"Captain's log, supplemental." "O'Brien needed three days to restore power to our ship but he won't get them." "Two Jem'Hadar fighters are heading our way, and without main power our chances of survival are slim to none." "Try it now." "Reroute the gyrodyne through the thruster array." " Where are those ships now?" " Bearing 310, mark 215, still closing." "Did you reroute that gyrodyne?" "The thruster array won't take the input." "Try the lateral impulse thrusters." "Access the auxiliary core through the starboard console." "I've tried." "Still no power to weapons or shields." "There's a nebula 60 degrees above the bow." "Can we reach it?" "Yes, but we don't know what's in there." "The Jem'Hadar ships are entering weapons range." "Dax, get us into the nebula." "Full impulse!" "Sisko to Bashir, medical emergency." "Helm control's gone." "All right." "You'll be feeling better any second now." "Her abdominal cavity is punctured." "The symbiont may have been injured." "Sensors are gone." "Impulse engines off-line." "In fact, everything is." "Emergency power's holding." " Mr Garak, take a look outside." " Just a moment." " Chief, what happened?" " We must have been hit by a..." " Oh, no!" " Mr Garak?" "Hold on!" "We have established a defence perimeter around the cavern." "I have sent two patrols to reconnoitre the shoreline in both directions." "The Vorta's condition has worsened." "He will die soon." " The First and the Second?" " l vaporised their bodies myself and redistributed their equipment." " You are now the First." " No. I questioned the Vorta's orders." "He will not forget that." "As long as he lives, I will remain Third." "If he had not ordered us into the nebula we would not have crashed." "It was not my place." "Remember, obedience brings victory." "And victory is life." "We will hold this world for the Dominion." "If we cannot re-establish communications?" "Then we will hold this world for the Dominion...until we die." "Cadet, this is no time to lie down on the job." "Heave!" "One more, now." "Heave!" "All right." "How is she?" "She's stable for now." "Garak!" "I need a hand." " Oh, no." " What?" " l don't believe it." " What?" "I tore my pants." "You tore your pants?" "Yeah, I tore my pants." "I guess I'm really in trouble now, huh?" "The time is 0500 hours." "Thank you, Mavek." "This must be quite gratifying for you." "But I am not giving you the pleasure of watching me die in this foul-smelling cavern." "I intend to live." "I understand." "How long until we re-establish communications?" "Seventh Yak'Talon estimates that it will take ten days before we can attempt a low-power test." "Ten days." "It is time for the white." "Third Remata'Klan...can you vouch for the loyalty of your men?" "We pledge our loyalty to the Founders from now until death." "Then receive this reward from the Founders." "May it keep you strong." " Only one?" " Keep your place." "This case of white must last until we're rescued - at least ten days, possibly more." "I will ration the supply." "Don't worry. I am the Vorta." "I will take care of you all." " Lucky for you, it ripped on the seam." " Can you fix it?" "My sewing kit went down with the ship." "Someone could get it." "The ship's only 500 metres below the surface." "How long can you hold your breath, Cadet?" "Madame, your pants are ready." "Your boots and vest will take a little longer." "While you wait, you might browse through the hotel's gift shop." "No, thank you." "But I would like to lodge a complaint." "This bed is as hard as a rock." "I will make note of that." " What's the prognosis?" " Guarded but good." "I've repaired all the internal injuries." "The damage to the symbiont is harder to diagnose." "Given enough rest, I think they'll both recover." "In other words, I'm going to be staring at this cave ceiling for the rest of my stay." "Lucky for you, they have 24-hour room service." "I will get you out of here, old man." "I promise." "I'm going to hold you to that one, Benjamin." " What are you doing?" " Following orders." "The Captain told us to scan the area for..." "You know what I mean." "You're deliberately staying behind me." "is this about that unfortunate business last year?" "You threatened to kill me." "There were extenuating circumstances." "It happened." "So you can either stay in front of me or walk beside me but I won't turn my back on you again." "Cadet, there may be hope for you yet." " What is it?" " l'm not sure, but..." "Now I'm sure." "How many others are there in your unit?" "Nog." "Cadet Third Class, serial number CX-937..." "Shut up." "As I tried to explain to your men, my name is Kamar." "I'm from the Cardassian lntelligence Bureau - what used to be called the Obsidian Order." "A week ago, I was performing my duties in the glorious service of the Founders." "I was captured by the U.S.S. Centaur." "We were forced..." "Excuse me, Mr Kamar, if that's really your name... but if you're one of our allies, why were you wearing this?" "Ah. I was hoping you weren't going to ask me about that." "I only have one further question for you." "is there a doctor in your unit?" " Yes." " Garak!" "Don't be too hard on him, young man." "He just saved your life." "Take them to a secure area." "Third... I have a mission for you." "I want you to find the Starfleet unit." "But do not engage them." "Locate them, assess their strength and then report back to me." "I understand." "No, you don't." "But that's all right." "It's not important that you understand, only that you carry out my instructions precisely." "Obedience brings victory." "Yes." "Yes, it does." "Go." "I believe 4,000 Dominion facilitators are being sent to Bajor." " Would you care to elaborate?" " lt's 400, and how do you know?" "The announcement hasn't been made." "I hear things." "So could you elaborate?" "My readers want to know." "You don't have any." "Weyoun is still blocking your stories." "But what if he changes his mind?" "Don't you want to explain what's going on here?" "Since the war started, Bajor's been cut off from all outside trade." "We've had nowhere to turn for things like spare parts or medical supplies... except the Dominion." "A group of facilitators is going to Bajor for a few months to provide assistance." "How do you respond to Vedek Yassim, who says that by welcoming a group of Vorta to Bajor you're taking a step towards Dominion occupation?" "The facilitators will be unarmed and unaccompanied by Jem'Hadar soldiers." "Odo, do you have any concerns that by joining the Ruling Council on the station you're validating the occupation?" "The Dominion doesn't need my validation." "They're here and they're not leaving." "Not without a fight." " Are you finished?" " Almost." "Almost." "Will you attend the demonstration tomorrow?" "The what?" "Vedek Yassim has organised a demonstration on the Promenade to protest the Dominion occupation of the station." "That's all the excuse Dukat will need to order a new security crackdown." "I'll talk to Yassim." "You're going to abolish the right to protest?" "Uh..." "Hey, I'm not trying to accuse you personally." " l'm just asking questions." " This interview is over." "I couldn't agree more." "Wrong question, Jake." "I might be able to hard-wire a combadge into this sensor array." "We'd have a crude transmitter but no power source." "What about draining a phaser?" "I'd need a converter to bridge the two power cells, and I can't build one without an ion-exchange matrix." "I think we may have a problem." "Garak and Nog are not answering my halls." "Captain, there's a group of life-forms up in the cliffs." "Range 75 metres, elevation 30 metres." "That's where l'd be." "Are they Jem'Hadar?" " l think so." " Let's not make it easy for them." "Tell the Chief to head toward that large outcropping of rocks." "Walk, don't run." "Chief, we need to make for those rocks up ahead." "I can't take it!" "Terminate fire!" "Terminate!" "You have been ordered to stop firing!" "Your orders were clear." "You were not to engage the enemy." " Who fired first?" " l did." "You are reduced to Sixth." "You will shroud and return to base camp." "I am no longer able to shroud myself." "You, you." "Provide suppression fire as we withdraw." " Understood." " Withdraw!" "Remata'Klan, I regret my disobedience." " Are they pulling out?" " Looks that way." " Why aren't they camouflaged?" " That's a good question." "Let's hope the answer is in our favour." "Cease fire!" "Why were my orders disobeyed?" "Lack of white produces anxiety among us." "One man could not restrain himself." " Which man?" " l have dealt with the matter." " l asked for his name!" " He is my responsibility." "His name!" "I may not be First, but I am the unit leader." "You may discipline me." "But only I discipline the men." "That is the order of things." "Very well. I'll leave him to you." "Dismissed." "You've done well, Third." "You may yet become First." "Now..." "I have a new task for you." "The Dominion is evil and the Prophets tell us that evil must be opposed." "You'll get no argument from me, Vedek." "But demonstrations aren't going to change anything." "They will just cause trouble for everyone." "Then what would you have us do to oppose the Dominion?" "There's nothing you or the other Vedeks can do right now." "I see." "Then as a Bajoran Liaison Officer, what will you do to fight the Dominion?" "Fighting isn't an option." "This is different than the Cardassian occupation." "is it?" "The Cardassians are in control of this station." "Bajoran freedoms are being curtailed one by one." "And soon the first wave of alien troops will be landing on our world." "We're talking about unarmed Vorta facilitators." "They come in, do their job and leave." "Can't you see what is happening to you?" "You're becoming an apologist for them, a defender of evil." "What will it take to make you act, Kira?" "To stop accepting them and start fighting back?" "Vedek, you..." "you just don't understand." "You are right. I don't." "Maybe tomorrow..." "we will both understand." "We'll set up three defences - you and Gordon on the south ridge," "Lieutenant Neeley near the lava tube, Bashir and I in the dunes." "I'll stay here and guard my clothes." " Neeley to Captain Sisko." " Go ahead." "A Jem'Hadar soldier has just approached me." "He says he wants to talk to you...alone." "Sir?" "I'm Captain Benjamin Sisko." "Third Remata'Klan." "We are holding two members of your unit." "We'll exchange them for you and your doctor." " Why do you need a doctor?" " The Vorta is wounded." " And why me?" " The Vorta wishes to speak with you." "He wants to trade two low-ranking prisoners for two more valuable ones." " Would you make a deal like that?" " No." " Then why should I?" " You shouldn't." "You're not a very good negotiator, are you?" "I was not sent to negotiate." "I was instructed only to deliver the terms." "I see." "Then I want to talk to someone who can negotiate." " l want to speak with your First." " There is no First." "I take it there's no Second either." " l command the unit." " Under the Vorta." "It must be hard for a soldier to take orders from a Vorta." "The Vorta command the Jem'Hadar." "That is the order of things." ""Obedience brings victory."" "I was on a mission with the Jem'Hadar once... before the war, of course." "They were good." "Tough, professional." "It was an honour to serve with them." "But their Vorta, he was something different..." "Manipulative." "Treacherous." "Trusted by neither side." "In the end... he was killed by the Jem'Hadar First." "Surprised?" "Such things have been known to happen." "But they are rare and only occur in units that have lost discipline." "You mean like a unit marooned on the shores of a deserted planet." "The Vorta gives you his assurance that you will not be harmed and you will be free to leave at the end of your meeting." "What is your response?" "The word of a Vorta carries very little weight with me." "Can I have your assurance that we'll be free to go, Remata'Klan?" "I have been ordered to let you go free after your meeting." "You can be assured that I will obey that order." "Very well." "We'll make the trade in one hour." "Agreed." "Sounded like you were actually getting through to him for a minute there." "You can't break through the conditioning in just one conversation." "Do you really think you can turn him against his Vorta?" "I don't know." "But there were at least seven Jem'Hadar soldiers up on that ridge... say at least two more at their base camp guarding their prisoners and their Vorta." "Without Nog and Mr Garak on our side, that gives them almost a two-to-one advantage." "I think I'd like to check out now." "So would I, old man." "You may go." "Don't get too far ahead." "We don't want to startle anyone." "Ah, good afternoon." " Are you all right?" " Perfect." "How are you?" "I've felt better." " Anything yet?" " Not yet." "We've seen no indication the two Vedeks intend to leave the shrine." " What about Yassim?" " She hasn't shown up." "Let's hope she doesn't." "I don't want to start arresting Bajorans." "Don't think there'll be a story for you today." "You sure?" "I got a message saying the protest was starting at exactly 1400." "It certainly doesn't look like it." "Evil must be opposed." "Captain Sisko..." "my name is Keevan." " We have a lot to talk about." " Not for a while, you don't." " He needs immediate surgery." " Now?" "I don't think I have any choice." " l am a doctor. I won't harm him." " They're not here to protect me." "They've just never seen what the inside of a Vorta looks like." "The time is 0500 hours." "Thank you, Mavek." " How was the show?" " lnformative." "Ah, I am alive." "No self-diagnosis, please." "I'm the doctor here." "Your internal haemorrhaging has stopped." "Your free-collagen levels are dropping." "Tissue growth factors have stabilised nicely and there's a rise in cell oxygenation." "You are alive." "Careful." "Your insides are being held together by micro-sutures, and a lot of hope." "Leave us." "And take your men with you." "May I have that case, please?" "There are ten Jem'Hadar soldiers on this planet and that is the only vial of ketracel-white we have left." "When it's gone, my hold over them will be broken and they'll become senseless, violent animals." "They'll kill everyone they can - me, you, the rest of your men... and finally turn on each other." "Why are you telling us this?" "I'm ordering the Jem'Hadar to attack your base camp." "But I will provide you with their precise plan of attack." "You should be able to kill them all." " They're your own men." " Yes." "You still haven't answered my question." "Why are you doing this?" "That...that's a communications system." "It needs repair but I'm willing to bet that you've brought one of those engineers who can turn rocks into replicators." "You should have more success at repairing it than a Jem'Hadar suffering from withdrawal." "Once you've taken care of the Jem'Hadar... I'll give you the com system and surrender to you as a prisoner of war." "And you spend the war resting comfortably as a Starfleet POW while your men lie rotting on this planet." "I see we understand each other." "I'm going to order the Jem'Hadar to attack your position regardless of whether you agree to my terms or not." "So you can either kill them..." "or they'll kill you." "Either way... they're coming." "And when they've reached this point, we'll have them in a crossfire." " They won't have a chance." " That is the point." "We're in a war." "There are rules, even in war." "Correction..." "humans have rules in war, rules that tend to make victory a little harder to achieve." "So we just...shoot them down?" "They wouldn't hesitate." " But we're not the Jem'Hadar. lt..." " This isn't a vote!" "The decision's mine." "And Mr Garak is right." "We are at war." "Given the choice between us and them, there is no choice." "Let's move out." "I'd say good luck but you won't need it." "Say it anyway. I'm still hoping there's another way out of this." "In that case...good luck, Benjamin." "Damar has been trying to contact you for the past five hours." "I keep going over it and over it in my mind." "And I can't believe that... that I stood there... ready to use force to stop a protest against the Dominion." "Me." "When I was in the resistance, I despised people like me." " l'm a collaborator, Odo." " That's not true." "You're doing exactly what Captain Sisko wanted Bajor to do - stay out of the fighting." "We used to say, "lf you're not fighting them, you're helping them."" "Half the Alpha Quadrant is fighting for my freedom but not me." "What am I doing?" "Eating full meals, sleeping in a soft bed, writing reports for the murderers who run this station." "These are difficult times for everyone." "Do you think it's easy for me to sit down with Dukat and Weyoun every day while they plot the destruction of the Federation?" "I'm not pointing a finger at you." "I'm the one who told you to get more involved." "No, this is about me." "This is about being able to get up in the morning and look in the mirror and not feel nauseated by what I see." "Yassim was right." "I have to do something." " l have to start to fight back." " That would be a mistake." "Active resistance will trigger a crackdown." "I don't want to end up fighting you, too." "But if I have to I will." "All right." "But let's find a more discreet place to plan the new resistance." "Remata'Klan!" "I want to talk!" "Agreed!" "Hold this position." "Do not fire unless they do." "Understood." "There's no way out of this canyon and we have phasers locked on you." "You have a decisive advantage." "To fight this battle would serve no purpose." "I'm prepared to offer terms." "Hear me out!" "You need more ketracel-white." "My doctor can keep your men alive until we're rescued." "Then we can put you in medical stasis until we secure a new supply." "The Vorta did not give me the option to surrender." "Keevan's betrayed you!" "He gave us your entire plan of attack last night." "Approaching from this canyon was obviously a deliberate tactical error." "You knew?" "I suspected." "Despite what Keevan may think, the Jem'Hadar are often one step ahead of the Vorta." "You can still stay one step ahead." "Surrender." "I have my orders." "Keevan doesn't deserve your unwavering loyalty." "He does not have to earn my loyalty, Captain." "He has had it from the moment I was conceived." "I am a Jem'Hadar." "He is a Vorta." "It is the order of things." "Do you really want to give up your life for the order of things?" "It is not my life to give up, Captain." "And it never was." "What did he say?" "All the wrong things." "Our death is glory to the Founders." "Captain?" "You know, Captain, if I'd had just two more vials of white... you never would've had a chance." "Chief!" "Get this..." "Take him back to base camp then get to work on that com system." "Aye, sir." " Lieutenant Neeley!" " Sir?" " Form a burial detail." " Aye, sir."