Chapter one: It's Good to See You
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With the exception of a single arrest, the day had been completely uneventful, much like the day before it.
Major Kira had gone on a mission to Jeraddo, Bajor's fifth moon. She and a small handful of mostly-experienced people had spent the entire day there, and upon returning she spent the second day in her quarters recovering.
He hoped he could catch glimpse of her while on patrol, but he was nearing the end of his shift and there still hadn't been any sign of the Major. He could have visited her in her quarters, but he didn't want to interrupt her recovery time.
So he focused instead on finishing his patrol.
He had a very simple routine: He started on the promenade (he slowed his pace when he passed by Quark's to give him time to peer inside its busy depths), around the Replimat, and around the shops. From there he would travel down the corridor to the docking bays where fresh new malcontents always boarded or tried to escape, and then down guest quarters.
Normally he would loop around in reverse as a tiny Bolian flea, because it was so small it could barely be seen by the naked eye and thus people were more likely to discuss their illegal activities when they thought the Chief of Security was out of sight and earshot - and never knew he was lounging on their boot straps.
Then, as a flea, he would slip between the security doors and shapeshift back into his preferred form and exit his office to begin his route all over again. Numerous times he spotted one of Quark's employees spying around the corner, trying to figure out how Odo could exit an office he hadn't seemingly re-entered.
The thing about Bolian fleas were that their jumps couldn't be heard even by Ferengi.
But for the last several months following the retaking of the station, he opted to finish his route in his typical humanoid form, and rarely shapeshifted at all. Arrests were down, but he couldn't bring himself to shapeshift more than the bare minimum: into his liquid state to regenerate.
"No Bolian flea?" He heard the Major ask from behind him, and all of his turmoil melted away in the wake of her presence.
The security doors closed behind them. She stood there, rubbing her fingers and looking beautiful, and his heart would have skipped a happy beat if he had one.
"How are you feeling?" He asked gently, avoiding her question.
"Much the same, honestly. But I couldn't stand doing nothing in my quarters all day. I had to get some air, see some friendly faces before going back."
I'm very pleased to hear I made your list, after all that has happened.
She became aware that he was watching her rub her fingers, and she stopped. "Sorry, I can't get this dirt off me." She chuckled.
"A successful mission, I take it?"
"We planted all Eight-hundred." She answered proudly and took the cup of raktijino he offered her. "What's this I hear about a bomb threat?"
"Someone threatened to blow up Quark's after a losing streak at the Dabo Table." He explained the situation so dismissively that it gave the impression the arrest was merely an act of formality.
"Oh. ...should have arrested him after he did it."
"Not a bad idea." He returned the joke. "I haven't interrogated him yet, but I suspect they were merely idle threats of an intoxicated man." Regardless of his suspicions in any case, he had learned early on to handle each prisoner as if they were indeed dangerous: it was safer for the station that way. For Odo, thorough was the only way to go.
He watched as she took a sip of her beverage and changed topics. "Will it work, do you think?"
"It's all experimental." She inhaled in thought, then exhaled loudly. "Honestly, I have no idea." She finally admitted. "Keiko's confident it will."
"I'm surprised the previous residents didn't take you up on your offer to be a part of the Jeraddo Directive."
"I am too. I was so sure they would jump at the chance... We ended up having to find replacements hours before we were scheduled to leave. Did you know that Dax invited Garak and Martok of all people? I don't know what's more shocking, that she even asked or that they agreed."
"It makes sense for Garak since he used to be a gardener." Odo reasoned, but he couldn't deny that it was out of character for the Cardassian to volunteer that kind of information about himself, or that kind of work. "Or so he claims." He added as a cautious afterthought.
"I believe him for once. He has experience and it showed."
"But General Martok..."
His comment elicited an unexpected laugh from the Major. "You should have seen him, Odo! I've never seen someone so out of place, he actually tried punching his first plant into the hole! That poor thing was so, so mangled its little leaves were falling off!" Her laughter rose in pitch. "You sh-should have seen Sisko's face!" Her laughter made her head throb even worse. She wiped away a tear. "Prophets, may he never touch a plant again."
"It sounds like you had a good time."
"I did. I got a migraine, though. Nothing the doctor gave me helped. It's a side effect of breathing the atmosphere. I got it last time I was there with Dax, too."
"I remember that. Didn't you have respirators with you this time?"
"The atmosphere is toxic in the long-term. Short term it isn't so bad. We were only there for a day. Besides, the masks just get in the way."
The security doors slid open as a short Ferengi waddled in quickly.
"Odo. Odo!"
"Yes, Quark?"
"Dax and that Klingon have been in my holosuite for over three hours!"
"And?"
"They only paid for two! I have other guests who are waiting to use it! Arrest them you have to, but get them out of there!"
"All right," He sighed with a roll of his eyes, then rest them on Kira's lovely face. "Duty calls."
"Thank you." Quark growled sarcastically as Odo passed him on his way out of Security. Quark followed quickly after the changeling into his bar, up the spiral staircase, and he stopped short of entering. He wasn't fond of Klingon Holoprograms, so he opted to wait just outside.
They're probably training and lost track of time. At least he knew he wouldn't experience any push-back from Dax. The holosuite's doors slid open, and upon entering the holosuite, he immediately dodged an attack.
Within seconds, his nature as a Shapeshifter had already engaged: He had analyzed his assailant's characteristics, density, and uniquities: A large feathered avian. Should he shapeshift into a rock, a bigger creature, imitate it, or stand firm? Within mere seconds of the possibilities having run through his head, and he opted to stand firm.
It swung at the Constable again with its two front claws. He was too slow to dodge the second time around, and his matrix tingled as the hologram sliced through his torso. He noted that the safety was on, which was highly unusual when Klingons were present - Dax's insistence, most likely.
The holographic image of the large animal disappeared suddenly.
"Sorry." Dax apologized, then turned to Martok. Odo allowed himself to release the tension he felt in his matrix by allowing his arms to relax by his sides.
"I still don't think it would attack like that. An Aerial dive would be more likely."
"How can you come to that conclusion!" Martok growled.
"Well it has wings for one thing," Dax retorted. "it didn't evolve them for decoration."
The hologram returned to its original position, standing on all four feathered claws, wings folded at its side, looking dainty and perky as if it hadn't just tried to kill him. It even chirped cheerfully.
"And teeth and talons! And a beak larger than a Tarkelian mammoth! What would it use those features for if not to eviscerate its prey!?"
The two argued passionately regarding whether the animal would do this-or-that based off its physical characteristics. Martok wanted it to be a ravaging beast and Dax wanted it to be some majestic surveyor. Odo cleared his throat.
"Yes, Constable, I'm sorry. Quark wants us out, doesn't he?"
"Unless you're willing to pay the proprietor for additional hours, it's time to go."
Dax glanced over to Martok questioningly.
"NNnnn," he vocalized in the negative. "Sirella already doesn't approve of holosuites to budget that into my meager allowance. I'm afraid our work here is done, Commander."
She lowered her head. Of course, she mouthed humbly.
Odo rounded the hologram, admiring the feathered, four-legged beast.
How difficult would it be to imitate this?
The female changeling's words repeated in his mind again. Imitate, then infiltrate. It's all we do.
He aborted the thought of taking its form. "Another training program?" He asked in an attempt to distract himself from what he was feeling.
"Not exactly." Dax admitted. Klingon training programs were a dime a dozen; to create another was to piss in an ocean of redundancy.
"Martok found part of its remains on Jeraddo. He wanted to recreate it based off DNA analysis."
"My men are weary of wasting hours on holosuites and wine. A good hunt would lift their spirits, but nothing in Bajoran space is worthy of our attention. Except this!"
The Constable extended his pointer finger towards the hologram in confusion. "You found this on Bajor's fifth moon?"
"I did."
"He dug up one of its sickle-claws while preparing a hole for one of Keiko's modified plants."
"I never would have imagined the great General Martok gardening." He teased playfully. "How did Dax rope you into that?"
"Don't remind me." He muttered something in Klingon, then added, "I'd never agree to it had I not owed Dax a favor! Here I was thinking she would ask me to slay some Drathean Razorbeast. Instead it's planting flowers on a dust planet."
"Dust moon." Dax corrected.
Another series of Klingon curses followed. "Still, what a find!"
"I thought you and Major Kira scanned the moon for complex lifeforms before its core was tapped."
"We did, but we were only assigned to a few grids, and it's a big moon. The Bajoran Environmental Agency scanned the majority of it and reported only minor life signs. Crickets, minor birds. Mostly just spiders. The small creatures were programmed out of the scan, and nothing like this ever showed up. But it did die around that time."
"It is rather bird-like."
"I'd hardly call that a 'minor life form'!" The Klingon smiled proudly at the hologram.
"The scanners seemed to think they were. If they were categorized properly, the Agency would have had to abort the mining initiative. I'm afraid by tapping Jeraddo, this species went extinct. And there's nothing else like it in this entire sector, let alone the moon." She took in a breath. "Just think. If it weren't for your gardening, no one would have ever known they even existed."
"I can't imagine something like this wouldn't have been in Bajor's historical records." Odo pondered. How could an entire species that big just be overlooked like that?
"A lot of history was destroyed during the Occupation. But Akorem Laan did mention a feathered bird-beast in one of his poems. Looks like he wasn't making it up after all." She said it was a playful grin.
"I refuse to believe these magnificent beasts are extinct." Martok ran his hand over the hologram's large, feathered neck in a display of affection Odo had never seen in a Klingon before. If he didn't know Klingons any better, he would have thought the General had fallen in love with it. "I would have given my last good eye to hunt one of these."
"My other patrons are waiting!" Quark shouted from the holosuite doors.
"I'm sorry. As fascinating as this is, I must ask you to leave."
"Computer: End program." She commanded, and just like real animal, the holographic bird blipped out of existence like a warm exhale in a winter's breeze.
Odo followed Dax and Martok out of Quark's, and offered the Ferengi a rare nod of his head as he passed through. He overheard the two conversing as they left.
"Mark my words. There will be a hunting party on that moon, and I will be leading it!"
"And I would be honored to be counted among your party!" She had already made it clear earlier that she was convinced they were extinct, so that made her declaration to join his hunting party facetious. Nevertheless, this pleased the General because Dax would be true to her word when she was eventually proven wrong, and he clapped her on the back with a chuckle. Odo watched the Trill and Klingon exchange words in Klingon, then part ways.
Having seen nothing out of the ordinary in Quark's, he returned to his office to wish the Major a good night. He found her where he had left her, sitting in front of his desk, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"Are you alright, Major?"
"It's just that migraine. I'll be fine."
"Perhaps you should return to your Quarters? And rest?"
"Oh, as much as I hate to, I think I will."
She bid him good evening, and after he checked on his only prisoner, he himself retired to his quarters to regenerate.
As he reverted into his true form and nestled into the corner of his quarters, he reviewed his conversation with Martok and Dax. Something she had said replayed in his memory, which had a curious effect on him:
If it weren't for your gardening, no one would have ever known they even existed.