the vacuum of space. She had them unconscious on the floor before they knew what had happened.

"Computer, where is Lieutenant Commander Wilson?"

"Lieutenant Commander Wilson is at runabout pad C."

It was time for her to finish what she started.

When Alec saw the holographic cover of the Travioli he could hardly believe it. It looked like an authentic cargo ship. By the design he assumed an Andorian vessel. It was perfect. "This is incredible."

Standing next to Alec, even Captain Sisko was impressed. "Mr. Nog, you've outdone yourself." he said as he put his hand into the hologram.

Nog stepped through the fake bulkhead carrying a toolkit and surprising Sisko. "Thank you, sir. I took into account the Travioli's velocity and chose a ship with a comparable speed. An Andorian cargo runner."

"What about their biosigns?" asked Sisko as he removed his hand from the projection.

"Dr. Bashir took care of that." said Alec, his wife holding on to his arm. "He implanted Rene and I with micro-transmitters that will fool sensors into believing we are who we appear."

"Jones... to...Captain Sisko."

Sisko took note of the strained voice that spoke to him over the comsystem. "What is it, Commander? And make it quick."

"It's Tasmith, sir. She's...she's escaped, sir. She got out of her cell and put me in it."

"Sisko to all hands, security alert. Computer, where is the intruder, Tasmith?"

"The intruder is currently on the promenade."

"Sisko to all promenade security, the intruder is on the promenade. Neutralize her as soon as possible." A violent, psychopathic killer loose on his station was the last thing he needed. She shouldn't even be loose at all. "How the hell did she escape, Commander?"

A few seconds of silence was all it took for Alec to figure out what happened. The fool had let her out. If it was not imperative that he and Rene leave immediately he would have gone down and had another word with him. "Captain, I think that's our exit cue."

"Go, Commander." agreed Sisko. "We'll do our best to hold her."

Rene hugged Sisko and Nog. "Thank you both for your help."

"Yes," said Alec. "And please thank everyone else for us." He shook their hands. "I don't know who else we could have gone to for help. I owe you both bottles of Romulan Ale."

"You'll always have friends here, Commander. And I prefer Saurian Brandy."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I have a few bottles on the Enterprise that belonged to a friend. I think he'd want you to have them."

Sisko chuckled. "Good luck to you, sir."

Alec nodded and took Rene by the hand, walking her to the shuttle and disappearing as they walked through the hologram.

"Let's go, Lieutenant."

The promenade was full of frightened people. People running indoors, taking refuge in Quark's, and in the Bajoran shrine. Doors wouldn't stop her. Parents stepping in front of their children, protecting them. Fools, if she truly wanted the children dead the pitiful acts of maternal and paternal instincts would not keep her from doing so.

She expected someone to try and stop her shortly. They would not allow her to return to her ship so easily. Not only did she expect it, she craved it.

Two security officers, one Bajoran and one Starfleet, walked onto the gangway above and ahead of her and took aim with their phasers. She took cover behind a tall rectangular panel that said 'Promenade Directory' before their weapons discharged. At last, she was going to have some fun.

After their phaser beams dissipated, she extended her whip. Once she thought it at a sufficient length she left her cover and lashed up at the Bajoran officer, the lash wrapping tautly around the wrist of his phaser hand. With a quick, strong jerk, she pulled. The man flew head first over the railing and landed on his back with a loud thud on the floor of the promenade's lower level. He didn't move.

The screams of the local population thrilled her, but she knew there would be just as great a thrill in personally silencing those screams. There was no time for that now, she was wasting enough of it playing with security. As much as she hated to end this game, she needed to. She rolled to dodge a second assault from the overheard Starfleet officer. Shouts of more security officers came from the upper level. Staying on the lower level would be foolish, she was too vulnerable to phaser fire. It was time for her to employ a little physics. Using her whip once again, she lashed up at the Starfleet pest. The lash wrapped not around his wrist, but his neck. He dropped his phaser and grabbed at the lash with both hands, unable to uncoil it.

Her intent was not to pull him over the edge, but instead to drive him backwards. She reached down and picked up the phaser dropped by the Bajoran officer, aimed it square in the chest of the Starfleet officer and fired.

The concussive force of the phaser set on maximum stun pushed him backwards. She did not cease fire until she was certain the intended purpose would be achieved. She estimated his mass at approximately ninety kilograms, she herself being less than fifty. She held the handle of her whip with both hands as he fell over the railing on the opposite side of the gangway. Having almost double her mass, he acted like a pulley as he fell. She was raised into the air and onto the gangway.

The man was dangling in mid air, kicking and struggling, desperate for oxygen. Cries for him to be let go were shouted from all around. She would have continued to let him hang there if she did not need her weapon. She pressed a button on the handle, easing the tautness of the lash. She felt it go slack and immediately after heard a thump as the man fell to the lower level. She pressed another control, the lash fully retracted back into the base then the handle extended into the staff she had used earlier against her quarry. There were now two guards in front of her and two behind, all Bajoran. Four against one, it hardly seemed fair, for them.

The lead man in front rushed her. It was the first and last mistake he made. Tasmith swung her staff, striking him in the head and sending him over the railing. Three to go. One of the guards to the rear rushed her. Still facing ahead, she drove her staff backwards into his gut and heard him hit the floor winded. In the same motion she jabbed it forward and up into the jaw of the next guard that was coming at her. As he flew onto his back, she spun around and swung her staff down onto the head of the guard she had winded, rendering him unconscious. Down to two. Two big arms wrapped around her from behind. Her arms were pinned in such a way that even with her superior strength she had no leverage with which to break free. The other remaining guard saw she was restrained and moved in to assist.

Tasmith pushed up with her legs and thrust the bottom of her feet into his chest, he tumbled backward, very slow to get up. The guard holding her released quickly, knowing she'd be off balance due to her body positioning. She rolled over her body so she'd land on her hands and knees. With both hands firmly grasping her staff she plunged it into the surface of the gangway. Making sure it was sufficiently held in place before acting she jumped and rotated on her hands around the staff, kicking the oncoming guard in the back and sending him into the arms of the guard that she had previously kicked. The momentum transferred from one guard to the other as they collided, sending the stationary officer over the railing. To prevent him from falling his comrade quickly reached over and grabbed his hand.

Tasmith pulled her staff from the gangway surface and twirled it in the fingers of her left hand. After she built up enough kinetic energy she swung it like a baton against the back of his knees. The sudden rush of pain caused him to release the hand of his comrade. One left. Unable to stand he fell to his knees, groaning loudly in pain. She stepped to his side and gripped his hair tightly in her hand and thrust his head forward into the metal railing. He was unconscious before he knew what had happened.

"Status report, Colonel." said Sisko as he and Nog stepped off the turbolift into ops.

"Not good, Captain." said Kira. She had just received word from Bashir. Two security officers were seriously injured, and one, a Bajoran, was in critical condition and might not live. "She took out a fifth of our security in less time that it takes to replicate a raktajino."

"Tell security to stay out of her way. She'll get to her ship but we're not letting her go."

"Aye, Captain."

"Is the Travioli away yet?"

"She's just taking off now."

"Hail her."

Alec looked out the viewport as he piloted the shuttle away from Deep Space Nine. It was as if there was no holographic cover at all. Nog had programmed the projection to be a one way illusion, much like the mirrored glass law enforcement officers on Earth used centuries ago when they were questioning a suspect in what was called the interrogation room. The one way hologram allowed them to remain hidden but still have their view unobstructed.

His course was already plotted for a direct route back to Vesuvia. They'd arrive under perfect cover, their ship disguised, their appearances altered, and biosigns falsified. It was almost too good to be true, which was why Alec had doubts.

Rene was behind him at the tactical display. He knew she wanted to feel useful, and he'd rather she be firing the weapons than flying the ship. Not that she didn't know how to fly a shuttle, she'd taken a few lessons, but if they got into a tight spot it took more instinct and control to fly than fire a torpedo. Back on the Enterprise he had often told Rene that being in control of the most powerful arsenal in two quadrants gave him a euphoric sense of power, and he was hoping that being at the tactical console would have the same effect on her.

A sudden beeping in front of Rene made her jump. From what she had learned, it was the communications system. "Alec, I think Deep Space Nine is hailing us."

"Hmm. Maybe they want to wish us one more goodbye. Put it on screen." An image of Captain Sisko in the ops center appeared on the monitor before him, Alec thought he could see alert lights still flashing in unison. "Captain, I'm guessing this isn't a social call."

"As much as I'd like it to be. Tasmith has neutralized every security officer we've sent at her. I've ordered everyone to stay out of her way and let her board her ship, but she'll be grounded once she gets there."

"Any precautions we can take?"

"As a matter of fact there is. I'll let Lieutenant Dax explain."

Ezri Dax stepped into view. She was not smiling as she normally did. But she still had the confident composure they had come to expect from her. "I'll make this as quick as I can. Fly to the entrance of the wormhole. Once you're at the mouth, jump into warp. That should mask your warp signature."

"I'll have to remember that trick the next time I find a stable wormhole." Alec quickly adjusted course for the tunnel to the Gamma Quadrant. "Thanks, Ezri."

She managed a smile before leaving the frame. "No problem."

The sight of blood on the wall made Tasmith's heart beat faster. It made her wish she had more time with her first toy, but she relished what little she did have. She was a little disappointed there were no more attempts to stop her, they would have been foolish to anyway.

She put her head against the dried blood and smelled it. It's aroma was so sweet to her senses.

The airlock was to her right, she passed through the short corridor and boarded her ship. If she were a Nausicaan she might consider it cramped but with her below average height it was rather spacious. There were only three main compartments: The cockpit, a cabin originally built for two, and a dining area. With the ship being occupied by only one person she relegated the extra space to trophies that she kept from some of her more prolific contracts. She already had a space reserved for the Starfleet officer. It was for his sword.

Tasmith took a seat at the pilot controls. There was no sign of her quarry's ship on sensors but that mattered little, she would find him. As she suspected, the docking clamps were still holding her ship. They weren't going to let her go willingly. The commander of the station would do everything short of risking the lives of those on board. It wouldn't come to that, she prepared for every situation, had a contingency for everything, even this one.

She reached up to a control panel on the upper left of the console. It housed the controls to the numerous special functions of her ship. The only one she currently needed was the partition mode. She had never used it in the field but she had tested it several times personally. There was a slight shudder as the section of her hull held by the docking latches detached from the rest of her ship. Her thrusters activated and she began to back away from the station.

"I can't detect any trace of his warp signature, Captain." said Dax, scanning the vicinity of the wormhole's event horizon.

"Finally, some good news." said Sisko, pleased that something was going right.

"I have some bad news for you, Captain." said Kira. She understated the word bad.

"What now?"

"Tasmith had another surprise for us. She disengaged a part of her hull and is now moving away from the station!"

Nog looked at his panel in disbelief. "She's good. No wonder she never missed a contract."

Sisko was not about to let this bounty hunter go after his friend. "Tractor beam!" his voice exploded with anger.

Tasmith was monitoring her sensors constantly for any increase in graviton emissions. It didn't take long for her wait to be over. Such an increase meant only one thing: They were engaging their tractor beam. It was so utterly predictable in almost made her roll her eyes. She reached her hand back to the special functions panel. Before her finger could press the intended controls she felt her ship shudder as her speed was brought to a full stop. Their tractor beam had locked on and was beginning to pull her ship back towards the station. Once again she reached for the panel, this time unhindered. With a few buttons she activated the graviton generator. Every contingency.

Kira couldn't believe her eyes. Everything they did to stop Tasmith, every guard they sent at her, she got past. Her ship was speeding away at an unbelievable speed. Once the sensor readings were clear it was more believable and understandable. "Captain, she's erected a graviton field around her ship. Combined with our tractor beam it's repulsing her ship away from the station!"

"Damn!" Like two magnetic north charges. Sisko was as upset he had ever been. He did not like being beaten. Opening fire was his last resort. "Lock phasers."

"It's no use, sir." said Nog, the latest bearer of the bad news. "At the speed which she's moving she's gone beyond our weapons range."

"She's gone into warp, sir." said Dax.

"What's her heading?" Sisko sighed.

Dax double checked her sensors to make sure there was no mistake. There wasn't. "Captain, she's on a pursuit course for the Travioli."

"What?! How is that possible?"

"Maybe her sensors really can detect what ours can't." said Nog.

"Or maybe..." Sisko's voice trailed off. He hoped his suspicion proved incorrect.

"Maybe what, sir?" asked Dax.

"Dax, you said there is no trace whatsoever of the Travioli's signature?"

"None, Captain."

That's one piece of the puzzle. "And she never saw the Travioli after the holoprojector was installed, correct?"

"Yes, sir." answered Nog. His staff would have reported any unauthorized personnel to him. "She doesn't know that she's looking for an Andorian ship."

Two pieces had fallen into place, now all that remained was the third. "Colonel, what time did Tasmith dock?"

"0920 hours."

"A little over an hour ago." Sisko's next question would either confirm his suspicion or make them look for another answer. "Now, Colonel, what time did Jones send his subspace message?"

Kira quickly checked the log. She hadn't bothered to check the time before. She had just assumed, understandably, that the message was how Tasmith tracked Alec to Deep Space Nine. What she discovered proved otherwise. "Jones sent his transmission at 0925."

"Five minutes after she arrived." The third and final piece had been confirmed. "She didn't find him because of that transmission."

"And she's not following the Travioli." said Nog. "I can guarantee that. So that means..."

Sisko smacked the center console. Their efforts to disguise the Travioli were in vain. "She's tracking him."