The Last Temptation of Odo – Chapter 14
By
Creek Johnson and Nance Hurt
Disclaimer: We are but fleas on the elephants' posterior that is Paramount.
No infringement on their rights is intended. We hope none is taken.
The mid-day sky was black with storm clouds. A small group of men huddled from the pelting rain, the frame of the gates providing little shelter. A flash of lightening illuminated the empty inner courtyard and for an instant the warmth of the light spilling out of the doors and windows of the ground floor of the castle was obscured by the cold whiteness of pure natural energy.
"Come," shouted Houk over the thunder. "We are not too late!"
Pulling their all ready drenched clothing tighter to them, the small band set out at a run across the expanse.
The entire castle had gone quiet. Quark could feel hundreds of eyes boring into him but he could not tear his eyes away from the face of the man pretending to be a Jem'Hadar. The fact that upon close inspection it was clear he wore some type of prosthetic make up made him more intimidating rather than less. They stood as though locked in an invisible embrace in which time itself ceased to exist. As though in slow motion, Quark's ears detected the crackle of energy just a fraction of a second before a flash of lightening struck too close by for comfort. For an instant the room lost all color, as the Jem'Hadar stood illuminated in stark black and white. The lights flickered. Thunder shook the windows. The spell was broken.
Quark laughed nervously. "Sorry about that," he said taking the end of the hose that should have supplied the man with white and feebly attempted to put it back in place. Finding the hole had suddenly grown too small for his nervous fingers, he simply patted the man on the chest and took a quick step back.
"Believe me, little man," growled the Jem'Hadar leaning close and speaking softly. "You will be sorry."
"It's been a lovely party," Quark said hurriedly as he backed into iSamu. "But I…ah…really think it would be a good idea if we were to go."
"Behold your poDosai!" shouted the Jem'Hadar in a voice that halted Quark in his tracks. For an instant his heart soared, it couldn't be this easy. "Watch him die!" Quark suddenly felt his insides slide down into this boots.
"He is but a man," whispered iSamu. "Challenge him to combat."
"Are you crazy?"
"He is but a man."
A big man, thought Quark, a really, really big man who wants to kill me. Instinct ordered him to run screaming into the storm, but his racing mind held him in check. He was suddenly keenly aware of a drop of sweat that had rolled from the back of his head to drip down his neck. It clung to his skin briefly before working its way down his back. He shifted his shoulders under the weight of the jacket in an effort to stop the tickling from distracting him. His jacket! A slow smile spread across his face. Of course! Odo.
On the third floor, Odo stood motionless in the doorway to the small room. He briefly noted the change in atmospheric pressure against his skin as the storm outside raged. The crackle of lightening sent an almost imperceptible sympathetic wave against his substance as the world around him flared suddenly in the stark contrast of black and white.
Swearing under his breath, he fled the room and pounded down the hall in pursuit of the men who had just recently vacated the chamber.
Thunder rattled the windows. In the small room the dials of hundreds of pieces of equipment flickered for an instant. The banks of monitors showing each major location in and around the castle screamed with static for an instant before resuming their surveillance. Had he lingered a moment longer, Odo would have seen a small cupboard door on the inside wall of the room creak open to reveal a wardrobe, upon which stood a mannequin head, the smooth rubber face of a Founder lay waiting its next use.
As the thunder echoed around the outside walls of the castle, standing still as his eyes adjusted to the artificial lighting, Julian felt the pressure of a gun being pushed into his back.
"Keep moving," warned Ogon, giving his a push. They had entered the castle though a back entrance. Under other circumstances, Julian would have taken the time to admire the structure and the sumptuous decoration, instead he scanned the area looking for something to use as a weapon. While there were various displays of arms and armor dotted around the hall, none were close enough for either of them to reach without serious risk of either being killed in the process.
"Straight ahead," ordered Ogon giving him another push.
Exchanging a quick glance with Vivian, they moved in the direction indicated. The corridor connected with another and then another.
"How's your sense of direction?" he whispered to Vivian.
"Magellan, Cortez, Pizaro, LaSalle," she whispered in return.
"Excuse me?"
"Right, left, left, right," she answered with a small laugh. "The handedness of my children. Magellan is right handed, Cortez left…"
"I see," said Julian although he did not completely understand. "You named all your children after explorers?"
"Why not?" she asked, her voice touched with a note of sadness. "When you have as many as I do, you tend to run out of run of the mill names fairly quickly."
"Don't worry." He gave her hand a squeeze, realization suddenly dawning on him. "You'll see them again. I promise."
"No talking!" said Ogon. "And no touching!"
At the end of the last corridor, they emerged on to a narrow mezzanine overlooking the floor below. Julian could see a large crowd of people gathered. The crowd had been pushed back and two figures prepared to face each other across the small expanse. One figure looked to be a Jem'Hadar, the other…Julian wiped the rain from his face…the other appeared to be…Quark?
Quark weighed the balance of the sword in his hand and wished his knees did not feel so weak. He could feel the crush of the crowd around him and the area between him and the waiting Jem'Hadar seemed a mile long although in reality it was a mere six meters.
"Focus on the task at hand," warned iSamu. "He is taller than you, use that to your advantage."
"How?"
"You will know when the time comes."
"Hear that Odo," said Quark addressing his jacket.
"Focus," she reminded him. "The floor is wet in places, watch your footing."
"Enough!" shouted the Jem'Hadar stepping forward. He assumed the opening stance of ritual battle. Quark stepped forward and taking deep breath prepared for what was to come.
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" asked Julian clutching the railing. The crowd below watched in silence, only the sound of wood striking wood filling the room below.
"Holding his own," replied Vivian as Quark deftly deflected a well aimed blow. She glanced in the direction of their captor, Ogon was as transfixed by the spectacle below as they were, but the weapon he held was still pushed against Julian's side. She turned her gaze back to the battle below and did not notice sanKe appearing in the corridor beyond.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Kusaku as he and the guard emerged from the far corridor and noticed the crowd on the floor below the mezzanine.
"I do not know," replied the man. He glanced across and saw a Jem'Hadar guard and two strangers standing on the opposite side, their attention on the action below. "Perhaps I should ask…" His attention was drawn away by the sound of running footfalls. A man appeared from behind them. He looked more closely, it was not a man, it was the Founder. He quickly bowed his head.
"Ask what?" demanded Kusaku. He glanced at the guard, and then in the direction the guard was bowing. There, standing not far from them was a Founder. He frowned, his mind racing. The Founder he had impersonated for the last two years was dead; he had seen him die with his own eyes. This must be…
"Doa," he said cautiously giving a slight bow. "You honor us with your presence."
Quark winced as the blade of the Jem'Hadar's sword clipped his ear. That had been close, too close.
Before he had a chance to recover the Jem'Hadar had renewed his attack, this time driving the blade in close, trying to force Quark to abandon the field.
Taking a defensive step back, Quark felt his foot lose traction as he stepped in a small puddle of water, recovering his balance, he brought the tip of his sword up, forcing the blade of the Jem'Hadar's weapon away before it could touch him. The motion caused the Jem'Hadar to over reach, the force of his body throwing him off balance and leaving his chest unprotected.
iSamu's voice sounded in Quark's memory. "He is taller than you, use this to your advantage."
As the Jem'Hadar recovered and poised to renew his attack, Quark spared a glance at iSamu. She nodded slightly. A smile crossed his face and he nodded in response. "Opportunity knocks," he said softly to himself.
Thunder rolled directly overhead.
"That was close," cried Julian with a sigh. "Too close."
"I said no talking," warned Ogon pushing the barrel of the gun hard against Julian's side. He heard a faint click and braced himself for the shot that was to follow.
In the eternity that passed while he waited for the bullet to tear through his body, Julian was vaguely aware of the sound of breaking glass and a soft moan followed by a thud. It was a common belief among humans of pre-warp Earth that you never heard the shot that killed you, but he could not believe that at this range he would not have been aware….
"Julian," said Vivian, giving him a shake.
He opened his eyes to see her standing beside him. He followed her gaze to find sanKe standing over the fallen body of Ogon, a broken vase at his feet. A slightly silly grin on his face, sanKe shrugged, the beads hanging from his decorated belt moved softly with the motion making a faint clicking noise.
Odo looked at the two men bowing before him. The guard, he easily dismissed, it was the other man that drew is attention. The man who Odo had seen enter the empty room in order to get his instructions from the absent Founder, why one of his own would find it necessary to pretend to be otherwise, he had no idea but he was determined to find out.
"You honor us with your presence," said the man. He waited expectantly for Odo to reply.
"Leave," said Odo, addressing the guard. The guard glanced at Kusaku who held up a hand to stop him.
"Founder," said the impostor pleadingly.
"I know who you are," Odo warned him. "And we need to talk."
"Ah." Kusaku waived the guard away, but as the man turned to leave, he struck him in the small of the back and quickly removed his sword from its scabbard. Pushing the guard to the floor, he rounded on Odo, the sword held in a threatening position. "I knew you would return one day," Kusaku said. "What is it you want of me?"
"I want to know why," replied Odo clearly startled out of the anger that had been building up inside of him. What manner of changeling was this, he wondered. Why would a Founder fear him? Unless, this Founder assumed he was here to take him back to the Link. If he did not want to return to the Link then perhaps….
"Why?" demanded Kusaku, keeping the weapon firmly held in front of him. "You take over the planet, destroy the government, your Jem'Hadar go mad with blood lust, and in the void that your Dominion leaves, you question my choice to stay and peacefully govern in their stead?"
"That's not what…" said Odo, his anger leaving him as the situation became more peculiar. "It's not my…"
"What do you want?" demanded Kusaku. "To leave us alone. What will it take? Money? Power? Name your price. I can give you anything you desire."
"I don't want anything…"
"I won't go back," screamed Kusaku in panic. "I won't!"
Thunder rolled directly overhead, as Kusaku raised the sword and launched himself at Odo.
Quark grunted as he brought his sword up and blocked the blow aimed at his left shoulder. The world seemed to slow down as the Jem'Hadar's arm was flung wide, his weight carrying him off balance. Seeing his opportunity, Quark spun his body away as the Jem'Hadar attempted to right himself, the momentum of his fall pulling him past Quark.
To Quark the world was in silence, the only sound was the sound of his own breathing. He could clearly see the faces in the crowd surrounding him, some reflecting fear, some anger, but most expressing wonder. As he steadied himself, he saw the Jem'Hadar's sword fall away as his opponent landed awkwardly on his knees.
Taking a step forward, he confidently tossed his sword from his left hand to his right. Preparing for the blow that once delivered would put an end to the match and earn him a fortune in the process; he glanced up at the mezzanine, his mind vaguely taking in the sight of Odo struggling with an armed stranger. Good old Odo, he thought.
He raised his sword, prepared to deal the winning blow and stopped.
Odo?
He looked back up in time to see Odo, who despite being locked in a struggle of his own, was staring straight at him. But how? As Quark's mind struggled to reconcile what he saw with what he had assumed, Odo shouted something and pointed. Quark had just begun to turn in the direction Odo was pointing when he felt his feet fly out from under him and he was sent crashing to the floor, the impact sending his sword skittering away from him into the crowd.
"What the hell?" asked Julian, their attention drawn away from the fight below by a shrill scream.
"I won't go back," cried a voice fraught with panic. "I won't!"
"Kusaku!" said sanKe wringing his hands. "He's being attached by a Founder! The Dominion has returned. All is lost."
"No," replied Vivian. "That's Odo."
"Odo's not a Founder," Julian assured him. "He's with us."
"Come on," urged Vivian as Kusaku began to attack Odo.
They set off at a run around the length of the mezzanine.
"I do not want to fight you," said Odo angrily as he blocked blow after blow. His opponent had long ago ceased to listen, launching attack after attack, his breath coming in ragged spurts of frustration.
"Stand still so I can kill you," replied Kusaku as though speaking to himself.
He paused, catching his breath, and Odo thought for a moment he was going to finally listen to reason, when he again raised his sword and launched himself in a renewed attack. Feigning an attack to the left, Odo dodged the blow, only to realize the mistake as the sword caught him on the shoulder sending him up against the railing. Momentarily losing his balance, he struggled to right himself and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the struggle going on below. Regaining his balance, the figures came into focus and he recognized Quark.
Feeling a blow across his back, he turned to Kusaku and blocked a second blow. Grabbing his opponent by the sword arm he jerked him forward into the railing and looking over saw Quark turn to stare, his sword raised high above his head. For a moment their eyes locked. In the blink of an eye, Odo saw the man Quark was fighting lean back reaching for Quark's feet. He shouted out a warning, but it was too late, Quark tumbled backwards.
Distracted, Odo's opponent managed to break free and Odo felt the sting of a blow across his left forearm. Cursing under his breath, he ducked under the man's guard and grabbing him by the forearms pinned him against a pillar.
"I've just about had enough…" he growled and then stopped as he realized the arms beneath his grasp remained solid. He allowed his hands to melt a bit against his opponents skin. The man glanced down at the sensation and whimpered in fear. "But…" stammered Odo releasing him and taking a step back. "You're not…"
"Die!" said his opponent. Moving faster than Odo would have expected, the man slammed into him sending him against the railing. Vaguely aware of running feet and muffled shouts, Odo tried to right himself but not in time. A blow caught him across his right cheek and sent him to the floor.
"Faster," urged Julian rounding the corner. They skid to a halt in time to see Odo take a blow to his head that sent him to the ground; Kusaku stood panting, prepared to deliver another blow.
"Kusaku!" cried out sanKe. "Wait!"
Kusaku paused and glanced their way. "You!" he cried pointing at sanKe. For a moment it looked as though Kusaku was defeated. He stood staring at Odo, who lay prone on the floor. Looking back at sanKe, he finally noticed Julian and Vivian standing there as well. They watched as he threw his sword at sanKe and turned to kick Odo in the ribs.
"Kusaku, please," pleaded sanKe in reasonable tones. "It's over, old friend. Don't make it any worse."
"No!" screamed Kusaku grabbing his head with both of his hands. "I have it in my power to destroy you all!" He turned and ran down the hall, entering a room at the far end of the mezzanine.
"Odo?" asked Julian helping the changeling regain his feet.
"Not now, Doctor," growled Odo pushing him away and setting off in pursuit.
"We're all going to die," muttered Quark to himself as he scrambled across the floor on his hands and knees in pursuit of his sword. "And it's all going to be Odo's fault." The thought did not cheer him up. He could hear the Jem'Hadar slicing the air with his sword and knew any second he could expect to feel the blow that would most likely kill him. He just hoped it would be relatively painless.
"Prepare to die little man," said his opponent.
Okay, thought Quark, this is it. I'll be damned if I'm going to die on my knees. He scrambled to his feet and turned to face his killer.
A slow smile spread across the face of the Jem'Hadar. He turned to the crowd and raised his arms above his head. "See what becomes of those who dare challenge the might of the Dominion," he shouted.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, thought Quark, just get it over with. He started slightly as he felt someone grasp his hand and was amazed to find them place the hilt of a sword in his grasp. He turned to find only the unreadable expressions of the people behind him.
"Psst," said a small voice. "Down here."
Quark lowered his gaze and spied the diminutive figure of kuJaku. The small jewel maker waived and disappeared back into the crowd. A sudden intake of breath from the crowd alerted Quark to the proximity of the Jem'Hadar. He turned to find his opponent before him, sword raised high above his head. In the blink of an eye, Quark ducked the blow and bringing his own sword up, delivered a resounding blow to the Jem'Hadar's chin.
Pounding across the length of the mezzanine, Odo burst through the door just seconds after Kusaku, Julian, Vivian and sanKe close on his heels.
They found themselves in an office of some sort; at the far end of the room was a desk. Behind the desk stood Kusaku and in his hand was a gun.
"Come in," he said his calm voice belying the crazed expression on his face. "And close the door behind you."
"Please fall down," whispered Quark. "Please fall down."
Staggering back, clutching his chin, the Jem'Hadar, stubbornly remained on his feet. Slowly removing his hand from his chin and looking at it, it was clear to all who watched that blood flowed freely from his chin and over his fingers. With a cry of frustration, the Jem'Hadar swung his sword against a nearby pillar, the wood of the blade splintering in two revealing naked steel beneath. Quark stared at his own sword and desperately struck it several time against the floor in an effort to free the steel he prayed it concealed.
The Jem'Hadar drew closer, the blade flashing in the lights. Thunder rumbled outside. Quark backed away and in one last desperate attempt to defend himself, swung his sword against a nearby pillar. The wood splintered and the sword broke in two. His heart sank as he realized there was no real sword imprisoned within his blade, all he had achieved was a broken sword and, he suspected, a broken arm.
His ears detected the crackle of energy just a fraction of a second before a flash of lightening struck too close by for comfort. For an instant the room lost all color, as the Jem'Hadar stood illuminated in stark black and white, the deadly steel of his weapon flashed. The lights flickered. Thunder shook the windows. Quark closed his eyes and prepared to die.
But death was not swift in coming. He heard the whisper of steel, felt himself being pushed aside, and heard the answering ring of steel against steel. Opening his eyes, he found iSamu blocking the blow that would have killed him.
"Stand aside, zoRi," demanded the Jem'Hadar. "How dare you interfere!"
"The contest is over," said iSamu calmly. "Blood has been drawn. You lost."
"No!" shouted her opponent. "We will fight to the death!"
"Then you shall fight me."
The room was filled with the ring of metal against metal.
They stared at each other across the expanse of the room. Odo took a step forward and was stopped as Kusaku brought the weapon up.
"I know," he said keeping his voice calm. "That my people have done terrible things. But I'm not here to question anything that you have done. I'm not here to pass judgment on you. All I want is for you to let us go."
"Stay back," warned Kusaku. "I mean it."
"Of course you do." Odo glanced back at the group behind him. Julian motioned for the others to try to move cautiously for the door. The silence was shattered by a gunshot and as a vase close to Vivian's head shattered into dust.
"I was prepared for your return," said Kusaku a note of hysteria in his voice. "Special bullets. They explode on impact. Even a god can't escape these."
"Let us go," said Odo reasonably. "And I promise no harm will come to you."
"It's too late," replied Kusaku. "sanKe was right. It's over."
"Then there's no harm in letting us go."
"No, I suppose not."
Julian took a step forward and was answered by a second shot that just missed his ear before blowing a hole in the wall behind him.
"Julian," warned Odo.
"Point taken."
"You see," said Kusaku. "It's over, but someone has to pay."
"These people are not to blame," replied sanKe. "We are. We are the ones who perpetrated fraud by pretending to be the Dominion. Let them go, Kusaku. It's time to go home."
"But what of the Dominion?" asked Kusaku. "They started all this. Without them, we would never have been put in this position in the first place. Shouldn't they have to pay as well?"
"No one is to blame for what we did."
Still reeling from the blow to his head, Odo was only vaguely aware of the argument that raged between the two leaders. All he was sure of was that they were threatened by a madman with a weapon. His mind raced. Four against one, the odds were not in their favor. There had to be some way, but how. He glanced at Kusaku and realized there would be no negotiation, the man was well beyond that. No, he thought, instinct taking over reason, there was only one way. "I will take the blame," he said taking a step forward. "If you let the others go, I'll stay and stand trial."
"Don't be a fool," replied Julian. "Odo, you can't be held responsible for what the Dominion did…."
"Julian's right, Odo," agreed Vivian.
"You don't know what you are saying," warned sanKe. "The charge of treason has no trial…"
"It's my decision," insisted Odo. "If it means you go free, it's worth the risk."
"Enough!" shouted Kusaku with a laugh. "Even a god cannot escape his fate."
"It will mean your death," said sanKe with finality.
"Then so be it."
"Founder," announced Kusaku. "For your crimes against the people of Kuru'Tame, I find you guilty of high treason and sentence you to death." He raised the weapon and leveled it at Odo. "Any last words?"
"Julian," said Odo. "Nerys…"
"I'll tell her…"
Odo faced his executioner and felt surprisingly calm. It was, he recognized with a slight smile, the calm of a man who had nothing left to lose.
Staring down the barrel of the gun, he saw the slight movement of Kusaku's finger as he pulled the trigger. The world slowed as though time itself had stopped. In the fraction of a second that passed, Odo briefly noted the change in atmospheric pressure against his skin as the storm outside raged. The crackle of lightening sent an almost imperceptible sympathetic wave against his substance as the world around him flared suddenly in the stark contrast of black and white. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement in the window. A large black bird had landed on the sill and in the flash of lightening it changed in an instant to a horse and then to an old man.