Through cloude of war

Chapter Three: Walking into Doom

MCV
V

After that little conversation I return to my so appreciated hangar nine and start to work again, a suicidal cardassian constantly glued to my heels. Work continues like that till six o'clock, when my shift is over. The resistance has a meeting in Roms chambers now. We simulate a poker round, although only Kira knows how to play that earthen card game. I'm the last to arrive at the ferengis quarters. Kira and Leeta are already gossiping and Jake is fascinated with Roms explanations of his new developed spying-program.

"Good afternoon everybody." Taking a seat on the couch we all arrange around the small table. Kira takes out the card game and lets the charade begin, giving each of us some cards and some chips. After disguising our intentions we start talking. Rom introduces us to his newest achievement, the undetected people placing system (UPPS). After that, I took out the plan of the ventilation system and explain how and where to place our 'distractions'. We only have four days left to interfere with the dominions plans, and we have many things to do. Our biggest problem at the moment is Damar being suspicious of us, but Roms UPPS will be solving a big deal of it. Now that the main-points for the next steps are checked, the newest gossip is discussed. Gossip was and is a trustful source of information, if you know whom to trust and how to decipher the main facts. Leeta starts very enthusiastically about all she has heard over the day at her Dabo-tables, but nothing very interesting comes up. Then she asks Kira about the story she was telling her before the meeting started.

"Don't you were saying something strange happened today in Ops?" she starts.

"Oh well, I don't know if it's so important, but yes, they were all behaving strange up there. First Weyoun didn't come to work. Do you find out what happened to him, Odo?"

"Like I suspected, he has got a terrible hangover, and was still in his chambers."

"Seems the little vorta is newly killing his problems with alcohol." Jake attempts to be funny.

"You sure, Odo? I never saw him drink..." Rom isn't the brightest... "But if he now does then my brother will be happy to have a new costumer." He giggles somewhat stupidly.

I don't think somebody's problems with alcohol are funny, so I drop the issue. "You were saying, Kira...?"

"Oh yes. You already know that Dukat and the others went havoc all morning, and then, after lunch, Weyoun appeared out of nowhere and started putting things in order in Ops. Dukat was beside himself with rage and called the vorta into Bens office. You know it has that transparent doors, so I, and the rest of the people up there, could see what happened in it. I'm glad that office is soundproofed, because Dukat was shouting like mad. But Weyoun wasn't impressed. Only when Dukat slapped him in the face, Weyoun tottered backwards. After some last hissed words from Dukat, the vorta got out of the office, out of Ops and was never seen again until I spotted him near his office. I can tell you, he was deathly pale when he left."

"If you ask me, he always is deathly pale." Leeta remarks. "He really looks ill sometimes..."

"No, I swear, he was paler than usual. And he still had that shocked look on him, when I came up here."

It sounds interesting, but it's not something we could use against the occupation or to prevent the destruction of the mine-field. "That's all nice to know, but Kira was right, it isn't very important to our cause. I would prefer it, if we make sure that UPPS works fine, before we depend on it tomorrow to place the explosives."

We all agree at this, and Rom starts the program on the computer, transmitting the information to our Tricorders. After a little starting problem, the UPPS seems to work nicely and we scan the area with our new tool. Nobody realy important around us.

"Rom, didn't you say we could track down people with this thing?" Jake wants to check the locating system the program incorporates.

"Yeah, ok. Come all over here, I show you how it works. It's really simple if you know how it works..." he gives in some code. "Who do you want to trace down? I warn you, there are only the most important of our ...preys!" he grins. "Well, and the most important of our allies too. It was difficult enough to get the signatures of Dukat and Weyoun..."

"Then why don't we start with our dear cardassian dictator?" Kira has her mischievous grin on her lips. "And then we continue with his second in command, and with that little, annoying vorta..."

"Hey guys! It seems they to are having a little meeting ... all three together in Dukats chambers."
"I really don't trust them..."

"You're right Odo, neither do I." Kira agrees. A small discussions comes up and I volunteer to go checking on them. "I'll be searching just for that one of them who doesn't come out greeting me." I say and leave them. Now it's really late, and the group parts in the directions of their own quarters. I find my way to the cardassians chamber and nock. No answer. I nock again, and it takes a third time for the door to open. A slightly annoyed Dukat opens, only a bathrobe on him. On the background I can see Damar, wearing the same fashion.

"Please forgive this late disturbance, Dukat. But I've been searching for Weyoun all afternoon, because of some realy important facts he asked me for, for the female shapeshifter."

Dukat seems to be very annoyed: "And wo yoo you think Weyoun is here in the first place?"

"Well see, nobody seemed to be able to locate him, so I asked the station-computer. If it weren't so important...Mai I come in?" Without waiting for an answer I enter his quarters and wait for the cardassian to calm down . There is no way the station-computer would be wrong, and he knows that. So there it comes, the second excuse: "You'll understand, Odo, he is somewhat... busy now."

All the way we talk I'm leading us in the direction of the only open door in the room. "Yeah, and you see, it's VERY important..." Unfortunately Damar is paying more attention than his boss does, and stops me just in front the door. The other cardassian notices the way I've been directing things and his contained rage breaks loose. He grasps me by the collar and pinpoints me to the opposite wall.

"Look changeling, I'm not one of this fools worshiping you..."

Bad luck he's never paying enough attention when he's furious, now I'm able to see into the otroomroom. I notice it's Dukats bedchamber, and there, under the bedcovers, lies a shivering, maltreated form of a small person. I definitely was not expecting this. Somewhat stiff I brake out of Dukats grip and shoot the two cardassians a dirty look. Then I enter the bedroom. The moment I toech the cover to lift them a bit and confirm my suspicions Weyoun shudders and a little sob escapes him. I lift his trebling body into my arms and cover it with one of the blankets. Then I start leaving. When I pas him, Damar asks: "Why do you care, what happens to him?"

I stop and look him over, then I answer: "I do not. But that's low, even for you , cardassians." Than I'm out and on my way to my own chambers.

I'm wondering why end up with the same situation two nights in a row: Me wandering around the station with a trembling, sobbing Weyoun in my arms. I reach my quarters and bring him to the only room, I've not changed the furniture of, my bedchamber. There I put him down and try to calm him a bit. His unfocussed eyes fix on some point of the ceiling and he cries himself to sleep, while I'm smoothly caressing him. After he's asleep I examine the bruises and the little wounds his body is covers with. I replicate some ointments and bandages and treat the most serious of them. After that I decide to let him stay here the night. I myself go into the living-room and settle down in the little pool I've created and return to my original form for the night.