Odo searched the corridors as he went, waiting for Jem’Hadar to jump out in front of him at any moment. He really had no idea why he was doing this. Garak had never been the kind of character one would think about saving…but then, Odo could hardly remember an instance when Garak had needed help.
All he knew now was that someone he considered a friend was in trouble, and that was all that was important presently. The screams grew louder and still had the tone of containment to them. Garak wasn’t one to give in easily; of this fact, Odo was certain.
No guards…Interesting, mused Odo. He slid in under the door. Reforming quickly, he ducked behind a corner. He could barely see around the corner, and anymore shifting was bound to seriously debilitate him. So, Odo edged around the corner as much as he dared.
“You’re such a fool, Garak,” came the heavily accented voice of Odoital. “I told you that one day I would return, but you didn’t listen, did you?” The Cardassian form on the rack writhed in pain.
Garak was struggling for each breath; and it was painfully obvious that he was dying…fast.
“What are you doing to him?” asked Odo.
Odoital spun around, a malicious smile spread wildly across his face. The smile disappeared quickly as he saw his own alternate.
“Well, well, well,” Odoital said, studying his counterpart. “At last we meet. I must say I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Odo Ital.” His words were saturated with disgust as he spit the broken Bajoran pronunciation at Odo. “Tell me, is Elim Garak a fool in your universe as well?”
“No,” said Odo, carefully watching Garak. He couldn’t waste very much time. It had taken him well nigh 7 minutes to reach the torture room Odoital had allocated. This seemed to be one of the most frequently used one; logical, seeing as it was near the Pit. “Garak has never shown himself to be a fool, in my own universe or yours.” Never a fool? No, never. Perhaps blinded a few times by his feelings, by his ambition, but…
“Well, you are sorely mistaken, Mr. Odo. Elim Garak has always shown himself to be a fool, both in the past and in the present. Only this time, he will pay for his foolishness.”
Garak’s body writhed for a full minute as Odo watched helplessly. It wasn’t a feeling he had experienced very often, and he didn’t enjoy it. Then, it collapsed, and Odo saw no more struggle left in Garak’s body.
“What have you done?”
“Oh, pity. He must have been knocked unconscious…again. A shame. I was enjoying myself.” Odoital
left the room, and it only took a split second for Odo to decide to follow him. And no one noticed that Odoital had failed to turn off the surges firing through Garak’s body.
(-|-)
“You know, Mr. Odo,” Odoital started, knowing Odo would be following him, “I never thought I would meet myself, especially on the eve of my greatest conquest.” Odo sneered at him. He did not like this counterpart, or his planned conquest. “You don’t know the Unity, do you?” questioned Odoital. Odo shook his head.
“I’ve never heard of the Unity.”
“Come, come, Mr. Odo. You really should become a part of the Unity. You have no idea what power it gives me, being able to be in contact with all my people, being able to make them do as I see fit. Memories, thoughts all flow to me.. You could be a part of this, serve me well in my future empire.”
Odo saw the sanity gone from Odoital’s eyes and replaced with anger and pure evil.
“The Great Link is not something I wish to be a part of.”
“The Great Link? Is that what it is called in your universe? No matter. The Unity exists regardless of what it is called.”
“Yes.” They both stood in front of the door leading to the Pit.
“Let me show you something,” Odoital said, opening the doors to the Pit. A wave of what would have been interpreted as smell charged through the door. Odo lost his concentration, and Odoital grabbed the opportunity and Odo’s arm. Using the influence of the Unity, Odoital threw Odo down into the Pit.
But the flood of thoughts and what could only be described as essence centered Odo, and he maintained his connection with Odoital, bringing them down into the Pit together.
Both shapeshifters stood, their beings still linked. Odo knew this would be the only way to harm Odoital. And yet, he didn’t want to have to harm him.
No Changeling has ever harmed another. The words came back to him, words that had been quelled for so many years. And yet, he had done just that: harmed…no, killed another of his kind to save this ship and the peace the Federation was fighting to uphold. He looked into Odoital, looked into the warp twisted version of himself and found that they had no such mantra here.
Odo allowed the link to strengthen before he made his move. It would take practically every ounce of strength he had left to pull this off. Finally, as Odo felt himself losing control, losing his will to Odoital…he struck back. Allowing his mind to force Odoital from the seat of power he had gained, forcing him from his mind, making Odoital lose control of something…someone, was enough.
Odoital was thrown back from Odo onto the now hideously grotesque pile of quickly decomposing bodies. But he didn’t care. The only thing to do now was to gain his control of Odo once more for he had sensed such control and such a concept of order that he had realized that it would greatly add to his empire.
But Odo was ready the next time Odoital came after him, and so this time, he struck out, clasping Odoital and draining as much as possible from him. All it would take was a little more, and then this…this version of himself would no longer exist and the universe would be safe…just a little more…
Odo’s concentration was broken by the sound of phaser fire rocking the station both from firing and being fired upon.
“Sisko…” If he had any hopes of saving Garak or getting off this hell-bound station, he had to go now.
“Next time,” Odo said, knowing that in all likely-hood there would never be a next time. He forced all of Odoital’s essence and energy back into him, causing him to lose his form and seep through the bodies. He would join in their grave…for a little while, at least.
Odo climbed the ladder. He just couldn’t risk shifting anymore. By the time he made it to the top, he was sagging from the effort. Moving as fast has his almost lifeless body would take him, he reached Garak.
He was still unconscious.
But, Odo lifted his body onto his shoulder. Sisko had been waiting a half an hour…if he was still waiting. The phaser fire continued, and Odo took this as a good sign.
The corridors seemed longer than before, and Odo half-walked, half-morphed to where the ship was docked. Finally after almost another ten minutes, Odo spied the doors that would lead him to safety.
He stood before them, waiting for them to open…hoping that they would open. He started to turn away as the sound of Jem’Hadar soldiers began to echo through the corridors.
Then, the doors opened to reveal Captain Sisko.
“Glad to see you could make it, Mr. Odo. If it hadn’t been for that spitfire of the Eminence’s, I’d have left you here five minutes ago.”
Five minutes. Five minutes. He had spent much time conversing with Odoital. He had nearly thrown his life away and endangered the lives of those on the ship.
“Are you coming, Mr. Odo?”
“Yes, Captain. Could you help me with my friend?” Odo sagged almost to the floor by now.
“A Cardassian…” Sisko asked hesitantly. “He hardly looks alive.”
Odo merely gruffed and looked pleadingly at Sisko. Sisko considered the scene before him. Finally, with a gurumph of his own and a jolt-shrug of his shoulders, Sisko stepped forward and heaved Garak’s weight onto himself. Odo followed somewhat slowly into the ship.
And as the doors closed behind them, ten Jem’Hadar soldiers rounded the corner.
(-|-)
The ship shot out of dock and headed for Bajor.
“Odo, are you all right?”
“Nerys?” Odo turned towards the now compassionate voice. “How…” he forced himself through each word, “how is Bareil?”
“Mr. Bashir is making do. I don’t know how you knew, but apparently he had taken about two years worth of courses at the Academy.” Odo smiled slightly. He knew Julian would always be a doctor wherever he lived. “But,” Nerys continued, “I’m afraid to tell you that Garak fellow was dead before he could do anything.” Odo hung his head in momentary grief.
“Captain! We’ve got a problem! Four Jem’Hadar warships closing in fast. They’re blocking our route to Federation space.”
“Take us out, Tillser.”
“Ben, we’ve got warships all around us. The only way we’ve got to go is back to the station.”
“Captain, the wormhole.”
“Mr. Odo?”
“The wormhole, Captain. We can duck through, buy ourselves some time before another attack.”
“But, we’d be heading into Odoital’s territory! It’s suicide!”
“It’s the only way to buy us some time to even try and stay alive. You have to take this ship through.”
Sisko was in a moment of indecision.
“Engineering to Bridge. Ben, we’ve got a major problem. The warp core’s about to go critical; our phaser banks are drained; and I can’t squeeze any more out of these engines.”
“How long?”
“To live or to fix it?” Sisko smiled at his Chief Engineer’s sense of humor. “Gimme four hours without warp speed, and maybe I can do something. O’Brien out.”
“O’Brien?” asked Odo.
“You know my Chief Engineer?”
“I thought I did…but, wasn’t that a woman’s voice?”
Sisko laughed.
“Yes, indeed it was, Mr. Odo. I’ll be sure to pass the compliment on to Keiko.” The captain shook his head. “Pity of a husband, though. Miles couldn’t fix a door latch to save his life. Tillser, take us into the wormhole, Warp 1.”
Odo felt the warning forming, but before he could speak, he congealed into a puddle near the back of the Bridge.
Tillser nodded and her red hair shone under the Bridge lights. It gave her an almost ethereal appearance.
What better person to lead us into hell… thought Sisko.
The ship was soon engulfed by the wormhole, leaving the Jem’Hadar to wonder how long it would take those on the other side to respond.
(-|-)
They had been waiting for about three hours as the Chief had gotten everything set up, and Jatira was getting nervous. She wanted to go home, see her mother and father. A little part of her even wanted to see Rjand and Kerjio again. A very little part. They would have been spending the past day or so at Terla’s. What fun that would be! But, with her parents gone, how could she have fun. Jatira sighed.
“Don’t worry, Jatira. I’m sure it won’t be long. Miles has almost got the quantum frequency resonator set up, and once he does, you’ll be on your way home.”
Jatira smiled a shallow smile.
(-|-)
They had found a small planet just outside of the wormhole in the Gamma Quadrant. Here they had staked their claim for almost five hours.
“How’s it comin’, Keiko?” asked Sisko.
“Well,” the svelte woman said, “I think I’ve just about got it.” She snapped one more piece of titanium into place and crawled out from under the console. “That should do it,” she remarked, slapping her hands together in satisfaction.
“Tillser, fire her up.”
“Aye, sir!” She was more than happy to be able to do something.
“Sisko to Bareil.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“I thought you’d like to know that we’re gonna take her back through.”
“My wife and I are on our way.”
“But, Bareil…you’re in no condition to get out of bed!”
“Nerys, please. I may be able to be of some help.”
Nerys regarded her husband critically and saw that this was one thing he was not going to relent on.
“All right; let’s go. Prophets know why I put up with you.”
Bareil chuckled, but it turned into a short, spasmodic fit of coughing. Nerys sent a silent prayer to the Prophets, hoping that she’d have to put up with him for a long time yet.
The engines throbbed to life under all those who stood in a mixture of anxiety, expectation, and fear. The crowded Bridge now contained Sisko, Tillser, Nerys, Bareil, Bashir, and Keiko, not to mention Odo who was quietly regenerating back towards the corner.
“I’m surprised you encountered no Jem’Hadar, Captain,” commented Bareil.
“As am I, Mr. Bareil. As am I.”
Sisko buried a look of worry.
“Kasidy,” he said finally, addressing his wife for the first time since they had left Terek Nor, “raise shields and have whatever’s left in ours phaser banks operational. We’d be a sitting duck with the cloaking device; the wormhole’d give us away faster than I head for the replicator in the morning for some raktajino.”
“Gotcha, Ben,” Kasidy replied, smiling a smile only she could for she had seen him stumble over furniture more than a hundred time to get a cup of raktajino.
“Everyone ready? Very well. Tillser, she’s all yours.”
“Aye, sir!” She accented the sir with enthusiasm. They hadn’t had a good battle in a few months, and they were long past their due. “Entering the wormhole.”
(-|-)
“All set.”
“Good; let’s get this over with. The sooner Odo’s back where he belongs the better.”
“Engaging the quantum resonator. Sequencing the transporter. I think we’ve got him this time.”
(-|-)
Odo felt a strange sensation. If he was pulled back now, en route to the Alpha Quadrant via the wormhole…
(-|-)
Odoital slammed his fist down and shattered the desk he was sitting at. His troops had reported the freighter had entered the passageway nearly ten minutes ago. He had twelve Jem’Hadar warships waiting just for them.
Where could they be?
(-|-)
“Commander, I’m reading an increased neutrino level.”
“Are there any ships scheduled to come through?”
“No, sir, and our Gamma Quadrant outpost reports seeing no ships enter the wormhole.”
“Lieutenant, can you give me any readings on the ship?”
“It appears to be a simple freighter. However, I’m showing charged phaser banks, and they have their shields up.”
“What the hell is going on?” muttered Shelby. “Red Alert. Raise shields.”
“Aye, sir…She’s coming through.”
“Open a channel.”
“Channel open.”
“This is Commander Shelby of the Federation station Deep Space Nine. Power down your weapons. We have no quarrel with you.”
The screen flickered on, and the visage of Captain Benjamin Sisko appeared before Shelby’s now very shocked face.
“Captain Sisko?”
“Yes? Do I know you?”
“Captain…I thought you were headed for the Delta Quadrant.”
“What? Listen, uh, Commander, I don’t know who you think I am but…”
“Captain, perhaps you’d better let me talk to the Commander,” said Odo, reforming stiffly in his corner and stepping forward.
“Constable…I was unaware you had returned…” Shelby continued with a surprised look. “Ensign, send a message to the Galen. Inform Captain Dax that the Constable has returned.”
The young ensign nodded and allowed his fingers to fly nimbly across the comm board.
“What’s taking so long, Captain?” came a voice from off-screen. “My husband is still in need of some medical attention.”
“If you will be patient, Mrs. Bareil, I assure you I will have this ship docked as soon as possible…” He turned his attention, which had been diverted towards Nerys, back to Shelby. “I must congratulate you, Commander. I had no idea the Federation was so powerful. To have captured Terek Nor, or…Deep Space Nine as you called it, to have captured it in so short a time, I am certainly impressed.”
“What?” asked Shelby futilely, for now she was totally confused…but she wasn’t the only one.
“I’ll explain once we’ve docked, Commander.”
“I think that’d be an excellent idea, Constable. Looks like Docking Ring 4 is open.”
Sisko nodded and closed the channel.
“I’ll be in my office,” sighed Shelby. I think I definitely need to sit down.
(-|-)
“Miles, nothing is happening.”
“I kinda noticed that, Julian.”
“What’s wrong, Dr. Bashir?”
“I’m not sure, Jatira.” Bashir looked down at Jatira. She was a sweet girl, and he was sure Nerys was a very proud parent.
“Dax to Bashir.”
“Bashir here. Jadzia, we’ve…”
“Julian, we’ve…”
“…got a problem,” they both finished in unison.
“Jatira’s still here,” interjected Julian quickly. “Apparently the Chief’s transporter…”
“…did work,” finished Jadzia.
“What?” asked Julian.
“We just received a message from DS9 reporting that a freighter just came through the wormhole carrying Captain Sisko and Odo.”
“Captain Sisko? I thought he and Kasidy…” Julian Bashir, who had graduated second in his class at Starfleet Medical, slapped his palm to his forehead. “Stupid! You mean…please, don’t say…”
“Sorry, Julian.” Dax’s voice was weary. “We’ve pulled over people from another universe…again.”
Miles and Bashir groaned in unison.
“I HATE alternate universes!” O’Brien shouted.
Jatira looked up at him.
“Do you have a lot of problems with them?” she asked Miles.
“Good God, yes.” O’Brien tapped his communicator. “Dax?”
“Yes?”
“Maybe you’d better beam us up.”
“Good idea.”
(-|-)