The Touch of Your Shadow, the Whisper of Your Name Jazz Man "Damn it, Odo. Why? Why did you give him over? And to the Cardassians of all people." Growled an angry Major Kira Nerys as she barged into Constable Odo's office. "You know as well as I do "Why" Major. Jalsa Hared is a criminal, wanted by the Cardassians for sabotage. The evidence is there, he did commit these crimes. I had no choice but to hand him over to them." "No choice? You could have told them he wasn't here." "And have our little spy Garak tell them? No. There was no other option. If there had been you know I would have taken it." "I don't think I know anymore." Threw back Kira as she walked out of the office's door and onto the Promanade. Jalsa was a criminal, and a dangerous one to, but to hand him over to the Cardassians. Just the thought of what Odo had done disgusted her. But he was only doing his job, why had she got so angry at him then? Perhaps she was covering her real feelings for him. She was falling for him, somehow it felt wrong so she covered it up, kept it from him. How could he ever love her, a solid. Back in DS9's security office sat the object of Kira's desire, wondering why she had become so angry at him. If he only had known the truth he would have been a happy man. For he loved Kira, but how could she ever love him, a shape-shifter. Onboard the Cardassian ship Goroolk, Jalsa Hared sat, not in the brig, but in lavish quarters, counting his latinum. Strange to think he could make so much money for such a simple task. All he had to do was attach a small tracking device to some Major in the Bajoran Milita. All right, she was second in command of Deep Space Nine and a former member of the Shakkar resistance cell. What did that matter, after all money's money. On the bridge of that same ship the tension could have been cut with a knife. The Goroolk's crew were on the verge of completing their most adventures mission yet, the kidnapping of Major Kira Nerys. "How much closer do we need to be to initiate transport?" asked the ships commander, Ivek. "Not much further, only 5000km. After that we will be able to track her and once she is alone transport can be initiated." "Good." "You look tired, Nerys," commented Jadzia Dax. "Well that is what you get for working 18 hours with only one short break," said Worf. Kira flinched inwardly, the incident with Odo had been that 'one short break'." "18 hours?" queried Captain Sisko, as he walked out of his office in time to hear Worf's comment. "Who's been working that long?" Worf and Dax turned in Kira's direction. "Major, I would have thought better of you." "Yes, Sir." "I think you should get some rest and you really should be packing." "Is that an order?" asked Kira. "No, but it could become one." As soon as Kira was out of Opps Dax turned to Worf, "Has she really been up here that long?" "She has." "Wait a minute, how do you know that." "You would be surprised at some of the things I know." "Care to enlighten me, Worf?" "Perhaps, Jadzia. Perhaps." The empty corridor seemed to be mocking her, everyone else is working it told her. She knew it wasn't true but that didn't soften the effect it had. The morning had been her usual shift, but driven with anger, and a need not to think, after the incident with Odo she had returned to Opps to work it out of her system. Having reached her quarters she walked into the bedroom, quickly undressed and changed into her night wear. What was Sisko on, she thought, talking about packing. She had no intention of going anywhere, not after working for 18 hours, with only 'one short break'. The Cardassian transporter beam gripped her just as she was drifting off to sleep. Fear engulfed her, and as she looked at the holo of Odo by her bed, she willed him to know. It was dark, ever so dark, then the lights came on. Black, hateful, Cardassian eyes looked down at her, so unlike the clear blue eyes she had been looking at, what seemed like, but could not be, moments before. "Ivek." She spat the word out like it was a curse. "Welcome to the Goroolk, Major." "Nerys," cried out Odo, unable to stop himself. Something was wrong with Nerys. "Computer, location of Major Kira?" "Major Kira is no longer onboard the station." "Damn." Sisko. Sisko, would know what to do. "Major Kira filled for leave a week back. It started today." "She never said anything about it. Where was she going?" asked Odo. "To Earth, I thought it a strange place for her to go, but she said she was going to meet an old friend. She left onboard the Queensferry about an hour ago." "Would it be possible for me to talk to her, just to make sure she's okay?" "I think your over reacting a bit, but," Sisko turned to Dax and asked, "Is the Queensferry still in communications range, Old Man?" "Just, shall I hail her?" She asked feigning ignorance, she had heard every word. "Yes. Ask to speak to Kira." Dax worked at the communications board for a moment, then turned to Sisko, "We have her." "On screen." "Kira here, what can I do for you?" "Odo wanted to make sure you were all right." "Well, as you can see I'm fine, but, Odo, thanks for your consideration." Odo inclined his head slightly. "Wish you were here we could have had such a good time together. Love you. Kira out." "Love you," Echoed Dax. "Is there something your not telling us about Odo?" "Nothing, I have no idea what the Major is talking about." replied a very confused, and embarrassed, Constable Odo. "Quark, I need a ship." "That could take some time, Odo." "I said, I *need* a ship," "Well in that case, what kind of a ship do you want? I've just come into possession of a very nice cruiser, or a -" "As long as it's space worthy I don't care what *kind* of ship it is." "I think we can find you something, don't you?" Grinned Quark. "How did you get me here?" asked Kira indignantly. "Wouldn't you like to know, hmm. I think I might just tell you, but not quite yet. I want to see you suffer." "You are sick, Ivek, you need help. Proffesional help." "No, I got all the help I needed the first time round. You know what you did to me? No you don't, do you. You killed my family." "What?" "At the supply base in the Kilara valley. You set the bomb, you blew the place up." "I remember it, some of your people were involved aswell. One of the few missions we had inside help on." "That doesn't change things Major, I hold you responsible for their deaths." "After what your people did to Bajor you expect me to feel sorry for one single Cardassian? I don't belive this. They were guilty, they were on Bajoran land. Land they took from innocent farmers. Do you know why the land in the Kilara valley is barren? You made it that way, Cardassian troops burnt down all the farms and the people in them." "That still doesn't change what you did, you killed hundreds of Cardassians who were doing just doing thier job." "Since when is killing people a job?" "You seemed happy with it. Or does the fact that you're "an innocent Bajoran" make things different?" "I was defending my home, your people where attacking it." "Silaran was right. You don't care about others, I think you need to be brought into the light." Kira suddered in rememberance of the incidence. "Silaran Prin was bitter and twisted. He was willing to risk the life the child I carried, a child who wasn't even Bajoran, let alone mine." "I can assure that part of the idea was purely Prin's. The rest I will gladly claim as my own. Pity it didn't work as planed." "You worked with him. You put the idea into his head." "In more ways than one. I want to introduce you to a wonderful invention. It puts thoughts and ideas into people's minds. Originally intended to give orders to soilders, it's use has . . . .changed. I can give you memories of things that have never happened, I can make you believe that all Cardassians have a right to Bajor and that you Bajorans are an inferior race." "You wouldn't dare." "No, you're quite right. Not the answer you expected? I have no wish to change who you are, that would be immoral. All I'm going to do is make you think think that some things have happened to you. Nothing drastic, a beating or two. Purely phisical pain . . .for the moment." And with that he turned on his heal and left. The two gaurds that flanked him followed, leaving Kira alone. "Sisko to Odo" A pause, then, "Sisko to Odo, respond please." Where the hell was he? "Computer location of Constable Odo?" "Constable Odo is no longer onboard the station." "Ben, we have a problem over here." "What is it?" Dax sighed, "The Queensferry has reached Earth, Major Kira was not onboard." "Are you sure?" "I wish I wasn't, but I am. There was no record of her in the crew manifest." "But we talked to the Major after the Queensferry left . . ." "I can't have been the same ship, our records show it was the Queensferry. Her own records don't show we had any communication with them after they left here." "So Odo was right to be worried." "Yes, I don't think he'll be happy about it though." "There we have another problem, Odo is no longer onboard." If only I knew where they where headed, thought Odo to himself. It didn't help that the ship Quark had sold him was little more than a tin can, the only reason Odo took was because he needed to get on the trail before the feeling left him. Somehow, Odo knew where Kira was, not where the ship was going, just where she was. It was the only reason he hadn't lost them hours ago. Despite his haste to leave Odo had picked up three things; DS9's log with information on all the ships coming and going from her, crew and passenger manifests from these ships and holo of Kira. The first two where on old Cardassian padd's to stop them from being missed. As it was he thought he would already be missed; there was a senior staff meeting that he had been meant to attend about an hour ago. The third item was an attempt to keep the feeling of Kira's location, so far it hadn't failed him. She'd moved again. Odo quickly changed his course to follow. As he moved his hands away from the control panel he noticed that there was a slight sheen to them. Soon Odo would have to regenerate, but for the moment he couldn't afford to. If only I knew where they where headed, thought Odo to himself. Kira thought she remembered being beaten, it wasn't clear. She still wasn't sure if it had happened or if it was just a memory put there by Ivek. So this is why that machine of his is such a good weapon, you don't have to waste time doing anything to your prisoners, just make them think it might have happened and it'll drive them to madness, thought Kira bitterly. She looked up as the door opened to admit Ivek. He wasn't wearing his normal Cardassian armour, only what looked like some kind of under suit. "Guards," he said, "hold the Major down, make sure she can't break free." He turned to Kira, "Don't worry Major, I'm not going to kill you just right now. Oh no, I want you to suffer. Your going to fell more pain than you have ever felt before. It won't be physical pain because you've felt that before, this will be emotional pain. It won't die, it will stay with you for the rest of the pitifully short time you have left alive." And with that he descended on her. "Quark, if you don't tell me what you know..." Worf threatened. To accentuate his point he pushed the Ferengi further into the bulkhead. "I'll tell you, I'll tell you. Just don't hurt me." Pathetic, thought Worf as he lowered Quark to the ground. "It would be easier for both of us if you told me now." he growled. "I sold Odo a small shuttle sized ship, he left hours ago. He didn't tell me where he was going." Quark added in quickly. "Was the ship space worthy?" "Of course it was. You offend me Worf." "Are you sure he didn't tell you where he was going?" "Would I lie to you?" "Yes, now answer the question." "He said something about having to 'keep the feeling', but not about where he was going." "Thank you. It wasn't to hard to tell the truth now was it." They didn't have much to go on. Worf's information from Quark was all they knew about Odo's situation. Kira's was worse. No one knew where she was. There were, of course, several possibilities, all of which were being followed up. Sisko had every confidence in his people, but he couldn't help wanting to be out there. Helping them. This time Kira was sure what had happened was real, and wished it wasn't. Ivek had raped her. It had happened to her before, but that had been different. Before it had been one Cardassian sating his lust, this time it's sole purpose was to hurt her. It had worked, Kira wanted a hole to appear in the floor and engulf her. Odo please be there, please. For the last few hours Odo had spent his time reading the crew and passenger manifests of all the ships that had left DS9 within that last day or so. There was only one real possibility, the Cardassian ship Goroolk. Almost all of the other ship where transports and cargo ships. The others, with the exception of the Goroolk, had been going to Bajor. Now that Odo knew which ship it was he could predict the heading of they would be taking. The Goroolk was meant to go to Cardassia, but was heading in the wrong direction. Maybe one of the outlying colonies then. Odo plotted a course to the nearest colony, Haspar. If only this tin can had a computer, he wished silently. As it was the system would not be able to tell him if the Goroolk changed course. He would have to trust himself. Now was not the time for self doubt, he had to regenerate. Odo awoke, well that wasn't quite the right word for it; he felt that something was wrong. He reformed himself feeling less than refreshed. Kira had moved, the ship was not following Odo's predicted course, in fact it had stopped dead. Strange, he thought. As he got closer his ship's sensors told him that there had been a problem with the warp core and the system had shut it's self down. That was all he could tell, was Kira onboard? Odo had no way of knowing. He would have to risk it. Now there was another problem, how? Odo had rushed into this all, not thinking of how he would get Kira out of it. His ship had no transporters, little defence and nowhere near enough to fire power to take out the Goroolk. If he could get the ship to dock with the Cardassians he might have a chance. "What happened?" "Warp core is unstable, it's shut it's self off." "Well get it working again, now." "I'll have to divert power from non essential systems." "Do it." The shuttle bay doors were opening, there must be a larger problem on the Goroolk that the sensors showed. It was now or never, Odo piloted his ship into the Cardassian docking bay and hoped that the internal sensors where also off line. As the door to her cell swung open Kira expected another visit from Ivek. The sight she saw was most defiantly not the one she expected. "Kira, come on, we have to get out of here." Her mind told her that it was only Odo, that he would never do anything to hurt her, her body screamed louder. She was afraid of him. "Nerys, please, come with me." The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, his clear blue eyes, made her stand and walk across to him. "Let's move then." Relief flowed over his worried face, "This way." "Well, well, just look what we have here. An escapee and accomplice." "Jalsa Hared? Why aren't you in the brig?" "Because I sold your friend out Mr. Shape Shifter. Does that get you angry? It does doesn't it. You were willing to sell me out, why shouldn't I do the same?" "You are a criminal, Major Kira has done nothing. To sell out one of your own, you are guilty of that at least." "Major Kira has done nothing? She was willing to sell me out, to sell out one of her own people, as you put it." "I'd love to stay and chat, but we must be going." "Not so fast, shifter. You're going nowhere" "I beg to differ," with that he punched Jalsa in the face, knocking the surprised Bajoran to the ground. Jalsa was on his feet quickly, but not quick enough to stop Odo using his full force to knock him out. "Nice work, Odo." Odo grinned at her, that was more like his Kira Nerys. With a few parting shots from Odo's ship the two of them started back to DS9. Odo had just finished plotting in the rest of the course and was about to begin regeneration when he heard Major Kira's strange request. "Hold me, Odo." "Major?" "Hold me." Put in such simple terms and from such a beautiful woman, how could he refuse, but, "Kira, I need to regenerate." "I don't mind Odo." He moved across to her and did as she asked. After a few moments he turned to her and said, "I can't stay like this much longer." Kira nodded her head to acknowledge what he had said. She felt him change into liquid, and rap his substance around her like a blanket. It made her feel safe, and there they slept. He comforting the one he loved, she being comforted by the one she loved. Only neither of them knew it. End Please send any feedback to - thanks.