Cadmus' yellowish face glistened with a paper-thin coating of sweat. "Your people tried to have me killed," Bashir reminded him. "Is that what you want to do today?"

With the briefest, barest grunt of response, the trio's leader kept his gaze aimed firmly at Riley. "And what was your plan?" he demanded of his prisoner. "To turn my men against me? I'm not as dimwitted as you think I am, right? Else why would I have left you lot alone in here? I knew you would try something. Whatever scheme you're got going in your heads, it's not gonna happen. Is it, Brian?"

Riley shook his head. "Don't think so…" he responded, but punctuated his answer with a sharp, anxious cough, and stepped away to concentrate on the coloured lights of the communication panel. "No. Course not, Cadmus."

"Good." His leader watched him for a moment longer. "Now that's sorted, we can get down to business."

"What business do you mean?" asked Lauren innocently.

Cadmus turned on her. "Don't play games," he insisted. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Who the Hell is Naron?"

"Why don't you ask him?" retorted Jack. "Find out for yourself, if you're really that interested."

"Uh-" Riley ventured, his voice belatedly gaining strength. "That mightn't be such a bad idea. They obviously want to talk to us…"

"What they want-" growled Cadmus. "Is to find some weakness to exploit. Or are you really so dense that you can't see what's going on? They want to get inside, and the more we say to them, the more we give away."

Bashir massaged his forehead with the ball of one hand, to relieve the increased pressure burrowing deep into his skull. The constant background whine had not stopped in almost two hours, and now he realised it had also changed in pitch. Although no louder, it had risen by almost two full tones - forcing his attention to shift back towards it. He glanced to one side, and saw that Patrick was rubbing one ear, although fretfully watching Cadmus - and that Jack and Lauren were tense and alert.

But he also saw Lauren's eyes connect with those of her companions, just long enough to silence them both. Good idea, he thought. Larkin and their captors had given no response at all to the silent, secretive exchange. None seemed to have noticed the subtle difference in background noise. That's probably just feedback in one of the power relays. Need's adjusting - that's all.

On the other hand… Don't say a word.

"Naron's a Security officer." Bashir spoke quickly, before Riley's thought processes could reach their ultimate conclusion. But his voice was hoarse to his own ears, weary and frustrated. "We met him after we arrived on this world. I have no idea how he managed to find his way here or what he does or doesn't know about you and your men. Now finally, are you satisfied?"

"Hardly."

"And what if I said I might once have agreed with you?" suggested Bashir. "What if we were all to believe every word that came out of your mouth? Would that really change anything?"

The response from Cadmus was immediately vicious. "You're supposed to be smart. Guess."

"I already have," Julian muttered tiredly. It was all clear to him, ever since the very beginning. Nothing he could have told these men would ever be more than empty words. Whatever understanding they might have reached, they had lost that opportunity in decades past. When their elders made the decision to alter their small, awkward children.

From metres away came the sound of a quick, intrusive snort. "What's there to agree with?" Jack's voice was sharp and contemptuous. "Why would we want to be like Cadmus there? He hasn't said anything too convincing so far. Has he?"

Patrick shook his head. "No, Jack - he hasn't."

"Fine," shouted Cadmus. "Think what you like. And you're right. Makes no difference. You'd tell me anything to get yourselves out of here. Everyone says the same stupid things. So many opportunities in the Federation. Nothing's impossible, as long as you work hard for it. But what good's that ever gonna do, when cheats like you take all the good spots for yourselves? Twist things into any shape you like, else how would you all have gotten off so easy all your lives?"

"What would you know about our lives?" Frustration twisted still more strongly in Julian's chest, bordering on anger - rising and retreating, but still alive inside him. Still burning like the touch of a small irrepressible flame. But his voice was soft and weary.

"I know that you should have been in locked that prison right alongside your father. All of you got off far too easy."

"Then you would hold a six year old child accountable for the actions of his parents? That attitude would be more fitting for the Klingon Empire than it is in the Federation. Or do you think that we asked to be pulled apart and changed like we were?"

"You broke the law."

"We didn't have a choice."

"Oh. Really?" Cadmus snarled. His yellow face was flushed and mottled. "And what about my father? We struggled just as much as any of you lot ever did, him and me. He made choices too. I studied hard at school, often through the night. But we never cheated. I earned my right to success, without any of those shortcuts taken by the likes of you. I heard everything you were telling each other - with that little chat along the corridor over there. And I don't buy that woman's excuses any more than you did. So don't even try to tell me that you never had any choice."

"Whose excuses should we believe, then?" Jack challenged with a mirthless laugh. "Yours?"

His dark eyes were quick to lock with those of his captors. "Don't know what to do, hm? Not so dangerous now. Everything was just fine until now. Wasn't it? But you don't know where to go from here. Maybe you think we could give you some lessons. I'm right, aren't I? You came here for something. So why not be done with it?"

Shut up, Jack.

Cadmus returned his challenging glare. "All right," he resolved. "I will."

He passed his own rifle to his larger companion, who kept it tucked into the crook of his right elbow. And just as quickly, he had swooped down to grab Doctor Larkin by her arm, forcing her to stand. "Up!"

"What are you doing?" she gasped, but stumbled as he dragged her roughly across the room. Cadmus accelerated as the doctor's leg collided with one corner of a sharp, protruding block of metal.

"Look hard, Doctor." One hand grabbed Larkin with an unyielding grip around her jaw, fingers pressing tight enough to make shallow indents in her skin. Cadmus jerked her face around so that her wide blue eyes were staring directly at Bashir. His voice had turned to a rasping, offended hiss. "See? This is what you have created."

His other hand had wrapped around something barely seen, which glinted as it caught the light.

Julian knew what it was before he was consciously aware, and he was leaning forward, his horrified gaze fixed directly upon this half-hidden, gleaming metal. No, he thought. His chest had clenched - almost too tight to draw a breath.

Cadmus sneered, and pulled Hilary Larkin closer by the fabric of her clothes. His face was close enough for the middle aged woman to flinch away. With a low snarl, he slammed the blade into the side of the doctor's abdomen.

"Face judgement."