Quark looked at them in surprise, still trying to grasp that Garak and Ara had been together, and were together again. "Wait, how did you manage to keep that a secret from Dukat?"
"We managed. I'm not stupid you know I wasn't going to slip up and reveal that while I was Dukat's mistress I was also Garak's lover. It would have compromised my position in the Resistance and everything would have fallen apart."
"What do you mean," Quark asked. "You were also in the resistance movement."
"Yes, but I couldn't very well reveal that during the Occupation either, it was a secret, except to the most influential Resistance leaders. Come on, why don't we take a seat in a corner and I'll tell you all about it; Kira should be here shortly, and then the two of you can learn what I did for the Bajorans during the Occupation."
"Alright, I'll bring you both a drink too," Quark replied.
A few minutes later, Kira came and joined them at the table. "Sorry I'm so late, being the commanding officer of a space station tends to do that. Serin Ara, It's a pleasure to see you again, it's been awhile."
"Yes, it has. Thank you for getting me safe transport from the Beta Quadrant. It's good to be home, especially now that it's safe."
"It was safe here ten years ago when you left," Kira replied.
"Not for me, they would have considered me to be a collaborator, and for them my daughter would have been proof of it. You were the only one who knew differently."
"Wait a minute," Quark interrupted. "The two of you met during the Occupation? How did I miss that."
"Apparently you missed a good many things," Garak responded.
"I don't really feel comfortable revealing all of this in the bar, can we go somewhere less public?"
"Sure," Kira replied. "Why don't we go to my quarters, and since Odo is here for a visit I think he may want to see you again as well."
"That sounds good, it'll be like a reunion."
So they went up to Kira's quarters, and Odo met Ara warmly, the two men he only scowled at. Then they sat down on sofas, and Ara started to tell them her story.
20 years earlier….2358
The same day that she met Garak there was a party for the officers. Ara went to it and she sang her usual songs, Bajoran songs for the most part but Cardassian ones as well. After she was done she wandered the room and she talked to the men, while she was walking around she saw Garak again. She smiled at him, and he half smiled back to her. She went into a corner and one of the Bajoran comfort women came over to her, the woman's name was Jalina.
"Do you know who that man is with Gul Torvin," Jalina asked, indicating Garak.
"Actually I do, he spoke with me earlier today, his name is Legate Garak."
"He's not going to be a Legate much longer, they're going to promote him to Gul, but the more important thing is that he is a member of the Obsidian Order."
"Really?"
"Yes, that's what has come through the channels. He is a threat to us, to what we are trying to do."
"Sometimes it's more dangerous to get rid of the threat than to keep it around Lina. He said that he's going to be transferred planetside within the week, he won't be a threat anymore then."
"I hope that you are right Ara, for the sake of the Resistance."
"Don't worry, now you should get back to your job before they become suspicious."
Jalina smiled at her friend and then she went back to work. Ara was right, Garak was transferred planetside, but he was also promoted to Gul before he went. He intrigued her, and although neither of them knew it then their paths were going to cross again, but not before a lot had changed.
Seven Years Later…2365
Ara woke up in bed, and she was very nervous. Her plans for that day put her on edge, and that frightened her. She looked at the man sleeping beside her with contempt. Dukat had taken so much from her, and yet he had protected her from his officers.
When Ara was younger, Dukat had had a mistress named Tora Naprem, and they had a daughter named Ziyal. Ara had known them both, and she thought of how close they had been to her. She had liked Dukat then, but ever since she had become his mistress she had hated him. That had been about a month after he had made them leave to go into safety earlier that year.
They went about their usual morning routine of having breakfast and talking about what was happening and he would lie about it all, but she wouldn't let him know that she knew it was all a lie. Then they went for their morning walk in the corridors and on the promenade. She had planted a bomb there, it was meant to kill him and possibly her, but she was willing to make that sacrifice.
As they walked over the spot where the bomb was, she decided to stop and to have him look over the railing with her. Of course he consented, he always did with her, she supposed that it was because she was so young. She was only twenty-two, and she had the most important position in the resistance, she was proud of that. After several minutes of standing there, she began to worry that the device wouldn't go, but she couldn't risk being there any longer, they started to walk again. Then the device blew. They fell to the ground, but neither of them was harmed.
She collapsed into his arms with tears, and he held her close while he yelled orders to the nearby soldiers. She wasn't really crying from the blast, but because she knew that some of her people would be killed because she failed.
The next week, after the executions of three Bajorans, Garak came back into her life. She was sitting on the second level at Quark's, when he sat across the table from her. She looked up at him, startled and surprised.
"Well, I haven't seen you in quite some time, Gul Garak is it now?"
"Yes, and I see that your caretaker has taught you to speak more kindly to your betters, or is he your lover now."
"What happens in the quarters of the Prefect are of no concern to you."
Garak smirked. "Maybe I was wrong about you becoming more polite."
"I'll work on it."
"Good."
"What brings you back to Terok Nor?"
"Business, you see I work for a group that tries to find out who does what is wrong on the station, and we believe that there are terrorists on board that are a threat to the Prefect."
"I thought that the creature named Odo did that."
"Well, I handle concerns more directly related to the safety of Cardassia."
"Oh, do you think that you'll find the right people?"
"Yes, I do."
"Good, well you must be busy, so I won't keep you any longer, good day Gul Garak."
"Good day to you as well Serin Ara."
So Ara left Garak at the table, and she went to the holding block where the Bajorans were kept. The guards let her in, and she went over to a dark table in one of the corners. A few minutes later a woman came and sat across from her.
"I was told to come here and that I would meet someone invaluable to our cause, is that you," the woman asked in a whisper.
"That depends, who sent you?"
"Shakaar Edon."
"Then yes, I am that person."
"I want to know what you have to say, but first I want to know why I'm talking to a known collaborator."
"I'm not a collaborator, I may share the Prefect's bed, but I am not a sympathizer. Edon would not have sent you if I was not telling the truth. So I will tell you my name, I am Serin Ara, and you are?"
"Nerys, Kira Nerys. Your name is odd, doesn't it mean…"
"Yes, my name means 'Gift of the Prophets', I was orphaned by the attack on Courara Village, my earring was missing and the Bajorans that found me decided to name me that, since I was barely a year old I didn't know my real name. I have no known family and because of that they fashioned me an earring that is unlike any other. Now to the information," Ara took out a pad from within her cloak and passed it to Kira. "I have managed to obtain special information about five facilities in your cell's area, on this pad you will find all of the necessary information about how to attack and destroy those facilities. Memorize the information and destroy the pad. You cannot be caught with this if you are we're all screwed, and I mean that. Now just finish up the rest of your business on board and go."
"Understood."
"Good luck, hopefully we'll meet again, but under better circumstances."
"Thank you, and good luck to you on keeping your position secure."
The women nodded to one another and then Ara left the facility. Over the next few days and weeks Ara and Garak managed to run into one another quite frequently, and they began to become distrustfully trusting of one another. They became part of each other's daily life, and in many ways they became friends. Without even realizing it, they started to fall in love with one another, which was very dangerous to both of them.
She was the secret leader of the Resistance who was Dukat's mistress, and he was an important member of the Obsidian Order with orders to investigate her and then eliminate her. It could only spell trouble.
TBC...
I forgot to do research the first time, that's why I resubmitted this chapter with the right information!
Thanks to JacobedRose for reviewing, and all will be revealed in good time, don't worry about it, just keep reviewing and I'll keep writing : )