DS9: Okanogan Incident Chapter 2

Conversations: Garak and Miles

Garak cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms before settling back in his office chair.

He was in regular conversation with Keiko O'Brien, a botanist, who had been extremely helpful in the reclamation of Cardassia's native biome.

But he had never purposefully contacted Professor Miles O'Brien, currently working as a Star Fleet Academy lecturer.

He entered the contact code and waited for the connection to go through.

At last Miles O'Brien answered with an obvious scowl on his face.

Garak suppressed an irrational stab of envy when he noted that the human's hair seemed to be getting darker, instead of turning grey like his own. He now had to result colouring his hair to keep the glossy black style of his youth.

O'Brien's ruddy face peered at Garak through the display.

"This is unexpected, Keiko's not here, she is working on campus today," Miles said.

"Ah, that's perfectly acceptable," Garak said with a smile, hoping appearing friendly, would ease O'Brien's suspicious nature.

"I in fact wanted to talk to you Professor O'Brien, about a delicate situation." Garak tried not to fidget in his chair.

O'Brien's scowl returned full force. "I don't know how I can help you," O'Brien said gruffly.

"It's about our mutual friend, Julian." Garak held his breath, hoping O'Brien wouldn't disconnect the call immediately.

"Julian," O'Brien said darkly.

Despite the temperamental quality of com-calls from Cardassia, Garak could see that O'Brien's face had become flushed.

"Our old friend, Commander Kira is sending Julian for a visit to Cardassia," Garak said. "And well I have heard stories, that my dear friend isn't coping well with the end of the war." Garak shrugged and turned his palm upwards, not sure if O'Brien can see the universal sign of helplessness.

"Ha! Not coped well," Miles shook his head and muttered under his breath.

"To help Julian I think I need to hear about what happened on the USS Okanogan," Garak probed, by observing the momentary freezing of his features, Garak assumed what ever happened on the Okanogan was much more serious that he had first supposed.

Miles licked his lips. "Is this a secure diplomatic channel?"

"Of course," Garak replied.

He didn't really trust the diplomatic channels to be secure, it's why this time he has added a layer of his personal encryption. He had 95% confidence in his security. After knowing someone like Julian, he would never be totally sure in cyber security again.

Garak patiently watched the other man through the screen. O'Brien was twisting his hands together, overall, the man was agitated. He seemed to be breathing heavily, though the microphone didn't pick up the noise.

It appeared that O'Brien had made a decision as he started to pace about his room.

Finally, he began to speak.

"After the war, Julian was never the same again, it can affect some people that way. Julian wasn't meant for war," Miles started.

Garak was careful to keep his facial expression in the repose of a man listening carefully. Barely a flicker of an eyelid at this egregious mischaracterisation. Julian was a practical man, strangely he didn't use any energy weapons, yet he was coolly sanguine about death during the war.

Garak had been privy to countless rants about the needless waste of lives and resources by Julian. Not because Julian was a pacifist, but because he deplored the inefficiency of the conflict. As far as Julian was concerned, most disputes could be ended by a few well-placed daggers, sever the head before the body went to war.

In principle, Garak had agreed. He seriously doubted Julian had shared the same ruthless sentiment with his Star fleet colleagues, especially O'Brien.

Miles was pacing faster now, making a little circuit about his room.

"At first it was little stuff, missing shifts, sleeping when he was meant to be on duty. Inventory miscounts," Miles explains. "With his war time reputation, his crew and staff were willing to overlook these small relapses."

"Julian would come to me with help finding a new post," Miles past the little table in the centre of the room and looped around the chair. His gimbaled camera was having difficulty keeping up with Miles.

"Each time Julian would be optimistic that this time it would be better," Miles almost gave Garak a pleading look as he recounted his story. "And each time I would find him a new post."

Miles's anxious pacing kept taking him out of the field of view of his little camera before he would suddenly appear in Garak's screen again.

"And each time, for the first two, three or four months, it would be good. Julian would hold it together. Then he would slide back into these terrible unhealthy habits. It got to the point where the other doctors and nurses refused to cover for him."

Garak frowned at this information; the pattern seemed obvious to him. He watched impassively as O'Brien tugged at his hair in despair at his old friend's actions.

Could it be Julian's old stalker still. The thought caused a shiver down Garak's spine. Every time Julian moved it could be the natural period for this mysterious stalker to track Julian down and find a way in and to start tormenting the doctor again.

It spoke of someone who had a chilling patience and a skill level to circumnavigate Julian's own defences. To dog Julian relentlessly for over six years. That spoke of a personal enemy, someone who had a deep-seated hatred of Julian.

"The last time he came to me three years ago his reputation was completely shot," O'Brien said, his tone regretful. "I pulled the last string I had and got him aboard the Okanogan," O'Brien shook his head sadly.

He looked straight at Garak and there was true anguish within his blue eyes. "This time it seemed to be going well," Miles started his circuit again, at an even quicker pace. "I mean it wasn't anything prestigious, not like on Deep Space Nine, but I really hoped that this time he had turned a corner, you know," Miles said.

Garak simply nodded, not saying a word, not wanting to break O'Brien's flow of words.

"Since the war, Julian has become a bit of a recluse. I think he only really talked to me or Nerys. But for the first six months of his duty he was getting positive crew reviews," Miles shook his head.

"Julian wasn't the life and soul of the party, quiet like, kept to himself, working on research he told me." O'Brien was stamping around his room now. "I mean the ship was crewed with kids; you know."

"Newly minted officers, who needed to develop experience before transferring to bigger and better ships, or fresh out of the academy kids who needed a bit of extra 'spit and polish,' before moving on."

O'Brien passed out of Garak's field of view again.

"The ship was just doing cargo runs back and forth to the space station at Fellebia. Nothing dangerous. Except that the planet itself was known for weird viruses. So, it is standard operating procedure, to do a scan and a blood draw every time the crew came back on board." O'Brien's motions were almost frantic at this point.

"Any first aider or med-tech could have done it, take the blood and put it in the analyser. Hell! I could've done it." As O'Brien spun about, his elbow clipped a lamp, it rocked dangerously on its base. Unnoticed by the human. "Admittedly the risk was tiny, I don't think there has been a viral outbreak on the station in something like 8 years."

Garak didn't know if O'Brien was trying to excuse Julian's culpability or his own.

"But he didn't, he was just binning the samples, instead of running the tests," Miles's voice began to rise.

Garak couldn't suppress his reaction in time, he felt surprised at this information.

He remembered thirteen years ago, when he had that problem with his implant. He remembered when Julian came to his room to treat him, Garak had demanded to know if Julian was a real doctor. Julian had been annoyed at the time and answered of course he was a doctor. 'What idiot would send in an undercover agent as a doctor without the requisite skill to pull it off,' Julian had huffed at the time.

Julian was a damned good doctor, 'what was going on,'Garak wondered.

In his anxiousness, O'Brien hadn't noticed Garak's momentary lapse in control. He continued to recount his story.

"So, it was three days before Julian realised that there was something going on with the crew. It turned out that one young ensign had been hooking up with a local, every time they had leave on the station. Unfortunately, this time they had caught a virus," O'Brien sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

"If only Julian had run the damn tests, he would have seen the ensign had a virus, he could have nipped it in the bud," O'Brien said. "Instead, the kid went on their merry way, while the virus mutated and went airborne and silently infected the majority of the crew."

"Julian only noticed when everyone started to get sick. Of course it was too late by then." Miles dropped dejectedly into a nearby chair. Leaning forward with his head in his hands.

"By the time they reach the next doc, 87 of the crew was already dead and the remaining crew were seriously unwell. Julian was wrecked with exhaustion. But he swore up and down that he did the blood tests," O'Brien said quietly.

"The ship, the crew and Julian were brought to Earth, to Star Fleet headquarters."

O'Brien slumped back in his chair now, as if he didn't have the strength to hold his body upright. He was staring up at the ceiling.

"Then Julian turned up on my doorstep, begging for help. At first, he tried telling me some bullshit story about the computer not recording the test results. I kept asking him how that could happen and why someone would tamper with the analyser."

Miles scrubbed his face with his hands.

"Then he started to cry, and begged me to help, he admitted that he binned the results, that there shouldn't have been any risks. He doesn't know what went wrong," O'Brien said, voice wet. "He pleaded with me. Said that the computers were scrambled with Cardassian codes and tricks," O'Brien looked at Garak accusingly.

"He would have been sent to prison for negligent homicide. For that many people, maybe for the rest of his life," O'Brien's voice was choked.

"He was my best friend and I loved him," O'Brien whispered. "I knew what it was like to be in prison, it would have killed Julian, and I couldn't bare it," O'Brien confessed.

O'Brien sat up straighter. "So, I did it. I got myself assigned to do the forensic review of the computer system, as one of the most experienced engineers on Cardassian programming in Star Fleet. I wiped it clean. Told them I had seen the untampered files and that Julian had done the tests, just as he said he had, but I triggered some unforeseen Cardassian boobytrap that wiped the computers before I could make a recording," O'Brien's voice was matter of fact now.

"That's how I became culpable in the deaths of 87 Star Fleet personnel, they were just kids."

"Julian was pathetically grateful of course, swore blind that nothing like that would happen again, that it would get better from now on," O'Brien said. "I told him we were through and that I couldn't see him anymore," O'Brien let out a large sigh. "Julian just said he understood. I swear he looked more regretful at me saying it was the end of our friendship than at the death of 87 innocent kids," fury was back in O'Brien's voice now, fists clenched.

"Thank you for telling me this Professor O'Brien," Garak said, tone respectful.

As quick as O'Brien's anger had arrived, it now seemed to drain from his body.

"You'll make sure that Julian's alright, won't you?" O'Brien asks softly.

"Off course, Miles," Garak replies.

O'Brien disconnects the call.

Garak leant back in his chair. Mind churning. Thinking back on everything O'Brien had said and everything he knew about Julian.

The first thing that came to mind was that someone had doctored Julian's computer, with Julian's skill level that was worrying in of itself. Second, like any good operative, when he saw his first story wasn't working on O'Brien, he changed directions. Julian used O'Brien's affection for him and the knowledge of the hell the other human had experience in prison to manipulate the human to do his bidding.

Which was to wipe the computer. There must be more to the computer business than O'Brien knew. Also why was Cardassian coding used? Was this somehow targeting Garak.

Garak's mind went to his adopted daughter, Asha's young face, his concern for her safety grew. But he wouldn't know if she was in danger until he spoke to Julian. Anyone who was willing to sacrifice 87 Star Fleet officers was capable of anything in their drive for... Revenge?

Third, Julian really regretted the severing of his friendship to the gruff engineer.

Naturally, Julian had never divulged his mission parameters. But when they were both on the station, the other man was truly the only person who could understand their predicament.

It had bred confidences.

Garak had asked Julian once about the friendships he built on the station. Julian had simply told him it wasn't forbidden in his mission statement. Garak was never sure what exactly Julian's mission was.

Though Julian had admitted when they both found themselves in a Dominion prison camp. That Julian was just meant to go to Deep Space Nine, do whatever research took his fancy, observe the inhabitants of the sector and work as a simple doctor, just build up his reputation ready for a later date.

Julian said that he had been looking forward to a bit of a quiet life for a change. Sighing he said he knew he was royally fucked when he saw the wormhole. He had shrugged and said that's life for you.

In the beginning Garak had tried to figure out how Julian was getting his orders from and who he was reporting to. But in all the time on board, he never discovered it. The most annoying thing of all was that Julian had better intelligence on Cardassia than Garak did.

It came in handy when Garak was part of the Cardassian resistance. Garak was certain that Julian would have gotten in trouble if anyone knew that he was passing on information to Garak. There was just something about that time before he started to supply data. Julian had seemed to be wrestling with something.

Garak never looked a gift horse in the mouth though and accepted any intelligence Julian could provide.

It was why even now that Garak knew how dangerous Julian's foe was, he was going to help him.

He just hoped Kelas and Asha would forgive him.

Conversations: Nerys and Julian

Nerys glanced at the chronometer above the entryway to Docking Bay 5, feeling the weight of the moment. "Julian, come here!" she called out as he stumbled from the airlock, apologising as his seat was right at the back of the craft.

Nerys looked as commanding as always in her crisp uniform, neat read hair, and subtle makeup. A little older now of course, but fit and healthy, with just a touch of white at her temples, giving her a distinguished air, suitable for a commander of a space station.

"Thank you so much," Julian said gratefully, as they shared a tight hug. "I know I should have told you sooner. I just, everything…." Julian made sure to have the correct amount of uncertainty and apology in his expression.

"Lunch?" she offered, hoping to ease the tension. She couldn't help but notice Julian's bedraggled state, very different from the handsome and lively doctor she had first met fifteen years ago.

"That would be great," Julian replied, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I had meant to bring something with me, and then the concessions, on the transport…."

Kira smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Anything you get on Deep Space Nine is on me. We're trying to transition away from currency for the basics here anyhow."

Julian's eyes darted around nervously before selecting a partially secluded table. His own seat in partial shadow but gave him a good vantage spot to observe the other patrons.

As they sat down to eat, Julian launched into a story about a mission where they thought two of their friends had died. He repeated the oft told story between large, bites of his sloppy sandwich.

Julian regretted manipulating Nerys, especially with the current treaty negotiations taking place on Bajor with his people, she was probably in a position where she would discover his true allegiances soon. He smiled weakly at his friend.

"I think the food has improved too," Julian said, trying to maintain a normal flow of conversation.

"You're right. The food is better," Kira agreed, trying to keep a neutral expression with the evidence of how far Julian had fallen before her.

Their conversation took a surprising turn when Kira broached the difficult topic of Julian's unexpected visit. "Julian, I need to have a word with you," she began gently, noticing the panic in his eyes.

"I am afraid with the festival on the Planet, well there's an important announcement the Government is making and well I have to be planet side," Nerys explained, avoiding talk of Ezri's upcoming visit.

"I don't need you here, I could get a hostel bed, and if I could just have a few meals, not all the time..." Julian offered, his voice shaking. He carefully watched Nerys's reactions, ready to take a different line, if necessary, to get the result he wanted.

"No, Julian. I can't," Kira replied firmly, trying to remain resolute despite the pain in her heart. Julian looked so broken right now. What happened to that young enthusiastic man who had first entered the station all those years ago.

Their exchange grew more emotional as Julian's distress became clear. "Why, Nerys? What makes this so bad?" he pleaded, his eyes welling with tears. 'Zeus! Was he going too far.'

In the end, Kira offered to arrange passage back to Earth for Julian, unable to bear seeing him suffer alone. Despite their strained conversation, she couldn't deny the bond of friendship that still lingered between them.

'Earth, damn it, no,' Julian remained calm internally, while still acting distressed for Nerys's benefit. "Earth it's so far away, I would have to turn around and come back after a day or two," Julian pleaded.

Kira pursed her lips together, considering Julian's words carefully. "I'm sorry, Julian. But I told you the truth when I said that you have options. There are so many people who care about you, and so many places you are welcome… Not just here this time." Nerys found herself putting her hands on the table and leaning forward, like when she commanded her subordinates.

When she noticed Julian looking slightly alarmed, she eased back in her chair.

"They don't. And even if they did, just like you, they don't have the time," Julian replied, his voice wheedling, he pitched his voice to a level he knew would annoy Nerys.

Julian sighed heavily. He really did regret treating Nerys this way. She was a loyal friend, and he had abused her trust repeatedly, not that she knew it right now. But she would and very soon.

"Of everyone who stood here, back then, with Sisko. You're the only one left. It's amazing you've even held on for this long, as Commander. Especially, as you know there's something better waiting for you if you ever return to Bajor. Friend of the Emissary. Saviour of the people." Julian slumped in his chair, as if his frame no longer had the strength to hold him upright.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I thought this was worth your time." Nerys was eaten with guilt, but there truly was a big announcement coming. One that would change the relationship of Bajor and the Federation for ever. She was excited for the future, but she was nervous how her Star Fleet Friends would react. That was why she had suggested Ezri come for the festival. Hence, she could see the announcement herself.

Julian wasn't wrong, she knew her name was being bandied about for a prestigious promotion. She banished the thought; she didn't want to look too excited when Julian's own career was careening out of control.

"Julian."

"Miles is a professor now, but he wouldn't see me anyway, not after the Okanogan."

She had to interrupt.

"There's Cardassia Prime," she suggested.

Julian almost closed his eyes in relief.

"You can't mean—Garak?! No, Nerys!" Julian's voice rose with panic as he scratched at his bedraggled beard. "He hates me!" he emphatically proclaimed, eyes wide, a slight flush high on his cheeks.

"Of course he doesn't hate you." She had never understood what happened between the two men, there had always been such a fizzing energy between Julian and Garak.

"I—I never…. I've ignored him, all his correspondence… for all these years," Julian said, as he scrambled to come up with an excuse that would sound believable to his friend. "And then it… tapered off, and then… it stopped."

"That doesn't mean he hates you. It just means he realised you weren't a writer," she struggled for the words, Nerys frowned, that didn't sound right. Julian hadn't seemed to have trouble communicating with her, a bit sporadic maybe.

"And I ignored his calls…. I just, I don't know…. I didn't want to see him."

"May I ask… why?" Kira probed gently, needing to understand Julian's reluctance.

Frantically Julian searched his mind for a believable reason.

"I… I don't know. I think… I think I disappointed him. There was no, you know…." He trailed off, his gaze falling to the table. "There was no plan."

"That… disappointed Garak?" Now Nerys frowned in consternation.

"I always knew Cardassia was his number one priority…." Julian drops his head and turns his face to the side.

"Yes, I remember that." Nerys nodded.

"He wanted to get back to Cardassia Prime. He wanted to serve again…. After, after Ezri... Garak said I could come to Cardassia, that the planet was in desperate need for doctors and that I would always be welcome." Julian dropped his eyes and stared at the table.

"Aah!" Kira said, her expression changing to one of sympathetic understanding.

"It's just, it didn't feel right. After the war. I just wanted to move on." Julian rested his elbows on the table, head in his hands. "I wanted to be as far away from the war as possible. Somewhere fresh," Julian said in a hushed tone.

Nerys had to lean forward to hear Julian's words.

"I had wanted to forget the death and destruction I had seen." 'That sounds realistic,' Julian thought.

"That… did not go as planned." Julian moved to cover his eyes with his hands.

Nerys reached out with one of her pale hands and rested it in comfort on Julian's forearm. She noticed his hands, smooth, strong and still capable, such a strange juxtaposition to the rest of his haggard appearance.

"He'd been a good friend. Better than I expected, certainly," Julian recalled. "Better than he'd told me he'd be. To come back now, how would that read? 'Oh, my dear Mr. Garak, how nice to see you again! A member of the Detapa Council, my, my! Me, I'm here for your help even though I deigned your request to help your people when they were in desperate need. But I hear the planet is spick and span and ready for tourists now,' I would be a complete hypocrite," Julian said bitterly wiping at his eyes with his fingers.

"Julian. Julian," she stressed, hoping the name would draw his focus back to her. "That is not what is happening."

Julian looked at Nerys, she didn't seem suspicious at all. Good. There was probably no need to tell Nerys, Star Fleet 'the hypocritical bastards', were sending him on a suicide mission.

One way or another Julian Bashir was out of Star Fleet, he wouldn't be making his next posting.

"Go to Cardassia Prime, Julian."

"He doesn't want to see me."

"Damn it, Julian, he does want to see you! I've already spoken with him."

Julian gave Nerys a hopeful look as tears pooled in his eyes. "He wants to see me?" his voice had the barest quiver. 'My god, he should have taken Ian's advice and gone on stage.'

Nerys hoped that those were happy tears. Well, not happy. Nothing about Julian seemed happy. Grateful, perhaps? Relieved, if she were lucky. She would take any advantage in this situation she could. Nerys really wanted to get Julian off the station so she could prepare for her trip to Bajor.

"When Garak was here, he was in exile, surrounded by an environment that hated him. The lights too bright, the station, too cold," Nerys said, hoping to cement Julian's wavering resolve. it was a death sentence. "Even Dukat wanted him dead. Do you remember?"

"I remember…." Julian made a show of being deep in thought, as if Nerys's arguments were persuading him to visit Garak.

She led into it gently. "So… don't you think he might understand?" She gave it a half-beat, juggling whether to clarify further. "You were his friend. And for that, he really did… adore you. He has every reason to be grateful to you."

"Obligation, then. For whom I used to be."

"Julian…." Kira's tone was soft, urging him to consider.

He scanned the eatery they were in that used to be called the Replimat. Kira really had done wonders with the station, Though Julian rather liked Cardassian architecture. He thought he had put up enough resistance to make it believable.

His eyes darted nervously around him, scanning for anyone who was paying too much attention to them. Even after six years of harassment, Julian had no idea of the person's identity.

It all started right here on Deep Space Nine. But no matter how many times he returned; he never found any clues that would lead him to his mysterious stalker.

"… All right." Julian said. More a surrender than an acceptance.

Good grief, thank the Prophets. "I've arranged transport on what is, all right, technically a freighter, but it has been fitted with dedicated seat pods for passengers, for these short runs. There is a refuelling stop in the Olmerak system, and I think they may be unloading some cargo, but it ends up being the quickest transit time, considering the number of hands on the vessel and the expected customs procedures."

That did earn her a wan smile. "You certainly know your ships," he said. His eyes softened as he looked at Nerys's face, she still looked good if not as young as she once was. That sent an altogether different pang to his heart. "The station is lucky to have you, Nerys."

"Thank you, Julian." She leaned in gently. "I mean that. In the meanwhile, a walk? Around the Promenade? For old times' sake?"

He nodded with deliberate slowness. "All right." To support his charade, he pointed at his lunch. "I'd like to finish this sandwich first, though."

Julian had to employ multiple tricks to present an image of a burnt out Star Fleet doctor. One easy deception was making all his uniforms a half size too big. This gave the subtle impression that he had lost weight. He made sure to eat his food as if he was a starving man.

He suppressed a smirk as he caught Nerys grimacing as he shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth.

"Erm, maybe you should do a bit of personal grooming, before visiting Garak?" Nerys suggested gently. "Maybe a shave?" she said hopefully.

"Not my beard, it took me ages to grow it," Julian said looking offended at the suggestion. At Nerys's dismayed look, Julian relented. "Maybe a trim?" he suggested. A beard was another good method for hiding a multitude of sins.

Nerys perked up at the mention of the trim. "Maybe a clean uniform too?" Nerys gave Julian a once over. "You, ah, seem to have some stains there," she said diplomatically.

He let himself sag in relief, as Nerys pulled him through the station.

Julian just nodded in acquiescence where needed, after all, he got exactly what he wanted.

Transport to Garak, without him making any of the arrangements.

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