Chapter 4: Assassin's Creed

Garak had been given no time before the changeling was upon him. The phaser he had been carrying was knocked out of his hand and he was knocked onto his back. He was soon bound in hard cords and dragged at massive speeds down the Jeffry tube. The grating would soon rub the his skin raw and then he would start to bleed fiercely.

Luckily, despite his long absence from the Order, he was not to be taken without a struggle. He was able to dig out of his pocket a small knife, small enough that the changeling would not notice what it was, and even as he was jolted, began cutting at the rope. It was hard enough not trying to cut himself, let alone work effectively, without being waked against walls as they continued down.

In his haste to escape, the changeling was so focused on this one task, it did not realize until the last second as he kicked open the door to the crag hold, that his cords were about to be totally severed until he lost his hold on Garak.

He whirled around as Garak leapt forward, tucking his head to bowl him over. Dracon merely liquefied around his midsection, and the huge Cardassian went flying through him and crashed into some barrels that toppled onto him. Garak immediately began to rise and shove the barrels off of his body and was no sooner up then he was grabbed by the arm and thrown against the far wall, hitting his back hard. He hit it upside down and bounced off because of the impact and fell head first on the ground, stars exploding in his eyes.

He settled onto his stomach, and slowly raised himself up, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. The changeling had turned itself into a ball of fire, and Garak was still too stunned to full dodge the flame, which blasted past his elbows, sending searing pain through his arm. He stood and stumbled backwards, turning to the changeling which had changed to a Targ.

"You got to be kidding me," Garak exclaimed as the Targ charged him, head bent down, horns sticking out towards him. Garak's foot came sideways and made contact with the beasts head, sending it spiraling into a crate.

The changeling transformed now into an android that looked like Commander Data and he ran forward. He went for a left punch, then a right punch, then an uppercut. Had he been the real Commander Data, he could have been going so fast that Garak would never have seen it. Garak, however, was actually quiet skilled in Cardassian martial arts, and he fended off the Changeling with great ease. Garak dropped to the floor and swung his leg around, taking the changelings legs out from under him. Then, with the changeling still on the ground, he pulled out a dagger he had special made to kill changelings, and he stabbed, barely missing the changelings heart but catching him in the arm.

The changeling screamed as that part of his arm charred and fell away, leaving a gap where he couldn't regenerate for at least an hour. Garak slashed again, but his aim was wild, and he only cut through the back as the changeling rolled out of the way. The changeling cried out and jumping up he ran, turning into a bird then wheeled around, and came dive bombing at Garak, claws extended in deadly intent.


Doctor Bashir, although he was still heavily bruised, staggered down towards the cargo bay. He had eavesdropped on the conversation, and had heard of Garak's disappearance and remembered using the Jeffry's tube and ending up in Benjamin's office. And he remembered it could come out at the cargo bay.

His friend was in trouble, and he would help him out as best as he could. The doors to the bay were only twenty meters away, but, he was so tired, and every step he had to fight to take. But, he gladly fought to reach those steps, for he would not abandon Garak.


Garak struggled to stand, and as he did so, he kept his fist clenched and his dagger ready. Blood poured from both nostrils, his eyebrow was torn and his lip had split, causing blood to streak down his lip and chin. He backed away from the changeling in front of him, struggling to breath, but was not able to turn around fast enough to catch the other changeling who had a metal bar in his hand from smashing into his back.

He dropped to his hand and knees, screaming to give himself the extra strength to swing the knife's blade at the front changelings' leg. His chin exploded in pain as the creature brought that foot up, straight into his chin. His body sprang up from the sheer force, and he was too stunned to avoid having his arms grabbed and forced behind him in a crossbar.

The front one, which looked like a Klingon, punched him hard in the gut, but Garak responded by lifting both feet off the ground and kicking hard, throwing the thing back. He then planted his legs and threw his body forward, tossing the other changeling onto the floor.

He took his dagger and stumbled forward, and dropped to his knees, and slashed and hacked at the other changeling, the one who had taken him from the back. The changeling struggled to escape but each twitch and movement was met with an equally swift slash of the blade. The changeling grunted and moaned as he slowly shriveled up and turned to dust and ash.

He threw up his head and roared in triumph, and staggered up to face the last changeling, who used his arm like a whip. The end snaked around his leg and pulled it out from under him and he fell onto his back. The dagger flew from his hand, but it was caught by the changeling, who stood and tying Garak's arms and legs with his own arm, dragged him up to his feet.

"You would have made a good Jem'Hadar had Fate wished it to be," he laughed, "And now, a God must judge you. And that God judges that you should be stopped from progressing further."

Garak spat in his face. Defiant to the last. The changeling slowly drew his hand with the blade back then plunged it into his gut. The blade was icy cold and froze as it pierced his gut. Garak gasped as the changeling then turned the blade in the gut, then pulled it out, intestine being pulled out as well. Blood poured from the wound and Garak fell, spasms of pain shooting through his body.

Neither one had seen Bashir open the door, but he saw Garak fall. "No!" he screamed and tried to rush the changeling. He reached him and threw a punch, which caught the changeling in the chin, but the changeling backhanded him so hard he fell backwards.

Julian struggled to get back up but was just too bruised to go fast, and the changeling grabbed him and lifted him from the ground and raised him over his head, finger squeezing his throat shut. Julian gasped for breath and the changeling sneered, "Isn't it wonderful? To die defending someone else.

He threw him on the ground, and as he fell, the bloody blade slashed Julian through the stomach. He fell on top of Garak's legs, holding his gut in and screaming bloody murder.

"Good day and good bye," the changeling laughed, and ran out of the cargo bay. But, he made sure to close the door and seal it shut first, leaving the two alone. To die alone.