By Any Means Necessary
"This is pointless." Ro Laren grumbled in frustration, "If you won't trust me, then this meeting is a mistake."
"Normally, I might agree with you." Replied the sonorant bass of Benjamin Sisko, Commanding Officer of the USS Defiant and Administrator of the Bajoran space station Deep Space 9, "But you requested this meeting, so why don't you tell me why I should trust you."
Ro studied him once again, "How does information regarding Michael Eddington sound to you?" Ro referenced Deep Space 9's former Starfleet Security Chief. Eddington had proven to be a Maquis mole who utilized his position to aid the resistance movement and their sympathizers. Sisko had been hunting Eddington ever since he'd openly defected.
"Why should we believe you have information you are willing to part with?" Lt. Commander Worf, DS9's Strategic Operations Officer, bellowed from Sisko's right, "Maquis do not betray one another. What is known is that you've betrayed Starfleet and forever dishonored your name."
"Well, that's indicative of what to expect from you." Ro replied with ironic humor, "I always loved your pep talks aboard the Enterprise too."
"Commander Worf makes a valid point." Sisko rejoined, "As both a Maquis and a renegade Starfleet officer, you've little credibility to rest upon. Try telling us what you have to offer and we can determine if it's believable."
Ro saw the hungry look in Sisko's eyes and knew her gamble had paid off, "Eddington has done far more than deceive you and he's also misled the Maquis as well."
"How so?" Sisko asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"He's proposing attacks on the Cardassians on a scale we can't support." Ro's revealed gravely, "In order to accomplish what he's proposing he'd have to be considering the use of biogenic weapons. Personally, I think he'd use them if he had them."
"Is he completely daft?" Chief Miles O'Brien muttered, from slightly behind Sisko's left, "That'd not only provoke the Cardies, it'd set off the Federation as well."
Ro's response was laced with dread, "My point exactly Chief. By the way, how are Keiko and Molly?"
"They're doin' fine, thank you." O'Brien responded automatically, "We've got another little one as well, Kirayoshi is his name."
"Congratulations." Ro replied with sincerity.
"If we can conclude this reunion, we need to get back to the matter on hand." Sisko remanded everyone, "Does Eddington currently possess such weapons?"
"I don't know." Ro answered with a defeated shrug, "My cell's intelligence officer can't confirm if Eddington has biogenic weapons or if he really intends to use them. It's merely a theory, but it's a frightening enough theory to bring me to you."
"This is a trick Captain." Worf snarled, "This meeting is merely a ruse to prevent us from finding Eddington."
"Well Lieutenant," Sisko asked archly, "is Commander Worf correct?"
"No." Ro insisted, "I want him stopped as badly as anyone. If the Maquis were to make a preemptive strike with biogenic weapons, then the Cardassians would feel free to respond in kind. There'd be little the Federation could do and every habitable world in the DMZ could be affected."
"Then where is he?" Sisko demanded.
"I don't know." Ro admitted.
"Lies!" Worf accused.
"Commander!" Sisko wheeled on the Klingon, "If you cannot make a constructive contribution here, I suggest you return to the Defiant."
"Captain, I…"
"Mr. Worf, that's an order." Sisko sternly commanded.
Sagging from embarrassment, Worf tapped his comm badge and instructed the Defiant's Transporter Chief, "Worf here, one to beam up."
As Worf dematerialized, Sisko tapped his own comm badge; "Sisko to Dax."
"Dax here, Benjamin."
"I just ordered Worf to return to the ship." Sisko warned.
"He'll be in a mood." Jadzia Dax's voice was laced with both humor and concern for her lover; "I'll look after him and make sure the crewmen stay alive."
Sisko smiled, "Thanks, Old Man."
"Anytime." She replied brightly.
Sisko turned back towards Ro, "So what is going on here? Why are you telling me all this?"
"Honestly," Ro confessed, "I'd rather keep this an internal matter within the Maquis. However, since all of the other cell commanders seem to have thrown in with Eddington, philosophically at least, that's a little difficult. My cell has been tracking down Eddington for over a week now and frankly, I think we're running out of time before he uses any weapon he's developed on a major Cardassian colony."
"What makes you think he has biogenic weapons?" Chief O'Brien asked.
"I've seen what they do." Ro replied, "I've been to where we suspect they were developed and tested."
"Tell me." Sisko rumbled.
"It all began when I had tried to contact Michael and apprise him of information my cell's Intelligence Officer had recently uncovered." Ro explained, "However, we couldn't raise him. Afraid that Eddington's cell was under attack; we boarded our best ship and set course for his last known base on Marva. What we found was indescribable…"
Ro's nose crinkled as the odor assaulted her nasal passages. Unfortunately, the pungent rotting smell of death had long been a familiar aroma. As often as she'd encountered this particular signature of death, as a child in the Bajoran camps and as a troubled Starfleet officer and now as a Maquis cell leader; she'd never quite been able to master the art of not getting queasy. Ro's stomach had never disgorged its contents yet but there was always a first time.
She absently tucked a loose strand of her raven hair behind her left ear. They'd beamed down to this Maquis camp on Marva to coordinate a new operation with the Maquis' rising star, Michael Eddington. She pulled a tricorder from her belt and scanned the source of the odorous emanations permeating the building. Like most of the gear and supplies procured by the Maquis, it was an older surplus model and had picked up some temperamental quirks. After a few false starts, she successfully took some reliable readings. Reviewing the unit's data, Ro's worst suspicions were confirmed.
"Tulley, Macen, over here!" she shouted.
Aric Tulley arrived first. Ro appreciated his look of concern but found it amusing at the same time. Her stoic, craggy-faced, ex-farmer of a lieutenant might be a bear of a man but Ro had been trained by Starfleet's best, including Chakotay before his resignation to enlist with the Maquis, and could easily disable her would-be protector. She hoped that after three years of working alongside her, he'd have more faith in her ability to defend herself. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; he was just from a conservative background where males defended the females. Ro found that concept to be ludicrous.
"What is it?" Tulley asked, "Did you find…"
Ro understood why Tulley's inquiry cut itself short. The rotting smell that originally hinted at the trouble within this constabulary was especially acrid in the cellblock. The reason lay evident. Entrapped in three cells before them lay the corpses of nine Cardassians.
Ro had never seen such putrescent Cardassian corpses before. The Cardassians' naturally gray skin had faded to a sickly green-tinged white. Pustules and ulcerated sores covered the barely gowned bodies twisted about each other and their cell's confines, their sunken faces trapped in an agonized death masque. Each corpse's fingers were worn to the bone from a futile effort to scratch their way to freedom.
It was the grisliest sight Ro had ever witnessed. She spared a glance in Tulley's direction. He was ashen and shaken. He'd never seen a corpse until his family's death at Cardassian hands and even their worst methods were cleaner than this.
She was about to ask him if he needed to leave when Brin Macen arrived. The rumpled El-Aurian served as the Ronaran cell's Intelligence Officer, a role he'd previously served in before leaving Starfleet. Macen had lived over 400 years. He'd served in Starfleet for 70 years before defecting to the Maquis cause. During his time with her cell, Ro had come to utterly rely upon Macen's counsel. They benefited from his varied experiences, both within and outside of Starfleet. He'd found a cause and a foe to replace the Borg threat that had assimilated his homeworld.
Macen came alongside Ro, standing three inches taller than she did. His slightly frumpy clothes were predominately gray and black. These colors offset his fair skin, reddish hair, mustache, goatee and blue eyes. Although predisposed to academia, Macen had proven time again the lessons he'd learned during the Borg assimilation of his world, his subsequent flight to the Alpha Quadrant and the Border Wars between the Federation and the Cardassian Union.
Macen grimaced as he saw the carnage trapped within the security cells, "Now there's something you don't see every day."
"Thank the Prophets for that." Ro muttered under her breath, "Any idea what happened here?"
"They died." Macen replied tersely as he studied Ro's tricorder readings.
Ro felt a headache coming on as her jaw clenched, "Obviously they died. I want to know how they died."
When Macen's eyes lifted from the tricorder screen and met hers, they were filled with sorrow; "I'm no expert, but I'd say these people were killed with a biogenic weapon. You'll have to have Lisea double check the readings."
The mere mentioning of biogenic weapons were enough for a despairing silence to descend upon the living occupants of the room. Biogenic weapons were the 24th century's designer weapon of choice; specifically tailored to eliminate one's opposition while having no harmful effects to the user. Although outlawed by every known major power in both the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, they still existed and were most frequently used by terrorists or smaller powers as a "final solution" or a means to ethnic cleansing.
The Maquis had lived with the fear of biogenic warfare. It seemed inconceivable that one of their own would develop such a weapon. Then again, Michael Eddington had spent the bulk of the conflict on Deep Space 9 or some other cushy post. Only his recent betrayal of his Commanding Officer, Benjamin Sisko, had revealed the depth of Eddington's duplicity.
He arrived amidst the Maquis as a conquering hero for outmaneuvering Sisko attempts to capture Kassidy Yates' shipment of arms and medical supplies, despite their romantic involvement. Eddington's years of clandestine support had enabled the Maquis Brigade Council to evade capture and root out Starfleet moles. His reward was command of his own Brigade cell.
Eddington's zealous passion for the cause infected veterans and recruits alike with a new sense of purpose and resolve. Combined with their new gains against the dwindling Cardassian forces in the region as the Cardies regiments were transferred to the Klingon front, Eddington's bold words, proclamations and daring strikes inspired a sense of destiny as well. To Ro, and some of the other Brigade commanders, it seemed as though Eddington was setting himself up as a messianic character. In the wake of Calvin Hudson's death and the vacancy in his position as Council Commander, Eddington utilized his popular support to have himself installed in Hudson's place.
Once there he'd endorsed more and more radical methods. His calls for escalation increased as his brigade commanders began to follow him without question. When Ro's Ronaran Brigade was unable to dissuade Eddington from his more violent strategies, she informed other cell leaders that she was setting out to investigate Eddington's activities and situation. They cautiously ignored her decision.
Their fateful discovery was confirmed by one of Ro's officers, a former Starfleet science officer named Lisea Danan. Ro ordered Macen to track Eddington down. His first clue to Eddington's whereabouts came when a small Cardassian mining colony fell victim with similar symptoms to those seen on Marva. The Cardassian government, usually eager to hurl blame upon the Maquis, remained uncharacteristically restrained. The official explanation was that an air purifier had malfunctioned, depriving the sealed community of fresh oxygen. That proved to be the last potential clue as to Eddington's whereabouts. After another day of fruitless searching, Ro announced her intention to bring the matter to Starfleet's attention, much to mixed reviews.
Both sides had elected Bozal as the meeting site. It rested on the Demilitarized Zone's border thereby allowing both sides free access back into their territorial boundaries. It was a temperate world dominated by high deserts and mountains on the largest of three continental landmasses. The second was below the equator and dominated largely by subtropical conditions and fauna. The last continent sat atop the southern polar cap and was uninhabited by people.
The subtropical continent hosted a small Federation colony consisting of several dozen Bolian families as well as nearly a hundred Bajorans. The meeting site was established on the largest continent to avoid disturbing the settlers. Unbeknownst to either Starfleet or Maquis Intelligence, a Cardassian pirate cartel had planted a repair and storage facility amidst the lush southern foliage.
High above Bozol, Ro's ship, the converted Ju'day-class scout/raider SS Indomitable, orbited across the planet's horizon alongside the Federation starship USS Defiant. Seated in the command chair of the Indie's cramped bridge, Tulley vigilantly watched the warship's image. The fact that the Federation had constructed its first dedicated warship and then stationed it at the nearby DS9 station seemed to Tulley as proof positive the Federation colonists left under Cardassian rule in the DMZ had been left by a morally bankrupt government. Both the ship and its formidable might were well within striking range of the Maquis worlds.
"Y'know, it'll still be there if y'stop looking at it." The Indie's Ops officer, T'Kir, teased.
Tulley opened his mouth to reprimand her, but closed it out of a sense of futility. The young Vulcan had come to Ro's cell after the destruction of her colony and the death of her family. Tulley supposed they should have seen the signs of the woman's ongoing emotional and psychological breakdown. If it weren't for her genius at manipulating computers and cybernetic systems, Tulley knew Ro would've had T'Kir shipped off to a Federation funny farm some months ago. As things stood, only Macen had any influence upon her.
This fact had caused many of the Ronaran cell members to wonder if they were involved. Macen ignored all the gossip, as did Ro. Tulley knew that Macen was innocent of any wrong doing but wondered why Ro let the matter go unchecked.
"Tulley, soldiers have to have some scandal to distract them, or they'll blow each other's brains out. Macen and Danan are good natured enough to go along with it, so let the others have their entertainment." Ro had answered when he'd asked her, then she'd given him a friendly chuck on the shoulder and resumed planning the cell's next strike.
"Maybe not." Macen replied before Tulley could, "Besides being a purebred warship, she also boasts the first Romulan cloaking device ever permanently installed on a Federation vessel."
T'Kir caught the slight edge to his words, "So what other Starfleet vessel has had a Romulan cloaking device?"
Macen grinned, "The Enterprise under James T. Kirk's command. He went across the border in order to get captured and then escaped while being chased by three Romulan cruisers."
"Man sounds like he would've made a good Maquis." Tulley commented.
"If he were still alive, I've no doubts he'd be here with us." Macen opined.
"What makes you such an expert?" T'Kir asked teasingly.
"I made it my personal business to know about the man that sacrificed his life to save my life and the lives of forty-seven other souls from the Nexus as the freighter we were aboard imploded around us. It was a manner of honoring a hero and continuing his legacy." Macen replied good naturedly,
Lisea had observed the entire episode. Her concern over T'Kir's dependence was only part fiction. The Vulcan continually cast veiled looks towards her perceived rival. The Trill swiveled her seat back towards her Science station and the readings displayed there.
"By the Pools!" she shouted, double checking her sensor readings, "Contact Ro! She has ten bogeys coming straight at her! They appear to be raiders of some sort"
"There go the negotiations." T'Kir muttered sourly as she left her Ops controls.
Two armed Maquis materialized alongside Ro, a fact Sisko angrily hurled as an accusation; "So this was your real plan. Now that Chief O'Brien and I are here all alone, your stooges can take us hostage."
Macen glanced over at T'Kir, "I guess they just don't train Starfleet captains like they used to."
"What are trying to imply?" O'Brien asked in defense of his CO.
"Ten aircraft are headed this way." Macen explained, "A fact which I'd have assumed your own crew would've informed you of. As it is, we only brought enough weapons for the three of us in case we couldn't beam back up."
"Let's see what's going on." Sisko said as he tapped his comm badge. There was no reply. He tried again. Still no reply.
"It appears they have a jamming field in place. It also seems we're stuck with each other for awhile." Sisko conceded.
"Only because you're forced to be here," Ro remarked scornfully, "and then you'll run away to your station again."
Sisko thought about his friend Calvin Hudson. Cal Hudson had abandoned Starfleet and become the leader of the Maquis. For Cal, every day was a struggle to survive. Sisko's daily chores seemed to pale in comparison.
"Just keep thinking that pal." T'Kir told Sisko as she marched past him. Sisko, caught unawares, was startled to have his brooding thoughts intercepted. Unlike the Maquis, he'd never had cause to discover that T'Kir's telepathic abilities were wildly out of control. Able to read minds without physical contact, she was unable to ever completely shut others' minds out from hers.
Sisko trailed after the young Vulcan. Ro led the group to a ridge overlooking long abandoned prefabricated duranium domes and ferrocrete and duranium bunkers. The layout and technology of the base dated back to the turn of the century. Although archaic by Starfleet standards, it was two steps above rustic for the DMZ dwelling Maquis.
"I suggest we use this site as our defense point." Ro explained, "It's sheltered by basalt outcroppings on either side and overhead. They won't know for certain if anyone is occupying the settlement until they waltz through the front gates. When they do, we'll be ready."
"Ready to employ non-lethal force." Sisko prompted, "After all, if they are Cardassians living on the Federation side of the Zone, we don't want to elevate tensions beyond their current levels."
"We're not butchers." Ro informed him in severe tones; "We only kill in self-defense. Some cells may operate differently but my brigade is comprised of soldiers fulfilling their sworn duty."
Seeing that he'd never convince Ro of the error of her ways, Sisko decided to leave her to her delusions. The Maquis had as many excuses as any other terrorists throughout history. They also tried to evade culpability for their actions just as their predecessors had. It was an old illness in a new incarnation.
"I heard that." T'Kir growled a warning, "Better mind those thoughts. "
Sisko shied back and tapped Ro's arm for a private conference as the others descended down the embankment towards the abandoned colony.
"What's up?" Ro asked.
Sisko nodded towards the moving personnel, "Your Vulcan officer, she seems a bit… odd."
Ro laughed, "T'Kir? You don't know the half of it. She came to my cell half-insane. Macen believes her native telepathic abilities are out of control and that she can't shut them off. If she's spending all her days in her teammate's heads, it's no wonder she's loony. I'd hate to constantly 'hear' the most private thoughts of everyone else around."
With that said, Ro followed after her crew and Chief O'Brien. Sisko paused from a moment. It took him a moment to digest what he'd just heard. Accepting he couldn't change the fact his life would partially depend on the troubled Vulcan, he determined to keep his thoughts as free and clear as possible. Perhaps meditating would calm both of them.
"Ten aircraft are now headed for the rendezvous point." Major Kira Nerys, DS9's 1st Officer and the Defiant's Acting Tactical Officer reported, "They appear to be some type of sub-impulse raiders."
"Contact the Captain and Chief O'Brien." Worf ordered.
"No good." Kira replied, "The Cardassian's are jamming subspace."
"What about electromagnetic frequencies?" Dax suggested, "We could transmit a message to the away team without interference from the jammers."
"How would they receive them?" Kira wondered.
"The tricorders could easily pick up the signals if they knew what to look for." Dax explained.
"That still leaves the problem of alerting them to the message's existence." Worf reminded sourly.
"Then why not try having the Maquis convey the message." Dr. Julian Bashir recommended as he stepped away from the turbolift, "They're always using outdated technology and the methods that go along with them."
Kira nodded towards Dax; "We did the same thing in the Resistance. What do you want me to do?"
"Not much yet." Dax confessed as she busily went to work at her Helm & Ops console, "I'm reconfiguring the range finding lasers to act as an optical comm array."
"My God!" Bashir exclaimed, "That's brilliant."
Worf growled from the back of his throat causing Bashir to flinch, "As one professional to another, nothing more."
Worf decided he'd believe that when he heard a Ferengi tell the truth.
Wearing his uniform jacket open, Sisko surveyed the site they'd make their stand from. It wasn't much and he personally doubted it had ever been much. Intellectually, he knew that most of the colonies planted in the 23rd century had been laid on far more marginal spheres than this one. As the others scouted out defensible positions and ambush points, Sisko wondered what had driven the settlers to abandon their homes.
"Ro," Sisko called out as he saw the Bajoran's lanky form beside O'Brien's square body, "I need to talk to you."
"All right." She nodded towards O'Brien; "I'll get back to you when I'm finished."
She smiled as she met Sisko; "That man is a marvel."
"Don't I know it?" Sisko agreed, "He could build a transporter out of rocks and twigs."
"So what is it?" Ro bluntly asked, "You certainly didn't ask me here to reminisce about my time with the Chief on the Enterprise."
Respecting her straightforward manner, Sisko replied in kind; "The Chief and I need weapons if we're to be any use here."
"That's strange," Ro replied, "the Maquis have to send unarmed men and women into combat every day. You might want to take a walk in their shoes."
"As I've maintained since day one, I empathize with the settlers' plight." Sisko retorted.
"But?" Ro asked with a challenging stare.
"I have little compassion for those volunteers that violated their oaths to Starfleet to fight an illegal campaign against a peaceful neighbor of the Federation." Sisko answered hotly.
"Very well then." Ro conceded with a nod, "You're going to hold to your opinion no matter how much I try to argue. I can accept that."
She withdrew a Type II phaser from her belt and tossed it to Sisko, who deftly plucked it out of the air; "If you use this on me or any of my people, I'll make you regret it."
"Understo…" Sisko began to say as Ro withdrew a Type I "Cricket" phaser from the small of her back, instead he broke into an amused grin; "You've had that the entire time haven't you? I have to admire your spunk if not your honesty."
"It's paying off though," Ro rejoined, "now isn't it?"
"We could play these games all day but we're running out of time." Sisko reminded.
"Agreed. T'Kir!" Ro shouted, "Make those damn ears of yours useful and listen up. Give Chief O'Brien a weapon and be quick about it without any fuss or whining. If you screw this up, I won't let Macen work with you anymore."
Seeing Sisko's puzzled expression, Ro shrugged; "It's a long story."
Sisko chuckled, "It always is"
Aboard the Indomitable, Lisea Danan watched her sensor display. Since her board tied into all ship's sensors, she noticed a minor fluctuation on the navigation array's range finders. The fluctuation stemmed from the Defiant's direction. She filtered out all other navigational data and discovered a regular pulse embedded within the laser's frequency bandwidths. Isolating the frequency carrier waves, she discovered Dax's message.
"Tulley, I've just made contact with the Defiant." Danan announced happily.
"What? How?" Tulley asked in surprise.
"Someone over there has modified the navigational range finders for communications. It's only good for line of sight situations but it doesn't rely on subspace and should be virtually undetectable." Danan exuberantly explained, "Someone over there is a damned genius."
"In fact," she grinned mischievously, "I wouldn't doubt that a Trill came up with the idea."
"Spare me." Tulley muttered, "What do they have to say?"
"They're receiving us." Dax announced happily.
"Excellent." Worf rumbled, "Now have them evacuate the area and contact Starfleet for assistance."
"Oh, c'mon," Kira object, "you know they'll never agree to that with their cell leader on the planet."
"They have no choice." Worf stubbornly insisted, "They are Federation citizens, despite they're being criminals, and they must recognize our authority in this matter."
"Why not divide forces?" Bashir offered from the Science station, "Have one group deal with the aircraft and the other crew deal with the subspace jammer."
Worf was about to rebuke Bashir when Dax interjected, "That's a good plan, Julian. The Maquis have atmospheric maneuvering capability, which we lack, and we have the legal jurisdiction to force the raiders to shut down the jammer."
Worf relented with a growl, "Very well then. Advise the Maquis that they will be held responsible for the actions they take."
"As if they'll care." Kira was heard to mutter as Dax relayed the message.
"They want us to intercept the aircraft while they try to locate the source of the jamming field." Danan informed Tulley as soon as the message arrived.
"And do what?" Tulley responded acerbically, "Play patty-cake with those fighters?"
"They just said to intercept." Danan assured him, "Not laying any restrictions means that we're pretty left to our own devices to determine how to respond."
"Really?" Tulley seemed stunned.
A smirk lifted the corner of Danan's mouth; "Starfleet isn't all bad. Command's inability to see the inequalities of the DMZ treaty and the price we bear for peace back on Earth ranks as their major flaw."
Tulley let the matter go as he resumed his place in the command chair. Danan easily supported the Maquis' point of view intellectually but she had no real emotional connection to the movement. She'd accompanied Macen when he enlisted. The El-Aurian's own experience with the Borg's assimilation of his homeworld caused him to loathe the mere concept of anyone losing his or her home. Besides the fact, his skills were invaluable.
"Tulley to Engineering."
"Thool here, what do you need?" came the Bolian's reply
"We're going atmospheric." Tulley warned, "Get ready for a bumpy ride."
"Got you, Thool out."
Tulley moved to the helm, "Be ready folks, we're goin' in."
"They've landed." O'Brien announced, "Or at least half of `em have."
Sisko was very grateful for the Chief's foresight to bring a tricorder as his subordinate started expanding on the identity of the forces approaching, "Their ship are like nothin' I've ever seen but they're vaguely Cardassian."
"Let me see that." Ro insisted as she lifted the tricorder from his hands, "Damn!"
"What is it?" Sisko calmly inquired.
"They're pirates." Ro answered, "Cardassian pirates. My brigade has been very… proactive in trying to stamp out piracy from either side of the border. I thought we'd shut these bastards down but I guess we missed a stronghold or two."
"How can you tell who they are?" O'Brien wanted to know.
"By their power signature." Macen explained, "They all utilize a Romulan warp drive that pre-dates their singularity drives. It leaves such a telltale sign that I'm surprised they use it."
"Of course they use it." Sisko rebutted, "They're Cardassians! They're proud and strong. They'll take any challenge head on and come out the winner because of it."
Ro reassessed Sisko for a moment before giving him a respectful grin; "It's sounds as though you know your Cardassians."
"I live on a Cardassian built space station." Sisko reminded, "It's hard not to bump into the occasional gul or two."
"Well?" T'Kir blurted, "How many of them are coming?"
Ro double checked the readings, "I'd say there are thirty on the ground. The aircraft have already lifted off and are coming this way to provide support."
"They'll probably try to soften us up with a few strafing runs." Macen advised.
"We'll hang further back under the precipice until the air attack ends. Afterwards, they'll have to lift their barrage to let their own troops in. That's when we'll strike."
"It'll only be a 6 to 1 ratio so it should be a piece of hasperat." Ro reassured them.
"After you, Lieutenant." Sisko swept his arms towards their designated sortie point.
Ro smirked and nodded her head, "After you, Oh Captain, my Captain."
Sisko strolled nonchalantly on with a chuckling Ro following.
As the Defiant settled into a new orbit over the epicenter of the subspace pulse jamming all extra-system communication, her crew discovered that those below them had no intention of communicating with them.
"Enough of this." Worf rose from the command chair, "Major Kira, you'll remain in command here while I transport to the surface with Commander Dax and Crewman Willows."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kira asked while Dax waved a warning from behind Worf's back.
"We cannot demand the shutdown of this jamming field unless we can communicate with the colony." Worf explained, "The risks are justifiable."
"Well I have to warn you, they've erected a series of transport inhibitors that now cover the entire region." Kira announced.
Worf growled in frustration leading Dax to make a suggestion, "We can still take a shuttle down. I can have the Chaffee ready in ten minutes. It'll be cramped and cozy enough to justify leaving Crewmen Williams behind and leaving the mission to just the two of us."
Worf mused over that before nodding his assent, "I'll assist you in preparing the shuttle."
Dax mouthed a "thank you" to Kira as she and Worf strolled to the turbolift. Dax relished any time alone with her Klingon paramour. Kira replied with a vocal, "Be careful."
The Indomitable banked left to correct her course. Tulley set a direct course for Ro's last known position. Danan had informed him that half of the sub-impulse fighters were headed straight for them. Tying her sensors in to the Weapons station, Danan could assist Maquis gunner manning the post. Although the seconds leading up to this confrontation seemed to take hours, those moments afterwards would seem all too brief.
"Here they come." Tulley cried as he dove towards the fighters.
The Indie sallied forth with a volley of phaser fire. Four of the fighters were immediately destroyed or crippled and forced. The Indie's rear phaser bank eliminated the remaining fighter.
"Good job people!" Tulley happily shouted before muttering the crew's cheers, "I only wish the Cardassian Militia were as easily stopped."
Sisko clenched his phaser tightly. He was no stranger to combat, but unlike Ro and the Chief, his experience was mostly in extraplanetary fighting. His resolve unwavering, Sisko took up his position near the main entrance to the compound they'd chosen as their standing ground. Ro held the same position on the opposing side of the main courtyard.
A perimeter fence composed of duranium surrounded the forsaken colony. The fence mated directly into the surrounding cliff face wall. Except for the main entrance, the only access points through the fence were the occasional holes caused by landslides from the overhead stone canopy. The unknown enemy's fighters hadn't attacked the colony as expected. Instead they'd shot off for their home base.
That still left the thirty on the ground and the vehicles that brought them. The remaining five transports might be troop landers of some kind. If they were landers, they might be capable of supporting ground forces thereby making the fighters unnecessary. The Starfleet and Maquis officers had too many variables to face and far too few constants to rely upon.
The mere fact that the Maquis lived and fought this way caused Sisko to begrudgingly admire them. Although Ro was a deserter, she wasn't an outright traitor like Eddington. Ro had been ordered by Starfleet to infiltrate the Maquis cell she now led. When the time came to choose sides, she did so cleanly. Observing her in person now, Sisko admitted to himself, that she was an honorable and talented soldier. It was a damned shame she'd thrown her Starfleet career away.
Seeing humanoid shapes on the horizon, Sisko reached for the device now clipped to his belt. Chief O'Brien had cobbled together hand radios for everyone utilizing spare parts left lying about the compound and sacrificing his tricorder. His task had been made easier by the fact that Ro, Macen and T'Kir all carried surplus hand held communicators dating back almost a century ago. Their older design allowed them to use electromagnetic frequencies without major modification.
"Ro to group." Her voice came over the small vocal modulator the Chief had put in Sisko's "radio"; "Ten of our uninvited 'guests' have split from the main group in two flanking teams of five. Macen and T'Kir, be alert for them. Chief, stay loose and mobile to provide cover fire if Sisko and I have to withdraw from the perimeter point defense."
"Roger that." O'Brien's Gaelic brogue replied over the channel.
The twenty settlers were now close enough to be recognized. Sisko gave the order and he and Ro cut a swath through the front ranks. Sisko barely had time to get under cover before the pirates unleashed an intense counterfire. Reassessing the situation, he decided it was time for a more diplomatic approach.
"Ro, are you there? Do you copy?" Sisko asked urgently.
Sisko's blood went cold when no response came. Calvin Hudson may have been blinded by his lust for revenge, but Ro struck him as a different breed altogether. Her empathy for the DMZ settlers had overwhelmed her. She acted with restraint, which wasn't the hallmark of a terrorist. She even seemed amicable towards a political solution to the DMZ problem. Losing an influence like that within the Maquis would only extend the sectarian violence.
Sisko's fears abated as her voice registered over his makeshift communicator, "Ro here. Why Captain, you sounded concerned, is there something you'd like to tell me?"
Sisko shook his head at her sarcastic humor, "Only that I think we should pull back."
"I agree." Ro's composure seemed unaffected by the intense barrage on their positions, "Chief, are you reading this?"
"Roger." O'Brien assured them, "I've had my eyes on the Cardies while listenin' to you and Captain Sisko."
"On my mark then." Sisko warned them, "Three…two…one…now!"
O'Brien laid down a heavy barrage of cover fire with Type III Compressed phaser rifle Macen had loaned him. The rapid-fire pulse blasts the rifle emitted more than made up for its bulk. DS9's armory only contained three such weapons. How the Maquis had acquired one was an enigma.
As Ro and Sisko scrambled from shelter to shelter, they also returned fire at the pursuing pirates. Sisko wondered what had happened to their perimeter guards. Neither the mysterious El-Aurian nor the bizarre Vulcan had checked in. If their position was overrun and they were flanked, there'd be no choice but surrender or suicide. He didn't much care for either option. His reflections ended as he was struck by a phaser blast. As he fell, his last memory was of Ro yelling at him.
The base the Chaffee set down in was unmistakably Cardassian in origin. Worf and Dax cautiously exited the shuttle's safety with phasers drawn. Dax plucked her tricorder from her belt and surveyed the seemingly abandoned base. She snapped the scanner shut and pointed at a conical device near a large hangar.
"That's the source of the jamming device." She alerted Worf, "And I'm willing to bet those fighters and transports came from those hangars."
Worf set his phaser at maximum disruption, "Then we can destroy both simultaneously."
"Worf," Dax chided playfully, "the device is shielded and the hangars are empty."
Seeing Worf's disgruntlement, she added; "There are, however, a dozen or so Cardassian lifeforms in that adjoining building."
"Cardassians!" Worf spat, his distaste fueled by both Starfleet and the Empire's recent experiences with the Cardassian Union.
"Easy Worf," Dax urged, "They apparently aren't hostile. Why don't we investigate and see what we find."
"Very well." Worf agreed.
They cautiously approached the occupied hut. It was made of a tin-like metal and was corroding under the strain the local environment. Worf reached for the door handle and slowly pulled it open. A metal canteen careening off his bone-ridged cranium stopped him.
"Worf!" Dax cried.
Worf raised his phaser to fire at his unseen assailant only to find his arm roughly slapped down, "Worf, no!"
Worf shook his head and as his head cleared, he saw his "opponents". The oldest of them had seen multiple decades and the youngest still awaited that experience. These were mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of the Cardassian pirates attacking the Starfleet/Maquis fortification as they warily eyed one another. Silence reigned until Dax broke its oppressive hold.
"We're not here to harm you." she gently assured them, "We didn't even know you were here. If you'll drop the subspace jamming device, we'll leave and won't bother you again."
"Lies." One matron hissed, "Our men have already gone out to hunt your ground troops."
"That was a mistake." Worf declared, "Those were not troops. We came here for an information exchange. That is all. If any Starfleet personnel are killed or injured, the consequences will be unpleasant."
"What kind of information?" the matron inquired.
"That is none of your concern." Worf replied, then Dax elbowed his ribs; "But if you must know, it disclosed the location of a Maquis leader."
That generated a buzz of murmuring voices that died when the outspoken matron pushed her way through the crowd, "Any enemy of the Maquis is our ally. We should do as they request."
Dax locked eyes with Worf, "See? Negotiation is always more productive than an assault."
"Yes." Worf somberly agreed, "But far less satisfying."
"Captain, can you hear me?" Bashir's voice came through the darkness.
"I'm fine Doctor." He instinctively replied as he struggled to rise, "What's our situation?"
"Our situation is fine." Bashir quipped jovially, "My primary concern has been yours."
Sisko took a glance around, "How did I arrive at the Defiant? I was in a battle and I was hit."
"By a phaser on heavy stun." Bashir explained, "Worf and Jadzia managed to convince the Cardassian women to lower their subspace jamming field while the Maquis knocked out the pirates' fighters and transport ships. Of course, the main concern was you and Chief O'Brien battling pirates. The Chief tells me it was quite the struggle with Ro Laren pulling them through."
"Write a report about it." Sisko suggested, "Right now I need to know how my ship and crew are doing and what happened to Ro and her Maquis."
"Everyone's fine and Ro is aboard the Defiant." Bashir informed him.
"Kira arrested her?"
"No, sir. She's here to hand over the whereabouts of Michael Eddington."
"Lead the way, Doctor." Sisko ordered enthusiastically.
"By all means." The Doctor replied with his usual chipper flair.
They arrived at the crew's mess to find Ro enjoying a slice of cheesecake, "Sorry Captain, I just couldn't resist. I don't often get the time or opportunity to eat a slice. Want to join me?"
"What I want is Eddington. I was told you were ready to hand over information regarding his location." Sisko's voice betrayed a hunger of which he was unaware of.
Ro's expression froze over, "Fine. Here's everything we compiled on his movements and known supporters."
Sisko glanced over the scrolling text on the padd, "This is everything?"
"I don't having anything to hold back!" Ro snapped, "I want him stopped as badly, if not worse, than you do. You now have what we have. Good luck."
With that, she stormed out of the wardroom and headed towards the transporter. "Do really think Eddington is developing biogenic weapons." Bashir asked after she was out of earshot.
Sisko showed him a feral smile; "I don't know. It doesn't matter anyway. Soon we'll have Eddington in custody and the Maquis will begin to unravel."
As Sisko strolled away, Bashir wondered if the Maquis would ever vanish as long as people like Ro Laren were there to lead them.
Three weeks later….
Sisko stepped out of the turbolift as reach Ops. The morning was good and nothing seemed capable of breaking his ebullient mood. He strolled past the various operations stations on his way to his office. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Kira moving towards him and Dax's dour expression at the Science Station.
"What is it Major?" he asked, still feeling blissful.
"There's a message for you." Kira answered softly.
"Really?" Sisko said in delight, "From whom?"
"Ro Laren's waiting to talk to you on channel 1." Kira reported.
"Have you tried tracing the signal?"
Kira nodded, "It's scrambled, but Dax is working on it." Kira replied fervently.
"Keep on it Major." Sisko consoled, "Let me know when you have something."
With that said, Kira marched off as though sheer willpower alone could trace the altered subspace bands back to their point of origin. If it were, Sisko mused, Kira would able track hundreds, if not thousands, of transmissions. What he'd once thought of as feisty stubbornness had since proven to be an incredibly indomitable will.
As Sisko stepped into his office and proceeded to his chair he activated his comm display to reveal an angry looking Ro, "Sisko! You lying bastard!"
Expecting kudos for his capturing Michael Eddington, Sisko was taken aback by this verbal assault; "I don't understand. You've heard the news haven't you?"
"Of course I've heard. Everyone in the damn sector's the news. You fired on a civilian population." Ro explained coldly, "I'm a so-called 'terrorist' and even I won't stoop to that level."
"They were harboring a man that had just committed genocide." Sisko shot back more sharply than he intended, "I needed to convince him to surrender to the authorities."
"That being you." Ro observed acerbically.
"Yes"" Sisko said angrily, "To me."
"To the man he'd betrayed," Ro replied without inflection, "so you could carve your pound of flesh out of him before Starfleet could."
"It wasn't like that." Sisko rose from his chair while staying close to the viewer.
"No?" Ro lashed back, "Then how else can you explain attacking an unarmed population?"
"They weren't unarmed." Sisko thundered, "They were Maquis. They granted him shelter and hid under the guise of innocent colonists."
"News flash, they were innocent colonists." Ro informed him, "Now they're lining up to be recruited. And all of this is a result of Starfleet's heavy-handed callous disregard that created the Maquis in the first place."
Ro glared at him, "Are you satisfied, or d'you want to come back and terrify even more Zoners? We could always use the recruits."
"I…" Sisko found himself uncharacteristically speechless.
"I thought so." Ro interrupted, "I'll be seeing you around Captain. I hope you'll be sleeping better by then."
The screen went blank, leaving Sisko with the silence of his own brooding thoughts. The silence ended when the door chimed. Kira walked in and took her place in front of his desk. From her demeanor, he knew what she would say.
"Sorry, Captain. We weren't able to trace the signal."
Sisko sighed, "It doesn't matter. That'll be all."
Kira turned towards the door then hesitated, "Sir, if it's any consolation, I know what's it like to fight your own people. Personally, I think you did the right thing."
"I'm sure you do and I appreciate the support." Sisko confided, "I'll be fine."
The door slid shut behind Kira leaving Sisko to contemplate matters. He picked up his baseball and begun gently lobbing it up in the air as he thought.