For me, Deep Space Nine was the last great Star Trek television series. Written in 1997, “Lasting Impressions” is a crossover tale that brings together the crews of Deep Space Nine and the USS Enterprise-E immediately following the events chronicled in the film Star Trek: First Contact.
Opening this adventure, we meet legendary Bajoran resistance fighter, Reve Talin, who resurfaces a decade after escaping his home planet during the Cardassian occupation. In hot pursuit is the ruthless Gul Drojeer. Each accuses the other of murder, but is there more to the story?
“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Lasting Impressions” Part I
Phil Giunta
CHAPTER ONE
“Welcome back, Mister Worf.”
Captain Benjamin Sisko stepped forward to greet the imposing Klingon who emerged first from the airlock followed by Commander William Riker and Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge. The latter were the first officer and chief engineer of the U.S.S.Enterprise, respectively. Although the current Enterprise–E was a brand new vessel, the name had been carried by five Starfleet ships before it. It was aboard the last of those five, a Galaxy-class, which Worf had served for seven years before transferring to Deep Space Nine. Now, after their most recent incursion with the Borg, the Enterprise had escorted the heavily damaged Defiant back to the station.
The Klingon was not the only officer present who once served aboard the flagship of Starfleet. Standing beside Sisko, Miles O’Brien, the station’s chief of operations, shook hands vigorously with his former crewmates. As he waited for the others to finish reacquainting themselves with one another, Worf caught a hint of playful smile aimed at him from Lieutenant Jadzia Dax, the station’s science officer.
“It is good to be back,” Worf replied finally with a sharp nod of his head. Almost immediately, he shot a glance at Riker and LaForge. He silently hoped his comment would not be taken the wrong way by the duo. Diplomacy was never a strong talent of the Klingons.
Even so, Riker could not resist a joke at Worf’s expense. Facing the tactical officer, Riker adopted his classic poker face that had won him many a game aboard the Enterprise. “I’m beginning to think you don’t like us anymore, Mister Worf.”
In response, Worf’s features took on an agitated look. Ignoring both the sounds of restrained laughter from the others and the wide grin that spread across Riker’s face, he turned to Sisko.
“I will file a full report of my experience against the Borg by oh-nine-hundred hours tomorrow.”
“I look forward to it,” Sisko said. “What’s the status of the Defiant?”
Holding up a datapadd as the group started down the corridor, LaForge announced that he and Worf had catalogued all damage to the vessel while en route. Captain Picard had then granted LaForge permission to assist O’Brien and his staff with repairs during the twenty-four hour period that the Enterprise would be docked at the station.
“I’ll have to thank the captain personally when I speak with him again,” Sisko said, his tone turning slightly more somber.
It had been four years since he last spoke with Picard face to face aboard the Enterprise, the day Sisko accepted his position as commander of DS9. The conversation was not comfortable for either man.
During Starfleet’s most devastating battle against the Borg at Wolf 359 two years previous, Picard had been captured and assimilated into the Borg’s collective existence. There, he lost his individual human identity and was forced to adopt another. As Locutus of Borg, Picard unwittingly led the Borg’s ruthless massacre that claimed the lives of many of Starfleet’s finest men and women, including Sisko’s own wife. It was months before Sisko could recover enough to move on with his life and continue raising his son alone.
Here and now, Sisko found it a bizarre irony that another encounter with the Borg brought the two men together once again. Perhaps, Sisko mused, Picard himself realized this and had declined to come aboard the station with his crew.
As the group approached an intersection, LaForge and O’Brien set off down the opposite corridor toward the Defiant’s docking bay. Sisko was about to wish Riker and his crew a relaxing time aboard the station when a voice called from his comm badge. “Ops to Sisko.”
He tapped his badge. “Sisko here.”
“Captain,” the female voice replied, “you’re needed in Ops.”
“On my way.”
“Major Kira?” Riker asked.
“Still here, Commander. You can see her when we get there.”
Sisko led Riker and the rest of the group to a nearby turbolift and remembered to keep his mouth shut the next time he thought of using the terms ‘relaxing’ and ‘this station’ in the same sentence.
***
“Hail them again, Ensign.” Major Kira Nerys, the station’s Bajoran first officer, waited patiently for an answer she had already anticipated. She did not have to wait long.
“Still no response.”
“Status report, Major.”
Kira turned toward Sisko as he stepped off the turbolift even before it came to a complete stop. Immediately, both Dax and Worf took their posts while Riker joined Sisko and Kira.
“Two Cardassian vessels just dropped out of warp at the edge of our sensor range. The first appears to be a survey shuttle of some kind and the other is definitely a Galor-class battleship. I didn’t consider this a serious problem until the warship started firing on the shuttle. Both vessels are approaching the station although I’m not certain the shuttle will arrive intact.”
“They’re within visual range now,” Dax announced.
“On screen,” Sisko ordered.
The empty, peaceful starfield on the forward viewscreen abruptly changed to one filled with streaks of disruptor fire. Despite the shuttle’s evasive maneuvers, it was clear that the Galor-class vessel would overtake its quarry within a few minutes.
“Sensors indicate one life sign aboard. Heavy damage to warp coils. It seems most of the shots are only aimed at disabling the engines.”
“Are they in weapons range, Mister Worf?”
“Negative. The warship will overtake the shuttle before–” Worf suddenly stopped as he silently took in the sensor readings coming across the tactical station. “Sir, the shuttle has just sustained heavy damage to its warp core. A breach is imminent.”
“Captain, the Defiant reports a positive lock on the shuttle’s pilot,” Kira announced.
Sisko tapped his comm badge. “Ops to Defiant. Energize.”
Tense seconds passed in silence as they awaited O’Brien’s report. The Cardassian warship had already altered course and was now heading away from the shuttle.
“We have him, Captain,” O’Brien said finally.
“Shields!”
“Sir, the Enterprise is hailing us. They want to know if we need assistance.”
“Tell them to stand by, Major.”
All eyes were fixed on the drifting shuttle as it exploded in a brief, brilliant flare on the main screen. Sisko was about to contact the Defiant when Kira announced an incoming hail from Gul Drojeer of the B’Raketh.
“Captain Sisko, I take it,” Drojeer began. On the main screen, the Gul sat back comfortably in his command chair and spoke with an arrogant, casual ease as if reserving a table for two at Quark’s. “I do apologize for this unfortunate disturbance, Captain, as necessary as it was. I assure you, it was not intended to cause you any alarm.” A wry grin crossed the Cardassians face as he spoke. “It was in fact, merely an accident.”
Sisko was unfazed. “Your aim looked rather precise to me. Perhaps you’d like to explain this ‘unfortunate disturbance’?”
“An internal Cardassian matter, Captain,” Drojeer replied, his smile fading. “That is all you need to know.”
“I decide what I need to know.”
“You have no grounds for interference in this,” the Gul leaned closer to the screen. “And I certainly do not have to answer to you.”
“Of course not, Gul Drojeer,” Sisko said, his deep bass voice rising with impatience. “Instead you can answer to the Sovereign class starship docked here, or a Defiant class battleship or all three of us at once. Take your pick.”
“I do not take threats lightly–”
“And I do not take kindly to ships exploding outside my front door,” Sisko cut in. “Now I advise you to dock your ship and meet me aboard the station so we can discuss this. Sisko out.”
Kira pressed the button on her console to end the transmission. Immediately, Sisko tapped his comm badge. “Ops to Defiant. Report.”
“LaForge here, Captain. We beamed aboard a Bajoran man. He says his name is Reve Talin. Chief O’Brien is taking him to the Infirmary.”
“Thank you, Commander. Sisko out.” He turned to Kira who was staring at blankly at her console. “Major?”
Kira looked up. “Sir, I’d like to–”
“Get to the Infirmary, Major, but before you do, contact Odo. I want Security to escort Drojeer to the main conference room.”
“Aye, sir.”
As Kira complied, Sisko opened a channel to the Enterprise. The image of Captain Picard, the human, appeared on the main screen. Sisko felt a sudden tensing of his jaw muscles.
That was five years ago.
“Captain Sisko,” Picard began. “Can I offer you any assistance?”
Sisko was about to refuse but realized that he could actually use all the available resources he could get. “That would be appreciated, Captain. Gul Drojeer of the B’Raketh is about to come aboard and explain this incident. We have also beamed aboard the pilot of that shuttle. I could use the extra eyes and ears.”
Picard nodded sharply. “I can even give you a little more than that.”
***
Time was foremost on the mind of Kira Nerys as she weaved gracefully through the bustle of station personnel and other assorted sentients on her way to the Infirmary. More specifically, it was the length of time since anyone had last seen or heard from Reve Talin, one of the most famous members of the Bajoran resistance.
Kira had encountered him only twice during the Cardassian occupation of her homeworld. Although he was only a few years her senior, Reve had carried himself with the posture and air of a seasoned leader. This was the way she and other Bajorans had come to remember him since the day he and seven others vanished after escaping from a Cardassian labor camp only two days after their capture.
Rumors spread throughout the resistance that the missing Bajorans had gone into hiding somewhere far underground. Still others believed the Cardassian propaganda that they were killed trying to escape.
Yet today, this man emerged from the depths of space, stepping out of the shadows of the past, pursued by the Cardassians as if still fighting a war long over. If this individual were truly Reve, many rumors would be put to rest–only to be replaced by an equal number of questions.
Ten years is a long time.
The door to the Infirmary had barely opened before Kira stormed in and headed directly to the row of diagnostic beds off to the right. Two steps into the room, she stopped in her tracks. The identity of the Bajoran seated atop one of the beds was no longer in question. The image before her collapsed years into days, taking her back to the nightmarish struggle and hardships of a previous life. He looked much older than he should have for his years. His hair had turned almost completely gray and the lines in his face were far too distinct. As she stood watching him, Kira was unsure of what to say or do first.
So she laughed.
“Would you stop flashing that thing in my face,” Reve Talin, legendary freedom fighter, grumbled at the station’s chief medical officer, Doctor Julian Bashir. “The Cardassians weren’t even this annoying.”
Ignoring Reve’s surliness, Bashir ran a dermal regenerator under the man’s left eye, effectively healing a lengthy gash. “If you would stop complaining, sir,” Bashir replied as he finished, “this would be much less annoying—for both of us. Now, let’s have a look at that shoulder.”
Reve looked to one of the Bajoran nurses who was cutting away the material covering his bloody shoulder. “You actually like working for him?”
Finally, Kira’s presence, or perhaps her poor attempt to stifle her laughter, attracted Bashir’s attention. “Major, I was half expecting you might stop by. You probably know–”
“Reve Talin,” Kira finished. “Yes, we’ve met.”
The Bajoran on the bed looked at Kira for a long moment, but eventually shook his head. “Been off Bajor for a while. I’m afraid I don’t remember you and by the look of things that’s a real shame.”
Kira smiled at the compliment. “Major Kira Nerys, first officer of this station. We bumped into each other once or twice during the resistance.”
Reve’s eyes widened. “Yes! Now I remember you. Either the years or the Prophets have been kind to you, dear lady. I feel like I have a lifetime to catch up on.”
“So does the rest of Bajor.”
“Many people with many questions,” Reve nodded wearily. “I only hope I have all the answers they’re looking for.”
***
In the main conference room, Jean-Luc Picard had indeed brought more with him that merely his eyes and ears. Seated between him and Riker was ship’s counselor Deanna Troi. As a half-Betazoid, Troi possessed an empathic ability to sense emotional responses and changes in others even when their words or expressions told a different story. Such a skill had proven to be an invaluable asset in more cases than even Picard could recall.
At the moment, however, it did not require an empath to gauge Drojeer’s impatience. Flanked by two of his aides who stood behind him on either side, the Gul bounced his fist on the arm of his chair. “What exactly are we waiting for, Captain?”
Sisko leaned back is his seat at the head of the conference table and folded his hands, studying the Cardassian silently for a moment. “The other side of the story,” he replied simply.
As if on cue, the conference room door slid aside to permit Kira and Reve. With expressions showing both anger and surprise, Drojeer’s men glanced from one another then to the Gul as the two Bajorans crossed behind Sisko towards two empty seats directly opposite the Cardassians.
Having already been in the room, Worf and station security chief Odo filled the remaining two seats at the far end of the table. In the corridor, two security guards positioned themselves just outside the door.
Drojeer was on his feet in an instant. “You are harboring a murderer and a thief, Captain! You have no right–”
Sisko was about to tell Drojeer just what his rights were when Reve thrust an accusing finger across the table. “You want a murderer, Cardassian, look in a mirror.”
Hearing that, Drojeer’s officers moved up beside the Gul, their posture threatening. As expected, this inspired Worf and Odo to rise from their seats just as quickly.
The stand off was short-lived.
“Enough!”
The rumble of Sisko’s deep, bass voice drew everyone’s attention, including the guards in the corridor who rushed in at once, phasers in hand.
Even Worf was impressed.
Slowly, everyone lowered into their seats and remained silent. With a nod from Sisko, the guards exited the room to resume their post. Picard shot a sidelong glance at Troi then at Riker. The counselor seemed slightly distraught. Riker noticed it, too.
“I would like to begin this conference,” Sisko said finally. “By announcing that until my investigation of this matter is complete, neither party will leave this station. Is that clear?”
Drojeer’s expression indicated that the order was quite clear, just unreasonable. “Rest assured I will contact Gul Dukat about this.”
“Be my guest,” Sisko replied. “But while you’re here, maybe you’d like to give me your account of what happened out there.”
Drojeer leaned forward over the table and began describing how the B’Raketh had been assigned to survey the navigationally treacherous Chandai system on the Cardassian-Federation border two days ago.
“I’m familiar with that region of space,” Picard added. “The Jarendi Nebula contains ion charged gases that wreak havoc with both long range sensors and transporters. In addition there is an asteroid field that spans from the center of the nebula to the second planet. Many a vessel has been lost there.”
“We knew that going in,” Drojeer concurred. “But our knowledge of the system was extremely lacking, a situation we hoped to correct with this expedition.”
Immediately, Troi shifted slightly in her chair but did not take her eyes off the Gul who continued his story oblivious to the counselor.
“When we came across the second largest planet in the system, I ordered a survey shuttle to the surface. There, my crew stumbled into a group of Bajorans outside a small cave near the landing site. The survey team reported this to me immediately whereby I ordered them to bring the stranded group back to the B’Raketh with the intention of returning them to Bajor.”
Reve was about to speak up but a touch from Kira told him to wait. Troi glanced at Reve for a moment before returning her attention to Drojeer.
“When my officers invited the Bajorans aboard the shuttle they were attacked, forced to defend themselves.” Drojeer pointed to Reve. “This man used the distraction to board the shuttle alone and before hijacking it, turned its weapons not only on members of my crew but on his own people as well. For an entire day, I tracked him through the nebula and the asteroid field during which he ignored all of my attempts at communication. Finally, once both vessels cleared the Chandai system, he tried to escape at warp, after which I pursued him here. So as I said, a murderer and a thief.”
“That has yet to be determined,” Kira shot back.
“An impressively distorted account,” Reve commented, controlling his seething anger. “Typical of cowards, liars, and Cardassians.”
Before Drojeer could reply, Sisko raised a hand. “We’re here to listen to both sides. If you disagree with Gul Drojeer’s account, now is your chance.”
“There is no if, Captain,” Reve said. “The Cardassians did not invite us aboard their shuttle, they rounded us up for execution. I heard Drojeer give the order myself.”
“Now you lie, Bajoran,” Drojeer cut in. His anger appeared only to give the other man more fuel.
“We attacked only to save our lives,” Reve raised his voice above Drojeer’s. He glanced at Kira, “Like we did during the resistance.
“We made our home in the wreckage of a supply freighter at the edge of a small valley. The morning their survey shuttle landed we were returning from a nearby stream on the other side of a small hill. When we reached the top of the hill, we spotted the Cardassians removing what looked like metal crates from a cave that we never really explored. Before we could turn back, they spotted us and fired. We surrendered and made our way down to explain who we were. That’s when one of them contacted their ship and was ordered to kill us. Yes, I commandeered that shuttle and killed the Cardassians, but only after they had finished carrying out their orders… his orders.”
“You could have left Drojeer’s men stranded on the surface when you hijacked the shuttle,” Riker said.
“It was five of us against eight armed Cardassians!” Reve asserted. “For ten years we had become family to each other, barely surviving on a planet that showed no mercy. The memory of an enslaved Bajor remained very clear in our minds as the years passed, long after our hope of rescue had faded.”
“You killed in revenge,” Worf said. It was not a question, nor was it said accusingly.
“Gul Drojeer, would you care to tell us more about these crates Reve mentioned?” Odo asked.
“My crew was unloading survey equipment from the shuttle, nothing more.”
“Tell me, Reve,” Picard began. “Exactly how did you end up stranded in the Chandai system?”
Reve exhaled before launching into the tale. “Ten years ago during the occupation, I escaped from a forced labor camp in the Hiala Valley along with seven others. We hid in the hills that night and watched a Cardassian supply freighter land just outside the camp. At the same time, the guards realized we were gone and sounded the alarm. They immediately pulled the freighter crew into their search party, leaving the ship unattended. One by one, we made our way back down the hill and into the ship. It wasn’t long before a few of us figured out the flight controls and lifted off.
“As soon as we reached space, I hailed this station and told Gul Dukat there was a prison break on the surface. The freighter had audio-only communications. He ordered us out of the system and assured us he would handle the matter. By the time he realized what happened, we were on our way.”
“You were lucky to stumble upon an incompetent Gul,” Drojeer remarked.
“I guess that makes twice now,” Reve replied.
“If it were me, the freighter would have been boarded and all of you would have been shot trying to escape.”
“What’s the difference? It just took you ten years.”
Picard sat forward in his chair. “When you left Bajor, did you have any particular destination in mind?”
Reve smiled ruefully. “We had this noble idea that we would try to reach Federation space to ask for help against the Cardassians. Of course, we didn’t make it. We decided to detour through the Chandai system to make it that much harder for us to be tracked. Unfortunately, the freighter’s lack of maneuverability through the asteroid field destroyed our chances of making it out the system. The ship was battered from every direction until we lost the engines and crashed on the second planet. Two good people died that day. The ship’s communications array was damaged beyond repair. Since then, we managed to survive for ten years.”
Reve glanced at Sisko, indicating that he was finished. Drojeer and his men appeared as if they were not even paying attention.
Sisko looked from one side of the table to the other. “Both of your statements have been recorded and will be reviewed. We’ll resume at fourteen hundred hours tomorrow. If I feel a Starfleet board of inquiry is necessary, you will both be informed at that time. Are there any questions?”
No one spoke.
“This conference is concluded,” Sisko ordered. “Security will escort each of you to your respective quarters–”
“I’ll await your decision aboard my ship,” Drojeer said.
“As you wish,” Sisko said. “Although you are each welcome to the station’s facilities, I expect no further incidents or your next quarters will be the brig.”
Drojeer smirked as he and his men left the room. A few seconds later, two more security guards arrived to escort Reve to the station’s habitat ring.
As soon as the door closed, Sisko looked to the others. “Opinions?”
“Drojeer was lying through his teeth,” Troi replied first. “He was not in the Chandai system on a survey expedition. In fact, almost his entire story was a lie. He is definitely hiding something.”
“What about Reve?”
“I sensed only true anger towards the Cardassians and sadness over the loss of the other Bajorans. This much was obvious, but there was something else. It seemed almost like regret.”
“For killing the Cardassians, perhaps?” Picard asked.
“No, I sensed it just about when he described their experience in the Chandai system ten years ago, especially when he spoke of the crash and subsequent loss of lives.”
“As if it were his fault?” Kira chimed in.
“I can’t be certain,” Troi answered. “One thing is definite, I felt no dishonesty from him.”
“Then whatever the Cardassians are hiding, it’s in the Chandai system,” Sisko said.
“Perhaps a visit to the system is in order,” Picard suggested.
Sisko tapped his comm badge. “Sisko to Defiant. Status report.”
“Defiant, O’Brien here. Sir, the warp engines are currently offline as is the cloaking device. I have a team working on replacing the matter-antimatter injectors. Mister LaForge is currently working on the damage to weapons and sensors. All told, it will be at least two days.”
“Thank you, Chief. Keep me posted. Sisko out.” He turned his attention back to Picard. “It appears that visit isn’t going to happen anytime soon.”
“It can happen if I give the order,” Picard smiled, “and if you’d like to get a first hand look at the new Enterprise.”
***
After finishing his report to Dukat in the privacy of his quarters, Drojeer sat back in his chair and awaited the Cardassian military leader’s reply. Truth be known, he despised Dukat, considered him a backstabbing coward, unfit to hold a position which he did not earn. Someday, perhaps he would get the chance to voice his opinions, but not this day.
“I will finish matters in the Chandai system personally,” Dukat said from the monitor on Drojeer’s desk. “Keep yourself and your crew out of Sisko’s way until the conference tomorrow. Is that clear?”
“Of course,” Drojeer replied quickly.
“As for Reve Talin, if your men had killed him on the planet, we wouldn’t have this problem.”
Drojeer leaned forward closer to the monitor. “He did tell us the story of how he escaped Bajor in the first place ten years ago, including how he so easily slipped past this station unhindered.”
Dukat’s jaw tightened for a moment. “Nonetheless, see to it that he says no more about what he saw. I don’t want the Federation alerted to our… transactions. Take any measures you see fit.”
Drojeer assured him that he certainly would.