And now the conclusion of “Lasting Impressions” in which we learn that the murder of Daimon Gresh is linked to the mysterious Gul Drojeer and the crew of the Enterprise uncovers the truth on Chandai II, but not before narrowly escaping a skirmish with the infamous Gul Dukat.
Need to catch up? Click here for Part One. Click here for Part Two.
“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Lasting Impressions” Part III
Phil Giunta
CHAPTER THREE
“Poison.”
In the Infirmary’s computer lab, Kira, Odo, and a visibly shaken Quark listened as Bashir announced the results of his preliminary autopsy of Gresh’s corpse. “It’s a very rare and efficient substance called Ryveladyne. Alone it’s essentially harmless, but when mixed with alcoholic beverages, even synthetic ones, it causes the liquid to form a paste with the mouth’s saliva, becoming a thick mucus. After several drinks, it congeals enough to clog the esophagus at which point the victim chokes to death within seconds.”
Sitting forward nervously in his chair, Quark looked up to find three pair of eyes staring almost accusingly at him. “What, you think I did this? He was like family to me!”
“Since when did that matter to you?” Odo retorted. “An ‘old friend’ drops by unexpectedly to brag about his new found fortune, tossing around gold-press latinum for you to drool over. Sounds like a sufficient motive for a greedy Ferengi.”
“You can stand there and say that after all the years you’ve known me, Odo?”
The shapeshifter thought about it for a moment–a very short moment. “Yes.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“But that doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to the benefit of the doubt during my investigation. For now, I’m placing you in custody. You’re confined to your quarters until further notice.”
“Confined?” Quark shot to his feet. “What about my bar?”
“Closed until further notice,” Kira informed him.
“You… you can’t do that,” Quark stammered.
Kira stepped towards him with a deadpan expression.
“OK, you can do that,” he relented. The Ferengi shook his head as two security guards escorted him from the Infirmary.
“Major,” Odo began. “I’m going to run a background check on Daimon Gresh. It’s possible his murder could be connected to whatever business he was involved in before arriving at the station.”
Kira thanked both Odo and Bashir before turning to leave. She was suddenly stopped by a summons from her comm badge. It was Dax. “Major, internal sensors have just detected a momentary opening of Airlock Five, but there are no ships docked there currently.”
“Contact Chief O’Brien,” Kira ordered. “Have him run a Level One diagnostic on all the airlock control systems.”
“Acknowledged. I checked–” Dax suddenly trailed off. Muffled voices could be heard from Kira’s comm badge.
“Dax, is there a problem?” the major asked.
After a brief pause, Dax finally responded. “Sensors are picking up a small object floating outside the airlock.”
“Do you have a visual?”
Another pause. “Confirmed.” The lieutenant sounded uncharacteristically hesitant. Kira and Odo exchanged a concerned look.
“Can you put it through down here?”
Bashir pressed a button on the Infirmary’s comm panel. At first the screen displayed nothing more than a starfield divided in the center by one of the station’s vertical pylons. Then, moving slowly into view from the right, a human sized object could be seen spinning slowly, end over end.
“Magnify,” Kira ordered, and immediately wished she hadn’t.
The major felt her heart sink into her stomach as the lifeless body of Reve Talin drifted away from Deep Space Nine.
***
Over the course of the next hour, Reve’s body was beamed directly to the Infirmary for yet another autopsy by a very weary Doctor Bashir. As Kira awaited the results, Odo gathered a security team to search Reve’s quarters. After several minutes, he reported his findings.
“It would appear the lock controls were overridden just like at Airlock Five,” Odo informed her. “And there are signs of a struggle which seem to be restricted to the main sitting room.”
“The only groups who have access to override any locks on this station are Security and Operations,” Kira said, as if reminding the chief of security of a fact he was well aware of.
“And perhaps the Obsidian Order, Major.”
Kira turned at the sound of Garak’s voice as the Cardassian entered the Infirmary with a look of urgency. Before Kira could question him, he requested a conference with her and Odo in the shapeshifter’s office.
“As you know,” Garak began. “Over the past two years, the Cardassian military has sustained extraordinary losses in battles against both the Dominion and the Klingons. According to my sources on Cardassia, Dukat has authorized massive purchases of weapons from a number of outside sources… including, of course, the Ferengi.”
“Daimon Gresh,” Odo concluded.
“Precisely. In addition, Chandai II was a major drop off point in a deal with Gresh just one week ago.”
“Then the crates Reve mentioned in the conference were not survey equipment as Drojeer claimed,” Kira surmised. “But what does this have to do with the Obsidian Order?”
“Very simply,” Garak looked at Odo. “The reason why you and I both had either no recollection or information on Gul Drojeer is because he has not held that rank for very long. During the Occupation, he was a member of the Obsidian Order, one of the few left in fact.”
“So were you,” Odo remarked, leaving an unspoken question between them.
“Why didn’t I know him?” Garak nodded. “In order to effectively maintain the strictest security within the Order, no one agent knew exactly how many others there were aside from those he was assigned to work with. I never worked with Drojeer.”
“Are you implying that he’s the killer?” Kira asked, anxious to get to the point.
“That’s impossible,” Odo cut in. “Neither Drojeer or his men have left their ship since the conference.”
“That you know of,” Garak quickly corrected. “Take it from me, Constable, the Obsidian Order can easily become invisible when stalking their prey.”
“In other words,” Kira chimed in, “both Gresh and Reve were killed because of what they knew, or might tell, about the weapons.”
Before anyone could confirm her conclusion, Bashir’s voice piped in through Odo’s comm panel. “I have the results of the second and hopefully last autopsy of the evening.”
“Go ahead, Doctor,” Kira said.
“Reve’s neck was broken before his body was placed in the airlock.”
No one was surprised by the news. As for herself, Kira began to feel as tired as Bashir looked. “Thank you, Doctor. Go get some sleep. Kira out.”
As the monitor went dark, Kira sighed and closed her eyes.
“May I remind you, Major, that since Drojeer was unsuccessful in retrieving the weapons from Chandai II, someone else will.”
Immediately, Kira tapped her comm badge. “Kira to Ops.”
“Ops. Dax here.”
“Hail the Enterprise. I need to speak with Captain Sisko.”
She hoped only that her warning would not be too late.
***
As the Enterprise assumed a standard orbit around Chandai II, bolts of charged ion particles performed a violent dance through the nearby Jarendi Nebula as if sending a warning to all those who dare trespass.
On the surface of the planet, Commander Riker stepped out of the shuttle Dulleas followed by Worf and Lieutenant Commander Data. Completing the away team, three security guards swiftly formed a perimeter around the senior officers, phasers at ready.
To their immediate left, the mangled remains of a Cardassian freighter, stolen by Reve Talin ten years ago, lay in sections throughout the valley reminding Riker of the ancient ruins of some lost civilization. He glanced back at Data who was scanning the vicinity with his tricorder. After a few seconds the android shook his head.
“I suggest we move away from the shuttle,” he said. “There are traces of charged ion particles on the hull which are interfering with tricorder readings.”
Riker ushered the group forward about ten meters before one of the security guards was suddenly propelled backwards and slammed into the side of the shuttle. A quick look at the ensign’s charred, blackened midsection was enough to motivate the rest of the away team to dive for cover just as the surrounding landscape was set ablaze with disruptor fire.
Judging by the widespread range of the attack, it became painfully clear to Riker that they were at least partially surrounded. As the rest of the away team returned fire, Riker tapped his comm badge.
“Riker to Enterprise.”
“Enterprise here,” the static ridden voice of Captain Picard responded. “Go ahead, Number One.”
Riker ducked as a disruptor beam incinerated the side of a fallen tree that he was currently using for refuge. “We’re taking heavy fire. Ensign Raines is severely injured.” He raised his voice to shout over the din of weapons fire. “At the moment, I can’t determine who we’re up against.”
***
“If I had to venture a guess, Commander, I’d say it was the Cardassians,” Picard said from his command chair on the bridge of the Enterprise. To his right, Sisko took up Riker’s traditional seat. In unison, both Captains turned their attention to the main screen where three Cardassian warships were breaking formation to surround them. Picard quickly explained the situation to Riker.
“Understood,” the commander replied. “We’ll hold them off for as long as possible. Away team out.”
“Captain,” Ensign Ford called from the comm station. “The lead ship is hailing us.”
“On screen.”
The daunting view of the Cardassian vessels was replaced by an even more ominous image of a smirking Gul Dukat. “Two of Starfleet’s finest captains. What a historic occasion this is. Taking some time away from the station, Sisko? This hardly seems a likely atmosphere for a vacation.”
“You’ve chosen to surround my vessel in an obvious act of hostility,” Picard said. “Why?”
“To be blunt, Captain,” Dukat began. “I’m looking for a survey vessel that was assigned to this region of space three days ago. I hadn’t heard from her Gul since the vessel arrived here so I decided to investigate. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to locate it.”
Dukat leaned forward and adopted a conspiratorial tone. “You wouldn’t have happened to come across it in your travels, would you?
“I think you know exactly where your missing ship is, Dukat,” Sisko answered impatiently. “So why don’t you cut the games and get to the point. What do you want?”
“What’s rightfully ours,” Dukat said only. “I advise you to surrender your vessel, Captain Picard. Then perhaps I will order my ground forces on the planet to stand down.”
No doubt the Cardassians knew about the away team the minute the Dulleas landed. Picard, however, was not without one final strategy. He moved past the Ops and Helm stations to stand directly in front of the main screen. “You are currently in Federation territory, Gul Dukat. Any hostilities instigated by you could potentially result in a war between your people and the Federation. I doubt I have to remind you of the outcome of such an event.”
Dukat sat back in his command chair and remained silent for several seconds as if considering Picard’s statement. Finally, a smile crossed the Gul’s face. “Of course, you are correct, Captain. A war would be most unfortunate. Then again, if you don’t live long enough to report my actions, we won’t have to worry about that, will we?”
With that, Dukat abruptly terminated the transmission. Sisko shook his head.
“Sir, the Cardassians are powering their weapons,” the ensign announced.
***
“Shields up!”
As the two remaining security guards hauled their injured comrade into the Dulleas, the shuttle’s hatch sealed shut just in time to absorb a blast of disruptor fire from the advancing Cardassians.
Even with full power to shields, Riker knew they would eventually buckle under the close range barrage. After discussing their options with Worf and Data, it was clear that they had no choice but to fight regardless of whether they stayed grounded or attempted to return to the Enterprise. Either way, they were easily out gunned.
From the shuttle’s cockpit, Riker turned to look out the forward viewport. Through the glow of disruptor fire, his gaze fell once again upon the twisted wreckage of the old supply freighter. Almost instantly one last alternative, a course of action so plainly obvious, formed in his mind. Turning to explain his plan to the others, he was reminded that desperate times called for desperate measures—and silently thanked a Bajoran named Reve Talin.
***
On the main screen, the bridge crew watched as one Cardassian vessel lost propulsion from a well-aimed volley of quantum torpedoes and drifted towards the nebula. Their victory was short lived, however, as the other two warships continued their attack.
“Shields are down 16 percent, Captain,” Ensign Ford reported. No sooner had she spoken then the Enterprise was rocked by another blast.
“Distance?” Picard asked.
Ford glanced at her panel. “The closest vessel is at twenty one thousand kilometers off port and closing. The second it at fifty thousand kilometers aft.”
“Give me a tactical view on the main screen,” Picard ordered.
Picard stepped over to the helm. “Ensign, set a course for zero-zero nine mark five. Prepare to go to Warp One on my order.”
“Aye, sir,” the helmsman complied. “Course laid in. Warp engines ready.”
Picard stared at the graphical representation of the battle on the forward screen and watched the Cardassian vessels close the distance. When the nearest vessel was at ten thousand kilometers, Picard raised his hand. “Engage!”
Even before the captain dropped his arm, the Enterprise shot forward, leaving only empty space in its wake. No sooner had the vessel gone into warp than it reentered normal space and banked hard to starboard for a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn. The nearest Cardassian vessel was unable to react in time and took the brunt of phaser fire from the Enterprise along its entire port bow. Dukat’s ship was forced to alter course just to avoid colliding with its damaged companion.
“The lead ship is resuming its intercept course,” Ford said. “And the drifting vessel seems to have restored impulse engines. It’s also moving into attack formation.”
Picard turned to Sisko. “What could Dukat possibly be protecting down there?”
“I don’t know, but I can assure you that no matter what it is, he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure we don’t find out.”
“The lead ship will be in firing range in thirty seconds,” Ford announced.
“Lock phasers,” Picard said. “Target their forward weapons array. Fire as soon as they are within range.”
While Ford counted down the final seconds before she would comply, a yellow light began flashing furiously on her console. “Sir, another vessel has just emerged from the nebula on a direct course for the Cardassian vessels.” After pressing a series of buttons on her console, she looked down at Picard and Sisko. “It’s the Defiant.”
“On screen,” the two Captains ordered.
The main screen shifted to a starboard view as the smaller battleship soared towards them, sending a volley of torpedoes at Dukat’s vessel. The craft was knocked drastically off course as her shields collapsed, unable to absorb the overwhelming salvo.
The Cardassian vessels ceased fire immediately and veered away from the Enterprise as the newcomer took up position beside her. Sisko was certain that Dukat would continue his attack despite the suddenly leveled playing field. In the meantime, he requested that they hail the Defiant.
“Glad you could join the party, Chief.”
From the bridge of the other vessel, Chief O’Brien nodded. “The damage to the warp engines was not as severe as it looked. We were able to get them on-line practically overnight.”
“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we also managed to get the weapons system up and running,” LaForge chimed in from the helm console. “But long range sensors are still not functioning at full efficiency.”
“Good job, gentlemen,” Sisko said.
“She’s a tough little ship,” LaForge commented.
Sisko blinked. Little?
“There is something else we need to discuss, Captain,” O’Brien began before launching into a brief account of current events aboard the station including the murders of both Daimon Gresh and Reve Talin.
When he was finished, Picard was about to hail Dukat when Ford interrupted. “There are three Cardassian shuttles leaving the surface, Captain. They appear to be on a rendezvous course with the warships.”
“Keep me posted, Ensign,” Picard said before speaking again to O’Brien. “Can you give us some cover, Chief? I would like to get the away team off that planet as soon as possible.”
“Will do, sir. Defiant out.”
***
“Enterprise to Commander Riker.”
As he lifted the lid off the last crate and examined it’s contents, Riker tapped his comm badge. “Riker here, Captain. Good to hear you’re still with us.”
“Indeed, Number One. What is your status?”
“We seemed to have found the buried treasure, so to speak. There’s a weapons stash down here that would make a Klingon gush.”
“I am not gushing,” Worf growled as he hefted a piece of what appeared to be a phaser bank assembly.
“Stand by, Commander,” Picard said and Riker wondered if the Enterprise was still engaged in battle. “Leave everything there and report back to the Enterprise,” Picard continued finally. “It would seem the Cardassians have decided to part company with us.”
“Acknowledged, Riker out.” He turned towards Worf who was poking through yet another crate, this one filled with hand held disruptor rifles. The Klingon was doing his best to act as if he had not listened to the conversation. “You heard the captain, leave it and let’s go.”
Worf glanced from Riker to the weapons and back. “Two crates.”
“Lieutenant–”
“One crate.”
“Mister Worf.”
“A torpedo.”
CHAPTER FOUR
When the crew of the B’Raketh decided to be unresponsive to Kira’s hails, Garak and Odo volunteered to board the vessel with a security team. To their surprise they did so without incident, a fact that made Garak very uneasy. He turned to the nearest security officer. “I suggest you scan for lifesigns.”
The guard looked from Garak to Odo who nodded his approval.
“What do you expect to find?” the shapeshifter asked.
“It’s what I expect not to find, Constable,” Garak replied as he watched the officer frown at her tricorder. She pressed a series of buttons and performed another scan.
Eventually she looked up, baffled. “Nothing,” she reported. “I’m reading no lifesigns aboard.”
“Some kind of dampening field,” Odo proposed.
“Not likely,” Garak said. “If they knew we were coming then ritual suicide would be my guess. I suggest we depart at once.”
“Why?” Odo asked. The answer came not from the Cardassian, but from the security guard.
“Sir, I’m now reading a massive energy build up in the ships weapons system. It would appear the forward disruptors are in a feedback loop.”
“Ops to Security.”
The constable tapped his comm badge in response to Kira’s hail. “Odo here, Major.”
“Gather your team and get off that ship immediately,” Kira ordered. “She’s going to self-destruct in thirty seconds.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Odo replied.
“I already told you once,” Garak reminded him as he and the others hurried back through the airlock and into the corridor of the docking ring.
***
“I’m reconfiguring the tractor beam to repel the B’Raketh,” Dax reported as she deftly worked the science station console. Before Kira could inquire as to how long this process would take, Dax was finished.
“Release the docking clamps,” Kira ordered.
As Dax attempted to comply, a rare look of near panic crossed her face. “Airlock controls not responding.”
Uttering an ancient Bajoran profanity, Kira tapped her comm badge. “Kira to Odo, we need you to manually release the docking clamps and hurry!”
Kira glanced over at the station chronometer and was about to repeat the expletive when Odo signaled that he was successful.
“Engaging beam,” Dax announced.
On the main screen, what normally would have been a tractor beam struck the port side of the Cardassian warship and sent it spiraling away from the station.
“Shields up!” Kira ordered.
As the chronometer indicated the end of the thirty seconds, silence filled the room. When a full minute passed and nothing happened, a few exhalations of relief could be heard.
Kira looked over at Dax just in time to miss the violent explosion. By the time she turned back to the screen, the vacuum of space had snuffed out the fiery glow, leaving only smoldering debris to scatter in all directions.
“Major, we’re receiving a hail,” Dax announced. “It’s the Defiant.”
“On screen.”
“I really hope that doesn’t become a frequent occurrence,” Sisko remarked from the command chair of the battleship. “I suspect it’s a long story.”
“Longer than that,” Kira assured him.
***
A few hours later, after everyone exchanged reports of their respective experiences with the Cardassians, it was time to see the crew of the Enterprise off.
At the airlock, Picard extended a hand to Sisko. “It was good working with you, Captain.”
Sisko accepted the hand and the sentiment. Surprisingly, he found it easy to do. “Same here, Captain.”
As the two men talked further, Dax watched the exchange with a measure of joy for her long time friend before turning her attention to her new found love. Worf was just finishing a conversation with LaForge and O’Brien before Deanna Troi approached from the turbolift. The latter two men wished each other luck before departing, leaving Worf alone with Dax and Troi.
“This is the first chance we’ve had to talk, Worf” the counselor said.
Worf shot a quick glance at Dax. “Yes, that is unfortunate. I wanted to tell you that you look… well.”
“Well,” Troi repeated flatly. “Worf, you didn’t go off with Captain Sisko and the Enterprise just to avoid me did you?”
The Klingon drew himself to his full, imposing height. “Of course not. I was merely performing my duty.”
“Did you miss me?”
Worf shifted uncomfortably. “Yes,” he muttered.
“I knew it,” Troi said casually. She turned to face Dax. “Lieutenant, thank you for a wonderful lunch, and an interesting conversation.”
“It was my pleasure,” Dax replied sincerely. “It’s always enjoyable to discuss mutual interests.”
The two women winked at each other as Troi stepped into the airlock waving a final good-bye. Worf looked from Dax to the airlock and back as the Trill slipped her arm around his.
“I have been ambushed,” Worf realized as his broad shoulders slumped just a bit.
“Yes, and you were so cute, too.”