IX.

No!

Panic-stricken Ke'sh tried to get back on her feet but there was something wrong with her. She couldn't move, or at least nothing anywhere below her shoulders. She tried again, then gave up on her legs and tried to crawl forward just by using her arms, but suddenly the phaser fire set in again and she felt the burning pain cutting through her left shoulder and her right forearm.

"Don't move," an electronic voice announced matter-of-factly and glancing up Ke'sh saw the single probe hovering above them in the picture-perfect sky. "A field team is on its way."

Looking over to Jadzia again she kept trying to get closer to her, but no matter how much she wanted to her body just wouldn't move.

"You're being investigated. Stay as you are," the voice over them announced again but Ke'sh didn't hear it, didn't care, screaming as she saw the fear in Jadzia's eyes, watched the tremors dying down, watched as life slowly but inevitably slipped away from the trill's body, their eyes locked until the very end.

════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Watching the violet waves rolling in and washing over the sand, Ke'sh felt a longing so strong she thought something within her would have to burst any moment now. It was beautiful.

Dax had stayed a bit behind but felt a deep satisfaction at the sight of the peaceful play of the water as well. She hadn't come here since right after she had been joined and during her last stay on Trill she had been occupied with other matters. Matters? She thought she could hear a sigh deep within her. Joran. Breathing calmly she waited for the feeling to pass. She had learned to handle him by now. Noticing Ke'sh had taken off her shoes she moved to walk up to her.

The sand felt grainy under Ke'sh's feet but not unpleasant. Like small rocks and stones that had been crushed into pieces and then strewed out, their edges washed soft by the tides. She let her gaze stray over the water, all the way to the horizon where violet and blue seemed to meet each other in a lover's embrace. Wondering what it would like at sunset she could sense Jadzia standing next to her.

"She'la kora."

Dax turned her head at the unfamiliar words but seeing Ke'sh had closed her eyes she didn't want to destroy the moment by asking what they meant.

"That's what Jadzia would have said," Ke'sh took the decision from her, making a small gesture with her hand to motion at the ocean and the beach in front of them. "It's…" She seemed to struggle with the translation as if there was no way to convey the words' meaning correctly. "Depriving."

"Depriving?" Dax repeated with a frown, that didn't sound too positive.

Ke'sh glanced at her, an almost frustrated look on her face. "It's so marvellous, it makes you want to become one with it," she tried again, her eyes wandering towards the horizon again. "It fills every part of you and takes any other feeling or thought away."

"Doesn't sound like a loss," Dax remarked with a sigh.

"No."

For a beat they both got lost in the view.

"It's a good expression," Dax stated truthfully. "What language is it?"

"One that hasn't been spoken in 300 years."

"Let me guess, another civilization wiped out by a war?"

The idea of a smirk played over Ke'sh's face. "Actually they just disappeared. No one really knows what happened to them. Like one day they were just gone."

The scientist in Dax frowned. An entire civilization just disappearing? Interesting. "How come you speak their language?"

"I don't. Jadzia picked up a few phrases and words somewhere," Ke'sh explained. "It was a habit of her, collecting things from other cultures and worlds. Like this ear clip." Holding out her hand she revealed the piece of metal with her name engraved. "Bajorans stopped wearing them when they abandoned their faith and their Gods. They are rare souvenirs now."

I better don't mention that to Kira, Dax thought amused, picturing Nerys' reaction.

"She would find someone interesting wherever she'd go," Ke'sh continued , "even if it was the least appealing species. She'd take something with her, a few expressions, a gesture, a ritual or custom, a piece of jewellery or clothing, anything that was unique or special."

Dax grinned. "Sounds like she would have made a great Starfleet officer," she stated, and at Ke'sh's confused glance added, "Sounds like she was an explorer."

The comment seemed to make Ke'sh laugh. "I don't think anybody has ever called her that."

Dax wondered what she had meant by that but seeing the grief on Ke'sh's face she didn't ask. The depriving effect of their surroundings had obviously faded. Not surprising. It had only been four months since her other self had died and being incarcerated and tortured Ke'sh hadn't really had a chance to grief.

"How did you two meet?" Dax asked. Maybe talking about it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"In a shuttle accident, six years ago. We happened to share a rescue capsule, got off together three days later, and never parted again."

Realizing Ke'sh was avoiding to look at her, Dax turned her head as well and peered out over the water.

"She had me figured out right away," Ke'sh remembered with a smile. "I got claustrophobic in that capsule so she kept talking for 20 hours straight, distracting me, knowing exactly how to push my buttons." And how she had pushed. She remembered every single argument as if it had been yesterday. "Of course, I told her to leave me alone and when she did I had a panic attack. But she knew how to handle that as well." Once again the memory was so vivid she shuddered at the sensation.

"I guess over the course of seven life times you pick up some skills."

Ke'sh glanced at the Trill standing next to her, her eyes wandering lower to her belly. Of course.

"Jadzia was never joined," she explained.

Dax felt her hand moving to her belly in a protective reflex. Not joined? She had just assumed…

"Her parents were. And I think she would have liked it too. But after the invasion…" She hesitated but the Trill gave her a look that prompted her to go on. "All symbionts were killed. Together with their current hosts."

Jadzia felt all seven beings within her screech and a sudden sadness overcame her.

"Why?"

"Who knows," Ke'sh remarked hard-nosed. "Jealousy? Religious mania? Take your pick."

Jadzia felt the symbiont move in her belly and tried to calm him. But Dax was in shock.

"Her parents?" she asked, suddenly feeling a strong urge to see her own mother and father. It had been so long ago.

"They sent her off with a transport when they realized what was going to happen," Ke'sh repeated what Jadzia had told her. They must have known. "She never saw them again."

"How old was she?"

"Eleven."

Another wave of sadness came washing over Jadzia at the thought of her other self, all alone, without her parents, without Dax, without the comforting voices and memories of the others.

"There are rumours that some symbionts survived," Ke'sh went on, "but we never tried to find them. It was too dangerous." She could see the sadness in Jadzia's face and hesitated for a moment, but there was something she had to ask. "How does it… What does it do to you? To be joined."

"It changes you," Dax, Jadzia replied truthfully. "It certainly changed me. I have the memories of six other people added to my own. Their knowledge, their feelings, their habits…their devotions. You cannot not change with that. But…I'm still me." She looked into Ke'sh's eyes, wondering if she was making sense. "I am Dax now. But I'm also still Jadzia. Even though we are like one most of the time."

Ke'sh stared at the woman in front of her. I'm still me, the words echoed in her mind, and looking into the same blue eyes she had seen almost every day in six years she couldn't but hear something else. I'm still Jadzia. Something more. Before she knew it her hand appeared in her field of vision and reached out to touch the familiar face, run its fingertips over longed for skin.

You're not her, her own words suddenly came back to her, and she froze, her fingers millimeters away from Jadzia's face. It's not her, a pounding voice reminded her, warning her not to indulge in an illusion. But how could it not be her? How could it not be Jadzia when she was looking right at her?

Dax saw the struggle in Ke'sh's face. And realizing what was happening she meant to pull away but Ke'sh beat her to it. Lowering her hand she seemed to have one last, pained, yearning look at her before she turned away. With a few quick steps she brought some distance between them but then stopped abruptly and stood still. Maybe she had realized she had no where to go.

Dax felt awful. This was her fault. She had brought this up, she had thought talking about it would be a good idea. How could she expect Ke'sh not to react like this? Every time she looked at her she had to see the person she had obviously loved more than anything or anyone else. Told you, Curzon's voice came to the fore again. Oh, shut up, she thought. The last thing I need right now is you mocking me. So unless you have any suggestions I'd prefer it if you left me alone.

Ke'sh's breathing was erratic, just like the thoughts running through her head, the feelings tearing her apart. She had lost it. She shouldn't have come here.

"I'm sorry," she uttered when she sensed the Trill moving up behind her, keeping her back turned to her though.

"It's okay," Dax said reassuringly, tempted to place a hand on Ke'sh's shoulder but reconsidering quickly. Physical contact, however well intended, was probably not a good idea right about now.

"I need to be alone for a while," Ke'sh declared. She couldn't… This was just too much for her to… "Please," she emphasized, "I just need some time alone." She couldn't be around her right now.

"Sure," Dax nodded, sad there was nothing more she could do than leaving.

¤¤¤

Dax had beamed up to the Rio Grande and passed some time by logging into the database of one of Trill's biggest universities and search for anything on the Kentani people. Unfortunately, she had been unable to find any mention of them at all. It seemed no joined or unjoined Trill had ever heard of them. She had a suspicion that searching the entire databases of Starfleet and the Federation wouldn't bring a different result.

Rematerializing on the surface now she shielded her eyes against the sun that was standing lower as the day was coming closer to its end. She didn't have to let her gaze travel far to find Ke'sh who was sitting in the sand, close to the water line. Not wanting to startle or sneak up on her, Dax approached her in a bit of a half-circle.

Ke'sh had obviously noticed her but barely looked up when she first stood and then finally sat down beside her. "I wasn't sure you'd be coming back."

"I just didn't know how long you wanted to be left alone," Dax explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

Ke'sh didn't reply right away but after a while turned her head to have a good look at her. "You could have left. You could have contacted someone. I would have if someone had kidnapped me and dragged me close to forty light years away just to listen to them rambling on about-"

"You didn't force me to come along," Dax cut her off. "Remember?"

Ke'sh seemed irritated at that objection. She shook her head. "I shouldn't have dragged you into any of this. It's not your problem."

Dax studied her profile for a moment before looking out over the water. It was obvious Ke'sh was still upset about what had happened earlier. But she could only guess what exactly was eating at her.

"What was your plan?" she asked. "What would you have done if I hadn't found out?"

"I would have left the station as soon as I was fit enough."

"Without taking anybody hostage I assume."

"Probably."

"Well, then," the Trill sighed, "this one's on me."

Ke'sh shook her head. Even if that were true, she should never have asked her to come here. She should have dropped her off anywhere along the way.

"I'm sorry if my being here made this more painful for you. But…"

"But I asked you to," she completed the sentence, rolling her eyes. "Just one more thing I shouldn't have done."

"Then what should you have done?" Jadzia retorted, apparently irritated as well now. "It was hardly your fault I had to go on a rescue mission and bring you to the station."

True, a part of her admitted. "No, but I could have handled it better."

"Right," Dax remarked annoyed. "How?"

For a moment they both fell silent. Of course the situation had been impossible on Ke'sh.

"I shouldn't have talked to you, I shouldn't have looked at you, I should have avoided you like the plague."

Oh, the stubbornness of that statement. Dax rolled her eyes. Reasoning with Klingons… "Alright," she declared, raising her hands in surrender. "Then let's go. Neither of us can change what happened but it's not too late to go our separate ways now." She turned to get up on her feet but suddenly Ke'sh's hand was clasped around her wrist. Spinning around she saw the frustrated, desperate expression in the other woman's face. "What?"

"I should have," Ke'sh finally stated. "But I couldn't."

The Trill sighed and sat back down, and Ke'sh quickly released her wrist.

"I should have avoided you, I should have dropped you of at first chance, I should have come alone or not at all. But a part of me couldn't." Couldn't lose Jadzia again. No matter how well she knew this wasn't Jadzia. Not the one she knew. Had known. "Being around you, looking at you is killing me. But I don't want you to go either."

I tried to warn you, Curzon reared his head but Jadzia pushed him away. Oh, don't get started with me now. Bearing with the pain in Ke'sh's eyes looking at her was hard enough.

"The last time I saw you…her..." Ke'sh made a helpless gesture, then turned away. But this time Dax was the one to reach out and put her hand around Ke'sh's arm. Just as well to go through with it now, she thought, sure her determination was visible in her face.

"The last time you saw me what?" she asked, ignoring Ke'sh's attempt to shake her hand off. She could be just as stubborn. She had close to 300 years of practice to draw on.

"You were dying," Ke'sh exclaimed, her old companion anger raging through her veins again. "Less than 10 meters away from me, lying on your back, you were looking at me and dying. And I couldn't do a thing." The Trill stared at her in shock. "That's right. I had to watch. I had to watch you lie there in agony, fighting every last breath while you knew there was no hope. I had to watch and all I could do was to shout your name because I couldn't help you, couldn't safe you, couldn't even hold you."

Dax swallowed, finding herself numb except for Curzon's bitter sarcasm. Could any part of this drama not be a complete tragedy? But even he sounded awfully reserved and quiet.

"I wish I could say it all happened so fast," Ke'sh added, her arm relaxing in Jadzia's grip now. "You were always a fighter. When they finally dragged me away you had stopped breathing though, and I guess they just left you there. Dead, alone…"

¤¤¤

"And you still have no hard evidence on that ship's alleged superior technology?"

"No," Sisko admitted, leaning over his desk. He was glad he hadn't been sitting when the transmission had come through.

"Then I don't see what has changed since our last talk."

"Admiral," he began his protest but was cut off right away.

"Captain," Necheyev stated condescendingly, "I understand your concern for your abducted officer and you're expected to do everything you can to find her and bring her back. Should you moreover succeed to apprehend her abductor, we are confident that you will see to that the matter will be duly processed. If your investigation turns up anything that requires Starfleet's closer attention rest assured you will have it. But for the moment I can't see any reason to grant your motion for an extension of your jurisdiction."

"I don't want an extension of my jurisdiction," Sisko objected, hardly hiding his annoyance. His hands clasping the edge of his desk he seemed ready to push himself back and twirl around to launch an attack or defend himself against anyone getting too close to him although he was alone in his office. His muscles were tense. "I just want permission to order the Defiant back here and take her to the Gamma quadrant to-"

"Is anything indicating that Lt. Commander Dax is currently in the Gamma Quadrant?"

"No."

"Then you should concentrate your search on the Alpha Quadrant, Captain."

"Yes, Ma'am," Sisko uttered between clenched teeth, realizing it was Necheyev's last word on the matter no matter what he did.

"I expect to hear from you if the situation should change in any way, Captain," the Admiral added, her intonation and the expression on her face not leaving any doubt though that she didn't want to hear from him again until the situation had been resolved.

"I will, Admiral."

The screen switched back to the Starfleet emblem when Necheyev ended the transmission and Sisko straightened up. Taking a deep breath he walked around his desk and left his office.

Kira glanced up at the sound of Sisko coming down the few steps from his office but didn't stop working her console. "You sounded angry," she remarked with a sympathetic look.

"Just very frustrated."

KIra nodded. As the Bajoran liaison officer she had had her fair share of frustrating talks with members of the Provisional Government or other bureaucrats on her home world and she was glad not to be in Sisko's shoes. As Starfleet representative, commanding officer of the station and the Emissary of the prophets he had to report to and please so many people. She wondered how he put up with it so well most of the time.

"So no mission to the Gamma Quadrant," she concluded.

"No," Sisko sighed, trying to let his anger subside and figure out how to play the cards he had been dealt. "Tell Mr. Worf to stay on course and carry on with his assignment."

"Does transporting the ambassador really require the Defiant?" Kira frowned. She would never understand these Starfleet people and how they were thinking. She had learnt to appreciate Sisko but he was obviously an exception. And not afraid of breaking the rules every now and then. But apparently not this time.

"I received my orders directly from a Starfleet admiral," Sisko explained, recognizing the expression on his first officer's face. "Our priority is to find Dax."

Kira nodded, unconsciously straightening up even more. Of course. Everything else could wait.

"The Defiant is the best ship in the sector if not in the quadrant but she is only one vessel. We stand better chances by dispatching many ships."

"All our runabouts and shuttles are out there," Kira reported, "and every shuttle, transporter or freighter in the sector has been notified to look out for the Rio Grande, Dax, and our mysterious survivor."

"Good."

"We also informed Risa and every inhabited planet along the way in case that's where they are heading."

"Going home?" Sisko mumbled pensively. Possible. "How far is the doctor with his DNA tests?"

"Ready," Bashir announced, just arriving with the turbo lift. Taking a few steps towards Sisko, he waited until everybody's eyes were on him. "It's a perfect match." Even O'Brien had interrupted his work and crawled out of a Jefferies Tube.

For a moment it was silent as they all seemed to process that information.

"So we have a dead woman on Risa and a mysterious stranger from an even more mysterious ship sharing the same DNA," Sisko summarized.

"They don't just share the same DNA," Julian complemented. "They are the exact same person. Identical in every physiological trait they inherited."

"Clones?" Miles asked but Julian shook his head.

"I don't think so. There are a few things that are different. My own scans showed some old fractures, probably obtained at a young age. But according to the medical files from Risa Jentala never broke a bone in her life. She did contract a very rare disease though that I can with 100 percent certainty say Ke'sh never had."

"Couldn't they have been cloned at birth?" Kira inquired.

"On Risa, 31 years ago?" O'Brien objected.

"Do we know either one of them was actually born there? Part of their DNA comes from somewhere else, why not the two of them as well?"

"You mean it's not that other DNA that was added to the RIsian components but the other way around?"

"I think the doctor has a theory," Sisko interrupted his officers, recognizing the glow in Bashir's eyes.

"In fact, I do," his first medical officer confirmed, barely managing to suppress a smile before he seemed to remember that this was still about Jadzia Dax and turning very serious. You can say whatever you want, old man, but he's still pining for you, Sisko thought to himself but immediately reminded himself as well that the situation was indeed serious. His old friend was still missing and they had to find her.

"I don't think they're clones," Bashir explained. "I think they really are the exact same person. They just lived different lives."

"But how-" O'Brien started but fell silent when Kira voiced her thought almost simultaneously.

"The parallel universe."

Sisko felt like slapping his own forehead. Of course. "It would explain how the ship could be from the Gamma Quadrant. Just not the one we know."

"It would also explain this," Kira muttered, staring at her console and whatever it was she had been working on the entire time.

"What is it?" he asked, stepping beside her and studying the displayed data.

"I managed to restore most of the deleted access logs from the computer in our guest's quarters. According to this she gathered a lot of information about the station, personnel, Starfleet…" Kira scrolled through the list. "Seems she was also interested in star maps of this sector and several more in the quadrant."

"Did she check any specific flight routes?" Sisko asked. Maybe she would tell them where she was heading.

Kira checked, then shook her head. "No. Maybe she knew deleting the logs wouldn't do it."

"Or maybe she hadn't planned a destination yet," Sisko mumbled.

"Sir?" O'Brien asked.

"Maybe she hadn't planned on leaving so early."

"But when Jadzia confronted her about what she had learnt from her friend on Risa she had to get off the station right away," Bashir interjected.

"But how did Dax put this all together so quickly?" O'Brien wondered aloud. It had taken the five of them two days.

"A very good question, Chief," Sisko grumbled. "It seems Dax knew something we didn't know. Something that made her contact Risa in the first place."

And Sisko's not happy you kept it from him, Julian thought. You better have a good explanation when you get back, Jadzia. If she got back. He swallowed. Of course she would get back.

"Sir, there's an incoming transmission. It has a Starfleet signature."

"Origin, Mr. O'Brien."

The Chief stared up from his console. "It's the Rio Grande."

"On screen."

Sisko heard Bashir's sigh when Dax's visual filled the screen, but he wasn't any less relieved himself. "Dax," he exclaimed, trying not to let his emotions show too much. He was still the commanding officer. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Benjamin," the old mind in the young body assured, looking very tired though.

"What happened? Where are you?"

"On my way back," Dax explained, her trademark smile appearing on her face. "I should be there in about 30 hours."

"30 hours? Where are you? Are you alone?"

She couldn't but grin at Benjamin's attempts to conceal his concern.

"Yes I'm alone. I would prefer to give you all the details when I get back." She didn't want to explain the whole mess with everybody else listening and moreover she really wanted to get some rest.

"Fine. I'll see you in the infirmary," Sisko replied and Dax was smart enough not to object. Just because she said she was fine that didn't mean she was off the hook. And the medical check was still standard procedure.

"Tell Julian I can't wait," the Trill winked and a moment later she was gone from the screen.

¤¤¤

Sisko heard the familiar voices before he had really entered the infirmary. Stepping over the threshold then he still couldn't see her but hear the doctor making one of his jokes and the laughter in Jadzia's response. It made him aware o how much he had missed her those last three days. How much he had been worried, to be more correct, afraid he'd never hear that sound again, never see the glow and sparkle in her eyes again. Those young but oh so old and wise eyes. Having had the pleasure and the honor of having two friends with the name Dax, he couldn't imagine what he would do without her. And not just Dax, even Jadzia. Curzon's death had been painful but of course not unexpected given his age and his deteriorating health. He had been a mentor, a teacher, a bit of a father figure, and his death had been like that of those who are older, inevitable. But Jadzia was a whole different story. Young, refreshing, definitely part Curzon but still another, her own Dax. And like with all those who are younger he hoped and prayed he would never come to witness their dying day. I hope you know how lucky you were to get this host, Dax.

"I told you, Julian, I'm fine," the Trill stated with a confident smile just as Sisko rounded the corner to the midsection of the infirmary and caught sight of her. She was lying on one of the bio beds but her tone and her body language left no doubt how unnecessary she deemed the procedure.

Bashir obviously wanted to say something in response but noticing Sisko, Dax turned to him before Julian could take his chance and think of any more examinations.

"Benjamin." She was glad to see him but recognizing the expression on his face she wasn't here to give her a hug. He was angry.

"Doctor, would you excuse us?" Sisko explained as if on cue and Bashir complied although with a slight frown and a nervous smile. Dax sat up and let her legs dangle over the edge of the bed. Alright. She couldn't say this came as a total surprise. She had expected that he would have figured it out by the time she got back.

"Starfleet is very happy you're back and well," Sisko started, not sounding particularly happy though. But she knew, of course, deep down he was. She had seen it when she had contacted DS9 right after dropping Ke'sh off and getting on her way back. But just because Benjamin was happy she was alive and well that didn't mean he couldn't be angry with her at the same time. She understood why.

"So am I," she affirmed cheery. Just because he grumbled she didn't have to as well. Things had been serious enough.

"They're also eager to get a full report on what exactly happened," Sisko continued.

"And they'll get nothing less," his science officer said in played seriousness, lifting a hand to her temple. "Sir."

"Stop it, Dax," he barked, reaching his boiling point sooner than she had anticipated. Sooner than he had anticipated. "Let's put aside for a moment that you wasted time by not telling us where to look for your abductor, and let's put aside that I had to explain to Admiral Necheyev that I don't know what happened because you didn't even give me a preliminary report yet. Putting all that aside, I want to know why you didn't come to me in the first place!" He knew he had become louder and more aggressive with every word and a part of him wondered why he was this agitated. But looking at Jadzia he could tell she knew, tell by the way an idea of that smile was still playing over her features.

"You granted that my report could wait until we could speak in person which means you either know why I wouldn't give it to you sooner or you simply trusted me that I had a good reason for not saying anything."

Sisko didn't deny or confirm her conclusion but she was right, of course. Irritated he turned and started pacing.

"And Admiral Necheyev always annoyed you."

He glared at his friend but again didn't object. Jadzia grinned to herself. Oh, that temper of yours, Benjamin. Curzon always thought it would cost you one day. Sometimes she thought so too, almost expected it to get him in trouble. But somehow he always seemed to be able to control it just long enough not to explode in front of the wrong people or in the wrong moment. It had to be hard to hold back so often.

"And I didn't come to you first because I felt I had to talk to Ke'sh first."

Sisko stopped abruptly. "Why?" Seemingly uncertain Jadzia shrugged her shoulders. "You knew the circumstances of her arrival here were a security issue so how could you find something out and not bring it to me first?" he added.

Dax shrugged one more time. "Because I just knew that it wasn't just a security matter."

"What else could it have been?" he exclaimed and she seemed to hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"Personal."

"Personal?" He was perplex. "Hold on." Did she still know more than he did? "Is that woman from the parallel universe?"

"Yes. But not the parallel universe. A parallel universe. Not the one we have visited on previous occasions."

Alright. He could comprehend that. If there was one parallel timeline, why not more. "And had you ever seen or met her before?"

"No."

"Then how could it be personal?"

Dax sighed. She had imagined this conversation many times on the way here but she still didn't know how to begin. Maybe sticking to the chronological order of things was best after all.

¤¤¤

"So she just let you go?"

Taking a sip from the Black Hole Quark had brought to their table a minute ago, on the house, glad you're back, Jadzia nodded. "I woke up and she was gone, the auto pilot set on a course to DS9." It was a simple but efficient lie. She and Benjamin had agreed that no one needed to know the details about what had happened after she and Ke'sh had left the station or about the nature of their…connection.

"No idea where she got off or where she might be heading?" Julian inquired curiously.

She shook her head. "She didn't leave a note or a flight plan."

"But why the whole abduction?" O'Brien wondered. "If she just wanted to get off the station why didn't she just say so? Nobody would have tried to stop her."

Dax sighed. "That's what I told her too but she was convinced we would have sent her back."

"We wouldn't even know how," O'Brien exclaimed.

"Then maybe she does."

They both turned to Julian.

"If she's so sure there is a way and that we could find it then maybe that's because she knows it."

Dax pondered. Yeah, maybe. It sounded reasonable.

"There's one thing I still don't understand," O'Brien caught her attention again. "What made you contact your friend on Risa in the first place?"

"Just something she said. It was more a hunch."

"And that's why you didn't tell Commander Sisko right away?" Julian asked and she pretended not to notice the skepticism in his voice.

"Exactly. Plus I didn't think she would pose a threat." Seeing Julian still frowning at her she decided to turn the tables a little bit. "Did you?"

"No," he declared, and for a moment she thought it had worked. "But why do I feel you're not telling us half of what really happened?"

She sighed inwardly but didn't let it show on her face. "Because you have a vivid imagination, Julian," she said instead and gave him one of her best fake smiles ever, hoping that would do the trick.