In Sunshine or In Shadow - Part 11
Creek Johnson & Nance Hurt
Disclaimer: Paramount owns what it owns. We own what we own. No infringement intended - hopefully, none taken.
Kira Nerys stood up from her desk and stretched her weary body. With the Trade Delegation gone, she had more than enough backlogged material to keep her busy for days. Despite her best efforts, worry was her constant companion. Not for the first time she wondered how Ben Sisko had managed. Not just managed to run the Station through turbulent times, but how he managed to raise a child at the same time. It was all she could do to keep her mind on her job and not spend every waking hour worrying about Odo as well.
She had just powered down her desktop computer and stepped out the door of her office, when an Ensign approached holding a padd.
"Just when you thought it was safe," he said with a grim.
"I'm sorry?" replied Kira with a frown. "Safe for what?"
"Safe to leave your office."
He blushed under her blank stare. "It's a joke," he said somewhat subdued. Studiously avoiding her gaze, he handed her the padd,. "This just came in for you from Captain Jonas on the Reliant."
She took the padd without comment and headed for the turbo lift. Prophets save us from ensigns, she thought. She ordered the turbo lift to take her to the habitat ring, and idly thumbed the controls on the padd.
The report was short and to the point. The Reliant had stayed in the Thelos system for as long as they could. Ginyu's ship departed shortly after arriving. They scanned the ship and found no life signs aboard except for the Kohlanese captain. They continued scanning for as long as they were in the area, and found no sign of either Quark or his companion.
Cursing in every language she knew, she stepped off the lift and walked straight into Captain Jack Fellows
He was vaguely aware of light and sound. Vaguely aware of the lassitude of his body. His thoughts unclear, his mouth as dry as a desert.
I've been stunned, thought Quark.
He opened his eyes and saw a ceiling above. His hands could make out the coolness of a deck beneath him. Not dead, he thought. Cautiously moving his head, he could make out the details of the room. It appeared they were in some sort of cargo bay. Rough containers lined the walls. For a moment he thought they were still on Thelos IV, but it did not look right to him. There was a door where a door should not be. And the door looked out upon a corridor of some type - the type of corridor one would find on a ship, not in a hanger.
Hearing a soft voice, he turned his head to the left and found a mirror image of the room with the exception of a table. On the table was a shallow rectangular container. At the table sat a man dressed in black. He had his back to Quark, and appeared to be leaning over the container, speaking softly to whatever the container held. Next to him lay a power cell and a tangle of wires.
It occurred to Quark that although he at least had somehow escaped with his life, his condition had not improved. Willing his body to move, he eased himself into a sitting position and then onto his hands and knees. Making as little noise as possible, he crept towards the door.
He had only moved a few feet when a deep voice broke the silence.
"Where do you think you are going, little man?"
Quark froze. For a moment he thought the man was still speaking to the container. Slowly, he turned his head to find the man looking directly at him. The man stood, and Quark found himself looking at the tallest being he had ever encountered. From the floor, the man seemed to almost brush the ceiling of the room with his head. With two strides, the man crossed the space between them.
He pushed Quark to the floor with his foot. "I said, where do you think you are going?"
Displaying more speed than he knew he had in him, Quark rolled away from the man and quickly struggled to his feet. "I demand to know just who the hell you are and what you think you are doing," he said loudly. Quark had learned long ago that sometimes when you were outnumbered or outgunned taking the offensive was the only was to ensure survival.
The man laughed. "For a little man, you have a lot of nerve," he said eyeing Quark. "Especially for someone who was going to sell out his associate."
Quark quickly glanced at the container on the table, and weighed the odds on whether or not to tell the truth. It occurred to him, that if the man were interested in killing him, he would have done so by now. And if he had all ready killed Odo, then there was no reason for him to still be alive. And as long as they were alive, there was room for negotiation.
He glanced back at the man standing in front of him. Now that he was standing, the man was not tall as he appeared at first. Still the tallest being Quark had ever seen, he judged him to be only a little less than 250 centimeters tall. Of a species, Quark had not encountered before, the man had humanoid features, with jet black hair and matching eyes. But it was the eyes that caught Quark's attention. The darkness of the irises appeared to absorb light and reflect none in return. They were eyes that demanded attention, and repelled it at the same time. He quickly glanced away. These were eyes you did not lie to. The truth would have to do for now.
"I did not try and sell him out," he replied. "He wasn't supposed to come along in the first place, but he insisted."
"He had to come, you did not."
"What do you mean, he had to come?" asked Quark. "Who are you and what do you know about all of this?"
"I am Pilgrim," he replied. "And I know a lot more than you would suppose. Now, tell me, what did the Founder say?"
Founder? thought Quark, a faint ray of hope appeared on the horizon. Maybe, just maybe, this Pilgrim fellow could be an asset after all.
"She," he cleared his throat. "She said we were to be treated with the utmost respect."
"She said you were to die," replied Pilgrim. "And you just may, little man, if you do not cooperate. That is not the Founder I mean. What did the other Founder say?"
"The other Founder?" asked Quark, clearly confused. "What other Founder?"
"The one you killed."
"I didn't kill a Founder."
"No, but you said your associate did. That is the Founder I wish to know about."
"Oh, that Founder," Quark stalled for time. "The one on DS9? What did he have to say? Talkative fellow that one…." His words were cut off as Pilgrim grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and hoisted him off the ground.
"I do not have time for your games, little man," he said.
"I don't know," said Quark, trying not to look down. "I wasn't there when he was killed. I didn't even speak to him that I know of. They had him locked up until the night he escaped. And then he was killed. I swear the only person who would know is Odo and he didn't say a thing to me about it."
"Was there anyone else who would know?" asked Pilgrim giving Quark a shake for good measure.
"I don't know," he gasped, the collar of his shirt starting to cut off his breathing. "No. wait! There is someone, the Colonel…maybe?"
"The Colonel?"
"Kira. Kira Nerys. She was there the night he died. If the rumor around the Station is right, she spent some time with him that night. She was the one that killed him. She told me so." He tore his collar open as he felt his feet touch the floor. "If you really want to know what was said," he gasped. "You should talk to her."
"Very well," said Pilgrim. "For your sake, I hope you are correct."
The four men turned as the door to the cabin opened and Pilgrim entered.
"Well?" asked the oldest of the four.
"The Ferengi does not know," replied Pilgrim. "But he thinks Kira Nerys does."
"We can't risk going to DS9 and asking," said the shortest of the four.
"No," agreed the tallest of the four. "They may still be watching."
"What must we do then?" asked the youngest of the four.
"There is only one way," said the oldest. "We must contact Shadow and ask him to find out for us."
"He is presently on the Station," agreed Pilgrim.
"But what if she refuses to cooperate?" asked the youngest.
"We cannot allow her that choice," replied the oldest.
Jack Fellows barely had time to duck as the missile screamed past his right ear. The buzzer sounded. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he held his hands up in surrender.
"One more game?" he asked.
Kira tossed her racket up into the air and caught it without even a glance to see where it would fall. "Sorry," she said. "I've just enough time to clean up and then I have a meeting with Admiral Ross."
"Fine," replied Jack. "Looks like I owe you dinner."
"Anything but Klingon food."
"Well, I was thinking," he said. "We might dine in. That way you could tell me about your young man. We haven't had a chance to talk since you got back from the Gamma Quadrant."
She considered his suggestion for a moment. It would be nice to talk about it with someone who was not close to the situation. "Fine," she said with a nod of her head. "Your place or mine - although I warn you I'm not a very good cook."
"Neither am I. All things considered," he said glancing at the thinning crowd of people in the springball court gallery. "Perhaps we should dine on the Indianapolis?"
"Fine. 1900 hours a good time for you?"
"I'll even have Gus clean the galley in your honor. Speak of the devil," Jack said as his comm. beeped to life.
"Incoming message," said the voice of Gus.
"Put it through. Sorry," he added to Kira.
"When his strength, failed him at length," said a deep voice.
"Is that it?" asked Jack.
"That's it," replied Gus.
"It's none of my business," said Kira. "But I suppose you know what it means?"
"No," replied Jack. "But I will find out."
Darkness. He dwelt only in darkness now.
Seven words repeated in his brain. Seven words that held the key. He held on to those seven words as though they were a lifeline.
Only your death will be your salvation.
He smiled as he repeated the words.
"Come on, snap out of it!"
Quark knelt down and looked Odo in the face. The Changeling sat propped up against the wall of the cabin, his eyes wide and staring, his lips moving soundlessly, a slight smile played around his lips.
"Hello," said Quark waiving his hand in front of Odo's eyes. "Anyone home?"
Receiving no response, he sat back on the bunk. "Damn it, Odo," he said. "It's just like you not to be around when you're wanted. And what do you want?" He asked as the door to the cabin slid open and Pilgrim entered.
"You can be sure that whatever I want," replied Pilgrim. "It has nothing to do with you." He knelt in front of Odo and gently touched his head.
"Okay. Then where's my latinum?"
"What latinum, little man?"
"The reward money. You managed to get us out of there, I am not fool enough to think that you would just leave the reward money lying in that hanger. So, where is it? It rightfully belongs to me."
"I never fail to find it amusing," said Pilgrim looking into Odo's eyes. "The way some people twist things to their advantage. You commit burglary by breaking into an Infirmary. You then compound your crime with grave robbery by stealing a body that does not belong to you. All, so you can steal a reward that would rightfully belongs to two dead Finneans. Would rightfully belong to two Finneans, if they had killed the right man, only they did not. Tell me, little man, how in your twisted little mind do you justify to yourself that the latinum, in any way, belongs to you?"
"I'll tell you," replied Quark mustering as much dignity as he could. "Because I had the opportunity, that's why. Look, there's no shame in profiting from the misfortune of others, as long as you do not contribute to that misfortune. Now, I had nothing to do with the death of those who wished to earn the reward, but they're dead. I didn't kill them. Why shouldn't I try to profit by it? So, where's my latinum?"
"Even sparing the life of someone like you cost latinum. How else do you suppose we were able to bring you to safety? It cost a fair amount to get the two of you out of there in one piece. We only paid for you because we thought you had the answer to our question, little man, which you did not. Now, let there be no further talk of money, believe me, you do not want to make me think that the money was ill spent. You have you life, is that not enough?"
Quark looked at Odo and realized that if anything were to happen to him, he might as well not return to DS9. The Colonel would make his life miserable. "You might as well kill me then," he said. "Or at least drop me off at the next planet. Without that reward money, my life isn't worth living."
"You would rather be rich and dead than alive, little man?"
"My life isn't going to be worth anything unless I take Odo back with me," he said. "So, whatever you are planning to do with him, you're going to have to do with me as well."
Pilgrim, apparently satisfied with Odo's condition, sat back on his heels and looked at Quark for the first time. "An interesting proposition," he said. "To phrase the question in your own terms, where would be the profit in that?"
"Well," considered Quark. "If you were to let me know where you plan on taking us, I might be able to help.?"
"You, little man?"
"Well. yes. You said so yourself, you paid a lot of latinum to get us out in one piece. So, the way I see it, you are most likely looking for a return on your investment. So, what have you got planned? Not selling us out to the Dominion, you could have easily done that back on Thelos IV. No, I'm thinking you have much bigger fish to fry than that. Who else? The Orion Syndicate would most likely pay fairly big to get their hands on Odo, after all these years. The Federation! You plan on ransoming him to the Federation don't you? It's a great idea, but I doubt they'd pay much for him - seeing as how they don't really believe in money. Bajor can't afford him after the war. And the Colonel doesn't have much. I have it! You plan on auctioning him off to the highest bidder don't you? Surprise, surprise, it's your lucky day, I just so happen to have some small experience in auctioning off materials of a, shall we say, unusual nature…."
"Most amusing, little man. But Odo's value to me is beyond mere latinum."
"Since you brought it up, what exactly is Odo's value to you?"
"You would not understand, little man," said Pilgrim standing to leave. "It does not involve latinum."
"If you care to scratch the surface, everything involves latinum. If this doesn't then will you at least tell me where we are going?"
"Certainly," Pilgrim replied as the door slid open. "Although you will not find it on any map. We are going to the Valley of the Shadow."
"Valley of the Shadow?" said Quark to himself as the door slid shut. He glanced at Odo, who now sat with his eyes closed. "Well, here's another fine mess you've gotten me into," he said as he lay back on the bunk.
Kira looked around the galley of the Indianapolis and smiled.
"I know it wasn't that long ago that Julian and I went with you into the Gamma Quadrant," she said. "But with all that has happened since we returned, it seems as though it was another lifetime."
"And to Gus and I," replied her companion. "It was just the run before last." Jack motioned for her to take a seat. "I was afraid Bill Ross was going to keep you on the horn all night."
"He almost did," admitted Kira. "That's why I didn't have time to change out of my uniform."
"He does like to talk."
"And I'm afraid he was not too happy with what I had to say. Although, I don't think he's too happy with what anyone has to say."
"Well then," said Jack holding up his glass. "A toast then, to Admiral Ross."
Kira had the good grace to comply with the toast. She was distracted by a slight vibration in the deck plates. "Are you moving to a new docking port?" She caught a slight look of guilt in her companions eye. Suspicion dawning on her, she was afraid of something like this. An unwanted romantic attachment was the last thing she needed. "Okay," she said, trying to keep her irritation from showing in her voice. "What's going on?"
"We're taking a little cruise, that's all."
"Cruise? Cruise where?"
"To the Valley of the Shadow."
"What? There's no place around here by that name."
"Ah, and that would be because it's not around here. More wine?"
"Look, Jack," said Kira standing. "I really don't have time for this. I think you're a nice guy, not to mention a lousy springball player…."
"Please, have a seat," replied Jack. "It will only make this more difficult."
"More difficult for you," said Kira touching her comm. badge. There was no answering beep. She threw her napkin onto the table. "Just what the hell is going on here?"
Jack Fellows calmly sat at the table as though a violent display by a dinner guest was the most natural thing in the universe. "Please Colonel," he said calmly. "Have a seat. It's a shame to let a perfectly good meal to go to waste."
Kira glanced at her plate and at her half empty glass of wine. She ran through the most obvious scenario. Drugs. If his intent was to kidnap her for whatever reason, the most readily available way to ensure her cooperation would be to drug her. She hadn't touched her food. But she did drink the wine. She mentally checked herself and did not believe she was drugged. She felt mentally and physically fine.
Jack read her expression and laughed. "No," he assured her. "There's nothing untoward in either the food or the drink. Really Colonel, we need your cooperation, but we are not willing to force it from you."
"Then what do you call this?"
"Dinner," he replied. "Although, if you have no appetite, then perhaps you would not mind answering a few questions."
"What questions?" asked Kira. She remained standing, but she allowed her posture to relax just a bit.
Jack thought for a second of two. "Let's see. How about we start with what the Founder said before he died?"
"Founder? What Founder?"
"The Founder who came to the Station. You ought to remember, by all accounts, you killed him."
"Helped kill him," she corrected him. "And how the hell do you know about that?"
"How I know is not important," Jack replied. "But your answer is. We have to know exactly what he said before he died?"
"Mind telling me why? And while you are at it, who exactly is this "we" you keep mentioning?"
"Surely," he said with a smile. "As an old resistance fighter, you know better than to ask. All I can tell you is that Odo's life depends on it."
"What? Resistance? What are you talking about? What does that have to do with Odo?" she asked. She sat back down, realization slowly dawning on her. "You know where he is don't you?"
"He is among friends, although I doubt he realizes it."
"And where's that exactly?" inquired Kira. "The Valley of the Shadow?
"You catch on quickly. Now tell me, what were the last words spoken by the Founder?"
"And if I tell you," Kira asked. "How will I know this will benefit Odo?"
"You will just have to take my word for it. But I give you my guarantee, as…as a lousy springball player, that if you tell me I will have Gus transport you right back to the Station."
"No."
"No? Don't you care what happens to him?"
"More than you do," she replied. "But if you know where this Valley of the Shadow is and if Odo's there, and you're going to take the information I give you there, then I'm going along as well."
"Although very noble of you, I can't allow you to do that," he said with a shake of his head. "You know as well as I that the fewer the people who know of an operation, the less risk there is of discovery."
"It's the only way you are going to find out what was said," she replied. "No one else was there at the last. Only me."
"I'm sorry," he said reaching his hand across the table to pat her reassuringly on the hand. "But it's really out of the question."
In a instant, she pulled her hand out of the way and with the other, plunged the knife from her table setting into the back of his hand. As she suspected, the knife passed harmlessly through his flesh. There was no blood, only an amber substance that quickly flowed around the wound.
"Too late," she replied. "I all ready guessed your secret."
Quark laughed softly to himself as the last of the circuits in the door lock fell and the door slid slightly open.
"What are you looking at?" he asked Odo. There was no reply, not that he expected one. The Changeling sat, as he has sat for hours, not seeing or understanding anything that occurred. Still, Quark found some small satisfaction in insisting on talking to him anyway. And though he would not admit it to anyone, he found a small measure of comfort in it as well. "I'll be right back," he said. "I'm just going to look around, see if there is anyway to get a message off this ship."
He started to slip out the door. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll be careful."
Out in the corridor, Quark saw no one. Advancing cautiously down the corridor, he halted as his ears picked up voices. He started to move quickly back to their cabin when he realized the voices were coming from that direction. Fighting panic, he turned to the closest door and quickly touched the access panel. Much to his relief, the door slid open and he was safely in the cabin before the voices passed.
Squinting in the darkness of the cabin, he took a quick look around, unaware he was standing in a pool of liquid. Satisfied he was alone, he put an ear to the door, listening to hear if anyone else was in the corridor. He was vaguely aware of the sound of water. He turned, thinking the owner of the cabin was taking a shower. What he saw instead were four columns of amber liquid forming right behind him. Biting back a scream, he ran out the door and straight into Pilgrim.
"Little man, have you never heard the expression, curiosity killed the cat?"