It took the tailor more time and persuasion to put his plan into action, and he had to claim far more old favors than he liked. However, he had launched too many actions, all with the utmost secrecy, to give up now because of the costs, in the form of goodwill.
As in his good old days as an agent, none of those involved knew which other people were involved in this project. Everyone knew only their specific task and Garak had broken down his plan into so many small steps that he almost lost the overview himself.
All these efforts to prevent Ekoor from being warned early. All these precautionary measures to ensure that no bystander was put at risk, and also no party involved.
Quark seemed to suspect that Garak was planning something, the Cardassian had to ask him several times for the names of specialists for various transport activities and other tasks. The Ferengi eyed him appraising each time Garak passed the bar.
Weeks after talking to the doctor and Pythas Lok, the time had finally come. His plan had worked almost perfectly and only in one delicate situation the creativity of a freighter captain had prevented the entire strategy from failing.
All that remained now was to include the last element in his strategy. Shortly before the shop closed, he entered the 'Choice of Torment' and waited patiently near the door for Jessica, which, according to the buzzing background noise, immortalized an artwork in the skin of a customer.
After a few minutes, she looked around the room divider, raised an eyebrow in surprise, and apologized to her customer for the interruption.
"Garak, we haven't seen each other for a long time, what brings you to me?" Garak almost explained to the woman that he saw her all the time, but had tried to avoid her so as not to evoke bad memories, but the presence of a third party in the store prevented the Cardassian from indiscretion.
"Jessica, I have a request. In fact, it's probably a big request. But I'd rather talk to you privately about that. And since I am convinced that my quarters are free from functional listening devices, I invite you to a glass of first-class Kanar in my modest accommodation for tonight. It is a very delicate matter, but I can assure you that it is of the utmost importance, also for you." He looked at her intently, the tension was written on Garak's face.
Jessica laughed uncertainly. She ran her tongue thoughtfully over her upper lip and Garak noticed an irritating silvery something under her tongue. "But you don't want to explain your undying love to me now, do you?" There was uncertainty in your voice. Garak immediately turned away, "but no, Jessica, where are you thinking. In fact, it's something far less banal. Can I count on your appearance?"
The woman agreed and promised to join him after the end of her current task.
The tailor paced back and forth in his quarters. He was tense and excited. In his head he went through various ways of opening the upcoming conversation, rejected the approaches and rephrased them. He feared that Jessica would not accompany him if he revealed his plan to her too early. Perhaps the thought would deter her from facing her tormentor face to face. That couldn't happen, Garak had invested too much in this plan, it was simply staged too perfectly to end in killing Ekoor himself and Jessica never found out about it.
The buzzer finally sounded. "Open!" He ordered the computer and put on a calm expression.
Jessica entered his quarters and gave him an unsettled and curious look. "I am here. So, what can I do for you?" The door hissed shut behind the woman.
"Oh please, sit down, my dear." Garak pointed to his couch. "I had promised you a glass of Kanar and I will not keep it from you. I also need a glass myself." Hoping that the smile on his face could mask his nervousness, he set about pouring out two glasses. The Cardassian gathered, turned smiling and went over to the couch, on which Jessica had already made herself comfortable. The woman actually looked relaxed and even gave him a small smile when she took the Kanar from his hand.
Garak also sat down, took a deep breath and started. "Thank you for taking the time. I would have understood if you had not accepted my invitation." He took a sip before continuing. "My request to you may seem trivial to the uninitiated, but at second glance it may take a lot of courage." Garak paused again, still undecided how much of his plan he should reveal.
"Don't put me under torture any longer, Garak. Just tell me what this is about, and I promise to think in peace before I jump up in disgust and throw the Kanar in your face." Jessica grinned broadly and emptied the glass all at once, as she watched him over the edge of the glass.
Garak cocked his head to one side. "Well, I want you to come with me on a little trip. I can't tell you where to go. I cannot yet reveal the purpose of this venture to you and I cannot tell you how long it will take. Probably two to three days. So, I have to ask you to trust me."
Jessica looked expectant at the Cardassian. "That's all? No further explanation? You want me to go with you somewhere without a plausible reason. It is not certain, how long we will be traveling. And you want me to trust you? You seriously expect me to trust a Cardassian with the knowledge of my background story?" She shook her head slightly and her eyes showed that this was an internal monologue and was not to be understood as an answer to his request.
Garak cleared his throat. "Would you like some more Kanar so that you can pour it in my face?"
The woman set the empty glass aside, put her arms on her legs and covered her face with her hands. Garak could hear her take several deep breaths before lifting her head back up.
"Before you tear me up in the air, I want to assure you that I won't get too close to you on this trip," he quickly tossed into the room. "Nothing about the trip has an amorous or romantic background. I will behave absolutely professionally."
"Garak, you have to give me some reason. I can't decide without it."
He nodded. "You're right. That is indeed a lot to ask." His fingers played with the glass as he considered. "But it doesn't work. I can only reveal the reason to you at your destination. I was just hoping that you would see me with different eyes, that you would not see me as just another Cardassian." He emptied his glass and put the glass down on the table with a bang before rising abruptly and taking a few steps. "Yes, you are right, you better not trust a Cardassian. We are all the same, all monsters."
Jessica bit her lip. "Excuse me Garak, I didn't mean to insult you. I know that you are a friendly person and I have also noticed that you are trying hard to get out of my way to make it easier for me." She got up and went to the man with his back stood by her. "You are sympathetic to me and in the past few days I've actually thought about inviting you to dinner on the promenade deck to have a little chat." Jessica raised her hand hesitantly, then put it on Garak's shoulder. "All right, I'll go with you. When does it start?"
Two hours later, Jessica and Garak were seated in the two single armchairs of the sparsely furnished passenger quarters of a Lissepian transport ship. Jessica looked nervous and the Cardassian couldn't blame her. This whole situation had to be a big burden for the woman. He calmed down with the thought that everything could change for her today.
When she brooded, the woman nibbled on her lower lip and then slowly licked the upper one, he noticed the silvery glitter repeatedly.
Garak broke the annoying silence. "Jessica, forgive me for tearing you out of your thoughts, but I have a personal question. I have noticed that you have a metallic foreign body in your mouth. What is it if I am allowed my curiosity?"
She looked up, startled to laugh heartily, and the tailor noticed that he had never seen her laugh before. "You mean my tongue piercing?" Jessica stuck her tongue out at the man and presented him with the hidden jewelry. A silver rod with a ball on and under the tongue. From the top ball hung two short chains with other balls, both peppered with small tips.
She allowed Garak a long look at her tongue, then closed her mouth again.
He put his head aside. "Is this jewelry only for aesthetics, or is there a practical purpose behind it?" Curiosity sparkled his eyes.
She laughed again, and he was glad to have found a subject that so obviously distracted her from her brooding.
"Oh Garak, of course it also has an aesthetic purpose, but this tongue player has practical benefits above all." She grinned all over her face. He shook his head slightly. "I don't get it. Please tell it to me."
Jessica smiled. "There are intimate situations where the tongue is the means of choice. Now imagine if this jewelry is used in addition to the tongue." Again she stuck out her tongue, not as far as before, and let the tip spin in the air in front of Garak.
He opened his eyes and his eyebrows rose. "You mean …! Ohhhh ...! Fascinating thought." Garak's eyes stared blankly for a moment. "Are there any other body jewelry that perform similar functions?"
"Would you like a general answer to this question, or are you questioning for further jewelry on me?" This question had a lurking undertone and Garak remembered his promise not to step too close to Jessica. He answered carefully. "Natural I'm interested in both, I'm a curious man. But of course, I don't expect any intimate secrets from you."
"Garak don't let me unsettle you so easily. I'm here voluntarily, and you don't have to handle me with kid gloves." She studied her hands for a moment, then glared threateningly at him. "But don't tell anyone! This stays between us" She raised a finger threateningly and smiled again.
"I actually wear more hidden jewelry. My nipples are pierced. I wear a ring between two toes. In various parts of my body there are implants under the skin, on which I can attach magnetic jewelry. And", Jessica hesitated and looked at the ceiling of the room. "In my intimate area I wear two more surprises." A delicate blush blossomed on her cheeks.
Garak's face could not hide his surprise at this admission and the time for one of his typically quick-witted responses passed without a word being spoken. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "And all this jewelry has stimulating functions?" It sounded a little hoarse. "I could imagine that such an intervention is initially extremely painful and not very stimulating." His questioning undertone revealed that Garak's interest in this topic was far from satisfied.
Jessica nodded in agreement. "Of course the piercing is painful and the healing process has taken a few days. But the changes in ... ", she searched for the right word. "The perception is changing, the piercing is like an amplifier. At least that's how I feel." She had said the last few sentences quickly, too quickly. Garak suspected that it was not easy for her to talk about such an intimate theme and that she would never admit that to a Cardassian.
The woman rose and was two steps away from the small replicator unit. "Do I have to be sober when we arrive or can I treat myself to a Kanar?" Garak considered for a moment before answering her. "It takes a little over an hour before we reach our destination. You should be clear minded when we arrive, my dear, but as I estimate you so far, there are more than a few glasses of Kanar between your clear mind and alcohol-induced insanity. I could also have one." She ordered two Kanar and handed the Cardassian a glass.
"Do you feel uncomfortable when I ask further questions that, due to your very personal connection to the subject, could be described as intimate? No, let me explain my curiosity," he refused Jessica's attempt to answer immediately, "You made your liaison with pain clear to me and, believe it or not, I can understand that very well. My past is full of encounters with pain, in an active and passive nature. I cannot go into this for various reasons. The path you have chosen is completely foreign to me, and yet it is so understandable, so clear and of a certain elegance. I don't want to ask you out of sensationalism. I'm captivated in your 'Path of Pain', for very personal reasons."
Jessica dropped back into the armchair and took a deep breath before fixing Garak."I admit that I assumed an inside greed for sensation, but now you've really impressed me, damn it! There are rumors about you on DS9, rumors about your past. Suddenly, they no longer sound so exaggerated. I am aware that you will never answer any questions about this, so I save myself from asking you about it." She looked down into her glass, then took a deep sip. "To come back to your original question, yes, it is anything but pleasant for me to talk about intimacy. But pain has become so essential to my life that any conversation about pain automatically becomes a very personal conversation for me, and I don't think there is any other person in this galaxy that I like talking to as much as you do with you, Cardassian."
Garak smiled. It became more and more likely that this trip and his plan would come to a successful conclusion. "My dear, I know how to classify this compliment and admit I'm a little proud. So now I'm going to tell you the following: Not today, not tomorrow, and not next week either, but at some point we'll talk about the rumors and me." He rose. "Give me your glass, I feel like more."
Garak cleared his throat after ordering another two glasses of Kanar from the replicator. "Do you think it is within the realm of the imaginable that I can have a look at your further modification as well as your tongue?" One of the seat cushions from Jessica's armchair hit the grinning Cardassian on the back of his head.
A little later, the lissepian captain reported on the com and informed them that the ship has just swung into the orbit of the target planet. Garak and Jessica grabbed their bags and made their way to the transporter room.
"When will you finally tell me why I'm here?" Curiously she eyed the Cardassian out of the corner of her eye and was surprised to see the budding of friendly affection.
Garak smiles at her. "As soon as we were beamed down and reached our destination. It is only a few minutes walk to the entrance. So, you see, I will not claim your patience for long."
Jessica didn't give up. "Then please tell me where we're going to beam. Or is my knowledge of the destination suitable to endanger this venture?"
Garak paused. "No, certainly not. But actually, you shouldn't have any knowledge of the existence of this place and I would like to be sure that I can continue to use it in the future."
"That means I should trust you blindly in this whole story, but you don't trust me enough to tell me the aim?" There was a slight annoyance in Jessica's voice and Garak bowed his head, his eyes serious. "But not, my dear, I trust you. Unreasonably, I probably trust you now more than any other person I know," he put his free hand on her arm, his eyes looked for hers," but should anyone ever look for this place and become known that you have information I want you to be able to say with unshakable certainty that you don't know anything." Goosebumps trickled down Jessica's back, silently they continued on their way to the transporter room.