The holding cell was stark and uninviting, but N'ivryn had grown accustomed to it over the past fifteen hours. Her eyes were tired and haunted, but a spark of defiance still lingered. She'd heard Garak attempting to persuade Odo to let him talk to her, but of course the Constable wasn't about to entertain the idea. Maybe he'd come to laugh at how foolish she'd been to have ever trusted him. Or maybe he'd come to apologize for leaking the logs. She wasn't sure if she would've wanted to talk to him either way.
Odo's entrance disrupted her contemplative silence. She sat up, swinging her legs off the side of the bench. She'd expected him to badger her with questions for hours on end, but instead he'd mostly left her to pass the time in oppressive, lonely, silence.
"N'ivryn," he said, his voice crisp and authoritative, "I thought you should know that Captain Sisko and the others have just docked with three of your people."
Her face contorted in a mixture of shock and disbelief. "What do you mean? Here? On the station?" she stammered, struggling to process the information.
"Yes," Odo confirmed. "It seems they preferred to see Kallim in person."
Her face paled as the words sank in. "If they're here…"she murmured. "Constable, if they're on this station we're in danger."
Odo took a step closer to the cell, his voice steady. "The Captain has assured me that every precaution is being taken to ensure the safety and comfort of the Alar while they're here on the station."
She shook her head vigorously, annoyed that he wasn't getting it. "No, not them, everyone else on this station."
"I'm told the Alar have expressed discomfort at the presence of outsiders, but Sisko stated they haven't done anything to attack or harm any of the crew."
"You don't know them like I do." She stepped up to the containment field until she was just inches from it, face to face with Odo."Will Dr. Bashir be there when they see Kallim?"
"Yes, he insisted on watching over him personally."
"Odo, you cannot let them near Julian."
He crossed his arms, not putting too much stock in anything she had to say, but curious all the same. "And why is that?"
"They'll kill him."
"Is that a threat?"
"No!" She huffed in frustration. "A warning. My people are extremely sensitive about what is known about our species. They'll know Julian has studied Kallim's biology in depth. If they were willing to break the tenets by coming here, then it has to be because they think they can rectify that."
"And how exactly do you propose they would do that?"
She looked at him in confusion. How was he not understanding? "I told you. They'll kill him."
"I see," Odo remarked coolly. "Well I can assure you my security teams are well experienced and prepared. If any danger presents itself, they'll be more than capable of handling it."
"Constable, you can't possibly understand what you're up against. You have to let me go," she pleaded, her voice breaking with urgency. "I can speak to them, explain things, make sure they don't hurt Julian. I can fix this."
Odo laughed, a rare and unsetting sound. "You're not in any position to negotiate here."
"Please, Constable. You don't understand. They won't listen to outsiders. But they'll listen to me. I can make them see reason."
"You expect me to release you, a known criminal, into an already delicate situation and hope you'll act in our best interests?" Odo's voice was incredulous. "That's not going to happen."
"I can't stand the thought of someone else getting hurt because of something I chose to do," she pleaded. "You have to let me fix this. Let me help!"
Odo's face remained impassive, his voice firm. "Your concern is noted, but I can't release you. We'll manage this situation without your assistance."
"Please, Constable!" Her voice was a desperate cry, but Odo's resolve was unbreakable.
Just then, a shockwave rattled the room, shaking N'ivryn's cell and causing Odo to stumble. Instinctively, Odo called to his security team via his combadge. "What's happening, was that an explosion?"
A voice chirped back. "One of the Alar tried to attack Captain Sisko because he wouldn't let them take the child," a voice crackled over the comm. "They've retreated to the Promenade, we're on it Constable.."
N'ivryn's eyes widened, her voice insistent. "I told you! You have to let me go. I can fix this!"
"Absolutely not," Odo growled. He turned to leave, but was knocked off balance by a second shockwave, this one more powerful than the last. Even through the thick bulkheads, they could hear screams from the Promenade.
"I'm sorry," N'ivryn whispered under her breath, her face desperate, yet filled with resolve.
Her body began to glow with thermoluminescence, her hands moving in a calculated motion. Odo's eyes widened as he realized what she was doing, but he was too late to stop her.
A blast of bright energy shot out from her cupped hands. It overloaded the barrier of the holding cell, creating an explosion that sent Odo hurtling hard into the wall. The force was enough to leave his solid form motionless on the floor–at least for the time being. N'ivryn only watched him a moment before sprinting out towards the Promenade.