Author's note: Thanks as usual to everyone who reviewed. Reviews make me happy. I'd like to reassure anyone who cares that this story is, in fact, finished, but I haven't typed it because I quite simply don't have time. The semester is drawing to a close and I have two ten page research papers to write and a week to do so. But this story won't just be left hanging.
Augusta: What is this sacrilege against Weyoun? The best character ever? ;)
Odo was close enough to the tank to see that Weyoun was, indeed, inside. There was no doubt that it was him, either, all the features were identical to the last Weyoun he'd seen. After he'd seen that clone—eight, if he recalled correctly—lying on the floor, dead, he thought he'd never lay eyes on the Vorta again. And he hadn't wanted to. Not just because Weyoun was a viper and a thorn in everyone's side, but also because he had never forgotten Weyoun Six. The unwavering devotion and the absolute trust had been unnerving, but he still couldn't help feeling guilty about his death. He knew there was nothing he could have done, but the look in Weyoun's eyes as he'd died was nothing short of heartbreaking. He was the Vorta's god, and he had failed him.
"We haven't activated any clones without the Founders' permission," Teeren was saying. "This one has just come to term." He hesitated and then added, "The other Founders have expressed disinterest in Weyoun Nine's activation since he did fail to win the war, but we were told to ask you. You apparently have a…unique position."
"Indeed," Odo said, a note of exasperation in his voice. Why were his people leaving Weyoun's fate in his hands? What unique position could he possibly have? Weyoun had defected to him, true, but that meant only that he'd aided and abetted a traitor. "My first inclination is to say no."
"I hope it isn't your last," Eris said carefully.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why should Weyoun be activated? Frankly, the galaxy seems better off without him."
"He was a great man," she responded, a slight edge of defensiveness in her voice. "Please reconsider."
Odo scrutinized her closely, but her passive facial expression gave nothing away. "There's something else going on here. What interest do you have in Weyoun?"
Teeren and Eris' eyes met for the barest of seconds, and the former suggested, "It may be wise to tell him." Turning to Odo, he said, "I apologize, this is something of a difficult matter for Eris, but she'll explain her motivations to you. Perhaps you'd like to use the observation room?" He gestured to an inconspicuous door, and when she slitted her eyes at him, he said to her quietly, "This will be necessary, you know that. And Odo is the only one who will understand."
After a long moment, Eris gave a tiny nod. "If you'll hear me out, Odo, I would be grateful."
"I suppose it can't do any harm."
She bowed her head slightly and led him into the observation room, which looked out on the clone chamber through a large, domed window. On one of the other walls was a smaller window that opened onto a bare room with what looked to be an operating table in it and stark, metallic cabinets.
Eris and Odo sat down at a circular table in the center of the room. The Vorta folded her hands in front of her and stared at them for several seconds before looking up at him and saying, "I need to tell you about Vorta before anything else."
"Go ahead."
She appeared to be pondering how to start, finally saying, "Vorta mate for life. It was highly discouraged once we became part of the Dominion, but not prohibited, and those who were lifemated before cloning retain, for the most part, their relationships with their partners." She paused. "The Eris line, of which I am the fourth, has persisted for over six hundred years, and for the greater part of that time, I have been lifemated to Weyoun."
By the time she'd picked her way towards this admission, Odo had guessed what it would be and hid his surprise, even though it was significant. Weyoun, a family? He supposed stranger things had happened, but it was still an odd thought. Had he ever had children, then? And how could anyone remain on intimate terms with Weyoun for six hundred years? Then something else occurred to him from Eris' comments. "You seemed to imply that you lived before the Founders integrated the Vorta into the Dominion."
"That's correct."
"Then…how can you say they're gods? You know they altered your genetic code!"
"We always have worshipped the Founders," she said matter-of-factly. "Ever since they raised us from our primitive state. It was always said that the gods would return one day." She tilted her head at him. "They began cloning us then. Every Vorta alive today was alive when the Founders returned."
Odo shook his head in disbelief. "You're telling me that you remember what your life was like before the Dominion! You can't taste, you can't reproduce, you can't see beauty, and yet you still worship the Founders?"
"We live to serve."
Odo sighed. As usual, it was useless to attempt to reason with a Vorta. "You still haven't told me why Weyoun should be activated."
She broke their gaze. "Forgive me. I don't know how to say it--we don't speak of these things." For a moment, she paused, thinking, and then she went on, "I understand that you cared very deeply for Colonel Kira."
"Are you trying to tell me that you love Weyoun?"
"Yes." She looked relieved that she didn't actually have to say the words. "I'm glad that you see. The other Founders…don't."
"I'm not a Founder," he reminded her, though there was no bite in his tone. "And you're right; they don't understand my feelings for Kira, either." Well, this was the last thing he'd expected. Commiserating with a Vorta about lost love. "I wonder, Eris, why didn't the Founders just alter your genetic code to eliminate love?"
She raised an eyebrow. "How does one eliminate love from the genetic sequence? Even in a species with less complicated relationships, I think it would be impossible."
Odo waited for her to expand on her statement, but when she didn't, he just remarked, "You're telling me all this because you want this Weyoun clone activated."
"I realize it's not a particularly convincing argument. But…I've had four lifetimes with him. I cannot imagine what it would be like if he were…gone."
Her plea actually moved him. As soon as she'd mentioned Nerys and made it clear that she identified with him and understood his sense of loss, his perception of the Vorta had changed completely. At the same time, however, they became an even more curious species and their worship of the Founders even harder to understand.
He didn't want to be careless and let his emotions drive foolish decisions, though. Weyoun had been, with the exception of the Founders, the most powerful individual in the Dominion. In fact, Odo had always thought that his administrative and diplomatic position almost gave him more power than the Founders--certainly he'd had more responsibility. There was nothing that would prevent him from rising to that same position of prominence and perhaps posing a threat to the Alpha Quadrant again.
Eris startled him by saying, "You're concerned that Weyoun will act aggressively towards the Alpha Quadrant's governments."
He hesitated and then answered, "Yes."
With a nod of acceptance, Eris said, "He's a loyal servant of the Founders. And of you. There will be no Vorta-led Dominion." She offered him a disarming smile--her first one, so perhaps she had been on edge--and added, "I don't mean to imply that your concerns are unfounded, but--"
"But I'm being overly paranoid? Maybe." He watched her, but she kept her eyes lowered deferentially. "I'll think about this, Eris."
A brief, unguarded moment of happiness flared on her face and vanished just as quickly as she reined her emotions in. "Thank you, Odo."
"Don't thank me just yet," he warned her. "I'll have your answer for you by the time I leave."
She stood, bowed, and left the room. On her way out of the cloning chamber, she paused at Weyoun's tank and stared, head tilted, for a moment. Her expression was unreadable. She didn't linger long, however, before disappearing out the door.