Sailor Trek DS9 - Chapter 7
soton@aol.com (Soton)
Here's Chapter 7. There's an epilogue that will follow within the next two
weeks.
==================================
[Authors note -- With all these duplicate Sailors around, it's going to
get a bit confusing. For clarity's sake, the Scouts from the alternate
timeline will be referred to as simply "Mars" and "Mercury"; whereas the
'present day' versions will be referred to as "Sailor Mars" and "Sailor
Mercury".]
"Never underestimate the element of surprise"
- Odo
"It's time for Sailor Moon!"
-Luna
Chapter 7 - "No greater love than this..."
Serena looked around wildly at the Jem'Hadar that had appeared
around the crowd. "Who are these guys?!?" she wailed. "They've got
GUNS!!"
"Look again, meatballhead. Those aren't any type of guns I've ever
seen," Raye snapped while eying the three aliens, noting to herself that
Dax and her counterpart had made no mention at all about them.
Serena went instantly from near terror to anger, and glowered at
Raye, "Stop calling me MEATBALLHEAD!"
Now unnoticed by the increasingly panicky crowd, the youma Rybite
still stood atop the counter muttering incomprehensibly. But it seemed
more irritated at the Jem'Hadar for interrupting it's operation than
anything else.
So intent was it at glaring at the warriors from the Dominion that
it missed a figure in a red sailor outfit landing nearby on the
countertop, followed by two others in blue. Mercury gave Rybite a solid
kick to it's midsection as she landed, sending the youma flying so that
it landed in a sitting position atop the grill. The youma howled in pain
as it tried franticly to scurry off. It's antics earned it contemptuous
glares from the Jem'Hadar and the nearest one slammed the butt of it's
weapon into the youma's face, rendering it unconscious.
Mars leveled an accusing finger at the alien soldiers. "This is a
place for people to enjoy themselves, not for you to steal their energy!
In the name of Mars..."
"...and Mercury..." the other two cried out in unison.
"...we'll punish you!" they finished together.
"Huh?" Serena looked at the three Scouts, then at Raye standing
beside her, then back again. "Another Sailor Mars? *Two* Sailor
Mercuries? What's going on?!?" Then she realized, "And they're stealing
my lines!"
The Jem'Hadar didn't bother asking questions, as always preferring
action instead. They aimed their weapons at the three Scouts and began
firing. While they dodged the weapons fire, everyone in the crowd
started running for cover. Raye took advantage of the tumult and grabbed
Serena by the arm, dragging her around the corner where Luna joined them.
"What's going on?" Serena demanded again.
Raye ignored her question for the moment as she checked up on the
battle. Her counterpart had already toasted one of the aliens that she
and Dax had so conveniently not mentioned. Or it as more likely they
didn't know they were going to show up, she mused. "I should have
expected Amy's double would be here, too," she muttered. "There's no
sign of that shapeshifter though."
"What was that?" Serena asked. "Raye, do you know something I
don't?"
"A lot of things," she responded automatically. At Serena's glare
she added, "But right now the important thing is that they need our
help," pointing to the fight. Mars had already toasted the first
three Jem'Hadar, but more were appearing out of the woodwork. "There
are more of those creeps."
"Yes," Luna agreed. "Transform now! But be careful. You
especially, Serena."
"Huh?"
Raye raised her transformation pen skyward. "MARS POWER!" When
the transformation was complete, Sailor Mars looked at Serena. "Well,
what are you waiting for?"
"Stop giving me orders," she grumbled.
"Serena!" Luna admonished her.
"All right already... MOON PRISM POWER!"
Sisko put a restraining hand on Kira, who had been getting ready to
fire, "Not yet, Major." Over the comm he added, "Hold your fire
everyone."
"But sir!" Worf protested.
"That's an order, Mr. Worf. We have to wait until the changeling
reveals itself before we make our move. If we show ourselves too soon,
the changeling will leave and we'll have no idea where or when it will
strike next." He glanced over at the raging battle and grimaced. "I
don't like it any more than you, but Mars and Mercury can take care of
themselves. Besides," he nodded to a small dog that had taken position
near the concession stand, "Odo can help them out in the meantime."
Kira nodded, agreeing reluctantly as a rush of movement caught her
eye. Sailor Moon now stood atop the counter, with another Sailor Mars
beside her. "All right, I don't know who all the extra Sailor Scouts
are, but I am Sailor Moon, the champion of justice! I right wrongs and
triumph over evil!" She pointed at the nearest Jem'Hadar. "And that
means you... oofff!" The Jem'Hadar had not been not impressed with
her entrance, and one of them was in the process of firing at her when
Mars shoved the blonde Scout out of the way and she fell down behind
the counter. The energy bolt impacted harmlessly above her. "Owie..."
She got back to her feet, rubbing her head painfully and glared at both
Sailor Scouts of the red planet. "Thanks a lot, Mars!"
"Sure, blame me!" Sailor Mars retorted.
"Excuse me, I was only SAVING YOUR LIFE!" Mars exclaimed in the
same instant.
Sailor Moon was framing a suitable response when she realized that
the aliens had stopped firing. The became immediately obvious, for a
tall, tuxedo clad figure was standing between her and the Jem'Hadar.
"It's not nice to interrupt a lady," he admonished the aliens, who
seemed uncertain now and were hesitantly retreating.
Sailor Mars looked at Tuxedo Mask, but hesitated. She couldn't
put her finger on it, but something was giving her an odd feeling.
Mars frowned. Tuxedo Mask hadn't shown up this early the last
time. That could a result of the changes they'd made, but something
didn't quite feel right.
For her part, Sailor Moon was overjoyed. "Tuxedo Mask! You came!"
He turned and gave her a dazzling smile. "Of course, Sailor Moon."
He was just starting to reach in her direction when a small black dog
jumped up and bit him on the hand. "Huh?"
Sailor Moon was similarly surprised, perhaps even more so. She
wasn't entirely sure, but it certainly appeared to be the same dog that
they had left behind at the temple. But how could it be here? Raye had
tied it up back there!
Hadn't she?
She put that aside for the moment, trying instead to concentrate on
the events before her. "Bad dog!" she yelled, giving it a good solid
swat on the rump. "Tuxedo Mask is our friend!" The dog didn't seem to
react other than by biting down harder and perhaps glaring at her as well,
but before she could do anything else there was a flash of red in front
of her eyes. Sailor Moon jumped backwards a half step and gasped when
she got a good look at the countertop.
There was a red rose embedded in it.
Sisko tensed as Odo moved in on Tuxedo Mask. He knew the Constable
wouldn't make a move unless he sensed something. Perhaps...
"Benjamin!" Dax called over the comm, "Look above you!"
He glanced upward and immediately saw among the rafters what Dax was
talking about.
Sailor Moon looked upwards to where the rose had been thrown from
and gaped. Standing on a girder, cape flowing behind him was Tuxedo
Mask. Another one! She glanced back and forth between the two, now
utterly confused. "Watch yourself, Sailor Moon! I don't know who that
guy is, but he isn't me!"
Odo chose that moment to morph, shifting back to his usual humanoid
form. He had a hand firmly clenched around one of the fake Tuxedo
Mask's wrists. "I would appreciate it if you didn't hit me again," he
told her with out looking back. "I am trying to help." To the fake he
added, "Both of you."
"I don't need your *help*, Odo!" the changeling snarled. Then it
said to the Jem'Hadar, "Kill them!"
"The changeling's out of the bag. Move in!" Sisko ordered as more
Jem'Hadar, nearly a dozen in all, appeared. Half of them fell as the
Defiant crewmembers opened fire on them. For his part, Odo was now
locked in a struggle with the changeling, their forms mingling as they
fought.
Nearby a Jem'Hadar appeared near Sailor Moon, his weapon aimed in
her direction. But before he could take any action, O'Brien snapped off
a shot from his position above and hit him squarely. Despite this, his
weapon still discharged as he fell. A cry of pain was heard that
clearly belonged to Sailor Moon.
"NO!" Mars charged towards where Sailor Moon had fallen, but
Bashir somehow beat her there and vaulted over the counter. Mars peered
over it and saw that the blonde Scout was down on her knees, clutching
her upper left arm.
"Here, let me take a look at that," Bashir said to her, as he
automatically began scanning with the medical tricorder. It confirmed
his initial inspection of the wound. He looked up to Mars. "It's
alright," he told the worried Scout. "It's only a graze." Mars sighed,
clearly relieved.
Kira joined them and moved behind the counter herself. "Go on.
I've got them covered," she told Mars. Mars nodded and rejoined the
fight.
There is an old military adage that says that no battle plan
survives first contact with the enemy, and that was certainly true in
this case. Kira's plan had called for the Defiant crew members to fire
on the Jem'Hadar from cover, with Mars and Mercury working in concert
with the other Sailor Scouts. Surprise enabled this plan to work for
all of five seconds, and nearly a dozen of the Dominion soldiers were
strewn around the area, either killed by phaser beams or reduced to
charcoal by Mars and her counterpart.
But the Jem'Hadar were bred for battle, and thus they adjusted to
the circumstances. After the initial barrage, the away team members
found more Jem'Hadar appearing from out of their camouflage fields nearly
on top of them and close order combat became the order of the day.
Bashir rummaged in the medkit for the dermal regenerator, trying to
ignore the sounds of combat around them. "Don't worry. It's not that
bad," he reassured his patient. He took out the instrument from the kit,
activated it and began running it over the wound. "Just a few minutes,
and you'll be good as new."
Sailor Moon smiled slightly as the pain ebbed, then her eyes
widened in recognition. "You again?"
Bashir smiled. "Yes, me again. Don't worry, I'm a doctor."
Sailor Moon looked doubtful. "I've never seen a doctor use
anything like that before!"
He hesitated before answering. "It... is a rather long story."
"You can tell it later, Doctor," Kira said, ducking from incoming
fire. She got up to return fire but stopped as her target collapsed, a
rose embedded in his throat.
Sailor Moon eyed Kira closely while Bashir continued to work. There
was something familiar about her, but she couldn't place her at the
moment. "What happened to your nose?"
Kira's had reflexively went to the patch she was wearing on her nose
to cover her distinctively Bajoran nose ridges. "Um... I broke my nose,"
she said, wincing internally. 'You'd have thought by now I'd have a
better excuse lined up,' she thought.
Sailor Moon frowned. "Hey, if you're such a good doctor, why don't
you fix her nose?" she asked Bashir.
"Well, I could..." Bashir began, but Kira interrupted him.
"Doctor, you even *touch* my nose, I will break yours."
"Understood, Major."
"Gee, she's just as bad tempered as Mars," Sailor Moon observed.
"I am *not* bad tempered!!" came two very loud responses from
somewhere in the middle of the fighting.
Sailor Moon reflexively winced under the verbal barrage. Getting
yelled at by Mars was bad enough, but it was infinitely worse when it was
in stereo.
Luna looked on concernedly as Bashir worked on Sailor Moon and was
soon aware that she wasn't alone. A golden haired cat had joined her
vigil. In fact... "You again!"
The other cat started then glared at her, "You were expecting
someone else?"
Luna blinked, startled to hear her own voice come from the other
cat. However, she soon made a quick deduction. "You're *my*
counterpart, aren't you?"
"Yes," she replied. "I've been helping them keep an eye on
Serena."
"I can understand why. But what happened to your fur? Why change
it to *that* color?"
Her counterpart cringed slightly as she glanced again at her fur,
but before she could answer Bashir spoke up. "Maybe she wanted to find
out if it was true that blondes have more fun," he quipped while
examining his handiwork. He was nodding in satisfaction when a sudden
stab of pain made him yelp and his hand went reflexively to his neck.
It came away tinged with red from the scratches there.
"Physician, heal thyself," the golden haired cat said while
sheathing her claws.
"Nicely done," Luna complimented her counterpart.
Several meters above them, O'Brien aimed carefully once again and
squeezed the trigger and another Jem'Hadar dropped. So far he had
been successful in providing covering fire from his vantage point, but
as the combat became more intermixed, he had to be exceedingly selective
in his target selection. Since only the kill settings were effective
against the Jem'Hadar, a friendly fire incident here would be
disastrous.
But it wasn't long before the Jem'Hadar became aware that there was
a sniper among the girders. Three of them began firing in his direction,
their weapons firing several energy pulses as they swept the area.
O'Brien hunkered down as best he could, but the incoming fire somehow
triggered a minor explosion that sent him flying off his perch.
And it was a long way down.
Sisko watched helplessly as O'Brien tumbled downward to what surely
would be a fatal landing. When he had reached the halfway point, a black
blur intercepted him in midair. The next thing Sisko knew, O'Brien had
been returned safely to the ground by Tuxedo Mask.
O'Brien blinked, amazed to still be alive. Tuxedo Mask stood next
to him for a moment, then went wordlessly back into the fray. "Uh,
thanks," the chief belatedly said, then went to find another spot to
fire from. This time, he told himself, he was keeping his feet on
terra firma.
"Ow!" Mars grimaced as a Jem'Hadar grabbed her long hair. Seeing
her plight, Sisko charged into the Dominion soldier, using his shoulder
to bowl him over as if he were trying to dislodge a catcher blocking
home plate. The Jem'Hadar was forced to release his grip on Mars, but
smoothly rolled back to his feet and aimed his weapon at the captain.
"MARS FIRE IGNITE!" Sailor Mars cried out, sending a wash of flame
at the Jem'Hadar and turning him into a pile of ash. But before any
thanks could be exchanged, two more appeared in front of the three.
"Where do these guys keep coming from?" Sailor Mars wondered.
"They're all around us, just invisible," Mars explained to her
younger self as the Jem'Hadar were suddenly knocked off their feet by
Tuxedo Mask, who was using his cane to great effect. "Just remember,
we have to keep them from harming Sailor Moon, no matter what!"
Kira watched the battle unfold, firing whenever a Jem'Hadar got too
close to her position. From what she could tell by half listening,
Bashir had all but finished treating Sailor Moon. A part of her wished
he would drag it out. Since her survival was pivotal to the timeline,
it would be easier if she could be kept out of the fighting.
She caught a flash of movement to her left out of the corner of her
eye. Turning rapidly, she saw the youma Rybite staggering to it's feet.
It saw her in the same instant and hissed something at her in it's
incomprehensible manner.
Except that Kira seemed to understand it. Her eyes widened and
she charged at the youma, vaulting back over the counter to do so. "You
little..." Disregarding her weapon, she slammed the heel of her right
palm into the youma's face and followed it up with a rapid series of
blows that staggered it. Then she grabbed the youma by the hair and
slammed it's head repeatedly against the countertop. After about the
sixth or seventh blow, she let it go and it dropped to the ground and
lay unmoving. "Shut up! Just *SHUT UP*!"
Bashir and Sailor Moon peered over the counter and watched this
wide eyed. "Kira, what did it say?" he asked. "And how did you
understand it?"
"It was speaking a very accented version of Cardassian," she
explained, catching her breath. "And believe me, Doctor, you *don't*
want to know what it said!"
She gave the youma one more kick for good measure, then felt a
surge of pain as a Jem'Hadar shot her from behind. Crying out, she
fell forward from the impact of the blast in her shoulder.
"Kira!" Bashir scrambled towards her, heedless of his own
safety. Indeed, the Jem'Hadar that had shot Kira was now taking aim at
him. However...
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"
The energy discus flew over the doctor's head and sliced through
the Jem'Hadar, leaving behind only a pile of dust. "You're moondust!"
Worf grappled with one of the Jem'Hadar. As yet, neither warrior
could gain the upper hand, resulting in a stalemate. "You are strong
for a human," the Jem'Hadar conceded. Worf suppressed the automatic
snarl at being mistaken for a human, trying instead to focus himself on
the struggle. "But soon you will fall like the rest of your pathetic
race. And the Negaverse will be triumphant!"
"The Negaverse?" Worf asked tightly. "Don't you mean the Dominion?"
The Jem'Hadar seemed startled, but that didn't affect his grip.
"How do you know about that?"
"I know many things," Worf snarled. "Among them... is that today
is a good day to die!" As he spoke the last words, Worf brought his
head snapping forward in a savage head butt. The Jem'Hadar was caught
completely off guard and he reeled backwards, stunned.
Worf was moving to finish him off when the Dominion soldier was
struck down by a distant phaser blast. Worf nodded his thanks to
O'Brien before retrieving his own weapon and searching for another
target.
Dax fell to the ground, gasping in pain from the wound in her
leg. Despite the agony, she could see the Jem'Hadar that had shot her
lining up for another shot.
One that it never got a chance at, for Mercury came into view at
that moment and delivered a flying kick to it's head.
Mercury grimaced as the Dominion warrior struggled back to it's
feet. Pluto had admonished her and Mars against using their newer
powers (except in case of a dire emergency) least the timeline be
disrupted further. But now Dax was badly wounded and immobile. She
could only...
"MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!" Sailor Mercury cried out, shrouding the
battlefield in a dense layer of fog. The Jem'Hadar looked around,
suddenly unable to see anything around it. Mercury took advantage of
the opportunity to deliver another flying kick, while her counterpart
hit the alien low. The Jem'Hadar fell to the ground once again and was
struck by a phaser blast as it struggled to rise. Mercury looked back
and saw that Dax had managed to retrieve her weapon. Around them, the
Defiant crew were taking advantage of the Jem'Hadar's sudden inability
to see by phasering as many as they could, and each Sailors Mars did
likewise.
Mercury went over to Dax as soon as she could and scanned her,
Sailor Mercury looking over her shoulder. "How is she?"
"It could be better," Mercury admitted. "She's bleeding badly from
the major artery in her leg."
"You mean the femoral artery?"
"She isn't human, so I don't think those terms apply," Mercury
told Sailor Mercury, who acknowledged this with a nod. Mercury tapped
on Dax's comm badge, "Mercury to Defiant, one to beam up, medical
emergency." Seconds later, Dax vanished in the transporter beam.
The fog dispersed as the weapons fire ceased. The Defiant away
team and the sailor Scouts looked around, but all that could be seen
were the motionless forms of the Jem'Hadar soldiers that had fallen.
Sisko judged that there had nearly been two dozen in all. They had been
lucky to have only two of his people wounded. He wasn't sure about Dax's
condition, but Kira was moving about again. Bashir had patched her
shoulder somewhat, but the Major stubbornly resisted his requests that
she return to the ship. He knew better than to try to convince her
himself.
Kira had good reason, as there was at least one aspect of the
struggle that remained unresolved; namely Odo still struggling with the
changeling. At this point it was nigh impossible to tell which one was
which. Unable to do anything else, they watched as the two fought.
Finally, there was a violent upheaval and the changelings separated. Odo
took a moment and reformed into his normal humanoid shape.
A few meters away, Odo reformed into his usual humanoid appearance.
Mars glanced between the two. As far as anyone could see, they
were identical. There was no visible means of discerning one from the
other. "I see what Odo meant when he said it could be anyone."
O'Brien looked at the two Odos from his vantage point and felt a
sudden sense of deja vu. "Not again," he groaned. This was too much
like the time in the Defiant's engine room for him. "I hate playing
'Choose the Changeling'!"
Tuxedo Mask glanced between the two changelings. He had a rose at
the ready, but wasn't sure which target to throw it at. "How do you
tell them apart?"
"We're still unable to tell whether or not someone is being
impersonated by a changeling," Sisko admitted. "Let alone tell two of
them apart."
"Great."
Odo glared at his counterpart. "I'm Odo, Captain. He's the
changeling!"
"Don't listen to him, Captain," Odo urged. "I'm Odo."
Mars walked around the two of them, trying to discern anything
distinctive about either changeling. Unfortunately, there was nothing
about them that appeared different from the other. Neither her physical
senses, nor her psychic ones could tell them apart. The changeling had
successfully imitated Odo in every way. A glance at Sailor Mars told her
that she wasn't having any better luck.
Both Mercuries had deployed their visors and were busily scanning.
"I'm picking up some minute differences between them," Sailor Mercury
quietly told Mercury. "But I'm not sure how to determine which is which.
I have no data to base a comparison on."
"Don't worry," Mercury told her, smiling grimly. "I do." To
herself she added a silent 'I hope.' Several quick taps on the keypad
accessed the data that she had accumulated in previous scans she had taken
of Odo. She linked it with the data she was currently accumulating and
did a quick comparison, hoping that whatever means the Negaverse was using
to control the changeling would leave some discernable trace that she
could use to distinguish Odo from the other changeling.
The results weren't long in coming. After a moment, she pointed to
the Odo on the right, "You! You're the imposter!"
The changeling's form shifted as it tried to flee but Odo was ready
for that, using his own shapeshifting abilities to first snare the
changeling then merge with it. The changeling struggled mightily, but
Odo held it fast, though his face showed the effort it was taking him.
"Can you hold it, Odo?" Kira asked.
"For a while," he answered, his voice strained. "We have to find a
way to contain it before then."
Sisko tapped on his comm badge. "Sisko to Defiant, lock onto the
changeling and Odo. Beam them to a security cell."
"We're trying, sir," came the reply moments later, "But we can't
get a lock on either of them. Something's interfering with the targeting
scanners."
Sisko grimaced. There seemed to be only one way remaining to deal
with the changeling. And it was something that Odo was not going to
like. "Odo, when I give the word, I want you to release your hold on it.
At the same time, everyone is to open fire."
"Captain!" Odo protested, "There must be another way!"
"There is." All eyes turned to Mars. "I think I can expel whatever
the Negaverse is using to control the changeling from it."
"Are you sure?" Sisko asked.
"Only one way to find out." Mars approached the struggling
changeling, readying a spirit ward. A part of her was telling her that
she should use her flames and blast the changeling now, to not take the
chance on things going wrong again. However, Odo had saved her life
twice before and it was important to him that they not kill the
changeling. She owed it to him to at least make the attempt. She placed
the ward on the amorphous mass, crying out, "EVIL SPIRIT BEGONE!"
The results were immediate. The Founder uttered a loud, inhuman cry
and an aura of dark energy surrounded it before leaving the changeling.
However, it didn't flee to the air as Mars had anticipated, but instead
traveled through the link to Odo. Now it was the Constable who cried out
and he released his hold on the changeling, which collapsed into an
insensate mass.
"Odo!" Kira exclaimed as she went to her friend. Odo snarled and
lashed out at her, knocking the Major backwards several meters. She
grimaced in pain as she landed on her wounded shoulder.
"No!" Odo exclaimed when he realized what he'd done. Mercury went
over to Kira, who indicated that she was OK, though still shaken. She
got unsteadily to her feet with Mercury's help. "Stay back, everyone,
please... it's trying to make me kill you all. I'm resisting it... for
now..."
"This wasn't what I had in mind," Mars muttered. She leapt for Odo,
trying to land behind him and plant another ward. However, the constable
seemed to anticipate this, and he lashed out at her just before she
landed. Mars impacted hard against a girder, and Sailor Moon went over
to her immediately.
"My turn," Sailor Mars said, readying her own ward. She tensed
herself to race for the possessed changeling, but first... "Cover me,
Mercury!"
"Right!" both Mercuries responded. "MERCURY BUBBLES... BLAST!"
Another layer of fog descended over the area, this one even denser
than the first. Sailor Mars raced forward, taking advantage of the cover
as she charged the ward. Leaping forward for the last few meters, she
planted it firmly on Odo's forehead, "EVIL SPIRIT... BEGONE!"
The Negaverse spirit screamed again as it found itself again forced
from a host body. This time it lacked a conduit to escape through, and
it formed overhead into a dark cloud that loomed menacingly over them
all. "Now, Sailor Moon!" Luna cried.
"Gotcha, Luna," she replied while reaching again for her tiara.
"MOON TIARA... MAGIC!" There was one last cry of despair from the spirit
as the energy disc cut through it, then silence as a pile of dust formed
on the ground.
Kira went over to Odo, who had fallen wearily to his knees. "Odo?"
"I'm fine, Major." He hesitated for a moment, seemingly
embarrassed. "I... hope I didn't injure you."
"Forget it," she reassured him.
Odo nodded, then turned his attention to Sailor Mars and Sailor
Moon, "Thank you." Not waiting for their responses, he lastly addressed
Mars. "And thank you. You didn't have to volunteer to try and save the
changeling." He glanced at it where it still lay motionless. "But I am
glad you did."
"Believe me, part of me wanted to nothing more than blast it. But I
owed you."
"No," Odo corrected her. "Now *I* owe you."
Sisko was surveying the area as Mercury's fog was lifting. There
were the bodies of the fallen Jem'Hadar all over the place, but it
seemed quiet for now. Perhaps it was over.
The same thought was occurring to Mars. She looked again at the
insensate Founder, then at Sailor Moon. "We did it," she said softly,
feeling tears of joy forming. "It didn't kill her. She's alive."
"OK," Sailor Moon began, "Now that it seems like things are over, I
want to know why there are two Sailor Mercuries, two Sailor Mars, why
there were two Tuxedo Masks for a bit (not that I'm complaining about
*that*) and just what they are," she point at Odo and the changeling, "and
who you people are." She took a deep breath, "In short, will someone
please tell me what's going on?!?"
"It's a long story," Sisko answered trying not to smile too broadly,
"But I'll tell you what I can..." He stopped, hearing a distinctive
sound.
The sound of a Jem'Hadar dropping his camouflage field.
Hearing the sound as well, Sailor Moon turned to see the Jem'Hadar
ripple into visibility not more than three meters away, knocking Worf to
the ground in the process.
It's weapon was aimed directly at her.
Pluto stiffened, and grasped her staff tightly. In her mind's eye,
she could see two possible outcomes. Either the future would be restored
to it's previous state, or...
She didn't want to think about the alternative.
Sisko spun around to bring his weapon to bear, but he could see that
the Jem'Hadar was already pressing the trigger of his weapon.
"NO!" Odo yelled out. Given his recent exertions, there was little
else he could do. He just hoped that it's genetically programmed
obedience to changelings would enable him to stop it verbally. "Put
your weapon down!"
It didn't.
Kira aimed her weapon, but Sailor Moon was between herself and the
Jem'Hadar. She moved as fast as she could, but it would be over before
she could fire.
Tuxedo Mask hurled the rose at the Jem'Hadar's weapon.
Nearby, two Luna's leapt for the Dominion soldier in a desperate
attempt to distract him.
O'Brien saw the Jem'Hadar appear and instantly took aim. He had
a clear shot, all he needed was...
A figure in a security guard's uniform stepped in front of him.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.
O'Brien swore violently as only an Irishman could and shoved him to
the ground. "Get out of the way, you bloody idiot!" He brought the
phaser rifle up again and was aiming when he saw that it was already too
late. The barrel of his weapon lowered slowly. "Oh my God."
Sailor Moon stumbled backwards, realizing belatedly that she hadn't
been hit but that someone had interposed themselves between herself and
the Jem'Hadar. Another moment later she realized who it was. "MARS!"
Mars staggered from the impacts, having taken two blasts to her
chest already, but was resolutely staying on her feet. But a third shot
slammed into her and she finally fell just as two cats landed on the
Jem'Hadar's face. But even blinded, he got off another shot. By this
time, Mercury had moved into the line of fire and she was hit in her side
even as she tried to invoke her powers.
The Jem'Hadar never got off another shot, for at that moment his
weapon was hit by a thrown rose and he was hit by four phaser beams. He
fell unmoving to the ground.
Sailor Moon didn't see him fall, nor did she care if he was still
fighting. The only thing she was aware of was that she held a
critically injured Mars in her arms. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars
moved to stand just behind her, each with a look of shock on their face.
"Raye..." Sailor Moon whispered.
Bashir knelt down by them, having already checked on Mercury.
Though seriously wounded herself, she was stable at the moment. However,
he didn't need his tricorder to see that the same couldn't be said for
Mars. As he made the scan, his mind accelerated into high gear, going
over several different avenues of treatment at once to determine the best
one. Mars' eyes flutter open and he suppressed amazement that she was
still conscious, let alone still alive.
Mars looked up. When she saw Sailor Moon, she smiled despite the
pain from her injuries. "Didn't.. hesitate... this time..." she managed
to say. There was a hissing sound as Bashir administered a hypospray, and
she felt the pain recede somewhat.
"Why?" said Sailor Moon through her tears.
"I saw you die once," Mars answered, able to talk easier. "That was
enough..."
"What do you mean?" Sailor Moon asked, confusion evident on her face.
"I mean I'm from the future, Meatballhead," she snapped, almost
sounding like herself. "One where you died. I couldn't let it let it
happen again... No matter what..." Mars slumped as she finally lapsed
into unconsciousness.
"Damn it!" Bashir swore as a low whine came from his tricorder.
"We're losing her. I've got to get her back to the Defiant!"
Sisko nodded and tried to pull Sailor Moon clear. She struggled
and protested against this, but fortunately Sailor Mercury and Sailor
Mars were there to help him out.
"Bashir to Defiant, medical emergency. Three.."
"Make it four," a golden haired Luna said.
"Er, four to beam directly to the medical bay." They vanished as
the transporter energized.
Sailor Moon watched the spot where they had been for several
moments before turning to Sisko. From the way the doctor had spoken to
him, it seemed evident that he was the leader of this group. "What's
going on? Who are you people?" she asked tearfully.
"Friends," Sisko said, trying to explain what he could. "From
another world and another time."
"You mean you're from the future? Like M- Mars said?"
"That's right," Odo added. He had taken a position nearby the
unmoving form of the changeling, watching it carefully. "Something
happened which altered the way things were supposed to happen here, in
such a way that it affected our world as well."
Sisko opened his mouth to add something more, but a sudden sound
made him, and everyone else, turn about suddenly, ready for more
fighting. But this time there was no Jem'Hadar appearing out of nowhere.
It was only the youma Rybite moving about, having regained consciousness.
Kira took a threatening step towards it, looking as if she wanted
to attack it again even with her injured shoulder. "Back for more?" The
youma hissed at her and spat a corrosive glob. Kira dodge to the right
so that it only hit the ground.
Before anyone else could move, a loud cry of "MOON TIARA MAGIC"
echoed through the area once again, leaving behind only a pile of dust in
it's wake.
Sisko took another look around the area. There were no signs of any
more Jem'Hadar (not that there ever were), and it looked like several
authority type figures were arriving as well. He also noted that Tuxedo
Mask had departed. He took that as a sign the danger was over. "I think
that about wraps things up."
"Hold on," Sailor Moon said. "Before you go, can you tell me if
Raye will be OK or not?"
"Excuse me, Sailor Moon, but I'm right here!" Sailor Mars exclaimed.
Despite her words, Sisko could tell that she, and Sailor Mercury, was
shaken by the recent events. It was understandable -- you don't see
yourself shot every day.
"I'm not sure," he said, interposing himself verbally in hopes of
avoiding another skirmish between them. "But Dr. Bashir is very skilled
and will do all he can for her."
"Sir, we should be going," Worf said.
Sisko nodded. "I wish we could stay and explain more, but that's
not possible. Good luck Sailor Moon. To all of you." He activate his
comm badge. "Sisko to Defiant, beam up away team." They vanished in a
dazzle of light, to be followed seconds later by the bodies of the
Jem'Hadar as they also disappeared in a similar manner.
Beryl tapped the armrest of her throne as she stared at Jeddite.
"So Jeddite," she finally said, "Your vaunted plan has failed. And thus
you have failed." She leaned forward. "*Again.*"
"Only because of the interference of that starship crew," he
protested. "If Neflyte had destroyed it as he should have, it wouldn't
have been in position to do so. Or perhaps if he had informed us of the
Sailor Scouts that were on it and thwarted his plan!" He turned to glare
at the other General.
Neflyte affected an innocent look. "What Sailor Scouts?"
"Where else could they have come from, Neflyte?" he demanded.
"I have no idea what you're babbling about, Jeddite."
"You lying --"
"Enough, both of you!" Beryl snapped. "I don't care what the cause
of your failure was, Jeddite. Only that it *was* a failure. Now, begone
while I consider your fate."
Not daring to say anything more, Jeddite turned and stormed out of
the throne room. Once outside, he clenched his fist and shook it at the
air. "I *hate* those Sailor Scouts!"
Pluto met Sisko just outside the medical bay. "You did well,
Captain."
"Oh?"
"You were successful in preventing Sailor Moon's death. Thus the
mission has been a complete success."
"I had only a small part in preventing it," Sisko replied a little
more harshly than he intended. "The person most responsible for our
success is in there," he indicated to the medical bay door, "and is very
possibly dying even as we speak. And that fact alone doesn't qualify it
as a complete success in my book." He took a step forward and entered
the medical bay. Pluto hesitated for a moment before following him in.
Bashir, assisted by Nurse Reilly, was still working feverishly on
Mars at one of the biobeds. Mercury was lying on the other, being
looked after by Dax. The Trill's own wound had already been seen to, but
she still favored the wounded leg whenever she walked.
"If you'll excuse me, Captain, I'll meet you on the bridge," Pluto
said softly and left the room. Sisko watched her go without comment. He
wasn't entirely sure, but he though he saw a tear on her face as she
exited.
Perhaps he had been too harsh in his words of a few moments before.
Pluto reentered the bridge, moving to stand by one of the rear
stations.
"Any word on Raye?" she heard someone ask. Kira, perhaps.
"No. Dr. Bashir is still working on her," she replied
automatically. But inwardly she already knew what would happen.
Sisko moved to stand by Dax. "How's it going?" he softly asked her.
She shook her head. "Not good, Benjamin," she whispered. "She's on
full life support, but even with that..." Her voice trailed off.
Sisko watched her carefully as she spoke. Knowing Dax as long as he
had, first as Curzon then later as Jadzia, he had become somewhat able to
read her expressions. And from he saw on her face, "Not good" seemed to
be an understatement.
"Doctor, her synaptic network is starting to break down."
Bashir looked up from his attempts to repair the damage to Mars'
cardiac system and saw that Reilly was correct. "Cordical stimulator,"
he said ordered, readying a hypo. Reilly placed the small devices onto
Raye's forehead while Bashir pressed the hypo to her neck. "Now."
Raye's body jumped under the stimulus. Bashir watched the monitor
carefully. There was a brief surge of brain activity, but it had
already started to decline. He made a quick adjustment to the
stimulators. "Again," he ordered, and once more a pulse was directed into
her brain with similar results. Bashir swore and checked the life
support functions. They at least seemed to be functioning perfectly,
taking over the role of her heart and lungs. The problem now was to keep
her brain from failing. "Increase the power of the stimulators by
fifty percent."
"Doctor we're already at the maximum safe level. If --"
"I know that," he said tightly. "Just do it."
"Yes, Doctor."
Sisko and Dax kept silent as they watched Bashir work, struggling
to revive her even long after it became apparent that it was a hopeless
cause. Finally he sighed in resignation. "Note the time of death in
the log," he told Reilly before heading over to the other bed. "I'm
sorry. She's gone," he told her as he mechanically her began seeing to
her wounds.
Mercury didn't reply, but remained still and stared at Raye. Luna
moved slightly and gave her a comforting nuzzle, to which Mercury
scratched her ears absently. "Captain, did we...?"
"Yes," Sisko replied. "Pluto tells me that the mission was a s
uccess. The timelines of both universes have been restored."
She nodded. "That's something at least." Then a thought occurred
to her, "But if that's true, then our past has been altered. So how can
Luna and I still exist?"
"We understand some things about temporal mechanics, but a lot of
the more subtle aspects of it are still vague to us," Dax said. "At a
guess, I'd say the Prophets shielded you from the changes, just as they
protected us during the whole paradox situation."
"That makes sense," Mercury agreed. "It looks as if we have no
place to go, Luna."
"Oh, we'll think of something," the cat tried to reassure her."
"I can help you in that regard," Sisko said. "There's a place for
both of you of Deep Space Nine. If you want it."
They both looked up at him, surprised. "What?" Luna said.
"You can come with us when we return home," Sisko explained. "And
you're both welcome to stay on the station as long as you like. Or you
can go anywhere in the Federation. Or Bajor. It's up to you."
The others looked up expectedly as Sisko and Dax entered the bridge,
save for Pluto. Kira asked the question they all wanted the answer to,
"Raye?"
Sisko shook his head. "She didn't make it," he replied in a subdued
voice.
The disappointment and sorrow they felt was evident in their varied
reactions. Kira closed her eyes and began speaking softly to herself in
Bajoran. SIsko could just about make out some of the words, but he heard
enough to understand it as a prayer to the Prophets on behalf of the
deceased.
O'Brien had muttered something as well, but it hardly appeared to
be polite. The chief had seen more than his fair share of death,
going as far back as the Cardassian raids on Setlik Three.
Worf was typically stoic, though he seemed contemplative. His
human upbringing caused him to feel sadness at her death, but his
Klingon heritage wished her spirit well for she had undoubtably earned a
place among the honored dead.
As usual, Odo was the hardest to read and in fact seemed more
withdrawn than was usual for him. His thoughts were laced with regret
that he wasn't able help Mars at the last, even if it was no fault of his
own. She had put aside her dislike of changelings, and help him save the
Founder the Negaverse had been controlling. Now it seemed he would never
be able to return the favor.
Sisko turned to Sailor Pluto, noting that she hadn't reacted to the
news... at least not in any obvious way. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd
like to take my people home."
"Of course, Captain," she replied. "I take it Sailor Mercury and
Luna will be accompanying you?"
"That's right. Is that a problem?"
"No. It's not." She smiled slightly, "In fact, you will find both
of them a great asset in events to come."
Sisko frowned. "Just what do you mean by that?"
"Ah, that would be telling. Now, about the wormhole..." Her
voice trailed off and she stared at the viewscreen.
"Captain, sensors are detecting a neutrino surge," O'Brien called
out.
"On screen," Sisko ordered, looking to the viewscreen as well. On
it they saw the wormhole opening up. Gone was the red haze that had
dominated it's appearance the last time he saw it, replaced by the
serene blues and whites that normally surrounded the spatial tunnel. He
knew without any lingering doubts that the past of his universe, and that
of the Sailor Scouts, had been fully restored. If at a high price.
"This will take you back to Deep Space Nine moments after you left
it," Pluto told him. "Once you have returned there, it will resume it's
normal behavior."
Sisko looked back at her. "What about the quantum flux? Should we
leave it open to the Gamma Quadrant?"
"I had a feeling you'd ask about that." She walked over to the
weapons console, and rapidly entered a series of coordinates. "I took
the liberty of having one of your quantum torpedoes modified while you
were on Earth. If you fire it into the flux along this trajectory, it
should redirect it away from the Gamma Quadrant."
"And just what will happen then?" Sisko asked. "I don't want
someone else to have to go through something like this again."
Pluto arched an eyebrow. "I am... somewhat an expert in temporal
matters, Captain. I assure you that nothing damaging to the timeline
of either universe will occur. But there will be repercussions."
"Such as?"
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss it. Simply consider
it... history fulfilling itself."
Sisko eyed her for a moment, trying to divine the meaning to her
words. But there was really no choice. He didn't want to leave the
flux in it's present position, for there was no doubt the Dominion
would send further ships to investigate. And who knew what would
happen then. "Proceed, Mr. Worf." The Klingon officer nodded, and
pressed the firing control. It streaked outward from the Defiant,
then vanished as it entered. Less than a second later, there was a
flash from it's detonation inside the flux.
Dax monitored the results, "It's gone. The flux has been
redirected."
"Good luck, Captain," Pluto said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I
have to check on something. But I'll be back shortly." With that
she vanished.
"What did she mean by that?" Odo asked.
"I don't know," answered Sisko. "No doubt we'll find out soon
enough."
"So," Kira said after a moment. "We won. Everything's back the
way it should be. Their history is back the way it should be, and so
is our's." She glanced around the bridge at her fellow officers. "So
why doesn't it feel like we won?" she asked rhetorically in a voice
tinged with sadness.
No one spoke up to answer her. The reason was abundantly clear to
all of them.
Finally, Dax broke the silence. "Shall I lay in a course for
the wormhole, Captain?"
It suddenly occurred to Sisko just what Pluto meant about being
back. "Not yet, old man," he replied. He turned to the viewscreen,
still centered on the open wormhole. It was tempting to have the
Defiant proceed through it immediately, but... "There's still one more
thing we need to do here."
Next: Wrapping up a few things, a few farewells and the Defiant heads
for home.
Bill Harris
Sci-Fi quote of the month:
"First time you ask me for anything and it has to be at a time like this!" -
Dr. McCoy, exasperated with Spock once again in the TOS episode "Gamesters of
Triskelion"
soton@aol.com (Soton)
Here's Chapter 7. There's an epilogue that will follow within the next two
weeks.
==================================
[Authors note -- With all these duplicate Sailors around, it's going to
get a bit confusing. For clarity's sake, the Scouts from the alternate
timeline will be referred to as simply "Mars" and "Mercury"; whereas the
'present day' versions will be referred to as "Sailor Mars" and "Sailor
Mercury".]
"Never underestimate the element of surprise"
- Odo
"It's time for Sailor Moon!"
-Luna
Chapter 7 - "No greater love than this..."
Serena looked around wildly at the Jem'Hadar that had appeared
around the crowd. "Who are these guys?!?" she wailed. "They've got
GUNS!!"
"Look again, meatballhead. Those aren't any type of guns I've ever
seen," Raye snapped while eying the three aliens, noting to herself that
Dax and her counterpart had made no mention at all about them.
Serena went instantly from near terror to anger, and glowered at
Raye, "Stop calling me MEATBALLHEAD!"
Now unnoticed by the increasingly panicky crowd, the youma Rybite
still stood atop the counter muttering incomprehensibly. But it seemed
more irritated at the Jem'Hadar for interrupting it's operation than
anything else.
So intent was it at glaring at the warriors from the Dominion that
it missed a figure in a red sailor outfit landing nearby on the
countertop, followed by two others in blue. Mercury gave Rybite a solid
kick to it's midsection as she landed, sending the youma flying so that
it landed in a sitting position atop the grill. The youma howled in pain
as it tried franticly to scurry off. It's antics earned it contemptuous
glares from the Jem'Hadar and the nearest one slammed the butt of it's
weapon into the youma's face, rendering it unconscious.
Mars leveled an accusing finger at the alien soldiers. "This is a
place for people to enjoy themselves, not for you to steal their energy!
In the name of Mars..."
"...and Mercury..." the other two cried out in unison.
"...we'll punish you!" they finished together.
"Huh?" Serena looked at the three Scouts, then at Raye standing
beside her, then back again. "Another Sailor Mars? *Two* Sailor
Mercuries? What's going on?!?" Then she realized, "And they're stealing
my lines!"
The Jem'Hadar didn't bother asking questions, as always preferring
action instead. They aimed their weapons at the three Scouts and began
firing. While they dodged the weapons fire, everyone in the crowd
started running for cover. Raye took advantage of the tumult and grabbed
Serena by the arm, dragging her around the corner where Luna joined them.
"What's going on?" Serena demanded again.
Raye ignored her question for the moment as she checked up on the
battle. Her counterpart had already toasted one of the aliens that she
and Dax had so conveniently not mentioned. Or it as more likely they
didn't know they were going to show up, she mused. "I should have
expected Amy's double would be here, too," she muttered. "There's no
sign of that shapeshifter though."
"What was that?" Serena asked. "Raye, do you know something I
don't?"
"A lot of things," she responded automatically. At Serena's glare
she added, "But right now the important thing is that they need our
help," pointing to the fight. Mars had already toasted the first
three Jem'Hadar, but more were appearing out of the woodwork. "There
are more of those creeps."
"Yes," Luna agreed. "Transform now! But be careful. You
especially, Serena."
"Huh?"
Raye raised her transformation pen skyward. "MARS POWER!" When
the transformation was complete, Sailor Mars looked at Serena. "Well,
what are you waiting for?"
"Stop giving me orders," she grumbled.
"Serena!" Luna admonished her.
"All right already... MOON PRISM POWER!"
Sisko put a restraining hand on Kira, who had been getting ready to
fire, "Not yet, Major." Over the comm he added, "Hold your fire
everyone."
"But sir!" Worf protested.
"That's an order, Mr. Worf. We have to wait until the changeling
reveals itself before we make our move. If we show ourselves too soon,
the changeling will leave and we'll have no idea where or when it will
strike next." He glanced over at the raging battle and grimaced. "I
don't like it any more than you, but Mars and Mercury can take care of
themselves. Besides," he nodded to a small dog that had taken position
near the concession stand, "Odo can help them out in the meantime."
Kira nodded, agreeing reluctantly as a rush of movement caught her
eye. Sailor Moon now stood atop the counter, with another Sailor Mars
beside her. "All right, I don't know who all the extra Sailor Scouts
are, but I am Sailor Moon, the champion of justice! I right wrongs and
triumph over evil!" She pointed at the nearest Jem'Hadar. "And that
means you... oofff!" The Jem'Hadar had not been not impressed with
her entrance, and one of them was in the process of firing at her when
Mars shoved the blonde Scout out of the way and she fell down behind
the counter. The energy bolt impacted harmlessly above her. "Owie..."
She got back to her feet, rubbing her head painfully and glared at both
Sailor Scouts of the red planet. "Thanks a lot, Mars!"
"Sure, blame me!" Sailor Mars retorted.
"Excuse me, I was only SAVING YOUR LIFE!" Mars exclaimed in the
same instant.
Sailor Moon was framing a suitable response when she realized that
the aliens had stopped firing. The became immediately obvious, for a
tall, tuxedo clad figure was standing between her and the Jem'Hadar.
"It's not nice to interrupt a lady," he admonished the aliens, who
seemed uncertain now and were hesitantly retreating.
Sailor Mars looked at Tuxedo Mask, but hesitated. She couldn't
put her finger on it, but something was giving her an odd feeling.
Mars frowned. Tuxedo Mask hadn't shown up this early the last
time. That could a result of the changes they'd made, but something
didn't quite feel right.
For her part, Sailor Moon was overjoyed. "Tuxedo Mask! You came!"
He turned and gave her a dazzling smile. "Of course, Sailor Moon."
He was just starting to reach in her direction when a small black dog
jumped up and bit him on the hand. "Huh?"
Sailor Moon was similarly surprised, perhaps even more so. She
wasn't entirely sure, but it certainly appeared to be the same dog that
they had left behind at the temple. But how could it be here? Raye had
tied it up back there!
Hadn't she?
She put that aside for the moment, trying instead to concentrate on
the events before her. "Bad dog!" she yelled, giving it a good solid
swat on the rump. "Tuxedo Mask is our friend!" The dog didn't seem to
react other than by biting down harder and perhaps glaring at her as well,
but before she could do anything else there was a flash of red in front
of her eyes. Sailor Moon jumped backwards a half step and gasped when
she got a good look at the countertop.
There was a red rose embedded in it.
Sisko tensed as Odo moved in on Tuxedo Mask. He knew the Constable
wouldn't make a move unless he sensed something. Perhaps...
"Benjamin!" Dax called over the comm, "Look above you!"
He glanced upward and immediately saw among the rafters what Dax was
talking about.
Sailor Moon looked upwards to where the rose had been thrown from
and gaped. Standing on a girder, cape flowing behind him was Tuxedo
Mask. Another one! She glanced back and forth between the two, now
utterly confused. "Watch yourself, Sailor Moon! I don't know who that
guy is, but he isn't me!"
Odo chose that moment to morph, shifting back to his usual humanoid
form. He had a hand firmly clenched around one of the fake Tuxedo
Mask's wrists. "I would appreciate it if you didn't hit me again," he
told her with out looking back. "I am trying to help." To the fake he
added, "Both of you."
"I don't need your *help*, Odo!" the changeling snarled. Then it
said to the Jem'Hadar, "Kill them!"
"The changeling's out of the bag. Move in!" Sisko ordered as more
Jem'Hadar, nearly a dozen in all, appeared. Half of them fell as the
Defiant crewmembers opened fire on them. For his part, Odo was now
locked in a struggle with the changeling, their forms mingling as they
fought.
Nearby a Jem'Hadar appeared near Sailor Moon, his weapon aimed in
her direction. But before he could take any action, O'Brien snapped off
a shot from his position above and hit him squarely. Despite this, his
weapon still discharged as he fell. A cry of pain was heard that
clearly belonged to Sailor Moon.
"NO!" Mars charged towards where Sailor Moon had fallen, but
Bashir somehow beat her there and vaulted over the counter. Mars peered
over it and saw that the blonde Scout was down on her knees, clutching
her upper left arm.
"Here, let me take a look at that," Bashir said to her, as he
automatically began scanning with the medical tricorder. It confirmed
his initial inspection of the wound. He looked up to Mars. "It's
alright," he told the worried Scout. "It's only a graze." Mars sighed,
clearly relieved.
Kira joined them and moved behind the counter herself. "Go on.
I've got them covered," she told Mars. Mars nodded and rejoined the
fight.
There is an old military adage that says that no battle plan
survives first contact with the enemy, and that was certainly true in
this case. Kira's plan had called for the Defiant crew members to fire
on the Jem'Hadar from cover, with Mars and Mercury working in concert
with the other Sailor Scouts. Surprise enabled this plan to work for
all of five seconds, and nearly a dozen of the Dominion soldiers were
strewn around the area, either killed by phaser beams or reduced to
charcoal by Mars and her counterpart.
But the Jem'Hadar were bred for battle, and thus they adjusted to
the circumstances. After the initial barrage, the away team members
found more Jem'Hadar appearing from out of their camouflage fields nearly
on top of them and close order combat became the order of the day.
Bashir rummaged in the medkit for the dermal regenerator, trying to
ignore the sounds of combat around them. "Don't worry. It's not that
bad," he reassured his patient. He took out the instrument from the kit,
activated it and began running it over the wound. "Just a few minutes,
and you'll be good as new."
Sailor Moon smiled slightly as the pain ebbed, then her eyes
widened in recognition. "You again?"
Bashir smiled. "Yes, me again. Don't worry, I'm a doctor."
Sailor Moon looked doubtful. "I've never seen a doctor use
anything like that before!"
He hesitated before answering. "It... is a rather long story."
"You can tell it later, Doctor," Kira said, ducking from incoming
fire. She got up to return fire but stopped as her target collapsed, a
rose embedded in his throat.
Sailor Moon eyed Kira closely while Bashir continued to work. There
was something familiar about her, but she couldn't place her at the
moment. "What happened to your nose?"
Kira's had reflexively went to the patch she was wearing on her nose
to cover her distinctively Bajoran nose ridges. "Um... I broke my nose,"
she said, wincing internally. 'You'd have thought by now I'd have a
better excuse lined up,' she thought.
Sailor Moon frowned. "Hey, if you're such a good doctor, why don't
you fix her nose?" she asked Bashir.
"Well, I could..." Bashir began, but Kira interrupted him.
"Doctor, you even *touch* my nose, I will break yours."
"Understood, Major."
"Gee, she's just as bad tempered as Mars," Sailor Moon observed.
"I am *not* bad tempered!!" came two very loud responses from
somewhere in the middle of the fighting.
Sailor Moon reflexively winced under the verbal barrage. Getting
yelled at by Mars was bad enough, but it was infinitely worse when it was
in stereo.
Luna looked on concernedly as Bashir worked on Sailor Moon and was
soon aware that she wasn't alone. A golden haired cat had joined her
vigil. In fact... "You again!"
The other cat started then glared at her, "You were expecting
someone else?"
Luna blinked, startled to hear her own voice come from the other
cat. However, she soon made a quick deduction. "You're *my*
counterpart, aren't you?"
"Yes," she replied. "I've been helping them keep an eye on
Serena."
"I can understand why. But what happened to your fur? Why change
it to *that* color?"
Her counterpart cringed slightly as she glanced again at her fur,
but before she could answer Bashir spoke up. "Maybe she wanted to find
out if it was true that blondes have more fun," he quipped while
examining his handiwork. He was nodding in satisfaction when a sudden
stab of pain made him yelp and his hand went reflexively to his neck.
It came away tinged with red from the scratches there.
"Physician, heal thyself," the golden haired cat said while
sheathing her claws.
"Nicely done," Luna complimented her counterpart.
Several meters above them, O'Brien aimed carefully once again and
squeezed the trigger and another Jem'Hadar dropped. So far he had
been successful in providing covering fire from his vantage point, but
as the combat became more intermixed, he had to be exceedingly selective
in his target selection. Since only the kill settings were effective
against the Jem'Hadar, a friendly fire incident here would be
disastrous.
But it wasn't long before the Jem'Hadar became aware that there was
a sniper among the girders. Three of them began firing in his direction,
their weapons firing several energy pulses as they swept the area.
O'Brien hunkered down as best he could, but the incoming fire somehow
triggered a minor explosion that sent him flying off his perch.
And it was a long way down.
Sisko watched helplessly as O'Brien tumbled downward to what surely
would be a fatal landing. When he had reached the halfway point, a black
blur intercepted him in midair. The next thing Sisko knew, O'Brien had
been returned safely to the ground by Tuxedo Mask.
O'Brien blinked, amazed to still be alive. Tuxedo Mask stood next
to him for a moment, then went wordlessly back into the fray. "Uh,
thanks," the chief belatedly said, then went to find another spot to
fire from. This time, he told himself, he was keeping his feet on
terra firma.
"Ow!" Mars grimaced as a Jem'Hadar grabbed her long hair. Seeing
her plight, Sisko charged into the Dominion soldier, using his shoulder
to bowl him over as if he were trying to dislodge a catcher blocking
home plate. The Jem'Hadar was forced to release his grip on Mars, but
smoothly rolled back to his feet and aimed his weapon at the captain.
"MARS FIRE IGNITE!" Sailor Mars cried out, sending a wash of flame
at the Jem'Hadar and turning him into a pile of ash. But before any
thanks could be exchanged, two more appeared in front of the three.
"Where do these guys keep coming from?" Sailor Mars wondered.
"They're all around us, just invisible," Mars explained to her
younger self as the Jem'Hadar were suddenly knocked off their feet by
Tuxedo Mask, who was using his cane to great effect. "Just remember,
we have to keep them from harming Sailor Moon, no matter what!"
Kira watched the battle unfold, firing whenever a Jem'Hadar got too
close to her position. From what she could tell by half listening,
Bashir had all but finished treating Sailor Moon. A part of her wished
he would drag it out. Since her survival was pivotal to the timeline,
it would be easier if she could be kept out of the fighting.
She caught a flash of movement to her left out of the corner of her
eye. Turning rapidly, she saw the youma Rybite staggering to it's feet.
It saw her in the same instant and hissed something at her in it's
incomprehensible manner.
Except that Kira seemed to understand it. Her eyes widened and
she charged at the youma, vaulting back over the counter to do so. "You
little..." Disregarding her weapon, she slammed the heel of her right
palm into the youma's face and followed it up with a rapid series of
blows that staggered it. Then she grabbed the youma by the hair and
slammed it's head repeatedly against the countertop. After about the
sixth or seventh blow, she let it go and it dropped to the ground and
lay unmoving. "Shut up! Just *SHUT UP*!"
Bashir and Sailor Moon peered over the counter and watched this
wide eyed. "Kira, what did it say?" he asked. "And how did you
understand it?"
"It was speaking a very accented version of Cardassian," she
explained, catching her breath. "And believe me, Doctor, you *don't*
want to know what it said!"
She gave the youma one more kick for good measure, then felt a
surge of pain as a Jem'Hadar shot her from behind. Crying out, she
fell forward from the impact of the blast in her shoulder.
"Kira!" Bashir scrambled towards her, heedless of his own
safety. Indeed, the Jem'Hadar that had shot Kira was now taking aim at
him. However...
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"
The energy discus flew over the doctor's head and sliced through
the Jem'Hadar, leaving behind only a pile of dust. "You're moondust!"
Worf grappled with one of the Jem'Hadar. As yet, neither warrior
could gain the upper hand, resulting in a stalemate. "You are strong
for a human," the Jem'Hadar conceded. Worf suppressed the automatic
snarl at being mistaken for a human, trying instead to focus himself on
the struggle. "But soon you will fall like the rest of your pathetic
race. And the Negaverse will be triumphant!"
"The Negaverse?" Worf asked tightly. "Don't you mean the Dominion?"
The Jem'Hadar seemed startled, but that didn't affect his grip.
"How do you know about that?"
"I know many things," Worf snarled. "Among them... is that today
is a good day to die!" As he spoke the last words, Worf brought his
head snapping forward in a savage head butt. The Jem'Hadar was caught
completely off guard and he reeled backwards, stunned.
Worf was moving to finish him off when the Dominion soldier was
struck down by a distant phaser blast. Worf nodded his thanks to
O'Brien before retrieving his own weapon and searching for another
target.
Dax fell to the ground, gasping in pain from the wound in her
leg. Despite the agony, she could see the Jem'Hadar that had shot her
lining up for another shot.
One that it never got a chance at, for Mercury came into view at
that moment and delivered a flying kick to it's head.
Mercury grimaced as the Dominion warrior struggled back to it's
feet. Pluto had admonished her and Mars against using their newer
powers (except in case of a dire emergency) least the timeline be
disrupted further. But now Dax was badly wounded and immobile. She
could only...
"MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!" Sailor Mercury cried out, shrouding the
battlefield in a dense layer of fog. The Jem'Hadar looked around,
suddenly unable to see anything around it. Mercury took advantage of
the opportunity to deliver another flying kick, while her counterpart
hit the alien low. The Jem'Hadar fell to the ground once again and was
struck by a phaser blast as it struggled to rise. Mercury looked back
and saw that Dax had managed to retrieve her weapon. Around them, the
Defiant crew were taking advantage of the Jem'Hadar's sudden inability
to see by phasering as many as they could, and each Sailors Mars did
likewise.
Mercury went over to Dax as soon as she could and scanned her,
Sailor Mercury looking over her shoulder. "How is she?"
"It could be better," Mercury admitted. "She's bleeding badly from
the major artery in her leg."
"You mean the femoral artery?"
"She isn't human, so I don't think those terms apply," Mercury
told Sailor Mercury, who acknowledged this with a nod. Mercury tapped
on Dax's comm badge, "Mercury to Defiant, one to beam up, medical
emergency." Seconds later, Dax vanished in the transporter beam.
The fog dispersed as the weapons fire ceased. The Defiant away
team and the sailor Scouts looked around, but all that could be seen
were the motionless forms of the Jem'Hadar soldiers that had fallen.
Sisko judged that there had nearly been two dozen in all. They had been
lucky to have only two of his people wounded. He wasn't sure about Dax's
condition, but Kira was moving about again. Bashir had patched her
shoulder somewhat, but the Major stubbornly resisted his requests that
she return to the ship. He knew better than to try to convince her
himself.
Kira had good reason, as there was at least one aspect of the
struggle that remained unresolved; namely Odo still struggling with the
changeling. At this point it was nigh impossible to tell which one was
which. Unable to do anything else, they watched as the two fought.
Finally, there was a violent upheaval and the changelings separated. Odo
took a moment and reformed into his normal humanoid shape.
A few meters away, Odo reformed into his usual humanoid appearance.
Mars glanced between the two. As far as anyone could see, they
were identical. There was no visible means of discerning one from the
other. "I see what Odo meant when he said it could be anyone."
O'Brien looked at the two Odos from his vantage point and felt a
sudden sense of deja vu. "Not again," he groaned. This was too much
like the time in the Defiant's engine room for him. "I hate playing
'Choose the Changeling'!"
Tuxedo Mask glanced between the two changelings. He had a rose at
the ready, but wasn't sure which target to throw it at. "How do you
tell them apart?"
"We're still unable to tell whether or not someone is being
impersonated by a changeling," Sisko admitted. "Let alone tell two of
them apart."
"Great."
Odo glared at his counterpart. "I'm Odo, Captain. He's the
changeling!"
"Don't listen to him, Captain," Odo urged. "I'm Odo."
Mars walked around the two of them, trying to discern anything
distinctive about either changeling. Unfortunately, there was nothing
about them that appeared different from the other. Neither her physical
senses, nor her psychic ones could tell them apart. The changeling had
successfully imitated Odo in every way. A glance at Sailor Mars told her
that she wasn't having any better luck.
Both Mercuries had deployed their visors and were busily scanning.
"I'm picking up some minute differences between them," Sailor Mercury
quietly told Mercury. "But I'm not sure how to determine which is which.
I have no data to base a comparison on."
"Don't worry," Mercury told her, smiling grimly. "I do." To
herself she added a silent 'I hope.' Several quick taps on the keypad
accessed the data that she had accumulated in previous scans she had taken
of Odo. She linked it with the data she was currently accumulating and
did a quick comparison, hoping that whatever means the Negaverse was using
to control the changeling would leave some discernable trace that she
could use to distinguish Odo from the other changeling.
The results weren't long in coming. After a moment, she pointed to
the Odo on the right, "You! You're the imposter!"
The changeling's form shifted as it tried to flee but Odo was ready
for that, using his own shapeshifting abilities to first snare the
changeling then merge with it. The changeling struggled mightily, but
Odo held it fast, though his face showed the effort it was taking him.
"Can you hold it, Odo?" Kira asked.
"For a while," he answered, his voice strained. "We have to find a
way to contain it before then."
Sisko tapped on his comm badge. "Sisko to Defiant, lock onto the
changeling and Odo. Beam them to a security cell."
"We're trying, sir," came the reply moments later, "But we can't
get a lock on either of them. Something's interfering with the targeting
scanners."
Sisko grimaced. There seemed to be only one way remaining to deal
with the changeling. And it was something that Odo was not going to
like. "Odo, when I give the word, I want you to release your hold on it.
At the same time, everyone is to open fire."
"Captain!" Odo protested, "There must be another way!"
"There is." All eyes turned to Mars. "I think I can expel whatever
the Negaverse is using to control the changeling from it."
"Are you sure?" Sisko asked.
"Only one way to find out." Mars approached the struggling
changeling, readying a spirit ward. A part of her was telling her that
she should use her flames and blast the changeling now, to not take the
chance on things going wrong again. However, Odo had saved her life
twice before and it was important to him that they not kill the
changeling. She owed it to him to at least make the attempt. She placed
the ward on the amorphous mass, crying out, "EVIL SPIRIT BEGONE!"
The results were immediate. The Founder uttered a loud, inhuman cry
and an aura of dark energy surrounded it before leaving the changeling.
However, it didn't flee to the air as Mars had anticipated, but instead
traveled through the link to Odo. Now it was the Constable who cried out
and he released his hold on the changeling, which collapsed into an
insensate mass.
"Odo!" Kira exclaimed as she went to her friend. Odo snarled and
lashed out at her, knocking the Major backwards several meters. She
grimaced in pain as she landed on her wounded shoulder.
"No!" Odo exclaimed when he realized what he'd done. Mercury went
over to Kira, who indicated that she was OK, though still shaken. She
got unsteadily to her feet with Mercury's help. "Stay back, everyone,
please... it's trying to make me kill you all. I'm resisting it... for
now..."
"This wasn't what I had in mind," Mars muttered. She leapt for Odo,
trying to land behind him and plant another ward. However, the constable
seemed to anticipate this, and he lashed out at her just before she
landed. Mars impacted hard against a girder, and Sailor Moon went over
to her immediately.
"My turn," Sailor Mars said, readying her own ward. She tensed
herself to race for the possessed changeling, but first... "Cover me,
Mercury!"
"Right!" both Mercuries responded. "MERCURY BUBBLES... BLAST!"
Another layer of fog descended over the area, this one even denser
than the first. Sailor Mars raced forward, taking advantage of the cover
as she charged the ward. Leaping forward for the last few meters, she
planted it firmly on Odo's forehead, "EVIL SPIRIT... BEGONE!"
The Negaverse spirit screamed again as it found itself again forced
from a host body. This time it lacked a conduit to escape through, and
it formed overhead into a dark cloud that loomed menacingly over them
all. "Now, Sailor Moon!" Luna cried.
"Gotcha, Luna," she replied while reaching again for her tiara.
"MOON TIARA... MAGIC!" There was one last cry of despair from the spirit
as the energy disc cut through it, then silence as a pile of dust formed
on the ground.
Kira went over to Odo, who had fallen wearily to his knees. "Odo?"
"I'm fine, Major." He hesitated for a moment, seemingly
embarrassed. "I... hope I didn't injure you."
"Forget it," she reassured him.
Odo nodded, then turned his attention to Sailor Mars and Sailor
Moon, "Thank you." Not waiting for their responses, he lastly addressed
Mars. "And thank you. You didn't have to volunteer to try and save the
changeling." He glanced at it where it still lay motionless. "But I am
glad you did."
"Believe me, part of me wanted to nothing more than blast it. But I
owed you."
"No," Odo corrected her. "Now *I* owe you."
Sisko was surveying the area as Mercury's fog was lifting. There
were the bodies of the fallen Jem'Hadar all over the place, but it
seemed quiet for now. Perhaps it was over.
The same thought was occurring to Mars. She looked again at the
insensate Founder, then at Sailor Moon. "We did it," she said softly,
feeling tears of joy forming. "It didn't kill her. She's alive."
"OK," Sailor Moon began, "Now that it seems like things are over, I
want to know why there are two Sailor Mercuries, two Sailor Mars, why
there were two Tuxedo Masks for a bit (not that I'm complaining about
*that*) and just what they are," she point at Odo and the changeling, "and
who you people are." She took a deep breath, "In short, will someone
please tell me what's going on?!?"
"It's a long story," Sisko answered trying not to smile too broadly,
"But I'll tell you what I can..." He stopped, hearing a distinctive
sound.
The sound of a Jem'Hadar dropping his camouflage field.
Hearing the sound as well, Sailor Moon turned to see the Jem'Hadar
ripple into visibility not more than three meters away, knocking Worf to
the ground in the process.
It's weapon was aimed directly at her.
Pluto stiffened, and grasped her staff tightly. In her mind's eye,
she could see two possible outcomes. Either the future would be restored
to it's previous state, or...
She didn't want to think about the alternative.
Sisko spun around to bring his weapon to bear, but he could see that
the Jem'Hadar was already pressing the trigger of his weapon.
"NO!" Odo yelled out. Given his recent exertions, there was little
else he could do. He just hoped that it's genetically programmed
obedience to changelings would enable him to stop it verbally. "Put
your weapon down!"
It didn't.
Kira aimed her weapon, but Sailor Moon was between herself and the
Jem'Hadar. She moved as fast as she could, but it would be over before
she could fire.
Tuxedo Mask hurled the rose at the Jem'Hadar's weapon.
Nearby, two Luna's leapt for the Dominion soldier in a desperate
attempt to distract him.
O'Brien saw the Jem'Hadar appear and instantly took aim. He had
a clear shot, all he needed was...
A figure in a security guard's uniform stepped in front of him.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.
O'Brien swore violently as only an Irishman could and shoved him to
the ground. "Get out of the way, you bloody idiot!" He brought the
phaser rifle up again and was aiming when he saw that it was already too
late. The barrel of his weapon lowered slowly. "Oh my God."
Sailor Moon stumbled backwards, realizing belatedly that she hadn't
been hit but that someone had interposed themselves between herself and
the Jem'Hadar. Another moment later she realized who it was. "MARS!"
Mars staggered from the impacts, having taken two blasts to her
chest already, but was resolutely staying on her feet. But a third shot
slammed into her and she finally fell just as two cats landed on the
Jem'Hadar's face. But even blinded, he got off another shot. By this
time, Mercury had moved into the line of fire and she was hit in her side
even as she tried to invoke her powers.
The Jem'Hadar never got off another shot, for at that moment his
weapon was hit by a thrown rose and he was hit by four phaser beams. He
fell unmoving to the ground.
Sailor Moon didn't see him fall, nor did she care if he was still
fighting. The only thing she was aware of was that she held a
critically injured Mars in her arms. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars
moved to stand just behind her, each with a look of shock on their face.
"Raye..." Sailor Moon whispered.
Bashir knelt down by them, having already checked on Mercury.
Though seriously wounded herself, she was stable at the moment. However,
he didn't need his tricorder to see that the same couldn't be said for
Mars. As he made the scan, his mind accelerated into high gear, going
over several different avenues of treatment at once to determine the best
one. Mars' eyes flutter open and he suppressed amazement that she was
still conscious, let alone still alive.
Mars looked up. When she saw Sailor Moon, she smiled despite the
pain from her injuries. "Didn't.. hesitate... this time..." she managed
to say. There was a hissing sound as Bashir administered a hypospray, and
she felt the pain recede somewhat.
"Why?" said Sailor Moon through her tears.
"I saw you die once," Mars answered, able to talk easier. "That was
enough..."
"What do you mean?" Sailor Moon asked, confusion evident on her face.
"I mean I'm from the future, Meatballhead," she snapped, almost
sounding like herself. "One where you died. I couldn't let it let it
happen again... No matter what..." Mars slumped as she finally lapsed
into unconsciousness.
"Damn it!" Bashir swore as a low whine came from his tricorder.
"We're losing her. I've got to get her back to the Defiant!"
Sisko nodded and tried to pull Sailor Moon clear. She struggled
and protested against this, but fortunately Sailor Mercury and Sailor
Mars were there to help him out.
"Bashir to Defiant, medical emergency. Three.."
"Make it four," a golden haired Luna said.
"Er, four to beam directly to the medical bay." They vanished as
the transporter energized.
Sailor Moon watched the spot where they had been for several
moments before turning to Sisko. From the way the doctor had spoken to
him, it seemed evident that he was the leader of this group. "What's
going on? Who are you people?" she asked tearfully.
"Friends," Sisko said, trying to explain what he could. "From
another world and another time."
"You mean you're from the future? Like M- Mars said?"
"That's right," Odo added. He had taken a position nearby the
unmoving form of the changeling, watching it carefully. "Something
happened which altered the way things were supposed to happen here, in
such a way that it affected our world as well."
Sisko opened his mouth to add something more, but a sudden sound
made him, and everyone else, turn about suddenly, ready for more
fighting. But this time there was no Jem'Hadar appearing out of nowhere.
It was only the youma Rybite moving about, having regained consciousness.
Kira took a threatening step towards it, looking as if she wanted
to attack it again even with her injured shoulder. "Back for more?" The
youma hissed at her and spat a corrosive glob. Kira dodge to the right
so that it only hit the ground.
Before anyone else could move, a loud cry of "MOON TIARA MAGIC"
echoed through the area once again, leaving behind only a pile of dust in
it's wake.
Sisko took another look around the area. There were no signs of any
more Jem'Hadar (not that there ever were), and it looked like several
authority type figures were arriving as well. He also noted that Tuxedo
Mask had departed. He took that as a sign the danger was over. "I think
that about wraps things up."
"Hold on," Sailor Moon said. "Before you go, can you tell me if
Raye will be OK or not?"
"Excuse me, Sailor Moon, but I'm right here!" Sailor Mars exclaimed.
Despite her words, Sisko could tell that she, and Sailor Mercury, was
shaken by the recent events. It was understandable -- you don't see
yourself shot every day.
"I'm not sure," he said, interposing himself verbally in hopes of
avoiding another skirmish between them. "But Dr. Bashir is very skilled
and will do all he can for her."
"Sir, we should be going," Worf said.
Sisko nodded. "I wish we could stay and explain more, but that's
not possible. Good luck Sailor Moon. To all of you." He activate his
comm badge. "Sisko to Defiant, beam up away team." They vanished in a
dazzle of light, to be followed seconds later by the bodies of the
Jem'Hadar as they also disappeared in a similar manner.
Beryl tapped the armrest of her throne as she stared at Jeddite.
"So Jeddite," she finally said, "Your vaunted plan has failed. And thus
you have failed." She leaned forward. "*Again.*"
"Only because of the interference of that starship crew," he
protested. "If Neflyte had destroyed it as he should have, it wouldn't
have been in position to do so. Or perhaps if he had informed us of the
Sailor Scouts that were on it and thwarted his plan!" He turned to glare
at the other General.
Neflyte affected an innocent look. "What Sailor Scouts?"
"Where else could they have come from, Neflyte?" he demanded.
"I have no idea what you're babbling about, Jeddite."
"You lying --"
"Enough, both of you!" Beryl snapped. "I don't care what the cause
of your failure was, Jeddite. Only that it *was* a failure. Now, begone
while I consider your fate."
Not daring to say anything more, Jeddite turned and stormed out of
the throne room. Once outside, he clenched his fist and shook it at the
air. "I *hate* those Sailor Scouts!"
Pluto met Sisko just outside the medical bay. "You did well,
Captain."
"Oh?"
"You were successful in preventing Sailor Moon's death. Thus the
mission has been a complete success."
"I had only a small part in preventing it," Sisko replied a little
more harshly than he intended. "The person most responsible for our
success is in there," he indicated to the medical bay door, "and is very
possibly dying even as we speak. And that fact alone doesn't qualify it
as a complete success in my book." He took a step forward and entered
the medical bay. Pluto hesitated for a moment before following him in.
Bashir, assisted by Nurse Reilly, was still working feverishly on
Mars at one of the biobeds. Mercury was lying on the other, being
looked after by Dax. The Trill's own wound had already been seen to, but
she still favored the wounded leg whenever she walked.
"If you'll excuse me, Captain, I'll meet you on the bridge," Pluto
said softly and left the room. Sisko watched her go without comment. He
wasn't entirely sure, but he though he saw a tear on her face as she
exited.
Perhaps he had been too harsh in his words of a few moments before.
Pluto reentered the bridge, moving to stand by one of the rear
stations.
"Any word on Raye?" she heard someone ask. Kira, perhaps.
"No. Dr. Bashir is still working on her," she replied
automatically. But inwardly she already knew what would happen.
Sisko moved to stand by Dax. "How's it going?" he softly asked her.
She shook her head. "Not good, Benjamin," she whispered. "She's on
full life support, but even with that..." Her voice trailed off.
Sisko watched her carefully as she spoke. Knowing Dax as long as he
had, first as Curzon then later as Jadzia, he had become somewhat able to
read her expressions. And from he saw on her face, "Not good" seemed to
be an understatement.
"Doctor, her synaptic network is starting to break down."
Bashir looked up from his attempts to repair the damage to Mars'
cardiac system and saw that Reilly was correct. "Cordical stimulator,"
he said ordered, readying a hypo. Reilly placed the small devices onto
Raye's forehead while Bashir pressed the hypo to her neck. "Now."
Raye's body jumped under the stimulus. Bashir watched the monitor
carefully. There was a brief surge of brain activity, but it had
already started to decline. He made a quick adjustment to the
stimulators. "Again," he ordered, and once more a pulse was directed into
her brain with similar results. Bashir swore and checked the life
support functions. They at least seemed to be functioning perfectly,
taking over the role of her heart and lungs. The problem now was to keep
her brain from failing. "Increase the power of the stimulators by
fifty percent."
"Doctor we're already at the maximum safe level. If --"
"I know that," he said tightly. "Just do it."
"Yes, Doctor."
Sisko and Dax kept silent as they watched Bashir work, struggling
to revive her even long after it became apparent that it was a hopeless
cause. Finally he sighed in resignation. "Note the time of death in
the log," he told Reilly before heading over to the other bed. "I'm
sorry. She's gone," he told her as he mechanically her began seeing to
her wounds.
Mercury didn't reply, but remained still and stared at Raye. Luna
moved slightly and gave her a comforting nuzzle, to which Mercury
scratched her ears absently. "Captain, did we...?"
"Yes," Sisko replied. "Pluto tells me that the mission was a s
uccess. The timelines of both universes have been restored."
She nodded. "That's something at least." Then a thought occurred
to her, "But if that's true, then our past has been altered. So how can
Luna and I still exist?"
"We understand some things about temporal mechanics, but a lot of
the more subtle aspects of it are still vague to us," Dax said. "At a
guess, I'd say the Prophets shielded you from the changes, just as they
protected us during the whole paradox situation."
"That makes sense," Mercury agreed. "It looks as if we have no
place to go, Luna."
"Oh, we'll think of something," the cat tried to reassure her."
"I can help you in that regard," Sisko said. "There's a place for
both of you of Deep Space Nine. If you want it."
They both looked up at him, surprised. "What?" Luna said.
"You can come with us when we return home," Sisko explained. "And
you're both welcome to stay on the station as long as you like. Or you
can go anywhere in the Federation. Or Bajor. It's up to you."
The others looked up expectedly as Sisko and Dax entered the bridge,
save for Pluto. Kira asked the question they all wanted the answer to,
"Raye?"
Sisko shook his head. "She didn't make it," he replied in a subdued
voice.
The disappointment and sorrow they felt was evident in their varied
reactions. Kira closed her eyes and began speaking softly to herself in
Bajoran. SIsko could just about make out some of the words, but he heard
enough to understand it as a prayer to the Prophets on behalf of the
deceased.
O'Brien had muttered something as well, but it hardly appeared to
be polite. The chief had seen more than his fair share of death,
going as far back as the Cardassian raids on Setlik Three.
Worf was typically stoic, though he seemed contemplative. His
human upbringing caused him to feel sadness at her death, but his
Klingon heritage wished her spirit well for she had undoubtably earned a
place among the honored dead.
As usual, Odo was the hardest to read and in fact seemed more
withdrawn than was usual for him. His thoughts were laced with regret
that he wasn't able help Mars at the last, even if it was no fault of his
own. She had put aside her dislike of changelings, and help him save the
Founder the Negaverse had been controlling. Now it seemed he would never
be able to return the favor.
Sisko turned to Sailor Pluto, noting that she hadn't reacted to the
news... at least not in any obvious way. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd
like to take my people home."
"Of course, Captain," she replied. "I take it Sailor Mercury and
Luna will be accompanying you?"
"That's right. Is that a problem?"
"No. It's not." She smiled slightly, "In fact, you will find both
of them a great asset in events to come."
Sisko frowned. "Just what do you mean by that?"
"Ah, that would be telling. Now, about the wormhole..." Her
voice trailed off and she stared at the viewscreen.
"Captain, sensors are detecting a neutrino surge," O'Brien called
out.
"On screen," Sisko ordered, looking to the viewscreen as well. On
it they saw the wormhole opening up. Gone was the red haze that had
dominated it's appearance the last time he saw it, replaced by the
serene blues and whites that normally surrounded the spatial tunnel. He
knew without any lingering doubts that the past of his universe, and that
of the Sailor Scouts, had been fully restored. If at a high price.
"This will take you back to Deep Space Nine moments after you left
it," Pluto told him. "Once you have returned there, it will resume it's
normal behavior."
Sisko looked back at her. "What about the quantum flux? Should we
leave it open to the Gamma Quadrant?"
"I had a feeling you'd ask about that." She walked over to the
weapons console, and rapidly entered a series of coordinates. "I took
the liberty of having one of your quantum torpedoes modified while you
were on Earth. If you fire it into the flux along this trajectory, it
should redirect it away from the Gamma Quadrant."
"And just what will happen then?" Sisko asked. "I don't want
someone else to have to go through something like this again."
Pluto arched an eyebrow. "I am... somewhat an expert in temporal
matters, Captain. I assure you that nothing damaging to the timeline
of either universe will occur. But there will be repercussions."
"Such as?"
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss it. Simply consider
it... history fulfilling itself."
Sisko eyed her for a moment, trying to divine the meaning to her
words. But there was really no choice. He didn't want to leave the
flux in it's present position, for there was no doubt the Dominion
would send further ships to investigate. And who knew what would
happen then. "Proceed, Mr. Worf." The Klingon officer nodded, and
pressed the firing control. It streaked outward from the Defiant,
then vanished as it entered. Less than a second later, there was a
flash from it's detonation inside the flux.
Dax monitored the results, "It's gone. The flux has been
redirected."
"Good luck, Captain," Pluto said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I
have to check on something. But I'll be back shortly." With that
she vanished.
"What did she mean by that?" Odo asked.
"I don't know," answered Sisko. "No doubt we'll find out soon
enough."
"So," Kira said after a moment. "We won. Everything's back the
way it should be. Their history is back the way it should be, and so
is our's." She glanced around the bridge at her fellow officers. "So
why doesn't it feel like we won?" she asked rhetorically in a voice
tinged with sadness.
No one spoke up to answer her. The reason was abundantly clear to
all of them.
Finally, Dax broke the silence. "Shall I lay in a course for
the wormhole, Captain?"
It suddenly occurred to Sisko just what Pluto meant about being
back. "Not yet, old man," he replied. He turned to the viewscreen,
still centered on the open wormhole. It was tempting to have the
Defiant proceed through it immediately, but... "There's still one more
thing we need to do here."
Next: Wrapping up a few things, a few farewells and the Defiant heads
for home.
Bill Harris
Sci-Fi quote of the month:
"First time you ask me for anything and it has to be at a time like this!" -
Dr. McCoy, exasperated with Spock once again in the TOS episode "Gamesters of
Triskelion"