Chapter 24

Inside the Heart of Darkness


Z'ha'dum

Time Unknown

"I know there's a lot that you don't know. I know there's a lot that you don't understand. I'm here to fix that. Don't you want to know what's it all about? What's it really all about? I can do that. All you have to do is come with me"

"Where?"


"Where else? To Z'ha'dum!"

Anna Sheridan was inside the Eye, controlling the former home of the Shadows. She looked out at the universe with rage in her heart. Her husband had betrayed her.

"John, there's nowhere to run. Come back inside, we can work this out. I know this isn't the Anna you knew. What I am is what was made in her, a new personality. She can never come back. But I can love you as well as she did."

She had failed in her mission to bring him over to their side. She hadn't done, what Justin bizarrely called, "Vader"-ize him, recalling some archaic science fiction movie called "Star Wars" from ancient times. But she found she had one last chance to bring him around. He was trapped on a balcony, and below him was a drop of more than two miles deep into the planet. He kept looking up at the dome, but she knew that the Whitestar he had traveled with her here would be dispensed with by the Eye if it came down to pick him up.

She extended her hand out to him, but he surprised her by jumping off the balcony and down into the abyss below. She ran to the edge of the balcony and looked over, and saw him quickly disappear out of sight. Suddenly, a blazing light appeared, and she looked up to see the Whitestar screaming down towards the dome, crashing through it and heading towards her. She let out a Shadow enhanced scream and was vaporized by the blast from the two nukes aboard the ship.

Or so she thought.

She came to on board a dark ship and looked up at the beings that had rescued her. "Who are you," she asked, knowing that the Shadows considered it the wrong question to ask.

The beings answered anyway, "We are the Ragendora. The Shadows have betrayed you. Will you serve us?"

Anna answered, "If I can have my revenge on my husband, then yes!"

They brought her to another Z'ha'dum and let her assume control of it through the Eye. Her heart leaped as she felt the control of the planet come to her, and the Ragendorans were happy to provide her that which she had long desired.

She had experience with the Eye before, so she noticed the difference that Ragendoran technology had made in helping her see the universe all around her. She was their eyes and ears, they said, and she was important to the coming war.

Barak came to the hub where Anna's Human body resided in, "Anna, I need the latest information that you have gathered."

She extended her skin and an arm shot out of the hub. It produced a data crystal and the arm placed it into Barak's dark gold opened hand. "Thank you, Anna. We Ragedora are in your debt., " said Barak, as he bowed to her. Anna didn't say anything, as she was busy with the various inputs sending her information. Her body was still wearing the dress that Morden had gotten her for her reunion with her husband, but now it was stained and sticky from the gelatinous material that made up the Eye. She didn't care, because her body no longer mattered. Revenge upon her husband, and all he stood for, was her highest priority.

And the Shadows, the ones who had abandoned her, would also feel her wrath. She knew the truth now, and she planned on making the Shadows and their enemies, the Vorlons, pay. She also added all the First Ones to her collections list as well, and what she sought was not currency, but blood.

Within the Eye, she still was able to dream, dream of watching her husband's reaction as Anna cruelly tortured Delenn to death, then doing the same to the man Delenn had stolen from her. The Eye thirsted for that blood as well, and looked forward to the killings.

She knew her husband was alive, saved by that wretched creature Lorien, the first of the First Ones. He had saved his life on the Z'ha'dum of her own universe, and the first thing she did when she arrived here was search him out, only to be bitterly disappointed to find that Lorien wasn't on this Z'ha'dum.

She felt the ships being built in orbit above her. The Jem'Hadar were here, the Comet Empire was here, the Drakh were here, and she was happy. Anything to help defeat the forces of light, which she knew her husband had to be involved with, was her obligation. She was a servant to the Ragendora, and the Ragendora, unlike the Shadows, appreciated her services.

She knew, long ago, she hadn't been like this. She knew of the old Anna Sheridan, but that one was weak and Human. This one, the one she was now, was strong and mighty, and would make all those who had wronged her pay with their blood.

On board the Comet Empire cityship

Time Unknown

Gul Dukat didn't like the architecture of this place. It wasn't as mighty as he had seen on Cardassia, but he wasn't about to offend his hosts by pointing out their poor sense of aesthetics. He drank deeply of the wine that Emperor Zordar had poured him, relishing its taste, himself a connoisseur of Cardassian wines himself.

"You have served the Ragendora greatly, Dukat. They cannot wait to execute your plan to invade paradise."

Dukat laughed and drank some more wine, then said to Zordar, "I know you want to get back at those pathetic Humans, Zordar. Those bastards on Yamato denied you your rightful prize."

Zordar laughed, "Well, in this, we both get what we want, Dukat. Isn't that glorious?"

Zordar's daughter walked by, looked at the two, and passed. Dukat admired Invidia, and Zordar noticed this. "I think my daughter likes you, Dukat. You two would make a great match, I do believe."

Dukat smiled and said, "If she were Cardassian, she would be a queen among us. Her ruthlessness is so pure that it makes my heart jump."

Zordar smile got even wider and said, "If you wish to pursue her, you have my permission, but Invidia is someone who won't be easy to catch."

Dukat chuckled and said, "Those make the best women, don't you think?"

Zordar laughed loudly, and then poured themselves a new glass of wine, calling out, "A toast...to the destruction of Earth!"

All the assembled lifted their glasses cried out in approval, and then drank the wine.

Zordar went off to discuss matters with Morden and Justin, allowing Invidia to come up to Dukat. "So you have an interest in me, Gul Dukat?"

Dukat wasn't fazed, "Yes, I profess I do. And I know that you have one in me as well. The question now is, what kind of game do you want to play?"

Invidia smiled and said, "If we didn't have bigger matters at hand, I would love to play hard to get for you. But we have much to do, so come by my quarters later tonight and find out just how naughty I really am!" She winked and walked away. Dukat smiled and drank more of the wine,ignoring the scenery.