Thankfully Taya hadn't ventured very far but was merely sitting down in the corridor,leaning up against the pylon structure that made up the walls of the corridor itself.
Her arms were crossed and the tears were only being held back by the shocking horror that was overshadowing her gaze.
Her gaze was conflicted and crazed as if the truth was something she would obstinately deny till the day she died.
"I know this may come as a shock to you but he did deal weapons with the Dominion Taya, so it is quite possible he gave out weapons to other alien races amongst the Gamma Quadrant".
"They were allies, Odo.
The Jem Hadar, The Vorta and all the Founders, they were allies, they had never harmed us, so what reason would my grandfather have against helping them and providing all those people with weapons?
The Cardassians were different.
They weren't from there, they were from beyond the wormhole, just like the federation was, they didn't belong there, just like the federation wasn't."
"Yet a Cardassian saved you, a Cardassian spared you and you never once claimed otherwise.
You commended him for his bravery and the nobleness in which he rescued you.
The Dominion didn't destroy your village did they?
The Cardassian's did. Am I right?"
"Yes, the Cardassian's destroyed my planet, not the Jem Hadar.
They would have never harmed me, once they found out who I was but I was nothing but a ignorant child, I knew nothing of war.
I always told myself it was the Dominion, I told myself it was the Vorta and all the founders with them that did this, even when I knew the truth.
So I told people lies about how the Dominion had invaded and people believed me.
I think it was just white lie I told myself so I wouldn't see how horrible Gul Dukat really was.
I think I lied to myself so I wouldn't stop and actually acknowledge how horrible everything was.
Now my grandfather, seems to be a lie as well.
My whole life is one big lie yet you probably already knew that".
Odo knew he had to be very careful with his next words because she was obviously in a very vulnerable state of mind at this time.
Odo hunkered down and then leaned back ever so slightly against the wall, so that he was sitting in a similar fashion beside her.
"Your life isn't a lie, Taya and I'm sorry if I ever gave you that impression.
I don't think you are a lie, I think you might over exaggerate things a bit and you do leave a lot to the imagination at times but that's probably only to protect yourself am I right?"
Taya didn't like how he made his voice deliberately slower than usual.
Taya decided not to answer him.
She had nothing to say to him, nothing that nice anyway so she remained silent for a time.
"Fine, don't talk to me yet look at this way, maybe Rurigan had a reason to deal arms with Cardassia.
Maybe by providing weapons to the Cardassians, he thought he could protect you somehow.
He did protect you for quite awhile so perhaps all of this was to protect all of you from the Cardassians that he feared would invade Yandera Prime".
"Oh I suppose that makes it all better doesn't it?
My grandfather the martyr, the noble hero, providing quantum torpedos to the Cardassian just so they could kill us faster with them later on!
You know I'm surprised, that you aren't pleased with yourself right now.
I'm not quite as innocent as I appear to be and now my Grandfather turns out to be a criminal yet that's probably something you suspected all along wasn't it?
Are you satisfied now?
Now that I'm closely related to a criminal.
Yes my family history is no doubt full of deception, treachery, betrayal and illegal weaponry.
You must be having a field day, today Constable".
Her voice had that hoarse barking tone that struck him violently as odd because yet again the voice was so similar to his own.
"I am not pleased with myself in any way and I had no suspicions whatsoever regarding your grandfather's intergalactic inventions."
"Oh that's rich, you suspected everyone in my village and my grandfather especially above all rise"
"I suspect everyone, that's my job! I'll have you know I never suspected your grandfather of dealing arms with Cardassians.
He was a good man, Taya and he was a broken man too, broken by war and by losing you.
He was willing to do anything to protect you and his people.
He was fond of you, he may have even loved you but believe me it gives me no joy to know that for certain that he is dead along with the rest of your family that was stationed on that planet!
If you want to know what's so upsetting to me about this, is my so called people could have prevented this but they didn't, they stood by idly in that infernal sea of deception that they call the great link while your planet was destroyed!
So if you ask me blaming the Dominion, the Vorta and The founders isn't that far off.
They are very much to blame for this just as much as the Cardassians were.
So you weren't actually lying, you were merely stretching the truth...a tiny bit
I think I finally understand why you stretch it so often, everyone you've ever known has lied to you yet you confuse yourself amongst these lies. You've been lied to so often throughout your life you mistake those lies for your own and not only that but you seem to think that you are the lie itself.
You are not a lie, reality has been your lie, Taya.
Life itself has lied to you but I'm not lying to you. I refuse to and I assure you Taya, none of this give me any satisfaction whatsoever. I don't know what Quark has told you about me but I'm not quite as evil he says I am.
I'm not evil at all actually, I'm just skeptical that's all.
I wish people wouldn't portray as some kind of villain.
I did think you knew better than that.
I thought you saw me as more than that.
I'm not all that bad Am I just now?"
"No, not really, you're just kind of grumpy at times but I don't mind most days.
Madred was far worse anyways."
"I'm sure he was.
Tell me was that scar of yours given to you on one of his good days?"
"Oh yes, definitely.
He was in a very good mood that day, he doesn't usually show off his prized Kandarian blade to just anyone and certainly not on just any given time.
So yes that was a good day for him".
"Not for you though".
"No, not for me, it never was for me.
I should probably go back in there shouldn't I?"
"No there's no need for that, you really don't have to.
I can handle him and if you want you can just wait out here for the time being".
"No I should just go back in, I want to, I'm sure O' Brian thought he upset me somehow".
"Well He was very concerned.
He apparently was under the impression that he had said something wrong but I can it ti him if you'd like".
"Yeah I'll go in and explain it to him, instead.
He is a superior officer after all so I owe him a explanation, perhaps even an apology".
"You don't owe him anything, Taya, you do owe me a few favors though, so you could always do it for me".
The corners of Odo's mouth curved upwards to create rather jaunty sort of grin.
"Nope, I'm doing it for you this time, Odo, I'm doing it for me".
Taya gave Odo a playful shove as she jumped to her feet and headed back to O' Brian in Engineering.
