My friend Irishchick1982 said these words which helped explain the comparison of Keevan and his people to Moses and the Ten Commandments: "It does explain his people very well, granted Keevan's people actually worship the Founders and admire them; at least Moses' people wanted to be free and didn't worship the Pharaoh. So the Vorta are brain washed basically, which is why they act the way they do. They are a sad race if you think about it." :'(

Chapter Eleven

Survival of the Fittest

He was dying.

He whimpered as another onslaught of spasms dominated his entire right side, squeezing his eyes tightly shut and tried to stop the tears from spilling, but they came in heavier streams each second turning into each minute that passed. He had been fighting the best he could for two days, but now it had returned with a vengeance. "Oh, gods," he moaned. "Oh...I can't feel my legs."

His legs felt like they were heavy with lead, unable to move or feel. Which meant he could no longer walk for awhile, and that also meant Annora couldn't help him stand even if she wanted to. He was in so much pain a part of him wanted it to be quick, but it wouldn't come that easily. He forced his eyes opened again to look up at Annora. She looked like she was going to cry, too, because she didn't want him to die...and he no longer saw that it was because of the simple fact he didn't deserve it. His heart fluttered at the small amount of hope. Because if he died in a matter of time, he would die a happy man because he did the one sure thing that Weyoun told him had to be spoken now rather than later and resulting in permanent regret.

"You're not going to die on me; we made that agreement," she told him harshly, staring at the ugly, mildly outwardly veined wound in his side for another few seconds before reaching for her kit. "I won't let you."

She asked him to tell her why he wouldn't allow her taken in as a prisoner of war to the Dominion; now he would turn the tables on her and ask her the true reason why she didn't want him to die. "Give me one good reason why," he said, feeling like he was running out of breath - notably when she drew a small blade-like tool. She intended to peel away the dried, infected skin. He yelped a little at the little jolts through his numbing side when the small but sharp tip pierced the dry, blackened skin.

She stopped what she was doing then and looked at him, baffled. "Excuse me?" she asked, brows furrowed in a frown. "Why do you want to know why I don't want you dead? You already know the answer."

"True, but it's deeper than let on," Keevan answered, pausing to take a deep breath. "You know why you want me alive, after two days in my company and all our time together. But it doesn't seem enough now, because you deserve the true answer from me." He reached up and placed his hand on her heart again, over the stone around her neck. The charm heated against his skin again; she shuddered when she drew in a breath. Keevan smiled at her reaction and looked back and forth between her face and his hand over her heart. His own beat more than a thousand times faster, not that a rate like that deserved track.

"Annora O'Neal, I'm not afraid to confess that I am giving you every ounce of undying devotion. You might belong to the Federation, a side my people fight against, but it doesn't matter to me, because you saved my life and has remained by my side when you could have let me die any time - even now. What I am trying to tell you is that I love you. I don't just simply desire you. I love you, I don't care you're married to another man you never loved the way I do - the way you should - but I only wish to give my heart to you alone. And before I die, I want you to know it."

~o~

Her mind was in a buzz. Her mind...and her heart. And Keevan's hand over the latter wasn't slowing the beats down in any literal sense; it picked up its pace that she was no longer having her doubts and over analysis. Her dreams, the way he made her feel - including his hand over her heart twice in a row - his blunt but irresistible seduction, his surreal beauty and purring, velvety voice, and his success at opening her eyes to the big picture that what she never thought possible had been waiting for her all this time.

Keevan did not just lust for her; he loved her.

Everything, including the cave ceiling overhead, came tumbling down in a figurative speech sense. He loved her and was just telling her now when he was dying; even though he didn't say it aloud, he wanted her to tell him her feelings to prevent her from regretting not voicing them for the rest of her life. No, no, NO! She did NOT want him to give up on her now. Not now...

Annora placed her hand over his heart, his own still before hers. His heart was beating just as fast as she knew hers was doing. How could she answer him back? "Annora, please say something," he pleaded, his eyes widening slightly. "I don't want to die when you give me no answer."

She shook her head aggressively. "No, you won't give in now," she insisted, choking up now. "I don't want you to leave me." Her heart had cracked enough as much as her sanity was when everything bottled up was being spilled in this one critical moment. "Not because I don't want you to, but because if you go, then I'll have no one left who understands me. I'll still be trapped in my marriage when I'm not even sure if I can go through with asking for a divorce; there will be no way I can explain to Jeffrey I don't love him because of another..." She stopped there, having been looking down at his wound the whole time she was speaking, and now looked back into his eyes again. He was still crying, but now his lips were pulling back to manage the weakest smile she'd ever seen.

"Go on," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she blurted, blubbering now. She'd been so afraid to say those three simple words; they were on opposite sides, and neither of their superiors would approve if they learned of this. She hated being weak this way, but even the strongest had to break down with the right amount of pressure, it seemed. "I just...I'm afraid. If you die, then I'll have no one like before. I had...a best friend, but we haven't seen each other in a long time. I know I hated you in the beginning, but I'm not cruel to leave someone to die. I didn't know entirely why I rescued you, but I think I know now. I love you, Keevan, but I don't want this to be like one of those stories I have been into since I was a child -" She stopped when he interrupted her.

"You're right; this isn't fantasy. It's real love." He smiled, that beautiful seductive smile of his. "Whoever composed it and whoever followed in their footsteps knew what it was truly like and passed it down for others. They believed in it and wanted others to believe in it, give them hope. They never said it aloud, just wanted their readers to find out for themselves. I never took myself to actually..." His pain seemed to have been forgotten for the moment, because now he was laughing again; she had to continue taking care of him soon. "...understand anything like this. Considering my share of bad luck."

Her strength returned enough for her to pick up that little blade again and bring it back to his wound so she could continue to peel back the dark scab; a little drop of blood seeped; he didn't seem to feel it now given he didn't make anymore noises. "We both had our share of bad luck," she said. Bad luck either wedding the wrong man or being shunned by everyone else despite being attractive enough to catch anyone's eye. "But it brought us both together," she added with a little smile which he returned.

Keevan's nod was enthusiastic, his smile spreading wider. "Yes. Yes, it did."

She leaned down and kissed him again, that wonderful feeling washing over her again. Keevan's exquisite lips made her moan again; she wanted more of his kiss and never stop. "Mmm, Keevan," she murmured, breaking it apart and looking at his injury again. "I have to take care of this now." She'd finished peeling the scab away and now applied the synthehol and analgesics again; the last of the wrappings were in a minimal amount now, so she had to use less than what she did from now on.

"No matter what you said, no matter what you're feeling," she promised him, wondering how much longer that communication system needed fixing, "you're going to be all right as long as you hold on...as long as I am here." She took his hand into her free one and held it firmly. He'd given her his heart because he believed he was dying and had to tell her out of fear of never knowing if she loved him, too, and wanted to know she did as well. She wasn't sure if she could live with never telling him.

"In that case," Keevan spoke, blinking a couple times to stop the tears now, "I believe I have a good reason to live. Not just because dying frightens me." He brought his other hand up to cover both of theirs together. "My reason to remain alive is right in front of me."

~o~

He had worried for nothing, a rarity in himself, but this was necessary because of obvious reasons. He knew he loved Annora, but had to take the biggest step he ever made in his life in asking her if she felt what his heart beat for - and that was for her. She was his and would be, no matter what. Time might keep them apart, the Federation and Dominion - as well as her unhappy union - might keep them apart physically, but their joined minds and hearts would remain as one. He wanted to give his body to her, but it would seem too soon for her, and his body wasn't in the best condition for it at the present.

But that didn't matter now. What mattered was that now his love for his angel was out in the open, his fears went away, including his fear of dying. He intended to live for her, because she wanted him to.

"You're not giving up," she whispered, looking down at their joined hands, a ghostly but visible smile in place - and a happy one.

"No," he answered with a weak shake of his head. "I won't. There is more that I want to do that I refuse to die without accomplishing." He wanted Annora in his life, wanted to take her away from her husband and make her his forever. He didn't care what the odds were; he wanted her to share that thrill with him.

Footsteps sounded and a shadow loomed over them both. Third Remata'klan stood over them, watching them with interest. Keevan felt irritated at his time with his new beloved being interrupted. Beloved. He inwardly thrilled at the word; it had been in his wildest dreams, but now it actually happened. He found the one he had searched for all his life that he had been missing. But right now his unit leader standing in front of them had ended the perfect moment. "Third," he said coldly, gazing up at him with a wry smile, "enjoying the sight, are we? If you think I'm going to die soon, I must tell you that I won't give you the satisfaction." He returned his attention back up to Annora who had her back facing the Jem'Hadar, and smiling down at him softly. "I intend to live."

Remata'klan showed no trace of disappointment, and even though he did his best to hide it, Keevan sensed clearly that he was. "I understand," he replied simply, canting his head forward in a single, barely visible nod. His mere presence to watch his commander naked but covered, vulnerable and dying with the young Starfleet reporter by his side wasn't the reason why he was here. If this had to do with the communication system, then Keevan deserved to know how much longer until it was reestablished.

"Ten days, at least, according to Seventh Yak'talon," Remata'klan reported. "But either way, we will attempt a low-powered test then."

His heart sank. "Ten days," Keevan repeated, closing his eyes in defeat. Ten days...it was more than he anticipated, and he smelled it radiating off Annora above him. He closed his eyes, avoiding eye contact with her. This was their second day here, but to last for ten more days, he and Annora would both go insane, and he might be dead by then...no, no he would not -!

He reopened his eyes again when Annora opened her mouth. "Is there anything else?" she asked coolly, either out of her own frustration at being on this wasteland of a planet any longer or because she wanted to be alone with him. The Third looked at her reproachfully before glancing back down at Keevan.

"It's time for the white," he answered at the same time as the rest of the men coming in through the front with Fifth Soran'ilan carrying the ketracel-white case, refreshing Keevan's memory at once. He'd lost track of time to give them their next allowance of white. He nodded for it to be brought over before waving them off so he could try to sit up, grimacing when he couldn't.

Annora jumped up and moved around behind so she was beside him. "Careful," she warned when she placed a hand behind his shoulder and another behind his back, slipping closer so her body helped his elevate. Sighing with relief, Keevan reached over and typed in the code before opening the lid...and felt his insides sink when he saw only two vials of ketracel-white intact. The rest were completely broken, and the system of the case was in no good condition to replicate more.

He heard Annora's slight gasp and halfway turned his head to give her a silent warning to keep quiet. "Third Remata'klan," he said, returning his attention back to the men, "can you vouch for the loyalty of your men?"

"We pledge our loyalty to the Founders from now until death."

The supply of white was limited with ten more days ahead of them, so one had to be given for now to avoid suspicion, but he would come up with a suitable excuse - and he had to do it fast. Their supplies lasted for a week, and the rest of the men would suffer the withdrawal effects if necessary. "Then, receive this reward from the Founders," Keevan said, offering one vial to Remata'klan. "May it keep you strong."

Fourth Limara'son looked at his superior of the unit in visible shock. "Only one?" he demanded, apparently now the bolder of the lot now that Remata'klan was in charge.

"Keep your place," Remata'klan ordered, and the soldier reassumed his position. All eyes were on Keevan now, demanding to know why he was only giving one to their leader. He sighed and closed the lid.

"This case of white must last until we're rescued, at least ten days. Possibly more; I will ration the supply." They glared at him with disgust; without their energy source, they would not last a week or more without it, but what choice did he have? There was only one vial left, and if that was gone, they would be no more than savages and kill both him and Annora before going against each other.

"Don't worry," Keevan assured them softly. "I am the Vorta. I will take care of you all."

They left him alone again, accepting without question like the good soldiers they were to get back to their patrols and on the communication system. Annora helped him lay back down into his comfortable position, but she eyed him with a wary expression; he knew what she was thinking - or might be thinking. "If that last vial is gone, then they'll turn on us both," he told her in a low voice. "The white created by the Founders and the Foudners only ensures their loyalty to me, their commander, but when it's all gone, I'm finished. It's their addiction that keeps them shackled and unable to rebel and kill us. They can't live without the white."

She scoffed and sat back on her thighs, back to their discussion. "It's cold and heartless, using them and enhancing their survival based on a drug, Keevan."

Just as cloning one version after another was cruel, controlling their beliefs, feelings and so on. "They fight for the Dominion because they are made to do so," he reminded her before tightening his jaw. "They have no real honor or purpose, as any Klingon would put it."

Which was why the thought now crossed his mind: if communications were not reestablished before the Jem'Hadar went fully mad, he and Annora were both as good as gone.

~o~

So, partially good but mostly bad news. The communication system would be reestablished, but not for another ten or so days; that meant the longer this went on, the worse Keevan's infected side would get, but he proved to be a tough as hell bird. But what bothered her most of all was the fact that one vial of ketracel-white remained; the Jem'Hadar leader himself would be stable for a week, but his men wouldn't be so lucky.

Disaster spelled for all of them then. And she knew Keevan was just as anxious as she was.

So, before she met this amazing creature who was actually a pawn along with the rest of his race, she'd gone to the ketracel-white facility in Cardassian space to spare the lives of Captain Sisko and the others, save them time and perhaps started a way to end the war even though there was more to come. But now she and the Vorta who changed her entire life were surrounded by white-deprived Jem'Hadar who might not fix that comm system after all on time.

It dawned on her then: Benjamin and the crew were still heading for the facility, if they hadn't reached it yet, and could encounter trouble on the way, and chances were their ship might be damaged enough to crash land someplace - such as here. But then again, it was only an imagining. A false hope she wasn't willing to get high on only to be disappointed.

Not to mention, she didn't want to get Keevan's hopes up, either.

Keevan had started to take his nap again, or so it seemed. He had trouble sleeping during the day because of his injuries; it was the best he could do when he wasn't as active as she was. She finally decided to continue more of her novel - she normally saved a title until over halfway or the very end - and had a better direction for the tenth chapter, when it came to the patient testing his doctor about her nonexistent sex life...and near the end, she opened her mouth and began to sing the song she and Mia loved together, which had originated in the early twenty-first century.

"Somewhere beyond the sea, somewhere waiting for me, my lover stands on golden sands and watches the ships that go sailing. Somewhere beyond the sea, he's there watching for me. If I could fly like birds on high, then straight to his arms I'd go sailing."

A sigh behind her made her stop. Startled, Annora looked behind her to see Keevan looking at her through half-lidded eyes and smiling in pleasure to the song. But then it was gone as soon as she stopped. "Why did you stop?"

"I'm not used to singing in front of an audience," she admitted, making him laugh.

"It's only me. I don't understand music and melody, but the message is clear. Please, continue," he encouraged, raising a hand and placing it on her shoulder. His support was enough for her to pick up and finish without trouble.

"It's far beyond the stars, it's near beyond the moon. I know beyond a doubt, my heart will lead me there soon. We'll meet beyond the shore; we'll kiss just like before. Happy we'll be beyond the sea, and never again I'd go sailing." If the actual song was playing from her recorder she kept all her favorite tunes that she wished she brought with her, the pause would have eased the awkward moment in which Keevan thought she was done when she actually wasn't.

"We'll meet, I know we'll meet beyond the shore. We'll kiss just as before. Happy we'll be beyond the sea, and never again I'll go sailing."

Keevan's lips were parted to draw in breaths, and his eyes closed briefly before opening again. "Ahhh, you've done well, Annora. I wish I could hear the actual song, perhaps appreciate it better. But in a way, it's you and I in this environment or if we were ever on Kurill Prime," he said sentimentally. "You would have loved it, even more than Risa."

"I'll take your word on it. I traveled in my life, but Kurill Prime I have yet to see, if only this war wasn't going on."

"And if I wasn't in this unwanted situation, I would have taken you there if I wanted to. It would be just the two of us, living in the countryside or by the sea - or anywhere you want," he told her, squeezing her shoulder briefly before letting it go.

She could have seen herself living a life of peace and quiet with him, away from this mess, but she had a job to do for herself, and she wasn't ready to get rid of that. And even if she did, changing her name into a pen name for her novels - and risking censorship in the Gamma Quadrant - wasn't an option. She would never sacrifice her identity for anyone or anything.

She hadn't been up to stroll in a while, and she needed it now. She'd taken care of him and needed her exercise; whatever the Jem'Hadar were doing now without their precious white in their systems. She hoped she wouldn't have anymore problems with them. But oh, how wrong she was again.

"The Vorta sees something in you, and I don't know what it is," a voice snarled from behind her as soon as she was outside the cave. Spinning around and her hair whipping around her shoulder, there stood Fourth Limara'son glowering menacingly at her. "He's going to die soon, yet he refuses to put Remata'klan as First."

This particular Jem'Hadar never bothered her before, so why was he now? She'd dealt with Tirak'iklan earlier, and now she got this one. Perhaps she should start trusting Remata'klan from now on even though he wasn't exactly fond of Keevan himself. "That's something you ought to talk to him about, Fourth," Annora said calmly, "not me. Try daring to question him yourself like your superior does, but you're not brave to do that, are you? You must talk about questioning Keevan yourself, but you don't seem to know your place any better than Third Remata'klan." If he was going to challenge her, then she should do what she should have braced herself with earlier: she would dodge his attacks with the training she had in Klingon martial arts.

Fourth Limara'son growled and drew his combat dagger like the dead Tirak'iklan and charged her, but her angry energy surged through her enough to kneel and spring upwards into the air, spinning into a ball before landing on both feet behind him after he fell to the ground and dropped his knife, which proved to be a disadvantage for him. Annora cartwheeled over and picked up the weapon before flipping back over and landing on top of him, pointing the knife at his throat, baring her teeth in a vengeful snarl. First Tirak'iklan might have tried to kill her earlier, but she wouldn't let this one think about now or a next time.

"Cease this at once!" She didn't look up to see Remata'klan and Fifth Soran'ilan coming into the picture; one important lesson was to NEVER turn your back on your opponent. "Girl, you can drop your weapon and move away." She threw the knife down, the blade piercing the earth with the handle upwards, and gracefully slid off Limara'son for Soran'ilan to haul him up and hold him in place. Remata'klan glared at him for a second before turning to Annora.

"Before you say anything to me," she told him hotly, "I was only walking for some exercise since I haven't had the chance while we were here. You should teach him some discipline before he tries to attack me again like 'poor' Tirak'iklan," she added sarcastically, "did earlier. And for questioning your Vorta about your promotion."

He nodded. "I'll deal with him. Be about your business then, but don't stray too far from this area."

~o~

Their mission to destroy the white storage facility was a success, but trouble with more Jem'Hadar left them without a warp core, so they could not travel at warp speed. Then there were two more Jem'Hadar ships firing at them, resulting in Dax wounded as well as the ship being driven through the nearest dark-matter nebula they found.

The ship was now five hundred meters below the surface of the sea it landed into, and they grabbed everything they could before it took them all with it. Now Sisko and the others were stuck on this uncharted planet until they found a way to call for help, and Dax needed the best care she could from Dr. Bashir.

One funny incident involved nearly the entire crew getting their uniforms torn in certain places - Chief O'Brien's pants included, which made everyone laugh the most. Unfortunately, Garak's sewing kit had gone down with the rest of the ship, but not Bashir's medical equipment. The substitute for mending the ripped clothing was a large rock kept alive by constant phaserfire.

Benjamin decided to check on Jadzia, now that she was resting on a rock serving as a bed just for her. "Madame," he said teasingly, making her smile weakly, "you pants are ready, but your vest and boots will take a little longer."

She burst into weak giggles. "I have a complaint to make: this bed is too hard for me."

He chuckled before looking up when Bashir came to their sides. "Prognosis, Doctor?"

"Guarded, but good," Julian answered. "The bleeding stopped, and I've repaired all the internal injuries." His face fell grim. "But the damage of the symbiont is a little harder to diagnose, but with plenty of rest, they'll both make a full recovery."

Jadzia grunted, discouraged. "So, while I'm staying here, I'll be staring at the ceiling for the duration of our time here." She hated being inactive, especially on sick leave; rarely did she ever take sick, but Benjamin could not bear the thought of losing her AND the Dax symbiont together. Not like Annora, who hadn't been found along with that ship - and scattered remains of debris, but it was hard to tell which ship was which. The amount, according to Dax, had been two separate ships, which confirmed that the one Ross sent out to retrieve his niece had been destroyed...along with the runabout Annora borrowed without permission.

Annora was dead then.

He remembered how he treated her before, and now he regretted it as much as he did his best to shove it behind for the sake of the mission, and now he wanted to let it loose in any way possible. But Dax noticed how he was internally beating himself up over her death; no body had been found, but how could they be certain when there were hardly any lifeforms left besides abandoned wrecks of Starfleet vessels? Admiral Ross was waiting back at the starbase, waiting for his brother's daughter to be brought back safely like Sisko promised; he would be devastated once the bad news would be brought to him along with the good one about the white facility.

"Ben," Jadzia said softly, noticing the distance in his eyes, "you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to her. Just like you shouldn't have taken the past with Annora too seriously. She was a grown woman now who could take care of herself. She might have died doing a good cause."

He nodded numbly. Mia knew when to draw her lines, but Annora had been unlimited trouble. But still, she was Mia's best friend and a part of her that he'd had while being separated from his daughter for the time being. But now Annora was gone, and he would never forgive himself for a long time.

"Before I die, I want you to know." Those words were spoken similarly by Padme Amidala in "Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones", before she and her longtime love Anakin Skywalker were taken into the Geonosis arena. :D

The song Annora sang was "Beyond the Sea" by Celtic Woman. Mia sang it herself in the last story at the end of chapter 7 and at the beginning of chapter 8. Beautiful tune. :D

Keevan giving his heart to Annora the way he did is one of the best parts so far. He had waited long enough and did everything he could to get her to see the light that she shouldn't spend the rest of her life with someone else she doesn't love. And Benjamin Sisko can't be wary of her forever; the past is the past, but the poor man now that he thinks she's dead. :(