Jason watched on the monitors as the older Cardassian woman tried to console the frightened children. He had told them that Raina was willing to let them die to save herself, but they refused to believe it. He knew she would come for them. She always wanted to play the hero. The martyr that everybody loved. But he knew her in ways that others didn't.
She wielded her body and beauty like a weapon. She knew who had what and how they could help her career. She slept her way through the ranks of Starfleet, even when they were together. He couldn't blame the men though. She was like a sniper, once she had you in her sights, you went down.
Even so, he was willing to give her another chance. Once she left Starfleet, they could settle down, maybe go back to Earth and just live out their days with each other. But she would have to work to gain his trust back. She had hurt him badly with her deceit.
He almost bounced out of his chair with delight when he sensed a Federation shuttle on sensors. She had done exactly what he predicted. He went to the room where he held Yva and the children, laughing with glee. "So it seems your new mother has arrived. No doubt with your father in tow. Pity you'll have to watch him die." He grinned when Talyn let out a fearful cry.
Jason returned to the monitors, watching as Raina and the Cardassian beamed in. The Cardassian made a protective gesture towards her to which she nodded. "So glad you could join us, Raina."
"Show yourself, you coward."
"Now, now." He tutted. "Why don't you join the others and I for some group therapy."
Raina stiffened as she confronted the ghost that followed her from Earth and went everywhere she went. He was determined to ruin her life over some imagined slight that she committed, and she was sick of him ruining everything that she did. "Hello, Jason. You're looking more haggard than I remembered."
"Well, keeping up with you does that to a man."
"So, shall I do this confession now?" She asked coldly.
Jason snarled at her, furious that she wouldn't play his little game. "Not so fast."
"What do you want, Jason?" She perched on a desk as she sent a reassuring smile to the kids. "You kidnap my children and lead me here. For what? So you can justify your attempts to ruin my career?"
Jason gave Dukat the once over with a disgusted glare. "So, this is the new one then?"
"Yes and you could never be even half the man he is."
Dukat listened to the two spit acid at each other. When his communicator vibrated, he knew he could put his plan into action. He just needed Jason out of the way first. He had no intention of letting Jason leave the station alive. He had hurt Raina, his Raina in so many ways that death would be the only thing to set Raina free. "You won't leave this station alive." He warned.
"Another caught under her spell." Jason tutted.
"What is your problem, Jason?" Raina asked. "You think I'm some witch who snares men with her looks?"
"Be nice, Raina. We wouldn't want the little girl to get hurt." He pointed his gun at Dukat. "Get in the cell."
Raina watched as Dukat entered the cell. She could sense he had a plan and for the first time, she could communicate with him telepathically. He told her to draw Jason away from the cells. "Ok, Jason, you want to play?" She ran out of the room and down a dark corridor, knowing Jason would follow.
Dukat waited for Jason to leave the cells before he tapped his communicator. Macet and three others beamed in, fully armed and ready for a fight. "Took your time, Akellen."
"I'll try to be quicker next time, Skrain."
"Mother, take the children and go with this Glinn, he'll take you back to Akellen's ship."
Yva nodded. "What about, Raina?"
"I'll get Raina." He reassured her.
Dukat took a rifle from Macet and set it to kill. "Remember boys, this one is mine."
"Where is the nutcase?"
"We can track Raina's combadge." Dukat used one the terminals to track Raina on the station. "She's in the mess hall. Let's go."
He led the team through the station and scream echoed from the end of a corridor. Dukat instantly knew it was Raina and she was in trouble. He ran down the corridor towards the mess and Raina's screaming got louder. "Get off me, Jason." She yelled.
"Stop struggling." He tried to tie her up and he straddled her back.
Raina struggled to breath with his weight on top of her, but the weight shifted suddenly as Jason yelled out in pain. She leant up slightly to see him writhing on the floor in agony and blood spilling out from his shoulder. She looked right ahead of her to see Dukat stalking towards Jason with his rifle. "Ahh, sweetheart. I think you missed."
"I missed on purpose." He lowered his rifle to help her up. "What are we going to with him?"
"Well…..he confessed to the attempted murder of 3 dozen Cardassians and kidnapped 4, so Cardassian Command can kill him for all I care."
"Can I brutalize him a bit first?" Dukat asked her, already knowing what the answer would be. When she nodded, he invited the others to beat him up.
"Ok, he's had enough." Raina put a stop to the beat down. "Take him back to Cardassia before I shove him out of an airlock."
"I'll take him on my ship." Macet said as he picked Jason up. "I'll make sure he doesn't escape."
Both Raina and Dukat got back to the shuttle, heading back to DS9. Something had been bothering Dukat and he wanted some answers. "How long have you been a telepath?"
Raina sighed. "Since I was little." She answered. "Mostly I can sense emotions and I can dig out parts of people's minds even they had forgotten about."
"But you knew what my plan was."
"You're the only one I've ever formed a full telepathic bond with."
"Have you ever searched my mind before?" He wasn't sure why that made him nervous. There were things that he'd rather forget, and he had buried them.
"No, I haven't. Mother said it was an intimate bond and shouldn't be forced upon someone."
"Explain it to me."
Raina chuckled as his curiosity. "It's like a Vulcan mind meld but it's more intimate than that. If we did it, it would take place somewhere meaningful to us. We would be naked and embraced together."
"So what is the point of it?"
"It's to spiritually bond us and create a deeper connection. It also helps to make sure you really want to marry the person you are embracing."
"We will do it when you return from your reassignment." He pulled her closer, kissing her tenderly. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too." She whispered. "I'm going to tell Starfleet Command about us."
"That could ruin you. I can't let you do that." He hated the idea that he would be the reason her career ended.
"If I can get the Cardassians on side with the Federation, they'll need someone used to dealing with you thoroughly unreasonable people. They'd be foolish to get rid of me."
Dukat chuckled. "I'll give you Cardassia if you come home to me."
Raina gave him a long lingering kiss. "Together, we'll make Earth and Cardassia the power couple. A force to be reckoned with."
"There are people who will fight against us." He warned her.
"So then they fight and see what it means to cross us."
"You'll have the Alpha and Beta Quadrants swearing fealty to you." He laughed. She could rule the galaxy if she wanted to. She was a force, but she used her power for good.
They said their goodbyes to each other, both knowing what torture the next few months would be, but Raina would return to Cardassia permanently eventually.
