I'm posting this chapter earlier that I thought I would – mainly because I was a bit excited by the prospect of updating. I again apologise for any inevitable mistakes in grammar/spelling, although I put more effort into proofreading this time. I am also sorry for any clumsy dialogue in this chapter; I've had little to no experience in writing it. In fact, I even borrowed some from Season 4's episode 'Full of Grace'. You'll know them when you see them.
As always, I don't own anything and I am not making any profit. I'll put them back when I'm done.
In the hours before the ship was due back at Deep Space Nine, Major Kira Nerys spent her time double checking the repairs that had been made to the vital systems of the ship. Things seemed to be going well. Further maintenance would of course be necessary at Deep Space Nine, a service she was sure the Chief would begrudgingly oblige, but everything was going to hold together well enough in order for them to get home. She managed to occupy herself in this fashion for almost two hours, and was decidedly thankful to the faulty relay circuits that she spent entirely too long trying to correct. Anything that kept her mind off of what it really wanted to be thinking about.
She had spoken to Ziyal earlier after leaving the bridge and was struck by how quickly the girl had grasped the situation she was in. Ziyal had recognised that she was not ready for the fight that Dukat had gotten them into, but was willing to stand by and fight for his decision nonetheless. But as sensible as Ziyal being prepared for a fight might sound, for Kira the idea was abhorrent. Her own childhood had been taken this way – through a mixture of violence and devotion. She wouldn't wish that life on anyone, even the daughter of the man who was responsible for that loss. Especially her.
She was going to have to try and convince Dukat to let Ziyal stay on Deep Space Nine. She would be safe there, away from all of this. She wouldn't have to learn how to fight and kill. Kira felt a kind of affection for Ziyal that was hard to define, and she didn't want this girl to have to suffer, to have to fight wars and vendettas as if that was what life was meant to be. No, Kira didn't want that for her. This young girl, so intimately connected with the destruction of Kira's own childhood, almost impossibly reminded her of herself. If she were to stay and fight for Dukat's cause, and to train his men, then Ziyal would have no part in this. She would remain safe aboard Deep Space Nine - that sanctuary that Kira herself had found when she had needed it most.
That is if she decided to stay she reminded herself to add.
Kira again forced her thoughts away from where they all seemed to be inevitably dwelling. But the number of exploded relays on the ship seemed to be dwindling as she tried to find things to keep herself occupied. It was not long now until they would reach the station and she was still holding on to the hope that some kind of sign from the Prophets would tell her what she should do.
Perhaps engineering needs checking one more time she thought as she turned swiftly around and walked back down towards that end of the ship. She allowed herself a small smile at the prospect; it seemed that only Dukat himself was happy at the prospect of her being onboard. The rest of the crew treated her at best with standoffish tolerance, and she smirked in a secret delight at the prospect of annoying them further by hovering over them as they worked. She's almost convinced that Dukat must have given them some sort of order to be polite to her, and it amused her to no end to watch them grapple with their Cardassian pride in order to defer to a Bajoran. Yes, she said to herself, smiling, engineering definitely needs to be checked again.
Dukat walked confidently down the cramped walkway of the Klingon ship. He had received a whispered communiqué from one of his officers stationed in engineering about the Major. He chuckled lightly to himself as he imagined the Bajoran girl ordering his men about. He found the image of the Major hovering behind Cardassian soldiers, some almost a foot taller than her, and making demands of them a rather humorous one. It was clear that his soldiers didn't carry the same affection that he did for the Bajoran people – they were probably embarrassed more than anything. Not that they'd ever admit to it he added. And unlike his soldiers he didn't carry the same bitterness that they did about the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor. They resented the fact that the Bajorans had succeeded in ending the occupation with guerilla tactics in the face of their Cardassian discipline, while Dukat's regrets lay mainly in the fact that the Bajoran people could still not understand all that he had attempted to do for them. Kira blamed him for the whole of the occupation, but she hadn't lived under the rule of those who came before him. Sure, there were some instances when he had been harsh, but none of them could understand the pressure that he was under to destroy the resistance through any means necessary. The Bajorans called him a monster with no regret or mercy, but Central Command called him ineffectual and a weakling. He did not return after the end of the occupation to many allies on his home world. He shook his head. He is sure that the Major would not see it like that.
He arrived outside engineering to hear the sound of the Major's raised voice. He allowed himself a brief smile before schooling his features and strolling in casually.
"Now Major, is that tone of voice really necessary? I am sure that they are doing their best."
Kira turned around to look at him with a scowl plastered on her face
"What are you doing here Dukat?" she spat, embarrassment and frustration colouring her features.
"That's Gul Dukat, Major, and I am only here because I received word of you terrorising my crew," he replied with a smirk, trying to keep the humour out of his voice.
Kira jerked her head back around to look accusingly at the assembled men behind her, trying to ascertain any signs of guilt. They were all very astutely not looking at her, and Dukat allowed himself a small smile of amusement before straightening his features once more. Kira turned back to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Can I speak to you outside, Gul Dukat?"
"Of course, Major," he replied genially as Kira stormed past him, "Anything you want."
Kira and Dukat stepped out into the walkway as the door to engineering swished shut behind them.
Kira seemed to be gearing for some sort of confrontation so Dukat was quick in trying to forestall any sort of outburst.
"Come now, you know I only did that for my crew's benefit, I think that you were beginning to scare them," he chuckled lightly, finding the whole situation rather amusing. Kira just continued to glare angrily as he cocked an eyeridge at her, smiling, "Yes, Major?"
Kira continued to look at him for a few moments until all the fight seemed to drain out of her face and she let out an exhausted sigh.
"Are you alright, Major?" Dukat's smile slipped from his face as concern took over.
Kira honestly didn't know the answer to that question. All of a sudden she had felt tired, too tired. She didn't feel up to arguing with him anymore. She had spent the past hours avidly trying to keep her mind from what he had said, and standing in front of him now was forcing her to confront that which she had tried to avoid. And Dukat stood before her, the very symbol of confrontation. No. She could no longer escape from what was to happen.
"How long until we reach Deep Space Nine?"
"About an hour. Why?"
Kira began to panic slightly. Only an hour. That wasn't long enough at all. How was she supposed to decide who she wanted to be in only an hour's time? It wasn't possible. She thought of her friends back on the Station. Would they understand? Could they understand the different compulsions that were driving her at the moment? The idea of working with Dukat, being allies with him, was initially detestable to the part of her that was still a resistance fighter, yet ironically it was to the resistance fighter in her that Dukat's offer appealed. To fight for something once more. How ironic that it was to be a Cardassian, Gul Dukat of all people, who would be the man that the Prophets sent to her for reconciliation between the past and the present. All her life Kira had felt as if she had lost something she couldn't get back. She couldn't explain it, but somehow, something vital had always been missing. How familiar he was to her. Looking at his face now, the complicated ridges of scales to the indented structure on his forehead. Every feature was as familiar to her as her own. Perhaps staying here could provide an answer.
Suddenly the panic that had gripped her receded. She took a deep breath. It seemed so clear now. She listened to the yes.
"Only an hour? That doesn't give us long to prepare."
Dukat looked bemused.
"Prepared for what?"
"For what I'm going to say when people ask me what the hell I'm doing!"
Dukat just stood looking at her, confused, until he grasped the meaning of what she had said. Both of his eyeridges shot up in amazement and when he was able to work through a large portion of the shock he felt, it was Kira's turn to be amused
"You mean you're going to stay?" the disbelief and surprise were evident in his voice.
"What's wrong Dukat, aren't you pleased that I'm staying?" Kira's teasing tone allowed Dukat to regain his confident demeanor as he replied in kind.
"Oh, have no doubt, Major, I am more than pleased that you will be accompanying me, but it also comes as a shock, somehow I didn't expect you to agree"
Dukat ran his fingers through his sleeked-back hair and for a moment Kira caught a glimpse of his unguarded features; the honestly of what he said was clear on his face. This sight pushed Kira to add to her original declaration.
"Yes, I am agreeing, but I also have a few…stipulations that I want you to agree to. First of all, this time we will be sticking to business. I mean it. No personal questions or private dinners; I am here to teach your crew, and nothing more. It is strictly business" Kira didn't make eye contact with him as she outlined her conditions, but her features softened as she began her next request.
"There's also Ziyal that I wanted to talk about." Dukat looked puzzled.
"What about her?"
"The life we've chosen isn't for her. She deserves better."
"She deserves to be with her father. You taught me that," here Dukat paused as his eyes sought out Kira's, needing her to see that truth of what he was saying, "I love her." He needn't have sought her gaze to impart the meaning of those words; she could hear his sincerity in every waver of his voice.
"I know you do. That's why you have to let her go."
"Go where? She's not welcome on Cardassia or Bajor. Neither of our home planet's can accept her. On Bajor she's seen as either the product of rape or collaboration. Or Cardassia she's seen as a mistake. I don't want Ziyal growing to believe those things. Not when she was anything but. No. This is where she belongs."
"But there could be a place for her. She can come to Deep Space Nine. I'll make sure that she's safe there. Sisko, Dax or even Julian would keep an eye out for her, and there are plenty of people there who would see her not as half Bajoran and half Cardassian, but as a what she is: a remarkable young woman."
Dukat's face became puzzled again. He could see that what Kira was saying made sense, yet he couldn't understand why it mattered so much to her. None of the people he knew on Deep Space Nine would begrudge Ziyal the fact that he was her father, no matter how much they resented him. Sisko's son was even around her age, so she wouldn't be starved for friends. Yes, he could see the point that Kira was making. She would be safe and happy there. But still, her reasons puzzled him.
"Why? Why do you care so much?"
The question made Kira pause for a moment. Why did she care so much?
"Because she reminds me of myself. And I don't want her to go through what I did and what we're about to. And neither do you." That was definitely a part of what she felt for Ziyal, but as complicated as her emotions were, Kira knew that that was not all she felt. But she wasn't ready to admit that fully to herself, let alone trying to explain it to Dukat.
Their gazes met again and both were reminded of their unfortunate beginnings. Dukat even felt an uncharacteristic pulse of guilt at how much of a hand he had in creating her past. Even if it was indirectly. He averted his eyes downwards slightly. She was right. He didn't want Ziyal to go through what he knew Kira must have gone through. Yes. Deep Space Nine would be a haven for Ziyal – she would find less malice there that she would in any other place in the quadrant.
"Alright, let her stay on Terok Nor, have your friends make sure that she is safe. You are right. I don't want her to have to fight just because she feels that it is her duty. She shouldn't know the things that we do. Keep her out of this."
Kira smiled grimly in understanding. His obvious love and regard for Ziyal warmed her slightly and she touched his upper arm in sympathy as she began to move past him.
"We'd better get ready for our arrival. Sisko is going to get the shock of his life when you tell him what's happening."
"I'm going to tell him? No, I'm going to leave that pleasure to you. If I tell him, he's likely to think I've got you drugged or brainwashed and locked up somewhere. No, I think it's best that you break that particular bit of news to him." Dukat smiled genuinely at the change in atmosphere and at the easy way they bantered. Kira returned his smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling in mirth. She let go of his upper arm and made her way past him in the direction of the bridge. Dukat stood there for a few moments more, thinking about all that had happened before turning around and following her direction.
Business. He reminded himself firmly as he turned down the corridor that would lead him back to the bridge. Strictly business.
A/N: Now we are really getting into the story – hopefully the dialogue wasn't too appalling! Only one more 'scene-setting' chapter to go before it starts to get really into it. I've got the following 8 chapters planned out so it shouldn't be too long until the next update! Please review, I am really enjoying planning for and writing this story and I would LOVE to get some feedback! I have been taking cues from some of the scripts of different episodes, to get the right perspective on the interactions between Kira and Dukat and I hope that it has paid off! I also hope I was able to capture as much as possible Dukat's rationalizations for the Occupation, I watched the episode 'Waltz' particularly for inspiration (without all that added craziness).