Chapter Fourteen

“YOUR CHOICE THIS TJME,” Lieutenant Jadzia Dax said, smiling. Behind her the others filed out of the afternoon meeting, talking among themselves. She had come over to Riker after the meeting and asked him if he’d like a third try at dinner.

He’d gladly accepted.

Now he smiled at her, then decided. “Quark’s again. Last time I didn’t have to pay for the dinner I had there.”

“If I remember,” she said, “didn’t you pay with a headache?”

He waved her comment aside. “I have paid for many a visit to a bar with a headache.”

She laughed and took his arm, turning him toward the door. “Then Quark’s it is.”

But this time they didn’t even get seated before

their dinner was interrupted. As they were entering Quark’s Riker felt the familiar sensation of being transported.

” What?” Dax said, turning toward him, a look of alarm on her face. Obviously, people being beamed out of the middle of the station was not a normal occurence.

“Sorry,” he managed to say to her.

Now the question was, just where was he going?

And who was taking him?

Major Kira stood at the security console as the lift brought Chancellor Gowron, Captain Picard, Lieutenant Worf, Admiral Jellico, Commander Sisko, and three guards to Ops.

As they continued toward the transporter pad, she checked security measures. Everything seemed to be in order. She also did a quick check to make sure the two Cardassian ships were still in their positions. In almost two days they hadn’t moved. And Gul Dukat had not even called the station. It was very odd. Very odd indeed.

Gowron laughed. “Admiral Jellico,” he said. “I would be very proud to show you my ship.”

Kira couldn’t hear Jellico’s answer, but the admiral stepped up on the platform next to Gowron and his two guards.

“Captain,” Gowron said loudly to Captain Picard. “Are you sure you would not like to join us?”

Captain Picard shook his head no. Kira heard him

say, “Thank you, Gowron. “But I have duties to attend to on the Enterprise.”

Gowron smiled. “A captain’s work, huh, Picard. Worf?”

‘No, sir. Thank you,” Worf said.

Y ira did not hear Picard’s response, but Gowron laughed. Maybe this laughter meant the afternoon’s meetings had gone better. Kira hoped so. It would be a shame to have all this effort go to waste.

“Ready,” Gowron said.

Commander Sisko turned to her. “Lower shields.”

She did as she was ordered. Gowron opened his communicator. “Four to transport. Dall!”

Suddenly the board in front of Kira went crazy. Two new Klingon Birds of Prey decloaked right in front of the station.

One fired on Gowron’s flagship. The other stood off to one side.

“Shields up!” Sisko shouted. “Red alert!”

Kira’s actions were automatic as she triggered the red alert and brought the shields up. The weapons were instantly set to ready and brought up to power.

But it was too late to stop the transport. The four on the transporter pad disappeared, only Kira did not like what her instruments had shown.

“Sir,” Kira said, doing her best to make her voice remain calm. “They did not transport to Gowron’s ship.”

“What?” both Picard and Sisko said at the same time.

“When the Bird of Prey fired on Gowron’s ship, its shields went up automatically. The transport was not done by that ship.”

“So where did they go?” Sisko demanded, stepping toward her.

Kira let her fingers dance over her board. It took only a moment to have the answer. “Sir. They were taken to the second new Klingon ship.”

On the large screen Kira watched in shock as the two new Klingon ships quickly turned to move away without firing another shot. They again cloaked, disappearing almost as fast as they had appeared.

Again things around Kira seemed to happen at once.

Gul Dukat’s ship turned and shot off in the direction it seemed the two Klingon ships had gone. The other Cardassian ship stayed in position.

Picard tapped his com badge. ‘Enterprise. Lock on Commander Riker, Lieutenant Worf, and myself and beam us directly to the bridge. Now!”

“Shields down,” Sisko ordered.

Kira instantly dropped the shields, and a moment later Picard and Worf disappeared.

“Shields back up,” Sisko ordered, and Kira did as she was told.

Then the two of them stood and watched as first Gowron’s flagship, and then, a moment later, the Enterprise turned and jumped to warp.

Both of them stood there for a moment in silence. Then Sisko said, “Stand down from red alert. Take us to yellow.”

“Yes, sir,” Kira said.

“Now,” Sisko said. “We have a Klingon somewhere on this station who doesn’t belong here. I want him found. I want you, Dax, and Odo in my office in five minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” Kira said. But at that moment she had no idea how she was going to follow that order. Since this morning before the meetings, over forty Klingons had beamed aboard the station. Which one didn’t belong?

She was about to call for Dax when she burst off the turbo lift. “What happened? Riker was beamed off the

Promenade.”

“I know,” Kira said. She looked up at the screen showing only one Klingon Bird of Prey and one Cardassian ship left in positions around the station.

Dax followed her gaze, then said, “Oh, my.”