Chapter By Guest Writer Jedi Adia
CHAPTER EIGHT-INSTABILITY
SPACE STATION DEEP SPACE NINE
USS DEFIANT, NX-74025
DEFIANT CLASS
"There's an incoming message for you, Commander." Kira's voice came through the comlink in Sisko's office. She always sounded calm, cool, and collected, but this time, Sisko noted an underlying hint of anxiety in her voice. He wondered what could possibly have gone wrong.
'Patch it through, Major." Sisko sat back, and swiveled in his chair to face Odo, the station constable and resident shapeshifter. "We'll continue this conversation later, Constable."
"Understood." Odo turned to leave.
"But that doesn't mean you're dismissed, Constable," Sisko said. "You may need to hear this." Sisko touched a button, and Admiral Jennings appeared on the display. "Admiral, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Something very odd in the Gamma Quadrant, I'm afraid," Jennings said. "The Dominion say they want peace. And, you being the Emissary, they want to meet with you to begin negotiations."
"This doesn't feel right, Commander," Odo said, so that only Sisko could hear.
"I'm aware of that, Odo, but stranger things have happened," Sisko replied. To Admiral Jennings, he asked, "what do you want me to do?"
"They want to meet tomorrow morning," Jennings said. "You should leave at a time you see fit."
"Understood, Admiral. I'll leave as soon as possible. Is that all?"
"Yes. Jennings out."
"Senior staff to my office please."
A few minutes later, Lieutenant Dax, Major Kira, and Chief O'Brien were waiting in Sisko's office to hear why they had been called there.
"There's no real way to explain this, since I myself don't understand it, so I'll just say it. Admiral Jennings contacted me to say that the Dominion wants peace. We've been ordered to the Gamma Quadrant as representatives of the Federation," Sisko said. "The Defiant leaves as soon as she is ready."
O'Brien started to speak, but Sisko held up a hand. "Like I said, Chief, I don't understand it either. We need to be ready to move out as soon as possible. You're all coming. That's an order. Dismissed."
***
About twenty minutes later, the Defiant disembarked from Deep Space Nine and headed for the wormhole. As the ship neared it, the wormhole opened with a flash of light. Even though it was something that happened all of the time, the wormhole opening up, it never ceased to amaze Sisko.
"Take us in," he instructed.
Everything went well until they were about halfway through. Then the klaxons sounded.
"The wormhole's destabilizing!" O'Brien shouted over the alarms. "There's no telling where we'll end up."
"There's nothing I can do," Dax said to Sisko. He had to strain to hear her over the alarms.
The ship jolted as they were suddenly ejected from the wormhole.
"Report," Sisko said, picking himself up off of the floor.
O'Brien checked his readouts. "Commander, you're not going to believe this," he said, "but we're in the center of the universe."
CHAPTER EIGHT-INSTABILITY
SPACE STATION DEEP SPACE NINE
USS DEFIANT, NX-74025
DEFIANT CLASS
"There's an incoming message for you, Commander." Kira's voice came through the comlink in Sisko's office. She always sounded calm, cool, and collected, but this time, Sisko noted an underlying hint of anxiety in her voice. He wondered what could possibly have gone wrong.
'Patch it through, Major." Sisko sat back, and swiveled in his chair to face Odo, the station constable and resident shapeshifter. "We'll continue this conversation later, Constable."
"Understood." Odo turned to leave.
"But that doesn't mean you're dismissed, Constable," Sisko said. "You may need to hear this." Sisko touched a button, and Admiral Jennings appeared on the display. "Admiral, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Something very odd in the Gamma Quadrant, I'm afraid," Jennings said. "The Dominion say they want peace. And, you being the Emissary, they want to meet with you to begin negotiations."
"This doesn't feel right, Commander," Odo said, so that only Sisko could hear.
"I'm aware of that, Odo, but stranger things have happened," Sisko replied. To Admiral Jennings, he asked, "what do you want me to do?"
"They want to meet tomorrow morning," Jennings said. "You should leave at a time you see fit."
"Understood, Admiral. I'll leave as soon as possible. Is that all?"
"Yes. Jennings out."
"Senior staff to my office please."
A few minutes later, Lieutenant Dax, Major Kira, and Chief O'Brien were waiting in Sisko's office to hear why they had been called there.
"There's no real way to explain this, since I myself don't understand it, so I'll just say it. Admiral Jennings contacted me to say that the Dominion wants peace. We've been ordered to the Gamma Quadrant as representatives of the Federation," Sisko said. "The Defiant leaves as soon as she is ready."
O'Brien started to speak, but Sisko held up a hand. "Like I said, Chief, I don't understand it either. We need to be ready to move out as soon as possible. You're all coming. That's an order. Dismissed."
***
About twenty minutes later, the Defiant disembarked from Deep Space Nine and headed for the wormhole. As the ship neared it, the wormhole opened with a flash of light. Even though it was something that happened all of the time, the wormhole opening up, it never ceased to amaze Sisko.
"Take us in," he instructed.
Everything went well until they were about halfway through. Then the klaxons sounded.
"The wormhole's destabilizing!" O'Brien shouted over the alarms. "There's no telling where we'll end up."
"There's nothing I can do," Dax said to Sisko. He had to strain to hear her over the alarms.
The ship jolted as they were suddenly ejected from the wormhole.
"Report," Sisko said, picking himself up off of the floor.
O'Brien checked his readouts. "Commander, you're not going to believe this," he said, "but we're in the center of the universe."