A-ha! Managed to shrink this down to 11 chapters, same as Figurehead!
*pats self on the back*
I'll try to keep everything in the future down to 10-11 chapters. Thanks, as always, for reading!
There was no face in this torn and imploding galaxy that Miro knew better than that of the Romulan Empress Viresa. She was on every newsfeed, a symbol of both the longest-lasting alliance ever formed and the greatest treachery ever committed. She was the face of Romulus itself. Tall and regal, she was like very other Romulan he'd ever known, right down to that dark look of treachery in her eyes.
Viresa was the sort of woman who would never hesitate to betray her own allies if it meant achieving a greater goal for herself. Soon after the Klingons had sent the Federation into retreat, the Kressari had come crying to her for help, and she'd supported them until the Tzenkethi had come knocking at their doorstep. And then she'd shucked them off her shoulder like so many dirty rags and had moved on to more self-beneficial battles. But as duplicitous as Viresa was, Miro had never thought her stupid. She had, after all, managed to stay afloat this long and hold the Cardassians under her thumb, and that took manipulation, which took brainpower. The universe had yet to deliver her a fatal blow.
Miro intended to change that trend. He had never explicitly gone after her in the past. He'd fought her in one battle or another, but never truly challenged her grip on the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. That was partly because he knew a one-man crusade against the most powerful empress this side of the closed wormhole was a death wish, and partly because as long as she was around, he never needed to fear being useless. There would always be something to save the galaxy from. That needed to change.
He would need help.
Of course, like any other Romulan, Viresa was always suspicious and always on the defensive. Her lack of experience with the tides of history made her a bad gambler when she took a risk and a naïve soldier. She was the only Romulan Miro knew who tended to stay on the front lines, instead of in retreat beyond her own borders. Although the Romulan wormhole, as he was beginning to call it, wasn't actually in Romulan space, it was on the far side of her empire and isolated from all the activity in known space. Miro had a feeling he knew why that was. He just needed her to confirm it.
"Miro Dax," Viresa said. "What a pleasant surprise."
"Oh, I doubt I'm that pleasant a sight," Miro said.
Viresa stepped up into his personal space, the better to stare down her nose at him. "I expected you to be dead."
"Oh, really?" Miro said. "You underestimate me."
"Not for long," Viresa said.
"You're a little off your beaten path," Miro said. "Overseeing construction of a whole new wormhole? You've got a lot of nerve, Viresa."
"And you are under the mistaken impression that you are invulnerable," Viresa said. "It appears your vagabond nature has left you blind to your own pride."
"I don't get called out on it very often," Miro growled. "Now, what's the deal dragging me in here? I didn't do anything wrong, not this time."
"Quite the contrary, Dax, you have made a most grievous mistake," Viresa said. "But I don't suppose you're prepared to admit that."
"You'll have to tell me what the hell I did before I admit to anything."
Viresa cocked her head in what a Romulan might consider amusement and gestured down the long, curving hall to her left. "Walk with me?"
The corridor disappeared into darkness some fifty feet off as it curved leftward around the circumference of the habitable decks of the station. It was entirely Romulan in design—minimal, sparse, Spartan furnishings. This was Viresa's domain. As cocky as Miro liked to be around her, he was well aware that he was on the wrong turf, and one wrong move could get him killed. Viresa didn't think him dangerous enough to bother, but if he gave her a reason while he was in her territory, she would never hesitate.
And he needed to keep her talking.
"Do I have a choice?" he replied.
The corner of Viresa's mouth twitched. "You can be foolish, but you're hardly unintelligent. Follow me."
She moved off down the corridor, her heels clicking sharply against the polished metal. Miro kept stride with her. The hallway lights clicked on, section by section, as they walked along. Brisk, efficient, flawless. So typical of the Romulans, and especially Viresa.
"Dax, I've recently been informed of an amber stone that has come into your possession."
Miro resisted the temptation to check for its presence in his pants pocket. He knew it was still there. He hadn't left it on the Challenger because she could be easily searched, and she didn't have a mind of her own to plot her way out of trouble. Now, he felt a little glimmer of satisfaction. Viresa had shown her cards without even knowing it. The Cardassians could have easily lied about their motivations to put them on Viresa's head, but she had just confirmed her interest in the amber. Now, to get her to confirm a bit more.
"I don't know anything about an amber stone," Miro said.
"You're lying."
"I'm not—"
"You're lying!"
Miro saw the blow coming. He caught her wrist in one hand before she could backhand him across the face. Blind hatred boiled up within him as his fingers tightened sharply around her skin. She was the one responsible for the loss of so many lives, for the aimless floundering of so many alien governments. She gave and took at will, greedily sucking the life out of the galaxy. He could see it coming, could see the galaxy shriveling into a shrunken, black lump before her iron hand. His resolved strengthened and he jerked her toward him, peered into those frozen-cold glaciers that were her eyes. She hadn't just targeted the galaxy this time. She'd targeted Eeris and Odo. She'd used her allies again to her advantage and in doing so had put his companions in danger.
His arm tensed. It would take very little effort to flip her arm backwards, to pin her against the wall, to demand she answer for her crimes. But as he stared into those dark, icy depths, something else caught his eye. Something dark and burning. A monster.
His own reflection.
What did I tell you, Miro? Jadzia whispered in his mind. If you don't go back and face Bajor soon, you're going to twist yourself into a devil of the likes this galaxy has never seen.
For once, he listened to her. His anger melted back into mere fear. He was there, all over again—the shouts, the screams, the merciless pop of so many guns, and Kira's eyes, cold and remorseless—
He buried Ezri's memory, clenching his fist against the sudden trembling that had beset his hand, closed his eyes, and released Viresa's wrist.
And then her fingers clamped around his throat.
"It would take me very little effort to send you back to Trill for disorderly conduct," she hissed.
"Do it!" Miro choked. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain, his lungs struggling for air, as he grappled at her iron wrist. "Go ahead!"
"Such a daredevil you are." Viresa shook her head. "Too much so for your own good, I should think." Her fingers tightened, sealing him off from the air. Miro gaped like a fish out of water. "You know, of course, what your people will do to you upon your return? You'll serve years. And you'll be trapped behind bars, helpless to stop me as you watch the galaxy fall under my rule."
Then let them, Miro thought, unable to utter a word. There was no rule he couldn't bend, no law of common sense he couldn't escape. He'd escaped home once before. He could do it again. If that was all Viresa intended to do to him, it was a measly threat. It would be a setback to be sure—when he'd left, he'd vowed never to set foot on Trill again—but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Hell, he'd handled nine hundred years of Ezri's memories practically choking him in the recesses of his mind. Being sent back home would be—
Her hand unexpectedly released him and he dropped to the floor. It was some time before he could catch his breath, his head spinning as he gulped desperate lungfuls. Before he could fully recover, Viresa's boot slammed into his ribs, knocking the wind from him. Cold fingers curled around his collar and he was heaved up, off the floor, until he could stare straight into Viresa's frigid eyes.
"Maybe you're not even worth the effort," she whispered. "Why would you want the amber? You're just protecting it for those friends of yours, aren't you?"
The Cardassians were working for her. Miro knew it. But how much did they know? Viresa was on the path to betrayal once again, and her Cardassian allies thought they were working as equals…when really…
"And what about the wormhole?" Miro gasped out. "Are you gonna tell me what you're doing with the wormhole?"
"Answer the question, Trill."
"You first," Miro managed.
She drew back slightly. "And you say I have a lot of nerve."
"Let me guess," Miro rasped, his throat still sore. "That wormhole isn't for the Cardassians. How could it be? If they knew you were building over here, then in accordance with the treaty you'd have to let them have a hand in it, and this station would look a whole lot more…Cardassian. But no, you're planning to betray them in cold blood, aren't you? I'll be they don't even know about the wormhole. No…they do, they were planning on taking Odo to the Gamma Quadrant, but they don't know you've already started building, do they?"
"Interesting theory, Trill," Viresa said. "Unfortunately, it seems your investigative efforts are lacking in some much-needed evidence. Why would I defy the treaty and betray my valued allies?"
"You're full of shit," Miro said. "Somehow you've controlled where that wormhole opens up! And what's gonna be beyond it, in the Gamma Quadrant? The Dominion!"
"You have a wild imagination, Trill," Viresa said. "I've never cared to open myself up to conquest. And that's exactly what the Dominion will do, once they realize a new wormhole is being constructed. Once their end of it opens up—"
"Once it opens up," Miro growled, "your ships will be waiting! And you'll have as many ambers as you can find in your cargo bay. You'll rush through before they can send the Jem'Hadar and you'll shout out to them, hey, you want your infant Changelings? Come and get 'em!"
"And why would I want to attract the attention of the Dominion?" Viresa asked.
"Easy," Miro said. "You hold their lost Hundred out before their noses, and they'll do anything for you. Hell, I'll bet they'll wage any war you damn well please. They were willing enough to fight for what was theirs nine hundred years ago!"
"And what will happen then, do you suppose?" Viresa asked.
"Then, Cardassia goes down in defeat," Miro said. "Cardassia and the Federation and the Klingons and everyone else whose territory you want! But you can't let them predict your plot. The Federation and the Klingons are already distracted with their little war, you don't have to worry about them. But Cardassia—they're your allies, they watch your every move, they're almost as xenophobic as you are after all the trouble the galaxy has put them through. The Ferengi don't care, they'll even offer their services for a high enough price, so all you've got to worry about is Cardassia. So you distract them with the promise of Bajor. Don't think I didn't notice the Cardassian officers you've got all over Deep Space Nine, just waiting to make their move. Of course, it won't matter once the Dominion comes through and allies with you—you'll wage war against the Cardies and none of us little people will have a damn chance."
Viresa cocked her head at him. "Yes, very imaginative."
Miro laughed. "You think that's imaginative? Wait till I tell you what the Dominion will do with you when it's done with you!"
Viresa's lips stretched into that Romulan impression of a smile. "The Dominion will be grateful for our support and reward us with a continued alliance."
"You fool," Miro said. "I'll be you've never read history. Well, guess what, Empress, I was there. I didn't just watch the last war with the Dominion—I fought in it! And I may not have known any Founders myself, but I still remember the first sight I got of one, when an old friend of mine met his people for the first time. I know my enemy, Viresa, and I know that when the Founders run out of uses for you, they are going to destroy you like stepping on bugs. Don't you get it? You're just Solids to them! Dispensable humanoids! Hell, we all are! When you create that wormhole you'll be unleashing a monster on this whole galaxy, the likes of which you 33rd century people have never dreamed! But I've known the Dominion myself, I've fought against it, I've stared straight into a Jem'Hadar's eyes! Don't let the wormhole open, Viresa. I'm begging you. It'll be the end of your empire."
"You, beg?" Viresa said. "You must truly be desperate. I don't know if I've ever heard those words come from your mouth."
"Do you want your empire to crumble to dust at your feet, Viresa?" Miro said through gritted teeth.
"All I want," Viresa said, "is for the galaxy to be mine. Is it too much to ask for you to stay out of the way?"
"Damn right it is," Miro said. "I'll tell the Cardassians. You release me, you continue your plans, I'll tell the Cardassians. I swear I will."
"You won't have a chance," Viresa said. "The amber you still deny having stolen will be confiscated, your Founder friend will be imprisoned, and you…well, if you resist me this time, I'll have no more reason to keep you alive."
Miro set his jaw. "I don't have the amber, Viresa. But if you think I do, why don't you let me rescue my companions, those two innocents you captured without a thought, and the Cardassians can search me there."
"Those two are hardly innocent."
"Hardly innocent? What are you talking about?"
Viresa's fingers tightened around his collar and she pulled him in closer. "We both know one of them is a Founder, Dax. A Changeling. I will not release him from my custody."
Miro swallowed. "And the Bajoran?"
"She is his pressure point. She will remain a prisoner until I have returned the Founder to his people."
"And when will that be?"
Viresa smiled. "Very soon."
"I'll stop you," Miro said.
"I won't allow that."
"Don't bluff your way out of this, Viresa. You won't kill me. You could have killed me ten times over by now if you wanted to. And you know what? I think you like me. I'm living proof that you can stay strong in the face of a challenge."
"As if you 'challenge' me half as much as you think," Viresa said. "Dax, I've already tried to kill you."
Miro blinked.
"Don't tell me you didn't work it out," Viresa said. "Did my attack not seem just a little too…convenient? Right after you had stolen the amber that is rightfully mine?"
"That was you!" Miro gasped. "Those were Romulan ships, waiting for me just beyond Nebez. The Cardassians must have contacted you. You tried to ambush me!"
"Obviously, I failed," Viresa said. "I assure you, next time I'll be more careful."
"Why not just kill me now?"
"What would be the point?" Viresa asked. "I believe a great leader once said that a true victory is to make your enemy see they were wrong to oppose you in the first place. If I drag you into a trap, tell you my plans, and kill you before you can make another move, what could that possibly accomplish?"
"Getting me out of your way," Miro muttered.
"But that's not what I want," Viresa said. "That's never been my goal. Oh, it would be quite convenient for me if you would simply…surrender your cause. But, fortunately for both of us, that will never happen. I will have the opportunity to truly defeat you. I won't kill you, Dax. Not right away. Oh, no. I'll wait. I'll wait until every last power in the galaxy has fallen, and then I'll track you down when you have no allies left. When you're alone, with no purpose left, watching the galaxy crumble around you, watching the evidence of your failure—only then will I kill you, and I'll give you the slowest death possible. I'll kill you on your own ship, on your own turf, and I'll turn your viewscreen onto the most dramatic newsfeed I can find, and I'll slit your stomach and leave you to bleed to death. Am I clear on that?"
"Crystal," Miro said.
Viresa's hand released his collar. He stumbled back, rubbing his neck.
"Good," Viresa said. "Go now. I'll see to it that you have safe passage throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. None of my people will hurt you. You have free reign, Dax. Enjoy it while it's yours."
Miro locked his eyes with hers in a glare as he straightened his shirt and tugged his sleeves back into place. Let her think of that as a silent challenge. He took several deliberate steps back before turning and striding toward the airlock as confidently as he could. He believed her threats. Viresa was just the sort to want to enjoy her victories to the fullest. And if she believed she could conquer the remaining powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, if she believed she could even ally herself with the Dominion in the long term, then of course she would want to have her fun with the one man who had been a thorn in her side for so long.
But Miro was no coward. The threat of death would never be enough to deter him from saving the galaxy from doom. His problem now was, he needed a plan. And he couldn't execute it alone.
Normally, alone worked for him. He didn't need allies to use the element of surprise and spring traps on his enemies. He didn't need help to organize sinkholes in nefarious plans. He was pretty good at bending rules to his will, and his vagabond nature meant he was unpredictable. It was impossible for even him to know which side he'd be fighting on next. The only side he consistently opposed was Viresa's, and he'd been fighting her since Dax saw her first stirrings of trouble.
That was the problem.
He'd been fighting her since before she was even in power, and she knew it. He and Viresa had been at each other's throats for so long they knew each other's strengths and tells. And after all these years, all these years of pushing back against her growing strength, she had still won. She was empress now. She was the head of a prosperous, expanding empire, and she had the resources to dangle before the noses of those in need—such as the Cardassians. She had the means to manipulate her enemies into becoming her allies and she was drunk on her success. By now, she was untouchable. It was difficult to even think about, but she was Dax's most spectacular failure.
And, Miro realized now, he'd have to change his tune if he meant to defeat her.
That meant having allies, and it meant having a plan with lasting consequences. It meant he needed to ensure beyond a doubt that a power of his choice would take Viresa's place and hold the galaxy intact until the border skirmishes died down and it could take care of itself again. It meant that he needed to close that wormhole before the Dominion could come through. And it also meant he could not let the Romulans get ahold of Odo.
Miro slid into the Challenger's pilot seat, closed the airlock, and slumped.
Odo could so easily return to his people now, especially because both Viresa and the Founders wanted him to cross through that wormhole. But the last time Odo had found his people, the Dominion had started a war. Naturally, they would this time—they'd know the wormhole was back, and they'd have their chance. And even if they didn't take that opportunity—even if they honored the treaty—they would learn about the ambers through the Link. Odo knew too much. And they would want their lost Changelings back.
Miro needed Odo as an ally. He needed him not to return to the Gamma Quadrant.
With renewed urgency, Miro disengaged the docking clamps and backed the Challenger away from Viresa's station. He revved up her engines, kicked her up to warp, and set a course along the border in the direction he had come. He set up an ongoing scan for any ship with Odo on board.
And Eeris. There was no way he could leave her to fend for herself.
It looked like they'd end up together, then. Just as the Emissary had wanted. Miro sighed and rested his head in his hands as the Challenger carried him along on autopilot. How had his life managed to spiral out of control in only a few short days? It felt like it was only yesterday that he'd met Eeris on Deep Space Nine and had foolishly decided to take her on board. He should have left her behind. He should never have allowed himself to come face to face with Odo. He shouldn't have agreed to meet on the station to catch Odo up on current events, and he definitely shouldn't have capitulated to Benjamin's request that he give Odo a chance. He would have been so much better off just to stick to his old ways, to avoid social interaction unless absolutely necessary, to keep away from Bajoran space entirely.
But his life was about to take a strange turn, one where Odo of all people was a friend, Eeris was a permanent resident on the Challenger until the galaxy was stabilized and Viresa was neutralized, and Jadzia was allowed to speak her mind. And there was nothing Miro could do to stop it.
And…finished!
Yes, I know…it's still not over. Don't worry, I'm already hard at work at Part 3, Flashback. I don't know when I'll post it, but it shouldn't take as long as Union did.